Chapter 3

POV JIN RUNCANDEL

I have just returned to my one-year-old self. Just moments ago, I was killed in my sleep. By whom? I have no idea. Why? It is still a mystery. But the memory of that brutal end remains etched in my memory, like a cold blade planted in my mind. And yet… I am here. Back. Returning to that pivotal moment, to the sword selection ritual.

Before me, I see Barisada, the legendary sword planted in the ground, vibrating gently as if it were waiting for me. I remember that moment perfectly in my previous life. Back then, I had picked up that sword almost by accident, without fully understanding what it meant. But this time, it is different. This time, I know what I am doing. I know what I am choosing.

My life will never be the same again.

Everything has changed. This world, this moment, this life. And there is a mystery that has been eating away at me since my return. In this life, I have... a twin brother. A brother I didn't know in my previous life, a brother who simply didn't exist. How is this possible? How can such an alteration take place between two lives?

I look at this boy, this little being who shares my face, the only detail that changes is that he has white hair, and I can't help but feel a strange, inexplicable connection. He is there, by my side, like a part of myself. Something inside me tells me that this is not a coincidence. Nothing in this life is a coincidence.

Maybe his presence is an answer to the flaws in my old life. Maybe he is the key, or an essential piece in this new destiny that is opening up before me. But for now, I can only be intrigued. I don't yet know what the nature of our relationship will be in the future. Will he be an ally, a rival, or something entirely different? But what I am certain of is that this bond that unites us could well change the situation.

I saw him choose Bradamente. The secondary sword of the head of the family. A blade as prestigious as Barisada, and just as crucial in the history of the Runcandel. This choice cannot be insignificant. Wasn't it destiny that orchestrated all this?

And yet, the strangest thing is what I feel. A part of me is relieved that he is here. I don't know why, but his existence gives me a strange form of comfort. In my old life, I always had the weight of the world on my shoulders, alone, with no one to truly understand me. But now, he is here. Maybe he can help me in this endless quest, maybe he can fill a void that I have never been able to name.

But that's not all. I sense a different strength in him, something that sets him apart from me and everyone else. Maybe this brotherly bond is not just a biological coincidence. Maybe we are connected by something greater, something that goes beyond even the Runcandel name.

And me? I will seize Barisada, not by chance, but by choice. This world has given me a second chance, a new opportunity. I no longer intend to be a passive observer of my own life. This time, I take the reins of my destiny.

This choice is the symbol of a renewal. With Barisada in my hands, I will never be the same person again. The carefree boy of my past life died with that dagger in his back. What I am becoming now, what I choose to be, is a being who will no longer bend in the face of adversity.

And if this twin brother is here, if this blade has been waiting for me… then I have no doubts. All this is the result of destiny. And this destiny, I intend to shape it in my own way.

END POV

Meanwhile, Rin, who was being absorbed by the system, received a notification.

[The host now has a unique advantage. The resonance with Bradamente has activated the Heaven-Defying Comprehension System. As a reward for this early activation, you are granted a unique blessing.]

"A blessing?" he whispered to himself.

[Reward: Sword Heart.]

At these words, Rin felt an intense warmth suddenly spread through his chest. It seemed to spring forth from nowhere, but instead of being painful, it was strangely comforting. It was as if an invisible flame was burning softly in his heart, infusing his body with a new, unknown energy.

"What is…?" He placed a small, trembling hand on his chest, but there was nothing visible. Yet, he could feel this strength growing within him, integrating itself into every fiber of his being.

[Sword Heart activated.]

[Effect: You have a talent for swordsmanship never before seen in this world. Your understanding of all styles, techniques, and skills is heaven-defying. Your heart can resonate with any sword, making it capable of obeying you.]

Rin stood there frozen for a moment, unable to react. A single thought invaded his mind: "It's like in the Xianxia novels I read. Any cultivator with a sword heart is an unmatched genius. I'm not without talent."

Rin, still stunned by the system's

announcement, suddenly felt his body react in a strange way. The intense heat that pulsed in his chest, where the Sword Heart had just activated, now seemed to radiate throughout his entire being. It was as if an invisible force was awakening, something primitive, raw, but of absolute purity.

Without realizing it, his eyelids closed. He was no longer in control of his body. He no longer heard the whispers around him, or even the system's inner voice. All he could hear was a rhythm. A silent melody, a perfect pulse that resonated in the garden.

The ground beneath him trembled slightly, as if an invisible wave was running through the earth. Then, gently, without him making the slightest effort, his small body lifted itself off the ground. Rin was floating.

The spectators, at first confused, were quickly struck by amazement. The whispers died away, replaced by a heavy silence, broken only by the buzzing of the surrounding swords.

"What the…?" one of the elders whispered, his eyes wide.

The swords planted in the ground began to vibrate, softly at first, then with increasing intensity. Each one seemed to react to Rin's presence, as if they were answering a silent call. One by one, the blades began to levitate, giving off luminous auras. The spectacle was breathtaking.

In his nurse's arms, Jin Runcandel's eyes widened, looking at his twin brother with a mixture of incomprehension and astonishment. Even Chiron, the patriarch, whose expression remained impassive, narrowed his eyes slightly, a flash of interest briefly crossing his gaze.

"The swords… they… they're answering him!" Gilly, Jin's nurse, murmured, stunned.

The entire garden seemed to have transformed into a cyclone of sword auras. The blades floated around Rin, like planets orbiting a sun. Bradamente, the sword he had chosen, glowed with a bright blue light, amplifying the strangeness of the scene.

In his semi-conscious state, Rin no longer perceived reality as it was. He saw blurry silhouettes, shards of steel, lines of energy crossing in a perfect dance. He didn't know why, but bits of new knowledge flooded into his mind. Concepts of swordsmanship he had never studied took shape as if they had always been there.

[Sword Heart in sync.]

[Your connection to the art of the sword is growing exponentially.]

Rin's body seemed to react to this new knowledge, even in his trance state. His small arms, which were still only those of a child, moved slightly, tracing trajectories in the air. Each movement triggered a reaction from the swords around him, as if they were obeying an invisible choreography.

"This is impossible!" exclaimed one of the spectators, one of the most respected swordmasters of the Runcandel family. "This… this Young master is mastering the art of the sword to a high level!"

Chiron, still silent, stared at Rin with icy intensity. An enigmatic glint shone in his eyes.

"This is not just a blessing," he murmured. "It is a manifestation of a talent that defies the limits of this world."

Rin, meanwhile, felt his mind drifting through an infinite space. A soft, almost familiar voice seemed to whisper in his ear:

"The sword is not a tool. It is an extension of the soul. And you, you will be the one who understands it better than anyone else."

Then, as suddenly as the phenomenon had begun, everything stopped. The swords fell to the ground with a metallic clatter, and Rin slowly descended, his feet gently touching the ground. He opened his eyes, gasping, and raised a trembling hand to touch his face, as if he could hardly believe what he had just experienced.

The heavy silence was broken by Chiron, whose voice echoed like a clap of thunder:

"Rin Runcandel..." His voice, low and authoritative, seemed to shake the entire garden. "You are truly a child of destiny."

The gazes fixed on him were a mixture of admiration, astonishment and, for some, disbelief. Jin, silent, observed his brother with a serious look, but something in his eyes indicated that he understood that things would never be the same again.

Rin, still in shock, looked timidly at Bradamente, who was glowing faintly next to him. A thought crossed his mind:

"This world will never be easy. But with this system… maybe, for the first time, I have a chance to conquer it."