Gladius And His Master

~~2 Years Ago~~

A bloodied and beaten figure could be seen limping at an inhuman speed toward the Yan clan, his feet pushing so hard against the ground he left three-inch deep marks in the soil. His labored breathing could be heard from a mile away as he sucked in mouthful after mouthful of air. Reaching the entrance to the Yan clan, a group of guards appeared before him, stopping his forward momentum.

"Stop!" the leader of the guard's could be heard yelling, his voice filled with nervousness at the aura the haggard figure was releasing. The figure stopped, his features gradually being revealed.

He had long silver hair denoting his old age, features that seemed far younger than his bearing would suggest, with sharp features that seemed chiseled by the edge of a blade, and his figure seeming to be uncontrollably releasing an aura like that of an unsheathed blade.

Glancing up at the guards currently blocking his way, the seemingly middle-aged man gave an icy sneer. Before the eyes of the guards, the figure of the mysterious middle-aged man disappeared.

~~In Another Place Within The Yan Clan~~

The figure of the mysterious man seemed to appear from thin air, as if he were a ghost. Before him was a young man whose features seemed to still contain a hint of immaturity, who was currently swinging his sword. Glancing up at the suddenly appearing figure, the aura of the young man seemed to sharpen as the sword in his hand seemed to turn into a coiling snake, ready to pounce.

However, this expression only lasted until his eyes finally managed to drink in the man, his aura eventually receding at the sight. His expression shifted into one of unconcealed joy upon noticing who the figure was, his seemingly tense figure instantly loosening into a more relaxed posture. This young man held an appearance very similar to Gladius, though his features appeared a less matured compared to his future counterpart, as if he had yet to undergo any of the trials he would be forced to endure in the future.

Before he could greet the figure, his eyes widened to seemingly impossible proportions as he noticed the injuries that seemed to litter the figures body. Eyes widening, Gladius uncontrollably rushed forward, shouting out, "Master!" Gladius' voice rang out in astonishment and anxiousness; in his entire time knowing his master, he had never seen him injured, let alone as he was now, appearing to be at death's doorstep.

Rushing toward the figure now known as his master, Gladius supported his body as he rushed him into the house behind him. Quickly supporting his master along to his bed, Gladius' voice rang out in fear and suppressed anger, "Master, who did this to you?" His voice trembled with unconcealed rage, his innocent face contorting into that of one reminiscent a beast.

His aura seemed to be uncontrollably released, feeling similar to the middle aged man's, but far less experienced, as if it had yet to withstand the vicissitudes of life.

Setting his master down into his bed, Gladius rushed to get some water, a washcloth, and some alcohol in preparation to clean the wounds of his master. Raising his head, the middle aged man spoke for the first time since his sudden appearance; his voice a deep, rumbling thing that seemed to comfort the young Gladius with it's mere presence.

"Don't worry about my injuries, the people who did this to me will find me soon so I don't have much time. I've come to give something to you, promise me you'll protect it, even if my wretched Song family come to take it away!" His aura seemed to rise with every word spoken, his suppressed rage seemingly released, yet hidden in his words seemed to also be a deep sadness.

His rage seemed to agitate his injuries further as he raised his hand, coughing blood into his open palm. Yet, the man seemed unconcerned with the damages to his body, carrying on as if nothing happened.

Finishing his sentence, the man sent his Spiritual Qi into the ring on his index finger, taking out a sword that seemed to contain an aura of royalty, as if all other swords should bow in it's presence. The young Gladius looked on wide-eyed, surprised at the aura the sword was releasing.

"Master, where did you get this? This sword is something that nobody in the entirety of Violet City could possibly own!" Gladius nearly shouted, his eyes focusing entirely on the blade. The appearance of the sword seemed to pull Gladius into his own world, seemingly forgetting the injuries of his master as his expression turned affectionate and he stared longingly at the blade before him.

His master seemed to feel the connection between Gladius and the blade, his eyes seeming to light with joy at the expression of the young man. Reaching his hands out, the man gave the sword to Gladius, his expression one of nervous anticipation. Gladius reached out, seemingly grabbing the sword on pure instinct, outside of his mind's control.

The second the sword touched Gladius' hands, it seemed to release an aura of excitement, as if the sword felt a great joy at being in the hands of the young Gladius.

The younger man's master seemed to alight with joy at the scene before him, laughing with unconcealed joy. "Hahaha, I knew you could connect with this sword!" He exclaimed, holding his stomach as he did a full-belly laugh. His expression one of extreme joy for his disciple, before it seemed to rapidly turn serious as he continued on, "I have to leave Violet City, the people I took that sword from will come looking for me very soon. After this meeting, take it that I, Vlad Song, was never your master!" He said, eyes boring into his disciple with a seriousness seldomly seen on his face by those who knew him.

This forceful statement seemed to single-handedly knock the young Gladius out of his entranced state. Glancing up with eyes of anxiousness, Gladius seemed to want to argue with his master, before his expression seemed to rapidly change. His expression fluctuating, Gladius finally opened his mouth, the words coming out seeming almost painful,

"Master, I understand, this is for my protection as well as the safety of this sword. This disciple shall follow masters last orders; however, when I've become more powerful, I'll come looking for you. When that time comes, please don't pretend as if you don't know who this disciple is. However, master must promise to fulfill this disciples final request, promise this disciple that master will live until next we meet!" Gladius' eyes grew teary as he stared at the man before him who had not only been his master for years, but had long become like a father-figure to him, saying his final goodbyes.

