Tristan's body lay in half, cold on the pebbles. With the battle over, exhaustion fell on Drac again. The simultaneous use of aura magic and the clones took less of a toll than many fights before but his body ached and felt weak. The handler pat Drac on the back.

“Fantastic.”

Drac turned around with a large smile.

“For a brat.”

The smile disappeared as soon as it came. Before he could retort, Drac saw the visage of the old man. Neither breathless nor injured. His posture was straight and spry as if he never had the tiredness from the duel.

Grandpa…

“Another test.”

The handler smiled for the first time that day.

“And you passed with flying colours.”

The giant laid waste to the last of the count's men. The Saint of the slums sliced through men like a knife through bread. It's amazing how such a calm man could be a behemoth on the battlefield.

“It is done, Marina. Marina?”

Scratching Gideon's neck got all her attention. Gideon enjoys her pampering. The wolf turned and sniffed.

The dark man is coming.

Hood pushes the waterfall away with a great wind, and he and the old man drop down by the entrance of the cave.

The strange masked man became even more bizarre. The copies, the combining, the killing—it was a bit much for the tracker to take. Her wolf sensed her fear, hackles went up as he went to Flida's side growling at Drac. The assassin finds her.

His intelligent gaze examined her. With a few words, he knew he knew too much. Could he find out more? The genius of magic, aura and swordsmanship walks towards the timid tracker.

“Hey, can you hear me? I said, Let's get outta here. We have a copy to find.”

Words almost got stuck in her throat. “Aren't ya… gonna ask?”

“Ask what?”

“About what they were tryna find?”

Drac shrugged. “Not really interested. You will tell us when you need to. Just do your job, and we are cordial.” Drac turned back to his party. “And whatever you're hiding in your luggage isn't as special as I am,” Drac said with a cheeky grin.

“That was the cringiest thing I've ever heard!” Marina shouted from afar.

“It's not cringy if it's true.”

“No, it makes it cringier.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Flida watched the two argue surrounded by the dead, thinking that Drac might be right.

“No wonder the caravan was so big. Need ample space to fit the massive dog.”

Gideon went to lay on the floor inside the vardos, he yawned, finally relaxing in his home.

Bob climbed up to his driver's seat, grabbing the reigns for the large horses. Marina skipped into the caravan to rest for the night after a day's killings. Flida almost followed before she saw the master and the student say their goodbyes.

“And don't forget to do your daily stances.”

“What stances?” Drac asked his teacher.

“Ask the idiot in your head.”

After a chuckle, silence lingers.

Drac, let me do what Hood did.

What? Oh… Alright.

Drac let go and Axton saw out of his dark brown eyes.

“Woah, still haven't gotten used to that.”

“Boy, I have one last task for you.”

"What's it again, Grandpa? Do I have to cut a thousand leaves? Stand on my elbow? What new tests do you have in store?”

“No test. Just get a package. It is in the cave.”

Axton smiled in excitement “Is it what I think it is?!”

With his cane, the handle pointed in the direction of the cage. “It is yours now.”

Axton pulsed down the passage to his home, passing the trees he had played on as a boy. He arrived at the cave as fast as his aura could get him there. Bodies were disposed of, and with water magic, the training area resembled his home again. Axton reminisced about the broken swords, the tears, and the aches. The many days drenched in sweat permanently stained the mats.

Axton found his practise sword on the mat. Many thousand times, he has swung this sword. Now it's just another wooden sword compared to the one on his back. Axton moved on and found his room.

A case waited for him. Elation couldn't begin to describe how Axton felt.

Is it a knife? I need a new one.

No, you don’t.

Ok. I want a new one.

Axton opened the case.

A violin! Superb! It looks very old Could it be…

Don’t even try to pretend you know what type of violin it is.

“It's my grandpa’s violin. In the breaks between training, he would play a tune. A terrible tune.“

You have only shit shitplaying your whole life. So unfortunate.

Axton chuckled, thinking of a quieter time by the fire. Lonelier, but great days with his master.

Axton shut the lid and clasped the locks tight before he rushed out, leaving his former home behind with no regrets. Case in arms he sprinted to the caravan and looked around for his Master. Axton used aura sense. No cane hit the ground. No grumble of an old man. His presence was gone.

Axton breathed in.

“THANK YOU, GRANDPA!”

“Why are shouting?!” Marina shouted back at

With a hopeful smile, Axton entered the vardos with his new friends.

On top of the waterfall, rushing water flowed by an elderly man. On a lone rock to stand on, he got into a stance. Once his student's Caravan left in the distance he lifted his cane and held it chest high, horizontally. A click came from the cane. He twisted it and pulled out a gleaming slim silver sword. Like a ball of yarn, Aura waves fly from him, slicing down every tree within thousands of metres. The blade is sheathed and a click locks the cane.

A crystal called for him.

The elderly man bent to pick it up and answered.

“Sir. He has left. The combination was a success. He managed to defeat Tristan Gladus with his power.”

“Thank you for the update. And great work with the boy. You have done a great service to your country. To the World.”

The elderly man gripped the crystal. “I hope so, sir. I really do…”

“Jacob… You have given to the world more than you have taken from it by raising that boy. Your sacrifice was worth it.”

“Sacrifice?! No, it was a pleasure to raise him. To see him grow from a brat to the man he is today. Now he is out in the world... The dangers-” The handler's face tightened with fear.

“He will be the one to end the dangers.”