Kwanita gazed at me sharply, whispering, "Should we do something, Rhinggamana?"
"Not yet. It's not our time to interfere. Stay calm; sooner or later, if things go wrong, I will intervene."
Kwanita settled back on her lotus flower, her mind still restless. Her heart was heavy with worry as she watched Zoga, who seemed to be nearing his end.
Heiman and the king, who would soon relinquish his throne, were preparing in the arena. Tension enveloped the audience, except for Heiman, who laughed heartily. This looked to be a one-sided match.
Heiman said, "I told you I'd defeat all my enemies in under ten seconds. So, what was my exact time?"
"Three seconds," Zoga replied, his voice trembling.
Heiman's laughter grew louder, echoing like that of a villain. He bellowed, "Prepare your soul to be the sacrifice for my Broja spell!"
With a gulp that lodged in his throat, Zoga drew a half-meter iron staff. Without warning, Heiman unleashed his Broja spell directly at the elderly man. Zoga instinctively tried to parry, but the iron shattered, and he was thrown off the stage. The audience erupted in protests over the apparent injustice of the match. Among the outcries, I noticed a young man who appeared the most furious.
His anger grew, and he began hurling flying daggers at Heiman. Yet Heiman dodged them effortlessly. With a flick of his wrist, the daggers were sent spiraling in every direction. The young man, still unsatisfied, launched his daggers once more.
This time, Heiman did not block. Instead, he stood still, letting the daggers come to him. A thin red sheath appeared at his waist; upon contact, all the sharp blades shattered in an instant. Heiman laughed even harder.
"This is the Broja spell in defensive form. I will pass this skill to my son when he takes the throne. That way, only I and my lineage shall rule forever!"
The young man looked incredulous, but he was powerless to act. I sensed it was time for me to step in.
"Rhinggamana, where are you going?" Kwanita asked.
I didn't answer her. My feet moved purposefully through the crowd toward Zoga. Upon inspection, he seemed to be alright, though his body was scratched and dust-covered.
"Zoga, are you okay?" I asked calmly.
"I'm fine, but my honor is not," Zoga replied as he stood.
He leapt back onto the stage, declaring, "Heiman, I acknowledge your victory in this match. Your prowess is undeniable. I cannot deny that my abilities pale in comparison. But I wish to know one thing: where did you acquire such strength? As far as I know, you've only been a blacksmith. You can easily shape hard metals into any form, but I never imagined you possessed such extraordinary power."
Heiman replied arrogantly, "That's because you've underestimated me. You judge someone from your own preferred angle, never seeing from their perspective. Now, karma has found you; or should I say, I am your karma! You are now humiliated! I, who have long been scorned as merely a blacksmith with ordinary combat skills, now stand as the undefeated champion! Even that one-handed guest with white hair beside you, I'm certain I can defeat him!"
Heiman's laughter boomed across the arena. He fixed his haughty gaze on me. As for me? I regarded him as a comedian, utterly unimpressed by his antics. It was evident that his physique was strong and muscular from his work as a blacksmith, but strength alone could not hide his foolishness.
I decided not to indulge this clown. I turned back to Zoga and asked, "Can a leader's position be seized by someone stronger?"
Zoga answered, "It can happen, as long as that person can defeat the leader in under five minutes. If it takes longer, they fail. And if the people still refuse to accept the current leader, a democratic election can be held after forty years, allowing for a leader change without combat."
I smiled and nodded, then addressed the crowd, "Is this indeed the rule?"
Everyone nodded, including Heiman. The blacksmith then said, "Go ahead and challenge me. I will defeat anyone in under five seconds. Do you, a one-handed guest, wish to try?"
I smiled back, not responding to his provocation, then said, "I will not fight you. Consider it that you have won and I have lost. However, there is someone who can defeat you in under five seconds!"
Heiman laughed in disbelief, "That's impossible! A guest like you isn't allowed to spread such nonsense here."
I mimicked his laughter, and he fell silent. I turned to Zoga, urging him to leave the arena. Kwanita floated down from the audience to join me atop the Vimana. Suddenly, the young man who had thrown the daggers earlier rushed forward, anxious. "Father, are you alright?"
Zoga replied, "I'm fine. We should leave before we're further humiliated."
"Wait, is he your son?" I asked Zoga.
Zoga nodded and said, "Meet Chintrumma, my eldest son."
Chintrumma saluted me with his arms crossed over his chest. Realizing this young man was Zoga's son, I whispered to him, "You must challenge Heiman to a duel for his leadership position tomorrow."
"What! Are you insane? There's no way I can defeat that man. Didn't you see? My daggers didn't even scratch him!"
"Do not worry, I have a plan. Just do as I say, and I promise everything will turn out well. Your family's honor will be restored."
"How can I trust you won't deceive me?"
I channeled a bit of celestial energy to enhance the intensity of my gaze and locked eyes with Chintrumma. He fell silent, the doubts in his mind dissipating, replaced by unwavering conviction.
"Your eyes, they're like the eyes of a tiger. Fierce and glowing in the dark. So beautiful. This is a sign of perfect mastery over inner energy."
I smiled and replied, "So, will you challenge the man who has dishonored your father, or not?"
Chintrumma nodded with newfound confidence and leaped back into the arena. "Heiman! Don't celebrate just yet; prepare yourself for battle tomorrow!"
Heiman laughed again, "Who will I fight? The one-handed guest?"
"No. You will fight me."
Heiman turned and left without a word, but it was clear he accepted the challenge from Zoga's son. With the agreement made, the audience began to disperse.
