Chapter 11: Vain's past, part 1

In the middle of an arena, a five year old boy with black hair, wearing a pair of black shorts and shirt, was swinging a sword at a grown man. The man blocked it with his sword and kick the kid back. He fell onto the ground, covering his clothes in dirt, but he got up quickly, and after picking up the sword continue to swing it.

"Come on, come on. You gotta try harder, kid. With skills like that, I'm falling asleep here."

The man taunts the kid and he starts to swing harder, but it only makes him more tired. After a few minutes, the kid sits on the ground panting hard, and the man walks up to him.

"Not bad, not bad. With time you'll be a great heir, we'll continue the training when you're ready to go."

With that the kid stood up, gripped his sword with both hands, and got into a stance. The man grin at him and he made a hand gesture, with his left hand, saying come on. As the kid and the man spar, he sees a four year old girl hiding behind a woman. 

Seven years later, the kid has grown and is sparring three people at once. He uses two katanas, one in each hand, and fights his attackers furiously. Their swords clash with one another, until two of them swung from opposite sides in front of him. He blocked the attacks, but were in a deadlock, and the third person approach his open back. When he swung his sword down, the twelve year old, took a step back, and held the katana in his left hand with a reverse grip.

"Stop! That's enough!"

His blades stop by the attacker, to his right and his back, necks. They look over to see a man in his thirties and they all sheath their weapons. Vain's sheath were on both sides of his hip, while the others were on their back.

"You have gotten good kid."

"Yeah, to be able to take three of us at once, it's amazing."

"Hey leader, think we need to add more to his training?"

All three of them said one line after another and the man rub his chin at his underling's question. He look to his son before asking a question.

"What do you think, Vain?"

"Don't care, one or two more won't make a difference. I'll kill anyone in my way."

He walked away from the group and headed to another part of the training grounds. He then stop, as he saw a girl one year younger then him, sparring with another woman. The girl had silver long hair and was holding a sword nervously, enough that anyone can knocked it out of her hands. The woman was clearly bored and probably agitated. Since the girl was barely able to block and showed no signs of counter attacking. Soon the sword was knocked out of her hand and a sword was aimed at her neck. Her legs were trembling and tears form in her eyes.

"Even though you're the leader's daughter you're pretty weak. Compare to your brother, you're nothing but trash."

The woman's sword was then knocked aside by Vain, who drew the sword with his left hand.

"Oh, I didn't notice you were here. Have you finish training?"

"Quite so, but seeing how things are going..."

Vain look at Luvia, before looking back at the woman.

"Seems you're not getting much out of this. How about I spar with you?"

"I would appreciate it. Sparring with his weakling isn't doing me much."

"I see, then Luvia pick up your sword and sit a good distance away. We'll talk when I'm done here."

Luvia wipe away her tears and nodded her head. She picked her sword up, sheathed it, and sat against a wall. Vain drew his other sword, but didn't get into a stance. He stood still and just move his head signaling the woman to come at him. So she did, she swung at his legs, and was blocked by Vain holding his left hand sword in a reverse grip. The woman had a grin across her face, she was excited about having a strong opponent to fight, someone who she can finally tests her skills on is in front of her.

Vain continue to block her by simply switching his grip and moving his wrist, he was clearly not taking this seriously. She continue to swing at him trying to find an opening, but where ever she swing there was none. Soon she was getting exhausted, so Vain decided to counter attack. He struck the woman's sword hard, breaking her balance, switching to reverse grip for both hands, he brought his swords close to her neck, and stopped. Vain's swords against her neck looked like a big pair of scissors. Sweat drip down her head and Vain sheathed his swords.

"It's my win."

"I'm not surprise, I'm no match for you. You are going to be the next leader." She pants hard as she said that.

"Considering I can fight three people at once now, it be impossible for me to lose. Unless you're more skilled then me."

"Thank you for the spar, I'll be leaving now."

She bowed her head at Vain and then left the area, leaving Vain and Luvia alone. Vain walked over and stood in front of her, with his arms crossed.

"Big brother is amazing. You never fail to impress father."

"Well I am doing what he ask, unlike someone."

"S-sorry... I just don't... like seeing someone or something in pain. Why can't we all get along?"

"You know that's impossible, only the strong survive. So in order for our clan to survive, we have to train hard. So we can kill the others, before they kill us."

After saying that Vain walked away and Luvia followed after him. Six years later, in a forest, Luvia's hands are held behind her head by two men. Her clothes were slightly torn and another man has his hands place on her knees. Luvia close her eyes as she cried and the men all laughed at her.

"Hey a******s, mind getting your hands off her?"

Vain was walking towards them, when he stopped a few feet behind them. He was then surrounded by five more men, three in front and two behind.

"Eight, really?"

As they drew their swords, Vain launched his blades with his thumbs, striking the bottom of two hilts, and sheathing their blades. Before striking his sheathes, sending them back, and hitting the hilts of the one's behind him. Then grabbing his katanas in reverse grip, spinning ninety degrees left, and slicing four throats. One of them manage to drew their sword and blocked his strike. But he didn't get a chance to swing, as Vain swung his right hand back at him, stabbing through his throat, and killing him. It was only ten seconds and there was already five bodies on the ground.

The three men playing with Luvia stopped, drawing their swords, and running towards Vain. Vain shifted his grip to normal and parry their attacks. They ran around Vain, striking at every opportunity they got. Soon two of them collided their blades with Vain's, keeping him in a deadlock, while the third rush at his opened back. But once he got close, swinging his sword downward, Vain then step back, and making the three swords swing straight down. Vain then held his left katana in a reverse grip and slice two throats. While scissoring the middle one's head clean off.

Vain's katanas and clothes were cover in blood. He stab his blades into the ground, picked up his sheathes and reattached them to this waist. Picking them back up, giving them a quick strong swing, to remove the blood, before sheathing them. He walked over to Luvia, taking off his shirt, giving it a quick shake, and placing it on her head.

"W-Why do I... have to go through this... big brother? I-It's just like father said... I-I'm too weak. I should've just died! I should've never been born! A-All I do is trouble you... I'm nothing... I'm just a good for noth..."

Before she could continue speaking, Vain place his lips against her's. Her eyes open wide and she tried to push Vain away. So he embrace her in his arms, soon she stop struggling and just place her hands against his chests. He then broke the kiss and wiped away her tears with his hands.

"I don't care about that. You've never been trouble and you're not weak. You always stood by what you believe. When someone told you to kill, you refused. That you have no choice but to hurt people, you refused. You're stronger then you know. You've even stood up to our old man. I've always done what the old man told me to do but, you taught me how to be free and to do what I want. If everyone wish to trample on it, then I'll fight them all. After all, only one of us needs to dirty their hands."

He then gave her another kiss, before looking away, and saying, "Also... sorry about the shirt. It was all I had."

She then giggled and smiled at him. He smiled as well and gave her one more tender kiss.