Hikari and Mirai walked with steady steps on the dirt road stretching before them. As they approached the village, signs of life began to awaken with the first threads of dawn. The air was cold, a light mist covering the surrounding fields, but as they advanced toward the village, details became clearer and clearer.

  Upon entering the village, some faces appeared from doors and windows that had just been opened to air out the houses with the sunrise. Some villagers were surprised to see Hikari, as years had passed since they last saw him.

  An elderly woman approached Hikari with slow steps, carrying a basket overflowing with fresh vegetables, and said with a warm smile:

  "Hikari-kun! It's been a long time, my boy. How are you? I'm so happy to see you again."

  Moments later, several other people gathered around him, each welcoming him in their own way. One of them, a middle-aged man, placed his hand on Hikari's shoulder saying:

  "Welcome back, Hikari-kun. You've been away for so long. We hope you've returned well."

  While they exchanged greetings and kind words, Mirai stood beside him, watching the scene with a calm smile, enjoying seeing how the villagers loved and appreciated him.

  After the greetings ended, Hikari continued walking with Mirai until they reached a house familiar to him. Without knocking, he gestured to Mirai to go around the building, heading toward the back, where the place pulsed with a different kind of life.

  There, in the early morning light, his father stood in the training ground, practicing with his sword in precise and masterful movements, as if maintaining his physical and mental fitness. His mother wasn't far away, sitting on a small wooden bench, watching her husband carefully with a small smile on her lips, as if finding peace and comfort in these simple moments.

  Hikari stopped for a moment, watching his parents quietly, then took a deep breath and advanced with confident steps toward the training ground. Hearing his footsteps, his father stopped his movements and turned to see who was coming. For a moment, the father remained standing in place:

  "Hikari?!" the father said, surprise mixed with joy in his voice.

  As for his mother, she immediately stood up from her seat, her eyes gleaming with joy.

  "Hikari, my son!" she called with a voice full of longing as she approached him, opening her arms to receive him.

  Hikari approached her and embraced her tenderly saying:

  "I've returned, Mother. I missed you both so much."

  His father joined them, placing his large hand firmly on Hikari's shoulder, expressing how happy he was to see his son after a long absence.

  "You've grown, Hikari. Three years passed as if they were an age, but I'm happy you've returned to us safely."

  After moments of family warmth, his mother noticed Mirai who was standing beside Hikari, watching the scene with a slight smile. The mother turned to her son and asked:

  "And who is this young lady?"

  Mirai moved forward and introduced herself saying: "My name is Mirai. An adventurer and Hikari's companion."

  Rin smiled: "I'm Rin. Pleased to meet you, Mirai."

  And the father added: "And I'm Seijiro."

  After exchanging greetings, Rin turned to Hikari with a warm smile: "You must be tired after the long journey. Come, let's go inside the house to rest."

  Everyone entered the house, where they were welcomed by the scent of fresh herbs that Rin was preparing for tea. The house was simple, but filled with warmth and comfort. They all sat in the living room around an old wooden table, and Rin served tea and some traditional sweets they had been accustomed to since childhood.

  While they sipped tea, Rin began talking about the days that had passed since Hikari's absence, and about the changes the village had witnessed. Seijiro watched his son with interest, noticing every moment how the young man who had left home three years ago had returned as a completely different mature person.

  After moments of family conversation, Seijiro broke the silence saying:

  "Hikari, you've been through a lot during your journey, and we're proud of you. But I'd like to know, what's your plan now? Are you thinking of staying here in the village, or do you have other goals you wish to achieve?"

  Hikari answered with a serious tone: "Actually, Father, I've come here to ask for help from you and Mother."

  Seijiro looked at his son with eyes full of interest and concern at the same time. "Help? Of course, we're here to help you with anything you need. But what's troubling you?"

  Hikari turned to Mirai and said to his father:

  "I want you to train Mirai, and I want you to give her the Sword of the Weapon Master."

