Klaus and Sol walked in silence, heading directly to Klaus's training room. Klaus had a lot on his mind, but he also recognized the importance of his request to his father. With everything escalating quickly, as well as the news of The End's existence, he knew he had to get stronger and reach his peak.
As the two entered the training room, IV, Klaus's assigned instructor, materialized from thin air, his head bowed in the presence of a god.
"At ease," Sol said to IV. "You may be dismissed."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," IV said, his head bowing further as his body dematerialized.
Klaus and Sol came to a stop and stood across from one another, their silence still evident. Sol took mental note of Klaus's state, recognizing his injuries.
"You may need to get your body back into optimal shape," Sol said to Klaus.
"I guess," Klaus replied, his expression mellow.
"But before that," Sol added, "I must admit my surprise that you chose to ask me for help."
Klaus remained silent for a moment, understanding the meaning of his father's words. "I didn't really have any other choice," he said softly, his eyes moving away from Sol.
Sol's expression softened after hearing Klaus's words, and Klaus noticed this, causing him to speak up once more after a brief moment of silence.
"That was a lie," Klaus began, catching Sol's attention further. "I don't know why I said that, or why I even do that in the first place."
Klaus's expression dimmed as his eyes remained fixed on the ground beneath him. "The truth is... I've always wanted to ask you to train me for a long time now, and to teach me everything," he revealed. "But my pride got in the way."
Sol was completely stunned by what he was hearing from Klaus, but Klaus still had more to say.
"I grew up with Shade and Mom," Klaus continued. "But despite this, I always felt so alone. In your absence, I chose to take on the role as the man of the house at a young age. But as I made sure to look after my brother and mother, I had no one to look after me. That's why I'm so used to being lonely and why I'm not good at keeping friends. Because I'm not used to having others care about me directly."
Sol glanced at Klaus, his heart heavy as he realized this was the most vulnerable he had ever seen his son. He chose to remain silent, giving Klaus the space to say everything he needed to.
"Because of that, I resented you," Klaus pressed on, "and I used that resentment to justify my disdain for attention and appreciation for the world around me. I also resented how much Mom loved you, despite you never being around in our lives. I hated how every time I talked about you leaving, she always defended you, saying you had no choice. At that moment, with no context of who you were, it made her words sound like she was saying our family wasn't worth your love... that I wasn't worth your love."
Klaus took another moment of silence, recognizing the weight of his words. But this time, he chose to acknowledge the feeling instead of pushing it away like he always did.
"And then I learned why you weren't around," Klaus finally continued. "And that Mom was right all along. But it made me even more frustrated, because it made me realize that my entire reason for being the way I am was meaningless. I didn't want to accept that, which was why I still resented you after learning everything about my purpose. Because if I didn't... it meant I was accepting that I was the problem after all."
A long silence filled the room after Klaus's words, and his gaze never met Sol's throughout his confession. The two stood in silence, the unfamiliarity of such a moment evident. But Klaus's words reminded Sol that, at the end of the day, he was still just a teenager trying to do his best.
"You're not the problem, Klaus," Sol finally said, breaking the silence. "And I understand you. Because of my unfamiliarity with emotions, I chose to let you analyze your thoughts alone, assuming you were the only one capable of understanding them, when I could have tried to help as well."
Sol's expression showed his understanding of the situation. He felt he also had things to say, but recognized his lack of experience in such situations. Because of this, he smiled, making sure to ease Klaus's worries.
"I assure you there is nothing wrong with anything you did," Sol said, "and you don't need to apologize for being a strong and independent child capable of loving and protecting his family in his father's absence."
Sol's smile widened as he continued. "If anything, you got that from my side of the family," he teased, recognizing their similarities. "So trust me when I say I understand the frustration of feeling alone when others look up to you."
Klaus finally raised his head toward Sol, their eyes meeting as he saw the smile on his father's face.
"Don't worry, Klaus," Sol continued. "I will make sure to teach you as much as I can."
Klaus adjusted his stance and nodded, appreciating his father's efforts.
"So, where would you like me to begin?" Sol asked.
"How it all works," Klaus replied. "My powers and everything related to their nature."
