Anay's Inner Realm – Boundless Field of Light and Shadow
The gentle creak of the wooden floor faded as Anay closed his eyes. Sitting in his room, cross-legged in deep meditation, he whispered to himself:
"They're all going to return stronger… I have to as well. No excuses."
A breath. A pulse.
The academy room dissolved into silver mist.
Anay opened his eyes—
And stood in the Inner Realm once more.
A vast, endless field stretched before him, divided—half covered in golden grass glowing softly under a celestial sun, and the other half submerged in deep shadow, with stars blinking across the darkened sky. This was his soul laid bare—light and darkness, clarity and doubt.
In his hand, a slow flicker sparked.
The energy. The spiritual force. Tenrai no Yari.
It didn't come as a blade. Not even as a weapon. Just a swirling core of shifting silver and violet light, humming with quiet life.
Anay held it gently in his palm, watching it pulse like a heartbeat.
"You're not like other weapons…" he whispered.
Suddenly, the world around him darkened.
The stars faded.
And he was falling.
The Forgotten Chamber – Within the Weapon's Memory
His feet landed with a soft echo. He stood in a new space—cold stone floor beneath him, vast arches stretching into infinity. A shrine… but older. Worn by time. A place forgotten even by history.
In front of him floated the same energy—brighter now. Drawing him forward.
He stepped closer.
And the moment his fingers brushed it—
Flash.
A silver blaze erupted around him, forming into a glowing weapon.
At first, it took the form of a spear—its shaft long, edged with celestial lines. Its form pulsed with power.
Anay blinked. "This… this is how Master Kai described you…"
But then—
The weapon shimmered. Shifted.
It shortened, the edges reshaping, becoming a longsword, sleek and elegant. Light flowed down its blade like a river of stars.
"What…?"
It happened again.
The blade compressed, now turning into a dagger, curved and swift like a fang of light. Then stretched into a halberd. Then a twin-blade.
Anay stepped back, stunned.
The energy settled again, hovering in its pure light form.
"You're… not a spear…"
He looked down at his hands, shaking slightly—not in fear, but understanding.
"You were never meant to be just one thing…"
The shrine pulsed with an invisible heartbeat. An echo filled the air—not a voice, but a knowing.
Tenrai no Yari was not bound to shape. It was bound to will.
"Master Kai called you a spear because that's how I first summoned you… but even he didn't know…"
Anay closed his eyes, breath steady.
"You're not a spear. Not a sword. Not a dagger…"
He took a deep breath and looked directly into the energy.
"You're a weapon that listens. That responds. That becomes what I need—not what others expect."
The energy pulsed again—this time brighter.
Light erupted around him.
Return to the Inner Realm – Field of Light and Shadow
Anay blinked and found himself back in the boundless field—golden and dark winds mixing in the air. The energy hovered in front of him, as if waiting for his decision.
Slowly, he raised his hand.
"Tenrai no Yari…"
The energy swirled again—but this time, it waited.
Anay focused.
He imagined the blade he needed. Not to destroy, not to win. But to grow. To protect. To fight as one with his heart.
The light expanded, then condensed—
And in his palm appeared a celestial sword. Not overly long. Balanced. Radiating quiet power. Its edges shimmered between silver and black, almost alive.
Anay smiled, heart pounding. "So this is you…"
He stepped forward, holding the blade steady.
"You're not a weapon I control. You're a partner I understand."
The blade hummed.
Anay took a slow, ready stance.
"Then let's begin our training."
He dashed forward.
The field erupted with trails of light as he began slicing, turning, spinning—testing the weight of the blade. It moved with him—not ahead of him. Not behind. With him.
It shifted again mid-motion—becoming a curved dagger mid-flip, then a long blade again as he swung.
The weapon was alive. Fluid. Responsive.
And Anay?
He was smiling
As the sky above rippled with shifting colors, Anay stood in the center of the field—breathing heavily, eyes filled with purpose.
"No more holding back…"
"Together… we'll become more than legends."
Tenrai no Yari pulsed gently in his grip.
And the Inner Realm began to shift—
the real training began.