The Bright Light that Darkened the World

On the next day, my father and I continued our sword training in the morning, delving deeper into the intricate techniques of the Sword God Style.

Under his patient guidance, I honed my skills, striving to master each move despite my short stature. With each sword swing, I could feel myself developing stronger and more confident, inching slowly to embody the grace and power of the legendary Sword God.

"That's it, Dante. You're doing better than I thought you could," my father noted with a hint of pride in his voice.

Smirking confidently, I swung my wooden sword at him, retorting, "Come on, father. Do not look down on me like that."

We continued to exchange taunts and strikes, our wooden swords clashing intensely with a rhythmic dance of dexterity and perseverance. Though I was surprised that my young body was able to keep up with my father's expertise, I refused to let fatigue hinder my progress.

Later on, as the morning sun climbed higher in the sky, we ended our sword training and I moved on to magic training with Sylphiette and Aisha.

As we all gathered in the backyard, our teacher, Sylphiette, stood at the center, her wand in hand, willing to guide us through our magical endeavors. Aisha and I eagerly awaited her education, while Norn observed from a distance, still hesitant to join in.

"Alright, let's begin," Sylphiette announced, her voice firm yet encouraging. "Today, we will focus on expanding your mana capacity."

"Eh? We're not going to learn incantations like brother did?" Aisha protested.

The green-haired elf smiled wryly at the opposition and tried to explain herself. "I know you are excited to learn to chant, Aisha. However, we're going to help your brother regulate his mana to prevent what happened yesterday."

Understanding Sylphiette's reasoning, Aisha reluctantly nodded, her enthusiasm tempered by the realization of the importance of mana control. Meanwhile, I listened attentively, keen to improve my magic abilities in any way possible.

"First, let's start by casting the same spell continuously to push the mana capacity from its current limit," Sylphiette advised as she casually cast a Water ball from her hand without chanting the incantation. 

Realizing that moment, I raised my hand, exclaiming, "Miss Sylphiette, how did you do that? You didn't say the incantation of the Water Ball!"

"Fufu, great eye, Dante," she chuckled, acknowledging my observation. "This is a technique called voiceless incantation."

"Voiceless incantation? Does it allow you to cast magic without chanting?" Aisha assumed.

Sylphiette nodded, acknowledging my sister's guess. "That's right, it's an advanced method that allows experienced magic users to cast spells without vocalizing the incantation."

"Woah, that's cool. Where did you learn that?" I inquired, liking to know when the technique's conception began. 

The green-haired elf smiled proudly as she revealed her answer. "I learned it from the best. Your older brother, Rudeus Greyrat."

As Sylphiette mentioned Rudy, memories of my missing brother flooded my mind, sparking a mix of emotions within me. But amidst the nostalgia, I felt a renewed resolve to follow in his footsteps and become a formidable magician.

"Wow, big brother sounds amazing," I remarked, my voice tinged with admiration.

However, Aisha's expression shifted, her enthusiasm dampened "Oh, you mean the person who likes to smell young girl's pan- Mmph?!"

Before she could finish her sentence, I immediately covered her mouth, understanding what she was referring to. Despite admiring my big brother, it seems he has some shady secret I'd wanted to ignore.

Hearing this, Sylphiette looked puzzled, but she shrugged it off and continued instructing us in our magic lesson.

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After a while, I managed to accomplish the voiceless incantation technique by concentrating my mana on my fingertip as if I were pushing a liquid from a syringe. I continued casting the spell until I almost passed out again, but I managed to hold myself together.

Meanwhile, Aisha swiftly learned Water Ball from Sylphiette. She not only grasped the spell quickly but also adeptly adjusted its parameters, showcasing a natural talent for magic.

As for Norn, she remained on the sidelines, observing our progress with a blend of curiosity and apprehension. Despite her ongoing hesitation, I could see her intrigue growing with each successful spell we cast.

We continued to train our magic at our own pace, honing our magical capacity and learning new beginner incantations. Eventually, the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the backyard where we practiced.

As the sundown approached, we decided to end our magic session and return to our home to take a rest. Sylphiette escorted us to the living room where our parents and Lilia were waiting for us.

"Thank you for guiding our children with their magic, Sylphiette," my mother acknowledged, expressing her sincere gratitude.

The green-haired elf nodded graciously, a soft smile gracing her lips. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. Zenith. These two children were making great progress."

"That's good to hear," our father considered her report before reaching into his pocket and taking out a small bag filled with money. "Here, accept this as your reward."

Seeing that, Sylphiette was taken aback, her eyes widening in surprise. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly accept payment for just helping your children, Mr. Paul. It's truly my pleasure to assist them in their magical efforts even without compensation."

 "Please, consider it a token of our appreciation," our father insisted, pressing the bag into Sylphiette's hands. " You've been invaluable in guiding them."

Reluctantly, the elf accepted the bag, her expression filled with gratitude. She thanked both my parents and Lilia approached her with her own bag of money to pay Sylphiette for helping Aisha in her magic.

As the gratitude-giving finally ended, the green-haired elf readied herself to leave. However, before she could reach the front door, my mother called out to her.

"Ah, I almost forgot. Today was Rudeus' birthday, and we will give his gifts tomorrow."

Hearing the news, Sylphiette's eyes sparkled with interest, a hint of recollections coloring her expression. "Eh, truly?! If that's the case, then I will do my best to consider a present for him."

"That would be lovely, dear," my mother acknowledged her impending offer. "Now, take care on your way home, okay?"

"I will, Mrs. Zenith. And thank you again for the rewards."