  Seijiro was surprised by Hikari's request, and he could see the seriousness in his son's eyes. Mirai was also surprised when she heard Hikari's request. She had thought their visit to the village was just a brief stop for rest or to check on his parents.

  Seijiro began thinking for moments, then said calmly:

  "I can train her, but using the Sword isn't easy. She might need years of learning and intensive training. Also... the training will be very hard on a girl."

  Hikari replied insistently:

  "Don't worry about that. I've already trained her on several types of weapons, and Mirai has proven she possesses high skill and exceptional endurance."

  Rin smiled gently and intervened with a question:

  "Hikari, did you return to us for this specific reason? Or is this request just a side matter?"

  Hikari answered seriously:

  "It's the main reason. Of course, I intended to return here to see you both, but some urgent matters made me return earlier than expected."

  Seijiro nodded his head in understanding and said:

  "I understand. It seems many things have happened to you. But since you've just arrived, let's postpone this until tomorrow. We'll have a mock battle so I can determine her level."

  Mirai surprised everyone by saying:

  "Excuse me, Seijiro-san, could we fight today?"

  Seijiro looked at her puzzled:

  "Don't you want to rest? I'd prefer to face you when you're at full strength."

  But Mirai replied insistently: "I'm not tired, I can fight now."

  After a moment of thought, Seijiro said: "Alright, let's go outside."

  Hikari intervened again: "Father, I have another request."

  Seijiro turned to him curiously, so Hikari continued: "I want you to fight Mirai with your full strength, without holding back."

  Both Seijiro and Rin were surprised by this bold request. Rin quickly intervened with concern:

  "Wait, wait, Hikari. I used sensing magic on Mirai out of curiosity when we first met, and I didn't notice any magical powers in her. Facing your father seriously could be very dangerous for her."

  Hikari smiled confidently and answered:

  "Don't worry, Mother. I've gained new abilities during my journey that will help me protect Mirai."

  Despite Seijiro's hesitation, he decided to agree and said:

  "I'll do it, but I'll ensure not to target lethal areas in my attacks."

  Everyone moved to the backyard, the air thick with tension and anticipation. Mirai stood at one end, while Seijiro stood at the other. The morning was quiet, but it pulsed with a sense of preparation for a major confrontation.

  After a short while, Rin came carrying two distinctive swords, one of them white. She gave them to them. As soon as Mirai held the sword, she felt something strange; the sword was much lighter than she expected, as if it carried almost no weight.

  Rin noticed Mirai's reaction and said to her with a reassuring smile:

  "I've used reinforcement magic on the sword to make it unbreakable. You can fight without any worry."

  Rin stepped back to stand beside Hikari, both watching what would happen in the backyard.

  Seijiro slowly raised his sword and took a firm fighting stance. He said in a calm and decisive voice: "Are you ready?"

  Mirai nodded and took a deep breath to steady herself, then said:

  "I won't move from my position in the first attack. Please, attack me with your full strength. I'm not underestimating you, but just to reassure you, everything will be okay."

  Seijiro nodded slightly, saying: "Alright, I see the confidence in your eyes."

  In the next moment, Seijiro moved, and the air around Mirai changed due to his incredible speed, to the point where she could barely track him with her eyes.

  Seijiro appeared before her suddenly, ready to attack, while Mirai remained standing firmly. When his attack approached, a transparent barrier appeared to protect her. Mirai smiled confidently, but the smile quickly disappeared when she saw a slight crack in the barrier. Seijiro didn't give her much time, redirecting his attack with the same force toward the weak point, completely shattering the barrier. Mirai retreated quickly, as did Seijiro, both in a state of shock. Hikari immediately repaired the barrier around Mirai.

  Mirai stood stunned, while Seijiro seemed incredulous, thinking:

  "Where did this barrier come from? It's incredibly strong."

  Then he looked at his slightly trembling hands and continued to himself:

  "My hands went slightly numb from the force of the attack."

  He turned his gaze to Hikari and thought: "It seems Hikari is the one who did this."