Zoga took Kwanita and me to his home, which was not far from the arena. Upon our arrival, we were greeted like royalty by his servants. As a former leader, this man's house was opulent. Kwanita and I were quickly shown to the back to clean ourselves in the bathing room. After wandering for over a week, we were both quite dirty. Once we emerged, a selection of fine clothing awaited us on a table.
After dressing, we returned to the living room to check on our host. Zoga still appeared gloomy, lost in thought over the earlier events. His face was full of anxiety as he stared vacantly out the window.
"Are you alright?" Kwanita asked, pulling him from his reverie.
"Oh sorry, I was lost in thought. You both look much better now. I hope you're hungry; I've prepared lunch for us all."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
As we sat at the dining table, I was astonished to see the mountain of food laid out before us. This man truly lived like a king. Yet despite all this wealth, his face remained clouded with despair. Even his son, Chintrumma, wore a similar expression.
Zoga finally spoke up, "May I ask who you are and where you come from?"
"My name is Rhinggamana Asotolfo, and this lady is Kwanita Imara. We hail from the city of Hengard."
"Hengard? That is the city of heroes. For a moment, I thought you resembled the statue in the center of that city. What brings you on your journey?"
I replied, "We are heading west to seek the Father of All Men."
Zoga raised an eyebrow. "You mean Adam?"
"Exactly. But before that, I will train Chintrumma to fight Heiman tomorrow. I'll train him quickly to enhance his strength beyond what it is now. Is there a specific place you usually use for training?"
"There's a special training ground behind the house," Chintrumma answered.
"Very well then."
After finishing lunch, the four of us made our way to the training area behind the house. As Chintrumma had said, the space was ample for combat practice.
Zoga explained, "This is where I train my son, and even myself."
I stepped into the center of the arena with Zoga and Chintrumma, while Kwanita took a seat on a bench to watch us. I then said, "Before we begin, I should test how far your abilities have developed. Attack me."
Without hesitation, they both launched into their full-strength assault. They seemed confident I could handle both of them at once. I faced them with agility, observing their techniques. It became clear their moves relied heavily on combining power with speed, yet their attacks were too obvious and easily predictable.
I began to parry, deflect, and deliver light strikes to their unprotected areas. To my eyes, their movements were exceedingly slow. While I attacked, I offered tips and pointed out their weaknesses. Zoga and Chintrumma absorbed my words with gratitude.
"I will enhance your power," I said to them. "It seems your strength hasn't even reached five percent of mine. Heiman clearly possesses strength far beneath that of either of you."
"Wait, what?" They both looked confused. "How can someone weaker than us defeat five men in mere seconds?"
I smiled and replied, "The Broja spell he has been chanting doesn't come from his true power. It's derived from a device at his waist. Heiman is a blacksmith, isn't he? Has he ever worked with Black Iron?"
Zoga seemed to recall something. "I believe he has. If I'm not mistaken, he even has a special machine for boring Black Iron. It's small, about the size of a box that fits in the hand. When the Erga people came to trade Black Iron from another planet, which they said was excellent for weapons, I told them about our finest blacksmith, Heiman. Because of that he finally had the power to possess the Black Iron."
I asked again, "Do you know about Broja?"
Zoga and Chintrumma shook their heads.
"Broja is a device for boring Black Iron. You could say it's a form of welding, but it can also straighten and flatten metal. With some modifications, Broja can become a deadly weapon. Its energy is not like a laser; it resembles something more nuclear. That's why you and everyone in this land cannot detect its energy, as it differs from a laser. Perhaps Heiman's experience as a blacksmith gave him the idea to modify Broja into a weapon. I will teach you how to counter it."
The father and son nodded, bewildered. I smiled, understanding their struggle to comprehend. I then said firmly, "Let me remind you, I will only strengthen one of you. Who is willing to receive this power?"
Zoga and Chintrumma exchanged glances for a moment before nodding resolutely. The son stepped forward, volunteering. I had anticipated this. My right hand, the missing one, was suddenly enveloped in light, causing Chintrumma to gasp in amazement. With this luminous hand, I touched the young man's forehead, channeling energy to accelerate his strength. The next step was to enhance his back, allowing him to harness at least six percent of my power.
Once finished, I asked, "Is there something hard and substantial to test your strength?"
Zoga pointed to a massive black stone at the end of the room. "We usually use this stone for punching practice. It's a legacy from past generations, and it's said that no matter how hard we hit it, it will never shatter. The legend claims that anyone who can break this stone will be unmatched in strength throughout the kingdom of Adlan."
Raising an eyebrow, I inquired, "Isn't there a harder stone? Perhaps something like an asteroid?"
Zoga and Chintrumma looked at each other and said, "Sorry, Rhinggamana, but even the strongest in my kingdom could never break this stone. Let alone a meteor rock."
"Well then, Chintrumma, place your palm on this stone. Good. Now channel your energy and strike the stone in one swift motion."
Chintrumma followed my instructions, but nothing happened. Even Zoga and Kwanita, watching from a distance, sensed something was amiss.
"Did I fail?" Chintrumma asked, disappointment etched on his face.
"Count to five," I replied.
"One, two, three, four, five."
In an instant, the black stone shattered into dust. Zoga, Chintrumma, and Kwanita stood in stunned silence, watching as the hardest rock in the kingdom crumbled like fragile glass. The young man stared at his hand in disbelief.
His confidence surged, and he proclaimed, "With this power, I believe I can defeat Heiman and restore my family's honor that has been shattered."