Chapter 54 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (VIII)

With his back against a wall, Aiden was holding his abdomen with a hand.

Currently, his expression was filled with fatigue and pain. Dust filled his face, and his clothes were covered with blood, a result of his fierce struggle against the man that attacked him tonight.

Many cuts were apparent around his body, and his legs were ruptured in many places after overusing a powerful technique. However, neither the cuts in his body nor the blood in his legs were the main reason of his current state. Instead, the reason of it was the knife wound in his abdomen.

When the knife-wielding man attacked Aiden, he was able to evade in a beginning.

And though it became harder to evade the attacks after a time, Aiden was able to continue doing it with a bit of effort and minor injuries.

But at the end, it was an uphill battle.

From the beginning, it was very difficult for Aiden to win.

Half an hour after the fight began, wounds began to fill Aiden body, and the small cuts caused by the knife were more and more common.

Aiden did his best to avoid the attacks, but the enemy seemed became faster and faster, while Aiden, with every second and every wound, became even slower.

And finally, he was unable to avoid an attack.

In a moment of carelessness, the knife of the man found its way in Aiden stomach.

Luckily, Aiden was able to retreat quickly and avoid an even greater injury. But even with it, his current condition could not be graver.

In this moment, Aiden wasn’t even able to see clearly what was in front of him.

With his fuzzy consciousness, Aiden heard the sound of footsteps closing to him. Raising his head, he was able to differentiate the silhouette of a man walking towards him.

It was someone dressed completely in black.

But for Aiden, his figure was the same as the grim reaper.

With a wry chuckle, Aiden held the wound in his belly and lowered his head.

“You were pretty strong for your age, boy.” Said the black-dressed man while closing to the place where Aiden was supporting his body. “A shame that someone like you have to die so young.”

Aiden didn’t reply to the man. He didn’t have the strength.

Currently, he only wished to close his eyes and rest.

Perhaps such end is better.

Such thought appeared in his mind.

While hearing the man’s footsteps coming closer and closer, Aiden could not help but shake his head in resignation.

To be sincere, perhaps dying was a better solution for him.

Aiden could not help but think about his past, when he was acclaimed by everybody around him like a young genius, when he was cruelly sacrificed for the future of the clan, when he met Lia in that fateful day three years ago, when he first entered the town, when he failed to create his spirit, and when he spoke to Lia last time.

… Lia. Thought him.

If there was a regret about dying tonight, it was that he was unable to apologize to Lia.

Thinking about it now, he was never able to repay all the things she did for him.

He wasn’t even able to answer her feeling correctly.

Replaying the image of Lia in his mind, Aiden put strength in his feet.

Using a hand to support his body, Aiden stood up and tried to straighten his body, then he looked towards the man walking towards him.

Seeing it, the man made a surprised expression.

“It looks like you are more stubborn that I thought.” Said the man with a serious expression.

Aiden could only smile wryly in his mind hearing it.

Currently, resisting was perhaps the last thing in Aiden mind.

Looking forwards, Aiden moved the last bit of energy in his body. If he will die, he at least wants to die with dignity.

So, when he faces Lia in heavens, he can say to her that he tried his best.

Shaking his head, the man sighed to Aiden’s movements. “It’s futile.”

Then, dashing forwards, he attacked.

Aiden could see the blade closing to his body, going for his neck. But he was unable to do anything. The energy in his body was unable to answer.

But before the knife could end his life, a terrifying pressure descended.

“Young master!”

With a cry of rage, Lia ordered the threads to attack from afar. And them, like faithful servants, complied.

Feeling the rage of their master, the threads pounced to the attacker with great ferocity, their speed so incomprehensible like the red color dyeing them.

Changing his expression, the man jumped backwards to avoid the attack, but even with it, he was unable to avoid the threads completely, and a small cut appeared in the arm holding the knife.

It was enough to demonstrate the power behind Lia’s threads.

“You…!” The man in black said agitated, knowing the meaning of Lia’s presence here.

But ignoring it, Lia simply ran towards Aiden.

“Young master!” Cried Lia again.

“Lia.”

But instead of relief, Aiden felt even more pain after seeing Lia.

After all, not only Lia came to rescue him again. She even suffered many injuries in the process of saving his life.

But what caused more pain to Aiden wasn’t it.

It was the change in Lia’s cultivation.

… Core-fusing.

Seeing someone else to get the thing which he chased so desperately, the pain in Aiden’s heart intensified even more.

But even so, he knew that he could not show his pain.

It was too cruel to Lia.

So, he simply turned and tried to smile towards her.

This was the reason because he was able to see it.

Behind Lia, a dark-skinned man was holding a sword.

With the image of a black crow projected behind his back, the man stabbed his sword towards Lia’s back in a fast and clean strike.

And the sword pierced completely her.

For a moment, every sound faded from Aiden ears.

“Hurry up!” Said the man. “Kill the boy!”

The black clothed man reacted immediately and jumped towards Aiden with his knife ready.

But Aiden was unable to see it.

Neither he saw the smiling mask covering half of Lia’s face while she cried his name.

Nor he felt the frightening pressure being emitted from Lia’s body.

Nor the sigh filled with sadness, unwillingness and rage that an old man let out from inside a smithy.

And it was even more impossible to him to know that currently, an elegant man dressed in black, was smiling delightfully.

The only thing that Aiden was able to see, was the image of a sword piercing Lia’s body.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

A cry of rage resounded…

And a saber was manifested.