Far to the north, surrounded by endless waters, stretched a vast and imposing landmass. On this land stood a breathtaking city, an architectural marvel where towering buildings carved from blue-hued stone glistened under the sun. This was the domain of the Aquira Clan, a lineage of unrivaled water wielders. Their mastery over the very molecules of water had made them one of the most formidable forces in the world.
At the heart of the estate, within an opulent chamber adorned with intricate marine-themed decor, a woman lounged on a plush couch. One leg draped lazily over the armrest, the other idly swinging. Her deep azure hair cascaded in waves, mirroring the serene yet untamed nature of the sea. This was Tasha Aquira, a woman both revered and feared for her prowess.
An older woman, poised with an air of refinement, regarded Tasha with exasperation. "Can you, for once, behave like a proper lady? The entire clan whispers about your mannerisms. Must you always present yourself this way?"
Tasha smirked, lazily stretching. "Mother, I thought we had an agreement. You stopped pestering me about this nonsense years ago. I have no interest in wearing suffocating dresses or attending dull balls."
Maxima Aquira sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It has been fifteen years since that incident at the banquet, Tasha. You cannot keep using it as an excuse."
"Oh? And here I thought you enjoyed having me as an unsolvable problem." Tasha's smirk widened. "But let's put that aside. I have something far more interesting to discuss."
Maxima arched a brow. "Oh? Enlighten me."
Tasha sat up, her expression turning serious. "The Phoenix Clan has welcomed their heir."
Silence filled the room before Maxima finally spoke. "So, it has happened." Her fingers traced the rim of a crystal goblet thoughtfully. "Zelda's grandson."
Tasha leaned forward. "Do you think Aunt Zelda would allow us to visit?"
A wistful look crossed Maxima's face before she masked it with a neutral expression. "She owes me much. There is no way she would dare refuse if I demanded an audience."
A glimmer of excitement flashed in Tasha's eyes. "Then let's prepare. I want to meet this so-called prodigy who caused such a commotion at birth
Maxima could only shake her head. Her daughter Tasha was only interested in strength, which was why, despite her absolute beauty, she was still single. Tasha would only marry a man stronger than her. Unfortunately, such men were few and far between and mostly already settled down with families of their own. Maxima was truly worried about her daughter's love life. She was afraid her daughter would be single forever at this rate and she wouldn't be able to have any grandchildren. The thought of that scared her to no end. That absolutely could not be allowed to happen. She had to quickly, using all means available to her, find a suitable bachelor and play matchmaker. Yes, she just had to do it for the sake of the Aquira clan's future generations.
Tasha herself never put much importance on marriage and raising future generations. She continued to focus solely on increasing her strength, clearing dungeons, and occasionally joining the frontlines at the borders to fight off the beasts, as was her duty. In her free time, she lounged on the couch lazily, not caring about anything else
Maxima acquiesced to Tasha, and so the preparations to visit the Phoenix estate began.
Meanwhile, in a storm-wracked region where thunder raged without end, another force stirred. The Cerauno Clan, the uncontested masters of lightning, ruled this land with an iron grip. At its heart, within a grand chamber lined with storm-forged steel, sat Baraq Cerauno—their leader.
The throne beneath him was no ordinary seat. It pulsed with raw energy, etched with the sigils of their ancestors. Around him, twelve elders sat upon smaller thrones, their expressions grave.
Baraq stated, "I believe we have all witnessed the phenomenon that appeared in the Phoenix domain. Those featherless fowls have produced an heir, and he is a genius of epic proportions. Never have I seen the birth of a single person cause such a commotion. Even when my son Raum, whom I believe to be the most talented member of the clan since our progenitor, was born, he did not cause a phenomenon of that scale. The seriousness of this matter is beyond classification. We cannot allow those fowls to enjoy a talent of that magnitude, much less a direct descendant. That is exactly why I have called this meeting. We must decide what we are going to do because allowing that boy to come into power is out of the question."
An elder seated to the left said, "Our lord is right, such a talent will bring us countless losses if allowed to develop. We are already at the point that we cannot share the same sky with those fowls. The only reason we haven't started a war of extermination with each other is because of the looming threat the dungeons and beasts bring."
Elder Galvan added, "But we have no way of even accessing their estate. As much as I hate those fowls, I must admit they are a capable bunch. They discovered all our spies the moment they entered their territory and are on guard against us. It will be a Herculean task to even get a glimpse of the newborn, much less scheme against him."
"Hmph! While I agree with what you have said, Galvan, are those fowls more capable than us? If we truly wanted to infiltrate them, with our speed, they wouldn't even see us coming." Turning his head to face Baraq, Elder Fulgu continued, "My lord, I admit that considering the phenomenon created at the birth of the new heir, he might be a great talent. But do you really not trust young Master Raum to deal with that newborn brat? Besides, Master Raum has almost a seven-year lead on that brat, and I don't believe he can ever catch up with him, especially since young Master Raum is also a genius of epic proportions. That's not even considering the fact that our lightning trumps their fire 100% of the time."
Baraq smiled after Elder Fulgu finished speaking. "You are right. I trust my son to dominate that brat and the rest of his peers. Besides, I won't lower my station to deal with the younger generation. For now, let's leave this problem for the younger generation. If any complications arise, we may take a different turn then."
All the elders nodded their heads in acknowledgment, after which Baraq dismissed them. He stood up, glancing at the seats where the elders had just been, a smile on his lips. Then, with a flash of lightning, he disappeared. He reappeared in a secluded area he had created personally for Raum's training. "Son, have you heard the news from the Phoenix domain?" A boy sitting cross-legged on a stone platform, as if in deep contemplation, opened his eyes slowly. "I have, Father," he replied. Baraq, with an amused expression, continued to ask, "Do you want Daddy to take care of it for you?" To which Raum replied, "No, leave him to me. I will use the situation as a whetstone, tempering myself and proving to the clan how infallible I am. The clan will not need to interfere. If I cannot handle even this, then I am not fit to be your son, to be the one that would save humanity"
Baraq smiled. "As expected of my son." Then, grabbing Raum's hand, he led him toward the main estate, all the while thinking, "The next few years are going to be interesting."