Chapter 7
( The Sword of Destiny)
Leaving Ray's home behind, Sam went in search of Rex. He found him exactly where he expected—at Cascade Village, standing near the edge of a roaring waterfall. The rhythmic thunder of rushing water echoed through the lush valley, and a cool breeze swept through, carrying the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers.
Lyra stood beside him, a soft smile playing on her lips. "So..." she whispered, her eyes fixed on the cascading water, "you still remember this place."
Rex smiled faintly. "How could I ever forget?"
Lyra looked around, her gaze lingering on the scenery with quiet nostalgia. "This is where we first met... isn't it?"
Ray's voice cut through the memory. "Yes, Sam. This is where Rex and Lyra's story truly began."
Years Ago...
Cascade Village had long been considered one of Earth's most breathtaking sanctuaries, renowned for its crystal-clear streams and dramatic cliffside waterfalls.
On one particular summer afternoon, Rex's father had brought him there for a brief reprieve from his work. By pure coincidence, his closest friend, Andrian, had also arrived with his family.
Andrian was not from Earth. He hailed from Angbotain, a small but extraordinarily beautiful planet located well beyond the border of the Ten Planets. Though modest in size, its landscape possessed an ethereal, almost magical quality unmatched by any realm in the system.
He had brought his two young daughters along: the elder, Lyra, and her younger sister, Kyra.
While the two fathers caught up in warm conversation nearby, Rex drifted off toward the water, exploring on his own until his father eventually called him back.
As Rex walked over, Lyra caught sight of him for the very first time. For reasons she couldn't begin to comprehend, her heart skipped a beat.
Why does he feel so... familiar? she wondered.
It was as though an invisible thread pulled at her memory—a quiet sense that they had met somewhere long ago, in another life or another time. But no matter how hard she searched her mind, the memory remained just out of reach.
The children spent the rest of the day together, chasing each other through the dense emerald canopy, racing along the rocky riverbanks, and laughing until dusk settled over the valley.
Without ever fully realizing it, Lyra's heart quietly shifted. She fell in love with Rex that afternoon—a deep, innocent affection that took root in her soul. Yet, she never quite found the courage to speak those feelings aloud.
"And that," Ray said softly, bringing his narrative to a close, "is how Rex and Lyra met."
Sam offered a warm smile. "That's actually a beautiful story... but what about the legendary sword?"
Ray gave a solemn nod. "I'm getting to that."
Following Ray's directions, Sam headed straight for Rex's house. He knocked on the door and was greeted by Rex's mother.
"Auntie, is Rex around?" Sam asked.
She smiled kindly at him. "He isn't home right now, dear."
"It's okay," Sam replied with a knowing grin. "I think I know exactly where to find him."
"Take care out there," she called after him.
"I will," Sam promised.
Meanwhile, back at the cascade, Rex and Lyra remained by the water's edge, watching the misty spray settle on the rocks below.
"Why did you disappear so suddenly back then?" Rex asked, turning to face her. "You never came back."
Lyra's smile faltered, replacing her quiet warmth with a shadow of grief. "When I left... everything changed." She took a slow breath before continuing. "I'm an Upper-Rank Demon Hunter now."
Rex stared at her, stunned. "A Demon Hunter?"
She nodded. "Shortly after we returned to Angbotain, a horde of high-level demons launched a surprise attack on our planet." Her voice wavered, thin and fragile. "I watched a lower-level demon kill my mother... right in front of me."
Silence settled over the valley, heavy and suffocating.
"I was completely frozen," she whispered. "I couldn't move. I couldn't even scream. Then... out of nowhere, a man wearing a strange mask appeared."
She looked down at her hands. "He didn't attack me. Instead, he gently placed his hand on my head and whispered: 'I won't kill you. Your time hasn't come yet. Neither these demons nor anyone else will take your life... or your sister's... or your father's.'"
She paused, taking a unsteady breath. "Before I could even process what was happening, a strike team of Demon Hunters arrived and wiped out the remaining beasts. By the time the dust settled, the masked man was gone. I never saw him again."
Rex frowned, processing her words. "Why did the demons attack your family in the first place?"
