In Libertas' Imaginary World laid six heads under the butcher's cleaver. The cleaver dripped blood on the heads, splashing into a pool beneath it. They only glared at a boy, Libertas, and doing nothing else, but he distorted the face in pain. His fists, firmly clenched together, as he bitterly bit on his lips. Whispers floated in his head, plaguing him.

Suddenly Libertas woke, gazing into a man's eyes in a black suit. He spoke, "Get up. Time has arrived for your next battle."

He led Libertas through a passage into another room. Libertas took the identical sword 'he' always used, and entered the colosseum. He looked up, gazing at the man on the elevated stand. He waited, waiting for that something to throw him back in his mind again. The man introduced his opponent.

"I am sure you have heard of the infamous 'Depraved Butcher.' years ago. No, the opponent of His Highness isn't him but his son. He was born as a commoner, grew up as a butcher, and now a successful part-time mercenary. Unfortunately, he can't be a full-time mercenary. After all, he needed to take care of his butchery! Though, not any longer. We already seized his butchery and are ready to sell it! Haha."

Libertas had a hunch who his opponent was. The door opposite of him slowly creaked open, revealing a man. He walked out, into the colosseum, and saw Libertas. Both were stunned. At this moment, that something tried to take him over, throwing him back in his mind. Painfully, Libertas clutched his head, kneeling at the ground.

The man stepped forward in worry but stopped, as the man on the elevated stand stated, "The battle has begun!"

With slow steps towards Libertas, he carefully asked, "Your Highness, do you remember me? I am that swordsman. The one who guarded you on your journey. The one who taught you a bit about butchering. Do you remember? I want to say, I am sorry. I didn't mean-"

Suddenly Libertas jumped up, clutching on his sword while thrusting it at the swordsman. Startled the swordsman jumped back, shouting as he landed, "Your Highness?!"

However, Libertas didn't react and continued to rush at the swordsman, like a cornered beast. The swordsman jumped once more back, observing Libertas. Raging. Mindless. Savage. Then, something came into his mind, and the swordsman muttered, "Law demon!"

With a quick turn of his wrist, he had parried another slash at him before he forcefully stamped Libertas to the ground. Swiftly he kicked, the sword was knocked out of Libertas' hand. Then he sat down on him, forcibly suppressing him.

The swordsman lowered his head to faintly whisper. No one could hear it except Libertas, "I know you are somewhere inside. Listen to me, don't ever think of giving up! You can win over it, I believe in you!"

The audience caused an uproar, shouting," Kill!"

They were chanting it like a mantra as if it would force the swordsman to kill Libertas. Others would have done it, but he didn't. He only frowned before he released His Highness. As Libertas cautiously took his sword, the swordsman domineeringly declared to the audience, "Shut up! I won't kill him! It doesn't matter what you do, I won't kill him!"

Then he turned to Libertas, yelling, "Come! Fight me!"

And Libertas watched how his body rushed at the swordsman. They clashed, the force of the clash blew his body away. The pain coursed in his fingers, the air blew his hair, the firm earth beneath crashed against his feet, he heard and saw the swordsman. Could Libertas really win? He glanced up, seeing that something. It had cut off his connection with his body but left the body's connection with him. As such, he could feel everything, but couldn't do anything.

It was impossible to win against that something. The body dodged a stab, smiled, then slashed stronger and faster than before. The swordsman rolled to the side, barely avoiding the slash. Immediately, another slash fell at him, forcing him to continue to roll. Seeing there would be no end to that, he risked a slash for a stab at the body.

The body jumped back before it happened. Without any hesitation, the swordsman shouted, "Your Highness, do you truly have given up? What about your dreams? Your goals? Aren't you a marquess? What will the citizen do? Alone at the borders, surrounded by our enemies? If you die now, I… then I really couldn't forgive my-"

The swordsman's voice turned softer and softer, suddenly the body rushed forward, stabbing the swordsman. He coughed up blood, but he didn't retaliate instead he embraced the body, whispering, "Your Highness, don't give in. I can die, and I will die. But Your Highness must live on, not only for me but for yourself. If you don't care about yourself, care about the people around you. They aren't all evil."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The body squirmed under the swordsman embrace, trying to stab once more. Suddenly it stopped, its face distorted, as it choked on the air. The sword dropped the ground. Libertas saw that something in his mind, slowly fading away. Its suppression gradually dispersed, letting him regain control over his body. He didn't do anything. It faded away on its own.

Libertas was stunned, muttering flabbergasted, "What happened?"

Hearing Libertas speaking like this, the swordsman smiled in ecstasy, "Your Highness, welcome back."

Libertas gazed at the swordsman, the gaze wandered down to the gaping. Faintly, he muttered, "Why are doing this?"

The swordsman snapped out of his ecstasy, baffled. Then he swiftly understood and spoke, "I swore-"

The man on the elevated stand interjected, "Resume fighting. If no one dies in ten minutes, both of you will die."

