[Akira POV]
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "…to wield Drakkor's blade...Dragonheart."
Wait…Dragonheart? What could that even be? I had never heard of it before. Was it forged from a dragon's heart or something even crazier? And then there is a mission…one month from now. What kind of mission could it be?
Maybe a retrieval mission, to dig up some ancient relic lost in ruins. Or a trial by fire, forcing Tobias to prove himself worthy. Or worse, a journey straight into enemy territory where said dark forces roam.
"Could you explain everything behind this blade?" Tobias asked nervously.
Magnus's eyes softened, then he chuckled. "Oh, forgive me. I forgot—you two don't know our legends. You never grew up with them."
"Many years ago, when all the races lived together in harmony, Humans, Drago, Fairies, and Elves, each race a champion emerged—powerful masters of magic we now call the Grand Champions. Together, they united against the Dark Lord's formidable pillars of evil, whose sole purpose was to spread destruction, chaos and fear. Though the champions could stand against them, they were not strong enough to destroy them entirely. So, they created a separate world, using powerful magic, to seal the Dark Lord's away."
Magnus paused, his gaze distant.
"The greatest among them, Drakkor, the Drago Champion, poured his very soul into a blade we now call Dragonheart. It carries his will, his strength, and the raging fire of his spirit—a weapon of power."
"It will obey only the hand that it chooses. And the one who is chosen by the blade is the master of the blade. Use it wisely, and it can turn the tide of any battle. But know this… the blade tests no heart, grants no mercy, and respects no weakness."
Magnus paused, letting the story sink in. The room was silent, the weight of the legend hanging heavy in the air.
"And that," he said, voice steady, "is the history of Dragonheart. What you've heard is not just a story—it is a truth, and a path that now leads to you, Tobias. Remember it well, for the blade carries more than power; it carries responsibility.
The tale ends here, but your part… is just beginning."
After Magnus had finished telling us the origin of Dragonheart, he left the room. I felt a surge of excitement rush through me.
If Tobias got that blade, he would finally be a true rival. I couldn't wait to see him test himself—and I knew I had to push him too.
"Hey, Tobias, you weakling. You're finally going to get stronger, and after that… I can finally call you my rival," I said, coldly.
He turned, eyes shining with determination. "I'm going to be stronger than you could ever imagine. I'll be a Knight Captain someday… and who knows? That day might come sooner than you think."
"Yeah, we'll see about that," I said.
I never really had a big dream—at least, not like Tobias with his Knight Captain goal. All I had was the promise I made to my father that night…and the face of the one who killed him I'll never forget. I'll avenge him someday, and that was enough to keep me going.
Tobias called out to me, but my mind was elsewhere."Akira, we should get to training. We have one month until… whatever is coming," he said.
I blinked, shaking myself out of my thoughts. He was right. There was no time to waste.
We asked Solfira to train us the way Drago trained, and she did so without question asked.
Day 1–5: Heat Endurance, we did two tests of heat endurance, the first one being that we had to sit under the scorching sun for hours each day. It was as red as a tomato, my skin burned in agony, and the second test was not easy to overcome. We had to sit in a tub of boiling water; it was so painful that Tobias and I couldn't. It was like being cooked alive, not a nice experience.
Day 6–10: Pain Endurance,Solfira struck us with iron rods, and Tobias was in pain as much as I was, but he eventually got used to it, and I, on the other hand, couldn't endure this. It got to a point where he barely flinched, and I got jealous.
Day 11–15: Combat, we had to fight one-on-one using wooden swords. He was a natural. I tried, but I was just bad with it, and it didn't really make me feel bad because he always trained using swords; I barely ever did, so I wasn't surprised by how impressive he was with the sword.
Day 16–20: Volcano hiking, we had to hike through a cave inside a volcano, it was basically heat endurance, but much, much worse, Tobias and I got very thirsty inside, and Solfira restricted us from drinking water until we got through this cave.
Day 21–25: Boulder Crushing, the training here we were instructed to crush boulders with our physical strength, no magic, no tools, hands and arms alone. Tobias was a pro at this. I was not surprised by his strength. He struggled but crushed the boulder he was given, and I was given a boulder smaller than his, but still couldn't break it.
