Chapter 5 : The beginning of a legend

  Iris stands up from the throne planning to go somewhere. Gin (6th Master) interrupts, “Where are you going?”. Iris replies, “I have to be somewhere. Let the others know that they can select anyone.”

  Iris searches the crowd and finds Hirako in the back.

  “Why are you not watching?”

  “I cannot bear to see him after bringing him here. They will arrest and execute him if he fails the trial.” (cries)

  Hirako grabs Iris’s collar , “It’s your fault for making him want to become an Aetherblade. It’s my fault too for not being able to convince him and hide him”

  “You brought him here. You asked me to save him. You decided to take care of him. If you failed it was just not meant to be. The least you can do is watch him fight. He’s also fighting for you”

  (scene change)

  The crowd shouts and cheers as the trial progresses. Only two participants have been selected Ryuma of the Ojin country and Saber of the country of the sword.

  Shinjiro was there standing with his sword, scared but willing to fight.

  A rope lashes out at him. He barely dodges the attack, it grazed his face.

  The attacker was a girl who was also a younger sister of the 5th Master Reyna Ishizaki. “Where are you looking at?”

  Shinjiro turns around. It was a red haired girl, around 16 years old in a battle suit. She introduces herself, “I am Rose Ishizaki. What about you criminal?”

  “I am not a criminal.”

  “I see”. Rose launches another attack with the rope grabbing Shinjiro’s leg and throwing him on the wall.

  Gin says to Reyna , “It’s better to select her before she harms anyone”

  Reyna replies, “What do you mean by that? I teach dangerous things?”

  “I did not mean that. I said she is skilled and we should select her”

  The Trial Master announces, “The participant Rose has been qualified and can move on.”

  Shinjiro was sitting near the arena wall coughing blood. He said to himself, “I can’t do it. Help me God”

  A fight was going on between two warriors both skilled with sword. One of them had taken out 7 people and the other one had taken out 4. They both clashed their swords. A voice was heard from the crowd.

  “Kenji! Big brother! You can do it”

  Kenji was the one who had taken out 7 people. He soon began overpowering the other guy and finally won the duel.

  The Trial Master announces, “Participant Kenji has been qualified”

  Kenji was celebrating and Shinjiro was sitting behind him in a poor condition. A thought popped up in Shinjiro’s mind , “What if this is the only way.” Shinjiro grabs his sword and was about to attack Kenji from behind.

  “Big brother! You did it!”

  Kenji turns around towards his little sister in the crowd. Shinjiro realised what sin he was about to commit. His mind was in some kind of trauma.

  Someone was running towards Kenji trying to attack him from behind. Shinjiro sees that and runs towards Kenji. Kenji thought Shinjiro was trying to attack him so he attacked Shinjiro. Shinjiro barely dodges the attack and tackles the attacker.

  Kenji was asked to leave the arena and move on towards the rest room. Shinjiro had grabbed the attacker and was not letting him go. The attacker pushed Shinjiro with his leg and he fell on the ground.

  Shinjiro stands up to fight. He realised he had lost his sword and was in denial. He prayed, “I don’t want to die. It was not my fault. I accepted what had happened to me and tried to have a new beginning but it looks like I failed. Please help me God. I don’t want to die yet. I don’t want my story to end here.”

  The participants who qualified the trial were watching from the rest area which was on the first floor. Saber asks Ryuma, “Why were you helping that guy ?”

  Ryuma replies , “I pitied him. He was just around my age but he looked like someone who went through a lot. He was scared. His eyes were innocent as mine. I figured he could never be a part of an evil group like Daimyojin.”

  “Such a kind hearted guy”, says Rose.

  “It must be easy for you since your big sister is the 5th Master”

  “You are being rude now. You are not that kind hearted.”

  Kenji says, “He tried to save me even though he is weaker than me.”