  Then he smiled and said to Mirai:

  "I understand now. It seems my son possesses something quite interesting. This is the first time in my life I've felt such amazement."

  Mirai smiled lightly as she tried to regain her balance after the shock. She was aware of Seijiro's strength, but hadn't expected it to be this intense. She looked at him with eyes full of determination and tightened her grip on her sword.

  She rushed toward Seijiro quickly, trying to strike at him, but he moved with unexpected lightness and precision, easily avoiding the attack. Seijiro wasn't attacking, but merely dodging the successive strikes, as if he was reading her movements before she executed them.

  Mirai tried to escalate her attacks, increasing her speed and strength, but Seijiro was always one step ahead, avoiding every strike or deflecting it with amazing skill. With each failed attempt, Mirai felt the extent of his overwhelming superiority, and sweat began pouring from her forehead as she exerted every effort to keep up with him.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Seijiro said in a calm voice while dodging one of her strikes:

  "Mirai, you're strong, but you won't be able to touch me."

  His voice carried no mockery or sarcasm, but was full of respect for her determination.

  Mirai continued fighting, doing her utmost, but gradually realized that the gap between them was larger than she had imagined. Nevertheless, she didn't stop, but continued trying, which impressed Seijiro, who saw the gleam of determination in her eyes.

  At the end of the attack, Seijiro stepped back slightly and said in a calm tone carrying hidden admiration: "That's enough for today, Mirai."

  Mirai stopped, then smiled as she realized the huge difference between their abilities, and said:

  "Yes, there's no point in continuing the fight now. I can't touch you, and you won't attack me because of the barrier."

  Seijiro smiled. "Alright. Let's call this fight a draw. The important thing is that I know your level."

  Then he added: "You have distinctive strength, and your speed and sword skills surpass many ordinary fighters. I'll train you to develop those skills better."

  "I'll be in your care." Mirai smiled enthusiastically, determination gleaming in her eyes.

  Hikari approached them accompanied by his mother, and Seijiro said with a tone carrying admiration:

  "Hikari, the barrier you placed around Mirai was impressive. It's a barrier that can't be penetrated easily."

  Hikari replied with a calm smile: "I learned many new spells with Mirai's help."

  Seijiro nodded. "A barrier like this can protect you and your companions from any harm. I'm glad you learned a spell of such power."

  Hikari's expression changed slightly, then he said in a serious voice:

  "Actually, I can't use the barrier on myself. This is similar to healing spells. My spells don't work on me. But I understood the reason, and realized the limits of my abilities, so there's no need to worry, I'm fine."

  Seijiro looked at him with understanding, then said: "It seems there's much to talk about later. Let's go back inside."

  They returned inside and spent the rest of the day quietly; everyone sat around the table exchanging conversations. Hikari began narrating his adventure stories to his parents, talking about the times he faced dangers and how he managed to overcome them with Mirai's help. His parents listened with admiration, enjoying the details of his stories.

  As time passed, fatigue began to show on everyone. Rin stood up and took Mirai to the small guest room that was simple and comfortable, and said to her gently:

  "Rest well, tomorrow's training will be tiring."

  Mirai thanked Rin with a smile and entered the room to rest, while Hikari went to his room and lay down to sleep.

  Rin headed to the bedroom she shared with her husband Seijiro. When she entered the room, she found Seijiro sitting on the bed, looking perplexed. She stopped at the door and looked at him curiously, then said:

  "Are you thinking about Mirai's fighting style?"

  Seijiro turned to her and said:

  "Yes. Her speed and physical strength aren't natural for a girl. Most likely she's from a Demi-human race."

  Rin nodded in understanding. "Regarding her not being fully human, that's correct."

  Then she asked him: "By the way, didn't something catch your attention about Hikari?"

  Seijiro said: "No. Did you notice something suspicious?"

  Rin answered calmly: "The robe and ring that Hikari is wearing."

  Seijiro squinted a little and asked: "Is there something wrong with the robe and ring? They seem ordinary."

  Rin said seriously: "That robe is made from Black Crystalline fabric, and the ring is made from Everlight metal."

