It was a regular day for the soldiers. Many of us went into the order thinking we had what it takes to rise to the top. Clearly, none of us were close to reaching it. I was a proud man. I was prouder to be accepted into the Scarlet Order along with some of my friends who wanted to be knights back in the Empire. Grand stories of tales and legends were all we spoke about. Obsidian Knights became the ultimate tale we loved to spin around my lips.

"Hey! Eckhart! Come on! The transport carriage is leaving for Heistorm soon!" A tall yet spry man with tinted blue hair yanked on my shoulders. He was my best friend. Arlo Tyn was the closest person I could call a brother.

"Yeah! I know! I need to get my stuff you ass!" I was an orphan at a young age. All I had of my parents was a locket. I made sure to carry it with me everywhere I went, including a new Kingdom.

I applied to boot camp and passed with top marks to join the specialized order of Knights. City guard life was boring, dull, and bleak. I wanted to become a Knight like my father, who once served under the King of the Empire's forces against the Demon King. After the grueling years of boot camp, I aimed at an Obsidian spot no matter what it took.

Arlo did his best to keep up with my abilities, but I was undoubtedly gifted with a blade. Adaption was what they called it. A useful sword art blessing that I unlocked during my training. Learning and mastering each weapon was easy. I didn't have any real rivals who put up a challenge. I felt unstoppable and powerful. That was true until I met him. The Lord I respect and devout my life to. Valum Aris.

A young noble of Heistorm and a long line of family of Knights in the Scarlet Order. Actually, his family was the Scarlet Order. They were practically the founders and had the most members from their Kingdom. I hated him. He always seemed like he had important things to do, no matter what it was. Yet, he was at the top of his class—a rival in the making.

Being older than me by many years didn't stop my hubris. So, I did what everyone thought I would have done. I challenged him. It was stupid in hindsight, but I had something to prove, and I intended to do so. He didn't think much about the challenge at first. Pretty much blew me off but I persisted for weeks.

"The Lord doesn't want to challenge you, now beat it!" One of his "loyal" guards, you can call them. They are always so stuck up in their sense of honor and duty. They were knights in training everyone else.

"If he is such a great warrior, then what is the harm in me, Eckhart Flynn, to challenge him to a duel? See who is the best there is!" I was determined. I honed my craft as much as I could. Nothing would stop me from fighting the best and winning.

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"I told you, Lord Valum isn't-"

"What was your name again?" He finally spoke. At least, it seems like he responded normally for the first time. His eyes finally trained on me, and I couldn't help but feel pressure. His stare was intense and mysterious.

"Eckhart Flynn. The first year here in the Order. Remember the name as I rise to the rank of Obsidian."

"Flynn, now that is a name. I barely remember, but I still do."

"Yeah? What's it to you?"

"Your Father, he was part of the Scarlet Order, was he not?"

"What... What do you mean by that?"

"He used to serve my grandfather, the previous Commander of the Scarlet Order. I remember seeing him with my grandfather quite often; they seemed like good friends. Until he left his post and never to be seen again."

"You mean... He deserted!?" I was fired up. Of course, I would be. I didn't have many memories of my father, but I knew he was a great man before he and his mother died.

"Precisely, he disgraced himself and the Order; last I heard, he died in some far-off place in the Empire. If he were true to his duty, he would have lived a great life under my grandfather instead of dead with no honor for his code."

"You fucker! Come here!" I lost my temper and charged him. Arlo had to stop me and drag me away, yelling and shouting at him.

"He's not worth it! Come on!"

"Damn it! Fuck! You! Valum! Next month when we have open sparring, your ass is mine!"

"I look forward to it. Don't try to hurt yourself too bad before then." The cocky bastard just waved me off. I fought with Arlo for hours about it. I had never known such hatred for a man until I met Valum.

"Eckhart, if you let someone like him get under your skin, you won't be better than him."

"Arlo, shut the hell up! You don't know anything. I won't let him say shit like that and get away with it. I am going to kick his teeth in when I am done!"

"I understand you are angry, but if you keep this up, you'll be punished for this. You said it yourself; you got one month to train before the open sparring season occurs. If you want to prove a point, do your best to get stronger until then." Arlo knew what I was going through. He had reservations about it but knew I wouldn't take it lying down.

"Tsk! Fine! But you are going to be my partner in all this!"

"Why does it have to be me?"

"Because you know me well enough to put up a decent fight."

"I think you got it all wrong; I can't beat you."

"So?"

"So, I am not going to train with you. I have my own goals to achieve before next month. Sorry, but I have my work cut out for me."

"Shit! Are you serious?"

"Very much so. Hey, look, I heard you can do your best by learning more sword arts, you might want to look at the archives or ask a weapons master for help. I am sure they will accommodate you."

"If that is what it takes to prepare, sure, sounds good to me."

And so, for a solid month, I took every second to train, practice, and learn as much as possible. Day in and day out, I swung my sword and honed my craft until I felt the blood boil in my body—restless nights of working my muscles, keeping in shape, and increasing stamina. Every single thing I could do to achieve a state that I could feel like would be enough to defeat Valum.