The cobblestone roads of the kingdom were now behind them. The palace walls had shrunk into a faint shadow on the horizon.
Akira finally gave in to his curiosity.
— Master Arisawa, we left in such a rush… aren't you going to tell us where we're going?
Raiga immediately growled, interrupting.
— You said we were going to train! So why are you dragging us all the way out of Velmorya?!
Arisawa turned his head and smiled.
— Because your training is already over.
Yui raised his eyebrows in surprise.
— What do you mean? We haven't done anything!
The man laughed and spread his arms wide.
— I wrecked the garden, didn't I? I saved you from training. What more could you want?
Raiga clenched his fists in anger.
— If you're making us wander around for nothing, this won't end well!
Yui sighed tiredly.
— Why did we even leave the kingdom anyway…
Akira thought for a moment, then turned to him.
— Wait… did you just say we left the kingdom?
Yui nodded.
— Yeah. We've already left Velmorya. We're heading toward other kingdoms now.
Raiga's face froze in disbelief.
— What? You mean… there are other kingdoms besides Velmorya?!
Akira put his hands on his hips and glared.
— Of course there are, idiot!
Raiga gritted his teeth.
— And how would you know that, huh? Ever been to one, idiot?!
Akira scratched his head awkwardly.
— …I read it in a book.
Yui chuckled, then spoke more seriously.
— There are six kingdoms in total. Three newly founded, and three ancient ones that rose after the Great War a hundred years ago. You've heard about that time, right? When all the kingdoms united to form an empire?
Raiga and Akira both grinned proudly, crossing their arms.
— Haha! Of course we know!
Yui rolled his eyes but continued explaining.
— The greatest kingdom is Velmorya — our home. The others are: Karathos, the kingdom of warriors… Nivareth, the kingdom of mountains… Lunaris, the kingdom of seas… Zaryon, the kingdom of deserts… and Borealis, the kingdom of ice.
Akira leaned forward eagerly.
— So which one are we going to now?
Arisawa's gaze fixed on the horizon, his expression resolute.
— To the Kingdom of Nivareth. For a secret mission.
Akira tilted his head.
— Secret?
Arisawa shrugged.
— Not that secret. It's just… they can't know who I really am.
Raiga laughed, folding his arms.
— What, are you some kind of celebrity?
Yui narrowed his eyes.
— I remember Nivareth's relations with Velmorya aren't exactly friendly… is that why?
Arisawa nodded.
— Yes. Most people there know my name. So don't call me "Arisawa" when we arrive.
Raiga grinned.
— Don't worry. I was never planning to anyway.
Akira touched his chin, pretending to think.
— Hmm… then you'll need a new name. Maybe…
Yui quickly interrupted.
— Asela… or maybe Adela.
Akira nodded.
— Asela sounds good.
Arisawa smiled faintly.
— Call me whatever you like.
After a while, a massive city appeared beyond the mountains. Towering stone walls and high towers rose through the mist, and the brilliance of Granithold shining between the peaks left them speechless.
Akira gasped in awe.
— I… incredible!
Raiga's eyes sparkled.
— It looks amazing! I bet the food's great too!
Yui shot him a sharp glare.
— Is food the only thing you ever think about?!
Arisawa pointed ahead calmly.
— There's an inspection at the gate. Don't mention the council or our mission. We're tourists from Velmorya, just here to sightsee.
Akira threw his hands up excitedly.
— What?! Really?! You're the best!
Raiga elbowed him.
— You idiot, that's not what he meant!
Yui chuckled softly.
When the four reached the checkpoint, three guards stopped them. The one in front scanned them suspiciously.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
Arisawa answered in a calm tone.
— Greetings. I'm Asela, a tourist from Velmorya. These are my siblings.
Akira and Raiga bit their lips, struggling not to laugh.
The guard frowned.
— Tourists from Velmorya, huh? Interesting… Normally I'd let you through, but under new regulations, tourists from Velmorya must pay ten gold coins per person.
Without hesitation, Arisawa pulled out ten gold coins and handed them over.
— Here.
The guard smirked as he took the coins.