  Seijiro's forehead wrinkled in deep thought, and he said: "Are you sure?"

  Rin nodded her head in confirmation and said:

  "Yes, I'm sure. When you were fighting Mirai, and when the barrier appeared, Hikari didn't do anything or cast any spell. The barrier appeared suddenly as if it had been placed beforehand. This means Hikari had placed the barrier on Mirai before we met her."

  Seijiro nodded slowly and said:

  "I understand. A barrier of that strength needs a large amount of energy to maintain, and if the robe is indeed made from Crystalline fabric, this means Hikari can restore his energy very quickly. And since the ring is made from Everlight metal, this means Mirai is either a demon or from a Demi-human race."

  Rin said: "That's correct. But the probability of Mirai being a demon is very high."

  Seijiro smiled slightly and said:

  "No need to worry about that now. Whatever her truth is, I'm confident that Hikari knows well who she is, and he wouldn't have brought her here unless he trusted her. Perhaps he has his reasons for not telling us all the details. Let's sleep now, we have a lot of work tomorrow."

  At that moment, Hikari was asleep in his room, and Mirai was lying in the guest room. She was looking at the ceiling while thinking, remembering the moment Seijiro shattered the barrier. She whispered to herself in amazement:

  "What physical strength does this man possess? The attack was as strong as a thirteenth-level spell. A direct attack like that could be devastating."

  She felt excitement growing inside her, and continued to herself with a glowing smile: "His combat skills, his speed, his strength... Training under him will undoubtedly be enjoyable."

  **The next morning.**

  Mirai woke up very early, even before sunrise. Excitement flowed through her veins like an unstoppable river. She went out with eager steps to the backyard, and to her surprise found Seijiro there, swinging his sword in the quiet early morning.

  He stopped moving when he noticed her, then smiled and said: "Good morning, Mirai."

  She replied: "Good morning."

  Seijiro nodded and said gently: "I know that look on your face. It seems you're excited about today's training."

  Mirai nodded enthusiastically saying: "And you seem excited too."

  Seijiro laughed a little and said: "True, I haven't had a student with such enthusiasm before. I think you're not one to give up easily."

  Mirai answered with a confident tone: "I won't give up. In fact, I hope the training won't be easy."

  Seijiro smiled lightly and said: "Don't worry, none of my students managed to complete the first week easily. Even Hikari thought about giving up at first, but I insisted he continue."

  Then he followed with a question: "Mirai, Hikari said he trained you. Have you used the pursuit balls before?"

  Mirai answered: "Yes, I've used them before."

  Seijiro said: "That's good, but you need to develop yourself more. I'll show you an example of an advanced level."

  Then he walked toward a small bag that was placed near him, opened it and took out five shiny metal balls. Mirai was surprised by their number, and also noticed they were made of metal instead of rubber.

  Seijiro held the balls and threw them in the air one after another, then held his sword. The balls automatically returned to him; he was dodging them with lightness and lightning speed, to the point where Mirai found it difficult to track his movements with her eyes. Some balls he deflected with his sword to change their trajectory.

  Seijiro continued moving between the balls for a full minute, dodging them sometimes and deflecting them other times. When he finally stopped, the balls fell to the ground.

  Mirai looked at him with clear amazement and said enthusiastically.

  "That's amazing!"

  Seijiro nodded smiling and asked her: "Would you like to start with one or two balls?"

  Mirai replied with a smile full of challenge: "I want to start with two balls."

  Seijiro nodded in agreement and said: "Alright, I'll get them for you."

  Mirai looked at him questioningly and asked: "Won't I use these metal balls?"

  Seijiro answered seriously: "These balls are heavy and injuries will be painful."

  Mirai didn't hesitate and said insistently: "It's fine, I can dodge them."

  Despite his hesitation, Seijiro gave her two metal balls. "Be careful."

  Mirai held the balls and felt their weight pressing on her muscles, and muttered to herself with a tense smile:

  "If the rubber ball was painful, no doubt I'll be crushed with these."

