Chapter 54: Defeated
Eric was four years younger than Clarsen.
Even before they met, Eric had already made a name for himself. People saw him as a rising star, full of promise. But Clarsen—General of the Royal Order—saw something no one else did.
Eric didn’t know how to fight properly.
He had no real stance. His technique was sloppy. What he did have was an overwhelming amount of mana. It was enough to cover up his flaws... for a while. But Clarsen knew the truth: one day, Eric would face enemies just as powerful in magic, only they’d be seasoned warriors, not inexperienced boys relying on raw power.
So Clarsen challenged him to a mock battle.
He crushed Eric, breaking him down completely, from top to bottom. No magic, just skill. And without his spells, Eric couldn’t even beat someone who wasn’t a real fighter. That day, he learned how unprepared he truly was.
And that was the beginning.
For two long, painful years, Clarsen trained him, taught him how to survive, how to move, how to fight with a blade and with bare hands. They bled, they argued, they laughed. Somewhere along the way, they became friends.
But years later, those same friends became bitter enemies.
They had once protected each other. Now, they would rather kill each other.
But all of that belonged to the past.