The words Gladius spoke were carried with a resolute tone, seemingly carrying none of the previously expressed anxiousness. This seemed to cause his master no small degree of shock as he began uncontrollably laughing, "Hahaha, who would've expected that in this old man's age I would find such a clever disciple to carry on my mantle. I've truly lived a blessed life. I promise!" The man's uncontrollable joy rang out, his laughter nearly rocking the skies with its uncontained emotions; this continued until the man reached the last sentence, the profession coming out with a seriousness to it that left no room for doubt in young Gladius' mind.

With this final line, Gladius' master seemed to disappear, leaving no trace of his presence behind, even the three-inch deep footprints at the front of the manor seemed to vanish without a trace. This seemed to cause no small amount of shock to Gladius, he stared on in silent shock that soon turned to contemplation, before the contemplation broke way to an expression of resoluteness as he seemingly spoke to himself, "It seems I've truly just begun my cultivation journey; not only could I not see masters figure, I couldn't even see a twitch of his muscle before he disappeared." The young Gladius mumbled to himself.

It would be a long while before Gladius fully understood the circumstances between his master's death; upon learning the reason behind it, his fury toward the Song family would become enough to engulf the skies.

~~Current Time~~

Gladius' glare could only be described as deadly, his gaze staying locked with Rose Song with a sharpness like that of a blade for what felt like years. Before, as abruptly as his expression and attitude changed, it would return to its indifference; turning away from Rose, Gladius continued on his way out, facing no more obstructions.

Upon reaching his courtyard, Gladius headed into his home, feeling weary after the day's events. Entering his room, Gladius sat cross legged on his bed, unsheathing the sword across his back. The second the sword touched the open air, it's majestic aura seemed to blaze to life. Gladius' gaze which had become tired from the days events, seemed to alight with joy, as if seeing an old friend.

Gladius very rarely took this sword out it's sheath, understanding the danger he was put in upon it's aura being released. Yet, each time the sword came out it's scabbard, it would bring a great joy to Gladius - as if a part of him that was sealed off was finally being released.

Once the sword left it's scabbard, Gladius rested it atop his crossed legs, as he closed his eyes. If one were to examine the sword closely, they would notice that at the same time Gladius closed his eyes, it felt as if the sword had done the same.

Gladius opened his eyes, finding himself to no longer be inside his room; where before he was resting atop his bed, he now seemed to be floating upon a crystal clear white ground. The space around him was all the same white color, making it impossible to tell right from left, up from down; the space appeared incredibly enclosed yet so vast the end couldn't be seen at the same time.

Gladius' gaze didn't seem to change, as if he were already used to this mystifying scene. His gaze never wavered as his eyes stayed locked with the figure before him; it was the figure of a seemingly miniscule in size sword, appearing to be around the same size as one's fingernail.

The sword had the same appearance as the one he had taken off his back; it was entirely black, seeming to consume any light around it, just examining it one could see the sharpness coming from the blade, releasing an aura that felt as if it would cut all those who looked at it to pieces.

Gladius seemed to recognize this figure, his once indifferent expression replaced with a smile that seemed as if it were brighter than even the space around him. Giving the sword a loving look, Gladius opened his mouth to speak, "Ken, come here. It's been a while since I've seen you." The gentleness in Gladius' tone while speaking to the floating sword seemed almost parental; Gladius appearing as if a father seeing his child after years of separation.

(A/N: While the name may seem strange, the reason Gladius had chose it made a lot of sense. The name Ken means fist in Japanese, the reason Gladius chose this name is that it's supposed to represent that the sword is like an extension of his body, acting like a longer reaching fist for him.)

The sword seemed to shake in excitement, rushing at an inconceivable speed toward Gladius before it seemed to fly in rings around him. Gladius nodded his head fondly, seemingly used to the antics of the sword. Reaching out his hand, the sword seemed to stop it's spinning in circles, slowly floating down to rest in Gladius' outstretched hand.

The second the sword touched his hand, Gladius felt as though the connection between them was amplified - as if the sword were another limb. Gladius gasped in astonishment, having never experienced this before. He could feel the connection between the sword and himself had become even closer, as if instead of a close friend or relative, the sword was now a part of himself.

"It seems my breakthrough in the soul has weakened the barriers between the two of us, causing this little guy to connect to me on an even deeper level," Gladius said to himself, feeling slightly astonished at this seemingly random turn of events. Connecting with the sword in his hand as well as the space around him, Gladius could feel the barrier that he had been facing in his swordsmanship being shattered.

Gladius could feel it, the swordsmanship style he had been attempting to create for the better part of two years had now had a breakthrough!

Gladius' eyes shone, his form starting to move on it's own; his hand that was holding the sword could feel as the sword elongated, turning into a longsword that was around one-and-a-half meters (5 ft.) in length as his body began to go through multiple rotations of the technique he had just invented, his mind churning to life.