— I said ten per person. That's forty for the four of you.
All three shouted at once.
— That's daylight robbery!
— There's no such rule!
— Let me punch this guy already!
The guard scowled.
— Pay, or you don't enter.
Arisawa kept his composure and extended his hand.
— Then give my money back. We won't enter.
The guard laughed mockingly.
— You handed it over already. No refunds. Now get lost.
Raiga lunged forward in fury.
— You bastard—!
But Arisawa grabbed his arm.
— Calm down, Raiga.
The guard sneered.
— If your dog tries that again, I'll strike back.
For an instant, Arisawa's expression darkened. He took a step forward — and in the blink of an eye, all three guards were unconscious on the ground.
Yui shouted in shock.
— Arisawa! What are you doing?!
Arisawa calmly adjusted his suit.
— We're going in. But first… let's make it look like they're asleep.
Raiga burst out laughing.
— Now that's what I like to see!
When the four stepped into the bustling streets, a different world greeted them. Granithold's markets were alive with people. Stalls overflowed with weapons, armor, and gear embedded with gleaming stones. Laughter echoed through the air.
Akira whispered in awe.
— What a happy city…
Yui closed his eyes, feeling the energy.
— Unlike Eldravon, there isn't even a trace of negative energy here.
Arisawa nodded.
— Yes, that's how this place is. But remember… just like the guards at the gate, there are plenty of swindlers here too.
Raiga raised an eyebrow.
— So why exactly are we here?
Arisawa scanned the crowd.
— I'll tell you somewhere private.
Soon after, they stopped in front of a large inn. Inside, a young woman at the counter greeted them.
— Welcome! How can I help you?
Arisawa spoke calmly.
— One room for one, please.
Raiga exploded.
— Hey! There are four of us, you cheapskate!
Arisawa shot him a sideways glance.
— If you're paying, we'll get a bigger room.
The three fell silent instantly.
The girl giggled.
— All right. Two coins per night.
Arisawa handed over the money.
— We'll stay just one night.
Once they were in their room, Arisawa closed the windows and drew the curtains, letting the room sink into darkness. Then he turned to face the three of them.
— Now… I'll explain our mission.
Raiga shouted immediately.
— Finally! Let's finish this and get back to the palace! Also—there's only one bed! Where are we supposed to sleep?!
Akira glanced at the bed and nodded.
— He's right… three people can't fit on one bed.
Arisawa raised his hand, silencing them.
— We'll worry about that later. The real matter is… the Legendary Sword Setsuna.
The room went quiet.
Yui frowned thoughtfully, then spoke softly.
— The legendary sword Setsuna… the one that only its chosen wielder can use? The one said to hold incredible power?
Arisawa nodded.
— Yes. That's the one we're here to find.
The three froze.
Yui continued, excited.
— But… it's been missing for a hundred years!
Arisawa's eyes gleamed with resolve.
— I've obtained a clue. I know where it is.
Akira's eyes lit up.
— Whoa… so we're here to find a badass sword!
Raiga cracked his knuckles.
— Perfect timing. I needed a new one anyway.
Yui laughed softly, shaking his head.
— Only the chosen can wield it.
Akira thought for a moment.
— Then… that means someone was chosen a hundred years ago.
Arisawa confirmed in a low voice.
— Yes. Someone who played a major role in the war a hundred years ago wielded it. But we don't know who that person was or their name. After they died, the sword disappeared.
Raiga raised an eyebrow skeptically.
— What if it's just a legend?
Akira made a sour face.
— So did we come here for nothing then?
Yui took a deep breath.
— No. This… is very likely to be real.
Arisawa narrowed his eyes.
— Right. And we're not searching to be chosen by the sword; we're looking for it so our enemies don't get it.
Yui nodded.
— I understand… that makes sense.
Raiga grumbled.
— I still think it's nonsense.
After staying at the inn for a while they stepped back outside and headed out beyond Granithold.
As Granithold's streets fell behind them the sky began to darken. The paved stone paths gave way to muddy tracks; the city noise faded into the hum of the wind. The four of them trudged into the mountain's depths.
