"Keane, someday, you will find your reason for living," an old man wearing a robe that had seen better days said. It was old and ragged, and yet, it couldn't hide the majesty of the person wearing it. "Right now, you just live, for the sake of living. Life shouldn't be lived like that."
"Master, isn't being alive enough?' the skinny teenager replied. "I eat when I'm hungry. I drink when I'm thirsty, and sleep when I'm sleepy. I am content with what I have right now, I don't want anything else."
"Keane, contentment leads to stagnation," the old man commented as he stroked his beard while eyeing the young man in front of him. "Just like a sword that is forever inside a sheath, it is unable to show its true potential. It is merely a decoration, having lost its true value."
"But, Master, isn't being a decoration enough?" Keane inquired. "Wouldn't peace be better than war?"
"Peace is always better than war, but have you ever thought that in order to keep the peace, someone must have the strength to prevent it from collapsing? If bandits were to descend on a peaceful village to steal their livestock, money, and women, what could being peaceful do?
"If Beast Tides were about to trample on everyone, and everything you hold dear, does living peacefully make them go away? The answer is No. Only those with power can protect the peace of the world. A decoration may look pretty, but that is all it is. A decoration. It cannot carry the sky when it falls down on your head. Remember this Keane, and remember this well.
"Only those who have the power to protect the peace, are the one that keep the peace and safeguard the people from their suffering."
The skinny teenager didn't reply right away as if pondering something inside his head. A moment later, he looked up at his Master and said.
"Master, I have no desire to argue with anyone," Keane stated. "I choose to walk away because I just want peace."
The old man smiled and nodded his head in understanding.
"Keane, travel the world, and see with your own eyes if you can find the peace you are looking for," the old man replied. "Also, I have signed you up for the Lionheart Tournament that will be held in Barbatos Academy. Maybe, by interacting with people the same age as you, you will see things you have never seen before. Experience feelings, you have never felt before."
—--
A young man sat in the lotus position with his sword resting on his lap. He was breathing steadily as he meditated in order to cleanse his mind before his match that would be happening in two hours.
He didn't know who his opponent was, nor did he care. His Master had told him to see the world, and his first stop was Barbatos Academy. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he felt as if he had glimpsed the meaning of his Master's words, about the true meaning of peace.
Suddenly a loud knocking sound was heard from his door. A familiar voice, which made Keane's heart tremble and his skin crawl, reached his ears.
"Hey! Little Swordy, are you awake? Your fight will begin in a few hours!" the Boar's voice shouted from outside the door. "Have you eaten? Did you go to the comfort room? Want me to help you bring your breakfast? Ah, they are having lamb chops for breakfast, should I order two of them? I don't mind eating with you because you always look lonely…"
Keane opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.
"Master, the outside world isn't peaceful at all," Keane lamented. "I want to go back to the mountain."
Unfortunately, his Master wasn't there, so Keane had no choice but to fend for himself, and try to settle the matter with the annoying Boar that was knocking on his door in a peaceful manner.
—--
"Listen, Little Swordy, your opponent today might be weaker than me, but you mustn't underestimate him," the Boar said as it walked beside the skinny teenager and escorted him to the waiting area of the Coliseum. "He is one of the Four Clowns and Five Buffoons. Although they are a bunch of d*cks, they are still stronger than most."
"I understand. I will not underestimate him," Keane replied.
"Good. as one of the members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, you mustn't lose to him and uphold our honor."
"I understand. I will do my best."
"This is what I like about you, Little Swordy," the Boar said as it glanced at the skinny swordsman with satisfaction. "You're very easy to talk to."
"Thank you," Keane replied.
Right now, he was just talking automatically like an answering machine. He had long understood that the Boar would just prolong his suffering if he denied, or disagreed with its words.
"Well then, this is as far as I go," the Boar patted Keane's waist with its hoof. "Go break a leg. Rather, go slice a leg."
"Okay." Keanne nodded as he went to the hallway that would lead him to the arena.
As soon as he appeared, the cheers and applause of the audience descended on him like a tide. He was one of the crowd favorites to win because of his mysterious identity, as well as his one move, insta-wins.
In truth, many of the young warriors who were watching the matches in the arena had aspired to become just like him. Even the young ladies found his unique style quite intriguing, making them want to know more about him.
They just couldn't understand how he managed to do it. The moment a clinking sound was heard in the arena, his opponents arms, and legs, would be cut off, preventing them from continuing to battle.
He was using the Sword Art that his Master had created and its name was "Grand Void".
His attacks were so sharp, that the severed limbs could easily be reattached and healed without problem.
It was a Sword Art that only the most powerful individuals within the Six Kingdoms were aware of. Without even fully drawing the sword, one could effectively slice a mountain in half.
Keane's Master jokingly said that when Keane was able to draw the sword out of its sheath and execute the final form of the Grand Void Sword Art, he would be able to slice the void, which would allow him to travel through the void, where space and time flowed differently.
The moment he stepped into the arena, Keane was finally able to see his opponent. One glance alone was enough to tell him that the blonde teenager in front of him was not like those people that he had defeated in the past.
'He's the real deal,' Keane thought as he rested his left thumb on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike as soon as the referee gave the signal to start the match.
The skinny young man hoped that after this match was over, he would be one step closer to the peace he desired, so he could return to the mountains where his Master was patiently waiting for him.
