The cold night air swept through the mountain path as Raiden's footsteps echoed against the stones. Half a year had passed since the day his mysterious "Sword System" awakened, gifting him the template of the world's greatest swordsman. Six months of relentless training, endless missions, and nights where his sword hand bled and healed only to bleed again.
And now, the System marked his progress:
> [ Mihawk Template Progress: 40% ]
It was terrifying. Even with less than half of Mihawk's power, Raiden knew he had already surpassed many of the elite martial artists around him. His blade flowed faster than sight, his haki resonated sharper with each heartbeat, and his presence on the battlefield was beginning to feel… imperial.
But tonight was different.
The System had issued him another daily quest: "Patrol the northern ridge. Protect the sect's borders." It was routine—or so he thought.
---
As Raiden crested a hill, his sharpened Observation Haki pricked like needles across his skin. Killing intent. Multiple sources.
He stopped, tightening his grip on his black-handled sword. His golden eyes narrowed.
Down below, a group of masked men surrounded a lone boy—about his age, though his posture carried a faint nobility.
Raiden recognized him instantly. Chun Yeowun. The neglected prince of the clan, a bastard child scorned by many.
But what truly caught Raiden's attention was the vicious glint in the assassins' eyes. Their blades were already raised.
---
"Kill him before anyone notices!" one of the masked attackers hissed.
Yeowun backed away, his hands trembling as he clutched a short blade, clearly untrained compared to his ambushers. His eyes darted around desperately for escape.
But the ring of killers closed in.
And then—
SHING!
A black slash tore through the night like lightning, cleaving one of the assassins' blades in half.
The men froze, turning to see a tall youth stepping from the shadows. His coat swayed in the wind, his long hair spilling across his shoulders, and his eyes gleamed like hawks hunting prey.
Raiden.
"Pick on someone else," Raiden said coldly, his voice steady, his aura suffocating.
---
The assassins snarled.
"Who the hell are you?"
Raiden answered with steel.
CLANG! His sword clashed with theirs, sparks erupting as he pushed forward. His Armament Haki coated his blade in obsidian darkness, hardening it to an edge sharper than death itself.
He moved like a phantom. One step, one cut—an assassin's throat opened in silence. Another swung from behind, but Raiden twisted his blade with a graceful arc, severing the man's wrist before piercing his chest.
Yeowun stared in disbelief. The youth who stood before him was no ordinary disciple. His swordsmanship was unlike anything he had ever seen—precise, overwhelming, regal.
"Monster…" one assassin whispered, fear trembling in his voice.
---
"Monster?" Raiden's lips curled into a cold smile.
"No. I'm a swordsman."
He unleashed a horizontal slash. The sheer pressure of the strike shattered trees, the shockwave sending the remaining attackers sprawling. Before they could rise, his Observation Haki predicted their movements, guiding his blade to their weak points with terrifying accuracy.
In less than a minute, the ground was littered with motionless bodies.
---
Yeowun's breathing was ragged. He had expected to die tonight. Instead, he found himself staring at a boy his age who fought like a demon lord.
Raiden wiped the blood from his blade, sheathing it with a sharp click.
"You should leave. More will come."
But just as he turned, something impossible occurred.
A small, metallic drone—barely the size of a fist—descended from the sky, glowing with an otherworldly light. It hovered directly before Yeowun, ignoring Raiden completely.
> [ Genetic Signature Identified: Chun Yeowun ]
[ Initiating Nanomachine Integration… ]
Yeowun's eyes widened as the machine injected itself into his body, streams of luminous energy coursing through his veins. He collapsed to his knees, gasping as invisible power rewrote his very flesh.
Raiden's eyes narrowed.
"So… this is how it happens," he muttered.
The system in his mind pulsed.
> [ Event Trigger Detected: The Rise of the Nanomachine Heir ]
[ New Mission Unlocked: Protect the Future of the Clan ]
Reward: +5% Mihawk Template Progress ]
---
When Yeowun finally stood, sweat dripping down his brow, there was a new sharpness in his gaze. He looked at Raiden with a mixture of gratitude and wariness.
"You saved my life," Yeowun said quietly. "I… owe you."
Raiden shook his head. "Don't mistake my actions for kindness. I simply won't allow trash like them to stain the clan's honor."
And yet, even as he said it, something shifted between them. Not friendship—not yet. But an unspoken acknowledgment.
Yeowun's path had changed forever with the nanomachines. And Raiden… Raiden was the blade that had ensured that change could even happen.
The night air fell silent once more, broken only by the distant howl of wolves.
For the first time, two destinies had intertwined.
And both swords were now unsheathed.