The sun dipped below the horizon, sinking into the earth as darkness began its conquest of the land.
A wide grin spread across the phantom's face, and he laughed mockingly at Takeshi.
"In the end, you let them take your sword and burn your books and your cabin... you fool!"
Takeshi struck his head against the ground as those words planted a new seed of regret. He groaned:
"Stop... just stop..."
The phantom of Takeshi's father took a step forward, staring at his son with intense focus. He closed his eyes and said:
"It brings me shame that a weakling like you is my son—"
Takeshi could no longer restrain his nerves; being rebuked by a dead man he hated to his core was more than he could bear.
"STOP!!!! I know I am weak! I can't even protect a piece of iron! I know I am a coward who cannot leave a small forest to pursue his dreams. I know these things... but—"
"But what?"
Takeshi paused, opening his trembling eyes to stare at the ground, summoning every memory his mind was never permitted to erase. He said:
"I don't understand! Why can't humans understand each other? Why can't they understand each other's suffering? Why can't they understand each other's feelings??"
He raised his head, a deep darkness clouding the core of his eyes as he added:
"We humans are flawed."
The sounds of the Revarge monsters grew louder, signaling their steady approach. The phantom of Takeshi's father turned his back and said:
"You humans are indeed flawed... if you want to rid yourself of this deficiency, you must risk your life for your goals and find their true essence..."
The phantom leaned in slightly, whispering to Takeshi:
"There is no harm in dying for the sake of achieving your goals."
Takeshi tried to stand, but the poison had left him with lingering surface pain and side effects like a headache and utter exhaustion.
The Revarge that Yamikaji had brought began to rise. Its movements were like those of a drunkard, swaying left and right, falling, and trying again.
In despair, Takeshi asked:
"Do you think I can evolve enough to achieve my goals?"
His father's phantom smiled faintly, his eyes shimmering with a hope he sought to pass on.
"Human evolution is slow, but it is limitless. They can reach the peak of this world even if it takes centuries. Takeshi, set out to explore what you seek and achieve it."
He gestured toward the fertile earth and said:
"Start from this land and everything within it."
Then he pointed toward the sky, which had turned black as stars began to sparkle. He added:
"And go beyond the heights of this heaven! You must rid yourself of your flaws—the first of which is your cursed isolation. Go forth and choose your goals carefully, my son."
The two were silent for a moment. Suddenly, a faint smile appeared on Takeshi's face, and he said:
"That bastard never called me 'son' once... you truly are just a figment of my imagination."
The eyes of the Revarge in the shadows widened, glowing redder as the sun vanished below the horizon. It woke up fully, caring nothing for the boy it had devoured in daylight; instead, it fixed its gaze on Takeshi as fresh prey. Revarge monsters love to feed on fresh bodies.
Takeshi stood on his trembling legs, and his eyes regained their luster. The hope he had buried for years returned, and the shards of his broken heart gathered from the abyss of despair.
The Revarge lunged forward, passing right through the immaterial phantom of his father, which began to fade like torn, transparent leaves floating with the wind into the vast sky, scattering across the world, leaving a faint ash in his son's heart.
The Revarge bit Takeshi's left hand with force, and drops of regret slid down his wrist. But Takeshi regained his balance and struck the creature with his other hand, sending it reeling back into the dark forest.
He gripped his wound, stood tall, and let the moonlight reflect in his honest eyes. With a loud voice, he declared:
"I am Takeshi, you bastards! My first goal after I finish with you lot is to recover my sword and take my revenge on that cursed gang!"
Takeshi said this, thinking no one heard him but the Revarge before him, unaware of a figure hidden in the gloom of the desolate forest.
***
At the southern borders of the forest, where silence spread like the darkness, the only sound was the wheels of carriages and horse hooves striking the muddy, wet earth with force.
It was a traditional carriage pulled by two horses, carrying three people: the members of the Royal Skull Gang.
Yellow crystals shimmered in their carriage, glowing so brightly they lit the path. This light came from Yamikaji's black, crystal-studded glove. He held Takeshi's sword, staring at it with a wide smile, while Fard and Joso sat near him.
