CHAPTER 28- Training Hall Showdown

"Was it fun?" The voice was sharp, dripping with malice. I froze, my fingers pausing mid-motion as I tightened the laces of my boots. I didn't need to look up to know who it was. Dain. My brother. Or at least, the boy I had once called brother.

I rose slowly, my movements deliberate, and turned to face him. Dain stood at the entrance of the training hall, his usually pristine appearance disheveled. His hair was a mess, his clothes wrinkled, and his eyes—those piercing green eyes—were now bloodshot, glowing with an unnatural red hue. The stench of alcohol clung to him, but it was the dark, swirling aura around him that sent a chill down my spine.

"It was," I replied, my voice calm but laced with a sharp edge. "Your expression was amusing, Dain."

His face twisted into a snarl, and he lunged at me without warning, his sword flashing in the dim light. I barely had time to react, my body moving on instinct as I dodged the first strike. The force of his attack sent me stumbling backward, my boots scraping against the stone floor.

"Ha! You bitch! THAT'S MY POSITION! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE!" Dain's voice was a guttural roar, his words slurred but filled with venom. He swung his sword again, the blade cutting through the air with a vicious hum. I ducked, the tip of his sword grazing my cheek. A thin line of blood welled up, but I didn't flinch.

His sword flashed, and a suffocating wave of killing intent crashed over me. I barely dodged, my reflexes kicking in just in time to avoid the full force of his downward strike.

The sheer pressure sent me skidding backward, my feet struggling for purchase on the cracked floor. He laughed—a sharp, maniacal sound that sliced through the training hall like shattered glass.

"I knew it! You don't stand a chance against me! Die, Selentia!"

Another strike. I twisted away, feeling the wind of his blade graze my cheek. Blood trickled down, warm and slow. My heartbeat remained steady.

I couldn't fight back. Not properly. My body—still too weak—would crumble under the strain. Mother and Father wouldn't tolerate me leaving a visible wound on Dain. If I held back too much, I would die. If I went too far, they would punish me.

My mind worked at lightning speed, scanning for the optimal counter. Dain was fast—his swordplay was brutal. His green aura, the same one Father wielded, pulsed with relentless energy. He had been trained in every secret technique of the Nyxveil lineage.

I kept dodging. Each of his slashes tore through the space I had occupied moments before, obliterating the walls, the floor, and even the towering trees outside. The training hall was disintegrating under his assault.

"Why do you keep running? Afraid?" He roared, his voice thick with madness.

No. But I had to be smart.His sword cleaved through a wooden training dummy, reducing it to splinters.

Dain lunged again. His blade, now coated in a dense layer of aura, cleaved through a knight's barracks wall, sending bricks tumbling.

"Move!" I commanded the knights below, channeling my own aura. With a flick of my wrist, I shattered the falling debris before it could crush them.

"Coward! You won't even face me head-on!" His rage burned hotter.

I exhaled sharply. If I continued to evade like this, I would run out of options. My mind raced. I couldn't keep this up forever. My body was reaching its limit, and Dain showed no signs of tiring. I needed a way out, a way to end this without revealing too much. My eyes darted to the exit, then to the shattered remains of the training hall. If I could lure him outside, away from prying eyes, I might stand a chance.

Ghost Step.

A technique of the Eastern Empire's assassins, one that I had barely survived mastering. The art of movement beyond perception, a step that rendered the user a phantom. It would wreck my body—but it was the only way to reach the mansion in time.

With a deep breath, I activated **Ghost Step. My body became a blur, my movements so fast and silent that I seemed to vanish into thin air. I darted past Dain, my feet barely touching the ground as I raced toward the exit.

The pain in my chest was immediate—a sharp, burning sensation that threatened to overwhelm me. But I pushed through, my focus unwavering.

Dain roared in frustration, his attacks growing wilder as he tried to keep up. My Ghost Step carried me across the estate in mere seconds, my body screaming in protest with every step. I skidded to a halt in front of the main mansion, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Blood trickled from my nose, the strain of using such an advanced technique taking its toll.

