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Chapter 9-Familiar Blade

Originally uploaded Jan 5, 2023

Elijah Pov

I have always been alone.

Being a lone human child in the kingdom of Darv posed challenges. While on the outside people would accept me I knew behind my backs I was a subject of mockery.

Despite claiming to be progressive, it isn't easy to change the minds of the masses. Especially if that mentality had been forged in blood. Racism was still a huge issue everywhere you looked. If Rahdeas hadn't taken me under his wing I doubt I would have survived for long.

It was still strange however. I had the magic of a dwarf yet my physical features were that of a human of Sapin.

I had always spent much of my training by myself. But I got used to it, it wasn't easy but I had to adapt to survive. I had no idea where I came from but I had no desire to know.

It always felt as if there was somebody else in my head, some unspoken individual that was mute but was guiding my emotions and actions.

It all as made apparent when I met Grey.

His white mask covered his face, the only feature you could make out was his piercing golden eyes and his pale blonde hair he kept up in a short tail.

If I had met such a person before I would have remembered.

When he first offered his hand a myriad of emotions bubbled inside me.

Joy, excitement, confusion, nostalgia, and underlying it all was fear and hatred. I wasn't quiet sure why. I had never met him and he had taken no action to offend me in any sort of way, merely offering a greeting.

We have met since then a couple of times, almost too many to be a coincidence. It felt as if he was purposefully seeking me out.

After getting over the initial surprise and uneasiness that came with him hiding his identity, he was the complete opposite of what you would have expected.

A kind, well spoken person who deeply cared for the people around him. It was akin to meeting an old friend, so old that I had forgotten him.

While I have only seen him a couple of times in combat, including his examination duel. He moved with grace and efficiency. His elegant footwork that had no wasted movements. His swordsmanship, where his blade seemed to become an extension of his body as he effortless cut through his opponents. To the terrify speed in which he performed all his actions.

But underneath all that I could see it. I had been trained in the basics of sword fighting during my time at Darv and I could recognize the tremendous effort and time Grey had put into his training.

His was blade work of a person who not only had talent, but soaked his blood and tears into refining it.

It was all the more stranger when there was something so familiar about it. As if I had seem him fight for a lifetime.

Maye this was fate, maybe he could my first real friend.

---

"Fuck this!" Lucas yelled as he began running towards the entrance we all came from.

That bastard, when it truly counts he just decides to turn tail and run from his problems. I couldn't help the rage that began bubbling inside me.

Pushing mana through my legs I rush towards the fleeing conjurer.

"What are you doing?!" I screamed at the fleeing boy

"You think I'd risk my own life to help you all escape. Be honored that you'll be baliant heroes that stalled the beast enough for me to escape!" Lucas yelled as he whipped around with the tip of this staff pointed directly at me.

'Crap, I can't dodge it!' I screamed in my head as I instinctively armored myself with my own mana.

A surge of red mana particles rushed towards said tip as a ball of fire struck my chest. Thankfully my training at the institute at Darv had thought me the basics of mana fortification despite my status as a conjurer.

As Lucas' spell sent me flying in the other direction I could only curse him in my head as I struck the ground hard and lost consciousness.

Thankfully my thin coat of mana and armor had taken the main brunt of the damage so I wasn't dead. Quickly trying to regain my senses I roll onto my stomach. Letting out a soft groan of pain as my chest comes into contact with the ground.

Opening my watering eyes I couldn't believe my eyes.

There were the party members all hurdled around me, but all their eyes were on someone else.

There in the distance was Grey. But it didn't feel like him. Although he was difficult to approach for most he had an air of familiarity around him when I was next to him. There also was a sense of uneasiness but I just chalked it up to not be all overly friendly with him.

No, this Grey was different. In his hand was a shimmering purple blade. That seemed to draw the eye but also was uncomfortable to look at. As if my eyes struggled to comprehend its existence.

