Under a moonless night, inside of a small clearing within the forest of the [Five Finger Mountain], A young looking man and two children sits cross-legged around a blazing camp fire. Around them a few simple tents are set up, constructed from huge sheets of fan like leaf knitted together, ties around small branches. Near the tents are piles of what looks to be fire woods neatly stacked up with a layer of dry hay coving over it. Some wolf-like [Beasts] are also nearby, with relaxed faces, laying on the ground as meek as lambs.

“Must say, young Erhart, your food is amazing.” Zotoady compliments, at the same time rubbing his tommy with a pleased look on his face.

“I know right! Kitchen Knife, like your food is like super amazing!” Yadina says, topping her plate up with another serving.

“Thank you… I guess.” Erhart says, sobbing slightly as he witnesses his five-day rations disappearing in front of his eye in just a single night. Once Erhart thought that his appetite is enormous. But after witnessing these two eat. He finally understood the true meaning behind the words “Black Holes”, black holes are the words used to describe these two’s stomach. ‘And when did I turn from a Fruit Knife into a Kitchen Knife.’

Despite losing his ability to taste any food. Erhart is still able to maintain his cooking skills, thanks to the experiences he gained in his past life and the skills he learned by helping Amelia preparing meals. To be honest, Erhart’s ability to cook is at most above average and if his food is compared with Amelia’s food, one can easily say Erhart’s food taste like shxxt. But probably because both of Zotoady and Yadina hadn’t had a proper meal for ages. They would actually enjoy Erhart’s cooking.

“SO! As you have treated me with such amazing food! I decided I will stay with you guys! Aren’t you guys excited?!” Zotoady says.

“I prefer you leave now.” Erhart whispers. ‘with you being here, my food supply will not even last for one week.’

“What?”

“Nothings! Sure, I don’t mind.” Erhart says, attempts to cover up his previous comment.

“Like, Can I stay with you guys too?” Yadina asks nervously.

“No!” Erhart says. “YES! Of cause” Zotoady shouts, “Glad to have you on board!” both him and Erhart replies at the same time, but Zotoady’s voice is loud enough to cover up Erhart’s reply.

“YAH!” Yadina let out a celebratory cheer, while Erhart face palms ‘it’s all over.’

“Also I do not think that Erhart will be happy. If I am going to be a free loader. How about this, I will help you guys improve your abilities while I am still here. Does that sound good?” Zotoady suggests, seeming Erhart’s gloomy face as he is locked in contemplation, thinking about the famine that they will be facing soon.

“What can you teach me?” Erhart and Yadina replies simultaneous. Erhart is quite confident about his mastering of his Sword arts, while Yadina do not believe that a [Human] is able to teach her anything, especially about her [Blood Awakening Abilities].

“A lot of things. I will take your previous answers as two ‘Yeses’. So let us get this started.” Zotoady claps his palm and rubs them together seemingly in excitement.

“First, Yadina, right did I pronounce your name wrong? Your first task is to try to absorb a drop of my blood. You should be familiar with absorbing other race’s blood right?”

“Just a single drop?!” Yadina eyes wide opens, seemingly a bit surprised by the task she is assigned to.

“Ah.” A purplish dagger emerges into the air. With a light poke, a drop of liquefied ruby like blood worms out of his Zotoady finger. The blood looks normal, but acts somewhat strange. Unlike most liquid Erhart have seen two of his life times, Zotoady’s blood defies gravity and floats around the air like a miniature helium balloon. As the blood flies to about his head height, Zotoady flicks the blood with two of his fingers, the blood shoots off towards Yadina as if it is a crimson coloured bullet. Before Yadina can even react, the drop of blood has already fused into her forehead.

In just seconds Yadina feels something is off, ‘What the hell? How can there still be a [Blood Line] that is superior than mine?’ Without any time to think further or ask question, Yadina feels as if her blood streams are going to burst. Even if it is just one drop of that black haired [Human]’s blood, she feels that her whole body is overloaded with enormous amount of energy. From a young age, Yadina’s family has been giving her pure [Human] blood to absorb, so her [Blood line] can stay relative stable. And it is because of that, she thought absorbing a drop of Zotoady’s blood is going to be just like that, it is going to be easy and Zotoady Is underestimating her talent and ability. But now she realises that is not true at all. One drop of this strange [Human]’s blood is already too much for her to handle. Gradually Yadina begins to lose her consciousness. A foreign thought enters her head ‘Am I going to die?’’ Should I be scare?’’ Why am I not scared?’ ‘Why do Death feel so familiar to me?’

“What is wrong with you! Are you trying to kill her?”

