Dance Of A Thousand Blades

”I saw a battered Knight coming back with the spoils of war, what happened? ” A lousy man asked a bartender as he chugged down a cup of ale.

”A war in Draining Petals Islands ”

The one eye bartender said but stared at the man up and down before he recognised the person was a News Collector. He usually changed appearances and went around gathering gossip for some Underworld lords and people with money.

”Its not a secret. 13 Knighthood banded to take down a certain rebellious Knighthood! ” The one eye bartender explained out loud. But he leaned and whispered.

”What was a secret was, 700 Masters were almost slaughtered just to take down the so-called Knighthood! ”

The News Collector choked on his drink, his eyes became sharp like a blade as he glared at the bartender.

The bartender felt a chill down his spine but he was not weakling. To operate in a broader town where the beast of men and beast of the beast came, one has to be a monster himself.

The bartender held his blade under the table and added, ”Even with that might, some of the rebels Knighthood escaped. However, they are only women and children! ”

The News Collector mulled over what he heard and relaxed, ”Damn. No wonder they seem to come with riches but their faces were gloomy… by the way, which Knighthood was the siege! ”

This time, the bartender looked around, seeing no one suspiciously, he said, ”Shifting Steel! ”

At that time, a man in casual clothes walked out of the bar, he groaned with every step as his body was riddled with small injuries that were not yet healed.

700? He whispered, ”that **ing lie the News spread, it was fuking 2700. ”

The man was a knight, a captain at that, and also a Rank 1 Master. He was among those that attacked Shifting Steel.

It has been a month but he still has nightmares.

He grimaced as he remembered the harrowing experience they have faced. He had been to many wars but this one was the one that shattered his reality of war.

2000 Rank 5 Masters, 300 Rank 4 Masters, 190 Special Support and 10 Rank 1 Masters. But we couldn take down 1000 Rank 5 Masters and just 2 Rank 1 Masters! The man shivered.

He quickly pulled out a bottle and drank all of it. The alcohol pushed down his memory and worries and he felt normal again.

He sauntered forward and reached a district where people were running around in panic.

Soon, he saw a large building at the centre of the district. He stood 100m away from it, he can feel that terrifying Ex flowing from the building. It belongs to Shifting Steel Knighthood.

As he was one of the few masters that survived the raid, he was required to come and give his verdict.

”Welcome. Captain Feather, we have been waiting for you! ” The guards outside the large building saluted and then guided him inside.

”Rank 10 Master! ” He said.

”What? ” The guard asked.

”Whoever did this is Rank 10 Master but he left no signature! ” He said.

Captain Feather might have had a lot of nightmares about Shifting Steel Knights but in front of these small cogs, he appeared domineering and assertive.

What lay before him was a massacre. Blood flowed from the highest level of the building like a stream and made a small fool at the base. So also cleaved bodies of people on each level were scattered, some with calm expressions without knowing what hit them.

At the very top of the building, a large room filled with metal equipment was painted with blood.

”Three Rank 10 Masters from Tremor Earth, one from Rosy Blade and one rank 9 master from Blowing Wing. ”

The guard explained the people up there.

That was the horror of Shifting Steel Knight. They have proven to be able to kill knights of the same Rank as them and also possibly those of higher Rank.

What was the difference between Rank 10 and Rank 9? Its vast. Because Rank 9 can clap and play with 5 to 20 Rank 10 depending on his talent.

”We need to find whoever did this. Because he can bring this city to its knees if care is not taken! ”

Captain Feather bellowed, and all the guards saluted and listened to more of his findings.

To them, a Rank 1 order is a verdict from the king himself.

1 Day Earlier.

A group of knights came into the city carrying spoils of war of all kinds. But most of them were steel wares usually used by households.

Among them, one was a large rectangular closet that had no key or locker. It was the special price for a noble in the House Of Squire City.

