[The hooded man, Franklin's POV]
People say a mother's womb is the safest place. But my mother tried to kill me more than once while I was still in her womb.
She also tried to kill me after i was born.
She was a slave to a noble count who served under the Noctvain family.
I don't know if she wanted me to die out of love, so I wouldn't have to suffer as a slave.
Or if she truly hated me, because I was born from the many men who violated...
Anyway, my life was hell. When I was seven, my mother died from sickness.
After that, I lived like an emotionless slave.
But everything changed when I turned twenty. The noble count brought in a new slave girl around my age.
Her name was Anna.
Ahh... Ahhhhaa she was.....Annaaa.
"They gave us chains so we'd forget we had wings. But I still dream of the sky…Franklin, Run with me. Even if we bleed, let it be while chasing freedom."
That's what Anna once said to me but....
* * *
The hooded man's eyes filled with tears as he looked at Aether and the Left Guardian.
"I, Franklin, will kill all nobles and free this world from slavery and their hypocrisy."
Then the hooded man raised his left hand and pulled his middle finger forward. His hand suddenly burst open, and the bone inside slid out easily.
He gripped the bone like a sword. Placing two fingers on the bone blade, he slowly moved them from the grip to the edge.
Black mana began to swirl around it, forming a jagged blade.
The bone sword turned rough and uneven, with sharp, deadly edges.
Now, it looked like a real weapon. dark, cruel, and meant to kill.
"I'll kill you noble bastards." the hooded man shouted as he charged at Aether and the Left Guardian.
"Left Guardian, deal with this madman. I'll take care of the Soulborne." Aether said firmly.
In his past life, Aether wasn't here. He was at home, traumatized by the torture he had suffered.
But in this life, he came here to defeat the Soulborne and earn permission to enter the Noctvain family's secret vault.
Inside that secret vault is a cursed sword left behind by Aether's real older brother Haruto, who is known as Julius von Legolant in this world.
That cursed sword is one of the eleven relics Julius left behind for Aether.
However, Aether is only 15 years old now, and entering the secret vault at 18 is a family tradition.
But he needs the sword now, because important events are coming. With that sword, he could handle them more easily.
"Will you be alright? Why not wait for the Iron Fang Squad Captain?" the Left Guardian advised. His eyes were filled with concern.
"No need, I can handle the Soulborne. This is a challenge I must face....to earn the right to enter the secret vault."
Aether's words reassured the Left Guardian.
"I follow your command." The Left Guardian stomped on the floor and moved toward the hooded man, who was also approaching with killing intent.
As they got closer, their blades clashed, and a powerful shockwave shook the ground.
Clang clang clang
"Die die die." The hooded man shouted.
His sword style was unrefined since he never had proper training, but his strikes were powerful.
On the other hand, the Left Guardian was well trained and experienced.
Even in the Martial Realm, the hooded man was one stage lower.
The Left Guardian was at Unrestrained Mid Stage, while the hooded man was at Unrestricted Low Stage.
Clang clang
The hooded man swung his sword wildly, but the Left Guardian dodged it easily and used his high-speed movement to get behind him.
Then, from behind, he made a simple sword slash. The hooded man blocked it and used a deadly sword technique to create distance.
Clang!
As the hooded man gained distance, he quickly unleashed his aura and covered his sword with dark energy.
This technique is called Aura Sword. It means using your mana to strengthen your blade. The aura makes the sword stronger, sharper, and more powerful in battle.
The better someone understands mana, the stronger their sword becomes.
Just like the hooded man, the Left Guardian also used his Aura Sword.
His sword glowed with a dark green aura. The aura felt steady, while the hooded man's aura sword was unstable and flickering.
After both covered their swords with aura, they took their stance and charged at each other.
Clang clang clang
"The left guardian is strong." Aether said while watching him demonstrate such power. "What do you think?" He asked the soulborne.
As soon as he spoke, the Soulborne jumped and slammed his fist down where Aether was standing.
Aether dodged and clicked his tongue.
"You're a pain in the ass " Aether unsheathed his sword and aimed at the soulborne.
Meanwhile, The villagers saw the fight and started to panic. Screams filled the streets as they ran for safety.
* * *
Near the entrance of the village, some unidentified people charged at the village guards. And a fight broke out.
Then, a man rushed out from an office-like building.
"What is happening?"
He was the Iron Fang Squad Captain.
"Captain, right after an explosion in the village center, some black-hooded men rushed in and started killing the village guards. Our knights have joined the fight and are defending against them."
a warrior wearing the Noctvain family knight uniform answered the squad captain.
'Damn, it must be those guys who awakened the Soulborne.' the squad captain deduced, seeing the situation.
"Captain, that's not all. Along with the black-hooded people, there are also undead monsters."
Hearing this, the squad captain narrowed his eyes.
"!!!...undead...How many are there in total?" He asked
"Around four hundred."
"....There's no time to waste. Charge at the monsters! Even if they have numbers, they are easy to kill." the squad captain ordered and rushed to the battlefield.
Slash slash slash.
He used his squad's sword technique and cut down many undead at once.
'Iron fang sword art: forth form'
Slice slice.
"Iron fang squad, Find the sorcerer controlling them!" the squad captain shouted to his squad members, who were also fighting.
.
.
.
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To be continued....