Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The heat of the Kurogane Realm pressed down on the dark stone courtyard. Daiki stood near the gnarled spiritual tree and stared at his father. He was trying to process the revelation. Master Harrow was an elite recruiter from a stronger realm and the Blood Iron Clan had maintained a secret alliance with him for years. It was a massive piece of political leverage.

"How come I did not know about this until now?" Daiki asked again. His thick brow furrowed in confusion. "I was the heir to the clan. I sat in on the war councils before I left. You never mentioned an academy or an outside alliance."

Lord Tarkan looked at his son. His scarred face remained perfectly impassive.

"Because you were not ready," Tarkan answered bluntly the same thing as before. "You lacked the maturity to understand the burden of our clan. You viewed every political move as a personal attack against your freedom. You are finally maturing enough to know how the wider cosmos truly operates."

Daiki was taken aback by the blunt answer. He closed his mouth and looked down at the stone tiles.

Li Yu watched the exchange from his seat on the heavy iron bench. He began to suspect a deeper layer to Tarkan’s actions. Perhaps the Clan Lord had been intentionally tough on his son for centuries. He was forging Daiki through extreme hardship and strict expectations. Sometimes parents have to make incredibly difficult choices. They do what they think is in the best interest of their children even if it causes resentment.

The thought made a dull ache form in Li Yu's chest. He thought of his own dead parents back in his original world. He missed them. He remembered his mother's quiet warmth and his father's steady guidance. They had protected him in their own subtle ways.

‘Was Tarkan simply protecting his son using the brutal methods of the Kurogane Realm?’ Li Yu wondered.

Daiki seemed to reach a similar conclusion. He looked up at his father with a sudden and desperate spark of hope in his golden eyes.

"If my maturity was the issue, does that mean everything before was just a test?" Daiki asked. His voice trembled slightly. "Does that mean I do not have to marry the hydra? Was the arrangement just a way to push me into taking my cultivation seriously?"

Tarkan’s expression instantly hardened into stone. He stepped closer to his son and his Tribulation realm aura flared with authority.

"It was not a test," Tarkan stated coldly. "You still have to marry her. That political arrangement is very real and it is very necessary. Her clan is incredibly powerful. They are ranked within the top ten factions of the Kurogane Realm."

Tarkan crossed his heavily scarred arms. "An alliance through marriage is paving the path for your future as the leader of the Blood Iron Clan. It secures our borders facing them. It guarantees military support. You might hate the arrangement and you might despise the girl. But it is in the best interest of your future. More importantly, it is in the best interest of the clan."

Tarkan leaned forward slightly. "There are thousands of people who rely on you, Daiki. The blacksmiths, the foot soldiers and the elders all look to the main bloodline for stability. You cannot forget them just because you wish to live a quiet life."

Daiki took a slow step back. He was shaken.

He had never truly understood the scope of his position before today. He had spent years running and hiding in the shadows of The Veil. He had viewed his father solely as a tyrant trying to ruin his life. He had ignored the thousands of clan members counting on his strength and his political ties. He had been entirely selfish.

A heavy weight settled squarely onto his massive shoulders. He realized the world did not revolve around his personal desires. Still, his internal resolve did not break. He had made a promise in the medical ward. He wanted to save Sora and he would pay the price to do so. He would marry the monster to secure the medicine and he would simply have to sort out the rest of his miserable life later.

Li Yu stood by the stone wall and listened to the heavy political burden being placed on his friend. The situation felt incredibly familiar. He could not help but remember a conversation he had witnessed long ago.

He remembered Muten standing in front of his father. He remembered the exact argument Muten had with his own royal father regarding forced political alliances. It was almost identical. Li Yu smiled faintly. He decided to speak up and break the crushing tension in the courtyard.

"Would he still need such an alliance if he was so strong that he did not need alliances?" Li Yu asked jokingly. He mirrored Muten's words from that day.

Daiki flinched violently. He turned and stared at Li Yu in horror. He expected his father to erupt in a volcanic rage for an outsider interfering in family affairs. Instead, Tarkan threw his head back and laughed.

It was a deep and booming sound that echoed off the dark stone walls. It was the first time Li Yu had seen the Clan Lord express amusement. Tarkan looked at Li Yu and offered a wide grin that highlighted his jagged teeth.

"Those are very bold words, human," Tarkan said loudly. "But they are absolutely great words. Indeed, if Daiki was strong enough to suppress the top ten clans on his own, he would not need to consider such political things. Absolute strength renders all alliances obsolete."

A massive fire suddenly ignited within Daiki upon hearing his father agree with the statement.

His golden eyes burned with a fierce and sudden intensity. His motivation to get stronger had never been higher. He saw a tiny sliver of light in the darkness of his future. The marriage negotiations and the ceremonial preparations would take time. If he could somehow reach the apex of power before the marriage was finalized, he could break the chains. He could be with Sora without being forced into another marriage with someone he did not want.

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He just needed overwhelming power. He needed to become a force of nature that everyone in this realm feared.

Tarkan noticed the massive shift in his son's aura. The older demon looked at Daiki and offered a brief and hidden smile. It was the exact same smile Li Yu had seen the day before in the throne room. Tarkan had successfully manipulated his son's rebellious nature into a burning drive for cultivation if that was his purpose.

Master Harrow cleared his throat politely. The refined recruiter stepped forward and smoothed his midnight blue robes.

"Speaking of gaining strength, my academy could certainly use someone like you right now," Harrow offered smoothly. "You have an excellent foundation and a clear drive. You are in the Domain King realm. You could be our main fighter in the Domain King bracket of the upcoming competitions."

