My vision gradually blurred, mist clouding my sight, until I lost consciousness while still holding my father in my arms. I collapsed onto the ground, slipping into a deep coma.
...
I don't know how much time had passed, but when I woke up, I found myself lying in my bed. My head throbbed with pain. I turned to my side and saw my brother sleeping—his exhausted features bore the clear signs of sleepless nights and sorrow. Despite the pain I felt, an unconscious smile formed on my face.
A short while later, my brother woke up, his fatigue still evident, but as soon as he saw me awake, he leaped onto me, sobbing:
"Brother! You finally woke up!"
I patted his head and said with a calm smile:
"Don't worry… I'm here."
Then I asked him:
"How long have I been unconscious?"
He answered:
"It's been a full week."
I was shocked. A week?! I had been unconscious for an entire week?!
A sharp pain pierced my head, and my memories were jumbled. I asked him:
"What happened after we returned?"
He looked at me in shock:
"You really don't remember what happened?"
I replied hesitantly:
"The last thing I remember was that voice asking me, 'Do you want the power to defeat him?'... I answered yes... and then nothing after that."
My brother said:
"After that man grabbed me and was about to kill me, you kicked him away... then you killed him, and the entire gang."
I stared at him in disbelief:
"Me?... I killed them? I don't remember anything... Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
He replied confidently:
"No, I'm certain. I saw it with my own eyes."
I was stunned, then I recalled the dagger. I asked him:
"Where is that dagger?"
He pointed to the table and said it was there. I quickly got up, removed the blanket from myself, and walked toward it with tense steps. I picked it up and yelled:
"Hey! What did you do to me?!"
It didn't respond. I repeated the question, this time angrily.
Then its mocking voice came:
"What's with all the fuss? Weren't you the one who asked me for power?"
I shouted at it:
"I asked for your help... not for you to control me and kill them!"
It replied sharply:
"If I hadn't helped you, you would be dead now."
I quickly said:
"But you didn't have to kill them!"
It responded firmly:
"Would you have left them alive after what they did? They killed your father."
I fell silent for a moment... "No... but..."
It cut me off:
"Don't say 'but'! Stop being too kind... that kindness will get you killed."
I had no words to respond with. I lowered my head in sadness, then turned to my brother and asked:
"What about the rest of the village?... What happened to them?"
He answered, his eyes glistening with sorrow:
"Most of the elders in the village died... but the children survived, as the elders hid them in a secret place. Unfortunately, most of their parents are gone."
I dressed in silence, then asked my brother to accompany me. I picked some flowers, and together we headed toward the cemetery.
The village was silent, bleak... for the first time, I stepped outside and didn't see the children running toward me in joy, nor did any of the villagers emerge to greet us. A deep melancholy crept into my heart, but I continued walking in silence until we reached the graveyard.
We stood before my father's grave, which was beside my mother's grave—she had passed away long ago due to illness. My brother fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. My heart trembled at the sight. I gazed ahead and spoke in a choked voice:
"I'm sorry, Father... I couldn't protect you in your time of need... I hesitated when you warned us to run… And because of that, you were struck down. I'm sorry."
I tried to hold back my tears, but I couldn't endure it... I cried. The pain in my chest burned like fire. Regret gnawed at me for my helplessness and weakness.
I placed the flower before my father's grave, then laid the rest on the graves of the other victims. After that, we returned home. It was the first time that my father didn't welcome me back... I felt an unbearable emptiness.
I asked my brother to get some rest, and I entered my room, sitting on my bed as I tried to recall the memories I had seen when I touched the wall.
I held the dagger and asked:
"Tell me... what was that memory that appeared in my mind when I touched the wall?"
It answered in a serious tone:
"Are you ready to know?"
I looked at it with resolute eyes:
"Yes... I am ready."
It sighed and said:
"There was once a hidden village, incredibly powerful. It possessed a secret fighting technique unknown to anyone—not even me. The rulers of the four continents coveted this technique, but the village's leader refused to share it. They threatened him with destruction, but he did not falter... He rejected them courageously.