During the day, they had reached the edge of the Great Vargrim Forest, which stretched for miles. Since the forest extended further to the south than any other direction, reaching the southern edge was a difficult task, especially with Revarge monsters scattered throughout the dark woods.
"Do you think he's okay?"
"He's been like this since we left."
Fard and Joso whispered privately about their leader's state, until Fard broke the whispers by saying:
"Ahem... Boss!"
Yamikaji's mood soured and his smile vanished. He said arrogantly:
"What do you want, you nuisance? You interrupted my meditation."
"I know how happy you are to have completed the mission, but there is a question that has been stuck in my mind since we left—"
"And what is it?"
"Why didn't we kill the owner of this sword?"
Yamikaji tossed the sword beside him and leaned back, replying to Fard's question:
"Ask the gang leader if you want the answer—that is, if you want your head cut off..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he entered a state of concentration, thinking to himself throughout the journey.
'Although this forest is home to those pathetic beasts, we haven't encountered a single one on our way back...'
He turned toward Takeshi's sword and continued his thought:
'Does this have something to do with this sword?'
***
The Revarge beast stood on its repulsive legs, eyeing Takeshi with its red eyes in a belittling manner, as if he were small prey. Quickly, it lunged at Takeshi, baring its sharp fangs.
Takeshi put his left foot forward and raised his right hand, focusing all his concentration on the coming strike.
"I think I'll make use of this cursed memory of mine this time..."
The beast jumped to the level of Takeshi's chest, baring all its fangs. Takeshi threw his other foot out and shifted his torso, dodging the attack.
'Kritova Fighting Style—'
He spun on his heel toward the Revarge. Despite the maneuvers, Takeshi did not lose his balance. He punched the beast in the jaw with an upper strike that sent it flying into the sky.
The Kritova style relies entirely on balance; it is excellent for dodging strikes in unexpected ways, but if you make a mistake and lose your balance, you could receive massive damage.
Despite the strike Takeshi landed, the Revarge rose again, its eyes turning even redder.
'The biggest flaw of this style is the weakness of the strikes. If I land a stronger blow, I might lose my balance, which would make me an easy meal.'
Takeshi adjusted his stance, thinking as he stared into the beast's eyes:
'Moreover, the redness in the eyes of Revarge monsters indicates an increase in their bloodlust, meaning—'
The beast interrupted his thoughts, charging at him with greater speed, directing its claw toward Takeshi's face.
'In this situation, the best fighting style is—'
Takeshi had no time to dodge the fierce attack, which forced him to leap toward the beast in turn, raising his firmly clenched fist.
'Rashtar Style!'
Before the beast realized it or could land its blow, a strike to the front of its head slammed its face into the ground! This punch from Takeshi was at its maximum power.
"This style relies on reckless charging and defending by attacking, making it one of the most dangerous fighting styles. It will certainly work on fools like you."
The Revarge tried to rise as its dark blue blood—the color of the sea under the moonlight—splattered from its face.
BAAAAAM!!
Another crushing punch from Takeshi drove its head further into the mud, making its repulsive limbs lose their constant movement.
"I am not the type to wait for his opponent to gather his strength."
The beast was successfully defeated. Despite this, Takeshi stood watching his surroundings with sharp eyes, drops of sweat running down his forehead as he heard those cursed sounds increasing. He said with concern:
"It has been a long time since I fought a Revarge, because they don't usually come near my area, but... they've gotten very close!"
The sounds reached a peak, then were cut off completely—suddenly! The bushes around Takeshi shook violently, and then a massive number of bloodthirsty Revarge monsters emerged and surrounded Takeshi from all directions, each looking at him eagerly, wanting to devour him.
Takeshi prepared himself, putting his right foot half a step forward, leaning his back, and raising his fists to cover his face as he looked around, addressing himself:
'Bad! Their numbers are too large... I've been in a situation like this before, but I used my sword... Can I handle this? There are more than thirty of them—more than that... I have no choice but to use that...'
Takeshi opened his fist and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering all his memories, then opened them, saying:
"Savage Style!!"