  With excitement building inside her, she was preparing for the coming challenge. Before she began, Seijiro asked her:

  "What weapons have you trained with?"

  She answered: "Many of them; long and short swords and fighting using two swords together. I've also trained with the staff, spear, and axe."

  Seijiro nodded with admiration and said: "That's good."

  Then he extended his hand and gave her his sword saying:

  "You might find it difficult to dodge both balls, so use the sword to deflect their trajectory when needed."

  Mirai took the sword, tightened her grip on it, her eyes burning with determination. She knew this training would be difficult, perhaps even painful, but she was ready for everything.

  Mirai threw the two balls in the air, and when the first one returned toward her, she managed to dodge it easily, but the second ball was very close, and she had to deflect it using the sword. When the first ball returned at greater speed, she barely dodged it, as she didn't have enough time to move the sword.

  Mirai continued exerting all her effort to dodge the two balls, and indeed succeeded, albeit with difficulty. Seijiro stood watching her smiling:

  "You're skilled, you succeeded on the first try."

  Mirai breathed deeply and said with a tired smile: "Honestly, it was just luck."

  Seijiro shook his head in denial:

  "There's no such thing as luck in combat. Your defense and agility in movement are at an excellent level. Now I have a clear idea of how to train you properly. But before anything else, you must master using all types of weapons."

  Mirai raised her eyebrows and asked him curiously:

  "But, Seijiro-san, what's the benefit of learning all these weapons? I usually use a regular sword, and I can't carry all these weapons with me."

  Seijiro replied with surprise: "Didn't Hikari tell you about the sword?"

  Mirai looked at him puzzled and answered:

  "No, Hikari didn't tell me anything except that he was planning to visit you both."

  Seijiro smiled calmly and said: "I understand now. I'll show you something."

  He went to his bag and took out five additional balls, placing them beside the previous balls, arranged in a circle. Then he took out a shiny black dagger, decorated with elegant golden lines, and held it confidently. Mirai had barely caught her breath when the dagger transformed in his hands into a long sword, carrying the same amazing design.

  Mirai stared at it in amazement and asked: "Is this a magical sword?"

  Seijiro smiled as he looked at the sword, saying:

  "Not exactly. This sword is considered a rare artifact; it's called the 'Sword of the Weapon Master'. It can transform into any weapon: long sword, short sword, two-handed sword, spear, staff, or even a dagger. It can even be split for dual combat. And the most wonderful thing about it... it's unbreakable."

  Mirai said with amazement: "That's truly amazing!"

  Seijiro said: "I'll show you how it's used."

  He stood in the middle of the ball circle and transformed the sword into a staff. He closed his eyes and concentrated his spiritual energy, and a powerful aura appeared around him. He struck the ground forcefully, and the balls rose high. In the blink of an eye, he began hitting the balls one after another with extreme speed and precision. The balls began returning to him, and he dodged and deflected them with the staff. When two balls approached him at the same moment, the staff in his hand quickly split into two swords, and he deflected both balls in the blink of an eye.

  Then he transformed the two swords into a spear and struck three balls at once. While two other balls were heading toward him, he transformed the spear into a short sword and began deflecting and dodging the balls with lightness and skill. He continued displaying his skills for a full minute, until all the balls fell to the ground.

  Seijiro sat on the ground, breathing deeply with drops of sweat flowing from his forehead, then laughed saying:

  "It seems I've gotten old... it's become harder for me now."

  Mirai approached and sat in front of him with great admiration, saying:

  "That's extremely amazing! It seems you master everything."

  Seijiro smiled and said:

  "The goal of learning all types of weapons is the ability to adapt in any battle. You never know what you might face: an individual opponent or multiple monsters. Variety gives you the advantage and makes it difficult for any enemy to catch you off guard."

  Mirai nodded seriously and said enthusiastically: "I understand."

  Then Seijiro said in a more serious tone:

  "But you should know that this sword has many drawbacks. The first is that its weight isn't constant; its weight changes depending on who uses it, and even during transformation, the weight changes. I can't explain it precisely, so... I'll let you try it yourself."

