As it turned out the soldiers were not the escort for the prince but his opponents. His father had rejected him because he was the son of his second wife. However, this was not the rightful queen but rather a toy of the king. When he tried to cast her out, she got pregnant. Since it was to be covered up at all costs that the king had an illegitimate son, they wanted to eliminate them. But it was already too late for this plan. She had managed to get the people to recognize him as a prince. But he was denied a quiet life with his mother. When Legion heard screams one day, he saw that his mother was captured by the soldiers. First they started raping the woman, then they chained her to a pole on the road and announced that she knew black magic. That was strictly forbidden and the punishment for using this magic was death. To make it more credible, they casted a shadow spell on her. As soon as a person gets closer to her, black smoke forms around her. The magic trick was enough to deceive the people. Finally she was burnt alive. Before the fire started, their eyes met. His mother smiled at him as if to say everything is fine. Shortly thereafter she died. Her screams were engraved in his memory. Legion did not begin to cry nor did he become sad. The hate had welcomed him with open arms and soon swallowed him up.
He was 12 years old when this happened. After this incident, he was treated like a prisoner in the palace. He was not allowed to go out alone. Since then, his split feelings have become noticeable. Through his isolation, he put on different faces to make good connections to different people. Soon he had found many "friends" he could later deceive if he wanted. All these years he worked on his trickery until he perfected it. He was a professional at handling weapons, but his strongest weapon was deception. In those years he got to know the princess, whom he was not allowed to see before. He had no interest in any relationship. They were just a means to an end. So he kept their conversations to a minimum. He barely got to see the king. Only at public events did he see how he spoke to the people. Every time he thought of him, he burned with rage and hatred. The man who killed his mother would later become his #1 death target. Actually, he was almost untouchable.
He had won the trust of the entire palace. Although he despised the royal family, the princess watched him everyday. Driven by her curiosity, she often followed him. But one day everything would change. In a month there will be a monster hunt he should be part of. Legion knew immediately that they wanted to get rid of him there. The king had another son, this time from his first wife. They wanted to portray it as a simple accident.
When the day came, Legion had made all the preparations. At first, he had armed himself properly. He trusted his swordsmanship and went into battle. While hunting there actually appeared a monster that he killed with ease. The other soldiers were watching him. Shortly after, they gave the signal to attack. However, Legion had taken precautions.
From the armoury, he stole anti magic clothing, which at the same time had the strength of a high tier armor. There were about 20 soldiers heading for him. Legion didn't feel betrayed. He had reckoned with it at all times and now it was time for him to take revenge. These 4 years he had almost twice as hard training as other soldiers. In addition, his talent was added, which made his abilities even better. That's why he smiled as he drew his sword. The soldiers had no chance against him, he was always one step ahead of them. Legion enjoyed ramming his blade into the soldiers. He thought of his mother's death and fed on the hatred again. Hate drove him to a new ego. Now he was better than any swordmaster. His blood thirst couldn't be stopped. After a few minutes, there was no one left.
After the incident, he was officially declared dead. The few dead soldiers were no problem for the king. They also had good benefits after their death. It was announced that the prince had used black magic and killed the soldiers. So he was portrayed as a traitor to the kingdom. For Legion, however, it was an advantage. Instead of being persecuted as a living traitor, he was now a dead man walking. He knew that the king would take the risk of his survival in order to introduce a new heir to the throne.
His new ego was his strongest weapon but also his greatest weakness. After a certain time, it caused his body to feel a strong exhaustion. At first it took him 2-3 days to recover.
He left the capital for safety, as there should be no doubts about his identity. So he teamed up with various guild groups and mercenaries to fight with them against the monsters to become even stronger. One day, when he heard about a group of heroes from another world, he went disguised to the capital and saw what was happening. When he saw Akito tied up, his hatred became even greater. For him, he was another victim of the kingdom. He knew that Akito had done nothing wrong, yet he could not help him alone and so he continued his journey. When he visited different guilds, he heard the rumor of an alleged Grim Reaper, who spread fear and terror and was almost invincible.
The Prince had taken an interest in him. He needed comrades who despised the kingdom to take revenge. After a long search, he happened to watch the slaves' warehouses burn. At first, he suspected it was the soldiers. In the distance, however, he saw a man dressed in black leading a large group of demi humans. He was untouchable, the soldiers had no chance against him. When he saw the scythe in his hand, he knew he had found the person he was searching for. He followed the group quietly and hidden. His magic-defending equipment prevented Akito from noticing him. Finally they arrived at the border. He hid in the distance and watched Akito carry out his plan. Legion was fascinated by the violence that Akito could produce. For him, it was a circus in which new tricks were constantly performed. He realized he was addicted to fighting and bloodshed by his thirst for revenge. Every dead soldier was adrenaline for him and only spurred him on to revenge. After the remaining soldiers gathered the next morning, he sneaked under them to gain new information. The fear of the soldiers for Akito was noticed. Now he was an even more suitable partner for him. After that, he went back to get stronger. They would meet each other eventually.
If he really found a partner, he'd have to prove his strength. Legion, too, was told in one of the guilds that a tournament was about to take place. If Akito were to strike there, he'd fight with him. If he were to die, there would be no shame in dying at the side of the Grim Reaper or Death Curse. Both would let their thirst for blood run wild until they reached their limits.
