Anir's twin blades danced in his hands as he pushed Hokin back, their weapons clashing in a fierce symphony of steel. Each strike carried precision and power, driving the crowd into a frenzy. Hokin parried with equal ferocity, his twin axes a blur as sparks lit up the arena.
"Not bad!" Hokin admitted with a grin, leaping back to create distance. His axes glowed with an eerie red hue as the ground beneath them cracked slightly. "But let's see how you handle this!"
With a sweeping gesture, Hokin summoned a radiant orb of light. It hovered for a heartbeat before erupting in a blinding flash.
Anir staggered, his vision consumed by searing white. Panic threatened to overwhelm him as the world dissolved into darkness. He blinked rapidly, but his sight didn't return.
"What did you—?!" Anir's voice cracked with frustration.
"Blinded, are we?" Hokin's mocking voice circled him. "Good luck fighting now!"
Anir took a shaky breath, gripping his blades tightly. **Think. Don't lose focus. You've trained for worse.**
He felt the faint pull of his shadows, an instinctive presence clinging to him like a second skin. He couldn't risk revealing his shadow affinity, but he could use it in subtle ways. Tentatively, he extended the shadows along the ground, feeling them brush against the arena's surface and the movements around him.
Hokin's heavy footsteps sent faint ripples through the shadows, allowing Anir to sense his position.
The moment Hokin lunged, Anir sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the cleaving arc of an axe.
"Still got some fight left, huh?" Hokin growled, stepping back to launch another attack.
This time, flames erupted from his axe, a swirling fireball racing toward Anir. He raised one blade, summoning a gust of wind that deflected the flames to the side. The heat singed the air around him, but Anir held his ground.
Hokin followed up with a spike of earth erupting beneath Anir's feet. Anir rolled to the side, feeling the vibrations through the shadows as he narrowly avoided being skewered. He retaliated with a blast of icy shards, his other hand weaving the air into sharp, cutting winds that streaked toward Hokin.
The older fighter blocked with a wall of earth, the ice shattering against it. He swung his axes again, sending a slicing whirlwind toward Anir.
Anir dropped to the ground, the shadows guiding his movements as he felt the wind blade whistle past his head. Rising swiftly, he retaliated with a wave of frost, aiming to slow Hokin's relentless pace. The icy gale grazed Hokin's shoulder, and frost began to creep up his arm.
"Clever!" Hokin admitted, shaking off the frost with a burst of fire magic. "But it won't be enough!"
The ground shook as he slammed his axes into it, summoning jagged pillars of stone that shot upward. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring the battlefield.
Anir steadied his breathing, ignoring the suffocating dust. The shadows painted a mental map in his mind, revealing Hokin's movements through the chaos.
He adjusted his grip on his blades, relying on pure instinct and his heightened senses. A flicker of movement—Hokin's axe coming from the right. Anir ducked and countered with a sweeping arc of wind, forcing Hokin to back off.
As Hokin charged again, flames engulfing his axes, Anir pushed his wind and ice magic to their limits. He summoned a freezing vortex that clashed against Hokin's fiery assault, creating an explosion of steam that enveloped the arena.
Through the haze, Anir caught Hokin's movement with his shadows—a sharp, angular leap. He raised his blades to block, intercepting the strike with a loud clang that echoed across the battlefield.
The impact sent him skidding back, his boots digging into the dirt. Sweat dripped down his brow, but his grip remained firm.
"You're tough, I'll give you that," Hokin said, panting slightly. "But this is far from over."
Anir smirked, his stance steady. "Bring it, then."
Hokin roared and charged, his axes glowing brighter with each step. Anir raised his blades, ready for the next clash, his mind sharp and senses heightened despite the darkness.
---
The clash between Anir and Hokin intensified as their battle raged on, pushing both fighters to their limits. The arena bore the scars of their elemental onslaught: scorched earth, frost-ridden craters, and swirling gusts of wind. Despite his blindness, Anir held his ground, relying on his instincts and heightened senses to match Hokin's ferocity.
Ten minutes into their grueling fight, Anir blinked, and slowly, his vision began to return. The blurred outlines of Hokin's form emerged, sharpening with every passing second. He adjusted quickly, using his renewed sight to land a clean slash across Hokin's shoulder.
"You're tougher than you look!" Anir admitted with a grin, his exhaustion evident.
"You've got some fight in you, too," Hokin replied, stepping back and planting his feet firmly. His axes began to glow, fire and light intertwining in a dazzling display of power. The air around him shimmered with heat as a massive orb formed above him, radiating like a miniature sun.
"This is it!" Hokin roared. "Let's see how you handle this!"
The blazing orb surged forward, propelled by a powerful gust of wind. Anir's eyes widened, and he moved to dodge, but the sheer intensity of the attack left him with no room to fully evade. The fiery explosion engulfed him, sending him tumbling across the arena.
When the smoke cleared, Anir lay on the ground, his clothes singed and his body battered. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to stand but collapsed back to his knees. With a pained smile, he raised a hand in surrender.
"All right," Anir said, his voice hoarse. "You got me. That was a good match."
Hokin walked over, offering a hand to help him up. "Yeah, I never expected you to be this strong."
