Night fell slowly over the city. Inside the quiet bungalow, the living room glowed with a soft, dim light. The kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma of a warm, home-cooked meal. Sara and Kael stood side-by-side near the stove, carefully stirring a bubbling pot.
"Hand me the pepper, please," Kael said, keeping his eyes fixed on the food.
Nyxara, who was leaning against the nearby counter, smiled. She quickly grabbed the spice jar and handed it over. "Here you go. Try not to burn it this time."
"Hey, that only happened once!" Kael laughed, shaking his head.
A few feet away, Drakes sat on the sofa, completely relaxed. His eyes were glued to the television screen, the remote control held loosely in his hand. He chuckled softly at a joke on the screen, totally lost in his own world.
By the large glass window, Xiyan stood in silence. She pressed her hand against the cool glass and looked out at the city. Below her, the city lights twinkled like thousands of colorful stars. It was a beautiful sight, and she could not look away.
Meanwhile, Vajr was busy setting the dining table. He moved quietly, arranging the plates and dishes for dinner, while Azune stood nearby, quietly offering a hand to align the silverware.
"Food is almost ready!" Sara called out, wiping her hands on her apron. "The table looks great, Vajr. Everyone, come and eat!"
They all sat down and began to enjoy their dinner together.
After a few bites, Sara looked up at Kael. "How do you plan to grow your company?"
Kael swallowed his food before answering. "We need to study the market. We have to look at the pricing, how the company is growing, and how the business environment is changing."
While they talked, Vajr kept staring at the television. Kael followed his gaze and saw that Vajr was watching an action-packed anime series.
An idea popped into Kael's head. "Actually, we should focus on trends that will become very popular and explode in the future."
Sara looked at the television too and nodded in agreement. "That makes a lot of sense."
After they finished their meal, a strange thing happened. Sara, exhausted from the long day, said goodnight and went to her own room to sleep. The moment she left, the room fell silent. One by one, the five companions—Nyxara, Drakes, Xiyan, Vajr, and Azune—turned into glowing dust. The shimmering particles floated through the air and flowed directly into Kael's body.
Kael took a deep breath, feeling their energy settle inside him. He walked into his own bedroom, lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep quickly.
At midnight, the air in the bedroom began to thicken. A dense, dark aura seeped out of Kael's body, swirling heavily in the quiet room.
Suddenly, Kael's eyes snapped open. They were no longer their usual golden color. They were completely, pitch black.
He stared blankly at the ceiling. Opening his mouth, he began to chant in a strange, hollow voice:
"Oh, Supreme God, protect us—
Beyond the reach of mortal thought—
There are five, and one returns to the rightful master.
REDEMPTION!"
As soon as the chant ended, the five souls surged out of his body. They materialized in the room, floating as glowing spirits.
Drakes stared at the swirling energy and gasped. "He is waking up Xiyan's Redemption."
Xiyan's eyes went wide with shock. "How?"
"He will be the one who can hold two Redemption swords at the same time," Drakes explained, his voice full of wonder. "Even gods and demons cannot control two Redemptions."
"Yes," Nyxara added, hovering closer. "Even the God of Creation only has one Redemption."
"You are right, Nyx," Drakes murmured.
Suddenly, a tear opened in the air. A heavy black sword appeared, with three bright red rubies set into its hilt.
Clang!
The heavy weapon fell onto the floor, the loud metallic ring echoing in the room. The noise woke Kael up from his strange trance. He closed his eyes tightly, and when he opened them again, the black color was gone. His eyes were back to their normal, golden color.
Kael looked around, startled to see all five spirits staring at him in silence. Before he could ask what was happening, someone knocked loudly on his bedroom door.
It was Sara.
Still half-asleep, Kael surged to get out of bed. He did not see the weapon on the floor and stepped right onto the smooth metal blade. His foot slipped, and he lost his balance.
Thud!
Kael crashed heavily onto the floor. "Ahhhh!" he yelled in pain, rubbing his sore back. He stared at the weapon under his feet. "Whose sword is this?"
Every single spirit pointed their finger right at him.
The knocking on the door grew louder. Drakes quickly drifted over and opened it.
Sara walked in and froze. She saw the five spirits hovering around the room and Kael groaning on the floor. She quickly rushed over, helped him up, and sat him back on the bed.
"What happened?" Sara asked, looking worried.
Drakes laughed. "He fell over his own sword."
Sara looked down at the black blade on the floor, and her face became serious. "Is this... the sword called the Immortal Killer?"
Everyone nodded. "Yeah."
Sara turned to Kael. "Kael, you should give it a name."
Kael stared at the beautiful, dark sword. He looked at the hilt and smiled. "Trinay."
"Tr-inay?" Sara asked, tilting her head.
Kael nodded. "Trinay. This sword has three rubies that look exactly like eyes. That is why I choose the name Trinay."
Azune smiled from the back of the room. "Yes! Tri means three, and Nay means eyes. The rubies really do look like eyes. It is a good name."
Kael nodded, and then Xiyan looked at Sara. "Sara, put the sword on the bed."
Sara picked up the heavy blade and placed it on the mattress. As soon as she let go, she began breathing heavily, her face turning pale.
Xiyan explained gently, "Trinay is meant for killing immortals. While you use it, it sucks away your energy. Once you stop holding it, your energy stops draining, but you are left with sudden weakness."
Sara tried to nod, but her strength failed her. She collapsed onto Kael's bed, completely exhausted.
Kael stood up immediately and focused his mind. With a thought, Trinay dissolved into the air, vanishing completely.
Xiyan sighed, looking at Kael. "That is why I taught you to use the one-hit kill skill."
Kael nodded, finally understanding. "So, it cannot be wielded like other normal swords."
"Yeah," Xiyan nodded. "You have to finish the fight in a single strike."
Kael turned and began walking out of the bedroom to let Sara rest. Drakes and Azune followed closely behind him.
While walking behind Kael, Drakes leaned closer to Azune. "Wait... does Nay actually mean eyes?"
Azune smiled. "In Sanskrit, yes."
Drakes blinked. "Huh... I was about to call it random naming."
Azune chuckled. "Thankfully, Kael did his homework."