A few hours after venturing into the fog, the trio finally emerged from the Forest of Gaia. The air cleared, revealing the outskirts of a small village carved from stone and iron. Stout buildings lined the paths, and dwarves bustled about, laughing and arguing as they carried tools and ore from place to place.
Nyx slowed her steps, her eyes drawn to the rhythmic clang of metal striking metal. Without hesitation, she headed toward a large stone building where sparks flew from an open doorway.
Inside, heat rolled over them.
"Welcome to Dwarven Village!" a stout dwarf greeted them, stroking a beard that nearly reached his belt. "Name's Gord. Owner and master smith. What brings you travelers here?"
Takeshi stepped forward and carefully placed his sword and gun on the counter. "Could you take a look at these?"
Gord lifted the sword first, squinting through a magnifying lens. His casual smile vanished. He traced the blade's markings slowly, reverently. Then he examined the gun—and froze.
"…Where did you get these?" Gord asked quietly.
"From a labyrinth," Takeshi replied. "Is there a problem?"
Gord exhaled slowly. "No. Quite the opposite." He tapped the sword. "This is one of the strongest Celestial Weapons ever forged. Created by Shota—the ancient Time Prophet—and blessed directly by Chronos, god of time." He then nodded toward the gun. "And this one's cursed. But not like most. It doesn't feed on emotions. It synchronizes with its wielder instead. Weapons like these shouldn't exist together."
Takeshi frowned. "Do you know anything else about weapons like them?"
Gord scratched his chin. "Only rumors. Azrakal's king, Darious, wields a cursed weapon. And their vault supposedly holds two unidentified Celestial Weapons. Azrakal's already powerful… if they're gathering these, something bad's coming."
Takeshi nodded grimly. "That's all I needed to know."
As they turned to leave, Gord raised a hand. "At least let me tune them up. No charge."
After several hours, Gord returned with the weapons gleaming as if reborn. He also handed Nyx a ring etched with runes and fastened a bracelet around Akari's wrist.
"Defense and magic resistance," Gord explained. "For the kid."
They tested the gear behind the forge. Takeshi sliced cleanly through a training dummy, then fired three perfect shots. Nyx followed, dark spikes tearing through the remaining targets. When Takeshi struck Akari with a dulled blade, a shimmering barrier formed instantly, blocking the blow.
"Amazing," Takeshi said, bowing. "Thank you."
With payment exchanged and farewells said, the trio resumed their journey toward the ruins between Aventia and Azrakal.
By evening, exhaustion set in. They rested beneath a wide tree, sharing a simple meal. Takeshi leaned back, eyes closing just for a moment, while Nyx packed their supplies.
Akari stiffened.
A faint, strange aura pulsed from a nearby cave—soft, calling. Curious and uneasy, she stepped closer. The air shimmered, forming a faint, glowing portal.
Minutes later, Nyx nudged Takeshi awake. "Akari's gone."
Footprints led straight to the cave.
"Akari!" Nyx shouted.
The portal flared—and pulled her in.
Nyx jumped after her without hesitation.
"Wait—!" Takeshi shouted, already moving.
On the other side, cold stone stretched endlessly. Ruins loomed under dim light—but Nyx and Akari were nowhere in sight.
A beam of energy tore through the air.
Takeshi rolled aside just in time, sword drawn. Monsters emerged from the shadows, circling him.
"Where are they?!" he roared.
They lunged.
Steel flashed. Claws scraped. Blood stained the stone. For every monster that fell, two more took its place.
"Too many…" Takeshi growled, breathing hard.
A surge of power flared from within him.
Hybrid Mode.
His movements sharpened, strength surging without draining him dry. He cut through the horde with brutal efficiency—but they kept coming.
Takeshi tightened his grip.
"If this keeps up… I won't last long."