Arisawa walked quietly at the front. Akira kept glancing around, Raiga muttered angrily, and Yui silently committed everything to memory as if taking notes.
Raiga finally couldn't hold it in.
— Hey blue-haired dude, you still haven't told us exactly where we're going. We've been walking and staring at rocks for half an hour.
Arisawa didn't even turn his head as he answered.
— We're going to the heart of the mountain.
Akira's eyes widened in surprise.
— The heart of the mountain? What's there?
Yui stepped in at once, speaking seriously.
— The caverns of Black Summit… the people of Granithold call it "the place of no return." Few who enter ever come back.
Raiga perked up.
— Perfect. Totally my kind of place.
Akira laughed.
— You sure you're not scared?
Raiga ground his teeth.
— Shut up, idiot!
Yui couldn't help but smile.
— At least you two have been fighting side by side for a long time. That's reassuring.
Akira and Raiga fell silent and shot each other sideways glances.
They passed through a narrow corridor when Akira's foot accidentally stepped on a stone slab. Immediately the cave trembled. Huge stalactites began to break loose and fall.
Yui shouted.
— Watch out!
Raiga reflexively shoved Akira aside. Massive rocks crashed down where Akira had just been standing, burying the spot in dust and debris.
Coughing, Akira got to his feet.
— You saved me…
Raiga glared.
— Don't get the wrong idea, idiot. We'd all have died because of your stupidity.
Akira smiled.
— Still—thanks.
Raiga grunted.
— Don't think I'll help you again, just so you know!
Yui chuckled quietly while Arisawa continued forward as if nothing had happened.
— This is only the beginning.
Deeper in the cavern black smoke began to rise from the ground. From the haze emerged translucent beings with faces twisted in torment. They screamed and attacked the four.
Akira stumbled back in panic.
— What are these things!?
Yui instantly spread positive energy. Light flowed from his palms and pushed back some of the spirits, but others pressed the attack. One lunged and clung to Akira's arm — a freezing cold seeping through his veins.
Raiga swung his sword, but the spirit didn't cut.
— Damn it!
At that moment Arisawa stepped forward. He came up beside Akira, placed a hand on his arm, closed his eyes, and drew a deep breath. A powerful wave of energy radiated out. The spirit shrieked, recoiled, and dissolved into smoke.
Arisawa explained in a stern voice:
— Those are guardian spirits.
Akira, out of breath, sank to the ground.
— If that had gone on a moment longer…
Raiga ground his teeth.
— We won't fall for traps that easily.
A while later the ground under them suddenly collapsed. Below was a bottomless chasm. The only way across was an old, rotten stone bridge.
Raiga stepped forward.
— I'll cross.
The bridge swayed as Raiga strode across. Akira followed, but a loose stone shifted and his foot slipped.
Raiga moved at lightning speed and grabbed Akira's arm.
— Got you, idiot!
Akira peered into the darkness below and forced a smile.
— You saved me again.
Raiga barked.
— Pay attention for once, idiot!
Yui laughed, and Arisawa calmly crossed the bridge.
— Be more careful.
They reached a narrow chamber deeper inside where the walls were covered in gleaming mirrors. The moment they stepped in, their reflections began to move independently.
A mirrored Raiga drew its sword and sneered.
— Having someone clumsy like you exist is an embarrassment to me.
Finally they entered a vast hall. In the center, a sword was plunged into a stone altar. It gleamed with golden runes; the air around it trembled.
Akira whispered in awe.
— This… it's really the legendary sword…
Raiga's eyes were wide.
— Something we thought was only a myth all these years…
Yui added in a low voice.
— The energy the sword gives off… it's incredible.
At that moment a sinister laugh echoed from behind.
— Haha… so you've come this far for me. Step aside and I'll take the sword.
All four recoiled at once.
Arisawa stepped forward.
— Who are you?
From the darkness loomed a gigantic spirit silhouette. Its eyes glowed blood-red, and it was shrouded in a miasma of death.
— I am a faithful servant of Lord Rion. Move aside, or I will kill you.
And so the true test of the cavern began…