And on a fateful day, the four rulers, along with their strongest followers, attacked the village. The villagers resisted with everything they had, but they weren't even allowed to fight back… even their legendary weapons were stolen. I was the only weapon left, and I survived.
The village leader, your father, entrusted you to one of his followers and told him:
'My son is our hope... take him and flee.'
He placed the weapon with you, and that man escaped to another continent, leaving you in a simple village, keeping me close by, waiting for the day you would be worthy of wielding me. And that child... was you."
I lost my breath. The world seemed to stop.
"N-No way... You're joking... My father died, that was my real father!"
It replied calmly:
"The man who raised you... Yuji... was not your real father. He simply adopted you."
I left the room, my steps heavy. I walked toward a large building where the remaining villagers gathered. The atmosphere was grim, and the children sobbed for their lost parents.
When they saw me, some of them shouted:
"Why didn't you save our families, Ichinaro? Didn't you have power?! This is all your fault! We hate you!"
Their words pierced me like knives.
The elders intervened:
"Silence! Without Ichinaro, none of you would be alive!"
One of the men approached me and said:
"Don't take their words to heart, they are just children... speaking out of grief."
I smiled faintly and replied:
"I know... I didn't take them seriously."
Then I looked at him and asked:
"Is it true... that Yuji is not my father?"
The men exchanged glances, then one of them sighed and said:
"We were waiting for the right time to tell you. Yuji found you at the village gate, and you had a talisman with your name. We don't know where you came from or your lineage... that's all we know."
At that moment, I realized the dagger had not lied. But deep inside, I refused to believe it.
I muttered a quiet thank you and left. As I was leaving, I heard someone say:
"Hah... He lost his father, then found out the man who raised him wasn't his real father... He lives in a foreign village, unaware of his origins... His situation pains me."
I clenched my fists and ran home. I entered my room, grabbed the dagger, and asked:
"I've confirmed that everything you said was true... but what can I do now? Why did my father say I was the village's only hope? What is that technique?"
It responded, trying to calm me:
"Slow down... I'll answer everything. Your father called you the hope because you must preserve the village's bloodline and return when you are strong enough—to learn the technique and protect its secret. But returning... is much harder. The village is located on a hidden continent, and to reach it, you need the four key fragments, each held by a continent's ruler."
I sighed:
"So... I have to embark on a journey I may never return from."
It answered honestly:
"Yes. You must be prepared. We start training tomorrow. Until the end of winter, we will train in using me, strengthening your energy, and making you more powerful... so at least, you can survive."
I looked at it with determination:
"I'm ready."
It said:
"Then... Get some rest. We have much to do."
I went inside and rested my head on the pillow, trying to sleep. My mind was filled with thoughts, attempting to piece together everything that had happened... Everything was so fast. From the moment I obtained the dagger, to my father's death, to discovering my past… I still hadn't fully grasped how things had escalated with such strange speed. The thoughts kept flowing until sleep finally overtook me.
When I woke up, I heard it... the dagger's voice pierced the silence of the room:
"Hurry, get ready to begin."
I wiped my eyes, my hair disheveled, and sleep still clinging to my face.
It shouted again:
"Wake up quickly!"
I sighed in irritation and covered my ears with the pillow, ignoring its yelling, but it didn't stop. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my head, making me jump up and scream:
"What did you do!?"
It laughed and, in a pleased tone, said:
"Deal with what you started. Try to go back to sleep… and see."
I got up, grumbling, silently cursing it in my mind: Damn you.
I washed my face, put on my training clothes, and stepped outside. The dagger called out again:
"The first thing you need to do is develop your energy. Sit there, and I'll tell you what to do."
I placed my finger in my ear mockingly. "What? I didn't hear you." I started laughing.
It got angry and snapped: "Hurry up, come on, we don't have time!"