"They were searching for an ancient relic my father possessed," Lyra said softly. "He refused to surrender it... so they took my mother's life instead." Her expression hardened, her gaze sharpening into cold, unyielding iron. "That day, I swore an oath. I promised myself I would become strong enough to purge every demon from existence. And one day... I will track down that masked man. And I will end him."
Rex let out a dry, nervous laugh, trying to break the tension. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Lyra let out a small, genuine chuckle. "Don't worry. I could never bring myself to hurt you." She paused, offering a faint smile of quiet confidence. "Besides, I specialize in healing magic as well. No matter how deep the wound—whether inflicted by dark magic or a physical blade—I can restore it completely."
Rex scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Man, that's just unfair. All I know how to do is swing a heavy piece of steel around. You're miles ahead of me."
Elsewhere, Sam turned to Ray as they walked, his curiosity piqued. "Sensei... who exactly are these Demon Hunters?"
Ray kept his eyes on the path ahead as he explained. "When King Logan was still a young ruler, his father established two distinct divisions of Demon Hunters to maintain balance across the realms. The Lower-Rank Hunters are tasked with protecting local villages and helpless civilians from rogue, lesser demons. The Upper-Rank Hunters, on the other hand, are deployed to track down and neutralize the most dangerous demon commanders in the universe."
"How do they rank up?" Sam asked.
"Through raw strength and proven achievements," Ray replied. "Every confirmed kill earns points. To qualify for the Lower-Rank, a hunter must eliminate at least one hundred demons. To attain Upper-Rank status, one must slay over five hundred, alongside completing high-priority, black-ops assignments."
Ray stopped walking and turned to Sam. "The absolute peak of the Upper-Ranks consists of an elite strike team of just seven warriors. They are known as the Knight Wolves—and they are commanded by the most formidable warrior alive: a man known only as Ghost."
Ray then walked over toward Rex, his tone shifting into one of absolute seriousness. "We're leaving."
Rex blinked. "For what?"
"To retrieve a legendary blade," Ray answered sharply. "It wasn't forged from standard metals. It was shaped from one of the rarest, most volatile cosmic materials in existence. Whoever wields it moves one step closer to unlocking the terrifying power of the Five Cosmic Stones." Ray looked directly into Rex's eyes. "Rex, I need you to keep Sam safe."
Rex gave a firm nod without hesitation. "You got it."
Before setting off, Rex stopped by his home one last time to inform his mother. "Mom... we're heading out on a mission. I might be gone for a while. Don't worry about Mika—I've already hidden her somewhere safe."
His mother looked at him with gentle, loving eyes. "Take care of yourself out there."
"I will."
She turned her gaze toward Sam, her expression softening with genuine concern. "Please keep an eye on Rex for me, Sam. He has a good heart... but when he loses his temper, he becomes entirely blind to reason."
Sam laughed, offering a reassuring wave. "I promise you, Auntie. I'll bring him back in one piece."
The trio journeyed across the starways to Scorpion Planet, a harsh world where the legendary sword was rumored to rest.
Deep within a dense, humid jungle where the sunlight barely pierced the canopy, they paused near a river fed by a massive waterfall to gather fresh water.
There, sitting motionless beneath the pounding weight of the waterfall, was an old man. His eyes were closed in deep meditation, his breath slow and rhythmic.
Yet, without opening his eyes, a deep voice echoed through the clearing: "I've been expecting you."
Sam blinked, taken aback. "You know who we are?"
The old man offered a faint, enigmatic smile, the cascading water parting slightly around his shoulders. "I am one of the strongest warriors surviving in this universe. Naturally, I know who walks into my domain."
Ray stepped forward and bowed deeply, his tone dripping with profound respect. "Sensei..."
Sam gasped. "Your... your teacher?"
The old man chuckled, stepping out from the pounding torrent. "My name is Ancient. And I know precisely why you have traveled to this forgotten world: the blade." He paused, his expression turning grave. "But heed this warning—not a single soul who has ventured deeper into the mountain in search of that weapon has ever returned alive. It is guarded by an Ancient Dragon."
He raised a weathered arm, pointing toward a jagged, pitch-black mountain whose peak pierced through dark cloud cover in the distance. "The sword slumbers inside."
It wasn't long before the four of them stood before the gaping maw of a massive cavern at the base of the black mountain. Swirling tempest clouds gathered overhead, and deep rolls of thunder shook the ground beneath their feet.
