Looking at the figure closer, it was painfully obvious that it wasn't Olo, but they were still familiar. The young man had dark stubble on his face, and wore a tunic with the Britannius' symbol emblazoned on it. His red hair was wild and unkempt.

"Valafor?"

Yasuke looked around, confused as Valafor bent down and placed his hand on Red's chest.

"Yeah, it's me Redhead. You're looking pretty banged up, but I think you did pretty good considering you haven't used the lance in five years."

Red turned his head to this side, and nearly whispered, "Why, no, how are you here?"

Yasuke wandered off, fumbling with a few scrolls. Valafor rubbed Red's chest as his armor slowly began to melt off, "I guess because you're fading in and out of consciousness, you can see me in the real world. But forget that, what are you going to do about this?"

Red looked around, "I should have enough mana to use Teleport, so it-"

Valafor cut him off, "No Red, I'm not talking about this battle, I mean your whole state of affairs. You're weak and you're rusty, it's pathetic,” Valafor stood up and made a big motion towards the sky, "I mean come on a..." he made quotations with his fingers, "legendary knight getting destroyed by some young upstart knight whose probably not higher than an Officer First Class? This is pitiful. What would Santa think?"

Red shook his head wildly and yelled out, "Don't say that name!"

Valafor bent down more, to Red's ear and whispered, "What would Arthur think?"

Red threw his head even more violently now, continually screaming out, "No!"

Yasuke yelled back at him, "Stop talking to yourself! We'll be heading off soon so sit tight."

Red turned and looked Valafor in the eyes, a tear rolling down his face. Red's sadness quickly turned to frustration as he spat out, "So what, did you just come here to tell me how much of a failure I am? How weak I am compared to the other legendary knights? I already know all of that.”

Valafor shook his head and sat down next to Red, "No Red, I'm on your side, I can't stand to see you be this weak. So I want to offer you something. No actually, it's more like a trade."

Red squinted his eyes and looked at Valafor for a long time, "A trade, huh? Is this the last step you were talking about?"

Valafor only grinned and chuckled to himself, "It's a steal of a deal, Red! I just want a few of the Patron and Holy magic spells you have - so that's Outrider, Sensor and Drain, and I'll give you the ability to shore up your weaknesses. What do you say?"

Red laughed out loud, “I knew it. I’m actually going crazy. I’m talking to an imaginary friend about trading spells. Okay Vally, tell me more about your ridiculous idea.”

Valafor's smile faded, "Why don't you just believe in me a little bit? Do you think I would joke around like this?"

Red thought for a while, about the things that Valafor had done and said so far, and began to cave a little, "Even if what you’re saying is possible, I still won't do it. The other knights-"

Valafor quickly stood up and threw his hands in the air, "The other knights, It's always the other knights! Tell me, what were the other knights thinking when you were up there on that execution platform? How did they feel about you then? I'm surprised you have the energy to think about them after what they did to you. But even still, it's always you and these other knights, do you want to know the difference between you and them? They're strong and you're weak. But that's not your fault. Red, little do you know, those guys have been extended similar offers to this one, much worse than this mind you, but they still took it, and they advanced past you with it.”

Red shook his head as Valafor continued, ”The entire time though, you just thought they were working hard. Red you need to stop buying into this nonsense about legendary knights and all of that mess. You seem to think that title makes you seem legendary hero with an unshakeable reputation to uphold. In reality, that title is just something the old generals of Britannius came up with to keep the common folk inspired. The four legendary knights of Britannius, two of them coming from the downtrodden slums where the common peasants live,” He began to speak with a sarcastic tone, “What a marvelous, uplifting story!”

Valafor stood up and put his hands on his hips, "Truthfully though, you were just a few young men with inflated ranks and even more bloated egos.”

Red lashed out, “You don’t know anything about us! What we did, or what we sacrificed!”