Libertas glared at that man. Though, his dropped sword was thrown at him, breaking his glare off to look at the one who threw the sword. The swordsman smirked at him, telling him, "Let's do a mock fight. During that, I can tell you my story, and then you can kill me. Finish your ten battle, and survive this hell. Ah, and don't forget, nothing of this is your fault. Never ever blame yourself. Live, even if it is just for me."

"Wait. What is your name?"

A clash happened, a loud clang resounded, the swords were pressed against each other. The swordsman smiled happily, "Friedrich."

They fought, gradually Libertas movement turned less rigid and more fluid. His widened in surprise in how his fighting style changed. As he never trained in martial arts, he always fought by his feeling. It was messy and weak, but now it was a lot more neat and impactful. Was it due to the muscle memories? He shrugged it off, as Friedrich began telling his story.

"I was on a quest to investigate a murder case. A renown butcher has died. As such, I travelled to a town and met my unexpected client, a little boy. He was twelve years old, young and immature. I can remember how he knelt, begging to not dismiss the case. I nearly did, but then I saw a beautiful trinket which cost definitely a huge sum. In my greed, I demanded that and he accepted it."

Friedrich took out a bracelet with exquisite engravings. The small jewels around the carvings faintly glowed. He threw it to Libertas. Though Libertas couldn't catch it, as such, he picked it up from the ground. Then he asked, "Is this, that trinket?"

After Libertas glanced at that trinket, he looked at Friedrich clueless. The swordsman chuckled, "Yeah, take it. Keep it save. Whatever, may it be as a memorial to me or only because it looks nice. Just keep it near you."

After Friedrich saw Libertas wearing the bracelet, he smiled. Then he resumed narrating his story, "I slowly searched for clues, though it wasn't easy. I was frustrated, vented my frustration on the boy. At least now, I understand it wasn't a gracious act. When he came asking me to teach him butchering, I was annoyed and dismissed him. However, as I spent more time with him, he changed me with his innocence. I started loving him like my son."

Friedrich faltered in his movement, only for a moment. However, due to this Libertas accidentality pierced his shoulders. Startled, the sword was immediately jolted out. Friedrich raised his hand, "It's okay. Let's end it here."

He sat down, exhausted, "In short, I found the murderer, as he attempted to murder that boy. I couldn't win against him. He was stronger, even if it was just barely. To save me, the boy turned into a law demon, killing the murderer before escaping. During the escape, he threw that bracelet to me. I know, I could have saved him, if I risked my life in the fight but I hesitated. Since then I swore to myself, I would never ever hesitate, to do something for the one dear me."

Suddenly, he grabbed his hair while his face distorted, "Your Highness, you are someone dear to me, but I hesitated and fled, leaving you alone behind. I regretted it, even until now. I am sorry, it was only later, I realized that you were someone precious to me. I know, it was too late but I want to tell you, I am really sorry."

Friedrich released his hair. After a while of silence, he stared deep into Libertas' eyes. He slowly spoke, "Your Highness, if you one day came to a decision don't hesitate, not even a shred to do it. If you love someone, do everything you can do for that person. We don't know each other for long, but I trust, you can succeed in everything you set yourself to do."

Then, he gradually turned agitated, his words spoken faster, "If you don't know what to do, take the decision you won't regret now. The future will be built now, and not in the future! Believe in yourself of the now, not the future you. Remember, now is the future!"

As if a burden has fallen from Friedrich's shoulders, he relaxed. Instead, Libertas shoulders slumped as if the fallen burden had fallen on him. Friedrich glowed crimson, as he pointed his finger at his forehead. There flickered a mark in the form of a drop of blood.

He breathed hard from his speech earlier. After he took another breath, he stated, "Stab here, or else you won't be able to kill me."

Libertas glanced at the wounds on Friedrich. The earliest were already scabs nearly falling off, by now even the bigger didn't bleed any longer. It was the same for Libertas' stab to the shoulder. Libertas raised his hands. The blisters have already recovered, leaving only smooth skin behind.

He looked up, glaring at the audience and the man on the elevated stand. But when he saw the terrified expression of them directed at the roof, he similarly gazed confused up. Just like them, he was frightened. A boulder was shaking, threatening to fall upon them, declaring their doom.

A boulder fell, crashing against the ground. It smashed a hole into the ground, cracks formed. Like a trigger, the other boulders instantly dropped down. Out of a growing but small hole faint starlight descended into the colosseum.

Someone from the outside yelled, "Death to the wicked!"

A brilliant white light illuminated the colosseum through that growing hole. Following it was a loud bang. Countless boulders plunged to the ground, it collapsed. Libertas fell. His last sight was a man with beautiful white wings, adorned in shining white armour. He smashed with a giant hammer against the man on the elevated stand to a pulp.