The air inside the encampment was sickeningly thick—not with smoke, but with the scrutinizing gazed of both civilians and nobles alike. Each curious civilian peered into the transparent walls of the encampment—their prying eyes inspecting the events that might transpire.
Yet even during the vast amounts of slaves surrounding him, Jinn could not escape the probing eyes of the civilians—especially when his crimson red hair stood prominent like a sore thumb amongst the slaves.
"Isn't that the kid...?"
"Crimson red—like House Sorellia..."
Murmurs and whispers filled the surroundings as they gossiped about Jinn and his actions from the first ritual. The rumors' had already gone around—this child is the apprentice of a member of House Sorellia, the blades of the empire.
Jinn kept his gaze forward, steady—but in the corners of his vision, shadows stirred. He could see the nobles scouring around the area, seemingly inspecting each slave.
"This one is no good."
"Mhm—This one is too old."
Jinn could hear their footsteps as they made contact with the pavement, their sickening scent of perfumes going stronger and stronger—until one noble was a few inches away from Jinn.
Yet Jinn was not the target—instead, it was Kain.
An old noble, his long colorful coat fluttered down the pavement as his perfume lingered in the air. The perfume was strong in scent, almost disgustingly strong, making Ophelia and the others wince.
With a snap from his wrinkled hands, the old noble lifted Kain's chin as he tilted his head left and right without warning, seemingly inspecting him from head to toe with sickening interest.
Kain stood paralyzed, rooting him from where he stood as he was terrified.
"You would do well as a pet for my daughter!" exclaimed the old man with a disgusting smirk at the corner of his lips.
"H-Heek—No!"
Kain's breath hitched as a cold shiver ran through his spine, making his knees wobble in fear.
"Over my... dy" Jinn muttered under his breath, making the old noble shift his gaze towards him instead.
"Mhm...?" The old noble tilted his head before his eyes widened.
"Wait you're tha—"
Yet before the old noble could finish his words, Jinn had already swung his synthetic arm towards the noble's face, delivering a powerful strike that made a resounding cracking sound.
"Over my dead body, you shitstain!" Jinn exclaimed as his synthetic arm hissed in power.
The sound of the strike tore through the air, making the slaves, civilians and nobles snap their heads towards Jinn.
"You've got to be kidding me Jinn..." sighed Evakhell under her breath—still in disguise as the warden.
"G-Get that brat!" exclaimed another nobleman, hunched over the noble who Jinn just struck.
Steel boots hitting the ground as two soldiers surged forward and toward Jinn with swords in hand.
As the soldiers grew closer and closer, Jinn raised both of his arms to prepare for a fight—his eyes unwavering.
At the same time, Ophelia's eyes widened in shock and concern as to what Jinn just did. She glanced at the soldiers running towards Jinn—before narrowing her eyes as her hand darted to the side where a bundle of cloth wrapped tightly on an object.
Her fingers closed in on the object before throwing it towards Jinn to catch.
"Jinn—heads up!" Ophelia exclaimed as she threw the object towards Jinn, high up in the air.
Jinn snapped his head towards Ophelia as soon as he heard her voice—before shifting his gaze upwards.
The soldiers managed to reach Jinn before he could even catch the object, their arms already swinging for a strike from Jinn's right side.
In response, Jinn's leg muscles flexed and tensed as he dodged by ducking low, before pushing himself upwards as he jumped towards the object—catching it with his hand.
Jinn's fingers wrapped around the object's hilt—it was a sword that weighted light, yet gleamed with a crimson red hue along with its blade.
From there, Jinn counterattacked—slashing from up above, down towards the soldier who just struck him.
With a loud clang, both blades from Jinn's and the soldier's swords made contact—yet Jinn's sword crackled with energy—the same crimson energy that Jinn emitted from when he fought to save Ophelia.
Yet this time, it was stable.
Not running rampant.
But
Tame.
Jinn could feel it within his body—at that moment, he was stronger.
Jinn's arms tensed and burned, before ultimately destroying the soldier's blade and delivering a lacerating strike across the soldier's body.
"ARGH—you little shit!" exclaimed the soldier before planting his feet to deliver another strike towards Jinn—this time, with his fists.
Yet Jinn ducked below—before dodging another attack from the other soldier who still had their blade upon their hands.
The civilians peering outside the transparent wall watched intently as Jinn fought the two soldiers.
From his swift movement, to his strength when wielding the oddly unique sword made the crowd go wild—Even to the point of cheering him on.
"Hahaha! That brat's got some guts!"
"WOOH!"
As the crowd started to increase and go wild at the fight that transpired upon their very eyes, one of the nobles exclaimed.
"Enough of this farce!" exclaimed a noble before turning his head towards the warden—anger evident upon his expression.
"Warden, why aren't you doing anything!? Activate the device on his neck!"
The warden—which was Evakhell of course—crossed her arms before giving a silent and apathetic response.
===
As the fight continued, Jinn started to notice that the movements of the soldiers were slow, as if time was in slow motion. It made him confused, yet he used this as an advantage to swiftly dodge and counterattack with precision.
Dodging to the right to dodge a crushing blow from above, before jumping to dodge a sweeping kick coming from down below—to counter attacking with a swift slash.
"Urgh—w-what is this kid!?" One of the soldiers stumbled backwards, eyes widened in disbelief.
"It's just a kid!" exclaimed the other soldier, before charging an attack once again.
Yet before the land could hit, Jinn had already closed in the gap—before fatally plunging his blade deep into the chest of one of the soldiers.
"J-Just a kid...!" the soldier stuttered as the blood upon his mouth started to flow—before losing strength and dying on the spot.
Jinn's breath was ragged as he pulled the sword from the soldier's chest—making the soldier fall towards the ground with a loud thud.
Silence filled the surrounding, yet all eyes were locked on Jinn.
Subtle footsteps then echoed as a figure approached Jinn.
Jinn shifted his gaze towards the figure and raised his blade in a defensive manner.
Crimson red hair—like Venedix, and a humongous sword at his back, the man approached Jinn while subtly clapping his hands.
"Bravo!" he exclaimed before leaning closer to the blade which Jinn held.
" Fangeryth, one of Venedix's swords—so you are the rumored apprentice?"