Celine looked at Rene, who was lost in thought, then spoke in a soft voice:
"What is bothering you, Rene? You can tell me."
Rene immediately turned to her and stammered:
"N… nothing, I was just thinking. I am very hungry; the battle exhausted me."
Celine replied:
"The food will be ready soon; just be patient until then. And as you know, if something worries you, you can tell me. I am here to support you."
Rene looked at her with a smile, then said affectionately:
"I am truly grateful for your concern, Celine."
Celine smiled in turn and said:
"It's my duty; there is no need to thank me."
After that, she went out to check on the state of dinner.
Upon returning to the tent, she spoke to Mona about distributing the dishes. Mona immediately moved and started handing out the food, while Celine brought the entire pot to the center so that anyone wanting an extra plate could go directly to the pot without disturbing others.
After finishing the meal, everyone lay down on the mat, exhausted and relaxed after a hard day.
After a long time of relaxation, Oran stood up, then took out Rene's book and spoke clearly:
"Let everyone listen, I will continue the story."
Everyone jumped up and sat in a circle, with a lantern in the middle lighting the tent. Everyone watched Oran, waiting for him to begin his speech.
Oran began to read:
"Chapter Two, Part One of the Myths of the Sword of the Sky."
"The Sword of the Sky married Maya, and Raven had prepared their home and wedding. A full year had passed… The Sword of the Sky and Maya had reached the age of eighteen, and they lived in peace and happiness throughout that period. The Sword of the Sky was now in charge of training the students, while Maya dedicated herself to taking care of the home and her husband. But peace does not last forever…"
A year passed, and that day was the day the students graduated from the hospitality school, preparing to begin their real-life journey.
At the graduation ceremony, Raven, along with the Sword of the Sky—and in the presence of Maya—distributed awards to their students, confident in their dueling skills.
Joy filled the school, and the awards were actual katana swords and dueling costumes. The Sword of the Sky and Raven distributed the prizes to all the trainees, then led them outside to bid farewell.
But then, something unexpected happened.
When Raven opened the door and signaled for the students to come out, the troops were already waiting at the entrance!
Shock appeared on everyone's faces, and Raven stepped forward towards them, placing his hands behind his back, then spoke in a sharp tone:
"May I help you? What do you want?"
The leader of the troops smiled mischievously, bowed slightly, then said:
"My name is Kaden, honored to meet you, Mr. Raven."
Raven sharply replied:
"Stop beating around the bush, speak directly; what do you want?"
Kaden laughed lightly before answering:
"In fact, Mr. Raven, we have come today to recruit your dear students… although the matter is not an option available to you."
The students were astonished by his words, and they began to retreat cautiously.
Anger appeared on Raven's face, and he answered in a stern voice:
"Leave, you and your troops, the students are not puppets in your hands! I will not allow you to lay a single hair on any of them!"
Kaden raised his head, revealing his face, then spoke in a mocking tone:
"As I told you, Mr. Raven, you have no choice. Either you hand them over quietly, or we, the security forces in the Western Desert, will act."
At the moment Kaden revealed his face, the expression of the Sword of the Sky immediately changed to extreme anger. He ground his teeth, clenched his fists in rage, then advanced toward the troops' leader, Kaden.
Raven was about to speak, but the Sword of the Sky appeared before Kaden face-to-face, then spoke in a calm yet filled-with-anger voice:
"Do you remember me, Captain Kaden?"
Kaden looked at the Sword of the Sky, then smiled slyly, saying:
"Oh, of course I remember you very well! I never forget those whom I have tortured… nor will I ever forget the moment you emerged from your hiding place and saw your father's head severed from his body. I remember when you told me, 'I will take revenge on you'? But at that moment… I prepared against your mother too. I left your siblings to witness that the last member of your family would become my slave. Ah, when I remember that, I get chills… It is truly an exquisite feeling!"
The anger in the Sword of the Sky's eyes intensified, to the point where his veins stood out with rage.
Everyone heard his words, and fear began to infiltrate their hearts.
Then the Sword of the Sky spoke again, trying to suppress his anger slightly:
"So, what do you say to a duel between you and me to the death? If you defeat me, you may do as you wish… but before you die, you must order your forces not to intervene and to leave immediately after your death."