The friendly tone and air was completely gone. Replace by a tremendous pressure. Making it feel as if a gigantic boulder was resting atop my chest.

There wasn't any magic or blood-lust infused into it. It was just his pure power and presence. I was thankful it wasn't directed at me, I doubt my heart could take such a pressure head on.

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And instantly he moved, almost too quick to be seen. Shooting across the field as if some unknown and impossible force was pushing him. He seemed to dodge and weave around the Elderwood Guardian's vines at inhumane speeds. Cutting up along the beasts extremities as he made his way towards the head of the creature.

Not even a single attack touched him, it almost didn't seem fair for the mana beast.

"Miss Flamesworth, just who is Grey?" Brald asked, his voice shaking as he continued to watching Grey.

Jasmine just shook her head as she answered with a sigh.

"Honestly, I don't even know anymore myself."

Grey was now face to face with the Elderwood Guardian. The beast in a desperate attempt unleashed a barrage of vines and tree branches, as they all reached out for the masked swordsman as if they were thousands of arms.

But Grey just stood there, no longer dodging. When suddenly the air around him seemingly combusted.

A field of purple lightning surged in a tidal wave from his body, burning away any of the beast's body parts that came into contact.

"He is a... dev.... deviant?" Samantha stammered as she fell to her knees.

Deviants indeed were extremely rare, especially those who wielded their deviant element with such proficiency and power that Grey just showcased.

But purple lightning? Although lightning deviants are rare but there were a handful that were well documented. And purple lightning was never a thing.

My thoughts were halted as Grey seemingly disappeared, not even a hint of his existence.

But he appeared just as quickly as he had disappeared. This time with purple electricity coiling around his body as he has his amethyst sword poised to strike the beast.

His blade glowed a dark purple, almost bordering on black. As it seemed to warp the very space around it. Grey fell upon the beast as if he was a falling comet.

The blade and beast made contact.

Instantly a flash of purple light blinded me, forcing me to cover shield my eyes.The shock-wave of the blast sent all of us flying backwards, as purple lightning writhed around and burned away at any trace of the mana beast.

The light soon faded as I opened my eyes to see what had just happened.

The beast was...

"IT'S GONE!" Brald yelled as he collapsed onto his knees in disbelief of the sight in front of him.

Grey stood at the center of the room, with the beast mana core in his hands.

It didn't seem real. One moment this giant vine monster was there and the next second it was gone! Entirely! Almost as if Grey had erased its existence from the world.

Before the rest of the party snapped out of their daze Jasmine rushed to Grey's side.

I couldn't make out what she said but Grey just answered with a nod.

And they soon started to walk back to the rest of the party.

---

"Are you sure you're alright?" Grey asked as we trotted along to the entrance of the dungeon.

"If you'd like I can carry you on my back." He added giving me a reassuring thumbs up.

"No, I'm good. Lucas' spell only knocked the wind out of. I'm fine."

'I'm more worried and scared of you, who defeated a S-class mana beast without a scratch'

"That bastard! When we get out of here I gonna give him a piece of my mind." Brald cursed through gritted teeth.

Grey seemed to turn back into serious mode as he turned to face the rest of the party.

"Lucas being a high noble most likely won't receive any major punishment." He said as if stating facts.

"He attacked one of our party members and left us to die!" Brald raised his voice in frustration.

"But the truth is none of us died to his attacks and there is no strong evidence. If we go to trial the odds are stacked against us. The most he'll get is his adventurer license revoked." Grey replied coldly.

"Tch" was all Brald uttered as we soon fell into silence.

"Say Mr. Grey. Have you been hiding your strength the entire time?" Samantha tried to lighten the mood as she poked Grey's mask.

Grey only gave her a passing glance as he said "Who knows."

"You defeated a S-class mana beast alone without breaking a sweat! I doubt any normal AA-rank adventurers can do that!" She cheered, undeterred by Grey's cold answer.

Grey seemed to think for a moment before responding.

