The morning light crept through the small cracks in the cave ceiling, drawing faint lines over the rocks. shimoro sat in his usual spot, the sword in his hands, the cold gathering around his fingers as if it were listening to his commands.
He took a calm breath… then began the polishing.
The strikes of the stone on the blade created a steady melody, cutting through the silence like a small rhythm from another world.
Ksh… ksh… ksh…
On the other side, Ryo was standing in the middle of the cave, his body slightly bent, his eyes half-closed… as if he saw an enemy that existed nowhere but in his mind.
Ryo suddenly lunged forward, throwing a punch into the air, yet it was so powerful that the wind trembled around his hand.
Then he leaned back, as if dodging an imaginary sword, spinning rapidly, kicking the air, then landing on his knee and retreating backward with a short jump.
In his head, the fight was real:
"You are fast… but I am faster, you pathetic wretch."
He clenched his fist, lunged again, spun his body in a full rotation, struck with his right hand, then his left, then raised his knee to parry a non-existent attack.
He was moving with ferocity despite his injuries—
His sweat fell to the ground,
And his breathing grew heavier,
But his feet did not stop for a moment.
From time to time, shimoro would glance sideways, seeing him fighting the air, and think:
"If anyone saw this scene… they would think Ryo had finally lost his mind."
Then he would suppress a small laugh and return to his work.
shimoro raised the edge of the sword before his eye, passing his fingers near the blade without touching it…
Checking its straightness, the smoothness of the edges, the purity of the ice frozen inside the metal, and also passing his ice energy into the sword as taught by his grandmother who raised him.
shimoro's mind: "This sword… Ryo will need it soon. I will make it in the best condition, the best I can create! It will be my masterpiece!"
The polishing strokes became slower… more precise… and more beautiful.
The air became colder around him, as if the sword itself was being formed from his very essence.
Meanwhile, Ryo was unleashing his final combat move:
A high jump, a full rotation, a punch in the air that shook the cave with wind pressure…
Then he landed steadily, placed his fist on the ground, and inhaled deeply.
Inside Ryo's mind: "Hah… hah… I'm still far from him… that person.."
Suddenly, shimoro broke the silence with a loud, strong voice, full of pride:
"Finished!"
He raised the sword high, and the reflection of light appeared over its shining blade.
It was a mixture of ice and metal, a Katana radiating a faint blue aura with a piece of hard ice at the left edge.
He smiled a wide smile… for the first time in a long time:
"It is completely ready!"
Ryo turned toward him, still breathing deeply, resting his hands on his knees.
He stared at the sword with eyes half-closed from fatigue… then smiled and said in a light, sarcastic tone:
"Congratulations to you… while I nearly killed myself fighting the air."
Then he raised his fist and said:
"But at least… I am finished too, and we are ready to go to the red scale fish! Great job, Ice Boy."
He stood up steadily, tightened his bandage slightly, then continued with a small smile:
"Come on, swordsmith… I'll show you that I am no less brilliant."
shimoro laughed a little, then placed the sword on his shoulder and said:
"Your training was very violent for something non-existent."
Ryo immediately replied with a small, mischievous laugh:
"Better than carving and crafting, that's boring."
They exchanged a short look—
A look carrying an excitement that was beginning to form, like a spark before a fire ignites.
At the same time, the pale orange light was creeping into the cave, announcing the approach of the end of a long day. Ryo sat on a small rock, dusting off his bandage, while shimoro extended the new sword toward him with a hand full of pride.
"Try it."
shimoro said with a light smile, carrying hope and pride in his gaze.
Ryo took the sword in his right hand.
The moment of first contact made him raise his eyebrow in admiration, as if he understood something that touched him within.
He spun the sword lightly, then swung it once; shimoro heard a sharp whistle cutting the air.
Ryo swung a second time… faster, stronger, more balanced.
Then he stopped, looking intently at the blade.
"Man…"
Ryo said, smiling, his voice carrying a hint of amazement.
"This… is better than I expected. The shape… the weight… even the balance is excellent. Well done, shimoro."
A shy smile rose on shimoro's lips, and some redness appeared on his face despite his attempt to hide it.
Later
They sat together near the small fire. Ryo said while tightening his bandage:
"In the morning, we go to the Sea of Fireflies. No more stops."
But shimoro frowned slightly, saying with concern:
"But… you trained, and I didn't."
Ryo turned to him slowly… then laughed softly:
"You? Didn't train?"
shimoro blinked in surprise.
"Yes? I did nothing but… carve the sword…"
Ryo shook his head and said:
"That is exactly the training."
He sat up straight and began to explain in a clear tone:
"Listen, EIU energy is nothing but an element shaped according to the user's imagination and the accuracy of their visualization."
"And to release ice in complex forms in the middle of a fight… you need mental precision and a sense of shape."
Ryo pointed to the sword shimoro had made:
"When you carve a sword or a dagger… you are training your mind to create a complete form.
This will help you shape ice quickly, with finer edges, and with greater strength."
shimoro opened his eyes in wonder.
"So… that was actually training?"
"Of course."
Ryo said with a confident smile.
"Even if your muscles didn't move… your mind was working harder.
And that is what elemental fighters need."
shimoro suddenly got excited, stood up slightly, and said:
"Then… I'll be ready!"
Ryo laughed:
"Yes, don't worry. Tomorrow we set off."
With the first light of the next morning, the two emerged from the small cave.
Ryo carried the new sword, and his ability to move had improved despite his minor remaining injuries; he was now in much better condition than before.
And shimoro held his dagger.
Ryo looked around and said confidently:
"Also, don't worry, the path is memorized in my mind from the previous time. We won't get lost."
They walked through the arabisel forest, the tall trees blocking the sun, and the fog creeping between the trunks.
Everything was quiet… until a gruff sound broke the silence behind them:
"RRRRRRRGGGGH!"
A small but fierce beast appeared from the midst of the trees, with dark gray skin and long teeth.
Ryo said in a bored tone:
"Rank E most likely… weak."
shimoro replied confidently while pointing to his chest:
"Then let me kill it."
Ryo looked at his sword… and smiled a light smile:
"Let me see what the sword can do."
shimoro nodded, and he stepped back a pace, watching.
"Go on, show us what you can do, you foolish sword-lover."
The beast lunged forward.
Ryo disappeared from in front of it for a single moment…
Then appeared above it.
"Let's go."
Ryo spun a full rotation in the air, landed lightly behind the beast, then lunged forward with a quick acrobatic move.
He swung the sword once—
Sharp.
Clean.
So fast that shimoro saw nothing but a shining line cutting the air.
In the blink of an eye…
The head of the beast fell to the ground.
Ryo stood holding the sword at an elegant angle, as if he had practiced with it for years.
shimoro kept staring, his mouth slightly open.
"Immmpossibllle… that fast!!?"
Ryo replied as he shook the blood off the blade:
"I told you… the sword is excellent."
Then he added with a light, mocking smile:
"And I am awesome too."
shimoro laughed with pride in what he had made, as they continued walking toward the Sea of Fireflies—
A new sword…
A new dagger…
And a more dangerous path waiting for them.
End of Chapter 20