The closet was taken from one of the prestigious houses of Shifting Steel Knighthood but that was not what made it special. It was the steel it was made up of. Its called Petal Steel, a type of metal found only in Draining Petals Island. The closet was taken to the highest level of the storage house of the Noble.

The knights that supervised the place knew that the noble only wanted the steel so they tried to open it to take what was inside.

However, no matter what they do, they can make a dent in it.

”Damn! This shit is hard as **. Who can we call to open it! ” A huge man grumbled. He carried a larger sword half his size and half his wide too.

It was called Tremor Blade, used only but Captains of Tremor Earth Knighthood. The rest of thr knights agreed and then asked sent for a Rank 9 help. He came intending to get a piece of Petal Steel as his price.

The Knights of Blowing Wing concentrated his power and struck a specific location and a hole was punctured in it.

That hole was enough for the Tremor Earth Captain to widen using his tremor sword. However, with all that hardship for over 4 hrs, there was no glittering treasure, just a scared child who had cried his tears out.

”Isn this treasure safe? ” The Rank 9 Blowing Wing asked as he glared at the Tremor Earth knight.

”Sir, its supposed to be! ”

A Rank 10 Rosy Blade Knight behind them stared at the boy and said, ”seems like a rich woman has hidden her child in the closet during the siege. ”

The rest nodded in realization, the boy must have been shoved there for his safety. ”I don care, I came for the piece of metal, squeeze some for me! ” The rank 9 Blowing Wing Knight said.

”This kid can fetch good money in the right market. Look at his face, beautiful, and his skin, tender, some fetish men or women will like him! ” The Tremor Earth knight said with a smile, ”he is the treasure! ”

”I know a hidden woman who likes young boys. ” The Rank 10 Rosy Blade Rank said, ”all we have to do is put him in flashy clothes and decorate his face. I believe that we can get at least 10 Empire Coins! ”

”Are you sure about this? ” The rank 9 asked, he too was interested.

All this while, the kid was just looking at them with teary eyes. In fact, seeing the men spoke about him, more tears flowed out.

He stood with a shortening of breath due to crying.

”Calm down boy. She will take good care of you in bed. But if you are naughty she will make you into barbecue and eat you. Do you want that! ” The rank 10 Rosy Blade Knight was happy with the idea of selling him to a certain woman said with a creepy smile.

His eyes too were lustful, as he eyed the kids skin. He was entertaining the idea of enjoying himself before he sent the kid.

”Mommy! Why? ” The kid whined as he looked at the scary men.

”Don cry. Your sugar mama will take good care of you. ”

*laughter*

They all burst into laughter as they can imagine Empire coins filling their pocket.

As for the boy, he walked out and looked around, still crying.

”…why… ” he asked in a whimper, ”why did you make me hide like a coward! ” He said and all of them burst into laughter. But the rank 9 eyes became sharp, but still grinning.

Knighthood is a mantle that all kids want, so the kids sentence made them understand this boy wants to be a knight too.

”Sorry kid, your sugar mom wants toys, not knights. ” The Tremor Earth knight said as he unsheathed his heavy sword and swung it at the kid to scare him but at that moment, the kid moved fast, faster than the Tremor Knight and he went for the Rosy Blade Knight behind him and the kid pulled his sword, so effortlessly without the knight realizing what was happening.

However, the Rank 9 Knight was already on the move, he was able to keep up with the kids movement and he swung his wide blade to kill him. However, the kid blurred in his sight and his vision darkened forever as his head drop and roll on the ground.

At the same time, the giant man with the giant blade, The Knight of Tremor has his head fly and the neck sprayed red liquid.

That was when the other 8 Knights on the sideline came to their senses.

”Weak blade! ” The kid in his pyjama said as he threw the blade he took from Rosy Blade Knight and grabbed the giant blade the Tremor Knight dropped.

”Hmm. Better blade! ”

Then his eyes veered toward the remaining knights and they shivered under his gaze.