In the center of the training room, Fanshi Foo and Wang drew their swords. The blades left their scabbards with a metallic whisper, and the two positioned themselves face to face — but this time, the training would be different. This time, they would use real swords. At least Fanshi would.
Wang gripped the handle firmly, raising his free hand to the level of the blade. He closed his eyes for a moment. Breathed. Began to channel.
The concentration was visible in every muscle of his face. Slowly, a small and trembling flame bloomed in the palm of his hand — red, alive, restless. Wang guided it carefully from the guard of the sword, drawing it like pulling a thread of silk, and the flame obeyed.
The blade was born.
It was made of fire — red with deep tones of orange, radiant as the embers of a furnace or the flames said to pour from a dragon's throat. It danced and pulsed, but it was his, born from his own mana, forged by his own will. Wang contemplated his creation for a moment before speaking, and there was pride in his voice, though quiet.
Wang — I finally did it. I actually managed yesterday... but keeping the blade took so much that I burned through all my mana at once. When it ran out, it was awful — like I'd worked a full day and then ran a marathon right after. My body just gave out.
Old Fanshi Foo watched with a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. He crossed his arms and shook his head.
Fanshi Foo — Hahaha. Did I mention that exhausting your mana can kill you? No? Well, I should have. Always leave a trace of it in your body. If you hit zero, you become vulnerable in ways you can't even imagine — in the early expeditions, some died exactly like that. The human body seems to need mana to sustain itself, though we still don't fully understand why. The Republic refuses to study it and bans its use among civilians, as if ignorance were protection. A hundred years, Wang. A hundred years and they're still afraid of what they don't understand. They would have defeated the Shogunate long ago if they'd had the courage to learn.
Wang — Too proud, or too foolish — maybe both. But that's for later, Master. Can I use the sword now? I want to test it in practice. I don't know if my blade will pass through yours or if they'll actually clash.
Fanshi Foo — Good question — and that's where the secret lies. You need to control the flow of mana at all times, even after the blade is formed. In the beginning it costs a lot — the body doesn't know the path yet. With time, it becomes instinctive. Almost imperceptible. And you know what's interesting? The more you use mana, the more your body adapts to it, like a muscle. I, on the other hand... I think I started too late. I use little, control it poorly. Maybe it really is age — hehehe.
Wang — That makes sense. Then it's better that I started young. By the time I'm your age, I'll be far better at this than you.
After talking, the two took their positions.
Fanshi guided the boy through what would be the greatest challenge of that session: keeping the fire blade solid at the exact moment of impact. If it remained too fluid, it would pass through the master's sword — and cut through him as well. Hardening it required additional layers of mana, which meant higher constant consumption. It was a delicate balance between power and endurance.
Wang absorbed everything in silence. Then he lowered his head, adjusted his grip with both hands, and let his mind go still.
The living flames dancing along the blade began to slow, to slow, until the fire seemed to freeze in the air. The blade hardened — solid as tempered steel, even though it was made of embers and will.
Wang planted his left foot and launched forward.
The strike was clean. Fanshi swung his sword to meet it, and the two blades collided with a force that raised dust from the wooden floor. For an instant, the balance was perfect — steel against fire, veteran against apprentice.
Then the old man stepped in and drove his left foot into Wang's stomach.
The boy flew backward, but recovered his footing before hitting the ground. When Fanshi advanced with his blade, Wang was already ready — he hardened the sword again in a fraction of a second, blocked the cut, and in one continuous motion channeled aura into his right fist, landing a sharp blow to the master's belly.
Fanshi stepped back. His face flushed slightly.
Fanshi Foo — Hehe. Well done. You hardened at the right moment and used the aura on instinct. If you hadn't, I might have taken your arm — though I would have stopped in time, of course.
Wang — With all due respect, Master — I'm not entirely sure you would have stopped. That's exactly why the aura came on instinct. I knew that if I hesitated for a second, I'd lose the arm. And I wouldn't have had time to land the punch to push you back.
Fanshi Foo — Well... we'll never know, hehe. For now, let's keep going until lunch. Then we rest, wash up, and eat.
Wang — Got it, Master. We still have hours. Let's go!
They trained for nearly three hours without stopping.
Wang took more hits than he landed — but that was expected. Fanshi had a terrible memory for almost everything in life, but when it came to combat, it was as if a different version of him woke up. He read the attacks before Wang's body even began to move, as if the duel were a language he'd spoken since birth. Body, mind, and instinct built for fighting — and weak for everything else.
When the sun signaled midday approaching, they sheathed their swords in silence. Each went to their own bathroom. Then the kitchen, and the smell of food bought from the restaurant next door.
Fanshi Foo — This food is too good, hehe. Lucky us for living in the capital. You buy from the place on the corner and eat it hot at home. You don't get that anywhere else in the country — the cities out there don't compare.
Wang — Yeah... I grew up in the outskirts. The school I went to was outside the capital. My town was a dump compared to this. Not that I want to save the whole country, but... it gets to me, seeing how things are. Everyone suffering and nobody can do anything about it. And I know that even with all the training, I alone couldn't bring down the Shogunate. At best I could take down one or two soldiers.
Fanshi Foo — Not even I could bring down the Shogunate, boy. They have too many people, and their skill with swords and aura is brutal — more than enough to make the Republic bleed. What I don't understand is why they haven't tried to take the whole island at once.