Ancient halted at the threshold, his voice filled with grim finality. "Listen carefully. Once a warrior crosses the threshold of this cavern, the entrance seals permanently. No one inside can break free from within... though others from the outside may still enter."
Ray gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "I'll go."
"No," Sam interjected, stepping up beside him. "I'm coming too."
Rex caught Sam by the shoulder, pulling him back. "Stay outside, Sam. I promised your mother I'd protect you."
"This is my mission!" Sam snapped back, brushing Rex's hand away. Without waiting for another counterargument, he bolted straight into the dark interior of the cavern.
BOOM!
The massive stone gate slammed down instantly behind him, sealing the entrance in pitch blackness.
Inside, the air smelled heavily of ozone and old blood. Countless shattered weapons were scattered across the uneven terrain, nestled among mountains of ancient, decaying skeletons. Every step Sam took echoed ominously through the gloom.
Then, at the far end of the vast underground chamber, he saw it.
The legendary sword stood embedded deep within a glowing stone altar, radiating a faint, pulsing aura.
As Sam reached out and extended his hand toward the hilt—
ROAR!!
A deafening, primal screech shattered the silence. An enormous Ancient Dragon lunged from the shadows, its razor-sharp talons tearing through the air, barely missing Sam's face.
Reacting on pure instinct, Sam pivoted, channeling every ounce of his strength into a devastating, explosive punch straight into the dragon's jaw.
CRASH!
The massive beast reeled backward, slamming into the cavern floor, momentarily stunned.
Taking advantage of the brief window, Sam dashed toward the pedestal and grabbed the hilt of the sword.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the steel—
BOOM!
A violent shockwave of raw, volatile energy exploded from the hilt. The blade violently rejected his soul, throwing Sam backward across the cavern floor like a ragdoll. He hit the stone wall with a sickening thud, coughing up blood.
Before he could recover, the Ancient Dragon shook off its stupor, its golden eyes burning with fury. Opening its massive maw, it unleashed a roaring, white-hot torrent of fire directly toward him.
Exhausted, battered, and trapped against the wall, Sam couldn't move. Death was less than a second away.
FLASH!
A shadow blurred across his vision.
BOOM!!
Rex stood directly in front of the inferno, raising a heavy barrier of raw force that cleaved the incoming fire in two. Moving with blinding speed, he scooped Sam up and dove behind a massive stone pillar as the fire scorched the earth around them.
Sam coughed violently, staring up at him in disbelief. "You idiot... why did you come in here?"
Rex offered a characteristic, arrogant smirk. "Because if I hadn't, you'd be a pile of ash right about now. Rest up, Sam. I'll take it from here."
Rex leaped back into the open, engaging the beast in a frantic dance of steel and raw force. The subterranean cavern quaked with every clash, dust and shattered stalactites raining down from above. Seizing an opening, Rex sidestepped a sweeping claw attack, grabbed the dragon's massive tail with both hands, and slammed the giant beast full-force into the reinforced rock wall.
Instead of rising for another attack, the dragon lay still, its huge, reptilian eyes fixing intently on Rex.
Slowly, deliberately, the majestic creature lowered its head to the stone floor in a gesture of profound submission.
Rex blinked, lowering his guard slightly. "...What?"
The dragon's deep, rumbling voice echoed directly inside Rex's mind. "So... you truly live. I believed your spirit had perished centuries ago."
Rex looked over his shoulder, confused. "Wait... are you talking to me?"
"Yes," the dragon resonated softly. "The blade has slept for an eternity... waiting only for its true master."
At that moment, the sealed stone doors were forced open from the outside, and Ray and Ancient stepped into the chamber, witnessing the quiet standoff.
With heavy, deliberate steps, Rex walked over to the altar. He reached down and wrapped his hand tightly around the hilt of the legendary weapon.
The instant his skin made contact with the cold steel—
A horrifying, apocalyptic vision tore through his mind.
He saw a monstrous, chained demon screaming in endless, agonizing torment. He saw endless mountains of rotting corpses stretching across a sky stained deep red with blood. And standing atop the mountain of dead, silently watching over the desolation... was a solitary figure clad in darkness.