Valafor snickered, “I know you weren't legendary knights because there is no such thing, and you weren't heroes, because heroes only exist in legends and stories. But even if you wanted to be a hero, even if such a thing existed in real life, you wouldn't be one. You're nothing more than a glorified serial killer. A weak boy who takes joy in slaughtering volunteer foot soldier nobodies, and one who shirks at the idea of facing someone remotely powerful."

Valafor sat on Red's chest and held his face, forcing him to stare into his eyes, "Tell me the truth, you enjoyed destroying those soldiers in the forest the other day, didn't you? Did you feel strong when you crucified that girl?

Valafor bent down more, leaving no distance between him and Red, "But now that you've come up against someone who doesn't care about your power, someone who can contest it, you're ready to roll over and die."

Valafor hugged him around the neck, "But that's okay. I'm on your side now, so I'm going to help you reach your true potential as your comrades did. Like you were always meant to."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Red still hesitated, his mind raced as he attempted to come to a decision, "Valafor I'm not doing it. I'm going to gather supporters and reform the kingdoms. And to do that, I'm going to get stronger using my abilities like I always have. "

Valafor got up and began to pace, placing his head in his hands and committed to a complete yell, "And look where that's gotten you! Down in the dirt, slipping in and out of consciousness, you don't even know if you're dead or alive!" Valafor bent back down and ran his hands through Red's hair, "Red aren't you tired of being weak?"

Red struggled out a meager response, "Yes."

"Don't you hate being powerless, being unable to protect anybody, not even yourself?”

Red shouted out a more energetic, "Yes!"

"Don't you hate being alone? Too strong to live peacefully among the common folk, but too weak to stand above your peers and enforce your will?"

With his remaining strength, Red nearly screamed out, "YES!"

Yasuke turned his head, and slowly began to pace back over to Red.

Valafor's deep smile returned, and he moved his hand from Red's hair, "Then let me help you be strong -- no let me help you be the strongest Redhead. The only thing is, I can't just make you strong, all I can do is provide the means and the choice. So you have to tell me, do you want to be strong?"

Tears began to flow from Red's eyes, and he loudly sniffled, "I want to be strong!"

Valafor bent down and kissed Red on the forehead, "I knew you would say that,” He stood up and stuck his hand out, "All you have to do is shake my hand, and our deal will be completed. I’ll make you the strongest.”

Red sat up slowly and looked at Valafor's hand, then at the jovial smile on his face. Yasuke's brisk walk turned into a full sprint.

Red shook his head, and thought to himself, "The strongest, huh?"

He firmly grabbed Valafor's hand. Valafor's smile slowly faded and he began to cry silently, as blinding white light burst from his chest.

"This is the beginning of the last step, so we won't be seeing each other for a while, young god. We won't be separated forever, but I'll need time to pick up the pieces after this and help us get ready for what's next. You'll be fine though. Thank you for accepting me, and…sorry.”

Valafor wiped his eyes as the light became increasingly bright, "You'll be fine, Redhead. If it's you, no, because it's you, I know you'll make something of it. Do whatever it takes, and become strong for me so we can complete your goal."

Yasuke snapped his head around as light pierced the sky near Red's body. The divine light pierced the sky and reached out to the heavens.

"What is this now?" Yasuke thought.

The light burst forth in an explosion so bright it forced Yasuke to drop his sword and cover his eyes. His horse jumped up and galloped away, leaving Yasuke behind.

As the light subsided, Yasuke stood dazed, struggling to decide whether he should retrieve his sword and rush Red, or find his horse and retreat. He decided to grab his sword. Looking over at Red, he formed his hand into a circle and placed it over his eye. He engaged his Outrider ability, and whispered, "Scan for mana readings." Instantly, his entire view fizzled and cracked as it was absorbed by a crimson red aura, in all directions.

This goes way beyond the level of a single legendary knight!