Sol took a moment to consider Klaus's request and prepare his explanation. "Your power is among the most unique of the demigods," he began. "This is because of the complex nature of light. Light as a concept is the absence of darkness, but it is also what gives rise to many other senses in all of existence."
Klaus listened silently as Sol continued. "Light also has various properties," Sol explained, "and as you've already discovered, you can interpret and mimic these properties, applying them to yourself - from small capabilities like being unable to absorb photons, which grants you the absence of a shadow, to greater feats like imitating its speed and immunity to heat."
Sol smiled briefly. "Honestly, you've already learned much about your power on your own," he added. "But there is still much you don't understand about the extent of your capabilities, like the nature of the light you have yet to master."
Klaus looked at Sol in confusion. "What light?" he asked, not understanding.
Sol's smile grew. "In the beginning of reality," he began, "when Abyss and I came into existence, we were left to create worlds and realms without any guidance about how reality worked. As you might expect, our creator taught us nothing but simply gave us instructions and required that we follow them. In figuring out how reality functioned and how fragile mortality truly was, we had to simplify many things for the realm to function naturally in the third dimension. The two major concepts that were simplified for mortal comprehension were light and darkness."
Klaus had no idea what Sol was talking about and was completely confused at this point. But he chose to remain silent to better understand his father's words.
"Light and darkness in the third dimension are essentially concepts," Sol continued. "Darkness is simply the absence of light, and light, though the same vice versa, could also be considered a non-physical wave. This is because the early mortal mind could not comprehend these elements in their natural state. In their material form."
Klaus looked up in shock, realizing what Sol meant. "Are you saying that, unlike how they exist now, light and darkness also exist in material form?" he asked.
"Exactly," Sol confirmed with a smile. "You've already seen darkness in material form with Shade during the Divine Tournament, but to summarize, darkness exists as Pure Darkness, while light also exists as Absolute Light."
"So that means..." Klaus muttered.
"That Pure Darkness and Absolute Light are true darkness and first light made manifest," Sol confirmed.
Klaus was completely stunned by this revelation. He remembered the topic during the Divine Tournament about Shade's darkness from Quinn, but hadn't realized he was in a similar situation with his own power. At the time, he hadn't known enough about the generation of gods to make the connection.
"How do I manifest this light?" Klaus eventually asked, his curiosity at its peak.
Sol smiled once more. "Oh, but you already have," he replied, shocking Klaus. "You see, to manifest absolute light is to compress light in its wave form. Since photons typically do not collide, manipulating them to do so causes a collision that creates matter-antimatter from the energy the photon carries. This is typically what mankind uses for nuclear weaponry. However, when these photons are controlled to prevent massive energy release, they can instead form absolute light in its raw form."
Klaus took a moment to process this, slightly understanding his father's explanation despite having little knowledge about bomb creation or light's role in it.
"I can see it's not easy to understand," Sol continued, "but to sum it up, your signature ability, where you compress light into a ball, demonstrates your manipulation of absolute light in its raw state."
This revelation made more sense to Klaus and shocked him further, as he hadn't expected it. He had no idea his Solar Ball ability involved absolute light.
Seeing Klaus's curiosity, Sol felt compelled to explain further. "Compression of photon particles, while possible, is an extremely difficult task to achieve," he explained. "Because of this, a strong force is required to keep these particles in place while maintaining their momentum and preventing absorption by matter. This is where Absolute Light comes into play. Your ability to compress light works because you begin by using this compressed light to create the husk of the ball before filling it with infinite photon particles that remain in motion within this casing, tightening them to create even more compressed and energetic matter-antimatter. This is why the explosions grow more devastating with each upgrade."
"Wait, so you're saying I begin by creating Absolute Light using my own photon particles, but because it lacks energy, it doesn't cause nuclear-level explosions, and then I use this shell to compress natural photons that do possess the energy that causes its detonation?" Klaus asked, struggling to understand the analogy.
"Exactly," Sol confirmed. "It was a genius way of giving offensive power to your ability."
Klaus couldn't believe Sol's words; he got a headache just trying to understand. What shocked him most was realizing this was what he'd done during his first weeks of training for the Cosmic League, a feat he hadn't even understood until now.