Wang — Let's hope it stays that way. Actually... shouldn't we just get on a boat and leave? Is there nowhere to go, Master?
Fanshi Foo — Something tells me you can't just leave Palaniya. But I don't remember why. My memory isn't great.
That was when they heard the footsteps.
Subtle, but present. Someone was walking down the hallway toward the kitchen. Fanshi noticed first — and didn't move. Didn't reach for his sword. He stayed still, with the calm of someone who already knows what's on the other side of the door.
Wang noticed a moment later. He rose with his hand on the scabbard and called toward the hallway:
Wang — Who's there?! Show yourself! You didn't even bother to hide the sound of your footsteps!
A voice answered from the end of the hallway — calm, without the slightest urgency.
??? — Easy, kid. I came to talk, nothing more. I'm not your enemy. I wanted to meet you and have a word with our old friend here. Needed to know what you two have been up to.
The man appeared at the hallway entrance. A familiar face — the same officer who had spoken with the president not long before. He was on an investigation, and his targets, it seemed, were exactly the two people standing before him.
??? — My name is Stone. I'm a police officer from the capital. I've been investigating the Kaifang for a while now. The president wanted to know what happened to the organization — it's been years without reports, and with everything going on, no one had managed to reestablish contact. Isn't that right, old Fan?
Fanshi Foo showed no surprise. He smiled and gestured toward the empty chair.
Fanshi Foo — Hahaha. You again. Have a seat. Would you like something to eat? We'll talk better that way. I already know why you're here — you want to know why we stopped helping the Republic, don't you?
Stone — Thank you. I'll sit, but I ate before coming. I appreciate it, though. And yes — I'll be straightforward: we need the Kaifang back. The Shogunate is growing stronger and won't stop advancing. At this rate, we'll lose whatever credibility we have left, and the population will start turning against us.
Fanshi Foo — I'll be honest with you, Stone. I don't remember what happened to the Kaifang. All I know is that I'm the only member left. I wander around, take odd jobs, help whoever needs it — that's how I pay the bills and eat. But honestly, I don't think I can help you right now.
Stone — You don't remember? How is that possible? You had so many members...
He clasped his hands in front of his face and fell into thought. Wang, who had calmed down, returned to his seat and his food, but his ears were wide open.
Stone — It was the expedition, wasn't it? Years ago, one of the presidents asked the Kaifang to set out for the great continent — to study magic, search for artifacts. Nobody came back. At the time I thought it was just a rumor, since I wasn't a police officer yet. But now, with what you're telling me... the pieces fit together.
Wang — Wait. Expedition? Great continent? What's all this?
Stone — I imagine your school never taught you any of this, did it. Then let me fill you in. Just don't fall asleep while I'm talking — kids your age hate history.
Wang — Easy there, sir. No need to generalize.
Stone — Hahaha. Just trying to lighten the mood. Fair enough — I'll tell you. I read the records after I became a police officer. These days, not everyone knows about this anymore.
Stone paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then began:
Stone — We've been at war with the Shogunate for over a hundred years. Recently we managed a ceasefire with the Steel Warriors, which is why they're not attacking us for now. We're trying to negotiate an alliance with them to face the Shogunate together — but I doubt it'll actually happen. The great continent is a land still largely unknown to us. It harbors creatures and powers that have never existed in Palaniya. The Steel Warriors probably brought magic from there. Many years ago, a president named Purple Tiny led several expeditions. He claimed to want to discover new lands and resources, to understand why humanity was confined to this island. But there was a secret: he wanted to reduce the population. He sent crowds of people out there without revealing the dangers that awaited them. For twenty years, people died. Until some survived, came back — and revolted. That's how the Shogunate arose, and later the Steel Warriors. Two brothers, in the beginning. One founded the Shogunate to take revenge on the Republic. The other disagreed, left, and founded the Steel Warriors. Both have long since died — more than a hundred years have passed. But the hatred they left behind is still very much alive.
Wang — All of this because of one president? If he was elected, couldn't they just remove him?
Stone — Under normal circumstances, yes. But he bought the entire parliament. He was reelected with a thin margin and held on for nearly two full terms. He only left when he was assassinated during a school visit — an ambush. Nobody mourned. Everyone celebrated. After that, we changed the laws to make corruption harder... but it was already too late. The Shogunate already existed, and the destruction had already begun. More than a hundred years later, we're still paying for it. Even the Kaifang's current situation is his fault — he was the one who sent the organization's leader on that expedition in the first place.
Fanshi Foo — Yeah... I've heard about that. It's one of the few things I still remember. My father was young back then. My grandfather refused to go — and so our family stayed at the Headquarters, keeping things running until the others returned. But they never came back. And we never heard from anyone. The crisis deepened so much that even contact with the Republic was lost. My grandfather was a smart man. He probably saw it coming. He saved our family from the fate the others met. My father passed away some time ago. Since I never had children... I'm the last one — hahaha.
The old man's laugh sounded strange after such a heavy account. But Fanshi Foo was like that — he carried tragedy lightly, not because he didn't feel its weight, but because he had learned that the weight never disappears, so it's better not to let it bend you.
Wang — But tell me something: why did Purple Tiny kill people on purpose? What did he have to gain from it?
Stone — Well... that's the longer part of the story. I'll tell you everything. Just don't fall asleep in the middle of it.
Wang — I already told you I won't fall asleep, sir.
Stone smiled briefly, crossed his arms on the table, and began to speak.