I left Aether on the ground; his body still emanated residual heat from the absurd effort he had made with the Web. I stepped forward, feeling the damp grass under my boots. Those men ahead were, without a doubt, the hounds the King had sent, but why would they go this far?
"What do you think you are doing?" I questioned. My voice was dry, laden with the authority of one who does not tolerate being interrupted.
One of the men, carrying the arrogant posture of a leader, stepped forward. "Who are you?" he threw the question back, eyes squinting as he tried to read my expression in the twilight.
I frowned. The fact that he didn't recognize me immediately spoke volumes. They were just common mercenaries, cannon fodder hired for a dirty job, not Durendal's elite soldiers. If they were from the royal guard, they would know that crossing my path meant death.
"Why should I answer, since I asked first?" I retorted, keeping my hands close to the hilts of my swords.
The man let out a short, harsh laugh that echoed unpleasantly through the trees. "I see this place is full of sharp-tongued bitches," he said, a smile revealing yellowed teeth. "But fine. My name is Lucius Halk."
His name meant nothing to me. It was just another name on a list of people who would soon be forgotten by history. "Great, then I'll know what to write on your tombstone," I said, my voice sounding like steel being unsheathed.
They laughed. There were about twelve of them, but I noticed their equipment bore the symbol of the Durendal Empire. These weren't just mercenaries; they were men hired with direct resources from the capital.
"Fine, but tell me your name. That way I can put it on the grave alongside this piece of shit," Lucius said, pointing disdainfully at Aether, who remained unconscious near me.
For the first time in days, I heard something that sounded like a joke. My lips curled into a brief, cold smile. "Fine. My name is Lygni," I replied, letting the silence hang before finishing, "Lygni Break."
A brief whisper broke out among them. One man approached Lucius and whispered something in his ear, panic crossing his face for an instant. The leader's expression shifted from arrogance to genuine surprise.
"Well, well... if it isn't one of the Empire's finest blades," Lucius said, trying to regain his composure while tightening his grip on his weapon. "The one forged for war, only to end up as a prince's nanny. How tragic."
I drew my swords from their sheaths. "It happens, just like misfortunes will happen to you," I said, looking at them.
"Even if you are an Imperial Blade, you're no match for us," he said, gesturing to every man there.
"Do you know what an Imperial Blade can do?" I asked. They looked at me without understanding, but again, the man whispered in the leader's ear.
"What?" Lucius looked at him, startled. "So you're at level three affinity with the Web," he said, surprised.
"At least one of you knows where you stand," I said, bracing my foot on the ground.
"Wait, we have orders from the King," he said. The moon watched us. He seemed to think he had said something new, but I already knew.
"And?" I looked at them. "Do you know I'm only sent to burn and erase people like you? I'm the one who cleans up the King's trash," I said. "And you have already been used and discarded by him."
The wind seemed to surround us, swirling in a vortex that stifled the forest's sounds. "Let's end this here."
The wind grew stronger, whipping the mercenaries' cloaks and making the torch flames flicker toward extinction. "Wait, you can't!" Lucius shouted, his voice failing as he tried in vain to keep his sword steady against the atmospheric pressure crushing the area.
My blade was inches from his neck. "Want to try something?" I said, looking him in the eyes. "Otherwise, there's no fun in this."
He gave a nervous smile, sweat dripping down his forehead. "An Imperial Blade is truly impressive."
"Is that all?" I questioned him, maintaining the Web's pressure.
"What do you want me to do? You wiped out eleven men in a fraction of a second," he replied, his voice heavy with false resignation.
"Indeed."
He thought I didn't know, but I felt the earth moving beneath my feet through the Web. In a desperate move, Lucius jumped back and extended his hand toward me. "Doom's Coffin!" he screamed, and the earth moved violently to envelop me.
They always fight to the end, but they are far too slow. I simply appeared behind him before the strike could connect. My blade pierced through his chest from behind, and the expression of panic mixed with fear in his eyes signaled the end.
"Truly... an Imperial Blade..." he murmured, coughing blood that stained the ground and my sword.
"Truly, walking trash," I replied coldly. I pulled the sword and finished the cut with a sharp motion, ending his life before his body hit the ground.
I looked at the bodies scattered around. Did the King really want to kill his own son so badly that he sent twelve men armed with Durendal gear? I walked calmly toward the prince, who lay unconscious on the cold ground.
As I approached, the extent of the damage became clear. His hands were practically raw flesh, his wrists marked by deep purple bruises from the chains, and hematomas covered nearly every inch of his skin.
Who are you? I thought, watching that face I knew so well, but which now carried a will that didn't belong to it. The true prince wouldn't have lasted a third of this punishment without begging for his life.
Suddenly, his eyes opened and met mine. "I see you arrived on time..." he murmured with a raspy voice, finally yielding to total exhaustion.
The wind passed me, bringing the metallic, heavy scent of blood that now permeated the air, while the river roared in the background.
"I will find out who you are," I whispered as I carefully lifted him. "But for now, I'm taking you back."