The rustle and crunch of dead leaves was the only sound that followed them. Finn and Arthur moved with a grim purpose through a dense forest that seemed to swallow the sky. The afternoon sun, now past its zenith, struggled to pierce the thick canopy, casting a shifting mosaic of light and shadow across their bodies.
Finn led the way, his stride long and unwavering, a silent machine of forward momentum. Arthur scrambled to keep pace, his breath coming in short bursts, his eyes darting between Finn's impassive back and the gnarled roots that threatened to trip him with every other step.
The silence, thick and heavy, finally became too much for him.
"So," Arthur panted, his voice loud in the quiet woods. "Is there a plan, or are we just walking until our legs fall off?"
Finn glanced back over his shoulder, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "If you don't want to be caught by the darkness and become a mindless monster, I suggest you stop complaining."
Arthur stopped short, his cheeks puffing out with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Hey, cut me some slack! I haven't even had breakfast."
"Perhaps if you hadn't been eating triple rations for the past two days, we would still have something left, idiot," Finn said, his voice calm and showing no emotion as he turned to face Arthur.
Now sitting on the forest floor, Arthur began rubbing a hand over his rumbling stomach. Finn raised an eyebrow at the sight, his lips pressing into a thin line. "What are you doing?"
Arthur replied with a nonchalant expression, his gaze drifting away from Finn to stare at a bird's nest in a tree as if he had business with it. "Taking a break, of course. What do you think?" he said. "Besides, Big Bro Finn, I'm the one who has to remind you about food. The thought barely even crosses your mind."
Finn's expression remained stoic. "I won't argue," he replied. "Still, I'll have you know that the food you squandered was a gift from a village I helped four days ago."
Arthur rolled his eyes at Finn's words, though his initial frown quickly gave way to a light smirk as he continued to listen.
"If I were traveling alone," Finn concluded, "those rations would have lasted me another three or four days at most."
Still sitting on the floor, Arthur let out a short yawn. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm not moving an inch until you suggest something for us to eat."
Finn's brow furrowed, his face remaining stoic despite his obvious irritation. What a hassle, he thought to himself. Who knew the sorry kid from two days ago would shoulder the loss of his mother and village, only to become a complete pain in my neck?
Suddenly, Finn's mind drifted back to the events that had transpired in Arthur's village.
Finn Flashback(2 days back,Arthur's village)
Arthur's gaze had fallen upon his mother's corpse, his smile bittersweet. His eyes closed briefly, and when they opened again, a fierce determination burned within them. "FAITH, YOU BASTARD," he had whispered, his voice laced with defiance.
He then screamed, his gaze piercing the sky as his eyes intensified with a bluish hue. "You think you've won? RIGHT? YOU THINK YOU'VE WON?" His voice echoed through the ruins.
As the scream faded, his voice dropped to a low, resolute tone. "No matter how many times you pull me down, I'll get up... a million times... if I have to."
The memory faded, and Finn tilted his head back slightly, letting out a quiet sigh of acceptance. He turned his back on Arthur and started walking down the path again.
"Quit acting like a child," Finn said, his back still turned, his expression stoic.
Arthur ignored him, his cheeks still puffed out and his gaze stubbornly fixed on the bird's nest.
"You're impossible," Finn called over his shoulder, his voice carrying a dry, teasing edge. "I'm sure the wild beasts around here would take a liking to a well-fed prey such as yourself, seeing as you haven't missed your triple rations these past two days."
At those words, Arthur's eyes widened. A flash of terror mixed with indignation crossed his face. "Uh... Hey! HEY! WAIT UP!" he yelled, scrambling to his feet and rushing to Finn's side. "What's the big idea?"
Finn glanced slowly at Arthur, who was now walking briskly beside him. He raised a single eyebrow.
"I thought you said you weren't moving an inch."
A deep frown creased Arthur's face. "You can't be serious," he grumbled, his tone rough with indignation. "You were actually going to leave me back there for the wolves, weren't you? After all that talk? I'll remind you again, I am your responsibility."
A muscle in Finn's jaw twitched, the only outward sign of his irritation. He kept walking, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.
"Please, for the love of all that is quiet," he said, his voice flat and weary, "stop saying that. It was tiresome the first time, and it's not getting any better."
The silence stretched between them for a few moments before it was broken by the distinct sound of splashing water in the distance. They both paused at once.
Arthur's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?" he said, already moving past Finn. He quickened his pace, shoving aside a long, weathered branch that blocked his way.
He came to a stop at the edge of a stream. Its water was so clear that the stones at the bottom were perfectly visible, and the surface glittered where it caught the bright noon sun.
