“Yes, Regent Mother.” The cavalryman bowed again, and, still in a half-crouched pose, backed away. Then, turning abruptly, he sped up in order to leave the hall as quickly as possible. As a man and a warrior who’d fought in many wars, he didn’t want to see her breastfeeding that three-year-old boy, a future warrior. Sekiya understood that, no matter how their war with Darnassus ended, Lascan had no future… Well, at least he got to fight for a once-great Empire.In a shack that stank of old, wet wood, dog fur, and something musky, a boy lay curled up on a small sofa that served as his bed, covered only by a hole-riddled blanket made from an old sheepskin coat and some rags.The boy was trembling, and he was muttering in his sleep and wincing. There was a deep furrow between his brows. It was obvious that the child was afraid. He was so scared that he wanted to wake up more than anything else, even though it was midnight outside, and the sky was full of heavy winter clouds. A blizzard h

“Is there any honor in that? Is there any honor in waiting for your enemy to die?”“Honor?” Helmer almost spat. “That’s a fairytale for young fools. When you die, I’ll win. There’s no point in me fighting you now, when I know I’d lose.”“If I want to, I’ll live for a hundred more eons.”“Even if you live for thousands more,” Helmer shrugged. “I’ll still live longer. I’ll live forever... And we both know your days are numbered, Sage. Your death is much closer than a hundred eons. It’s much closer than a measly thousand years.”The wizard said nothing…“I’ll ask again: why did you call me here? Why did you violate my rights and kill my nightmare?”Ash suddenly sighed and leaned heavily on his staff.“Who knows? Maybe I just wanted to talk to my old enemy... or old friend… After all, your protégé will die tonight. Even if I don’t live to see another Demon Parade, I’ll at least get to watch you end up with nothing again.”Helmer started laughing at first, then abruptly came to his senses

The woman lunged forward. Her attack was no less skilled than that of an experienced swordsman. Although, it would probably be harder to not become proficient when one practiced swordsmanship for countless ages.He dodged with the ease of someone avoiding a petulant child’s tantrum. It was worth noting that the woman had mostly practiced her swordsmanship against opponents who could hardly move a finger at the time. In midair, she turned around and kicked off a lamppost. Leaping over a bench, she landed right next to him. Her black blade came down toward Boreas’ head.He easily slid back and, turning on his heel, hooked his foe’s leg, and then hit her chest. The woman flew back a dozen feet and crashed into an empty trash can. Leaving a dent in it, she stood up and assumed an offensive stance.“I thought you used a scythe,” he said, calmly taking another cigarette out of the pack. Deftly catching it with his lips, Boreas lit it with his will and took a drag.“You don’t know much, then

“Lose your mind?” Erhard asked. “Did a mind demon try to rip your brain out of your head? Is that what you’re talking about?”Hadjar just shook his head. Erhard had lived several eons ago, so some modern expressions naturally sounded completely different to the Last King.“It doesn’t matter,” Hadjar said. “What are we doing in your memory, Erhard?”The white-haired swordsman frowned again:“I used to decapitate people for being so casual with me... but considering you’re my Master’s junior disciple, I think it’s fine for us to talk like buddies. Well, Hadjar, we’re here so that I can pay you back and-““Explain, please,” Hadjar cut him off. “I still don’t understand why you decided to kill me, and why you think you now owe me something.”“I owe you because I took something from you.” Erhard looked calm, but Hadjar saw a hint of impatience in the depths of his gray eyes. “As White Fang, I lived like I was floating through a dream. I was driven only by some very deep principles and emot

The man shivered. For the first time in years, he felt cold.“I’m waiting for you,” he whispered, then he smiled broadly and turned back to the crowd. “It’s time for a magic show! But to avoid disappointing you, I’ll warn you that I’m not a magician, but a great mage! That means I don’t take coin as payment, but kisses! If there are princesses among you, I can even accept payment twice!”The crowd laughed, and the performance began.Arkemeya fell to the ground. Her right arm was burned up to the elbow, and blood covered her face. The clothes that she’d bought in Kurkhadan had turned into rags. There were terrible black spots on her bare stomach and thighs. Her sabers, which were Imperial level artifacts of excellent quality, had cracks and notches on them. But no matter how much she fought against the wall of blue flames that the mysterious swordswoman had conjured, she couldn’t break through. The ground around them had long since been reduced to ashes. It was full of holes, broken, m