  He extended the sword toward her. She hesitated for a moment, then gripped it carefully. As soon as she held it, she felt its weight; it was heavier than she expected, as if the sword was measuring her strength.

  Seijiro said encouragingly:

  "Now, attack me. Don't be afraid, gather all your strength."

  Mirai was surprised by his request, but she raised the sword high and attacked Seijiro with force. The sword struck his body, but didn't cause a single scratch. She retreated, looking at him in amazement.

  Seijiro laughed and said:

  "This is the second negative point: the sword doesn't have constant sharpness. The sword's sharpness comes from spiritual energy; the more your spiritual energy increases, the sharper the sword becomes. You also need spiritual energy to transform the weapon between its forms."

  Mirai nodded in understanding and said:

  "So, the stronger my energy becomes, the stronger the sword becomes?"

  Seijiro answered:

  "Exactly. Now, try transforming it into a short sword using your spiritual energy."

  Mirai closed her eyes and put part of her meager spiritual energy into the sword. Immediately, the sword shrank to become a short sword, and its weight changed to become much lighter.

  Seijiro nodded his head satisfied and said:

  "This is the main drawback of this sword. No matter your physical strength, its weight adapts to your spiritual strength. Now, try transforming it into a large two-handed sword."

  Mirai's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and she said:

  "This is extremely fun! If the weapons won't become lighter no matter how strong I become, that means using them will be a worthwhile challenge."

  Seijiro smiled and said: "True, but have you trained with a large sword before?"

  She looked at him hesitantly and answered: "No, I haven't used it before."

  Seijiro smiled lightly and said:

  "This is the last negative point; the sword won't transform unless you have experience using the type of weapon you want to transform it into. This sword is linked to your knowledge and skill. If you lack skill in a certain type, it won't respond to you."

  She said enthusiastically:

  "I'll train with all my effort on all types of weapons!"

  Seijiro nodded encouragingly and said:

  "Your enthusiasm is wonderful, but there's something you must understand to truly benefit from training. Each race has different abilities in using energy and weapons, and this plays a big role in adapting to combat skills."

  Mirai looked at him curiously and asked:

  "Does this mean each race has a different training style?"

  Seijiro answered:

  "Yes. Demons, for example, possess strong magical power, but are less able to control spiritual energy. The spirit race is distinguished by spiritual powers, despite their weakness in magic. As for Demi-humans, they're physically strong, but their magical and spiritual energy is limited."

  Then he added, pointing to himself:

  "Humans can develop any type of energy faster and stronger, but their short lifespans are their only real weakness. While other races have centuries to perfect their skills, humans must achieve everything in mere decades. So each race has a suitable training method."

  Mirai listened attentively and said: "I never thought about it this way..."

  Seijiro smiled and said:

  "That's why I want to know your race to create a training plan that suits you. So, Mirai... what exactly is your race? Demon or Demi-human?"

  Mirai answered confidently: "I'm from the demon race. I think that was obvious to you."

  Seijiro smiled:

  "I wasn't sure because of the absence of magical energy inside you. I thought you were Demi-human, but the robe Hikari was wearing made me doubt."

  Then he ended his words with a firm smile:

  "First, I'll train you on using all types of weapons, and then we'll return to training with the pursuit balls. But of course, this will take a very long time. You might stay here for long months, perhaps even years."

  Mirai smiled and said enthusiastically:

  "I don't mind, I have all the time. I'm not in a hurry for anything."

  And on that day, Mirai began her intense training without stopping, dedicating herself to learning the arts of using different weapons and gaining the necessary strength to control the Sword of the Weapon Master. With each exercise, she realized how much this sword required more than just strength; it required dedication and harmony between physical strength and inner will.

  Thus Mirai walked a long and difficult path, a path full of challenges and surprises, but she knew deep inside that every moment of training she spent would bring her closer to the goal and make her stronger and more resilient.

  (End of Chapter.)