The next morning, Kael was at the training ground as soon as the first rays of sunlight appeared. Galm, having managed to hide his surprise from the previous day, watched Kael with a more reserved but attentive demeanor.
"By the way, Kael, you can call me Master; there's no need to say 'Master Galm.'"
"Understood, Master Galm."
"Remember that small spark from yesterday," said Galm, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Today, I want you to hold that point steady and infuse it with more mana. But be careful; don't just push the mana—trap it inside that small core."
Kael took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and focused on his mana. That blackness, which had been no bigger than a pinprick yesterday, began to expand as he strained.
Suddenly, a trembling yet real black flame rose in the center of his palm. This flame didn't emit heat; instead, it left a chill so intense it felt like it would freeze Kael's hand.
"M-Master Galm, the color of the flames seems like...."
"Black!!"
When Galm realized Kael was panicking, he tried to calm him down.
"Calm down, Kael. The fire magic is interacting with your mixed blood. I've probably never seen fire this color before—we might have discovered a special type, son!"
The sensation of the flame burning in Kael's palm wasn't like that of ordinary flames.
"The flame... usually it would create a warm sensation in my hand, but this feels... cold. I can actually feel my veins freezing."
Galm's astonishment had doubled; aside from the oddity of the color, it defied logic for a fire spell to emit cold instead of heat.
"Kael, carefully direct the flame toward the training dummy in front of you!"
Kael flung the black fire in his hand toward the dummy. The moment the flames struck the dummy, instead of being engulfed in fire, it turned to ash in a matter of seconds. Galm struggled to make sense of what he was seeing; contrary to how it felt, this flame possessed a much purer, more intense heat than his own blue flames.
Kael shuddered at the unsettling sensation the flame created, losing his focus. When the flame died down, Kael called out to Grosolun
"Grosolun... Is this your doing? Are you helping me with your black flames?"
Grosolun's voice echoed in Kael's mind.
"I haven't transferred even a drop of mana to you, boy. What you saw isn't my power—it's your own heritage. Your mixed blood is warping the fire magic. You might have created an interesting flame where your human side generates the fire, and your demon side shapes it into this dark form. Use it carefully, boy!"
Kael seemed slightly unsettled by the answer. This power wasn't coming from the outside; it was born entirely from his own essence.
As the training continued, the sound of clattering hooves was heard at the mansion's main gate. Galm furrowed his brows and headed toward the entrance. They weren't expecting anyone at this hour. Before long, an armored messenger bearing the seal of the Royal Mage Council dismounted from his horse.
The messenger dismounted, walked quickly over to Galm, and handed him a sealed parchment.
"Master Galm, there is an urgent summons from the Council. A weakening has been detected in the seals at the border regions. As the most senior mage in the area, you are requested to report to the central headquarters immediately."
Galm quickly got ready and, without even having time to say goodbye to his family, jumped onto his horse and left the manor.
By the time Lina and the children stepped out into the garden, Galm had already disappeared from sight. Little Tesi pouted as she watched her father ride away.
"Why did Dad leave so fast? He didn't even wave to us!"
Lyra took her sister's hand and squeezed it gently.
"Dad has a very important matter to attend to, Tesi—it's related to the royal court. He'll take care of it right away and come back; don't worry."
Lina was worried, but she tried not to show it as she went into the kitchen. Kael, meanwhile, waited quietly in a corner. He could sense the unease hanging over the family. No matter how powerful Galm was, the council's urgent summons didn't bode well.
It was past midnight, but Galm still hadn't returned. Kael went over to Lyra, who was sitting in the living room. There was no trace of her morning whining; her eyes looked slightly teary.
"Still no word?" Lyra asked, her voice trembling.
"I was so mean to him this morning... If anything happens to him, I don't want my last words to him to be those silly complaints of mine."
Kael sat down next to Lyra.
"Lyra, your father is one of the most senior wizards in the region. We're talking about an 8-ringed wizard. Sealing the border barrier is likely a task that requires a great deal of mana and time. It's perfectly normal for him not to return until he's finished the repairs."
Although Lyra's tension eased slightly at Kael's words, a lingering unease still remained within her.
Just then, the sound of a horse neighing was heard at the mansion's gate. Lyra jumped to her feet and ran toward the door. When the door opened, Galm had entered—dusty and covered in dirt, but safe and sound.