  Saber interrupts, “Look He is fighting”

  Shinjiro was standing and looking towards his enemy with anger and fear. He was bare handed and his opponent was equipped with iron sharp knuckles on his fists.

  Hirako cries, “Shinjirooo!!”

  The enemy dashes towards Shinjiro. Shinjiro mind was in agony. His vision blurred as he was crying and praying. The enemy throws a punch.

  (silence)

  Shinjiro’s vision cleared and He looked down from above. He realised he jumped in the air instinctively by his hands on the enemies arm for support. He naturally jumped back.

  In the rest area, Saber stood up and said , “Did you see that? Ryuma.”

  “Yeah. Did he really try to?”

  “To do what?” , says Kenji. Ryuma just smiles and everyone’s attention was shifted to Shinjiro’s unpredicted movements.

  Shinjiro standing on his feet was trying to understand why his body moved on his own. Shinjiro hears a voice in his head , “Use it what I showed you”

  “What are you trying to do now? Jumping like a monkey.

  Shinjiro had figured out why he jumped in the air. The enemy dashes again towards Shinjiro. He pulls his arm back and throws a punch towards Shinjiro.

  Shinjiro stood frozen, his mind a tempest of fear and doubt. Hirako’s desperate cry echoed in his ears, and the crowd’s roar was a dull hum in the background.

  The iron-clad fist hurtled toward him.

  In that split second, Shinjiro’s body reacted on its own. His legs bent, his hands shot forward, gripping the enemy’s arm for support, and with a powerful push, he vaulted into the air.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The crowd gasped.

  Time seemed to slow as Shinjiro soared above his opponent, his movements fluid and instinctive. His knee came crashing down like a hammer, connecting squarely with the enemy’s face.

  CRACK!

  The man staggered backward, blood dripping from his nose as the crowd erupted into cheers.

  Shinjiro landed lightly on his feet, his chest heaving. He stared at his trembling hands, realization dawning. “That move... Ryuma?”

  In the rest area, Ryuma leaned back, a smirk tugging at his lips.

  “That’s my knee strike,” he said.

  Kenji frowned. “He’s copying you?”

  “Not copying,” Saber interjected. “He’s mimicking. There’s a difference.”

  Ryuma’s grin widened. “And he’s not done yet.”

  The enemy, furious and disoriented, charged again, his fists swinging wildly.

  Shinjiro’s feet moved instinctively, his body shifting into a familiar rhythm. He sidestepped the first punch with ease, then ducked under the second, his movements smooth and precise.

  Drawing on the techniques he had seen Ryuma use, Shinjiro planted his foot and spun, delivering a roundhouse kick to the man’s ribs. The impact sent the enemy reeling, but Shinjiro didn’t stop.

  He stepped in, delivering a flurry of rapid punches to the man’s chest, his fists snapping forward like pistons. Then, with a pivot, he unleashed a spinning back kick that sent the enemy sprawling onto the sand.

  The crowd roared in approval, but Shinjiro barely heard it.

  His mind was focused, his body moving as though guided by an unseen hand. The techniques flowed naturally, each strike more precise than the last.

  “Look at him go!” Ryuma exclaimed, genuinely impressed.

  Kenji folded his arms, still skeptical. “He’s good, but he’s running on borrowed skill. Can he keep it up?”

  Saber, watching intently, said nothing.

  Shinjiro’s enemy rose to his feet, his face a mask of rage. He roared and charged once more, but Shinjiro was ready.

  He sidestepped the attack, his movements fluid and graceful, and countered with a high kick that struck the man’s jaw. The enemy stumbled but managed to stay upright.

  Switching tactics, Shinjiro dropped low, sweeping the man’s legs out from under him. The iron-knuckled fighter crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

  Shinjiro stepped back, panting heavily. His body was screaming in protest, his legs trembling from the strain, but he refused to back down.

  Another enemy comes towards Shinjiro, his face bloodied but defiant. “You think you’re tough, kid? Let’s see how you handle this!”

