Chapter 232: Crimson Ledger

Looking in the face of the soon dead, what a strange thing. Since you are not fighting somebody who has already died, but rather someone who is alive but will die.

There was a big difference, since someone who is soon dead could survive based on the context, for example, if he didn’t wish to kill him.

Just that, sadly, that wasn’t going to happen today.

Or any time soon.

Since…

If he killed enough people and if he trained enough, then maybe he could avenge them.

He just had to give something from his own self for their freedom and peace.

He had to bargain with the world, and he would do that if he had to.

His opponent was a young boy, around his age; he looked to have the clothes of a peasant, not ragged by the old man. Yet at the same time, they were dirty, and… even with blood.

He also seemed to have some bracelets around his wrist.

By all of these little hints, he could make a story for himself.

He was born in a Will-less family, like most people inside this place, but a very poor one; he couldn’t pay for their rent, food, or any other daily necessities. It was sad, but if you think about it, there are millions of people, and that’s an understatement, in the same situation.

And he knew how it felt, since even if he had everything he had wanted until he was nine. After getting trapped inside the Withered, he had to learn to adapt, and that was what he did.

Really looking at the boy in front of him, he reminded him of himself, doing anything for money and survival. Yet, their methods were very different; if he had to say, the boy was far more honorable than he was; after all, he was risking his life for everyone at home. For his family.

And he?

He just stood in the darkness and stole from others; was he also risking his life?

Yes… But at the same time, no.

With Clarisse being a Seeker, no one could ever fight against her in the Withered, so he was safe.

…

Which made him wonder if the old woman was still trying to cling to her pride, after all, she could steal from anyone by just killing them, since, as he had said, no one could touch her.

It was funny how much he had changed since he was with her, and just how different their mentalities are. How much she wished to avoid killing.

And how he had killed more in a few years than a kingdom does.

After all, if he counted the deaths that came after he left Frozen Crown, which were all his fault…

…

By how dirty his clothes were, you could tell this wasn’t his first battle, and the blood just confirmed that this boy had killed someone, which made you wonder if that nervous look on his face was fake or not.

Though he didn’t think so, if it had been fake, he would have been able to kill his first opponent without getting dirty; after all, he had also won a battle, and he was unscathed.

Or maybe he was just nervous… because the one he was facing… was him.

After all, his first fight had given him quite a reputation, so having to fight an Unraked who killed his other opponent in one strike… and in a quite brutal way, it must put a lot of pressure on the boy.

Plus, the difference between their weapons.

One was made out of a beautiful ruby, and the other was a katana that had many cracks inside.

But he had already known this wasn’t the boy’s first fight, after all, when picking his battle, he had noticed that he had a faction, which was given after the first win. It was also why he picked him.

He wanted to anger the Crimson Ledger even more.

And it was working, as looking at the highest stands in the arena, in the place with a coin being pierced by a quill as a banner, rested a small group of people, who clearly didn’t look happy.

The Arena’s highest stands were dominated by the factions, each having its own room, with the only exception being the one where the royal family stood, yet of course, it was empty, alongside all the other rooms of the factions.

Only the Crimson Ledger had come.

And he knew they would.

…

’Alright, let’s just get this over.’

He took his stance, and just like before, he waited until the small boy dashed forward with the blade to stab him.

He had fallen in the same trap.

…

Yet, as he was raising his blade to stab the boy, he took a step back, with a smile on his face.

It seems that, as he wasn’t so innocent as he seemed, he had probably been there for his last match, or the Crimson Ledger had probably told him about this, and knew that he was going to try it.

Looking at him all opened up, with his blade up in the air and without a way to attack with it, he dashed forward again.

…

Yet, as he did, he heard a small chuckle.

And the next second, he saw a punch from the left, hitting him straight in the face, and sending him to the ground.

“Really, a whole faction… and they all thought that I would really try the same thing again without a plan? Like, come on, they have seen thousands of fights and didn’t think something like this would happen.

I mean, where does it say when bringing a weapon, I have to specifically use it?”

He walked slowly towards the boy, who tried to get up, but was met by a kick, sending him rolling against the hard sand, with blood flowing from his nose.

“And it’s sad… that because of their stupidity, others have to suffer.”

Aether brought the blade to the neck of the boy.

“I’ll… give them some money… and I’ll bring the Crimson Ledger to the ground.”

Giving the boy a quick death, he sighed, as the Codex finalized his death by awarding him the shards.

Yet before leaving, they grabbed the boy’s bracelets and put them on.

They were now stained with blood, but he could still see the names, the effort, and the love his family had put in them.

He sheathed his blade and clenched his fists, taking a glance at the rooms where the people of the house he hated so much rested. They were clearly displeased, disgusted, and infuriated; some were leaving already, not waiting respectfully for the warrior that had fought for their entertainment leave first, as most do.

Aether walked back into the hallway, the Abyss appearing in front of him as he walked.

“Impressive, using your body in addition to the blade, is that what you consider a style formed around freedom?”

Aether raised one of his eyebrows and chuckled.

“Is it? I mean, I just did what I would have normally done, what I felt most comfortable doing… what felt right, what my instinct was telling me.”

His eyes widened as he stopped.

“Do you think that is what this style is? What freedom am I searching for? Instinct?”

To be using a rapier like this, you have to have a fast reaction time, and even more, the ability to decide what to do next, what would be able to do the most damage in the long run, and what would give him an advantage.

It all relied on one’s instinct,

Yet it was hard to draw a conclusion, after all, he had little time fighting with this style, well, trying to fight with this style, really, he didn’t even know if he was following what Kael had in mind, or if he was doing his own thing.

But…

It felt right.

It felt amazing for him.

He felt as if he wasn’t restricted by anything, as if he could do whatever he wanted.

But… to really put it to the test, he had to fight someone who could actually survive longer.

Someone who had at least won some fights… someone who had ranked up from Shattered. Who has gained some reputation and privileges… and, really, in addition, one from the Crimson Ledger.

That faction was wicked… this fight had confirmed it to him; they didn’t care if their people died while trying to take him down, they were going to do so no matter what.

No matter how many were going to die, they wanted him gone.

…

But he wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction… no.

And really, it annoyed him that this wasn’t the real world, since he really wanted to come back when he ranked up in class a couple of times.

Since he knew he could never fully destroy this arena and all the factions as a Reader.

…

Well, not through brute force.

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