Over the course of the next 9 years, Nero had trained Cassius and Garth in ways not even he thought would be possible for them; at such a young age that is. At only 16 years old, both Cassius and Garth have mastered the muscle transfer technique and have further honed their breathing. Cassius was able to do 20,000 swings of his scythe in 30 minutes by the time he was just 10 years old. Garth still refused to use a weapon during the entire training, only using his body.
Now, at 16 years old, Cassius is able to perform at a rate of 60,000 swings in 30 minutes, a little over 33 swings every second. Garth is able to punch and a kick 75,000 times in 30 minutes, over 41 hits a second. Cassius is now able to bring out 50% of the power that Siladarians can, and Garth can bring out 70%. Over the years, Cassius and Garth have both developed more muscle mass. Lean rather than bulky, they are now able to get even more out of the breathing technique.
A sparring match was about to begin, Garth vs Cassius, weapons were allowed.
"Begin," shouted Nero.
Cassius readied himself for Garth's immense speed. He knew he couldn't outperform in that area, but his reaction time was much better than Garth's due to his prediction capabilities. Cassius was a very intelligent individual, and Garth was nowhere near his level in intelligence.
Garth approached, clearing 30 feet in 1/100th of a second. A thundering sound manifested immediately, so loud that it caused Fealty to go outside and see what was happening.
Cassius saw the shift in Garth's body immediately after he made the dash, knowing he was aiming to jump and unleash a barrage of kicks at his neck and head. Cassius reacted by twirling his scythe at his left shoulder. The speed of the blade made a tornado that blew most things back, that were within a 50 feet radius of Cassius. It did not even so much as make Garth flinch. Garth's flurry of kicks was met by the spinning scythe, blocking the attack. There was a constant sound of thunder around the two, causing nearby wildlife to run away in fear.
Cassius counterattacked, having stopped Garth's kicks he then used his spinning scythe in attempt to sever one of his posterior tibial tendon, which would cause Garth to not be able to use the leg that obtains the injury. Cassius shifted his body with precise muscle control to get behind Garth, then he swung the spinning scythe right towards his tendon. Garth was still slightly in the air from his attack, not able to move away from Cassius'. Not taking a chance on losing one of his limbs, he blocked the attack by perfectly timing a headbutt with the spin and swing of the scythe, stopping its momentum completely.
Fealty was rushing outside and saw the sight of Garth's head at the scythe. Without a second thought, she dashed in between the two boys, pushing both away and taking Cassius' scythe. She then appeared behind Nero, holding the blade of the scythe to his throat. The entirety of the fight, with Fealty's interference, lasted less than a second.
"You let it get out of hand again," her tone was cold and shook Nero to his core. He had only felt such fear one other time in his life.
"Th-they're grown now, they can handle-"
"It doesn't matter if they've grown up some, you should know better." Her voice sent chills down Nero's back.
Cassius then spoke up
"It's our fault mom, Garth and I could have refused. We just wanted to see who was stronger. We haven't given it our all since we were 7, and I got beat then," Cassius' face showed frustration.
"I wanted a chance to show Garth how serious I had taken the training."
Fealty's eyes began to swell with tears, and she immediately looked away from everyone while lowering the scythe.
"If that's what it was, I don't fully understand, but I'll forgive Nero for his poor parenting."
Nero felt immense relief as the scythe left his neck. Garth began laughing, from both confusion and joy. He had never seen his mom like that, and he was happy that Cassius had been so serious from the very start. They all walked back to the cottage to prepare a meal, but only Cassius knew it would be their last together for a while. As they sat down at their table to eat, Cassius steeled himself and spoke with resolve.
"I want to leave Siladar and try to find out what happened to my family."
Nero and Fealty remained silent, looking at the table, and Garth just continued with his main focus on the food.
"We know nothing of what happened to them in the capital of Eris. I want to know why my sister gave her life to bring me here. I want to know if anyone else lived. No, I need to know."
Nero finally looked at Cassius. Seeing a look of determination and sincerity, he left the table and went out of the cottage. Cassius thought he offended his parents, and so he began to explain to Fealty his feelings.
