Chapter 6.1 - the Dream

"Oh…" While cleaning his soot-covered hands, the man exclaimed. "It was a few months ago. I was hammering a sword when I had a vision of a warrior…" 

Adam frowned his brows, attentive to every word. 

"I don't know where he was because everything was destroyed, mountains, forests and the sky was covered in dark raging clouds shooting flashes down at the battlefield."

Every image made the Earth God's heart pound.

"And the warrior was crawling in the dirt, covered in bruises while trying to reach for a blade. But it wasn't a normal blade, the steel was as red as the blood that ran down his forehead." 

The words sank deep in Adam's mind. His stomach was ice cold. 

A battle was the thing he feared the most. Marduk in his full form was supposed to be stronger than all of them combined, and that was assuming Adam would become a better fighter than he currently was. 

The boy felt sick, his insides twisting with the thought of him crawling in the dirt after being defeated. What would happen to his mother if he failed? Would she watch him disappoint her one more time? 

"What else happened?" He needed to know if there was more, something for him to hold on too.

"Nothing." Adam got dizzy, as if the floor had been swiped from under his feet. "I just knew I needed to make him that blade. That was the message I got, so I did it."

As if knowing the God was about to fall to his knees, the smith walked up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. 

"When I heard the Four Elementals were coming seeking help for the Earth God, I knew he was the warrior of my dream."

The man's dark eyes penetrated Adam's soul. They were full of hope and certainty, something the boy lacked greatly. 

One heavy tap on the back and the Smith let go of Adam. Feeling like a fraud, the God set his feet firm and stood on his own not to disappoint the Master. 

"I see you brought it with you." He pointed at the box ornamented with two crossed swords painted in golden tint. "Have you tried it?"

"I did but it didn't go so well…" Fearful, the Playboy glanced at Hikari who was too close to the forge. 

"You see this blade does more than just cut, it sees the soul of the warrior." With delicacy the man opened the case to reveal the Crimson Blade. "Only in the hands of a worthy fighter will it release its true power. Before that, it is as good as any other sword in here." He raised his hands pointing at the hundreds of swords hanging in the walls.

Worthy - What did it mean, truly?

Swallowing dry, Adam nodded with a nervous smile. All he could do with it was damage the patio floor. Internally he begged that Hikari hadn't seen it before they left. 

"Come on, take it out and swing it a little. I wanna see how you look with it." Casually, the Master tapped on Adam's back, making him stumble forward. 

"I need to train more…" He was trying to avoid the embarrassment, especially in front of the Fire Lady.

"Nonsense, just take it out and swing it a little. Come on!" 

Insistent, the Smith Master pulled the case out of Adam's hands, offering him the polished blade. 

Adam glanced at Hikari again. The Goddess had not moved a finger since she got out of the bear's hug. She wasn't judging, just watching, as if she knew all of that would happen.

Back to the excited blacksmith, the God picked up the sword.He remembered the weight perfectly as he gripped the handle, feeling the black cord's crisscross pattern beneath his fingers. There was something else under the cord.

"What is this symbol on the hilt?" Adam asked the Master. 

"Oh it's the twins, an old legend about good and evil. I like to brand my pieces with it." Compelled to ask more, Adam was shushed with a large smile. "Now go on."

Mimicking Hikari, he held the sword before him, one foot forward and the other steady behind for support.

He stood there twisting the handle with both hands unsure of what to do next.

"To swing, you push with your left hand and stop with the right. Try swinging at an angle, it will be more comfortable."

On his left, Hikari instructed him, understanding his caution. 

Adam executed the movement the way he was told. The woosh sound was satisfying, making the Master clap. 

"Very good. I see Hika is teaching you." Casually, Adam smirked at the Fire Lady. The nickname was so out of character for her it was funny to hear someone say it seriously. "She is the best sword-master there is. She has mastered every weapon fighting style."

Lowering his blade, he looked at her as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other, appearing slightly restless.

"Do you feel anything different?" The smith asked.

"No…" 

Quite the man nodded, reflecting on the answer.

"Maybe you need more practice." He smiled to break the tension. "If I can give you any advice, just trust the blade. It knows what to do."

Trust

That was the word of the hour. Everything and everyone wanted to be trusted when Adam didn't exactly trust himself. 

"Okay." Adam raised the sword above his head, ready to try a few more swings to activate the mysterious hidden power. 

Snapping his neck and taking a deep breath, the Young God prepared himself. He had to do something, or he would just embarrass himself even more.

Adam thought of infusing some of his energy to the sword, maybe it would awaken the thing. Although he didn't know exactly how to do that, he tried either way. 

As he struck down, the ground shook with a deafening explosion, forcing him to halt mid-air.

"Just take a deep breath, Adam..." Hikari quickly advanced towards him.

"I haven't done anything! It's not me!" 

A deep, resonant thud reverberated through the ground. Swords and all kinds of deadly weapons began to fall from the walls following the shock-wave. 

Something… someone had landed. Adam knew who it was.