Chapter 10: The Dance of Blade and Flame

For weeks on end, Kael woke up before sunrise and continued Grimm's relentless training sessions without fail until midnight. Every muscle fiber in his body was burning, and every bone

ached with exhaustion, but the determination within him grew stronger rather than fading. One morning, Grimm summoned Zephyros to the edge of the training ground and told him to watch

Kael without being seen. Curious to see how far his nephew had come, Zephyros began waiting at the edge of the field, in the shade of the trees.

Kael and Grimm stood in the center of the field, this time not with training staffs but with real steel swords in their hands. They exchanged respectful greetings and assumed their fighting s

tances. The moment the duel began, Kael took a deep breath; in that instant, he enveloped both his sword and his entire body in a fire spell.

A loud explosion echoed across the field. Kael charged toward Grimm at full speed, like a ball of fire. When Zephyros saw his nephew suddenly appear behind Grimm, his eyes widened in

astonishment. Kael was attacking Grimm from all sides, as if he were multiple people, with

strikes that tore through the air. His sword traced arcs of fire through the air, sending sparks flying with every blow. Grimm, not moving an inch from his spot, skillfully parried every strike with his sword. Kael hadn't managed to harm him yet, but his attacks were so fast and fluid that

as Zephyros watched, he thought to himself: "This kid couldn't even hold a sword properly just a few weeks ago... How did he manage to improve so much in such a short time?"

Grimm sent Kael flying backward with a fierce sword swing. Kael skidded to a stop on the ground and immediately assumed the position of the special formation Grimm had taught him. This was the first of the four-step sword arts Grimm had taught him.

— "Grimm Sword Formation, Step 1: Blazing Crescent!"

Kael charged at Grimm with a circular, fluid motion. His sword struck Grimm's defense, forming a massive crescent of fire in the air. However, Grimm deflected even this powerful fiery strike with a mere flick of his wrist. Unable to land even a scratch on Grimm, Kael retreated instantly and shifted into the second stance.

— "Grimm Sword Formation, Step 2: Breath of the Red Dragon!"

As Kael swung his sword with great ferocity, the flames erupting from the blade solidified in the air, transforming into the form of a massive dragon, which roared and lunged toward Grimm.

Grimm met the oncoming, destructive dragon with cool composure and brought his sword down in a vertical strike, splitting the fire right down the middle. As the flames scattered and died out on either side of Grimm, Kael was now gasping for breath.

He had grown weary standing before Grimm, who remained as unshakable as a rock. Grimm spoke in an icy voice: "What's wrong? Are you giving up? Get back on your feet!"

Kael clenched his teeth and drew in a powerful breath of the air that burned his lungs. He channeled all the mana reserves in his body into his sword.

— "Grimm Sword Formation, Step 3: The Ascent of the Flame Spirit!"

Kael was instantly enveloped in a pure, white aura of fire. The heat had intensified so much that

the water barrels at the edge of the arena began to boil, and the water on the ground started to evaporate. Drenched in sweat, Kael charged forward with his last remaining strength. This time,

his attack was not merely a sword swing; it was a burst of pure energy fused with his blade.

When Grimm met the attack, the sound heard on the field was not the clang of metal against metal, but an explosion.

When the dust cloud cleared, a fine, hairline crack could be seen on Grimm's sword.

Zephyros was utterly captivated by the magnificent duel he was witnessing. It put his mind at ease to see that Kael's training had not been in vain, and that the beast awakening within his nephew had transformed him into a genius not only in magic but also in the art of combat.

Grimm sheathed his sword. "That's enough for now. You're still lacking in many ways; you tire easily, and your attacks are still inconsistent. Starting tomorrow, we'll extend your morning training sessions."

Kael collapsed to his knees from exhaustion and replied in a hopeless voice, "Y-yes, Master..."That afternoon, Kael went to the mansion's massive library. Beyond what Pyros had taught him,

his true focus was on that dark magic kept under seal. He felt an insatiable curiosity about the power within it; perhaps a book among the dusty shelves could provide him with a real answer

about who he truly was. He piled all the sources he could find on dark magic onto his desk and sank into deep silence.

On one of the pages he read, he learned that dark magic was divided into two types. The first was the kind humans could use through spells and magical artifacts; however, since the active

materials for this method consisted of living beings, it had been banned by the kingdom as

"inhuman." The other type could be used by those born with a natural affinity for the dark arts. In the book, the bearers of this type were referred to by a single name: Demons, demonic lineages, and certain ancient spiritual beings...

Kael was shaken by what he read. He knew that magic was inherited from one's parents. It was clear that his mother was a nature mage. In that case, the dark legacy could only have come to

him 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 destructive, malevolent beings. As he tried to understand why his mother had been with a demon, his thoughts wandered from one idea to another.

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 of his food. He fixed his gaze on Kael and smiled slightly, but there was a tension in that smile.

"I suppose we have a curious one among us. Where did you get that information?"

"I stopped by the library, Uncle. I wanted to look into the other sealed power because I was curious about it."

Zephyros knew this moment would come sooner or later. He set his fork down on the table.

"Yes, Kael, dark magic, at its core, can only be used by demons."

Kael's shoulders slumped, his voice trembling. "So my father is a demon, is that it?"Zephyros nodded solemnly. "Yes, Kael, your father is a demon. And a notable one at that—one of the powerful ones..."

Kael suddenly blurted out excitedly. "Uncle, do you know my father?"

"I'm your mother's brother, Kael. Of course I know him."

"Then why did you hide it from me? Why didn't my mother ever mention him?" Kael's voice was filled with both resentment and curiosity.

"Your mother has her own reasons; I can't say anything to her, Kael. But I didn't want to tell you about your father while you were still growing up. I knew you'd find out sooner or later. None of us wanted anything bad to happen to you—you can be sure of that."

Kael sank back into his chair, weighed down by the truths he had just learned. "So who exactly is my father? What kind of person was he? Why did he leave us?" he began firing off questions one after another.Zephyros raised his hand to stop him.

"Wait, wait... Let's calm down first. Your father is a demon, just as you suspected, Kael, but don't immediately think of those evil demons from the fairy tales you've heard. I don't have much to tell you about why he left you. You'll discuss these details 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 and your mother."

"Then why did he leave?" Kael asked, his voice growing a bit softer.

"He had to leave, Kael—not that he 'left' you."

"What do you mean?"

Zephyros stood up, as if he didn't want to go into it further. "This dinner tastes a bit off, doesn't it... I think I'd better go. You should go to bed and rest too."Kael was about to call out after him when, "Uncle, wait a minute! I didn't get an answer to my question—"

Just then, 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. Especially since it involves his own brother, give him a little leeway."

Kael sighed and bowed his head. "All right, Elias, thank you."That night, as Kael gazed at the stars through his window, he felt the weight of that mixed blood

flowing through his veins for the first time; one side carried the sun's heat, the other the darkness of the night