This chapter is brought to you by This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race by Fall Out Boy.

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Part III
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When Lord Calypto had ordered Raven and his men to train his long-lost nephew in the art of the Calypto Twin Daggers, Raven felt it was a waste of resources and time.

Nepotism at its best, really.

Usually, new recruits weren't allowed to learn the twin daggers until they were proficient in the soft sword and other basic weaponry.

Lady Rasamund was a special case, unlike Lord Arcadia. She was the daughter of two prominent Houses and had a future secured with the Saintly Sisters Assassination Corps.

Lord Arcadia was some kid picked up from who knows where.

Raven was complaining to his partner about all of this, but Robin--always one with a soft spot for children--didn't agree with him.

"You didn't see what he was like," Robin insisted. He was a part of the group that went with Lord Calypto outside the city walls. "He was in The Arena."

"So he saw hundreds of executions and might have participated in low-risk battles. He's no different than most of the new recruits."

"Just give him a chance. You will know his potential when you meet him."

Raven wasn't convinced, but at Robin's insistence, he relented.

He would test the boy himself, and if he found him unworthy of the blade, he would immediately wash his hands of him.

---

Nine waited at the entrance of the training ground for his assigned instructor.

From where he stood, caught glimpses of weapons specialized by the Calypto mercenaries lining the walls. Daggers, short swords, and soft swords took up the majority of the space, followed by other unique killing tools.

Nine saw a few rope darts and crossbows on a couple of shelves.

The Calyptos didn't allow training tools. They believed the use of wooden weapons and dulled practice blades would hinder the ability to learn.

It taught soldiers not to make mistakes by hanging the risk of injuries and death over their heads.

"Lord Arcadia."

A tall, broad man approached him with a hint of impatience.

Nine nodded in greeting.

"I am Raven of Division 44. I shall be your instructor from henceforth."

"I am Tobus Arcadia. Please call me Nine."

Without missing a beat, the man said, "Lord Calypto has warned me about that. The answer is no. Please follow me. I will show you around the training ground and then you will be given a test. Should you fail it, I will relinquish you from my teachings and report to Lord Calypto of your failure."

Again, Nine nodded, familiar with the song and dance of it all.

Funnily enough, Raven reminded him of the executioners from The Arena. Perhaps his roommate's sister took inspiration from their drill sergeants and instructors.

Raven didn't bother to be polite as he turned toward the training ground.

"Let's go. I want to get this over with by lunch."

The training ground was divided into two levels. The upper level was the dueling ground and the lower level was a maze with numerous rooms and more weapons hidden within numerous surfaces and walls.

Nine appreciated the sight of knives on display as makeshift decor.

As he followed Raven through the maze, he felt his breath shorten a little. The deeper they went into the lower level, the harder it was to breathe.

"We burn specialized poison incense in here, so get used to it. Recruits build up poison resistance through this. Specially made by Lady Calypto, herself. Nothing but high-grade poison from the black market can take you down once you get used to this stuff."

That... really explained why Jovette in the original story stabbed herself to death instead of drinking Rowan's stash of poison.

As Heir and daughter of his Lady Aunt, her poison resistance should have been above most high-grade poisons.

Nine nodded at Raven's explanation and the tour continued.

By the time they were finished, his lungs felt like they were ready to collapse.

---

Raven had purposely ordered some of his men to burn more incense in the training ground. It was enough to knock out most of the new recruits, who ended up having to be dragged out of sight of the kid.

The increased dosage was enough to make Raven slightly light-headed, yet there was not even the slightest hint of a reaction from his charge.

What was this kid?

"The boy is a beast. No ordinary child could kill someone with such deadly precision."

Raven remembered Peregrine's warning.

Peregrine was a close guard of Lord Calypto and was witness to what happened on the day their lord visited The Arena.

He glanced back at the boy.

The child was walking in his shadows.

He was silent and still as he moved. Raven couldn't hear him breathe.

Emerald eyes met him in an instant and Raven paused.

He felt a distinct pressure as he stared at a face that was as blank as a doll.

The dark underground maze also didn't help with the atmosphere.

He felt even more suffocated, and it wasn't just because of the poison.

"What is it, Sir Raven?"

It took a moment for Raven to answer, his instincts telling him to run-hide-get away--anything to avoid being trapped in this enclosed space with the boy.

He swallowed and turned back around.

"It is nothing," he said. "I heard Lord Claypto found you in The Arena."

"He did," came the short reply.

Raven was slightly curious about what the kid did besides watching and killing low-level criminals. "What did you do there?"

"I executed people."

It was a generic response, so Raven tried to pry a little more.

"What rank?"

"Not sure. I was one of the main executioners."

Raven froze.

No.

It couldn't be.

"Please call me Nine."

The famed executioner of The Arena.

Cat, the boy with nine lives.

The news reached Vesna several years ago of a boy who killed the most vile of criminals in The Arena. He was sold to the executioners and was made to battle a wealthy merchant who found a disgusting loophole in the justice system.

It was the ninth child who executed the criminal in cold blood and remained in The Arena to kill more in service to the executioners.

