The giant iron blade rose one inch.
Only one inch.
Yet the ground beneath Saksham cracked in every direction.
His arms trembled.
Veins stood out across his hands.
The weapon felt less like metal... and more like dragging a mountain.
Eltharos watched with clear amusement.
"Good."
"You finally stopped trying to lift it."
Saksham strained.
"I am lifting it."
"No."
The God of War pointed at Saksham's chest.
"You are fighting the blade."
"Move with its weight."
Before Saksham could answer—
The horizon exploded.
An army of divine constructs charged across the black plains.
Thousands.
Spears raised.
War drums thundered from nowhere.
Dust storms followed behind them.
Saksham stared.
"You call this training?"
Eltharos smirked.
"I call it Tuesday."
The first wave arrived.
Saksham released the blade and jumped back as fifty spears struck where he stood.
He twisted through narrow gaps, grabbed one spear, spun, and swept three enemies down.
Then ten more replaced them instantly.
Too many.
Too fast.
He leaped onto a construct's shoulders, used it as a step, and sprinted upward through the crowd.
A giant hammer flew toward him.
He kicked it aside midair.
Landed.
Rolled.
Another line of enemies surrounded him.
Saksham exhaled slowly.
Lightning gathered around his body.
"Storm Circuit."
Blue arcs burst from him in all directions.
Dozens of constructs convulsed and shattered.
But hundreds remained.
Eltharos sat on a floating stone and yawned.
"Efficient."
"Still terrible."
Saksham gritted his teeth.
"You're enjoying this too much."
"Yes."
At the Royal Academy, sunrise had barely begun.
Aryan Singla stood in the training yard wearing Elena's weighted bracelets.
Sweat already poured down his face.
"These... are cursed."
Victor Ravenhart leaned against a pillar, arms crossed.
"They're standard."
"For giants maybe!"
Victor tossed him a wooden sword.
"Attack me."
Aryan blinked.
"I like living."
"Attack."
Aryan charged anyway.
Fast.
Low stance.
Good footwork.
Victor blocked with one hand.
Aryan attacked again.
And again.
Ten strikes in three seconds.
Victor moved only his wrist.
Finally Aryan lunged with full force.
Victor stepped aside and lightly tapped Aryan's back.
THUD!
Aryan kissed the dirt.
Victor nodded.
"Better than yesterday."
Aryan groaned into the ground.
"That felt insulting."
"It was meant kindly."
Back in the Divine War Realm—
Saksham was breathing hard now.
Broken constructs covered the field.
Still more marched from the horizon.
He glanced at the giant iron blade half-buried nearby.
Eltharos's words echoed.
Move with its weight.
Saksham ran toward it, sliding under two axes and shoulder-checking a spearman aside.
He grabbed the handle again.
Closed his eyes.
Instead of forcing upward—
He shifted stance.
Bent knees.
Aligned hips.
Pulled with the momentum of his whole body.
The blade rose.
Not one inch.
A full arm's length.
Saksham's eyes opened sharply.
"Oh."
A construct attacked from behind.
He turned instinctively.
The blade moved with him.
WHOOOM!
The swing created a shockwave that erased twenty enemies instantly.
Silence.
Even Saksham stared.
Eltharos grinned.
"There."
"Now you've met it."
Saksham looked at the weapon.
"What is this thing?"
"Named weapons earn names."
"You are not worthy to hear this one yet."
Saksham sighed.
"Of course."
The second wave charged.
This time Saksham stepped forward.
Heavy blade dragging sparks.
He swung low.
A line of enemies exploded apart.
He reversed grip.
Brought it downward.
The ground split.
Constructs fell into the crack.
He laughed once.
A short, fierce laugh.
Eltharos noticed.
"Good."
"Battle should wake the blood."
At the academy cafeteria later that day, Aryan carried four trays.
Students moved aside automatically now.
Some out of respect.
Some fear.
Roderic, the noble student he defeated earlier, approached cautiously.
Aryan raised an eyebrow.
"Round two?"
Roderic shook his head.
"No."
He placed a water bottle on Aryan's tray.
"You train seriously."
Aryan blinked.
"…Thanks?"
Roderic coughed awkwardly.
"I still dislike your face."
"Fair."
The two sat at the same table.
Nearby students stared in confusion.
Enemies becoming allies?
The academy loved drama.
High above, Orion watched from a balcony.
Elena joined him.
"The younger one gathers people naturally."
Orion nodded.
"And the elder gathers storms."
Elena looked toward the sky.
"Will Saksham be enough?"
Orion was quiet for a moment.
"No."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Then why train only him?"
"Because he is not meant to stand alone."
Elsewhere in the War Realm—
The battlefield had gone silent.
No more constructs.
No drums.
Only wind.
Saksham rested the giant blade on his shoulder.
"You're finally done?"
Eltharos stood.
"For today's warm-up."
Saksham's eye twitched.
Then the god pointed behind him.
A figure stood there now.
It had appeared without sound.
Tall.
Covered in black armor with no face beneath the helm.
In one hand, a long sword made of shadow.
Its presence was colder than death.
Even Eltharos's smile faded.
"This one is different."
Saksham adjusted his grip.
"I noticed."
"What is it?"
Eltharos answered grimly.
"A memory of one who killed gods."
The armored figure vanished.
Saksham barely reacted in time.
CLANG!
Its shadow blade slammed into the giant iron weapon.
The impact sent Saksham flying across the plains.
He rolled, stood, and immediately coughed blood.
Fast.
Far too fast.
The black knight walked forward slowly.
No wasted movement.
No emotion.
Eltharos spoke firmly.
"Do not overpower it."
"Learn from it."
The knight attacked again.
Three strikes.
Each one perfect.
Saksham blocked the first.
Missed the second.
Barely dodged the third.
A cut opened across his chest.
He jumped back.
Breathing sharpened.
Eyes focused.
Then—
He smiled.
"A swordsman."
The knight rushed.
Saksham met it head-on.
Steel and shadow collided again and again, sparks tearing through the dark plain.
At the academy, the sunset bell rang.
Aryan looked toward the horizon for no reason.
His chest felt uneasy.
He clenched his fist.
"Brother…"
Back in the War Realm, Saksham slid backward under another crushing strike.
His feet dug trenches into the earth.
The black knight raised its blade for the finishing blow.
Eltharos did not move.
Saksham steadied himself.
Then, for the first time—
A strange black-and-white aura flickered around his eyes.
System window flashed violently.
[UNKNOWN BLOODLINE RESPONSE DETECTED]
[LOCKED TRAIT AWAKENING...]
The knight's blade descended.
Everything went white.
END OF EPISODE 5