Dual Destiny: I Am The Special One

"Kyoji Ren?" a young man asked, stepping off the elevator and approaching Kyoji without a word of greeting.

The young man wore the typical uniform of the Ironrune hunters – a knee-length robe with a deep blue and fiery red stripe, a golden sash tied around his waist as a belt, and loose, reddish-orange pants underneath.

Of course, every hunter had the freedom to personalize their uniform, but this young man seemed to possess no sense of style, a fact that Kyoji found utterly appalling. Clothes were humanity's greatest invention, capable of making a statement, conveying power, even inspiring confidence. This young man, however, seemed oblivious to their potential.

"Yes," Kyoji finally replied, suppressing his inner turmoil at the man's fashion negligence.

"Come with me," the young man instructed, turning and heading back towards the elevator without bothering to see if Kyoji was following.

As he turned, Kyoji glimpsed the emblem etched on the back of the young man's robe – a fiery red sword poised above a broken anvil, a hammer raised above it, ready to strike. The symbol identified him as a member of the weaponsmith department within the Ironrune hunters' organization.

The Ironrune hunters' organization were divided into two distinct branches: the battle department and the weaponsmith department. The weaponsmiths were the artisans, the creators, crafting weapons on commission or for general sale. The battle department, on the other hand, were the warriors, accepting missions from individuals and the human alliance alike.

Moments later, they arrived at the elevator. The young man pressed the button for the tenth floor of the fifteen-story building.

The elevator doors opened to a hallway lined with doors. The young man stopped at one and knocked.

"Enter!" a gruff voice from within said.

The young man opened the door and ushered Kyoji inside before closing it behind them.

Kyoji had expected a grand office, tastefully decorated and meticulously organized. Instead, he found himself in a chaotic space that was half office, half workshop.

Bookshelves overflowed with tomes on weapon-making, blueprints, and strange symbols he couldn't decipher. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and metal.

In the corner, a fireplace blazed merrily, radiating heat throughout the room. Near the fire, a massive metal table dominated the space, a heavy anvil resting on top, a long-handled hammer lying beside it. The walls were stained with soot, and the floor was littered with scraps of metal, broken weapons, and discarded tools.

"Apologies for the disarray. It's been a hectic month," a voice said, breaking through Kyoji's stunned silence. He hadn't even noticed the man standing before him. He wore a black suit, slightly dusted with metal shavings, white gloves on his hands, and a pair of big spectacles perched on his nose.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Kyoji asked, still trying to process the scene before him.

"I said I apologize for the mess. My…," the man paused, searching for the right word.

"Workplace?" Kyoji offered.

"Yes, yes, precisely! My workplace," the man said with a smile, removing his gloves and extending his hand towards Kyoji.

"I am Luke by the way."

"I'm Kyoji," he replied, taking Luke's hand in a firm handshake. He wasn't surprised by the calluses that roughened the weaponsmith's palm.

"Excellent, excellent. Nice to finally meet you," Luke said, retrieving his hand and giving Kyoji a piercing stare, as if trying to intimidate him.

"Young Master Frederick had high praise for you. Said you were a young man with potential. It's hard to impress that stubborn kid, so you must have done something right?" Luke asked, finally breaking eye contact and turning towards a corner of the room where a table and chairs were set up like a normal office.

Kyoji followed, knowing he was meant to.

'So it was Frederick, as I suspected,' Kyoji mused, trailing behind Luke.

'Wait a minute. The name Luke sounds familiar... don't tell me...' Kyoji stopped in his tracks, shock momentarily paralyzing him as he stared at the man's slightly hunched back.

"May I ask you something?" he finally asked.

"Sure, kid. Fire away," Luke said, not bothering to turn around.

"By Luke, do you mean… Great Grandmaster Luke?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Oh, that," Luke said, pausing and turning to face Kyoji.

"Well, people call me that, so I suppose it's one of the many names I answer to," Luke replied nonchalantly, turning and continuing towards the table, leaving Kyoji rooted in shock, a rare occurrence for him.

He was standing before a Coliseum City legend, a man even the elite families treated with the utmost respect. The title "Great Grandmaster" spoke volumes of Luke's skills as a weaponsmith. It signified a feat no one else in the entire shelter had accomplished – crafting a Rare level weapon.

"Are you planning on standing there all day, or are you going to sit?" Luke's voice broke through Kyoji's reverie.

"Oh," Kyoji mumbled, realizing he was still frozen in place.

He walked over and sat in the chair opposite Luke.

As soon as Kyoji sat, Luke gave him another once-over, this time not with intimidation, but with an intensity that felt like an assessment.

"Ever wonder why I agreed to forge a weapon for you, kid?" Luke asked after a moment.

Kyoji was taken aback by the question but shook his head in response.

He was being truthful. Luke was a legend within the shelter. Even the patriarchs of the elite families had to beg and offer extravagant sums of money to secure his services. That was the power of being the only one capable of crafting Rare level weapons within the coliseum city and also one of a handful in the entire world.

The highest anyone else had ever achieved was crafting a Legendary weapon, a level below what Luke could accomplish. And only a select few throughout history had even managed to reach that level. Luke's skills were in a league of their own. Which begged the question: why would he agree to craft a weapon for Kyoji?

Sensing his confusion, Luke explained:

"You see, I owe that young Master Frederick a rather large favor. One I'm not sure how to repay. So, when he called it in and asked me to forge a weapon for you, well, I couldn't exactly refuse." He paused and gave Kyoji another once-over.

"Besides," Luke added, "I'm curious about the young man who managed to impress the young master so much." He continued to study Kyoji with an unreadable expression.

It was impossible to tell if Luke was impressed or not.

"Anyway, I've already sketched out some designs based on Frederick's description of the mutant beast hide. Weapons, armor, you name it," Luke said, gesturing towards several sheets of paper.

Kyoji eyed the sketches. He recognized swords, spears, armor, daggers, and even a few weapons he couldn't quite place.

"So, I can choose any of these?" Kyoji asked after taking a moment to study the blueprints.

"Technically, yes," Luke replied.

"But I'll need to examine the hide up close before finalizing anything. Some modifications might be necessary."

"Oh," Kyoji mumbled. He noticed Luke was staring at him expectantly.

"Wait a minute," Kyoji said, understanding dawning on him.

"You want me to summon it here? Now?"

"Of course, what else would I ask?" Luke replied, furrowing his brows.

"Well, I can summon it, but this room… it's not exactly spacious. The hide is quite large."

"Oh," Luke muttered, glancing around the cluttered workspace.

The room was technically large enough to hold the hide, but only if it were completely empty. Bringing it out here would only add to the already chaotic state of the workshop.

Suddenly, Luke sat up straight, grabbing the gloves he'd taken off earlier and putting them back on. He walked around the table, stopping beside Kyoji.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Luke asked, giving Kyoji's shoulder a firm pat.

"Come on..."

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[A/N_ Hey everyone, it's ILR, your author! I just wanted to ask a quick favor. If you've made it this far, you must be enjoying the story at least a little, right? It would really help me out if you could leave a review and let me know what you think so far. This is my first time writing, so I know I have a lot to learn. Your feedback means a lot!]