"This is the end of the tour," Raven said abruptly, feeling a chill run down his spine.

The boy stood there unmoving, quiet for a moment as he stared deep into Raven's soul.

Finally, he nodded.

He proceeded to draw a pair of daggers hidden beneath his coat.

"Does the test start now?"

Raven nearly felt his heart give out at the sight of this boy holding a weapon.

Who thought giving this child something sharp and pointing was appropriate?!

Any child could have a weapon, but this particular one in front of him?

Absolutely not.

He missed all of Robin and Peregrine's hints, too blinded by the fact that the boy was Lord Calypto's nephew.

He should have observed him longer. He should have gathered more intel on him and learned what kind of monster he was being forced to teach.

Raven was a seasoned mercenary. He had fought many opponents in his life and killed hundreds.

Yet, this boy looked like he could rip his heart out with a mere thought.

"Calm down. I have to tell you the rules," Raven said, stalling for time.

The boy continued to hold his blades in front of him and tilted his head.

"Lord Uncle has informed me of the rules. I must hunt you through the training ground, yes?"

Reluctantly, Raven answered, "... Yes."

The boy blinked. "First blood means I win, yes?"

"... Yes..."

There was another blink, another flicker of eyes trailing his every move like prey.

"Okay."

And then the boy disappeared and reappeared behind him like an evil spirit out for blood.

Raven dodged, his mind sounding in alarm.

Another blade came down at him, aiming for his neck.

He scrambled against the wall and climbed onto a beam.

Fuck his life.

Why did no one tell him this kid was the Head Executioner of The Arena?!

---

As expected, Raven was a seasoned opponent.

The man jumped and flung himself against a wall before making his way up a beam.

The chase was on as Nine followed him.

The training ground was an endless maze and the prison incensed slowed him down.

His instincts were not as quick nor as reactive as he had liked, but he deducted it was all part of the test.

Nine took a swipe at Raven's heel, trying to cut the Achilles tendon. The man dodged just in time, looked back at him with a disappointed grimace, and continued to lead him out of the maze.

Soon, they were reaching the upper level of the training ground.

There were mercenaries training in the field, scattered around like obstacle courses. They all noticed Nine and Raven and stopped what they were doing.

They stared at them with wide eyes.

Nine's focus was solely on Raven, who he imagined was like a mouse he needed to get rid of.

It was similar to his work in The Arena. He often visualized the criminals as rats or mice in need of extermination and hunted them within the open execution site while they ran for their lives.

For now, if he wanted to pass the test, Nine would need to think of Raven as a soon-to-be dead man.

He ran faster, his vision concentrated on that broad back. He took a leap and dove toward his target, the daggers poised to cut a deadly line.

---

Raven stumbled and he felt a weight on his back.

Get it off get it off get it off!

He peeled the boy off and narrowly avoided taking a blade to the eyes.

The other mercenaries on the field were staring in awe as if watching their Division Captain being hunted by a scrawny twelve-year-old was the most amazing thing they had ever seen.

The boy was ready to attack again, recovering from his throw with simple grace.

It was no wonder they called him Cat.

Raven drew his own daggers.

The test was to hunt the instructor, but if instructors felt their students were above the average level, they were allowed to fight back.

Raven saw the boy tilt his head once more.

Why he did that so often, he would never know.

There was no hesitation after seeing him armed.

The boy sprinted forward with a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes and Raven nearly lost his nose.

There was pressure on his wrist as he was used like a springboard.

Another dagger slashed down, and Raven went on the defense.

He narrowly dodged every attempt at his life with fear pulsing in the back of his mind. He didn't have time to fight back. The boy wouldn't let him.

Raven didn't know he was being backed against a corner until a dagger flew past him, nicking him on the neck.

The boy suddenly appeared in front of him with eyes blown wide with adrenaline, staring at him as if he was already dead while he held a dagger against his throat.

Raven tried not to scream.

There was a moment of silence.

The field was silent, his men were silent, and not even the birds made a sound as the dust settled.

"Did I pass?"

"... Yes."

"Okay."

The boy--Lord Arcadia--relaxed his stance and stepped back. He pulled the dagger out of the wall with the ease of a person used to throwing knives hard enough to break through stone.

Lord Arcadia blinked and the killing intent that surrounded him dissipated, making it easier to breathe.

"You will report to my Lord Uncle?"

"... Yes."

"Okay. Enjoy your lunch. I'm going to take a nap."

He left without another word, and Raven sighed in relief.

"That's Lord Calypto's nephew?" Wren approached him whilst eyeing the entrance warily.

Raven closed his eyes.

"He is quite skilled."

"... Yes."

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[......... Calypto Creed 1: Promote peace and wealth through murder .........]

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The author has something to say:

Not the most epic-looking battle scene I've ever written, but whatever. Yayyy, Nine is now a genin--I mean, a mercenary. Time to climb up those ranks. Part III is otherwise known as the *sparkle* Training Montage *sparkle*. O happy dagger, indeed.

Also, the Calypto Creed is basically taken from Assassin's Creed.