The next morning, under the harsh sun, my training with Father began once more.
Sweat clung to my skin like armor, my body burning from endless movement.
For hours, we fought — clashing, dodging, striking — a brutal rhythm only broken by Father's sharp, commanding voice, guiding every move.
"Use your hips, boy. Don't waste force."
"A scythe is not swung with arms alone. It's an extension of you."
"Listen. Think. Understand. Act. All at once."
We fought like warriors on a battlefield, not a father and son. Five relentless hours each day.
Each strike, each parry — a lesson engraved into my bones.
And when the sun fell, and my muscles screamed for rest, my training wasn't over.
Behind my room, hidden in the dense forest under the cold silver moon, Lucien awaited me.
Here, I trained in secret — the forbidden art stolen from that ancient book: Atomic Transformation.
An ability that rewrote the body itself, reforging it into any metal touched and understood.
My hands and feet shimmered, transforming into cold steel, the second strongest metal in the entire continent.
I fought Lucien for three hours each night, each clash of our blades igniting sparks into the night sky.
Yet even as I focused, I noticed her.
Hina — her bright eyes glinting behind trees and walls, quietly watching.
There was something she wanted... but something she couldn't bring herself to say.
"Tomorrow," I thought, feeling my heartbeat slow as exhaustion took over.
"I'll deal with her tomorrow."
Tuck!
A harsh strike caught me off guard.
"Ouch! Wait a little, will you?" I snapped.
Lucien's voice, cold and merciless, answered:
"Your opponent will not wait. In a real fight, a single moment of hesitation is death. Remember that, my Lord."
His aggression tonight was fiercer than ever.
Even breathing hurt.
Dragging my battered body back to my room, I collapsed onto my black bed.
Through the window, the moonlight painted the ceiling.
I raised a trembling hand into the light.
"No matter what it takes... I will achieve my dream."
The Next Morning
Hina's POV
Walking down the mansion's long hallways, my heart was restless.
"What should I do?"
I wanted to ask Master to train me.
But... would it be selfish?
He had already given me so much without asking for anything.
Standing before his door, I hesitated.
"Maybe I shouldn't burden him anymore..."
I opened the door quietly.
"Master, wake—"
But he was already awake, sitting near the window, bathing in the morning sun.
"It's time for your breakfast, and your morning training with your father," I said.
He turned, his dark blue eyes pinning me with an unreadable gaze.
"Hina, tell me... What do you desire?"
I froze.
"Master..."
"You've been hiding it. I can see it. What is it you want?"
Looking down at the floor, my voice trembled:
"I can't, Master... I don't want to be selfish. You've already given me more than I deserve."
He smiled — gently, warmly — tilting his head and resting his hand against his cheek.
"It's okay to be selfish sometimes, you know. Especially with me. I like it when you ask things from me. It makes me happy."
Tears welled in my eyes.
"Can I? Really?"
"I can't speak for others. But with me, you can."
Clutching the hem of my dress, I finally said it:
"I want to fight...! I want to learn how to fight, Master!"
He chuckled softly.
"And with what weapon?" he asked, eyes gleaming.
"Something similar to you... So I can feel closer to you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
His smile widened.
"Something similar, huh? Then how about a Kusarigama? It's a chained scythe."
I blinked, confused but excited.
"I don't know what that is... but if it's like you, I want it."
He laughed.
"Why don't you go get some sleep? I'm tired too. We can talk more tomorrow."
"Okay!"
I bowed and ran out, my heart lighter than ever.
"Kusarigama," I repeated the name to myself.
"I'll become someone worthy to stand by your side, Master..."
The Next Day
Neron's POV
It was good.
Hina had finally made a decision for herself.
But... it was also a little concerning.
If her emotions got the better of her, she could become a weakness — a flaw in my plans.
And I cannot allow that.
"I must show her the cruelty of the world she has yet to see."
By the time I finished thinking, I was already at the training grounds.
Today, Hina would train alongside me, under Father's watchful eye.
Father crossed his arms, stretching slightly.
"Hina, like that. Good girl," he said warmly.
I blinked.
"Wait... Why is he so gentle? He was so cruel to me!"
Just like that, our training proceeded — different, yet the same.
Later that day, we visited the village's weapon shop to fulfill Hina's wish.
Weapon Shop
The shop was a simple structure — wood, brick, a roaring furnace at its heart.
Yet it was anything but ordinary.
This was the forge of Hamdel, the dwarf master smith who had crafted my scythe.
A stout, brown-skinned dwarf, tough as steel and wide as two men, greeted us.
"What're you doing here, kid?" he barked, wiping soot from his brow.
"My greetings, Sir Hamdel."
I smiled, genuinely fond of the old dwarf.
"We need a Kusarigama crafted. For her." I gestured to Hina, who was gawking wide-eyed at the array of weapons.
Hamdel snorted.
"First a scythe, now a Kusarigama? You've got expensive tastes, kid."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Listen. To forge a proper Kusarigama, I need high-quality materials. Cold steel or mithril for the chain. But I'm low on both."
"Either you find the materials yourself... or pay mercenaries a lot more than you'd like."
I nodded.
"Hina, go home. I'll handle the rest."
She hesitated, then obeyed.
The door creaked shut behind her.
Business Talk
"Alright, kid. Straight to it," Hamdel said, tapping his hammer against his anvil.
"Crafting will cost you 100 gold coins. But gathering materials will hike it up to 500."
My jaw almost hit the floor.
"That much!?"
I calmed myself.
"No... It's an investment. An investment."
Hamdel chuckled.
"If you help me forge it yourself, I'll cut you a deal. 300 coins. No extra margins."
I didn't hesitate.
"Deal!"
Hamdel laughed heartily as I bolted out, eager.
"Kids these days... All guts and no brakes," he muttered.
Forging Days
From the next morning onward, my life became hellishly packed.
Morning: brutal training with Father, clashing against both Hina and him.
Hina showed monstrous talent — her flexibility and adaptability were otherworldly.
But even that was overshadowed by one thing:
My sheer persistence.
No matter how many times I was crushed, beaten, defeated —
I stood up. Again. And again. And again.
Afternoons: working in Hamdel's forge.
I learned the delicate art of smithing — the heat of the furnace, the rhythm of hammer against steel, the scent of molten iron.
One day, curiosity overtook me.
I transformed my arm into cold steel, thrust it into the furnace, and tested something mad.
"What if I inhale the fire... and exhale it like a dragon?"
Against all reason, I plunged my face into the flames, inhaled deeply —
then pulled back and exhaled —
a brilliant torrent of fire, like a beast's roar.
"Interesting," I smirked.
"Very interesting."
Finally, after a year of relentless effort,
the Kusarigama was finished.
The blade was forged from pure cold steel, shining silver.
The chain was woven with mithril, as light as silk yet unbreakable.
I engraved my own name — NERON — onto the handle.
It was my first true masterpiece.
But exhaustion gnawed at my soul.
The next two years passed in a haze of sheer willpower.
Training, forging, fighting — every day, every night — until my very existence felt like it belonged only to the dream I pursued.
Even when everyone around me began worrying for my health...
I never stopped.
Because I knew —
the time was coming.
Watson would soon return.
And destiny would come knocking at my door.