Emprymine Planet
In the lawless city, shadows ruled the streets, and chaos was the only constant. In a dimly lit room, barely anything was distinguishable except for the silhouette of a massive man standing in the background, obscured by the darkness.
Ronin stood at the window, his gaze lost in the distance. "So, he's gone, huh..." he murmured.
"Yes," came the deep, resonant voice of the man behind him. "The Horseman Family tried to incite a war with the Dominic Family by attacking the boy while he was incapacitated."
The man continued, his voice cutting through the still air. "But that maid intervened. She vanished with the boy after eliminating about twenty (C-) ranks, fifteen (C) ranks, twelve (C+) ranks, and five (B -) ranks."
Ronin let out a heavy sigh. "I shouldn't have allowed them to take that boy. But lamenting won't change anything now. Prepare for our departure from this planet, and summon Number Three. I need to speak with him."
The man nodded silently and melted into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
Meanwhile, on another planet under the dominion of the Dominic Family, plans were already being set into motion..
Elijah awoke, feeling as though he lay his head on something soft, his body warm, steam in his vision. He lay there, comfortable, seeing hands reaching for his chest. Looking back, he saw Ava embracing him tightly.
"Morning," her enchanting voice rang in his ear.
Still half-asleep, Elijah murmured, "Ava." She smiled and stroked his wet hair.
"That was an amazing fight, Elijah," she commented, clearing him up.
"Yeah, but I still lost," Elijah exclaimed with a sigh.
"You'll lose many fights in your life, but as long as you can still breathe and move, that means you are undefeated. So, don't let this setback push you back." Elijah moved away from her embrace and stretched a little.
"How long was I out?" he questioned.
"Just a day," she answered, getting out of the hot spring and sitting on the edge. "Many people heard that Dominic's family's young master was in the gladiator, so you could have become a target. Also, your task has been postponed for three weeks due to your injuries." She smiled.
"Three weeks, huh? It seems like you don't want me to take the task," Elijah observed, a solemn expression crossing Ava's face.
She sighed, "I've put you in too much danger already, and I can't be everywhere you go. So, I want you to focus on training this week." Elijah smiled and looked at her. "Yes, I will be the one training you this time."
"Your training, huh? the torture begins again," Elijah remarked.
"You're going to take on the strongest family under your shoulders, so it won't be easy," she replied with a smile. "I just have less than 100 years to keep my promise to you. So, bring it." She gently touched his face.
"We'll start tomorrow then," she said, standing up. "Even you can't resist your own lust."
Elijah looked down, "It's hard to when you're living with a Beautiful Goddess." Ava chuckled, leaving the bathroom. For another moment, Elijah slapped himself. 'Fuck, I didn't ask about Kai,' he sighed.
Finishing up, he left the large bathroom, admiring the different designs. Despite their simplicity, they exuded an old-world charm, typical of the Dominic family's main house. He wore shorts, his well-refined body clearly visible, a testament to godly craftsmanship.
Looking around, Elijah was impressed. Even in this manor, the Dominic family maintained designs reminiscent of olden times. Suddenly, someone appeared beside him.
"Young master."
"Miss Amy, how have you been?" he inquired with a smile.
She smiled back, "I've been well, young master. If you're looking for your friend, he's below us in the training grounds."
"There are training grounds below us?" Elijah asked excitedly.
Minutes later...
The place was vast, covering over 500 meters in length and width. Elijah stared below with a smile on his face, intrigued. He was now curious about exploring the entire manor and discovering where the techniques were. Reaching the elevator, glowing with a blue aura, they stood there and found themselves in a large white room.
Upon reaching there, Elijah noticed something and asked, "Is this place..."
"Yes, it's just like the white space I created before," she confirmed. After that, Amy pointed in the direction where Kai was, carrying a pole with some strange metals on it. With every swing he made, Elijah could sense the tremendous weight.
'It seems he's close to breaking through to E rank and even about to reach the expert realm.' Elijah had almost reached the expert realm in his fight with Windspirit Amazon Lady, but no matter what, he couldn't break through that barrier before him. With every swing Kai made, he was coming closer and closer to that realm of enlightenment.
This was where the top 500 rankers were, some even higher. Except for the 7 Miracles, Elijah hadn't heard of anyone reaching that realm. Sighing, he sat down, waiting for Kai to come out of his trance.
"What do you think?"
"Everyone must find their own way, Young Master. Without doing so, there will be no improvements," Amy offered, seeing that Elijah wanted her to give some advice that Kai would naturally hear and help him break through.
"You're no fun. Anyway, can you cook something for us and bring some Sake if any is available?" he asked.
"Are you starting to drink, young master?" she teased.
"Huff, no, I just want to share a cup," Elijah said, and Amy chuckled before disappearing.
Meanwhile, Kai soon stopped after some minutes of intense practice, letting the metal pole go. "Damn, not yet."
"Don't get frustrated," Elijah's voice sounded behind him.
"Elijah, you're awake," Kai smiled, stretching his body.
"Even if Miss Amy seemed like she didn't mean to help, she did," Elijah said as Kai approached him. "It seems that to break through the limit, we need to create a different style of fighting that aligns with our bodies," he explained what he understood from her.
"Really? So using someone else's style of fighting is limiting our growth?" Kai questioned.
"Yes. There's nothing wrong with using other people's techniques, but using their styles is the problem. Our bodies are different, even if just a little, meaning that slight difference is limiting our growth."
"Huh, I never thought of that," Kai said, sitting down in front of Elijah before Miss Amy appeared with a dash of food, small cups, and a bottle of Sake. "Sake!" Kai's eyes lit up.
Laughing, Elijah said, "Kai," gaining his attention. "Do you remember that ritual you spoke about, the one where two become brothers?" Kai nodded with a smile. Taking the small cups and the bottle from Miss Amy, he said, "Thank you."
Amy nodded with a smile and said, staring at Kai, "How about…"
"You're an idiot, Elijah," Kai said with a smile, raising his hand to receive the small cup. Elijah poured the sake, and Kai sat down, staring ahead.
"To become the Overlord."
"To become the Greatest Swordsman." Their cups met before both drank.