As Sylphiette bid us farewell and left our home, I couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation for Rudy's birthday and the gifts we would prepare for him. It was a small glimmer of joy amidst our ongoing journey filled with uncertainty and longing for my missing brother.

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On the following morning, an unusual atmosphere settled over our village. The sky, typically clear and sunny, was now shrouded in dense dark clouds, casting a melancholy hue over the landscape.

Meanwhile, my father, Paul, was once again called upon by Rawls due to another fluctuation of monsters on the outskirts of our village.

"Be careful out there, Father," I called after him, watching him take his sword before rushing out the door to join the other knights.

"I will, Dante. Take care of everyone while I'm gone," he replied with a reassuring smile before disappearing from my sight.

Left with a sense of foreboding, I turned back to the rest of my family, finding them gathered at the front door, their expressions mirroring my own concerns.

"Is father going to be safe?" Norn asked, her voice laced with worry as she clutched onto my mother's hand for reassurance.

In response, my mother knelt beside her, her expression calm but tinged with concern. "Don't worry, Norn, your father is strong."

"She's right. He's confronted challenges like this before and always returned safely," I added, hoping to alleviate some of Norn's anxiety.

Though our words were meant to comfort her, the tension in the air remained palpable as we awaited news of my father's safety. The looming threat of the monsters on the outskirts of the village only heightened our unease.

Eventually, to distract ourselves from the apprehension gnawing at our minds, we turned our attention to preparing the gifts for my big brother's birthday. Although my mother and Lilia already had handled theirs, Aisha and I still pondered on what to give.

"Alright, Aisha. Let's think of what we should give to Big Brother. Any ideas?" I inquired, open to any suggestions.

However, she just huffed defiantly, retorting, "Why bother giving that person a gift? He's just a per- Mmph!"

"I'll stop you right there, dear sister. Saying that will damage my image of him," I interjected, covering her mouth before she could finish her sentence. 

Reminded once again about my brother's negative traits, I shook my head to dismiss it. Aisha was annoyed for covering her mouth and she couldn't stop pouting at me.

knock... knock...

Suddenly, we heard a knock on the front door. We turned to see Sylphiette approaching Lilia and giving her something. Lilia also showed a familiar-looking box but decided to ignore it.

Aisha moved closer to me and whispered something mischievous to my ear.

"Psst, brother. Isn't that the box containing the-"

"Not another word, Aisha."

Honestly, it is frustrating to know that the big brother I looked up to had such questionable behavior. But despite it all, I couldn't overlook the relationship we shared as siblings. And on his birthday, I wanted to focus on celebrating that bond rather than dwelling on his flaws.

"Anyway, let's welcome her," I urged my sister to which she nodded compliantly. Both of us rushed toward the living room and called out to the green-haired elf.

"Miss Sylphiette!"

 The elf turned to us and smiled kindly, approaching us as well.

"Dante! Aisha! How are you two?" 

Her presence brought a sense of warmth and comfort, presently alleviating the apprehension that had been building within us. 

"We're doing fine. Thanks for asking," I replied kindly.

Aisha stepped forward and asked, "What did you just give to Mother, Miss Sylphiette?"

"Oh that, it's just a stone necklace I made," she explained. "My father used to have one from his tribe, so I carved one for myself."

We were intrigued by Sylphiette's response. The mention of her father's tribe sparked our curiosity about her background, but we refrained from prying further, not wanting to intrude on her personal history.

"That's very kind of you, miss Sylphiette" I commented, impressed by her craftsmanship and the sentimental value behind the necklace.

Aisha nodded in agreement, her expression softening as she regarded the elf with newfound appreciation. "Yeah, it looks beautiful."

Sylphiette smiled gratefully at our words. "Really? How nice of-"

"Bwaaaaaah!"

Suddenly, a loud cry interrupted our conversation. We turned to see Norn bawling her eyes out while being carried by our mother. I quickly rushed to check the happening.

"What happened, mother?" I questioned worriedly.

In response, she smiled wryly and said, "It's nothing, dear. I just frightened her by telling her about the Superd tribe."

"Superd tribe? What's that?" I pressed further, wanting to know about this tribe.

My mother hesitated a bit but relented. "Well, it's a race of demons that-"

"What's going on here? Why do I hear crying?" 

Before my mother could reveal the Superd race to me, I heard my father's voice calling from the front door. He tiredly walked towards us, confused about the situation.

"Ah, welcome back, honey. Don't worry, I just scared Norn a bit," my mother explained as she handed Norn to my father.

"Is that so? Well, come here, Norn. Let me help cheer you up," my father affirmed, attempting to handle my sister's weeping.

Meanwhile, I couldn't help but feel relief wash over me upon witnessing my father safe. This means the monsters were subjugated by him and the other knights, safeguarding the village from shambles.

Feeling inspired by this, I turned to my mother and voiced my sentiments. "Mother, I wanted to protect the village from monsters like Father did."

"Fufufu, of course, my dear," my mother acknowledged. "After all, you wanted to become a hero, right? One who will save everyone from harm."

The mention of my dream stirred a whirlwind of emotion, encouraging a revitalized sense of determination within me. I nodded at my mother and declared, "Yes, Mother. I will-"

SWOOOSH!

Just then, a loud mysterious sound resounded outside of our home. As we were turning our attention towards the window, a bright light illuminated the sky, accompanied by a powerful shockwave that rattled the walls of our home.

Before I could even react to the situation, the blinding light already breached the house, and everyone, including myself, was swallowed whole.