When creating the Solar Ball, Klaus had initially wondered how to gain an offensive advantage after understanding the tournament's seriousness. This led him to try compression. He'd been reluctant because he knew light had no mass, making compression difficult as it would require tremendous photons. But recalling they possessed momentum while moving, he tried anyway.
Klaus trained for days to achieve this, practicing even outside his training room when idle. After repeated failures, he tried focusing on compressing the light around him with the one he created. With this approach, he finally succeeded. He had recognized the ability's massive energy requirements, but the destructive potential was too valuable to ignore. Looking back, he began to better understand Sol's explanation.
"I think I get it now," Klaus finally said after a pause. "But are there other benefits to this Absolute Light?"
"There are," Sol confirmed. "You're essentially creating material light, meaning you can form objects with it, similar to your brother. But unlike darkness, light is fragile and absorbed by matter, and the same goes for absolute light to an extent, so your options are more limited."
This made sense to Klaus, but it reminded him of another question. "Speaking of which," he began, "about my speed, I know I can move at the speed of light. But how exactly am I able to? I mean... when matter moves fast, it distorts the surrounding space, yet I'm still able to reach such speed. And when I move, I'm always silent, unlike Ace."
Klaus remembered Riley pointing this out weeks earlier. He'd dismissed it then, but now saw value in understanding.
"That's another benefit of your power," Sol confirmed. "You can not only manipulate light particles but also transform both living and non-living objects into photon particles upon contact, enabling light-speed movement without affecting the surroundings."
"What?" Klaus asked, shocked. "How is that possible?"
Sol smiled. "But you've done it many times, haven't you?" he asked. "Your clothes remain on after light-speed movement or when you turn into photons. And I am also certain you have moved others at this speed as well, correct?"
The realization struck Klaus, making perfect sense. "So can every demigod do this?" he asked. "Those with the capability, I mean."
"Not exactly," Sol replied. "This power appears unique to you and Shade regarding other living beings but yourselves. However, the second-generation demigods, namely Ash Brimstone, Riley Greene, and Trent, can manipulate and transform non-living structures into their respective elements."
Klaus processed the information carefully. He remembered Trent performing this action during the Divine Tournament when he turned thin air into water, and Ash doing something similar during their spar in Under World. Riley, too, had used her Ventus State to create wind currents, and her Gaia State had produced abundant roots from the ground during the Cosmic League.
Similarly, Klaus recalled how Shade could transform humans into shadows, like he'd done with himself and his team during the Cosmic League to evade Siren's supersonic attack in the final game mode after they entered his shadow pool. Shade had also demonstrated this during his fight with Lance in the Divine Tournament, using the Abyssal Pit to convert his body into darkness to evade a slash.
Everything clicked for Klaus, though he hadn't realized he could do the same, or rather, that he'd already been doing it. He understood it was like when he'd first discovered his light powers; he simply hadn't tried to perform it.
Sol observed Klaus's deep contemplation and got an idea. "Honestly," he began suddenly, "what is impressive is not just your mastery of abilities, but also your endurance and perception. Though I wonder about your true reaction time."
As soon as Sol finished speaking, he raised his left hand and struck sideways at Klaus. However, Klaus perceived the movement on time, blocking it with his right arm swiftly.
Sol smiled while Klaus looked confused. "Why didn't it activate?" Klaus thought in his head, referring to his Perfect Precognition.
"It did," Sol said, recapturing Klaus's attention. "Instead, what you had just perceived was movement at the speed of light."
Klaus realized Sol had moved at light speed, explaining why he couldn't process it the way he usually did. Given Sol's divine nature, this wasn't shocking, but Klaus was unaccustomed to encountering such speed from others, so it simply just felt unfamiliar.
"However..." Sol continued, drawing Klaus's focus again, "in your current state, I wonder how you'll react now that you're exposed."
With that, Sol swiftly raised his right hand instead and repeated the motion, aiming for Klaus's left side, where his injured arm remained in a sling.
With his right arm still blocking Sol's first strike and his left arm impaired, Klaus knew he couldn't react in time. Yet Sol's hand stopped abruptly, and Klaus saw his father smile.
"Impressive," Sol remarked.
