At the top of the cliff, the group gathered as Tylon used his medical skills to patch up their wounds. Kaiser looked at the empty space where Rei had been, his face full of worry.
"We have to find him," Kaiser said.
"The problem is we've lost his trail," Ben replied. "He could be anywhere in the country by now."
Lyla sighed, looking toward the horizon. "Rei can handle himself physically, but I'm more worried about his state of mind. He was so broken when he turned back."
Suddenly, a messenger bird landed on Kaiser's arm. He unrolled the letter and his brow furrowed. "Adriel, Hella, Sentry—we have to go back to Nandaka, the Sword City immediately."
"Why now?" Adriel asked.
"The Next Five Swords Competition is starting. They need us there." Kaiser turned to Ben. "I have to trust that you'll do your best to find Rei while we're gone."
"Our reach is small because of the war," Ben promised, "but we will search every corner of the land."
Lyla and Tylon stepped forward. "We're going to look for him too," Lyla said. Tenko barked loudly, his tail wagging with determination.
The groups split up: the Revolutionaries went right, Lyla and Tylon headed toward the forest, and Kaiser's team went straight. None of them knew that the bandits had already reached a far-off city with their prize.
The next morning, Rei woke up in a cold iron cage. He tried to open his eyes, but all he saw was pitch-black darkness. He reached up, feeling his face, but his eyes wouldn't respond.
"Why?!" Rei screamed, his voice echoing in the stone room. "Why does this keep happening to me?!"
In his grief, his sorcery began to leak out instinctively, but it was immediately smothered. He was bound by Qi-Absorbing Chains. He slumped to the floor of the cage, weeping. "What did I ever do? Why is my life a living hell? I don't even know who I am anymore."
"Look at this wimpy kid," one of the bandits laughed, kicking the cage. "Crying for his mommy? Too bad, kid. You're being sold."
For days, Rei was treated like an animal. He was fed only scraps and leftovers. As the bandits traveled through a scorching desert, Rei lay in the back of the moving cage, his mind spiraling. Am I Rei? Am I Piers? Am I just... nothing?
The bandits finally reached a brutal Spartan arena. "Here is your sacrificial goat," the bandit leader said to a wealthy buyer.
As the bandits walked away with their gold, Mephisto, watching from the depths of Hell, flicked his wrist. "I won't let you take Piers's things," he hissed. He cast a powerful illusion, making the buyer and bandits believe they had moved the items, while secretly keeping Piers's artifacts safe and hidden near Rei.
The announcer's voice boomed over the roaring crowd. "Everyone! Let the Colosseum Wars begin! We start with our usual Sacrificial Lamp Ritual!"
Rei was dragged to the center of the arena and bound to a wooden pole. He heard the heavy iron gates creak open. He couldn't see, but his ears picked up a terrifying, hungry growl.
"Kill him!" the crowd screamed. "Eat your fill!"
Rei felt the vibration of the beast's footsteps. Please, he thought, just end my misery. But then, faces flashed in his mind: Ben, Emilia, Levi, Luc, Arizona, Alya. They need to handle the invasion. Then he thought of Hanna and his mother. Thomas will save Lily. Hanna can take care of herself. Finally, he thought of Kaiser, Lyla... and Tenko.
The beast lunged, its jaws wide. At the last second, Rei's hand shot out. He grabbed the beast by its throat and threw the massive creature backward.
He couldn't die. He had responsibilities. He had to save his family, stop the demons, and return to his friends. however his face was still filled with horror.
The crowd went silent. No "sacrifice" had ever fought back. A man in the stands, impressed by the boy's spirit, threw a sword into the arena. Rei heard the clank of the metal hitting the sand.
Even without sight, his days in the dark prison during his past life had sharpened his hearing. He grabbed the sword, sliced through the Qi-absorbing chains in one motion, and felt his qi rush back. He couldn't see the world, but he could sense it using the qi.
As the beast charged again, Rei swung. One slash. The beast's head rolled in the sand.
"That... that is the Central Sword Style!" the announcer gasped. "A technique thought to be extinct!"
The crowd roared. "He killed one, but let's see him handle three!" Three deadly wolves were released. Rei narrowed his eyes. They were fast, but as soon as they entered his sensory range, he moved. Central Sword Style, Earth Form: Verse Three. His blade was a blur, cutting all three wolves down before they could land a scratch.
"Beasts are easy they are mindless creatures after all," the announcer shouted, sensing a big payout. "Let's see if he can kill the Progenitor!"
A massive man with a long sword stepped out. The crowd chanted his name. "Who is this toothpick?" the Progenitor laughed, looking at Rei.
"He is the Blind Swordsman!" the announcer yelled.
The Progenitor lunged. Rei didn't move his sword. Instead, he concentrated a tiny, invisible tornado on the tip of his finger. When the long sword struck, it hit the spinning air and stopped dead. To the crowd, it looked like Rei had stopped a massive blade with just his finger.
The Progenitor scrambled back, terrified. "What the hell are you?"
"Still want to fight?" Rei asked. He released his Fighting Intent, an aura so cold and heavy that the Progenitor flinched.
In another part of Astria, Eugene was floating in the air, his Holy Mark shining brightly as he meditated.
"Wow, Eugene," Daina said, stopping her sword practice. "You're actually getting good at that."
"Yeah," Ava added. "That mark is a huge help."
"Don't get used to it," Eugene grumbled, dropping to the ground.
Suddenly, Bart ran into the clearing. "Paladins! They're close!"
They quickly packed their bags. "We can't keep running to cities," Eugene said. "The Church has eyes everywhere."
As they moved through the brush, they found an injured bird on the ground. Eugene picked it up and found a message tied to its leg. Daina read it aloud, her eyes widening.
"It's an invitation to the Five Swords Competition," Daina said, a spark of hope in her eyes. "I know where we're going next."
"Where?" Bart asked.
"Filoni City."