Lyra set aside her usual reserved demeanor and ran to throw her arms around her father's neck.
"Dad! We were so scared—why did you take so long?"
Galm was taken aback by his daughter's unexpected embrace, then wrapped his arms around her. The big man's eyes welled up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you so much. A serious crack had formed in the barrier at the border; finishing the repairs and renewing the seals took much longer than I expected."
Lyra stepped back and looked at her father's face.
"I... I'm sorry for how I acted this morning, Dad. I'm truly so sorry—I thought I'd never see you again."
Galm kissed his daughter's forehead and placed his hand on her head."I'm the one who should be sorry, my daughter. For getting so absorbed in work that I neglected my family and left you all in this uncertainty. But I'm here now, and everything is fine."
Kael had smiled slightly as he watched this emotional scene from a distance. With Galm's return, the anxious atmosphere inside the mansion seemed to have dissipated; Galm's importance to the family was felt all the more in his absence.
The next morning, the air in the mansion's garden was cooler than usual. Despite his exhaustion from the previous day, Galm didn't want to disrupt Kael's training. Kael, sword in hand, was pondering how to merge the sensation of that black flame with the steel.
"True, you were using sword arts and magic at the same time. Though I don't agree with it, I'll respect your decision, son."
"Yesterday you only learned to ignite that flame. But your true power lies in your sword. I want you to trap that intensity within the steel of your blade. Don't release the fire outward—bury it within the steel."
The Anka Sword began to react to this foreign and intense energy. Normally, the Anka—the sword's spirit—would reveal itself with its bright orange and red hues; but when the coldness of the black flames touched the steel, the sword began to tremble and transform.The Anka's Dark Form: "Ash Wings!"
The sword's once-shining, radiant surface had suddenly dulled, enveloped in a jet-black crystalline texture resembling obsidian at its center. The winged figures on the sword's hilt had spread backward as if alive, transforming into a protective hand wrapping around Kael's wrist. The sword was no longer a weapon; it now seemed like an extension of Kael's arm.
The most striking change, however, was in the aura the sword emitted. The Phoenix's warm, life-giving energy had vanished, replaced by an ominous, dark form. When Kael swung the sword, it left behind black, feather-like particles in the air.
Kael gripped his sword tightly. He took his stance for the "Breath of the Red Dragon" attack, the 3rd Form. Normally, in this technique, mana would transform into a raging wave of fire swirling around the sword. Kael closed his eyes and began channeling his mana into the sword. However, instead of releasing the mana this time, he applied the "compression" method he had learned the day before.
The orange flames that should have risen around the sword flashed briefly before quickly adhering to the blade's surface, turning its color pitch black. The sword no longer glowed; instead, it emitted a black aura that absorbed the light around it.
Kael swung his sword through the air in a wide arc. The brilliant fire that normally resembled a dragon had taken on a far more terrifying form this time.The energy bursting from the tip of the sword took the shape of a dark dragon formed from black flames, its eyes glowing purple.
This new attack did not burn and destroy the training targets in its path; instead, it simply obliterated them the moment it made contact. The dragon left neither ash nor a single spark in its wake; only nothingness remained.
Galm stared in astonishment, examining the sword's new form in Kael's hand. It was a rare occurrence for a spirit sword to undergo such a physical transformation based on its user's intent.
"Your spirit sword seems to be reacting to the hybrid power within it,"
Kael slowly lowered his sword. As the sword returned to its old, gleaming form, Kael seemed to be gasping for breath.
"The name of this new technique I've learned..." Kael murmured.
"May it be the echo of Grosol!"
Galm walked toward the targets the black dragon had obliterated. There wasn't even the slightest burn mark on the ground; the objects there had vanished as if they'd never existed.
"The Echo of Grosol, you say..." Galm repeated. He liked the name, but the unease within him hadn't subsided.
"This technique has evolved beyond the sword form, Kael. You don't mess around with power of this magnitude. The moment you lose control of those black flames, you'll harm not just your opponent but yourself as well. For now, I'm forbidding you from using this attack at the academy; you haven't fully mastered the flame yet. Control your power, but don't let it take control of you!"
Kael could still feel the coldness on the hilt of his sword. He understood what Galm meant; this power came with a serious responsibility.
"A phoenix with wings of ash..." Kael murmured.
"It sounds less like a phoenix reborn and more like one born from nothingness."