Twenty minutes' worth of distance compressed into mere seconds. My veins burned as if molten metal coursed through them, but I endured. When I stopped before the main doors of the mansion, pain stabbed through my ribs, and my knees nearly buckled. I pressed a hand to my chest, forcing my erratic aura into control.

Behind me, Dain's laughter echoed."You think you can escape me, Selentia? YOU'RE DEAD!"

Dain's attacks were relentless, each strike fueled by a rage that bordered on madness.

I dodged another slash, my movements fluid but strained. My body wasn't what it used to be. In my past life, I could have ended this fight in seconds. But now, my muscles screamed in protest, my aura flickering weakly as I struggled to keep up. I couldn't afford to fight back when a single scratch on him would cost me a lot.

I straightened, my expression calm despite the chaos swirling inside me. "Can we not do this, Dain?" I asked, my voice steady. "You're only embarrassing yourself."

My words struck a nerve. Dain's aura flared, the purple energy around him intensifying. His eyes darkened, the pupils shrinking to pinpricks as the demonic power within him took hold. The sky above us seemed to darken, the air growing heavy with an oppressive energy.

I could feel my blood running cold at the sight of Dain's power. Those purple auras surrounding him and his sword, his eyes, which changed it's color. I knew them all.

The demonic power... . Before the Darkest Night, none really knew what demonic power looked like. And there was no way I would mistake it when I fought against this power literally all my life.

"YOU ASKED FOR THIS!" Dain screamed, his voice distorted, almost inhuman. He raised his sword, the blade glowing with a sickly purple light. "BONEBREAKER SLASH!"

The attack was devastating—a wave of demonic energy surging toward me. My eyes widened. If I didn't stop it, the entire mansion would be destroyed—and with it, everyone inside.

"Watch, Selentia! Watch what real power looks like!"

The sky churned, the air thickening with the ominous presence of his corrupted aura. Behind me, the mansion doors slammed open.

Ezekian.

His eyes widened in horror.

"What is happening—?!"

My gaze fell on Ezekian, who stood frozen in the doorway, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Without hesitation, I sprinted toward him, my hand closing around the hilt of **Slayer**, the legendary blade that had once belonged to Ezekial.

The sword hummed in my grasp, its celestial energy resonating with my own. I channeled every ounce of my remaining strength into the blade, my aura flaring to life as I swung it in a wide arc.

The two energies collided with a deafening crash, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the ground. I gritted my teeth, my arms trembling as I fought to hold my ground. The pain was excruciating, my bones creaking under the strain, but I refused to back down.

When the dust settled, I stood amidst the wreckage, my body battered but unbroken. Dain stared at me in disbelief, his demonic aura flickering weakly. Behind me, Ezekian watched in stunned silence, his sword now in my hands.

The Duke and Duchess arrived moments later, their expressions a mix of shock and fury. Dain's transformation faded, his eyes returning to their normal green as he collapsed to his knees. My mother rushed to his side, her voice trembling with concern. "Dain, are you okay?"

My father, the Duke, approached me, his gaze unreadable. "What happened here?" he demanded, his voice cold.

I met his eyes, my own filled with a quiet resolve. "Dain lost control," I said simply. "I stopped him."

The Duke studied me for a moment, then nodded. "You did well," he said, his tone softer than I expected. "But this must never happen again." Saying that, he walked toward Dain.

As my parents tended to Dain, I turned away, my grip tightening on Slayer. The weight of what I had discovered pressed down on me, a heavy burden I would have to carry alone.

My family was involved with the demon cult. My own brother had been corrupted by their influence. And now I would have to face it. Wasn't I looking for solid evidence? Evidence was right in front of me.

And a part of me couldn't help but feel sad over the situation. Regardless of the situation among us, those people are my blood kins—someone I considered family... And now I would be the slayer of them.

The thought filled me with a deep, aching sorrow. But beneath the pain, there was a flicker of hatred and resentment too. Because of their actions, I had to suffer. I had to suffer through hatred and humiliation and live like an Imperial Dog because of them.

They have to suffer a fate worse than mine for everything I had to go through because of them.