"It's not that I want to find and live with my blood-family, or that you and dad haven't been good enough to me or anything like th-"
Fealty looked up at Cassius and the words left him. All he saw in Fealty's face was a look of love and content. Nero had walked back in at this time, holding a scythe that looked as if it were made for war.
"The scythe he used on our first day of training," Cassius thought to himself.
"Cassius," Nero said while looking him in the eyes.
"I want you to have this."
He handed Cassius the scythe, it was slightly bigger than the farm-use one he had been using. It shone vibrantly, a stainless-steel looking blade with three holes throughout it, and a titanium shaft with two textured groves that were covered with dark leather for gripping.
Cassius was speechless, holding the scythe with complete confusion.
"Take it and find the truth. Get the closure you need. Fealty and I understand," Nero spoke with a gentle tone.
"We thought the time would come sometime. Nero had hoped you wouldn't get involved with whatever conflict there was, and so did I, but we know how life works sometimes," Fealty was nothing but heartfelt and loving.
Cassius looked at Garth, wondering why he hadn't said anything yet. Garth continued to eat until he felt Cassius' wonder overpower his desire to eat. Garth then looked up at Cassius and spoke.
"I'm coming with you obviously. You're my brother and I should watch over you like I have since we were kids. Also, I don't like the prejudices that a lot of humans and Siladarians have about one another. I mean, look at us, we're different but the same. I want the world to see and understand one another. I don't want anyone to feel worthless or alone if I can help it."
Cassius had formed the belief that they would all try to stop him. He did not expect such open love at this moment.
"Thank you, all of you, for what you've done for me these last 16 years. Mom, dad, I owe you both a lifetime of debt. I love you both dearly."
The 4 had spent the rest of the day talking and reminiscing on their years together. The next day, Cassius and Garth had packed up what they would need on their journey, and they said their goodbyes. Fealty cried from sunup until she cried herself to sleep later in the evening. Nero had spent all day trying to comfort her. Cassius and Garth shed some tears during their final talking with their parents, and Nero sent them off with a hug and a few words.
"Be safe, and don't cause problems on purpose. I love you both," his final words to his sons.
Cassius and Garth began their adventure, traveling towards Apate, the Eris kingdom capital. If they were to run at Cassius' max speed, they could get there in less than 30 minutes. This would cause problems for the wildlife and anyone close enough to get blasted away during their run. Due to this they decided to go at a much slower pace, traveling at 100mph.
They ran through the forest, crossing the border into Eris. As they ran, they passed many small villages of humans. They ran for 2 hours before they heard a huge commotion coming from a nearby city. They had seen many strong-looking individuals entering into the city. Their curiosity had gotten to them, they had to check it out.
They entered and saw gold plated buildings and marble fountains in the center of the city. The roads were constructed out of stone slabs so smooth that babies could play on them without their parents worrying of any scratches. The two were in awe.
"What is this place? Dad never mentioned it," Garth was struck with complete amazement at how beautiful the city was.
"Maybe he didn't know about it. We should try to get some information on it."
Garth and Cassius walked through the city, looking for anyone that would speak with them. They attempted to talk to many shop owners, but they all turned them away. Cassius could feel the discomfort they had every time Garth entered into a building. The feeling made him sick with sadness and anger.
"Garth, I hate to ask this of you, but will you cover your hair? Seeing how you look and that you're Siladarian is what causes our cold welcome in every shop."
"I thought that might be why everyone refused to talk to us. I'll put on my cloak and stand behind you, it's no trouble."
They continued to walk through the city, peering at weapon shops, armor shops, and food stands. Cassius then had a thought that there was something going on in the city.
"There must be some festival of sorts going on today. They'll be less likely to deal with strangers regardless of race if that's the case, sketchy dealings can lead to rumors. Rumors are bad for business.
"All those times at the market with dad rubbed off on you, Cassius."
"I learned from the best. If that's the case though, we're wasting our time with these shops. We should probably jus-"
Cassius then saw a poster for a tournament being held that day.
