Ranks, titles, prestige — none of that mattered here.
It had all been stripped away from them.
Only steel, reflexes, and determination counted now.
Kido's gaze didn't waver as he stepped forward, the blade of his sword glinting under the pale morning light. His mere presence weighed down on their chests like a stone.
"Here," he said, his voice calm but merciless, "you are not lords. You are not heirs. You are blades. And I will break you until you are sharp enough to survive what's coming."
Morwen swallowed hard. Drevan tightened his grip on his axe.
There were no ceremonies. No formal introductions.
Just the whisper of the wind through the grass… and the silent threat hanging heavy in the air.
Kido's voice rumbled low behind his mask, which covered only his mouth and nose — but his eyes stayed terrifying.