Confused, Klaus looked left and saw he'd instinctively moved his injured arm from the sling to block. He stared in mild shock; the numbness in his left side had disappeared, restoring full mobility. Klaus removed the sling, stretching his left arm, opening and closing his fingers repeatedly.
Sol stretched his left hand towards Klaus before conjuring what appeared to be a mirror. "Your left eye has nearly healed as well," he pointed out.
Klaus touched his left cheek, finding the deep scars from Drake's claws completely gone and his eye less disfigured and red. While not fully healed, the improvement was dramatic - he could even see slightly through that eye now.
"You seem surprised," Sol noted.
"A little," Klaus admitted. "Didn't expect such rapid healing."
"That is your divine heritage at work," Sol explained. "Divinity flows in your veins, with one benefit being regenerative cells that activate during adrenaline surges. This explains why demigods can endure prolonged combat and receive sudden boosts during moments of rage."
Klaus partially knew this, particularly about rage fueling their bodies, but Sol's explanation clarified it. "But why did my arm heal completely but not my eye?" he asked.
"That makes sense," Sol replied. "Mending bones is simpler than regenerating an entire organ."
"Fair enough," Klaus said before he suddenly remembered something. "Speaking of my eye... if our divine genes provide regeneration, why did I need contacts through most of my teens?"
Klaus wondered why his vision remained impaired before he conquered the limits of his power in sunlight. He understood his powers initially caused the sensitivity, making the world too bright, but was surprised the condition persisted. He thought the same might apply to demigods like Siren as well.
"These genes typically lie dormant early in life, developing gradually," Sol explained. "Your body and mind likely viewed the vision impairment as a neutral state, convincing itself to not require correction."
"That makes sense... I guess," Klaus conceded.
Klaus appreciated how much he'd learned in such a short time. He regretted not approaching Sol sooner, though he understood why; his fear of being compelled to serve the gods' will, just as he'd unwillingly compelled others.
"You really get lost in thought a lot, don't you?" Sol commented, catching Klaus's attention. "Especially about sentience."
"I guess," Klaus replied, realizing Sol could read his thoughts.
"I'll tell you this," Sol continued, "the matter of sentience is much more complicated than you think. If you always believe people only act a certain way because they're compelled to, you'll never form genuine connections."
Klaus stayed silent, his discomfort obvious. Noticing this, Sol felt compelled to say more.
"I'd hoped you'd realize this yourself," Sol said, "but you should know the effects of Dominion-over-Inheritance within you have weakened significantly since the day we met on Earth."
Klaus' eyes widened. "What?" he asked, shocked.
"Since then," Sol explained, "each time we met, the influence grew fainter. This means there's a chance people's behavior toward you after that point was truly their own. But at the end of the day, you can never be certain, that's why sentience remains existence's greatest complication."
Klaus was speechless. If true, this meant his assumptions about its effects on his life weren't entirely accurate.
"Like all abilities," Sol added, "with time and practice, you can learn to control this presence as we gods do. But as I said, you can never truly know if someone's being influenced or not."
The words struck Klaus deeper than he expected. This burden of doubt had weighed on him for months, yet the mere possibility that his companions' care might have been genuine, not compelled, brought an unexpected wave of relief.
A faint, sincere smile flickered across Klaus's face before he quickly schooled his features back into careful neutrality, maintaining his composed demeanor before his father. Sol, however, answered with an amused grin of his own, his knowing eyes teasing Klaus's momentary lapse.
"Can we just move on to training?" Klaus asked, his expression mixing frustration and mild embarrassment.
"As you wish," Sol replied, still smiling.
Sol explained Klaus's first task: mastering absolute light manifestation. Klaus understood and began working immediately.
The exercise proved harder than expected. Years of creating Solar Balls had ingrained muscle memory, so Klaus had to consciously separate that technique while retaining its essence.
After numerous attempts spanning hours, Klaus finally manifested pure absolute light within an hour.
"You learn quickly," Sol remarked. "Your progress was impressive to watch."
Klaus caught his breath, feeling the strain of isolating this light form. "Guess that's what comes from spending so much time alone," he replied, acknowledging his sharp perception.