Daiki shook his head respectfully. The fire in his eyes remained but his immediate priorities were set.

"I appreciate the offer, Master Harrow," Daiki declined firmly. "But I have urgent things I need to do here in the Kurogane Realm. I need to procure specific medicines from my clan's great vault to save my Dao Companion. I cannot leave until she is healed."

Harrow raised a silver eyebrow. He looked intrigued. "What kind of medicine are you looking for?"

"A Crimson Marrow Lotus or a Nine Live Ironheart." Daiki answered. He then went on to list the other medicines that he was told.

Harrow smiled brightly. He clasped his hands behind his back. "That is quite a fortunate coincidence. The grand academy competition in my realm rewards some of those supreme treasures. They are reserved for the highest level of contribution during the tournament. You could also earn enough points over time through different arena battles and purchase them directly from the academy treasury."

Daiki froze. He stared at the silver haired recruiter.

Tarkan immediately frowned deeply. The Clan Lord glared at his old friend. "You are overstepping your boundaries, Harrow. You are giving him another route and cutting off the political path I had explicitly intended for him."

Tarkan scolded the man harshly but Li Yu noticed something very important. The Clan Lord did not actually seem upset. His aura did not flare with anger and his hands remained relaxed at his sides. The scolding was entirely performative, most likely anyways.

Daiki looked between his father and the recruiter. His mind was racing. "That route is too uncertain. Earning points over time could take years. Sora does not have years. My father has already given me a task that will secure the medicine. It will take time to forge the alliance and create an heir with the hydra girl but it is a guaranteed trade."

Harrow shook his head gently. "You misunderstand the timeline, Daiki. The grand competition is happening in exactly two weeks from now. It is a massive event that draws the strongest talents from several realms. If you came back with me today and fought to claim a spot in the Domain King bracket within the week, you could compete. If you win your division, you could claim the treasure in less than a month."

Daiki was visibly tempted. His massive hands twitched at his sides. Earning the medicine in less than a month was vastly superior to navigating years of brutal clan politics and a forced marriage. His father had said he could take the medicine first but who knows if that would change. It was a much faster path to saving Sora.

"He can take that path if he wants to," Tarkan suddenly stated.

Daiki turned to look at his father in shock.

"You would allow me to go?" Daiki asked in disbelief.

"I will not stop you," Tarkan answered calmly. He looked directly into Daiki's eyes. "If you go to the academy and win the tournament, you will be earning the medicine entirely on your own merit. You would not be relying on the heritage of the Blood Iron Clan. Therefore, you would not need to listen to my conditions regarding the vault. The choice is yours."

Daiki was taken aback. His father had never treated him with such respect before. Tarkan was not issuing a command. He was laying out an incredibly dangerous alternative and allowing Daiki to make his own decision. It was like he was finally talking to him as an equal or at least as a true father guiding a capable son.

Li Yu was equally surprised. The entire sequence of events was falling together too perfectly. He still was not sure if this was some kind of elaborate ploy engineered by Tarkan or if the Clan Lord had simply seized a fortunate opportunity. It did not matter right now. The result was the same. Daiki was being given a chance to fight for his own salvation.

"I will do it," Daiki decided. His voice was absolute iron. "I will enter the academy competition and I will win the medicine."

Master Harrow clapped his hands together happily. "Excellent. We really did not have a strong candidate in the Domain King realm this cycle. You will bring great honor to the academy."

Tarkan nodded in satisfaction. He turned his attention toward Li Yu.

"Since Daiki is joining your ranks, why not recruit Li Yu as well?" Tarkan suggested. "I remember you telling me yesterday that your academy was also desperately looking for a strong fighter in the Law Integration realm. Li Yu possesses an incredibly dense foundation. He would serve you well."

Harrow stiffened instantly. A bead of cold sweat formed on his brow as he looked at Li Yu.

It was entirely true that the academy needed Law Integration fighters. However, Harrow would not dare to recruit someone who casually carried that sword. He did not know the name of the sword either but he had seen it countless of times in the projections of the retelling of their great hero.

He had seen Li Canghai personally in battle with that sword centuries ago. Li Canghai had personally saved Harrow's home realm from a massive invading force when Harrow was much younger. Li Canghai was a legendary hero to his people and stories were told to their children of his heroism.

To recruit someone that was carrying the weapon of the revered figure into a bloody tournament for mere resources was an insult to Li Canghai. He would not dare to bring such dishonor to the immortal status that Li Canghai carried. As far as he was concerned, if Li Yu was carrying that sword he had a deep connection to the man. It was a risk Harrow was completely unwilling to take.

"You... you must have heard me wrong, Tarkan," Harrow denied quickly. He waved his hands in a flustered motion. "Or perhaps I spoke in mistake. Our Law Integration roster is actually quite full at the moment. We do not need any fighters in that bracket."

Li Yu raised an eyebrow at the sudden panic but he chose not to press the issue. He had no desire to join a formal academy anyway.

"However," Harrow recovered quickly and forced a polite smile. "Li Yu is more than welcome to accompany us as an honored guest. He can come to cheer Daiki on during the tournament. Daiki can join our academy in name today and we can begin the journey immediately."

"That sounds fine to me," Li Yu agreed easily. He looked at Daiki. "I will be there to watch you win."

Daiki offered a fierce and determined grin. He had a clear path forward. The Kurogane Realm had tested his resolve but he was leaving it on his own terms. He was going to fight for the woman he loved and he was going to forge his own destiny with his own two hands.