Everyone was astonished, even Raven himself, by this challenge. Raven tried to dissuade the Sword of the Sky from his decision, but he completely ignored him.
Kaden began laughing maniacally, then said mockingly:
"You… you think you can defeat me? Please, don't make me laugh! This is very funny!"
The troops joined in his laughter, and the soldiers began mocking the Sword of the Sky, saying:
"He wants to defeat the leader? This is laughable!"
Yet the Sword of the Sky did not show any sign of displeasure at their mockery; instead, he calmly said:
"So, can you tell them what I just told you?"
Kaden responded sarcastically:
"Oh, well, well, although that won't happen, ha ha!"
Then he turned to his soldiers, saying:
"Dear soldiers, can you refrain from interfering when I die? Although that will never happen!"
The soldiers answered in unison:
"Yes, sir! We promise you that, even though his death is impossible."
Kaden turned to the Sword of the Sky, smiling slyly:
"So, shall we begin our duel?"
The Sword of the Sky replied:
"Very well, I heard you."
Then he looked at one of the students and said:
"Can you give me your sword for a moment? Don't worry, I will bring you another if you wish."
The student looked at the Sword of the Sky in astonishment, but removed the sword from his waist and handed it over.
Raven continued attempting to persuade the Sword of the Sky to withdraw, but the latter refused, saying:
"I am sorry for the trouble I've caused you, but I will never rest until I have killed him. I will leave immediately after killing him, and I will cause you no further trouble."
Raven fell silent without uttering a word, while everyone, including the ordinary passersby, awaited the outcome of this decisive duel.
---
Kaden and the Sword of the Sky were in the middle of the arena, ready to begin their duel. One of the troops' soldiers gave the order to start the duel, and both of them launched themselves at each other like arrows, exchanging attacks that were expertly parried by both.
They began circling the battlefield carefully, and in a fleeting moment, Kaden leaped with an initial attack, but the Sword of the Sky easily parried it. Sweat began to pour from Kaden's brow, while the Sword of the Sky remained steadfast without any disturbance.
Suddenly, the Sword of the Sky surged forward with astonishing speed, bypassing Kaden's delayed defense, which caused him to be pushed away by the force of the attack. The Sword of the Sky did not give him any chance to catch his breath, as he immediately followed him and began launching successive, relentless attacks, while Kaden managed only to defend and retreat without any counterattack.
The soldiers began murmuring among themselves:
"Will the leader lose? It seems his opponent is stronger than he is!"
Their words reached Kaden's ears, igniting his determination, and he suddenly increased the force of his attack, which forced the Sword of the Sky to retreat this time. In a sudden moment, Kaden delivered a powerful blow that struck the Sword of the Sky in the chest, staining his white robe with red. The Sword of the Sky knelt on the ground, pained by the blow.
Maya was about to intervene, but Raven stopped her, saying:
"Let him do as he wishes; he chose this, and he must bear the responsibility for his choices."
Kaden slowly approached the Sword of the Sky and said mockingly:
"It seems you are still too weak for me to kill you. Your words in anger will fade with the wind."
Despite the pain, the Sword of the Sky remained kneeling, placing his left hand on his chest, resting his right hand on his sword, then began to smile fearlessly as Kaden approached. That smile incited Kaden's anger, and he dashed like an arrow to strike him immediately.
But in that very moment, the Sword of the Sky began to rise, leaning on his sword, and raised the blade of his weapon towards Kaden before dashing directly at him. The two clashed once again, and the Sword of the Sky continued smiling while they both retreated.
Kaden asked angrily:
"Why are you smiling? You are provoking my temper with that!"
The Sword of the Sky confidently replied:
"Do you want to know? Because I can see your death."
Kaden's anger escalated further, and he lunged towards the Sword of the Sky, muttering:
"I will kill you! I will never let you live!"
The Sword of the Sky remained standing motionless, gripping his sword tightly, waiting for the opportune moment. And when Kaden was about to launch his attack, the Sword of the Sky moved like an arrow between him and his opponent. The two stood facing each other, motionless, with their backs turned against each other.
