My father Klaus Bladeheart was a gentleman.
For someone known for his strength, he didn't have an imposing presence nor a stiff demeanor.
When he wasn't on the Frontline fighting Demons at the request of the Emperor, he spent his days roaming the Bladeheart gardens, gently running his fingers through the petals of the flowers grown within.
He seemed to find joy in the garden my mother had made, but on a particular day, as I strolled through the garden alongside him, I didn't see his usual joy but regret.
My memories had returned then, hence I could tell, he was about to take a risk he might not escape from.
"Alex…" He had called, causing my back to straighten.
Father never called me by my first name; he usually preferred calling me son or boy.
Names he usually reserved for the elders like Abel and Vanessa, but today of all days he used my name.
"Yes father!" My response had been delayed, but he wasn't bothered and chose to continue.
"Before I depart to the Frontline, I want to leave a responsibility unto you."
"Father…"
"Promise me, my dear son, that you will do what I demand of you."
His eyes, clear as day, glimmered with trust and seeing this I could only nod.
"I will."
"Good." He smiled and patted my shoulder.
"Despite all those in disagreement, I have made my decision and left House Bladeheart under your brother. From now on, he will carry the title of Patriarch and wield the sacred Blade as he pleases."
"..."
For him to have already made that decision meant he wasn't coming back.
And that old fool wasn't even bothering to hide it.
I felt offended seeing how little he was treating the matter that awaited him, but father offered no chance for interrupting and continued.
"Your sister Vanessa will aid your brother in keeping our family stable. With additional help from Rita, I'm sure your brother will excel in his duties and make this family proud."
He looked ahead and placed his arms behind him.
"As for you, you have no stake in the Patriarch seat. From this day till your death, you, my son, only have one duty and that is the protection of Alice. You will do so until death. That is the sole responsibility I leave you."
"But father..."
"I will take no objections."
"...."
"Your sole existence now is dedicated to Alice. Keep her safe from the world."
His words struck like a hammer, their echoes rang through my head like the never-stopping chime of a bell.
Protect Alice? Until I died?
It wasn't like I didn't love my sister. On the contrary, among my siblings she was the one I was closest to and yet... to become a shield... to forsake my own life so I could look after her. That was...
Father's gaze grew cold, the first time I had witnessed this sight.
I found myself unable to move nor argue.
"You are too young, Alex. So I will understand your disdain... I will accept your hate. I welcome both."
My father exhaled softly, the cold look in his eyes melting away to give way to warmth.
His shoulders slumped to give way to an invisible burden and I did not see the man who considered himself the strongest Duke of the empire, but a father, one lingering with impossible regret.
"My request is cruel, but in due time I hope you will be able to understand."
"How can I understand?" I responded after minutes of silence.
My life was already deemed worthless and now I had to make sure my sister was protected.
Such a burden wouldn't have been a problem had I possessed the talent like my siblings, but I was average at best.
I wasn't fit for this responsibility.
A long shadow was cast upon the vast garden as I looked up to my father, searching eagerly for an answer, but he offered none and just turned to leave.
I found myself simply staring at his back, frozen in place.
Once he left, I was left standing with the garden of swaying flowers, now harboring a promise I never wanted to keep.
"1 against 10."
Observing his situation, Alex couldn't help but comment.
Their leader was now heading towards Alice, and here he was surrounded by assassins each ready to take him out.
Honestly, was he confident he would win? Not much, but he didn't feel he would lose either.
His martial prowess was maxed out now and with aura reinforcing his body, he was at the peak of the D rank stage.
Weaker than the strongest of the assassins, but not by much.
With a deep breath, he shot forward, aiming to trim away their numbers.
As he closed in, the assassins lunged at him from the sides.
Alex's gaze sharpened and the dagger in his grasp burned with a pale glow as he sidestepped the first attack, ducked under the second, and plunged his dagger into the chest of the third, killing him on the spot.
The other two, leaping into the air, came down on him with a vicious descent.
"Fools."
He whispered, his dagger giving off a powerful tint before he followed with a crescent aura slash in the air.
His attack, swift and powerful, cleaved their bodies in half, splattering the surroundings in blood and gore.
"That kid can use aura arts."
The others paled, their inability to take the kid seriously having cost the lives of their comrades.
Alex, using the moment of disarray, blitzed through the library and launched his dagger at one of the men.
He brought his sword down to parry only to receive a brutal chop against his throat.
He was disarmed and his sword was used to separate his head from his body, after which Alex, now having switched to a sword, spun successfully, parrying the strike of another assassin.
"Six more."
Smiling at the stunned assassins, Alex's blue eyes gleamed with a cold light and he leaped to the side where a sword severed the spot he once stood.
"Nasty kid."
The strongest of the assassins, a C-, grinned at Alex's ruthlessness before taking out a thin container from his pocket.
It contained a green liquid which he emptied onto the blade of his sword.
Alex's gaze narrowed, sensing impending danger.
"Poison." He grimaced and flicked his blade, splattering the gore off.
He began to wrap his aura around the blade, trails of blood leaking out of his nose.
"Hehe!"
He crouched and prepared to dash.
The assassins also took their stances, ready for him.
Right as he moved, the strongest among them followed, his poison-coated blade poised to strike.
The others followed, maneuvering about the battlefield, waiting for a chance to ambush.
One of them, an archer, leaped into the shelves and nocked an arrow into his bow. He then took aim and unleashed it at Alex.
He dodged, only for a spear to stab his side from behind.
Pain rippled through his body but luckily for him, its tip wasn't coated in poison, though it still hurt nonetheless.
Two more arrows zipped through the air, aiming for his head.
At the same time, the assassin grasping the spear performed a clean sweep to cut him down.
Alex guarded with his sword, the impact swaying him to the side and allowing him to dodge the arrow.
Ignoring the dizziness, he managed to sweep one of the arrows and used the momentum to spin before stabbing the spearman who was behind him.
His attack was swift and brutal, tearing deep into his throat and killing him on the spot.
He then grabbed the dead man by the shirt, then drawing in all the strength he had, spun again, this time moving the body along.
It smashed into the strongest, who effortlessly cleaved it apart, before he was stabbed in the stomach by an arrow.
"You pieces of..."
Alex leaned back as the strongest wildly swung his poison-coated blade.
Distancing himself enough, he ducked, and two sword flashes swept over his head.
A second later and he would have been dead.
Now in-between two assassins, his sword moved in a dazzling arc, splitting them in two.
"3 more." He breathed, his muscles strained from the continuous combat.
"Kill the fucking kid."
The leader, eyes red, shouted and rampaged through the shelves, tearing through their oak frames with his blade.
Alex dropped his sword and flicked the bloody arrow into the air.
He followed with a kick that launched it headfirst at the strongest.
"You fucking brat."
The arrow was severed but it bought Alex enough time to switch to the archer who was ready to nock another arrow.
Kicking off the shelves, he found himself the target of the archer. He grinned, and just as they released their arrow, he blocked it with a book he had grabbed along the way.
The book, reinforced by his aura, was stabbed and locked the arrow in place.
Alex then broke off its tip and locked eyes with the archer. Before the archer knew it, something fast and deadly raced through the air and tore through his eyes, coming out the other side.
His body then dropped to the ground, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
"2 more."
Alex muttered and landed on another shelf, more blood trickling out of his nose.