Day 26–30:
On our last days of training, we did simple stuff, nothing too much, just push-ups, sit-ups, sprinting, all the basic stuff that anyone could do.
By the end of the month, Tobias and I were battered, sore, and dripping sweat from head to toe. The drills, the fire, the stones, the endless sparring—it had all pushed him stronger. I barely succeeded in any of the training.
Tobias grinned at me, brushing dirt off his shoulders. "See? Easy!"
I groaned, stretching out. "Easy for you, maybe."
For the first time, I really noticed the difference. He had grown stronger, faster, and more confident. And yes… I had to admit it, Dragonheart in his hands would make him a formidable rival.
I couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement—and something else, a little jealousy I wasn't ready to admit. But one thing was clear: whatever mission Magnus had planned, we were as ready as we were going to be.
We sat there catching our breath, letting the sweat dry, knowing that the next step was coming soon. And when it did, Tobias and I would have to face it together—or against each other.
We were summoned to the castle's main hall by Magnus. He looked at us, noticing the dirt, sweat, and muscle aches—the marks of how hard we'd trained.
"You've pushed yourselves well," he said, his voice calm. "Before the trial begins, I will give you an extra three days of rest."
Tobias and I cheered.
Day 1Tobias immediately collapsed on his bed and didn't move for hours. I shook my head and muttered, "The mission we would be given, I know he will do well."
Day 2: We spent most of the day at the bathhouse, letting our sore muscles soak and relax. Tobias goofed around, splashing water at me, while I scowled and tried to remain dignified.
Day 3: I spent the day practising my water magic, forming streams, and testing my control. Tobias watched, impressed, but I couldn't help but tease him a little, asking, "Can you use magic?". He ignored me, focusing on relaxing. My rivalry with Tobias burned quietly in the back of my mind—if he got stronger with Dragonheart, I had to be ready to match him with my own power.
By the end of the third day, both of us felt ready—not just physically, but mentally—for whatever mission was coming.
Magnus summoned us once more. Tobias and I stood side by side, refreshed and ready, our bodies rested from the extra days he had granted us.
I looked at Tobias, and he gave me a confident grin. I raised my fists, a spark of rivalry burning in my chest. Whatever was coming… we would face it head-on.
We followed Magnus through the castle, our footsteps echoing in the empty halls. The air was charged with tension, a quiet reminder that this was no ordinary challenge.
He led us to a massive stone chamber. The walls were cracked, and a faint hum of energy vibrated beneath our feet. Tobias and I exchanged looks—this was it, the trial.
"Today," Magnus said, his voice steady and commanding, "you will face the this dungeon. I don't know what lies ahead and what tests you will overcome but I believe you can do this first try. Fail…and you might die. Succeed… and you will take the first step toward wielding your true potential."
I felt excited, feeling the spark of rivalry with Tobias flare inside me. No matter what happened, I wouldn't let him outshine me—not yet.
Tobias looked at me, smirking. "Ready to see who's stronger?"
"Always," I replied, with a bright smile.
The massive doors of the dungeon slowly opened, light pulsing from the other side. I could hardly wait to face this trial with Tobias.
Magnus instructed us to move quickly. The blade was locked deep within the dungeon, what ever is ahead we were ready for it . "Stay sharp," he warned. "The dungeon must be very dangerous it was designed to be lock the blade very deep inside so it could prevent thieves."
I looked at Tobias, excitement and determination sparking in his eyes. This wasn't just a trial—it is a do or die dungeon. I could feel my heart racing.
Without another word, Tobias and I dashed forward, adrenaline surging through our veins. The light of the chamber stretched ahead, shadows dancing along the walls as we raced toward the depths. Every step brought us closer to the blade, closer to the trials that would test everything we had trained for.
The sound of our footsteps echoed, mixing with the low hum of the dungeon. Guardians, traps, challenges—whatever waited for us, we would face it together.
And with that, we ran headfirst into the unknown.
To be continued