Kael continued his relentless training under Grimm for weeks, waking up before sunrise and pushing himself until midnight without a single break. Every muscle fiber in his body burned, and every bone ached from exhaustion, but the ambition within him flared even brighter instead of fading. One morning, Grimm called Zephyros to the edge of the training grounds, instructing him to watch Kael's duel without being seen. Zephyros waited in the shadows of the trees at the edge of the field, curious to see what level his nephew had reached.
This time, Kael and Grimm stood in the center of the field holding not practice sticks, but real steel swords shimmering in the sunlight. They bowed respectfully to each other and took their combat stances. The moment the duel began, Kael took a deep breath; instantly, he enveloped both his sword and his entire body in a fierce fire magic.
An explosion echoed through the field. Kael lunged toward Grimm at top speed, like a ball of fire. Zephyros's eyes widened in shock when he saw his nephew suddenly appear behind Grimm. Kael attacked Grimm from four directions at full speed, his movements tearing through the air. His blade drew fiery arcs, scattering sparks with every strike. Grimm parried every blow masterfully without moving a single inch. Kael couldn't harm him yet, but his attacks were so fast and fluid that Zephyros thought to himself: "This boy could barely hold a sword properly a few weeks ago... How did he develop himself this much in such a short time?"
With a powerful swing of his blade, Grimm knocked Kael back. Kael skidded across the ground but immediately took the stance for the special formation Grimm had taught him. This was the first of the four-step sword arts Grimm had shared.
— "Grimm Sword Formation, 1st Step: The Smoldering Crescent!"
Kael lunged at Grimm with a circular and fluid motion. His blade created a massive crescent of fire in the air, crashing against Grimm's defense. The air trembled from the heat. However, Grimm brushed aside even this powerful flaming cut with a simple flick of his wrist. Unable to leave even a scratch, Kael immediately retreated and switched to the second stance.
— "Grimm Sword Formation, 2nd Step: Breath of the Crimson Dragon!"
As Kael swung his sword with great fervor, the flames erupting from the tip materialized into a massive dragon shape and roared as it lunged toward Grimm. Grimm met the destructive dragon with cold composure, bringing his sword down in a vertical strike to split the fire right down the middle. As the flames dissipated around him, Kael was left panting heavily.
He fell exhausted before Grimm, who stood unshakeable like a rock carved by a sculptor. Grimm spoke in an ice-cold voice: "What happened? Are you giving up? Get up!"
Kael grit his teeth and pulled the air that burned his lungs in with a powerful breath. He transferred all his mana reserves and the heat from the deepest part of his soul into his blade.
— "Grimm Sword Formation, 3rd Step: Rise of the Flame Soul!"
Kael was suddenly surrounded by a pure, white aura of fire. The heat became so intense that the water barrels at the edge of the field began to boil, and the water on the ground evaporated. Covered in sweat, Kael lunged forward with his last bit of strength. This time, his attack was not just a sword swing; it was a pure explosion of energy fused with his blade. When Grimm countered the attack, an explosion—not the sound of metal clashing—rang out across the field.
When the dust cloud cleared, a thin, hairline crack was visible on Grimm's sword.
Zephyros was absolutely mesmerized by the duel he had witnessed. It put his mind at ease to see that Kael's training had not gone to waste and that the monster awakening within his nephew was turning into a genius not only in magic but also in the art of war.
Grimm sheathed his sword. "That's enough. You are still very lacking; you lose strength too quickly, and your attacks are still inconsistent. From tomorrow on, we will keep the morning practices longer."
As Kael collapsed to his knees from exhaustion, he said in a hopeless voice, "Y-yes, master..."
In the afternoon, Kael went to the manor's massive library. His primary focus, beyond what Pyros had taught him, was the dark magic held under the seal. He felt an unyielding curiosity toward this power within him; perhaps a book among the dusty shelves could provide a real answer to who he was. He gathered all the resources he could find about dark magic and sat at the table, immersing himself in silence.
On one of the pages, Kael learned that dark magic was divided into two types. The first was the kind humans could use through enchantments and magical artifacts; however, this method was banned by the kingdom as "inhumane" because its active materials consisted of living beings. The other type could only be used by those born with dark mana. The book mentioned only a few entities for this category: Demons, demon-kin, and certain ancient spiritual beings...
Kael was shaken by what he read. He knew magic was a legacy from parents. It was clear his mother was a nature mage. In that case, the dark legacy could only have come from his father. A single question echoed in his mind: "Could my father really be a demon?" In the tales told in the village, demons were always depicted as evil, destructive beings. He wondered why his mother would be with a demon, his mind drifting through countless thoughts.
At dinner, the silence at the table was broken by Kael's question: "Uncle... Can only demons use dark magic?"
Zephyros paused just as he was about to take a bite. He fixed his eyes on Kael and smiled slightly, though there was a hint of tension in it. "It seems we have a curious one among us. Where did you get this information?"
"I stopped by the library, uncle. I wanted to research the other power that's sealed."
Zephyros knew this moment would come sooner or later. He put his fork down on the table. "Yes Kael, in essence, only demons can use dark magic."
Kael's shoulders slumped, his voice trembling. "So my father is a demon, right?"
Zephyros nodded gravely. "Yes Kael, your father is a demon. And a formidable, powerful one at that..."
Kael suddenly interjected with excitement. "Uncle, do you know my father?"
"I am your mother's brother, Kael, of course I know him."
"Then why did you hide it from me? Why did my mother never tell me?" Kael's voice was filled with both resentment and curiosity.
"Your mother had her own reasons, I can't speak for her. But I didn't want to tell you about your father while you were still developing. I knew you'd find out sooner or later. None of us wanted any harm to come to you, be sure of that."
Kael sat back in his chair, burdened by the truths he had learned. "So who exactly is my father? What was he like? Why did he leave us?" The questions began to pour out one after another.
Zephyros raised his hand to stop him. "Wait, wait... calm down first. Your father is a demon as you guessed, Kael, but don't immediately think of him as the evil demons from the stories you were told. There isn't much I can tell you about why he left you. You will talk about those in detail when you reunite with your mother. The only thing I want you to know is that your father gave up a lot for your mother... He truly loved you."
"Then why did he leave?" Kael asked, his voice growing softer.
"He had to leave, Kael. It wasn't that he just 'left'."
"What do you mean?"
Zephyros stood up as if he didn't want to go any further. "The taste of dinner is a bit strange tonight... I'd better get going. You should go up and rest now, too."
Just as Kael was about to call out after him, "Uncle, wait! I didn't get an answer to my question—"
At that moment, Elias's hand gently touched Kael's shoulder. "Kael, it's clear your uncle doesn't want to talk about certain things. Believe me, answering these questions isn't easy for him either. Give him some grace, especially since the subject involves his own sister."
Kael sighed and lowered his head. "Alright Elias, thank you."
As Kael looked at the stars from his window that night, he felt the weight of the hybrid blood flowing through his veins for the first time in his heart; one side carried the warmth of the sun, while the other whispered the darkness of the night.