A broad smile broke across Arthur's face. "Water! Finally!"
"HEY, BIG BRO FINN! OVER HERE!" Arthur shouted over his shoulder, his voice echoing through the trees.
Finn approached at his usual unhurried pace, his frown deepening at the nickname. He let out a low "hmph" under his breath.
Arthur, already kneeling beside the flowing stream, looked up as Finn came to a stop behind him. "I bet this can sustain us for now," he said with a soft chuckle, then looked back at Finn . "Say, did you lead us here on purpose?"
Finn's face remained impassive despite his frown. "Yes," he replied flatly.
"Wait, what?" Arthur's eyes widened for a moment before his expression soured into a doubtful frown. "You're joking, right?"
"Do I look like I joke around?" Finn replied, his face a mask of stone.
"Geez, chill out. It was just a question." Arthur held up his hands, gesturing for Finn to calm down before letting them drop with a sigh. "Look, I was just curious. You sounded like you've been through this forest before, that's all."
Finn tilted his head back slightly. "No. I simply heard the splashing water about fifteen or twenty minutes ago."
Arthur's frown deepened, his eyes narrowing. "Seriously? I could barely hear it until we were right on top of it. Maybe if it was a waterfall, I might have picked up on it." He shook his head in disbelief. "Your ears are crazy sensitive, you know that?"
"Muscle-headed, yet undeniably sharp",As Finn thought to himself as he continues. "His suspicion of me continues to grow. Now he's picked up on my hearing. Even weakened as it is by the darkness, it's still far beyond what's normal. I suppose his reaction is valid.
Finn's thoughts came to a close. "Give it a rest," he said, his expression as stoic as ever.
"Ooh, keeping secrets again?" Arthur said, a familiar mix of disappointment and amusement playing on his face. He cupped his hands together, dipped them into the stream, and brought them to his lips to drink.
Finn walked to Arthur's side and knelt as well. He copied the motion but used only a single hand, scooping water from the stream. His other hand reached beneath his haori to his belt, pulling out an empty leather waterskin. He tossed it onto the ground next to Arthur.
"Refill this," Finn said, his voice slightly muffled as he drank from his cupped hand. "We'll need it."
"Oh... okay, sure," Arthur replied. He reached for the waterskin, but as he did, his gaze drifted to the spot where Finn's hand was submerged. His eyes widened. He noticed something... or rather, a lack of something.
There was no reflection....FINN HAD NO REFLECTION
"B-Big... Bro Finn..." Arthur stammered, his eyes wide with shock. "Y-you don't have a reflection!"
Arthur's voice was a shaky whisper, dropping low but still sharp enough for Finn to hear clearly. "This... I can't believe it. If you were a vampire—you wouldn't be standing under the open sun with me. W….which leaves only one other explanation..."
Finn paused, his cupped hand still holding the water. His gaze remained fixed on the stream as a soft, sharp "tch'" of irritation escaped his lips.
Arthur's voice was suddenly neutral, stripped of all previous emotion. "You're the same as the Six," he said, the words hanging in the air. "Just like them, your appearance can't be replicated—a sign of your absolute defiance of reality itself."
He paused, the pieces clicking into place. "There's no doubt. You're the one from the legend. In their final moments, after using the last of their life force to seal Daikan, the Six Grand Masters cast two spells. One to grant humanity a portion of their strength, and another to ensure that all six of them would be reincarnated as a single being—a host destined to face Daikan upon his second coming."
Arthur looked at him, his gaze unwavering. "Big Bro Finn... you're that reincarnation."
At Arthur's words, Finn's eyes widened almost imperceptibly before his usual stoic mask fell back into place. He rose to his feet, methodically dusting dirt from his pants.
"Hmph. You figured it out," Finn said, his expression emotionless, his tone flat. "Not that I intended to hide it."
"S-so I'm right?" Arthur rushed to ask.
Finn briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them, he gave Arthur a single, sharp nod of confirmation.
A triumphant grin spread across Arthur's face. "YES! I knew something was off the very first moment we met!"
"You think?" Finn replied dryly.
"Uh-huh, I do!" Arthur nodded enthusiastically. "Besides, you saved my life,…even if it was by accident still you used Time Manipulation. That's an Elven trait. For a human to gain an ability like that, they'd have to be a high-class sorcerer or a mage."
" while all That may be true," Finn said, raising an eyebrow, "but you couldn't have possibly have figured everything from that alone."
"I kinda did," Arthur admitted with a low chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. "A real sorcerer wouldn't have much need for a sword, you know?"
A quiet "hmph" rumbled in Finn's chest, his version of agreement.