"I'm quiet surprised myself actually. It was just in the heat of the moment."

'What an unconvincing answer, are you even human?'

---

Kaspian sighed as he laid back into his chair.

"Isn't this enough?" Grey's voice cut through the air like a knife as he stood up.

"I know how rare these occurrences are, but we've already given our accounts." He added as he approached closer the Kaspian

"You're right. I'll let you guys get some rest before the hearing." Kaspian replied sighing again as he reorganized the paperwork of our accounts on his desk.

The door suddenly swung up as three guards filed into the room, followed by an all to familiar boy.

"You made it out alive!" Lucas taunted as he trotted into Kaspian's office as if he owned the place.

Anger surged from my body as my mana was screaming to be released. The rest of the party reacted in the same way, all readying their weapons.

"You bastard! How could you-" Brald screamed with his sword in hand.

"Don't." Grey's voice was firm and full of authority as he raised his hand to stop us.

Lucas' guards all moved to protect him as Lucas put on a shocked face.

"What's all this tension between teammates? I wonder how you managed to escape from that terror of a beast." Lucas continued to taunt.

When suddenly the air grew heavy. I heaved as I struggled to breath, clutching at my chest. This immense pressure, it made the Elderwood Guardian's aura seem like a joke.

Turning to Grey his masked face didn't disguise his true feeling. The air around him seemed to move out of his way, almost as if it was afraid of him as he made his way towards Lucas.

Lucas, now with a face of fear screamed at the Guards.

"Stop right there!" The right guard shouted, getting into defensive positions.

"What do I pay you guys for? Get him!" Lucas ordered, completely overtaken by fear.

All three of them charged in unison, all attacking as one cohesive unit.

Grey, with just his sheathed sword ducked under the first sword before driving his palm into the chin of the first guard. Snapping his head back as he lost consciousness.

The second lost his footing as Grey kicked his knee at such speeds, it seemed inhuman. Capitalizing on the opening, Grey delivered a knee kick straight into now lowered guard's face. Bleeding from the nose with several missing teeth, he fell onto his back.

The last one couldn't even react as Grey simple sidestepped and ignored him, as he was now face to face with Lucas.

"Mr. Grey! If you do something like this before the hearing--" was all Kaspian could say before Grey grabbed Lucas by the throat, lifting him up off the ground.

And he stayed like that for a couple seconds, but it felt like a millennium. Before Grey released Lucas from his hold.

"My apologizes. my emotions got the better of me." He said with rage and malice still dripped from his words.

"Lydia, please escort Mr. Wykes and his guards to the medical ward." Kaspian directed his assistant.

"Can you guys wait outside as well?" Grey asked as he sat back down.

Reluctantly we departed from Kaspian's office. Leaving Grey and Kaspian alone.

Kaspian Pov

"While I understand the situation, it's in your best interest to refrain from provoking Mr. Wykes like you just did." I said whilst shaking my head in disapproval.

"Let me ask you Kaspian." Grey said in a chilling tone.

"You do think you can stop me if I were to erase that insect's existence. Do you think there is a force on the continent that can prevent his demise?"

'What kind of life did he live for him to have such blood-lust? I wouldn't blame anyone from fleeing or even fainting from just sensing his presence. And the scarier thing is that I can tell he is still holding back tremendous power. Just what are you Grey?'

"Even assuming you are able to kill Lucas, the Wykes house won't take it laying down. They will go after not only Miss Flamesworth but the people she is affiliated with. The Twin Horns, both current and former."

Grey chuckled, as if my statement assumed him to no end.

"I think you misheard me Kaspian. That feeble house is nothing in my eyes. Just another noble family desperately trying to hold onto past glories." Grey would have sounded arrogant if he didn't say it with such confidence.

Grey laid back in his chair, seeming almost regal. Like that of a member of the royal family as he spoke once again with a slight chuckle in his throat.

"But I'll entertain your little game. I trust that the adventurer's guild will make the right decision in choosing who to back?"