These words pierce into Yadina’s mind like a sharp blade, knocking her back into consciousness. ‘Erhart?’ The young boy sprints toward the fainting girl, pulling out a few gold needles from the hidden pocket under his sleeves. Consecutively after he catches her, he pricks the needle into the two sides of the girl’s neck along with some of her other pressure points.

‘Let’s just hope that your body make ups are not too much different to a [Human]’ Sending his ‘qi’ up into the girl’s body through the needles, using his ‘qi’ to guide the overflowing energy evenly across Yadina’s body. Gradually stabilising the girl’s blood flow, returning the girl’s body into its normal state. After seeing, Yadina despite being still unconscious, but has escaped from the life threatening situation she was in. Erhart carefully lays her down onto the ground. And from his bag he picks out a tiny bag of crush herbs, sniffs it to check if it is the right one, and carefully places it into Yadina’s mouth, under her lip.

“ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL HER?!” Erhart turn and shouts back at Zotoady, his eyebrows pull in together, eyes wide open, bitting his teeth. Across his face, it has the word “wrath” written all over.

“So, you do care about life and death. Even if you know that she is not a [Human]”

“Of cause, I DO CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S LIFE AND DEATH? WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM. IF I DON’T CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S LIFE I WOULD NOT HAVE LOST YUNA” Still in a furious state, Erhart shouts back at Zotoady, he gaze down at the red haired young girl, his eyes frowns for a second or two when he feels something familiar about Yadina.

Gradually in Erhart’s eyes Yadina’s face shifts into Yuna’s. Erhart gasps and falls back a step or two. Instantly he rubs his eyes and realises that Yadina is still Yadina. Seemingly a bit disappointed, yet with also a slight relief. Erhart turns and his furious eyes once again meet with Zotoady’s face. Deep down he questions himself, ‘is that true that I saved her because I care about others? Or is it just that I can see a bit Yuna in her.’

“Interesting, now let us start your first lesson started! What is your sword’s way?” Zotoady let out a faint smile.

“what?!”

“what is your sword’s way?” Zotoady repeats the question, seeing Erhart’s still did not get his head around the question. He speaks out a phrase,

“Swordmaster laughs when the world goes cry, one cut through the blood goes dry.”

Erhart’s face suddenly turns pale, all the air in his lung seems to have been sucked out. In just seconds, he seemingly to have distracted from all the events just happened. His glaring eyes focuses on Zotoady. With a shaking voice, he squizzes out a few words, “How did you know that?”

“How? Because I am the one that told your master these words. Now is what is your sword’s way?”

“I still do not understand what you mean?”

“Did young Durandal even teach you anything?” Zotoady shakes his head seemingly in disappointment, he sighs and then explains to Erhart, “Sword, master of tools, prince of all weapons used by all three realms: Dead, Living and Legends. throughout the ages, many people see and use their sword in different ways. Some people use it to kill and massacre, to them, sword are just another ruthless killing tool. This is why in those words, it is said that ‘Swordmaster laughs when the world goes cry’. Sword users like them can only live a fulfilled life and find enjoyment in a world of chaos and death.”

Erhart swallows.

“Some people sees their sword as a method for gaining fame, wealth and pleasure. Using the sword they are able to everything they ever dreams of having, money, lovers, land and glory.”

“Some people see their swords as their everything, they chase after nothing and know nothing but their swords. They use their blades to solve any problem they may face. If there are people got into their ways, they cut them. If there is are beast in their ways, they cut them. If there are mountains in their ways, they cut them. They love sword and believes in their blades so much, that they perceive their swords as the only things in their life that is important. They are even willing to give away their life, their body and health, their happiness and their loved ones for swords.”

“Some people sees their sword as something that can be used to protect what holds dare to them. These people do not possess the skill or the presence like the previous ones. But he…she...no they can always exceed far and beyond themselves for their loved ones’ and their ideals’ sake.”

“Now then, tell me young Erhart, what will be your sword’s way, which path will you be following.” After explaining, Zotoady asks.

A silence fell, Erhart never thought of what his sword’s way is. At start, when Erhart picked up the art of sword, sword is just something that looks cool to him, something fun, something contains exercises that he was lacking and maybe in some cases a survival ability he can use to protect himself. Once Erhart thought, ’really what is someone with a sword going to do when they are set up in front of a fully automatic machine gun on a flat plain’.

But then his master taught him sword aura. A technique that is more deadly than even the fire arms themselves in many situations, a skill that can separate a person’s head from their body hundred or even thousands of steps away. Despite perceiving himself to be a walking dead. Erhart knows that he still need to ask himself what is his sword to him, what does it mean to wield a blade, where and who should his blade’s edge be pointing at.