CLASH!
The sound of swords echoed across the yard.
"Why is this so heavy?!" Kage groaned, struggling to lift the blade.
"Don't drop it on your foot!" Akami shouted from behind.
Heena trained separately, alone in a mountain cave. Her hands trembled as she held an invisible sword.
"I… don't have a sword. I have to find my Code," she whispered to herself.
Days passed. She meditated in silence, her breath slowing, her heart focusing.
Then—a faint pattern shimmered beside her.
A circle. "O" — clear, radiant.
Code: O
"Command… Protection," Heena said softly.
A gentle energy surrounded her—warm, firm, unbreakable. Healing. Shielding. Defense.
She smiled.
"Even if I can't fight like them… I can protect them."
Meanwhile, Kage practiced for an hour or two—then disappeared.
"Tch… I don't even HAVE a Code," he muttered. But no matter what, he always came back.
Two Years Later
"You two, your moves are stiff. Slow. Your attacks lack precision. Look, I've told you—Hai-Key is a technique from our ancestors. The first user created it, and our family has honed it ever since.
Hai-Key lets you control Commands even if you weren't born with a Code. But there's a catch: one powerful command, or four low-level commands. And at your current skill… I don't see potential for you yet."
He paused, eyes on Kage.
"Kage… ever since I brought you here with your little sister Heena, I've checked—again and again—by calling top Code masters—to see if you'd receive a delayed Code. Rare, but possible. Yet… aside from your sister, you have none. No Code.
But your seven senses? They are constantly activated—rare, even for someone born with a Code. I don't know why. I'll find out."
He turned to Heena.
"Your sister already exceeds you in combat, and she has a Code. A Protection Command. At first, her Code glowed red—Phoenix Flames. Rare. But as she trained, it shifted green. I don't know the exact meaning yet, but it's clearly a Protection Command. She still needs to hone it."
He looked at both children seriously.
"You might have heard: it's been two years since the Velvet King was killed. War is coming. Crystals are being destroyed. Even those born with Code aren't safe. We need an alternative."
He paused. "Why are people dying? Crystals are the medium for Commands. As the population of Command users grows, Crystals can't hold the energy—they fail. Those born without Code, like me, can still use energy through Hai-Key. Limited, yes, but not bound to Crystals."
He stretched, exhaustion creeping in. "We've trained enough today. One month of rigorous training. Rest now."
"Akami… you are to be the next king."
"Then why them? What are they training for?"
"Because they are coming with me."
"As you say, my lord."
Farewells
"Brother… why? I don't want to go. I want to stay with you."
"Kage, how many times do I have to say it? I'm not your hero or lord. See me as a brother. Or… a friend."
"And Heena… you've gotten very naughty. But you can stay with Akami if you want."
"Yessh! I will stay with Akami!"
"Don't worry, I can handle it."
"You're ten years old, Akami."
"Huh? You're just one year older than me!"
"Stop that. I have to see Mother. Come, Kage."
"As you say… brother… friend."
[KOHAS ROYALE PALACE]
"I told you, Hakari. Wherever you go—I don't care."
"I know, Father. Better than anyone—you don't want to see me. But I had to say goodbye."
"You did. Now begone."
"Hakari, why so soon? Only two years. Stay for now—for me, for peace."
"Mother… staying longer wasn't bad. I wanted to see you every day. I love you."
"But now… I fear I've become a burden. A coward…"
"Stop it. You are not a burden. A coward—you will never become."
Hakari's voice trembled.
"Mother, to me, a coward isn't someone who runs from responsibility—it's someone who faces it when it's already too late.
I fear I am too late. I am no one special. If I had never been born… maybe I wouldn't have responsibilities.
But I am here. I see it. I feel it. And I want to fix it. I'm not a hero… just a coward, trying to make up for being late."
"I won't stop you anymore, Hakari. You are not a coward. If not a hero… then you are Hakari Shinzowa."