  He charged , Shinjiro hesitated. His movements, which had been so fluid moments ago, began to falter. The exhaustion was catching up to him, and his body felt heavy.

  In the rest area, Saber finally spoke. “He’s reaching his limit.”

  Kenji glanced at him. “So what now? He’s done for?”

  Saber’s eyes narrowed. “Not yet. Let’s see if he’s got what it takes to adapt.”

  The enemy threw a savage punch, and Shinjiro barely managed to dodge. The blow grazed his shoulder, sending him stumbling backward.

  Shinjiro dashed in , lands an uppercut and dashes out and a brazillian kick to the enemies head and the enemy fell down on the ground.

  “What is happening with me?”

  One of the participant shouted , “He is a criminal. He is a part of the Daimyojin. He is cheating! Let’s kill him first.”

  Half of the participants surrounded Shinjiro. He tried fighting but mostly he took damage.

  His legs felt like lead, his vision blurring. Desperation clawed at him as he searched for a way to turn the tide.

  Shinjiro’s gaze flickered to the rest area, where Saber stood watching. The memory of Saber’s earlier fight flashed through his mind—the calm, calculated stance, the single, decisive strike.

  “If I can’t fight head-on, I’ll fight like him.”

  Shinjiro picks up a sword and get’s into the fighting stance. Saber sheathes the sword and waits.

  The enemy attacks and Shinjiro withdraws the sword in a flash and attacks the enemy but he fails. The enemy cuts him but He manages to stay standing.

  From the rest area, Saber allowed himself a small smile, “Did he really try to copy that move. He has potential.”

  Ryuma laughed. “Potential? He just copied both of us in one fight. The kid’s a natural.”

  Kenji shook his head in disbelief. “Unreal. How does he do it?”

  Saber’s gaze remained on Shinjiro. “By surviving. And that’s the first step to winning.”

  “You criminal. Stop using those cheap tricks. Just die you bastard.”

  “I am not a criminal”

  “This was my final chance of qualifying. You ruined it. I hope you are executed with that old man also.”, says one of them

  The words ignited a fire in Shinjiro’s heart. His grip on the sword tightened as the noise of the crowd faded.

  In the rest area, Saber leaned forward, his eyes locked on Shinjiro.

  “Do you see it, Ryuma?” Saber asked.

  Ryuma smirked. “He’s finally letting it in. That anger, that fear—it’s turning into something else.”

  The sword felt weightless in his hand now, an extension of his will. His enemies, once sneering with arrogance, now exchanged nervous glances. Their confidence wavered as the bloodied bodies of their comrades lay strewn across the battlefield.

  One of them, a burly man with a spiked mace, took a step back, his bravado melting away. “What... what is this guy?”

  Shinjiro didn’t reply. His gaze was cold, unrelenting, like a storm about to break. He lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air in a flash. The man barely had time to raise his mace before the blade found its mark, cutting through his defenses with ruthless precision. Blood sprayed, and the man collapsed, his weapon clattering to the ground.

  The crowd gasped as the next opponent—a lean fighter armed with daggers—hesitated. His hands trembled as he circled Shinjiro, looking for an opening.

  “What’s wrong?” Shinjiro asked, his voice low and steady. “You were all so eager to call me a criminal. To kill me. Where’s that courage now?”

  The man snarled, trying to mask his fear with aggression. He darted forward, daggers glinting, aiming for Shinjiro’s throat. But Shinjiro was faster. He sidestepped the attack with a fluid motion, his sword already moving.

  In one clean strike, the man fell to his knees, a deep gash across his chest. He collapsed face-first into the sand, his daggers slipping from his lifeless hands.

  The remaining fighters faltered, their faces pale.

  One of them, a young swordsman with trembling hands, stammered, “He’s a demon... He’s not human!”

  Shinjiro wiped the blood from his sword, his movements slow and deliberate. “If you think I’m a demon, then run. I won’t stop you.”

