Cleus thinks back to the very first duel between Endo and him. He stood in the ring and Endo had a wicked grin on his face. It was the first time that Endo was going to use a skill he learned from his father the New King. Cleus was shocked at the fact that Endo was able to use a royal skill he had only heard rumors of in passing. Cleus asked Endo what that skill was and with a smile on his face, Endo explained that it was a technique created by Cleus’ great forefather a king of old. And then he used that technique to brutally harm Cleus.
Cleus wasn’t prepared to face such a dangerous skill and took a lot of damage. Endo laughed as he injured Cleus and once Cleus was defeated Endo left the ring laughing like a maniac. Cyte helped Cleus up and they walked back to their abandoned library building. Cleus was crying with rage as he stumbled back leaning on Cyte.
“I can’t believe that bastard is using my family’s techniques. How dare they steal our history!”
Cyte is shaking with rage as well but has no words as Cleus continues.
“They will pay for what they have done. I won’t allow him to mock my forefathers like that. Only royalty is allowed to know all the techniques of the kings. They will PAY!”
Cleus knows that because he is in exile he is unable to learn the techniques and skills of his forefathers. This is a right only given to the prince. The shield, sword and crown have their own techniques that are passed down through history. But because Cyte is here with him, she was also unable to learn the techniques that are a part of her lineage.
Cleus needs to heal and recover so he goes down into a small basement-like room beneath the old building. In the room, there is a small table with the prince’s crown on it. Cleus keeps it in this basement room for safekeeping and to remind him of his duties as a prince and future king.
Cyte places him on a futon in the basement room. She then feels like she needs to try to lift Cleus’ spirit up a little bit.
“My king, this is only a loss, if you view it that way. Learn and grow, don’t let things that frustrate you stop you from being who you’re meant to be. Only you decide who you are and what you’ll become.”
Cleus’ eyes open up fully and his tears stop immediately. He looks at Cyte who just gave him a wonderful idea. He sits up straight closes his eyes and goes into the lotus position. He recreates the fight he just had in his mind and uses his imagination to visualize Endo and the technique he used. He goes over every move that led up to the technique being used, and every small movement Endo made while using the move. His memory isn’t flawless because he was in such a panic that he didn’t pay too much attention. However, it was clear that using his memory and paying attention to every small detail he can use Endo as a medium to learn the techniques.
He will have to fill in the blanks a lot, because all he would have, is the final form and the movements of the body, but not the Higher Reasoning used or the intricate flow of energy applied. But it’s a start. Cyte is confused as to what is going on, but Cleus opens his eyes and smiles at her.
“Thank you, Cyte.”
A little confused but happy her king is feeling better she answers.
“You’re welcome, my king.”
In the next duel and all those that came after, Cleus paid extremely close attention to everything Endo did. He made sure to remember the pain each technique inflicted and how the pressure and force were applied. Then after each duel, he would sit in the basement room and go over each technique. Once Cleus felt he mastered it in his head, he had to make sure his body got used to it too. That small basement room became his training ground.
Week after week, he suffered a humiliating loss to turn it into a valuable lesson that helped him grow as a king and as a fighter. The techniques left scars on the walls of the basement and embedded deep cracks the stronger Cleus got. This was Cleus’ weekly routine until today.
Having let Ten get away, Endo does his best to keep a calm face in front of Cleus to make sure he keeps the upper hand. Cleus while looking at Endo instructs Cyte.
“Now that Ten is gone, you don’t have to hold back anymore. Take back the Crown’s Blood Sword, I’ll handle Endo.”
Cyte smiles as she answers.
“Yes, Sir.”
Cyte then bites the skin between her index finger and thumb puncturing the skin and making it bleed. She then uses Higher Reasoning to turn that blood into a Scythe made of blood. Thelia is angry at the loss of Upanga and Ngao.
“How is he able to use the Royal Techniques? He shouldn’t have had an opportunity to learn them!”
Cyte keeps her smile as she answers.
“Endo was a good teacher.”
Endo’s face twists in anger.
“Are you saying, you copied my techniques after each duel?”
Cleus looks at him with a sarcastic and slightly confused look on his face.
“They were never yours to begin with.”
“But how? I made sure to never use the same technique twice. And I never told you the mechanics or math behind any of them!”
“Don’t underestimate true Royal Blood, and I learned a new skill while at this school. I had to walk around with my eyes closed a lot due to certain issues. So I learned how to observe auras and people’s presence a lot better. And as a bonus, my eyes became a lot better at reading the flow of energy.”
“You read the blood flow?”
“Yes, and the flow of Moksi you embedded in it.”
“You tried to play me for a fool?”
“Tried? … But no, I treated you like a teacher with a mean streak. And in our last battle, you finally used the technique my father created. Which means you’ve reached the end of the skills passed down in my lineage and thus your usefulness to me.”
“Usefulness to you!? You dare act like you were using me? You traitorous weakling!”
“It was your family that betrayed us.”
“We took what was rightfully ours!”
“You killed for what you wanted, but that doesn’t make it yours.”
Endo’s veins start popping up out of his face.
“Your weak copies will never beat me!!”
Endo takes out a small knife cuts open his palms and then summons two spinning blades using his blood.
“DIE!!!”
Endo attacks Cleus.
Chapter 52 Fin
