As Lexus lay fallen on the ground, he looked at Ken with a faint smile and said,
"You can have the Sword of the Universe. You gave me a good fight, Ken."
Then, slowly standing up despite the pain, he pointed towards the chamber behind them.
"There lies the Divine Chamber. Go and take what you deserve."
Ken replied with resolve,
"I will take it… but only once you're healed. I want you to hand the sword to me yourself. You're the one who made me stronger than I ever was. Every time you provoked me, the will of fire burned brighter in my heart. All this time, I was just fighting for the sword—to save my father, to prove myself worthy. But after fighting you, I've realized something greater... I've found a power beyond weapons and artifacts—a truth. Mortals can evolve, if they choose to."
Lexus nodded, his voice calm and wise,
"Yes. Every mortal is bound by fate, by what destiny has written. But if they decide to grow, truly grow, their potential becomes limitless. All they need is the will to rise."
---
Some time later, Lexus had nearly recovered. He and Ken sat quietly on the hard surface nearby.
Ken groaned,
"This is painful. Can't we just go somewhere more comfortable?"
Lexus smirked and said,
"Those who've suffered all their lives don't feel much pain anymore. This is nothing."
Ken looked at him, curious.
"What kind of pain…?"
Lexus turned his head away.
"Leave it. Let's go somewhere else. It doesn't matter."
Ken didn't let it go.
"Lexus… you told me I'm only the second person you've ever shown your sword to. Who was the first?"
Lexus looked ahead and answered,
"It was the Dark Dragon. He tried to capture Infinity… and wanted the Sword of the Universe. I fought him for a long time. He escaped eventually, fleeing to conquer other dimensions. He never returned to Infinity, because the path back isn't fixed. You, Ken, are the second one—someone who has truly earned the right to wield my Sword of Justice."
Ken's eyes lit up with curiosity again.
"Sword of Justice… How did it get that name? What can it do? Who crafted it?"
Lexus's voice softened, a sense of calm returning to him.
"A long time ago, a godly servant and a goddess married. They had a child—divine and unlike any other. So special that even the Supreme Gods of Creation, Order, and Destruction came to see him. They made a prophecy: this child would become the greatest swordsman in existence. His parents were overjoyed."
He continued,
"As he grew, the child surpassed warriors of every race. He mastered countless sword techniques. Seeing this, the gods made a request—to craft a legendary sword for the child. The crafters were summoned."
---
📣 WAIT READERS! BEFORE MOVING FURTHER, THIS LAZY WRITER FORGOT SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION—WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE!
After the repeated failure of different cosmic cycles, the Creator made a decision during the Fifth Cycle. This time, the Creator would not give power randomly. He would choose one to receive it—and he created the Crafters: rare, divine beings responsible for creating sacred weapons and artifacts.
These crafters only appear by direct order of the Creator and only craft weapons for purposes that align with divine balance. Their rare appearances ensure the stability of power in the current Fifth Cycle.
🎤 Sorry for interrupting, dear readers, but this lazy, lame writer might show up again later in this chapter! 😅
---
Back to the story:
Ken asked curiously,
"Crafters? Who are they?"
Lexus replied,
"They've been here since the beginning of existence—alongside the gods themselves. But they rarely reveal themselves. It's their choice. When the gods requested their help for the child, the crafters came. Seeing the child's potential, they agreed to forge a sword… a Sword of Justice."
"They promised to deliver it before the child turned 10," Lexus continued. "They offered to give it to his parents, allowing them to present it as a gift. The crafters didn't need payment—but they saw the heartfelt desire of the parents to give something special to their son, and accepted it anyway."
---
📣 READERS, THIS WRITER FORGOT SOMETHING ELSE!
There's a phenomenon of time dilation in the universe. Since the universe is expanding rapidly, everything within it is also growing—but unevenly. The effect depends on power levels.
Gods and ancient beings have existed for eons and evolve faster with time.
Mortals, having only existed for a few centuries, grow much slower.
So although Lexus appears ancient… in mortal years, he's just two years older than Ken.
🧠 I don't understand when this writer will remember important things like this!
---
Ken asked in disbelief,
"A gift for his 10th birthday? Lexus, how old are you…?"
Lexus replied with a small smile,
"Only two years older than you, in your realm's time."
Then he explained the concept of time dilation, and Ken's jaw dropped.
"That means… from now on, I won't call you Uncle Lexus—I'll call you Grandpa Lexus!"
Lexus, without hesitation, smacked Ken with a powerful blow, sending him flying.
"Try that again and you'll fly across a galaxy," he warned.
Ken laughed and returned, and Lexus continued his story with a softer tone.
---
"The day came. It was the child's 10th birthday. The sword was ready. The child was full of joy, waiting for his father to return so they could celebrate… maybe even duel."
Lexus's voice grew heavy.
"But the day ended… and his father never came. Days passed. Eventually, it became clear—his father was never coming back."
Ken listened silently.
"His mother... she couldn't bear the grief. She called her son one last time, her body already weak. She handed him the sword and said, 'This was meant to be our greatest gift to you. But now, it's our last.'"
"She made him promise that even if they were gone, he would live by the name of the sword—Justice—and fight for what's right."
"The boy cried… and made the promise."
Lexus looked away. Tears formed in his eyes.
"From that day till now, I've lived for justice. For the betterment of this universe."
And for a moment, the mighty Lexus was just a broken child again, carrying the burden of the promise he made—to wield the sword not for power, but for purpose.
---
Sometimes, even the mightiest have the most painful pasts. But it is that very pain… that makes them mighty.