Sol's expression softened briefly before continuing. "Regardless, I'm impressed. But this is just the first step. Now I want you to shape this power into something combat-ready."
"Shape it?" Klaus asked.
"Exactly," Sol confirmed. "Like Shade created pseudo-sentient creatures from darkness, you can forge objects from absolute light to aid you in battle."
Klaus considered his options.
"Though I advise," Sol interjected, "that you first acclimate to the strain of manifesting this light. It's far more demanding than natural light. You wouldn't want to exhaust yourself creating a weapon mid-battle."
"I guess," Klaus conceded.
Klaus continued training while Sol returned to his divine duties, promising to return when Klaus was satisfied with his progress.
Hours stretched into days as Klaus worked to overcome the exhausting process. After a week, he finally achieved a breakthrough, then spent additional days building endurance before summoning Sol again.
When Sol arrived, he immediately sensed Klaus' eagerness.
"You're excited to demonstrate your progress," Sol observed.
"I guess," Klaus replied, his tone more confident than usual.
They took positions. Klaus closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and raised his fists. A glow enveloped his hands as he focused intensely. Adjusting his grip - right hand open with thumb beneath the index finger, both touching his left fist - Klaus began the manifestation.
Brilliant light erupted between his hands as he slowly pulled them apart. Absolute light particles formed a glowing bridge that gradually solidified into a weapon resting in his left palm.
"Can we just move on to the training parts?" Klaus asked, his expression a mixture of frustration and slight embarrassment.
"As you wish," Sol replied, his smile still evident.
Sol explained to Klaus that his first training was to master how to manifest absolute light at will. Klaus understood this request and soon began to work.
Klaus spent time attempting to perform this seemingly simple task, but it proved much harder than anticipated. His mind had become too accustomed to creating Solar Balls, making the process muscle memory. He needed to separate that instinct while still retaining its sensation in the back of his head.
Minutes stretched on as Klaus made repeated attempts to understand the new sensation. After numerous trials, he finally managed to manifest pure absolute light by itself in under an hour.
"You learn quickly," Sol commented. "Your process in achieving this manifestation was truly impressive to observe."
Klaus gasped briefly for air, feeling the intense strain from isolating this form of light. "I guess that's the benefit of being alone all the time," he replied to Sol, acknowledging his natural ability to perceive things more easily.
Sol's expression softened momentarily before continuing. "Well... regardless," he said, "I'm still impressed. But know this is only the first step. Now, I want you to use this power to manifest something you can utilize in combat."
"Utilize?" Klaus asked.
"Precisely," Sol confirmed. "Just as Shade can create a pseudo-sentient pit using his mastery of darkness, you can manifest objects using absolute light that would be valuable in battle."
Klaus stood silently, considering his options.
"Though I should advise," Sol added, "that you first acclimate to the strain of manifesting this light. As you are aware, it is significantly more challenging than manipulating natural light. You wouldn't want to exhaust yourself simply by creating this ability during combat."
"I guess," Klaus said.
From that point, Klaus continued his training while Sol returned to his divine duties among the gods. Sol promised to return when Klaus felt satisfied with his progress, and Klaus accepted this arrangement.
Hours turned into days as Klaus practiced mastering the exhausting process of manifesting absolute light. The demanding nature of this training meant it took Klaus a full week before achieving his breakthrough. Even then, he spent several more days building endurance before summoning Sol again.
When Sol arrived at the training room, curious about Klaus's progress, their brief greetings couldn't conceal Klaus's eagerness to begin.
"I see you're eager to demonstrate what you've learned these past days," Sol observed.
"I guess," Klaus replied, his tone carrying more confidence than usual.
Sol positioned himself before Klaus, who placed his arms at his sides and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Klaus then made fists with both hands and brought them side by side, ahead at chest level. A faint glow began to surround his clenched fists as he focused intensely. Maintaining this concentration, he gradually relaxed his right fist, extending his fingers while keeping his thumb tucked beneath his index finger, both still touching his left fist.
As Klaus held this position, a brilliant burst of light erupted around his fingers. Slowly and methodically, he began separating his hands. Between them, particles of absolute light formed and stretched into a thin, glowing bridge. With steady movements, Klaus continued drawing his hands apart until, finally, the light in his right hand dissipated, leaving behind a weapon now grasped firmly in his left fist.