'ANNUAL MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT: GRAND PRIZE OF $1,000,000 LOAVES'
Cassius went over to the poster, Garth following behind him, and he examined it further.
"It really does say $1,000,000! Garth, we wouldn't need to worry about expenses at all during our journey. We could even pay for information we need!"
Garth looked at the poster and then grinned with confidence.
"So that's why all those strong-looking people were entering the city. We can definitely win this tournament. Let's enter it!"
Cassius and Garth started zipping around the city to find the location of the tournament. They didn't have to search too long, as there was a huge crowd around a giant colosseum. The two brothers were shocked to see that so many people were going to enter.
"How long will this tournament last!? There's like 50,000 people here," Garth was amazed that there was such a competition that attracted so many competitors."
"With $1,000,000 as the prize, it's sure to bring out a lot of people."
Just then a man in a robe, a noble-looking individual, approached Garth and Cassius.
"Good afternoon gentlemen. Do you wish the enter the tournament?"
"Yes, we would like to compete," Cassius said in a bow. He knew the garment the man was wearing was high quality, and that he had confidence, both signifying that the man had power within the city and had no reason to fear.
"I'm afraid you're in the wrong line then. This is just to enter into the seated area of the colosseum. The entrance for competitors is on the other side."
"I thank you for letting us know. We will head there now," Cassius said with a tone of gratitude.
"Be sure to watch your back though. The kind of warriors this tournament attracts are ruthless, to say the least."
"How did you know we were wanting to enter? Do we look like ruthless warriors," Garth asked in a serious tone. He was hurt by these words, assuming the stranger knew he was Siladarian and had thought he was evil.
"It's because of my scythe, Garth. This isn't a scythe made for farming, it was forged with the intent for it to be used in battle."
"Exactly. I'm an avid weapon collector myself, and I can tell that your scythe is of the highest quality," said the stranger.
"Thank you for your kindness, we will be on our way now," Cassius then grabbed Garth's arm and they headed towards the other side of the colosseum. Cassius felt there was something off about the man they had met, something that made him very uncomfortable.
The brothers managed to sign up for the tournament and discovered that there were only 22 other participants. The person that signed them up and gave them their numbers had explained that thousands of people show up to compete, days before, but they are killed by those that are much better than them. By the day of the tournament, they have only ever had a maximum of 50 participants.
"Why does the city continue to host the tournament when it is known people will die," Cassius asked the worker.
"No one from the city ever joins. It's for our amusement, so no one cares if outsiders die. Plus, it's nice business in the market district before everyone dies."
This response sent chills down Cassius' spine. He couldn't understand how people could do away with lives for the sake of entertainment. Garth gritted his teeth when he heard those words. Knowing they did not want to cause such a huge problem for themselves this early into their journey, the two remained composed.
They were shown where to wait for the tournament to start. Cassius was told he could not use his scythe in the tournament, but that he could keep it with him in the waiting quarters. Each participant had their own room to wait in. They were not allowed to leave it, but there had been situations in the past where participants were found dead in their waiting rooms. Weapons were permitted to be kept with them for self-defense, as people took this tournament and its money very seriously.
The worker explained to Garth and Cassius that the tournament is a one-on-one martial arts tournament. They drew numbers to see who fights in what order, and then they fight the winner of the block closest to them in their next fight.
Cassius and Garth sat in their rooms, mentally preparing themselves for their fights against the ruthless humans that murdered others for money. They had caught glimpses of some of the fighters on their way to their waiting rooms, and they all had a menacing aura around them. Nero is strong and taught them well, and they felt confident in their abilities. Cassius had only ever been around bloodlust twice in his life, as an infant and 5 years old at the market in Siladar. He remembered the scary feeling of what happened when he was 5. Could he handle that again? Would it be too much?
Cassius then gripped his scythe; the despair and racing thoughts had ceased.
"My dad prepared me for anything. I am strong now. I will win this tournament."
In another room, Garth was grinning and bouncing his leg as he sat. He was excited to fight strong opponents and test out the strength he gained from his dad's training.
"It's time," Garth thought to himself.
"Time to see which of us is stronger, Cassius!"