In the next moment, Kaden's sword broke, and he collapsed to his knees, coughing up blood. All those present were stunned; none of them could see how the Sword of the Sky executed his lethal blow.
The Sword of the Sky advanced towards Kaden, while the latter raised his head, coughing up blood, and said defiantly:
"What are you looking at? Come on, kill me! Do not insult me!"
The Sword of the Sky replied calmly:
"Of course I will kill you, but before that, I have a question."
Kaden answered in a weak voice:
"Ask, I will answer you."
The Sword of the Sky said sharply:
"Why do you do this? Why did you kill my father? And why do you destroy every house you go to?"
Kaden began laughing maniacally, then said:
"Do you really want to know? It's very simple… because it is fun! You have no idea of the pleasure I feel when I see children in despair, when they cry and plead… or the moment of their killing in front of their siblings! Sometimes I leave one to suffer, and sometimes I kill them all… It is an indescribable feeling! This is true art! Ah… hahahahaha!"
A silence fell among those present, and everyone felt disgusted by his insane laughter, while fear spread among the students.
But while Kaden was immersed in his maniacal outburst, the Sword of the Sky's anger reached its peak. And in one fleeting moment, he drove his sword into Kaden's throat, piercing through his neck.
Blood gushed like a machine gun, flooding his body while his body convulsed like the severed tail of a lizard. The onlookers covered their eyes in horror at the scene, and everyone was shocked—including Raven and Maya. This gruesome moment was etched in their memories forever, transforming the graduation ceremony, which was once filled with joy, into a bloody scene that would never be erased from their minds.
The Sword of the Sky remained expressionless, looking at the sky and smiling faintly, as he murmured to himself:
"I have achieved part of my goal… Now I have only one goal left… to purify this corrupt world."
Then he turned his gaze to the terrified troops and said in a harsh voice:
"Carry his corpse and get out of my sight immediately! And if I see you again, I will never show you mercy!"
The troops immediately obeyed the order and carried Kaden's corpse, which was still bleeding profusely, without anyone daring to utter a word.
Now, all eyes turned to the Sword of the Sky, who proceeded directly towards Maya, and then said to her in a calm tone:
"What do you say now? Will you go with me? I will look for a home for us to live together, or you can stay here with your father, and I will visit you whenever I can… The decision is yours."
Before Maya could answer, Raven suddenly jumped in, saying firmly:
"You will go nowhere! Neither you nor she!"
Then he continued in a loud voice:
"I accepted you into my school from the beginning because you said your goal was revenge… And now, after achieving part of it, you will stay with us! I, too, plan to take revenge on this corrupt world! My wife and my son were killed because of this organization that claims to recruit the youth to serve the nation! Ghaleely has not yet healed!"
The Sword of the Sky looked at Raven in shock, but what increased his astonishment was the following words:
"I established this school specifically for revenge! All my students here have the same goal! Each one of them has a story similar to yours, and with every graduating class, a new class comes seeking revenge!"
He raised his voice, calling out to the students:
"Isn't that right, my children?!"
The students shouted in unison:
"Yes, Trainer!"
The Sword of the Sky could not understand how things had escalated to this point. But suddenly, all the students began chanting his name, which finally made him smile. Finally, he placed his hand in Raven's hand, forming a new alliance to purify the world.
After everyone returned to their normal lives, the Sword of the Sky said:
"Since I have spoiled your graduation ceremony, let us go back inside and redo the ceremony as if nothing happened."
Everyone agreed, and they re-entered the school, while smiles appeared on Raven's and Maya's faces.
At that moment, Oran closed the book, saying:
"I will continue it later, as usual."
No one objected to his decision, as it was late and they had to sleep. The girls prepared the bedding, while Rene suggested taking night guard duty.
After everyone lay down to sleep, Rene sat outside the tent on the sand dunes, contemplating the crimson moon partially obscured by clouds.
A long time passed with everyone asleep, then Celine quietly came out and sat beside Rene without speaking. She rested her head on his shoulder as she gazed at the moon with him. Rene did not disturb her or try to talk to her; he simply smiled and continued looking at the sky.
After a while, he turned to her, only to discover that she had actually fallen asleep. And so, he spent the entire night by her side.