Chapter 5

Sebastian hold his breath. The purple aura swirl around his broadsword. He leaped toward Wayne, and swing his broadsword aiming at the neck of his opponent.

Wayne used his scimitar to shield his neck.

The two sword clashed as the blazing flame met the roaring aura.

Wayne clicked his tongue. "So persistent." He pushed the broadsword away with his scimitar, and kicked his opponent's stomach.

Sebastian staggered backward. His wound on the stomach worsen after being kicked. His knee was losing strength and his arms started to tremble.

Wayne chuckled seeing his own arm. There was a cut inflicted by Sebastian.

"I have only met aura user three time in my life," he said while staring at Sebastian's sword, "the first time, it was a child from the slump, the second, during a territorial dispute in Rothnia Kingdom, and, the third time… ah, that was the most exhilarating moment of my life. The young Grand Duke Sergeyev.

It was a beautiful and powerful deep crimson aura. The flaring aura, the scorching red flame, and in the midst of the mountain bloody corpse, he stood there, valiantly."

Wayne smirked. "It's was a pity I didn't get to fight with him."

"…you were just, envy on a power you didn't possess."

"What make you think I would envy such power?"

"Isn't that so? You long for something you didn't have, so, you went around flaunting your strength to feed on your inferiority."

"Why should I feel inferior when I could be as strong as them, no, I could be stronger."

"What make you think you deserve that strength?"

"I'm not like those nobles, they have everything since birth. They don't even need to lift their finger to achieve those strength. But, I? I earn it from nothing. I have been honing my skills almost my entire life. I make the miracle myself. I gain this strength myself."

"Yet, you used that strength to trampled on the weak and never satisfied with what you have."

Wayne furrowed his eyebrows. He sighed. "Old man, it's not good to preach all the time."

The flame on his scimitar flared brightly. The heat was rising. Wayne leaped, and swing his scimitar.

Sebastian shield himself with his broadsword. 'The pressure, crushing me…'

Wayne jumped to his right, and swing his scimitar again.

Sebastian flinched, he quickly turned to defensed his body. He managed to block it but, he got a little bit of scratch on his cheek. His opponent didn't give him any chances to counterattack.

"Old man, you must not die yet." The corner of his mouth perked up. "You have to keep entertaining me, or…" Wayne said while glancing to his side, "I might just kill everyone in this village this instance."

"You!" Sebastian's jaw tighten. Vein popped out on his neck. "Don't you dare!"

"Ha, Ha, Ha, that was so scary~"

The two continue to exchange attack.

"Madam!"

Sebastian flinched. He barely blocked the scimitar from slashing his throat. He glanced at the direction of the voice.

'Thump.'

"No…"

'Thump.'

"No!"

'Thump.'

"REA!"

He turned. He was about to run, when a swing of fire stopped him.

"Old man, our fight are not over yet."

Sebastian pour out almost all his remaining aura and shoved the scimitar away. "Out of my way." He strode off toward Andrea.

He was a meter away, but, when he look down on his stomach, the tip of scimitar sword pierced through his skin.

Wayne clicked his tongue. "Old man, you die today, because you keep a weakness by your side." He pulled back his sword, leaving a hole on the old man's stomach.

Wayne turned, he look at his men. "Cain! Mir!"

Cain and Mir both got closer to Wayne after killing off the villagers that stand on their way.

Wayne wave his hand lightly. "Clean up everything. Cleanly."

Blood gushing out from Sebastian's stomach. He fell on his knee. He try to use mana to stop the bleeding but he had exhausted his mana.

He looked in front of him. "Rea…"

His wife was lying on a pool of blood. Her eyes was out of focus. He crawled to get closer to her.

Tears flowed down her face. Although the image of her husband was fuzzy, she knew it was him.

Andrea dragged her body with the strength of her arms, closer to her husband.

"Bastian…"

Sebastian hugged Andrea. He caress her face. Tears and snot all over his face.

"I… sorry…"

Sebastian shake his head. "No, why would you be sorry?"

"I… weak… failed… to… protect… you… our… daughter… Aretha…"

"No, my love. I'm the one who is weak. I should be the one protecting you, our daughter and Aretha."

Blood trickled down from her nose and ears.

"Remember… we… first… met…"

Sebastian sobbed. Tears all over his face, blood all over his body.

"I remember."

"We… together…"

"Yes, in live and in death, we will be together."

Andrea raised her hand, she caress his cheek. She smile. Her hand slammed down.

Sebastian eyes widen, he check her heart. No movement. Her breathing. Nothing. She's gone.

His mouth curved into a smile. "Aretha, grandpa is sorry, I have to accompany your grandma. Don't worry, we will watch over you."

Sebastian stroke her hair. He bent down and kiss her forehead. His vision grown fuzzy. His ears ringing. He could heard some noise. Among them was his name.

"My, my, do you really think you can defeat me?" The young lady snorted.

"Being the prodigal magician doesn't promise you success all time." The young man retaliate.

"Pft… You really talk like an old man. Bet you always preached your colleagues."

The young man flinched. His face hardened.

"Wait, that's true?… Ha, Ha, Ha…"

"It's not wrong to always remind each other on what is right and what is wrong. Accepting advice and criticism is one way to improve oneself."

The young lady rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Why don't we fight?"

"No. You are not my enemy, a fight is unnecessary."

"Then, let's duel."

"No. There's no honor to protect, or wrong to right."

"Hmm…" The young lady loosed the tie on her shirt and exposed her chest.

The young man shut his eyes and turned around. "Are you insane?"

"Now there's honor to protect. Let's duel. If you lose, be my husband. If I lose, I'll be your wife."

Sebastian lie down beside his wife. He touched her cheek. "I'm your husband, so, you can't leave me behind."

He closed his eyes.

Wayne walked closer toward the dead body of the couple. He squinted his eyes, and gritted his teeth.

"It was such a pity for a strong person like you." He sighed. "Cain!" he shouted.

"Yeah?"

"Bury the two of them next to each other. They deserve some respect."

"Okay."

Wayne glanced at the body. 'Was it worth it?' Wayne did not understand why would the old man sacrifice himself for the sake of other and even put himself in danger for one person.

There was no one left to answer the question. It's pointless anyway. He put the thought away from his mind.