I chuckled at it for a bit, then sat down as instructed. I closed my eyes, trying to focus as it had asked:
"Imagine energy as tiny particles, and begin gathering them. Kaizo is everywhere… Start visualizing it coming together and concentrate your energy."
I spent the entire day attempting to do that, until I was utterly exhausted. In the evening, it said:
"That's enough for today. You can rest. Tomorrow, we'll train in combat techniques and skill accuracy. Each day, we'll work on something new until the duration is over."
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and said, "Alright, then today's training is done."
I returned from the gym, entering the house completely drained.
The next day, the dagger struggled again to wake me up. I was deliberately provoking it. After I got ready, it told me to grip it and assume a fighting stance.
I did, pulling my hand back and widening the distance between my legs, but it said my stance was wrong.
Annoyed, I asked, "Then, what should I do?"
It replied, "Hold me with your right hand and place it forward. Keep your left hand back, your upper body leaning slightly forward. Move your left foot back a little, and stay balanced."
I tried to follow its instructions, but after a while, I couldn't maintain my balance. It told me my lower body needed training.
"So, what should I do?" I asked.
It said, "You need to lift heavy weights."
I left the house and went to the forest where large rocks were scattered. One of them weighed around a hundred kilograms.
It told me I had to lift it and train with it if I wanted to get stronger.
I objected, "That's impossible!"
But it insisted, saying, "Enhance your body with Kaizo, and you'll be able to lift it."
I began channeling my energy, and soon a faint aura started emanating from me. I felt lighter, my strength growing.
It told me to try lifting it now.
I placed my hands under the rock and slowly started to raise it… It was heavy, yes, but not impossible.
As soon as I succeeded, it shouted:
"Now, do a squat… a hundred times!"
"What!?" I screamed.
"Stop whining, do it if you want to become stronger."
I did it reluctantly, feeling like I was about to die from exhaustion. By nighttime, my legs could barely hold me up. I grabbed a stick to support myself and trudged back home slowly.
When my brother saw me, he was shocked:
"Brother, what happened to you!?"
I replied with a weary smile, "Nothing… just trained a little."
He placed his hand on his head and said, "All this is just a little training? Take a break."
We looked at each other, then started laughing. We were trying to hide our grief over what had happened in the village.
As silence settled for a moment, I called to him:
"Do you want me to help you awaken your energy… so you can become stronger?"
He responded with a faint smile, "No need for that… You're here with us, aren't you, brother?"
I replied in a sorrowful tone:
"I… will be leaving the village. I have to search for something."
I saw the shock in his eyes. "You're joking… right?" he said.
I steadied myself and said:
"I'm not joking. There's something I must find… I can't stay."
He pleaded, "Then take me with you… Don't go alone."
I was forced to reply:
"I can't. You need to stay and protect the village. This journey… is my battle, I can't drag you into it."
His gaze shattered, and he said, "So… even you, brother… will leave me alone. There's no one left with me…" Then he ran away.
I tried to follow him, but the dagger's voice stopped me:
"Don't do it… Leave him alone for a while."
I returned to my room and slept.
The next day, I woke up early. I got ready and heard the dagger's sarcastic tone:
"Looks like someone woke up early… That's unusual."
I replied, annoyed, "Spare me the chatter."
I put on my clothes and headed to my brother's room. I found him sitting on the bed. I sat beside him, unsure of what to say. After a moment of silence, I told him:
"I'm sorry… I know my decision surprised you, but… I have to do this."
He replied, "No, don't apologize… I was the one at fault. I was angry with you, but I know your decision wasn't made willingly. I just… didn't want to accept it."
I patted his head and said, "I'm sorry… I won't be able to explain everything now, but I'll tell you when the time is right."
I asked him, "So… are you willing to train?"
He answered, "Yes."
I told him that there was still time before I left, and I would spend every available moment with him.
And so, I spent the training period mastering combat with the dagger, improving my energy, helping my brother with his training… and spending our free time talking, playing, and laughing… until the training period finally came to an end.