In the small, dark alley, only two of us stood, facing each other. I could sense his killing intent, emanating from those eyes. Lowering my hood, I unsheathed my sword from my belt. I was taught only one style of fighting: The Chien. This style was very rare, and my master was the one who had taught it to me when I was young with no family. Once I perfected this style, no one could defeat me on the battlefield. All fell before me. I placed my right leg in front and my left foot, which was not far behind. I stood tall with pride, as I tossed my double-edged sword from one hand to another, like an acrobatic trick. Resolutely, I faced my opponent, who only looked at me with calculating eyes.

[James]: I see, The Chien fighting style. How will it match up to my Shadow Step?

[Alex]: Is that how you were able to disappear like a ghost? Indeed, this fight will be legendary.

[James]: Two lost techniques.

[Alex]: One victor.

We both leaped forward with our swords. I attacked from the left, but he immediately blocked it. Sparks flew, brightening the dark alley. He took two steps backward, then disappeared. I have heard of this fighting style mostly assassins used. They could mute their steps so that no one could hear them. Apart from that, not only were they extremely light on their feet, but they were also good fighters. Like my fighting style, the Shadow Step was also long lost, replaced by the pure strengths of the knights. I looked to my left and right, but I couldn’t see nor hear him. My intuition should’ve come in handy at this time, but I needed to clear my mind and concentrate. I closed my eyes, focused on my senses, then abruptly spun while swinging my sword.

*ting*

Our swords collided together. He stepped backward again, then looked at me.

[James]: Apparently, my Shadow Steps won’t be effective against you. Come at me with your sword.

[Alex]: With pleasure.

With that, we collided once again. We attacked each other ruthlessly, but our collision turned into a deadlock. I had to think of a clever plan if I wanted to win

this battle. At this moment, he approached me oddly. Moving to the right, then quickly to the left, he squatted and lunged towards me. I wasn’t able to predict any of his moves. Even with my speedy reflexes, he still managed to inflict a fair amount of damage to my body. I held my left arm, which he managed to cut deep enough for blood to gush out, but I had no time to deal with the pain.

With no other choice, I brandished my twin sword. Defeat meant death to me, and dying meant breaking my promise to the crown prince. I braced myself, solidifying my stance. Abruptly, I launched myself upward, attacking with both swords from above. He blocked my attempt. Then, I tossed the second sword, caught it in mid-air, and stabbed him from the side. He spat blood, weakened for a second. I attempted to attack again, but he rolled to the left. My daggers clanged as they only found the ground.

[James]: You still think your tricks will work on me?

[Alex]: The fight would be boring if you died so easily.

I assumed a new position, interchanging both of the swords between my hands. One of the swords was long, while the other was short. He removed a piece of his clothing and tied it over his wound. I then attacked again, first swinging with the long sword, then defending with the short sword. Like this, we exchanged several blows. Then, I suddenly attacked with the short sword, hoping to throw him off, but he jumped back. Before he landed, he threw a knife at me, which I deflected with the long sword.

[James]: I said that those tricks won’t work on me

[Alex]: You told me to work on my throwing skills. I wonder who is the teacher here.

I wiped the blood from my forehead and assumed the offensive position again. We were both bleeding heavily, so I wondered who will give out first. As we continued to fight, the night air filled with the sound of our swords colliding and mingled with the smell of blood. My body slowly weakened, and I nearly slipped once, but I regained my posture. I have killed many before today. The duel was nothing new to me but, for the first time in my life, this man pushed me to my limits.

Replacing my fear with anger, I attacked him again. He managed to block my attack, but he fell to his knees doing so. He is also steadily weakening. With my short sword, I aimed for his neck, but I stopped when I felt something pierce me.

As I lost all my strength and let go of the short sword, he overpowered me. Searching for the source of the pain, I saw a small knife sticking out of my left leg. I laid there, wallowing in my pain, then I remembered something.

[Alex]: Please, tell Edmond not to forget tomorrow’s meeting.

[James]: You remind me of myself.

[Alex]: ……just let me rest already.

[James]: The crown prince needs you. He would not permit death upon you. Right before I fell unconscious, I saw someone’s arm reach towards me.

* * * * *

Late in the night, while I was still busy with finishing incomplete paperwork, one of the guards, who worked for me, showed up in my office. He asked me to follow him to his chambers, so I followed closely behind him until we reached his quarters. There, I found Alex, who was bleeding, and James, who was also badly injured. The soldiers were currently bandaging Alex up. When they finished, they promptly saluted to me and left. I nodded to them, then turned to James.

[Edmond]: He gave you quite the beating. Go treat your wounds.

[James]: Yes, Your Highness.

Rarely did James receive so many injuries in combat. This shows that Alex may have potential after all. I stared at Alex’s bandaged, unconscious body. He reminded me of myself, from the days of when I used to train with Hawkeye. Hawkeye was ruthless, but I needed to become strong so that I could reach where I was now.

As I walked back to my chambers, I contemplated how I have always perceived Alex as a man of all brain and no brawn. I was wrong. Perhaps, this proves that he could actually be useful. As soon as I walked into my room, someone entered my room through the window.

[?????]: I have the information you requested.

I grabbed the letter he was holding out to me, opened it, and read the content of the document.

[Edmond]: Interesting.