Ramius was on his way to discuss matters relating to the coming war with Orin when he heard something.
"I'm on a leave today but I have to go see this battle." One soldier spoke to his friend. His steps were hurried as he passed by Ramius.
"To think Migard is back, I wonder who would be victorious between him and the cannibal," the soldier's friend replied with a grin, excitement filling his tone. The exchanged comments as they hurried away.
'Migard? He's back?' Ramius thought, his brows knitting together in a furrow. He then quickened his pace towards the Royal training field of Ohlm.
It did not take him long to reach his destination.
Most of the soldiers were too focused on Aeloria and Migard to notice that a new figure had entered their field.
"Since you have both agreed to this battle it would bring dishonor to the army and to both of you if I were to interfere. That being the case, I would personally oversee this battle. Now, arm yourselves." Orin's voice echoed, all eyes already fixed on him.
"A battle to the death, this is the first time I'm witnessing such a development." A new recruit spoke as Ramius passed by him.
"Hey look, it's Lord Ramius." He pointed out the moment he noticed the man's presence, bowing towards him.
"We pay our respects to the Great General Strategist of Runevale." The voices of the soldiers echoed in the field, drawing the commander's attention.
Orin's gaze shifted towards Ramius, watching him take confident strides towards him.
"What is going on, Commander Orin?" Ramius asked, adjusting his tunic.
"Happenings of the field is of no concern to the General Strategist." Orin responded with a growl.
"My apologies, I stuck my nose where it didn't belong. You may proceed with whatever you were doing. I have time on my hands." They were always at each others throats, but always showed each other the needed respect in public.
Ramius walked around them, standing behind Orin to give him the needed space.
Meanwhile, Aeloria picked twin daggers, walking up to the middle of the wide space created by the soldiers.
'I never thought I'd be fighting a fellow soldier again. Well, I guess it can't be helped.'
Migard studied Aeloria's weapon for a few heartbeats before walking up to the massive tool rack and selecting the same weapon. Except, instead of holding the twin daggers, he placed one in his belt and held the other in his right arm.
"They're both going with daggers? But that's very tricky to use." One of the soldiers adjusted his helmet and spoke.
"You're right, and it's even trickier using one than it is using two. With two, they compensate for each others shortcomings. However, with one, one mistake and you would be exposing the rest of your body for attack." A soldier with an untrimmed mustache replied.
"Then isn't he overestimating himself by using one?" His eyes were glued to the single dagger in the man's arm.
Meanwhile, Migard walked towards Aeloria with a sleepy expression.
"Hey potato head," Ramius whispered in a voice only Orin could hear.
Orin frowned at the unexpected nickname and was about to pull out his weapon but sighed instead. It would be unsightly for the Commander and the Strategist to trade blows.
He released his hand and ignored the Strategist.
Getting no reply to his provocation, Ramius stepped closer.
"What do you think you're doing, you idiot. I thought you said you considered the Cannibal your younger sister. Why then would you put her against Migard?" Ramius whispered, but could not hide the disappointment in his voice.
He remembered the day clearly like yesterday. Orin had told him he had found a younger sibling. Since that day, the Tyrant would bore him with stories of Aeloria Whenever he had the chance.
"Hey Ram, my sister found a new friend for the first time, her name is Yoru from the Shikel family," he would say, while using his short name.
"Hey Ram, I just made my sister Head Captain so that no one would bully her."
"Hey Ram, you wouldn't believe just how much improvement my sister had made on her training with daggers." Ramius would always nod, trying his best to share his friends excitement.
So now, why put her against him.
Orin did not respond to his question. He watched the two opponents standing in the ring of soldiers, waiting for his approval.
"Respond to me when I talk to you, potato brain. I know you think your sister is a monster, but you must know the real one stands before her. There's a difference between someone who turned into a monster and someone who was born one. He was the same person who gave you the scar that once stretched down your neck. And he did it on his very first day of joining the army. Stop this fight at once." Ramius advice with urgency in his voice.
He did not want the newfound happiness Orin had discovered to be erased so soon.
"You may begin," Orin said instead. He had a frown on his face as he spoke the words.
'Oh, now I see what he's thinking. If the Cannibal is able to hold her own against someone like Migard, then her position in the army would be solidified. Such wishful thinking. Every factor of my analysis militated against her survival; by all logical thinking, victory had been decided. Unless some miracle does happen, the Cannibal would die today.' Ramius stepped back when he noticed that Orin was not going to change his mind.
"Aeloria... prepare yourself." Migard said to the young maiden before him.
"There's nothing for me to prepare against. There are a few people who could make me nervous. Migard, you are not one of them. Also, please call me Cannibal or Head Captain like everyone else, I'm not your friend after all." Aeloria said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Very well, Cannibal." Migard took out the dagger from its sheath while Aeloria held both daggers.
"You're using only one? I do not like the way you are looking down in me." She was able to take on three seasoned warriors on her first day. As such, she considered Migard's actions a great disrespect.
"You've fought with the Cannibal before, what do you think, Larin?" One soldier asked the man beside him. One of the two men along Yoru who had fought Aeloria on her first day.
"The Head Captain is dead." With those words, Migard moved.
One moment, he was in front of Aeloria, the next, his dagger was slashing the side of her neck.
Blood gushed out of the deep wound on Aeloria's neck.
"You asked if I was looking down on you by using one of the two daggers, didn't you? Well, you are not worthy." Migard said, turning to look at the bleeding woman.
But just then, a white smoke hissed out of the wound like burning flesh, closing it immediately.
Aeloria turned her head slowly towards the attacker, her grin widening into something inchoate as her purple eyes bled into crimson.
Migard looked at the smile of the young maiden whose eyes slowly changed from purple to crimson.
"So it wasn't a fluke that you blocked my kick earlier? I didn't even see you move." Aeloria said, the smile never leaving her face. She turned to fully face Migard now.
"What just happened? I didn't even see him move." A soldier took off his helmet as he spoke, convinced that his helmet had blocked his vision.
"It really healed." Migard said with a smile of his own.
"What are you talking about?" Aeloria asked, taking two steps forward.
"The rumors said you healed from most wounds, I just wanted to confirm that." Migard said, wiping the blood on his dagger with two fingers.
"You're saying that you, held back? Don't make me laugh..." He attacked again, it was the same as before, this time, cutting her right cheek.
Aeloria blinked, and his dagger was already slicing her face. That was when she realized.
'If he had chosen a sword instead, he could have beheaded me in one strike.'
Aeloria's grip on the daggers loosened, her palm were slick with sweat. She was in her cannibal state, the same state she had used to wipe out the two hundred soldiers of Namesh. She saw every attack before they made it, her flesh hardened and pain receptors were disabled. For the past two years, she had trained to maintain her sanity in this state with the help of her commander.
So how in the seven hells was he able to injure her without her notice. Twice.
I could take your life anytime I pleased. That was the message he was sending.
For the first time in a long time, the Cannibal felt true primal fear.