The old man talked for a long time.
Kael Dominic sat in front of him on the broken pillar one leg crossed over the other ,elbow on his knees ,chin on his knuckles. His posture was relaxed with his left hand gripping a sword from sheath wrapped by a cloth. His posture was too relaxed for someone holding a sword.
In front of him sat Guran a three star wanted level criminal, charged for homicide of a noble's child, tax evasion, kidnapping, jail break. There were several more crimes listed finally ended by a genocide at a noble's gathering.
"Eight years ago my wife was pregnant with my child for 4 months." he said voice hoarse but steady "We didn't had kids even after 5 years of marriage we had lost all hope for a child but a miracle happened and she became pregnant."
He paused.
Kael sat there silently.
"The midwives has said this was the miracle of God " a single drop of tear drop from his eyes "we were both happy after that our days were filled with happiness even though we were middle class but we were panning everything for our child even the school it was going to attend but " his voice was filled with sudden rage "it was all shattered by a noble's boy."
"He wanted a girl to play with from our neighbourhood she was like my little sister my wife tried to protect her from the noble boy but she was pierced by a sword right at her stomach... She died from bleeding and our child too" his voice changed now almost guilty "if I hadn't gone for hunting that day I might have been able to save her that day. "
Tears were flowing from his eyes.
Kael still sat there expression still the same he wore everywhere like it didn't matter to him whatever the old man was saying.
"In the fit of anger I grabbed my sword and rushed to the restaurant the noble boy was having his dinner i entered the restaurant and killed that boy, stabbed his body 19 times until there was no part left clean."
He exhaled.
"After that I was sentenced to execution at the City square till that time I was left to rot in prison one day with several others with similar stories like me killer the soldiers and escaped after that we formed our own gang each person broken, filled with rage for nobles together we committed several crimes often containing nobles several of our men died several lost an arm or a leg but each of us was filled with rage so we didn't stop until finally all our enemies gathered at a gathering, we entered as staffs and when opportunity arises we killed only our enemies."
"It's been four months since the party."
Suddenly a voice interrupted him.
"Are you finished?"Kael asked him calmly his voice not wavering even for a second.
The old man exhaled and said "Yes and .. thankyou for listening to my last words."
Kael stood from the piller left hand still on sheath and right hand on sword's hilt and he pulled it out revealing a beautiful dark grey sword. The sword was dark grey which seems to absorb light it's blade was thinking narrow enough to pierce through gaps in armor. Along the fuller the blade was engraved with runes shallow but pierce not decorative, not glowing but something about it says it's dangerous.
The guard was the only indulgence, forged with subtle curves and inlaid accents that caught the eye only when blade moves. At its centre a small green gen sat cold and insert.
The hilt was short but long enough to grip with two hand.
Contrast to Kael's sword ,Guran's sword was plain but fierce it looked like it has been soaked in blood for years.
Both raised their swords.
The old man lunged first for a second he vanished then appeared in front of Kael.
He started with a vertical cut with his blade encased in blue aura.
Kael raised his sword just in time to defend.
He was pushed back a step.
Guran jumped back back to his initial position.
This time Kael engraved his sword in light coating of silver aura.
Guran's eyes narrowed looking at the sword.
"That aura suggest you are not some commonor still why are you doing this bounty hunting job."
Kael's eye didn't waver from the opponent in front of him while loosening his grip oh his sword he answered "That's not something you should be concerned about."
This time Kael rushed forward one leg forward.
Throwing a horizontal slash with one hand while other on his back.
Garun blocked the attack.
But it was not over ,Kael moved spinning landing a reverse kick with his left leg on his left waist .
Garun eyes narrowed in pain his grip on his sword tightening he slashed a diagonal slash from left to right.
Kael moved before his sword could slash and answered with a cut on his chest.
Drip
Drip
Blood started flowing from the wound and his mouth but kael didn't stop he threw another kick to his chest with his right leg. Garun skid back a few steps.
Guran steadied himself, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
His expression didn't change but something behind his eyes did.
"So you do bite," he said.
The blue aura around his blade compressed instead of expanding.
Kael felt it immediately.
The pressure changed.
Guran stepped forward not fast, not slow and Kael's instincts screamed.
The next strike came low.
Kael dropped his blade to intercept—but the old man twisted mid-swing, converting the cut into a thrust aimed at Kael's thigh.
Too late.
The blade pierced through.
Kael's leg buckled as blood splashed onto the stone.
Guran didn't give him time.
A second strike followed horizontal, chest level.
Kael barely raised his sword in time. The impact threw him backward, his back slamming into a broken pillar.
Stone cracked.
"You rely too much on momentum," Guran said calmly. "That's a young man's habit."
Kael pushed himself upright, breathing heavier now.
Silver aura flickered.
Guran advanced again.
This time Kael didn't attack.
He waited.
Guran advanced again.
This time Kael didn't rush forward.
He adjusted his stance left foot sliding back half a step, knees loosening, grip relaxing just enough that the sword no longer looked rigid in his hand.
Silver aura thinned.
It no longer clung like armor.
It flowed.
Guran noticed.
The old man struck first—an overhead cut meant to end it. Heavy. Certain.
Kael stepped aside instead of back.
The blade passed where his head had been, cutting only air. Kael's sword followed the motion, not opposing it but sliding along the attack, redirecting it like water slipping past a rock.
Steel didn't clash.
It glided.
Kael moved again, circling, his blade never stopping one motion bleeding into the next. A shallow cut opened on Guran's forearm. Not deep. Intentional.
Guran countered immediately.
A thrust aimed for Kael's wounded leg.
Kael twisted, letting the sword dip and rise, his body turning with it. The point grazed cloth but found no flesh. Kael's blade answered—not with force, but with a precise arc that carved a line across Guran's ribs.
Drip.
Drip.
Guran's breathing changed.
"You changed styles," he said, eyes sharp.
Kael didn't answer.
He moved.
Forward. Sideways. Forward again.
His sword never paused. Each strike flowed into the next—horizontal becoming diagonal, diagonal softening into thrust, thrust dissolving into a cut drawn backward.
Wind carried the blade.
Guran tried to regain control—stepping in hard, forcing power into his strikes—but every time he committed, Kael slipped past the edge, answering with another shallow wound.
None fatal.
All deliberate.
"You're not trying to kill me," Guran realized.
Kael's silver aura deepened still restrained, still clean.
"I'm waiting," Kael said.
Guran roared and poured everything into one final charge.
Blue aura flared violently.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Kael didn't retreat.
He stepped inside.
For a moment, they were too close to swing properly.
Kael's sword moved anyway.
A short cut barely visible flowing upward like a current finding a crack.
The blade passed through Guran's guard.
Through cloth.
Through flesh.
The silver aura vanished as the sword completed its motion and returned to Kael's side.
Silence fell.
Guran stood still.
His sword slipped from his fingers.
Blood traced a clean line from his abdomen to his chest, blooming slowly, peacefully.
"…So this is how it ends," Guran murmured, smiling faintly.
His knees gave out.
The body fell forward and did not rise again.
Kael stood there, breathing uneven now, sword lowered.
The silver aura faded completely.
For a moment everything was still.
Then black aura surged from Kael's arm vanishing after a few seconds.
Kael's eyes which was filled with unease dissolved into relief.
The tension in his chest eased.
'it's quiet now'
He checked time on his watch on left hand.
5:06 am.
"Looks like need to rush."