Arthur's smile broadened, and he let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Wow. All of this is still pretty hard to take in. I mean... you're our savior, after all."
"Savior?" Finn's voice was as dry as desert sand. "Don't make me laugh."
Arthur's smile faltered at Finn's sharp words. He raised an eyebrow. "H-huh?"
"Forcing a title—a responsibility—on someone without their consent is hardly logical," Finn retorted, his voice laced with a bitter coldness. "Imagine being born with that weight to shoulder ."
Arthur's eyes widened slightly as he struggled to process the raw emotion. "F-Finn..."
"I've been isolated my entire life," Finn continued, his voice dangerously low. "Training, preparing, honing my skills for something I never asked for. All that preparation for a threat that could end humanity... only to look pathetic when it finally arrived."
As Finn spoke, the world around them began to swirl and dissolve, pulling Arthur into the depths of his memory. As he was about to tell him about his past….and how the three-thousand-year seal on Daikan had finally shattered, unleashing the darkness once more.
The memory solidified.
Seven days ago, on the outskirts/Edge of Bugie no Kuni(The Land of martial arts)—the Blazing Will Monk Temple.
As the first sunlight graced the tiled roofs of the Blazing Will Temple, the air filled with the sharp, synchronized yells of hundreds of monks. They were deep in their morning exercises, their arms cutting through the air in the precise motions of the Quan fist forms. The rising sun gleamed on their bald heads, a sea of orange martial arts uniforms and matching white pants.
THEN A lone figure emerged from one of the temples quarters, his presence a stark contrast to the disciplined ranks. Though he wore the same uniform, it looked ill-fitting and awkward on him. A delicate face came into view, crowned with slightly spiky dark hair that defied the monks' uniformity. His blue eyes, calm and gentle in appearance, held no trace of emotion as he walked past a group of monks being led by their superior, completely detached from the world of their training.
This figure was none other than Finn. As he walked, a hand landed firmly on his shoulder, stopping him. It was the superior supervising the monks, a man whose face showed the first signs of wrinkles as he approached his forties. His tone was hard, devoid of any formality.
"Finn."he said .
Finn didn't bother to look back. His reply was low and deliberately cold. "What is it, Master Zhi?"
"You can't just walk out of the morning exercise. It is tradition," Master Zhi said, his tone unwavering. "I suggest you get in line with your brothers."
The other monks watched, some with their arms crossed, sensing the deep disrespect Finn was showing their master.
"Why should I?" Finn said, his back still turned to the master. "I see no benefit in your little morning ritual."
Zhi snatched his hand back from Finn's shoulder, his annoyance clear. "Do not look down on our beliefs."
"I couldn't care less," Finn replied, his tone flat. "Your fervent rituals mean nothing to me." A vein pulsed on Master Zhi's forehead.
Suddenly, a boy of about Finn's age stepped out from the crowd of monks and moved to Zhi's side. "My apologies, Zhi-sensei," he said, bowing his head slightly. Master Zhi gave a curt nod, his furious gaze still locked on Finn's back.
The boy then walked forward until he stood in front of Finn. "Hey! Just because you're the reincarnation of the Six Grandmaster's doesn't make you better than all of us," he said with a frown, gesturing with his index finger toward the rest of the monks behind him. "Show some respect."
Finn's head tilted, his hollow gaze landing on the boy. A dry, humorless sound escaped his lips. "Respect? Don't insult my intelligence with such a poor attempt at a joke."
The boy's eyes widened, his annoyance flaring into rage. He clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides. "Tch… Finn, why you—"
"Spare me the dramatics, Mako," Finn's voice cut through his stammering like a shard of ice. "Challenge me, and your next breath will be your last."
Provoked beyond reason, Mako gave in to his anger. His right hand was instantly engulfed in a pulsing blue aura, thick veins bulging across his skin.
Behind them, Master Zhi's eyes narrowed in alarm. "Mako, don't do it! You have absolutely no chance of winning!"
"Sorry, Zhi-sama," Mako bit out, his focus entirely on Finn, who now watched him over his shoulder. "But I'm shutting him up. I won't let him insult you and the others. I swear it."
Finn slowly turned away, his voice soft but dripping with condescension. "Shut me up? I'd love to test that theory." With a final, deliberate pivot, he faced Mako, his expression an unnerving, emotionless mask.
The air crackled, thick with unspoken violence. The blue aura around Mako's hand intensified as he locked into a fighting stance, but Finn simply stood there, his gaze unwavering and absolute.
The other monks, scattered in their training groups, paused their exercises. All eyes were now fixed on the inevitable clash between Finn and Mako.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, a voice cut through the air—sharp, yet as calming as a summer rain, extinguishing the fire with a simple sentence.
