Without waiting for the last word to be completed, sharp blades of swords clashed against each other, making a sharp scraping sound on the quiet battle grounds. The impact of the clashing blades was so much that the two elite slaves bounced back to their original position, crouching in their fighting stance with the swords in their hands ready strike once more. Their eyes fixed on each other, observing and searching for their opponent's weak points.
As the two elite slaves studied each other, one of them silently mouthed to the other with a haughty tug on the corner on his chapped lips.
'I. WILL. KILL. YOU. DISGUSTING. EYES.'
''…..'' The receiver of those words, which was the weak elite slave, did not react in response. He already expected these words from his opponent, as it wasn't his first time hearing them. For a moment, the grip around the sword loosened, but a faint voice whispered in his ear.
'You must survive, Kieran. No matter what journey the empire throws at you, you must survive. Don't be like your pathetic dying mother, my son.'
''...Tsk.'' The weak elite slave released an inaudible sound, knowing that he couldn't avoid this unexpected battle as he had always done in the slave castle. When that realization dawned on him, his blaming eyes briefly slid over to the side, where the cause of this battle sat leisurely, watching him and his opponent with an amused smile.
Their eyes met, and the weak elite slave suddenly thought of the rumors that he heard about her, the fourth young lady of the Langston family.
'I heard she's a weak lady….rumors can't be really trusted.' What he heard was really different from who he was looking at.
'How much does she know?' He questioned himself. Despite his weak presence and physique, he was still picked, and that was not his goal. Why wasn't she the same as the other Grand duke's children who had ignored him?
Sensing the danger heading his way, the weak elite slave swiftly took his eyes away, and the sound of swords clashing sounded in his ear again. His eyes then landed on his opponent gritting his teeth in struggle.
'Should I win?'
'If I win, I might die again and mother would not like that.'
The weak elite slave was in thoughts as his sword clashed against his opponent's. Unlike his frantic mind, the opponent was an opposite of his outwardly calm state.
'If I purposefully let go of my sword, the commander and other knights will quickly catch on. Unfortunately for me, the fourth young lady seems interested in this battle. If I try to pull any tricks, the Grand duke will be informed.' The weak elite slave instinctively knew he was at a disadvantage. There was nothing he could to do, other than to expose his true strength. If only the fourth young lady was not interested in him.
'I have no other choice.' While keeping his opponent in check by overpowering in terms of strength, the weak elite slave took a small deep breath and closed his eyes. The moment he opens them, his life would drastically change and he might not keep his promise to his late mother anymore.
But…he has no choice, unless he would die right here.
At that moment, the opponent suddenly felt a shiver travel down his back. The bead of sweat on his forehead multiplied, and his shoulder down to his arm began to tremble. Glancing around, he found no source of danger. The knights and the commander were also watching them, meaning that there was nothing dangerous around them.
So why was he feeling this way? Why was his body telling him to flee? To flee away from what?
That question was easily answered when the opponent brought his gaze back to the weak elite slave. The second his eyes collided with those grey glass-like eyes, everyone around them faded into nothing but an empty and blank space.
'H-Huh?' The opponent almost stumbled when the weak elite slave suddenly disappeared before his gaze. Instinctively, he managed to hold himself and looked around with confusion written all over his face. Where was he? Where were the knights and the commander? How come no one followed him to this abyss?
The opponent had so many questions, at the same time, the warning voice at the back of his mind became louder, telling him to flee from danger.
That was what confused him the most. Where and what was the danger that he must escape from?
Unexpectedly, a dark chair suddenly appeared before him with someone seated with legs crossed, and a familiar calm gaze pierced right through him.
Why was he here?
The opponent was surprised to see the weak elite slave in the same place as him. Where has he and this bastard disappeared to? What happened to the commander, the knights and the fourth young lady watching on the battle grounds?
''Wh---'' When the opponent wanted to talk, his voice produced no sound like someone had tampered with his vocal cord.
*pffff* *pffff*
He tried and tried again, just to make a sound, but only his lips produced was spitting sound to the point his saliva started to spew out.
What happened to his voice?
He wondered, however, his mind didn't dwell on that question and tried to get out of this strange situation.
'Help me!' He glared at the weak elite slave, hoping that he would understand him without his voice. Unfortunately for him, the weak elite slave merely stared at him, until he broke the silence between them.
''Even in the face of death, you still demand that I do your bidding.'' His voice was strangely calm.
'Huh?' For a moment, the opponent thought he was facing a different person. There was no way that weak bastard would stand up for himself.
''You should be grateful that I am not much of a revengeful person, but I am not apologetic that you have to perish.'' The weak elite slave continued, and then uttered two words that ended his life in a matter of seconds.
''Now, be gone.''
*Splurt*
All it took for the opponent to be back in reality and not remain in the strange abyss was to blink his eyes, however, he noticed a metallic taste in his mouth. His shaken eyes were fixed on the same empty gaze of the weak elite slave. Even without looking down, the opponent knew that the blade had pierced through his chest.
Before he released his last breath, he finally realized why the weak elite slave in front of him was different. In that strange abyss, the latter was seated and watched him struggle with no empathy, while he remained standing as if not fitting to seat with him. It was the same as now. The weak elite slave stood, alive and breathing, different from him who was dying.
Why would have expected him, a strong elite slave, to perish in such matter….No, how could he die in such manner? In the hands of a bastard weaker than himself?
The opponent was unable to accept such defeat, but there was nothing he could do since he was leaving the world at the moment.
The only question he had in his heart was about the identity of the person whom everyone in the slave castle thought of as a weakling, including himself.
*Thud*
The outcome of the brief battle was decided with the death of the strongest elite slave. All present in the battle ground apart from one person were shocked to the extreme.
While everyone tried to process the glaring outcome, a voice called out to the person by her side.
''Look at that, lily. I was right about my precious slave from the start.''
****
''The child is really different?''
''This servant is not certain about that, my lady.'' With one knee on the ground, Lily bowed her head to the sixth madam on the bed right before. The conversation between them was about what had taken place during the daytime, but mainly about Raven.
''But the young lady is unlike before. She has not fled from training after the succession battle, and the battle between the elite slaves was in her favor, as though she predicted the outcome.''
''That is not of my concern, lily. Has the child changed or the same as before?''
''....'' Lily kept quiet for a moment. Her master was someone who wanted answers and not explanations.
''This servant has to observe the young lady more, my lady.'' That's right. She admitted that she, a skilled assassin and an adult, could not fathom the behaviors of her master's weak child.
What an embarrassment.
''...'' Staring at her kneeling subordinate, the sixth madam knew that lily was not one to lie. If it were truly like that, then it means her child had grown out of her useless self.
A testimony could be how the child dealt with the fifth madam. Another was the dead assassin found in that child's room.
'I have always been aware, mother. You, father, and everyone else look down on me. I don't see a problem in accepting fourth brother's challenge. Mother can see this life and death battle as an opportunity to change my reputation in the Langston family.' The sixth madam recalled the conversation that went on between the child and herself. Same but different eyes that stared right back at her in the carriage. Her child was never one to fake those types of eyes.
Something must have happened for her to have a sudden change. Something that she and lily were unaware of.
''You must observe that child closely, lily''
This was the first time a dead assassin would be found in that child's room. That also meant the Grand duke had stopped protecting their daughter according to their agreement.
''I must be aware of her every move and actions from this moment.''
''As my lady wishes.''