  The swordsman’s legs buckled, and he stumbled backward, dropping his weapon. But another fighter shoved him forward. “Coward! If we band together, we can take him down!”

  Shinjiro’s eyes narrowed. “You’re welcome to try.”

  Three of them charged at once, a chaotic flurry of blades and fists. But Shinjiro was calm, his anger now a sharpened blade of its own.

  The first fighter swung a club at Shinjiro’s side. Shinjiro stepped inside the arc of the swing, slamming the hilt of his sword into the man’s ribs. The fighter let out a pained gasp as Shinjiro’s blade flashed upward, leaving him crumpled on the ground.

  The second enemy lunged from behind, aiming a dagger at Shinjiro’s back. Without turning, Shinjiro twisted his sword in a backward slash, the steel slicing through flesh. A scream echoed before the man dropped.

  The last fighter, a hulking brute with iron gauntlets, hesitated mid-charge, his courage evaporating as Shinjiro turned to face him.

  “You’re afraid,” Shinjiro said, taking a step forward. “Good. You should be.”

  The brute roared, trying to shake off his fear. He swung both fists in a wild frenzy, but Shinjiro danced around him, each step precise.

  With a single, devastating slash, Shinjiro cut across the brute’s chest. The man fell to his knees, his gauntlets hitting the sand with a dull thud before he collapsed.

  Shinjiro, still catching his breath, looked at his trembling hands and whispered to himself, “What... what am I becoming?”

  The voice in his head answered, “Something more.”

  The last enemy charged, screaming in rage.

  Shinjiro lowered his stance, the sword resting in its sheath. His fingers brushed the hilt, his body coiled like a spring. The enemy’s fist shot forward.

  In a blur of motion, Shinjiro unsheathed the sword and struck. The blade flashed like lightning, slicing through the air with deadly precision. The enemy crumpled to the ground, clutching his chest as blood sprayed across the sand.

  The crowd gasped in unison, the sheer speed of the move leaving them stunned.

  Saber smiled faintly. “He’s doing it.”

  Kenji shook his head in disbelief. “How is he pulling off your technique? He’s never trained with a sword before!”

  Ryuma laughed. “ He’s not copying. He’s adapting. Turning what he’s seen into his own.”

  The remaining enemies hesitated, their confidence wavering. Shinjiro’s movements were sharper now, his strikes more precise. Each swing of the sword cut through their defenses, leaving them disarmed and defeated.

  Their fear was palpable, their once-taunting voices reduced to silence.

  Shinjiro’s eyes burned with determination as he stepped forward. “If you think I’ll stop, you’re wrong.”

  One by one, the enemies fell, their attempts to overpower him futile. Shinjiro’s sword was an extension of himself, each movement fluid and purposeful.

  The last opponent, trembling with fear, bloodied with the last attack , clenched his fists. “You think you’re some kind of hero? You’re nothing but an evil criminal!”

  Shinjiro didn’t respond. He stood still, the sword sheathed once more, his gaze unflinching. The opponent’s anger boiled over, and he lunged with a desperate scream.

  Shinjiro closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling the surge of energy coursing through him. His mind was clear, his purpose unwavering.

  In an instant, he drew the sword. The blade flashed once, slicing through the air with a deafening whoosh.

  The enemy froze mid-attack, his eyes wide with shock. A thin red line appeared across his chest before he collapsed to the ground.

  Shinjiro stood motionless, his sword steady in his hand.

  The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices a thunderous roar.

  As the adrenaline faded, Shinjiro’s legs gave out beneath him. He fell to his knees, the sword slipping from his grasp.

  In the rest area, Saber watched in silence, his expression unreadable.

  The arena quieted as medics rushed to tend to the fallen. Shinjiro, still kneeling, whispered to himself, “I’m not a criminal. I’m... more than this.”

  From the shadows, a voice echoed in his mind. “This is just the beginning.”