Prince of The Abyss-Chapter 227: Colosseum

Kael raised his eyes, looking at Aether.

The boy looked different; his skill had a lot more color in it, like it had been repainted. His eyes seemed filled with light, but not the same one they held before, but a calmer one.

And, also, the soft smile resting on his cheeks.

He smirked back.

"I suppose you made up your decision, and even more... you did something about it, right?"

Aether chuckled slightly, nodding. "I have, my decision is clear as day, there is no other answer."

The old man walked over to the wall, looking at the many blades.

"I guess it’s my turn to do my part of the deal." He turned back to look at Aether. "Isn’t it?"

With that, he grabbed a rapier that was hung on the wall and gripped its hilt, taking off its sheath.

Aether’s eyes widened as he saw it.

The blade caught the light immediately.

It was not steel, no, it was something a lot more... beautiful.

The entire length of the blade was forged from a shiny ruby, a deep, living red, translucent enough that the light did not merely reflect but sank into it, refracting and scattering like fire trapped beneath crystal.

Irnoic, when he looked, thinking of his own blade, which of course, was made out of a completely black steel, that didn’t shine at all. And in no way was it made for beauty.

Veins darker than blood ran through the blade; they weren’t impurities, but structures, as if the gem had grown that way rather than been shaped. Every moment sent slow glimmers sliding along its edge, like embers shifting under ash.

The tip seem extremly sharp.

Not in the way metal was sharp, but in a cleaner, quieter sense, as if the blade did not pierce by force, but by certainty. The edge also seemed flawless, without any chips, no unevenness, perfectly made.

The hilt, though, was a perfect contrast. It was made out of dark, worn leather, wrapped around a grip shaped by the amount of use. The guard was rather simple, like a toy compared to the Voidpiercer guard, but when it came to his blade, he had no idea why it actually was that complicated.

It curved just enough to protect the hand, etched with faint marks that time had softened.

Kael turned the rapier once, watching the red glow move.

Looking at Aethers suprised face, the old man laughed.

"A beauty, right, but it isn’t that powerful, trust me. It’s the blade my master gave me when i was young, since ruby is extremely durable."

He then threw it towards Aether, who quickly panicked, trying to catch it.

"I know you already have a trusty companion, but I think it’s better to use this one for training, that way you don’t only get used to wielding that blade specifically, plus, I don’t want you damaging your blade for me."

While the latter would have been fine, since if Voidpiercer got damaged, he could just let it back into his marks and let it heal. Relics healed in the soul, but since it specifically went into his arm instead of his soul, it just rested there.

But he was right with the former; it has been years now.

And he has only used Voidpiercer.

He had to use other blades, or he would get too used to it. And it wasn’t about not being able to use other sword types, but rather others’ rapiers entirely, just Voidpiercer, no other blade.

Plus, who wouldn’t want to wield such a beauty?

"Thanks... so what now? Are you going to teach me a stance or something?"

"What, of course not?"

...

Aether stood dumfounded. "But... shouldn’t that be the first thing you learn in a sword style?"

The old man chuckled a little at Aether’s claim.

"Maybe for others... but not for me."

...

...

...

"The rapier is a blade that needs insane precision and order. It’s not something you can improv at the moment. But to get to that point.

I must ask you, for what are you fighting?

When you want to wield a blade in battle, you have to have a reason on why you want to use one."

Aether raised one of his eyebrows.

"I mean... when I fight, all I want to kill the one in front of me, no?"

...

After saying the last words, Aether’s eyes widened as he realized something.

"I’ve had many say the same answer. And so I’ll ask you the same follow-up question.

If fighting is all about killing the one in front of you, why do we want to survive? I mean, if all we wanted was to kill, then couldn’t we make up a plan that kills our opponent, but that also kills us? Does it fulfill what we wanted?"

Aether wanted to respond with the question, but didn’t have the words for it.

Since he was right.

If, truly, killing the opponent was all that mattered, you could sacrifice yourself to do so. But no one does so, because they want to be alive at the end of the fight, while the others die.

"The true essence of combat is survival. And it has been since it was first created. It runs through our blood. All creatures fight for the exact same reason: to live to see the next day.

Animals hunt and fight eachother for food, so they don’t die of hunger, not because they decided they wanted another dead.

Only a psychopath would fight because they wanted to do so."

...

And for all this time, he never considered this. But it was true, and the Withered was the best example, a place where people killed each other so they could survive, for the money, for the food.

And it always has been that way, even before humans existed.

"It is important to know this, for what you are fighting for, and for what you are learning this style."

...

Kael picked up a wooden rapier blade himself.

"My style of fighting with the rapier, I have to say, is quite different from what you may have seen."

He said, putting his left foot slightly in front of his right, just slightly, and pointed the tip of the blade towards the floor.

"You said earlier about being through the stance... well, this is it. The stance you so wished to see. Nothing special."

He chuckled.

"I’m sure that even my master would curse me for seeing such a stance while holding a rapier in my hand so proudly. But it fits the style perfectly.

A style meant for adaptation, and freedom to do whatever you please."

He sighed. "I really wish I didn’t have my wounds that way, I could show you. And truly, the essence of the style is all I can teach you; the rest is for you to learn.

But keep this in mind: when using this style, you aren’t solely relying on it. As I said, it’s something that gives you freedom, don’t stick to the rules, and also, don’t be scared to fight at close range."

...

..

.

The old man looked at his hands.

"I guess I can show you something."

With that, before Aether even had time to process everything, he was already starting to thrust the wooden blade. Aether quickly raised the rapier made out of the beautiful ruby to parry the attack, but as he was about to hit, it stopped, and quickly the line on which the rapier traveled... moved, as he realized his lower body was completely, but before he could do something about it, the wooden blade had already stopped in front of his foot.

If Kael had wanted, he could have pierced his foot, leaving him immobilised.

He sighed out of relive.

...

"Oh, like I said, the blade isn’t the only thing you rely on."

"What-?" Aether tried to say, but was cut off by his body falling on the ground.

The old man had swept him off his feet.

"I think that’s enough for you to get an idea of how this style works.

Aether got up to his feet slowly, massaging the side he had fallen on.

He did, he understood... because it was similar to what Clarisse had taught him, the same cheap trick he was used to, the same faints, and the whole thing about being free, and also using your body.

Just that it was more focused on these parts, while her style’s main focus was parrying.

"If you want to learn, you should go climb up some islands. There is a colosseum that people are allowed to enter; it’s a great place if you want to train, plus, if you win, you get some embers. Just... don’t die?"

A colosseum?

A place where people fight for money and honor, it was never something that he thought about entering. The money part was appetizing, but the honor... not so much.

But...

There was no better reason to enter one than the one he had.

Kael was right...

It was the best place to learn the style.

...

Since fighting was all you did.