After losing a bet to his father, Kin had been forced to train under Jai's tutelage. It was one of the hardest challenges he'd ever faced, and training with Jai had been nothing short of grueling. Yet, Kin could recall the lessons as if they had happened yesterday.
He remembered the way Jai demonstrated his technique during one of their sessions.
"It's all about intent," Jai had explained. "A warrior's intent must flow into his weapon. If your weapon cannot carry out the commands you give it, then you are unworthy of the title of warrior. Whether it is to kill, decapitate, maim, blind, destroy, or even save, your weapon must fully reflect your intentions. When your body moves, it should follow the path of your intent, carrying your sword along with it. When you order it to stop, it stops. When you tell it to cut, it cuts—exactly where and how you desire."
Kin had failed to master the technique back then. Controlling his body and weapon with such precision had been far beyond him at the time. But now, perhaps now...
Kin turned to Ashell. "Can you empower my body, even if it's only for a short while?"
"What do you mean?" Ashell asked, startled.
"I felt it when you forged Ken for me," Kin explained. "Every time your hammer struck those crystals, I could feel the surge of your domain's energy. It excited something in me. Can you replicate that?"
Ashell hesitated. "I can, but it won't last long."
"That's good enough," Kin replied. Without hesitation, he stopped running and turned to face the beast. "Now!" he commanded.
Ashell unleashed her flames, enveloping Kin in a fiery aura. His body suddenly felt lighter, stronger, and faster than ever before.
The beast lashed out with its massive trunk, but Kin sidestepped the blow and leapt above it. Anticipating the tusk's upward thrust, he twisted mid-air to avoid it, knowing the trunk would swing back. Instead of dodging completely, he used Ken to stab into the beast's flesh, sinking the blade deeper than before.
Kin followed through with a strike that severed the beast's trunk, drawing a deafening roar of pain. Enraged, the beast retaliated, flinging Kin into the air to prepare a deadly tusk attack.
It was just what Kin had been waiting for. As he free-fell, the beast hesitated, wary of using its damaged trunk again. Confident that Kin was helpless, it readied its tusk for the killing blow.
But Kin had other plans. His intent had never been to merely injure the trunk. As the beast lunged, Kin twisted mid-air and drove Ken deep into the beast's eye.
The beast screamed in agony, thrashing wildly in an attempt to dislodge him. But Kin held on, pushing his blade even deeper. The beast's frantic movements slowed, and it finally collapsed, though it was still alive.
Kin yanked his sword free and stood over the fallen creature, heart pounding.
"Don't celebrate yet," Ashell urged. "Finish it."
Kin didn't hesitate. He plunged his sword into the beast's skull, ending its life. Only then did he allow himself to breathe.
As Kin reflected on the battle, he realized this was the first time his body had truly responded to Jai's technique. Since then, he'd begun adopting elements of both Jai's and Farouk's fighting styles, though neither was complete. Kin didn't aim to master their techniques; he saw them as stepping stones toward forging his own path. But for now, his priority wasn't innovation—it was strength. And Ashell's armor would provide exactly that.
"What else do you need?" Kin asked, snapping out of his thoughts.
"I thought you wanted to stay quiet and reminisce," Ashell teased.
Kin smirked. "I was just remembering."
Ashell turned her attention to the task at hand. "Two more things. First, I need a crystal."
"What kind?"
"A black crystal—the strongest type. A tier-four black crystal should suffice."
"That shouldn't be too hard to find... but with everything happening, I doubt I'll have the time to search for it anytime soon. What's the other thing?"
"I need a powerful energy source," Ashell replied. "Just like the war axe, which used that beast's tusk, I'll need the scales or carapace of a ferocious beast. A wyvern, a dragon, a Titanic Cragback (turtle-like beast), an Azure Plated Leviathan, or Chiton Lord Scarathid (insect-like beast) would do."
"Those are all high-level beasts!" Kin exclaimed.
"why are you saying it like they are found in barns or something"
"Yes," Ashell agreed. "And it must be a ferocious beast or higher. Wild beasts are useless for this."
Kin stared at Ashell, half convinced she was joking. How could he possibly hunt such creatures? Did she really think he was capable of that? Still, he pushed the doubts aside. He neither had the means nor the time to gather the materials now, but he was determined to craft the armor before his duel with Jai. Without it, he'd stand no chance against the god Sword.
"Don't worry too much," Ashell reassured him. "We'll be ready when the time comes. And when it does, your uncle is in for a nasty surprise."
Kin grinned at her words. He wasn't entirely prepared to face Jai just yet, but he was confident that if his uncle appeared before him now, he'd put up a fight that even the god Sword wouldn't forget.
Little did he know...