Anir chuckled weakly, accepting the hand. "Same here. But what was that that blinded me?"
Hokin grinned. "That was the light element. That ability is called *Blinding Light*. It's a pretty rare skill, so I'm guessing you've never heard of it."
Anir nodded, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "I guess that's your trump card. But why didn't you use it continuously after I regained my vision?"
"Oh, it has a cooldown," Hokin admitted. "I can only use it once every hour. The cooldown will decrease as I master it further, but for now, that's my limit."
Anir nodded thoughtfully. The two headed back to the bar, the tension of the fight giving way to camaraderie.
---
Sitting at a table with drinks in hand, the pair exchanged stories about their past battles. Hokin, however, couldn't hide his curiosity.
"You're really strong, Anir," he said, taking a sip. "But I have a question. How did you continue fighting while you were blinded as if it didn't affect you?"
Anir hesitated, swirling his drink. "Uh... instinct?"
Hokin raised an eyebrow, then laughed heartily. "You expect me to fall for a terrible lie like that? If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'm not forcing you."
Anir smiled faintly, relieved the subject was dropped. As Hokin moved on to other topics, Anir's thoughts lingered on the fight. The injuries, the blinding light, and the final attack—all of it made him realize how much room he had to grow.
**I can't rely on my divine element too much,** Anir thought. **I need to strengthen my mastery over my other elements. And I need better weapons—something high-quality that suits me.**
Breaking from his thoughts, Anir turned to Hokin. "Do you know where I can get a good pair of swords? And how much will it cost?"
Hokin immediately answered, "I know someone who forges top-tier weapons. As for the price... I'm not sure exactly, but it'll probably cost between 50 to 100 thousand Wifri."
Anir's eyes widened. Since arriving in the city, they had only managed to gather 10 thousand Wifri from hunting monsters and selling their remains.
"Can you take me to him?" Anir asked after a moment.
Hokin was surprised but nodded. "Sure."
---
They paid for their drinks and left the bar, the sun setting as the sky turned a vibrant red. Anir's thoughts drifted to his father as they walked through the narrow streets, the sunset's hues reminding him of his memories.
Hokin led him to a small, weathered alley and stopped before an old wooden door. He knocked, and a gruff voice from inside asked, "Who's there?"
"It's me," Hokin replied.
"Who's the other one? And what are you doing here at this hour?"
Anir raised an eyebrow, surprised the man could sense his presence.
"Oh, it's just a friend of mine," Hokin explained. "He's new to the city and needs weapons. You're the best, so I thought of you."
A heavy sigh sounded from the other side. "Didn't I tell you not to tell anyone about me? You never learn, do you?"
After a pause, the door creaked open, revealing an older man with black hair streaked with white. His brown eyes scrutinized Anir, but it was the scar running across his face that caught Anir's attention.
"What's wrong? Never seen a scar before?" the man asked with a smirk.
Anir quickly shook his head. "No, it's just... that scar looks cool. How did you get it?"
The man chuckled deeply. "You're funny. Sorry, but I can't tell you that." He gestured for them to enter. "Come in. Let's talk about the main topic."
They introduced themselves, and the man extended a hand. "I'm Akhraz. And you?"
"Anir," he replied, shaking Akhraz's hand.
"What kind of weapon are you looking for?" Akhraz asked, sitting down.
"Dual swords," Anir answered. "Light, swift, and medium-sized. Beyond that, I'm not too sure. You're the expert, so I'll trust your judgment."
Akhraz raised an eyebrow. "Dual swords, huh? That's uncommon. I've never forged a pair before." He glanced at Hokin, who nodded in silent affirmation of Anir's potential.
"What's your budget?" Akhraz finally asked.
Anir hesitated. "I don't have much money right now since I just arrived. I can manage 30 thousand, but I'll need time to gather it."
Akhraz frowned slightly. "Thirty thousand is low... but I'll see what I can do."
As he spoke, a black raven suddenly landed on his shoulder, its piercing gaze fixed on Anir. For a moment, Anir felt as though the world had shifted.
He found himself standing in a void of endless darkness.
"What the...?" Anir muttered, confusion setting in. "Wasn't I with Hokin and Akhraz?"
A silhouette appeared in the darkness, and a single word echoed: "Asterio."
Anir tensed. "Who are you? Where am I?"
Before he could react further, he snapped back to reality.
---
Hokin was shaking his shoulder. "Anir? What were you thinking about? I've been calling you for a minute!"
Anir shook his head, forcing a smile. "Sorry, I must be tired."
Akhraz looked at him curiously. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," Anir said quickly. "What's with the raven?"
Akhraz frowned. "Raven? What raven?"
Anir glanced around but saw nothing. **Was it just a dream?**
Hokin stood, patting Anir's shoulder. "You need some rest. We'll continue this tomorrow."
Anir nodded, bidding them farewell as he returned home. The moment his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.
---
In the dream, the void of darkness surrounded him again. This time, a man appeared—a figure in his fifties with red hair streaked with silver, green eyes, and a wide nose. He wore a dark robe adorned with crimson patterns.
"Nice to meet you, Asterio," the man said, his voice deep and enigmatic.