Ever since I was a child I've always been hiding in someone else's shadow
No...It wouldn't really be accurate to say it like that. After all, I still have my own pride as a warrior and a member of the Albion family. I've always desired to reach for the top and shine brightly like a star...It's just that there was always someone by my side who shined brighter than anyone else
It was my little brother, Vergil Albion...
Even back then I had always thought of him as a bit of an... eccentric kid. Since we were only a year apart, the age gap that separated us from our interests was pretty much non-existent, so we would usually hang out and play when we were still kids...
I remember while we were running around in the garden, a massive viper appeared from the apple tree and was slowly creeping toward us. The moment I noticed it, we were already backed into a corner, and considering the bite speed of those things running away would've be incredibly risky
We weren't old enough to be trained with the sword, so we were like sitting ducks
But I knew that I had to do something
I was the elder sister after all
It was the job of the gown-ups to protect the smaller ones...or at least that's what my father used to say
So without missing a beat, I stepped in front of him with my arms wide open, thinking that it would do something. I wanted to act like the cool reliable sister in front of him, but deep down I was terrified. My entire body was trembling, and it felt like my mind was about to burst from the fear that I was feeling...
And the moment the Viper lounged itself and bit my legs, that fear was amplified tenfold
Yet despite this, I continued to keep up my act and ordered Vergil to run away and get help.
The attention of the Viper was focused on me, so it won't target him
Even if I die at that very moment, if Vergil was able to escape then it's fine...
But contrary to my expectations, Vergil didn't run...Instead, he charged head-first to the viper without a hint of fear or hesitation in his eyes. He grabbed the viper by the neck, and with every ounce of strength he had, he held the mouth of the Viper and split it wide open until blood began to gush out and stain our surroundings
The moment its lifeless body fell down to the ground, and he looked at me with his cold eyes, was the moment I knew that my brother was different...he was a prodigy in combat. An enigma who didn't know the meaning of fear...and someone who would inevitably become better than anyone else in the world
A few years later and my hunch proved to be correct
Despite being trained by the same mentor, Vergil surpassed me by a massive margin. I don't know if he has some sort of secret training regimen on the sidelines, but I don't even think that he's capable of reaching this strength without constantly putting himself in intense life-or-death situations
And when he stood atop the unconscious corpses of his enemies during a famous tournament at the capital, was the moment I knew that I was inferior to Vergil in every possible way when it comes to combat...
While that wouldn't really be that much of a big deal to others, it's a different story with the Albion family. We are a bloodline of warriors who dedicate our entire lives to the sword. To us, combat is everything. And the humiliation of a younger sibling overtaking you was...painful...
My parents didn't really make a big fuss about it, saying things like;
"You'll be as strong as him someday"
or
"The oldest sibling is bound to be better than the youngest, so it's all in due time"
And I gobbled their words up and trained to be stronger
I'm confident that I could take on anyone now, and the fact that I was accepted into the 'Gates of Tartarus', one of the most prestigious training institutions in the entire world, further boosted my confidence of being able to surpass my brother...
But...is that really enough?
****
"Haaa...persistent little buggers!" I screamed at the cloaked bastards who were chasing me as I ran on our hallways
Thinking that I would be at a disadvantage while on the run, I stopped in my tracks and shifted my stance to intercept them all. My sword and my clothes were stained with crimson, yet that didn't stop the cloaked men from charging at me with their daggers at the ready
I honestly don't know if they really have a way to beat me, or if they're just foolish
But none of their tricks will work on me
"Come at me!"
"Arrrggghhh! Take this!"
One of them lounged forward, then another, and another one...
Until there were five of them coming from all directions. They must think that they'll be able to take me on with numbers, but that's never gonna happen in a million years. The swordplay of the Ablions focuses on intercepting your opponent's movements and adapting in order to counterattack
And throughout years of training, I'm confident that I've mastered it...
The key to it is reading the flow of your opponents
Their expression, eye movements, center of gravity, magical energy, weapon handling, breathing, and their stance. These are just a few that makes up a flow of a person during combat. And mastering the art of reading them will lead you to victory!
"W-What the hell is with this bitch?"
"Tsk! I-I can't land a hit on her"
Numbers against me are meaningless
Even with all their combined efforts, all of them are either missing me by an inch or hitting nothing but air. And despite being the ones on the offensive, they're the ones getting injured from my parries and counterattacks
That is my swordplay...one that encapsulates the will and oath of the Albions!
"Time to end this!"
I shifted my stance once more and activated my magical energy
A cold breeze enveloped our surroundings, and my sword began to glow a bright blue light
" [Oh God of the Sanctuary, hear the cry of your follower and grant thine wishes in the name of the eternal conservation. From the depths of the snowy mountains, I call upon a blizzard that would freeze all till the ends of the world! Frost blade!]"
With a swing of my blade my nearby surroundings were frozen to the core, including the cloaked men. Considering the fact that I did this inside the mansion, then my parents would probably scold me for this...Ehehe, I guess I'll just cross the bridge once that happens
After confirming that these were the last of them, I quickly ran through the gardens in order to help them out. And upon arriving, I saw my father who was watching from the sidelines
The fact that he wasn't joining in on the battle was quite weird...but the moment I saw the scene happening in front of my very eyes, I completely understood why...
It was the sight of Vergil, alone and rummaging at the battlefield. His sword was enveloped with burning flames, and with each swing of his sword, bodies would literally be sent flying. The guts and blood of his enemies would scatter around their gardens, painting the white flowers that they'd prepared for the event tomorrow with a shade of crimson
Those that do survive were wishing that they hadn't
For the raging flames slowly consumed their entire body and turned them into nothing more than ashes. Despite their screams of pain and sorrow, Vergil showed no signs of slowing down. He continued mowing down the bandits left and right as if they were nothing more than training dummies to be disposed of
Even when some of them pleaded to surrender, Vergil would kill them all the same
It's a rule with the Albion's to never spare anyone who brings them harm, but most of the paladins, and even their father would falter for a moment should they raise their arms and beg for their life. But Vergil wasn't like that...
The moment you crossed us, you're already dead...that's the message that he was trying to convey with his blade
The rest of the paladins were watching the scene with a mix of admiration and horror. But whatever the case may be, there was one thought that was coursing in all of their minds. They're all glad that someone like this is on their side
"This is a massacre..." My father muttered under his breath
Despite my standing beside him, my father couldn't take his eyes off this...
And I was the same...
As I watched my brother mow down the bandits with such mastery over the blade, I began to think back on all of the training and achievements that I've accomplished for the past few years. And looking at it now, I was able to confidently say...
That I am still far behind on my brother's shadow...
"...But I'll get to that level...someday..."
I clenched my fist and repeated this to myself like some sort of weird curse
But I had to do it, for the sake of my pride
As an older sister, I knew I shouldn't give up
Even if there were some parts of myself that had already believed that I'll never reach him...