Sol stood impressed as Klaus wielded a sleek longsword measuring about forty inches, crafted entirely from absolute light, its radiant glow unmistakable. Though Klaus's labored breathing revealed the strain of manifesting such a weapon despite nine days of training, he stood tall and confident, handling the blade with apparent ease.
"A sword," Sol remarked. "Impressive."
"It's lighter than I expected," Klaus admitted, examining the blade. "Though I suppose that makes sense."
"Every great sword deserves a name," Sol noted, recapturing Klaus's attention. "Would you like to give it one?"
Klaus paused. "I see it more as an ability than a weapon," he countered.
His gaze returned to the sword, studying it in thoughtful silence. He considered the effort required to reach this point, weighing its significance.
"Sol Blade," Klaus finally declared. "It fits the ability's nature... while honoring the one who made it possible."
Sol was surprised by his son's gesture, but his smile widened. "A fine name," he acknowledged appreciatively.
Klaus continued studying the weapon, his expression slowly softening after a thought. "I know this is a good step forward," he murmured, "but I'm still not strong enough."
Sol observed the intensity in Klaus's eyes. "What troubles you?" he inquired.
Klaus looked up from the blade, his unease evident. "How powerful is he?" he asked. "The End."
Sol's expression darkened at the mention of that name, understanding Klaus's concern. "If infinity is finite, as I've explained before," he began quietly, "then think of his power as a number that one cannot be added to. Or more precisely, a number that remains itself when divided. That is how complex his true power is."
Even this analogy made The End's power seem unfathomable. "Wow," Klaus managed to mutter after a moment.
"Even imprisoned in the Void, he threatens reality," Sol continued. "As expected, he constantly attempts to free himself, and since nothing is truly impossible, we gods must vigilantly monitor the Void's condition at all times."
Klaus's eyes dimmed. "I just want to be strong enough to help if it ever gets to that point," he said earnestly. "Hearing what he did to you all was disturbing, and I hate feeling powerless to do anything about it."
Sol smiled at Klaus's sincerity. "Your empathy means much," he said. "But this situation differs. All divine beings, including The End, exist across multiple dimensions beyond the third, and in numerous perceptive forms. Thus, any being unable to invoke Ouroboros poses no fatal threat."
Klaus recalled Sol's earlier explanation of the Ouroboros. "That's the rule negating infinite power between two beings, right?" he verified.
"I am glad you remember," Sol confirmed. "But now you should at least understand the challenge's nature."
After a moment's silence, Klaus spoke: "If nothing's truly impossible, as you say, then there's always a chance, however small it may be. And I'm fine to take that risk."
Sol was taken aback by Klaus's determination to oppose The End. "I must admit that I'm surprised you are ready to risk your life for a world you were never fond of," he admitted.
Klaus stood in silence before answering. "Avalon meant everything to me," he began, "and now she's gone. And all she left behind is the world we shared."
Klaus's grip tightened on the Sol Blade as his gaze remained locked on its shimmering light, the glow almost reflecting the face of the girl he had loved. "I'm not going to let anyone take the one thing I have left from her," he vowed, voice low but resolute. "Not even him."
Though concern still lingered in Sol's expression, a quiet pride shone through at his son's determination. "As long as you keep trying to be the best version of yourself," he said, "and master the use of your abilities, then that is enough."
The radiant blade's light shone in Klaus's hands as an idea crystallized in his mind. "Dad..." he suddenly called out. "There's a favor I need to ask of you."
Klaus materialized in the gods' domain via the transportation podium. Moments later, Sol descended from the skies, rejoining him promptly. Together, they walked along the domain's pathway until reaching a specific location where another god sat.
They came to a stop before Siege, who turned to face them as they approached.
"And to what do I owe this... not entirely pleasant visit?" Siege remarked, eyeing the father and son pair.
"Siege," Sol began. "My son has a request for you."
"And what might that be, spawn of Sol?" Siege inquired, his steady and sharp gaze fixed on Klaus.
Klaus drew a breath before answering. "I'd like to ask you to teach me swordsmanship."