"That will be enough…."
Upon hearing these words Mako extinguished the blue firing aura on his fist as in that moment Every eye—including Finn's and Mako's—snapped toward the source of the voice.
Their gazes fell upon the Supreme Elder. He was an old man, yet his face held a surprising handsomeness, marked only by a few fine wrinkles and framed by grey eyebrows. He was dressed in the orange robes of an elder monk, similar in color to the others' uniforms, with long white pants visible underneath. A pair of simple brown sandals were on his feet, and a wide straw hat rested upon his head.
He approached Finn and Mako with unhurried steps, a gentle, warm smile gracing his lips. His eyes were perpetually half-closed, giving his face an air of serene contentment as he drew near.
As the Elder reached them, every monk in the courtyard dropped to one knee. The scattered groups who had paused their training to watch the impending fight, Master Zhi, the furious Mako, and even the defiant Finn—all bowed their heads in reverence before the Supreme Elder, Xiao Yong Huo.
With a slow, deliberate motion, Xiao raised his hand. The gesture was a silent command. The monks rose and resumed their training, all except for the group Master Zhi supervised, who remained where they were.
The heavy tension returned, thick with the Elder's unspoken authority. Zhi rose to his feet, a nervous tremor in his voice. "Greetings, Master Xiao. I… I see you have returned from your travels."
Xiao Yong Huo's smile widened. He tilted his head back slightly and replied, "Ah, yes I have, Zhi."
Zhi forced a smile, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "Oh, I trust you had a wonderful time."
"Wonderful?" Xiao chuckled. "That's an understatement. It was beyond what words can describe."
Zhi laughed along, trying to hide the fact that two of his students had nearly come to blows moments before. "Haha, t-that's great to hear. There's never a dull moment on your trips, it seems."
"Haha, you can say that again," Xiao said. Then, his warm smile faded, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Tell me, Zhi," he continued, his tone turning slightly teasing as the smile returned, "why didn't you try to extinguish these two fearsome flames before they escalated?"
Upon hearing this, Finn tilted his head up to meet Xiao Yong Huo's gaze, his own eyes emotionless and his lips pressed into a frown. When their eyes met, Xiao simply smiled wider, his perpetually half-closed eyes fixed on the boy.
As he shifted his attention back to Zhi. "Let me guess," he said, his tone light. "Finn tried skipping training again."
Zhi nodded, his eyes shut in weary exasperation. "That's right, Master Xiao."
At Master Zhi's confirmation, Xiao, the Supreme Elder, simply laced his fingers behind his back. "Oh, I see," he murmured, his gaze sweeping over the two boys before settling on Mako. His warm, unwavering smile remained. "Young man, rise."
Mako scrambled to his feet, his earlier aggression evaporating into flustered deference. "Greetings, Lord Yong Huo," he said, the words coming out in a rushed breath.
"We monks are brothers. Fighting amongst ourselves is forbidden; the very thought of it goes against our code," Xiao said, his voice gentle but firm. "Do not let your rage consume you." He placed a calming hand on Mako's shoulder. "We are not slaves to the emotion of violence. We surpass that part of ourselves. Remember that, young one."
In that moment Finn thought to himself "Look who is talking "he side inwards as his lip pressed into a thin line on the outside.
Xiao concluded his lesson, his tone a unique blend of warm amusement and undeniable authority.
Mako froze, the weight of the Elder's words sinking in. His eyes darted from the hand on his shoulder to the master's serene face. "I... I will, Master Xiao," he stammered, his voice now hurried and laced with a newfound fear.
"Good boy. Go," Xiao instructed.as Mako slipped from under the Elder's gentle hand and returned to his original spot, where his fellow monks were still kneeling on the grass.
Zhi's eyes followed Mako, and he let out a quiet sigh, clearly grateful the boy's punishment hadn't been more severe. His attention then snapped back to Finn, waiting to see how the Elder would handle him.
Xiao's gaze fell upon Finn's kneeling form once more. He addressed Zhi, though his eyes never left the boy. "Zhi, I trust you can resume your training now, am I right?"
Stressed and weary, Zhi simply nodded. "Yes, Master Xiao. Without a doubt."
Xiao Yong Huo's smile grew wider as he continued to stare at Finn. "Good," he replied, then added, "then you don't mind Excusing us...I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A WORD WITH MY SON."
Still on one knee, Finn sharply tilted his head up to meet Xiao Yong Huo's gaze, his eyebrows furrowing in clear annoyance. "Quit saying that,Am not your son Old man...…"