u/WillowsEnd999

The falling drops of rain washed away the blood from the gleaming blade. Caeleb raised his broadsword and slashed down. A visible ripple spread out in the air and tore through the large wall ahead. Troops behind him shouted as they charged inside the clawed-out entrance.

Sounds of swords clashing filled the air. The death throes of the fallen were present everywhere the eyes fell. Death covered the whole area as it reaped lives without asking for a name.

Caeleb bent down and put pressure on his leg. The land cracked under his feet as his body sprung forward into the air. He landed on top of the tallest structure in the city, the Lord’s Mansion. A man in green stood there as if he were waiting for Caeleb’s arrival. The mansion below was cloaked in darkness, no presence of life present.

“Surrender, Lord Liamos. You can still save yourself, your family, and most of your people,” Caeleb said in an emotionless voice. He had said these exact words far too many times, and the result had always been the same. And Lord Liamos certainly did not exceed his expectations.

“Even if I die, I will not allow the name of my house to go down as cowards.” Lord Liamos turned back, his visage old with age. He lunged toward Caeleb with his sword drawn. The two swords clashed, and the manor below them had all its windows shattered just from the residual force of this small altercation.

Caeleb never had a family, so he never understood why these nobles went so far to protect something like this. Wasn’t being alive and keeping your loved ones safe better than having a few words about your name in history books for a few hundred years?

Even while fighting Lord Liamos, half of Caeleb’s attention was focused on his troops. They were the people who had followed him into this war, and he wished for at least a few of them to return home safely.

Caeleb easily deflected the sword aimed at his shoulder and, moving back two steps, created distance between himself and his opponent. Lord Liamos was taking deep breaths, his body wet under the silent rain. In contrast, the small drops bounced off Caeleb’s clothes as soon as they touched the black fabric.

“I really wish that you were younger, my Lord. It would have been better that way,” Caeleb lamented.

Lord Liamos just let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “Even if I were young, I would still not be able to take on an Ascender by myself.”

“You jest, my Lord. I have heard stories about the golden sword that slayed an Ascender and earned House Liamos its prestigious title.” That sword was something Caeleb was more wary of than the withered Lord in front of him.

“Oh, that,” Lord Liamos chuckled. “I have already sent it away with my son. I am just a stubborn old man now, refusing to let go of my broken pride.”

Caeleb didn’t detect any falsehood in his voice. It was time to bring this to an end. He raised his sword and poured the Aether from his core into it. Golden light travelled from his hand and into the sword. The sword vibrated and was soon covered by a burning golden radiance.

“Dying at the hands of an Ascender, I don’t consider my life too bad.” Those were Lord Liamos’s last words. Caeleb brought his hand down. The sword fell with it. Every slight movement extended the reach of the golden sheen. Finally, what fell was a large blade that cut even the wall that stood across half the city. Not even a body was left behind.

“Father!” A scream came from behind Caeleb. He realized something was wrong. He had felt no presence until the man was too close. Feet moved before his mind could think, and Caeleb was hundreds of feet away from where he had stood.

Raising his head, he faced two bloodshot eyes. The man had features similar to Lord Liamos, who had just passed away. He touched the sword at his waist and Caeleb felt invisible chains wrap around him. He tried to move, but his efforts proved futile. Lord Liamos’s son pulled out the sword, which was also turning golden. Unlike Caeleb’s sword, which was like an all-burning flame, this was an all-purifying light.

Same move, same place. Just this time, the target was Caeleb himself. As the golden light fell over him, Caeleb poured out all the Aether in his source to create a protective shield covering his body. The golden light of the sword clashed with the protective covering on Caeleb, slowly whittling it down. From the corner of his eye, Caeleb saw blood dripping from the mouth of Lord Liamos’s son.

The battle had turned into one of attrition. The one who gave up first would die. Caeleb’s body was continuously burning away and regenerating, the excruciating pain making him dizzy. His nails dug into his palms and his teeth clenched tightly, drawing blood.

After what felt like a very long time, the golden light disappeared. Caeleb walked out with tattered clothes barely covering his whole body marked by burns. The flesh on him was wriggling, trying to regrow, but a foreign energy was preventing it from doing so. With deliberate steps, Caeleb covered the distance.

The man wielding the sword had already passed out in a pool of his own blood. Caeleb picked up the blood-covered sword and examined it. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary. Just a well-crafted silver with a good quality pommel. Yet this thing had nearly killed him, if not for the special nature of his core.

He raised the sword to end the last embers of the fallen man. Pity in war was the greatest crime, and he had already experienced its consequences. Moreover, he also needed to look into how the man escaped his detection before.

Just as he was about to bring the sword down, he felt a cold sensation on his neck. He quickly ducked as a blade made of wind passed over his head, cutting the edges of his hair. Caeleb swung the sword behind, imbued with what little Aether he could muster. The air tore in front of him, but there was nobody present.

A cold sensation spread from his chest. Looking down, he saw a dagger made of ice had pierced his chest. Blood came out of his mouth as he turned his head to face the hidden assailant.

“Ru… lian,” Caeleb barely muttered the name of the familiar face. He was one of his only friends who also served the same Lord. He was also the father of his god-daughter.

Rulian gazed on with emotionless eyes, as if this had nothing to do with him. Caeleb had no idea of the reason for this. But if Rulian was killing him, it must also be by the command of the Lord.

A burning feeling of rage burst forth but was doused just as quickly. Only helplessness remained. He could feel life slowly leaving him. A normal blade would never have been able to kill him so this must be one of the special relics. It slowly froze his senses and along with it his body. As his vision started to blur, he heard the last words from his friend: “You can rest —— now.”

Yes, he could rest now. Free from all the bloodshed and war that was his sole reason for existence till now. The heavy burden on his chest lifted as he let go of the last remaining will to live. Darkness engulfed him.

Death was supposed to be the end. But it seemed death hated him too much and threw him back to the living.

Caeleb, now Aaron, lay in his crib staring at the ceiling of the spacious room. Soon, two delicate hands appeared before him and tried to poke him at various places.

Now he had to focus. With his small fingers, even smaller than his previous life’s thumb, he caught one finger poking at him. Just after, his other hand caught another finger. Of course, he knew the owner of the hands could easily pull back and he would be helpless to do anything. Yet the owner let him hold onto the fingers for some time before gently taking them back.

Drowsiness washed over Aaron and he was soon sleeping again. It had already been a month since he was born. His days were filled with making the beautiful woman who always cuddled him feel happy by playing back with her.