For hours, he cried.
Cried as he buried his father beneath the cave's cold stone.
Cried as he wrapped his arms around his knees, sinking into exhaustion.
Finally, Zukios spoke again.
"You good now, kid?"
Renjiro wiped his face.
A weak smile formed on his lips.
"Yeah."
He slowly turned toward the voice.
"Why is a person like you in a place like this?" he asked.
A pause.
Then, a laugh.
"Kid… I ain't a person."
Renjiro's head snapped up.
"Huh?"
The voice rumbled with amusement.
"I'm Zukios—The Legend."
"The greatest sword ever made."
Renjiro's body stiffened.
He stumbled backward, heart racing.
A sword?
The voice continued.
"How about you and me… become partners?"
Renjiro hesitated.
"Partners?"
"Yeah."
"But… why?"
Zukios chuckled.
"Because, kid… I just want to be free. I've been stuck in that place for years and I want to leave. You're the perfect person to help me do that."
Renjiro's heart skipped a beat.
"I don't—"
Zukios interrupted with a grin in his tone.
"Trust me. You've been through more than most, and you're stronger than you think. You don't need to know me or your father. What matters is we have a chance to get free."
Renjiro looked down, silent. He didn't know his father, didn't even know his story fully. But the way Zukios spoke... it resonated with something deep within him.
After a long pause, Renjiro nodded.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's be partners."
Zukios' voice sounded pleased.
"Then it's decided. We are partners, partner."
Renjiro reached forward.
His fingers wrapped around the hilt.
And for the first time since losing his sight—
He saw something.
Not with his eyes—but with his soul.
A burning blue light.
A new path forward.
He lifted the sword from the ground.
And in that moment—
The Blind Swordsman was truly born.