The Masked Legacy

Thorne looked at the shimmering fruit in his hand, its golden and orange hues swirling like molten metal, as if it had been forged in the heart of a volcano. He had already decided that he would eat it before returning to Akira.

One glance at the fruit confirmed his suspicion—it couldn't be stored in his ring. It pulsed with spiritual energy, almost vibrating with life, too volatile to be contained. He sighed, staring at the strange fruit.

No wonder they call this place the Garden of the Gods, he thought.

You just have to know where to look, and nature offers up its treasures.

He steeled his mind, sitting down with a grunt, feeling the ache in his muscles ripple through his body. His back still stung from the scalding steam, and the rest of him felt like it was about to collapse.

Can I even make it back to the other side? he wondered. But a nagging sense of determination flickered inside him, telling him that somehow, he would.

Taking a deep breath, Thorne raised the fruit to his mouth. The smell was intense, a mix of earth and steel, almost overwhelming. He took a bite, the taste sharp and metallic on his tongue, as though he was eating molten ore itself. The moment he swallowed, his eyes widened.

A bolt of pain shot through his chest.

Clutching his torso, Thorne's first instinct was that he had taken the wrong fruit. The agony bloomed from the core of his being, radiating outward like wildfire. His pulse thundered in his ears, his vision blurred, and he gasped for air. The fruit had set his entire body on fire—inside and out.

Thorne collapsed backward, unable to hold back a choked sob. The pain in his back? That was a pinprick compared to this. His muscles clenched, his bones ached, and it felt as if his organs were tearing themselves apart.

gods… he thought, biting down hard, trying to suppress another cry of anguish. His skin felt as if it were peeling away, his body undergoing some kind of violent, internal reconstruction.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain began to subside, slowly at first, then all at once. Thorne lay on his back, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. His limbs twitched as the last traces of torment faded. He let out a ragged breath, his mind spinning.

That was worse than death, he thought grimly. It was as though he had survived being burned alive inside and out, only to be reborn.

Shakily, Thorne sat up, running his hands over his body. His skin felt different—tougher, almost as if it had been tempered by the ordeal. He flexed his fingers, feeling the raw strength coursing through his veins. The pain in his back was completely gone, replaced with a sensation of solidity and resilience. His body felt structured, defined, as if his very muscles had been reshaped into something more... efficient.

A smile spread across his face as he stood up, stronger, faster, more comfortable in his own skin. The Fruit of Steel had done its work.

He gazed at the remnants of the fruit in his hand, its once fiery glow now dimmed, the spirituality within it almost entirely spent. Thorne's smile deepened, satisfaction swelling in his chest.

A newfound confidence swelling within him. He knew his body had changed significantly, and with it, his speed and agility.

The heat from the geysers no longer felt unbearable as he surveyed the path back to Akira. Without hesitation, he sprinted forward. The difference was immediate—his body moved in perfect harmony with his mind, as though the fruit had tuned him to a higher frequency.

He weaved between the geysers, avoiding the deadly bursts of steam with ease. The heat still surged from the ground, but his body's new resilience kept it from slowing him down and hurting him.

Before long, he could see Akira waiting near the tree, her sword in hand, eyes scanning the area warily. She was alert, her body tense, ready for whatever might emerge from the forest.

Thorne felt a pang of guilt. He had left her here, in this dangerous place, without considering the possibility of attack. But then again, no ordinary beast would dare come near the territory of a Masked Beast.

He stopped just a few feet away, catching her attention. Akira turned, her eyes quickly raking over him, scanning for injuries.

"Got what you came for?" she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.

"More or less," Thorne replied with a grin, tossing the half-eaten fruit to her. She caught it with both hands, staring at it in disbelief.

"This... this is a Fruit of Steel," she murmured, her voice filled with awe. As a battle nun, Akira knew the importance of recognizing the fruits and items connected to the gods.

The Fruit of Steel was near the top of that list. Its potential to alter one's constitution, to fortify the body and raise it to an entirely new level, was legendary. Greed flashed in her eyes for a brief second, but Thorne gave her a knowing smile.

"No need to look at me like that," he said casually. "It's yours."

Akira blinked, momentarily stunned.

"You're giving me this?" she asked, holding the fruit as if it were a priceless treasure. It was worth more than just a fortune. If she could manage to bring it out of the Garden of the Gods, its value would be beyond comprehension.

But then reality set in. She realized why he had handed it over so easily. The fruit's potent spirituality made it impossible to store in a ring. Not to mention, the spiritual energy within was already waning. By the time they found an archway out of the Garden, it would have lost most of its effectiveness. Worse still, beasts would be drawn to it, hungry for its power..

Still, she stared at him, wondering what changes had already occurred in his body.

Noticing her gaze lingering on him, Thorne nodded.

"You'd better eat it before it loses the rest of its potency."

Akira hesitated for only a moment before throwing the remainder of the fruit into her mouth, swallowing it whole. A second passed, then another. Her eyes widened, and she gasped as her body convulsed, doubling over as pain shot through her like lightning.

Thorne's smile grew wider. He knew exactly what she was going through.

Akira's hands clenched the ground, her knuckles white. The pain exploded inside her, worse than any battle wound she had ever experienced. Her skin felt like it was being torn apart from within, her muscles burning as if they were melting and reforming all at once. Every fiber of her being screamed for relief, but there was none.

Her vision blurred, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She gritted her teeth, trying to maintain control, but the fruit's power coursed through her relentlessly, tearing her apart so it could rebuild her anew.

Thorne watched her carefully. He knew what she was feeling.

The Fruit of Steel didn't just change the body—it broke it down, reforging it like iron in a smithy's hands. It was agony, pure and simple, but in the end, it would be worth it.

Then, something miraculous happened. Her left arm—the one she had lost—began to tingle, an odd, almost foreign sensation returning to where there had been nothing for so long. She glanced down, her eyes widening in shock as she saw new flesh knitting together, tendons and bone reforming in a slow, almost painful process. The arm was growing back.

Her scream pierced the air, a mix of anguish and disbelief, as the nerves and muscles reconnected, sending waves of sharp, blinding pain through her body. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Her arm—her lost arm—was coming back before her very eyes, painfully reconstructing itself, the makeshift bandage around it had loosened.

Thorne watched with a mixture of awe and satisfaction. He hadn't known that the Fruit of Steel could regenerate limb, not that he knew anything about it at all, but he wasn't surprised.

Its power was immense, reshaping the body in ways no ordinary fruit could. It was as though Akira's body was being remolded, just like his had been.

After what felt like an eternity, Akira's body calmed, the pain ebbing away until she lay on the ground, gasping for breath. She stared at her newly regenerated arm, flexing the fingers, still in shock.