Chapter 1246: Changing heart
Another sword clashed against his before it could even get near the Rebornian attendant.
But even still, Arthur’s eyes were focused on his supposed target.
His younger cousins, the Rebornian kids, and all of the unwilling audience of his sudden outburst was completely stunned in shock. They didn’t expect such things to happen on such an auspicious day.
"Arthur!"
"Bro! What are you doing?!"
"Put your sword down!"
He could feel the admonishment coming from his younger cousins. They were embarrassed beyond belief.
However, Arthur kept his blade pointed at the attendant. He was in the right. His actions, justified. He was confident of that.
After all, he recognized the attendant. He was none other than one of the hooligans who had escaped his capture during the early days of the Feast!
This hooligan had made trouble with the kiosks. And he had subdued them and turned them into the underground prison in the Order’s basement.
However, something happened. Shadowy figures as well as a demi-human came from out of nowhere and kidnapped those very hooligans. Arthur thought he’d never see them again, thinking they’d rot in a jail somewhere. So imagine his surprise when he saw them here, working, free, without any restraints of anything.
"You... let him go," Arthur said to the person opposite him.
Jaku had his blade raised, stopping Arthur’s own sword from cleaving the hooligan’s neck.
Arthur turned to look at Jaku. The demi-human had completely changed. In fact, he looked human now. No one would ever recognize him for the demi-human he was before.
Except for Arthur. As soon as their blades clashed, he knew. It was an invisible signature that couldn’t be faked. That innate fastness. That lightning-quick reflex. The inherently lazy stance. There was no other person who could be such a person other than that demi-human, Jaku.
"Oh, him?" Jaku said, his head gesturing to the hooligan-turned-attendant by his side. "Yeah. They did good in prison. So, they’re released on probation."
Arthur pursed his lips. How utterly laughable. No one could change. Especially not rule breakers.
"You escaped my grasp once. Not anymore," he said, maneuvering away from Jaku and pointing his sword to the hooligan.
Jaku sighed, seeing Arthur’s insistence. "Fine. If you want to go about it that way, then go ahead and fight one."
The Dragonborn made way, bowing for Arthur to take the stage.
Immediately, Arthur surged forwards. The attendant, surprisingly, revealed a sword at his side and defended Arthur’s attack.
Surprise flashed in Arthur’s eyes. Clearly, he didn’t expect the attendant to even be able to perceive his attack, much less defend it.
He lurched forward, sending multiple swings at the attendant’s weak points. It was buffeted by an awkward sword. The attendant had trouble keeping up. But he was keeping up. Despite the scrambling, the hurried footwork, he still deflected Arthur’s sword away.
"Impossible..." Arthur muttered to himself.
It’s not just the hooligan’s skill that has improved. It was also his Aubility Power. The last time he saw him, the man was in the early stages of the Body Formation realm. Now, he was in the 5th stage. A tremendous leap. Possibly even faster than he did when he was at that level.
Could this hooligan have been hiding his talent? Was this rule breaker more talented than him? Did he work harder for it?
Arthur’s sword heart seized for a moment as those thoughts ravaged his brain. It created a lapse in his defense. He stumbled forward, knees scraping the ground.
This would have been the perfect time for the hooligan to exact his revenge. To cut his head. It was warranted, after all. He tried to take the man’s head. It was only fair.
Yet, instead of a cold blade, what came towards him was a warm hand instead.
The hooligan offered his hand, making Arthur completely stunned into silence.
This man... this man should have been a rule breaker through and through. He shouldn’t have been able to change.
Yet... yet... his hand was as kind as it could be.
"Sorry for what I did before. I was a stupid youth," the man said.
And Arthur couldn’t help but feel his sincerity. In fact, he’d had a feeling about it since the very beginning. He knew something had changed within the man at the very moment their swords clashed against each other.
Swordplay was like a signature. It allowed the hidden intent of the swordsman to come through to his opponent.
So, Arthur would have known if the man truly meant any harm in his swordplay.
Yet, when they clashed swords, he didn’t detect even a single hint of maliciousness. The hooligan’s sword exuded shame, embarrassment, and even guilt. But no hostility.
He should have. Arthur was coming for his head. Yet, the hooligan didn’t return that hostility. It was as if he knew that he deserved it. So, he just defended. He defended with no intention of attacking back.
And it was at this point that tears fell from Arthur’s eyes.
Emotions broiled inside him. His sword heart, quavering from this discovery. This was perhaps the first time in his life where he felt that change was possible.
...
...
...
The commotion in the rollercoaster ended as fast as it started. Arthur was quick to compose himself.
The proud Lionheart knelt on his knees and begged for forgiveness from both the hooligan and Jaku.
Thankfully, the two didn’t seem to take his outburst into heart. One was too lazy, and the other was too guilty to be offended.
The hooligan—no, Rebornian attendant—then told him about what happened.
As it turned out, after he was taken from the Order’s basement prison, he was put into the Nation of Reborn for his rehabilitation.
"It’s all thanks to everyone in Reborn," the attendant said. "This place made me believe that there are good things in the world. I don’t have to destroy other’s happiness in order to achieve my own."
Then, the attendant looked up at the Cthulhu, with gratefulness in his eyes. "Now, I’ll spend the rest of my life protecting this place. Offering my strength. Thankfully, they give us the proper strength to do so."