He heard about a mission to eradicate a Wyvern nest. The special thing about it was that there were only soldiers among the participants. That's why he joined right away. The trip lasted 3 days. On the way they met some weak monsters, with whom the soldiers already had difficulties. He quickly noticed that only the weakest and most expendable soldiers were sent on this mission. Yet he had no pity. Rather, he saw the opportunity that now presented itself to him. A bunch of weak soldiers are supposed to be fighting the Wyvern. All he had to do was wait for an opportunity to kill them. He wouldn't leave that task to the monsters. Ultimatively, he wanted to test his own strength. As expected, the soldiers feared the sight of the creatures. Many of them were still very young and inexperienced. Still, Legion didn't intend to show pity, so he attacked them from behind while they were busy with the Wyvern. Legion killed them quickly, as the Wyvern were still in danger afterwards. Meanwhile his body was slightly exhausted, yet he attacked with all his might. The two young animals tried to kill him in vain. They were still too weak to stay in the air. When they were finally at the end of their powers, Legion easily cut off their heads.
Satisfied with the result, he wanted to leave the nest when suddenly the mother appeared. Although he regarded it as a good challenge, he knew that he would soon have no strength left. The only way was a quick win. But the mother barely had weaknesses. She could easily attack from above and stay in the air. When he realized he was about to die, all he could think of was his mother. He had disappointed her, his revenge I would remain denied, because he was still weak. But this thought vanished quickly when he saw a lightning-fast shadow appear in front of him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
His story made Akito smile. A hero who was sentenced to death for a faked treason and a prince whose origins would eventually lead him to death. Apparently the two were more alike than they thought. Their existence was a thorn in the side of the kingdom. No one really had anything to lose, they had the same enemy and similar interests.
Although Legion had heard rumors about Akito, he wanted to hear his whole story from him. Akito told what his path had been so far. From the death march of the dungeon to the subjugation of the probably oldest dragon in the world.
"There's one more thing. Who exactly was your mother? " (Akito)
Although he previously kept her memories to himself, he told Akito about his mother.
She was called Lilith and was a woman from a low stand. The king saw her on his way home from a negotiation. Although the king was warned, she was called to his chambers. He could not resist her beauty. Their child carried the name Ayden. Only selected persons knew that Ayden was in truth a prince. Among them was Karas, the captain of the soldiers. He had actually fallen in love with Lilith. Ayden lived 12 quiet years in his mother's village. Karas visited both of them as often as possible and Ayden saw him as a father after a short while. Karas knew that his love was one-sided, yet he did everything he could to make her smile. When a feast was held in honor of the king, Lilith and Karas decided to reveal his identity to the whole kingdom. The words of the captain quickly convinced the nobility. After all, he has served this kingdom for 10 years. After a few doubts, the king felt compelled to acknowledge him. Both knew that they were in great trouble now. Karas was captured and held in the palace. Lilith also knew that she would be hunted down but she stayed by her child's side until the end. Shortly before her death, she told him an important secret.
The name Ayden was given to him by the king and his followers. His true name, however, is Legion. She gave him a chain in his hand with a black eye on it. He should always carry this name in his heart and only reveal it to the people he trusted. Shortly thereafter the house was surrounded by soldiers and his mother was publicly killed. He was then locked up in the palace. Karas was released after one month. He first heard of the death of his love from Ayden. He had pity on the prince and supported him wherever he could. So he trained the boy for 4 years secretly in handling weapons. Karas had made a name for himself on the battlefield and was a feared opponent. Through his exercises, Ayden became an outstanding student with extraordinary talent. One day, he came back severely wounded from a battle. The healers tried everything but he was surrounded by black magic. When Ayden heard this, he rushed over to him. On his deathbed he told the boy that the king got a new boy form his first wife, the queen and that Ayden would soon be eliminated. Now he was on his own.
"Now you know my two names. Which one do you like better?" (Legion)
"Until you know the meaning of your name, I will call you Ayden. Believe me when I tell you your mother was a mysterious woman. Your real name probably has a greater meaning. Also, i wouldn't trust me that easy. I will prove that you can trust me so dont offer me this name yet." (Akito)
Akito didn't want to tell him yet. In his world, Legion was a well-known name for a demon. The black eye on the chain strengthened his theory. The name Lilith also fitted into his pattern.
Everything had to do with the underworld. Was it just a damn big coincidence or was there really a connection to his old world ?
Before he could deal with it he realized again that the tournament is coming soon. And now he had a good training partner and ally. Ayden couldn't use magic but he was on the same stage as a weapon master. As a participant he would reach the final without any problems. Only Akito was unsure whether his pure fighting talent was enough. His life would be at stake, so the precautions are necessary.
It was getting pretty dark.
Both talked to each other about Akito's old world and this world. All the information was very helpful. Akito could now assess how this world works. There were several nations and continents and far more races than he thought. If he were to reach his goal, he would explore this world properly. Even if there was a way to travel back to his old world, he'd stay here. There was nothing there to wait for him. After all this time it was clear to him that his old world had no meaning anymore.
Ayden also dreamed of adventures together. Akito still had many secrets in him, which he wanted to reveal. In him he saw his first real friend.
But both were on a dark path, which they had voluntarily and gladly entered. Now they could share their thirst for blood and their lust for murder. If it was for revenge, both would be soul mates. As a team, they were a symphony of murderous dreams and vengeful affection.
Neither of them thought of a failure at the tournament. Both had only one thing in mind.
A damn great performance in front of an audience filled with fear and terror.