Steiten raised his broken sword, but deep inside, he already knew the truth.
He was too slow.
Too weak.
Too inexperienced.
The memories returned.
The faces of those he failed to protect.
The feeling of helplessness.
The endless regret.
His hands began to shake.
"Run."
That was what his body wanted.
"Survive."
That was what his instincts screamed.
But another voice appeared.
A quiet voice buried deep within him.
"Stand."
The claw was only a few inches away.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The ground beneath Steiten shattered.
A powerful wave of energy exploded from his body, pushing the beast backward.
Steiten fell to one knee, breathing heavily.
"What... was that?"
Arven watched silently.
His eyes narrowed.
"So it finally appeared."
Steiten looked at him.
"What appeared?"
Arven walked closer.
"The thing that has been sleeping inside you."
The beast recovered and roared again, even angrier than before.
It charged.
But this time, something was different.
Steiten could see its movements.
Every step.
Every breath.
Every shift of its muscles.
Time felt slower.
"What is happening to me?"
Arven smiled.
"Your eyes have awakened."
The beast swung its claws.
Steiten moved before he even realized it.
He stepped aside.
The claws missed him by a finger's width.
He turned and struck with his broken sword.
CRACK!
The blade hit the beast's scales.
The sword broke completely.
Steiten stared at the empty handle in his hand.
"Great..."
The beast turned toward him.
Arven laughed.
"Hehehe... You awakened an ability, but you still fight like a beginner."
Steiten frowned.
"Are you going to help me or just watch?"
"Watch."
Arven crossed his arms.
"Because if I save you now, you will never learn."
The beast attacked again.
Steiten jumped backward.
He had no weapon.
No armor.
No experience.
Only his will.
The monster opened its mouth, preparing to release a wave of flames.
Steiten looked around.
A broken tree.
Sharp rocks.
The creature's weak point.
He remembered what Arven said.
"A warrior is not created when he wins..."
"A warrior is created when he faces something that can kill him and chooses to fight anyway."
Steiten rushed forward.
Instead of running away from the flames...
He ran toward them.
Arven's expression changed slightly.
"Interesting."
At the last moment, Steiten slid beneath the flames.
He grabbed a piece of the broken sword lying on the ground and drove it into the gap between the beast's scales.
The creature screamed.
Steiten pulled with all his strength.
The black scale cracked.
The beast collapsed.
Silence returned to the forest.
Steiten stood there, covered in wounds, barely able to remain standing.
"I... did it."
Then his body gave up.
He fell.
Before he hit the ground, Arven caught him.
"You are foolish."
Steiten opened his eyes slightly.
"You charged at a monster many warriors would avoid."
A small smile appeared on Arven's face.
"But..."
He looked at the unconscious boy.
"That foolishness might become your greatest strength."
Hours later, Steiten woke beside a small fire.
His wounds were bandaged.
The beast's body was gone.
"What happened?"
Arven sat across from him.
"You defeated it."
Steiten looked at his hands.
"I defeated a monster..."
"No."
Arven shook his head.
"You defeated yourself."
Steiten remained quiet.
"The version of you that wanted to run. The version that believed you were powerless."
Arven stood.
"Now your real training begins."
Steiten looked up.
"Training?"
"Yes."
The night sky became filled with stars.
"You want strength, don't you?"
Steiten tightened his fist.
"More than anything."
Arven smiled.
"Then prepare yourself."
He pointed toward the endless mountains ahead.
"Because tomorrow, you begin learning how to become someone even monsters fear."
Steiten looked toward the mountains.
For the first time since losing everything...
He smiled.
A small smile.
But a real one.
The journey of the broken boy had ended.
The birth of the warrior had begun.