As Yasuke approached, he fine-tuned his Outrider and looked at Red much closer. There was something strange about his now completely limp body. His wounds had completely healed and there was no evidence he had even been in a fight, but there was something else. The arcana around his body was so dense, that it caused Yasuke's Outrider ability to abruptly fail and the eye he was using it through to bleed profusely. He wiped his eye and continued to attempt to use it, again and again, and when he was finally standing over Red, his mouth nearly fell to the ground in awe. Looking through his ability, there was no mana coming from Red's body. It simply registered as grey, but his body was surrounded by swirling waves of brilliant oranges, deep blues, and fiery reds. Through his chest, the blinding white light remained, much smaller now, but still radiant. These waves entered his body quickly and gathered inside the white light, but his body remained gray.

Red coughed awake, holding his throat as he choked up blood uncontrollably. Yasuke backed up, assuming his kneeling position and placing his sword in front of him. Red sat up and looked at his hand, turning it backward and forward. He turned and looked at Yasuke, with a dumbfounded look. Taking one look at Red's eyes, he began to reach for his sword. His eyes changed from brown to something else entirely. It was as though his eyes were full of red stars twinkling in the dark blue reaches of space. Red's hair changed as well; it was no longer a shade of brownish red; it changed to a vibrant hot pink with a streak of crimson red down the middle. His tunic disappeared as well, leaving only his gauntlets and greaves.

Yasuke chanted to himself, "Hidden Draw Style Fifth Technique: Walpurgisnacht," and began to move towards Red with his sheathed sword in hand.

"I know this betrays everything you stood for master, I'm sorry,” Yasuke thought to himself.

As Yasuke began to lift his sword, it felt much heavier, like it was resisting him. He tugged at it to no avail, and looking down at his sword hand, he saw Red holding his arm tightly, nearly about to snap his wrist.

Yasuke gritted his teeth as pitch-black smoke erupted from his mouth and body, and without another motion he appeared behind Red, his sword sticking slightly out of the scabbard. He locked it back into the scabbard with a defiant click as a shallow cut appeared on his chest, and it leaked a meager amount of blood.

Yasuke looked down at his blade, confused, and to his horror, he found half of his blade was missing. It looked as though it had been roughly broken in two, and looking back over to Red, he found that it was exactly as he feared. Red held the top half of the sword in his hand, and he examined it closely.

What the hell did he do? He's so much stronger, and so much faster now! Maybe he really wasn't talking to himself…

Yasuke tossed his sword to the side and bowed, placing his head on the ground, "In my homeland, this is how we surrender to our enemies. We lay ourselves prostrate and declare it. So Red, King of Crimson Blood, I surrender!"

Red looked at him for a long time, slowly approaching as Yasuke continued to bow his head. Yasuke began to tremble as Red stopped in front of him, bringing his head so close that he could feel his breathing.

Red sighed as he stood back up, "I'm not going to kill you Yasuke, there's no point. I'm done with killing weaklings to make myself feel powerful. I'm only going to kill anybody who stands in the way of me making my place in these kingdoms. Even if the creator himself, the weaver of my destiny and fate, comes down to stop me, I'll make sure to kill them first so I can achieve what I want. If that sounds interesting to you," Red stuck his hand out, "then maybe you should join me. I could always use someone of your skill by my side. Plus I can show you how to defeat the madness consuming you."

Yasuke remained with his head bowed, not making a sound.

Red placed his hands behind his head, "Or you can keep on being your government's dog, fighting whatever battles they tell you to like a good little pawn. I don't think they'll help you with your depressive spiral, but they'll make sure you take down some Britannius' soldiers with you on your way down."

Yasuke's body began shaking, but he remained silent.

Red finally began to walk away, shouting out, "Well whether you decide to join me or fight me again, I'd recommend you get a little stronger first. And if you ever need to find me, I'll be in Oldum's capital, Nihiro. I need to have a personal chat with the king and see why he's been chasing me like a dog."

As Red walked away, Yasuke finally let his sobs become vocal as he slammed his hands into the ground. He looked over at his splintered katana, picked it up, and tossed it away with all of his strength.