The Last Legendary System

Silence settled after the dust rolled through the cave in slow waves, carrying the scent of scorched stone and molten slime.

Benign remained where he stood, the Blade lowered toward the ground. He gazed at the stranger, even though he knew they had never met in his life.

A man with long silver hair stood before him, dressed in a seamless dark robe that looked woven from his shadow itself.

He looked exactly like the last boss of every fantasy Benign had ever read.

"You really don’t remember." The man sighed. There wasn’t disappointment in his voice so much as there was amusement.

Benign kept his tone flat. He couldn’t explain how the man had appeared. "You keep saying that like we met before."

"We have." The stranger smiled faintly. "And experienced so many things together."

"Do you know my middle name?" Benign enquired suddenly. The stranger fell silent.

Benign nodded. "Then we haven’t met before. We are definitely not as close as you tried to make it seem."

He tightened his grip around the Blade and stepped sideways to put more distance between himself and the woman with two mouths.

The two strangers remained in his view. "If you are trying to kill me because of the blade," he quickly glanced at the weapon in his hand.

The stranger’s eyes had dropped on the Blade of Ages the moment he arrived. The Nouveu Protector had also mentioned that he had sensed the new ’Hero’ being chosen by the sword.

"... then you don’t have to confuse me first," he finished. "I tire of psychological warfare. Just fight."

"Just fight?" The man chuckled deeply. "You never change. But I didn’t come to kill you."

"No?"

"Of course not." The man’s smile widened. "If I wanted you dead, we wouldn’t be talking."

Flames burning in the cave flickered one by one. From the corner of his eyes, Benign monitored the woman standing behind the man.

She bowed her head slightly and disappeared into the growing darkness of the cave.

Her actions unsettled him but also answered more questions than she could have said since meeting. Whoever stood before him was important.

He didn’t lower his sword yet.

"So why are you here?"

"A Warlord would be disappointed if I returned without confirming it myself." The man looked Benign over from head to toe before his eyes rested on the Blade. "Fortunately... I have."

Benign’s forehead creased. "Warlord?" He repeated.

The stranger ignored the question entirely.

The last flame died. The space behind Benign shimmered, and a gentle wind swept through the cave.

Flower petals rushed in where there shouldn’t be any. Roots burst from cracks beneath the stone and wrapped themselves around fallen debris.

A familiar voice drifted through the darkness.

"Castrius."

The man chuckled. "I wondered how long you would watch. You even sent my lady running."

Benign turned behind him. ’The snake woman had left because of her?’ He was more impressed than surprised.

A figure appeared within the light of the cave. Lady Alana stepped in, her feet walking over the roots. Her robes were untouched by the dust on the ground.

She spared Benign only a glance before her eyes settled upon Castrius. With a flick of her hand, a small tree blocked Benign from the man.

Whatever coldness her voice carried during the trials doubled as she glared at the man in front of her. "You have crossed into Protector territory. Again."

Castrius folded his hands behind his back. His smile remained amused and almost fond as he stared at the lady. "All the important people gather here. Can you blame me?"

"You will leave."

"Will I?"

Neither of them moved. The silence stretched until Benign sighed. "Lady Alana. Is he a distraction, or is he part of my trial in any way?"

"I could be." Castrius took a step towards him.

The first strike happened without warning.

Roots erupted beneath Castrius while vines shot toward his wrists and ankles.

He simply vanished before they reached him, reappearing several steps away as though he had been standing there all along.

He laughed. "Is this how you greet an old friend, Alana?"

"You were warned."

Benign barely followed the movement before Lady Alana’s flowers exploded into countless razor-thin petals that chased him through the cave.

The soldier took a step back. ’I should stay out of it."

Every instinct he had honed in battle screamed that interfering would get him killed faster than either combatant intended.

His eyes never stopped following the openings each created for the other. They weren’t trying to overpower one another but were measuring.

"They are fast..." Benign muttered. His hand reached for the revolver in his belt. For no reason at all, he entertained thoughts of a headshot.

Castrius slipped through another wave of petals before appearing beside Lady Alana. His hand reached toward her shoulder but stopped halfway as the roots beneath him burst upward once more, forcing him back with a laugh instead of frustration.

"You’ve improved, Alana."

"And you hold back."

"Of course." His eyes shifted to Benign. "I wouldn’t want to scare my—"

BANG.

The opening had appeared for less than a heartbeat.

Castrius turned his body to avoid another wave of petals, leaving his neck exposed for the briefest instant before Benign’s instincts moved ahead of his thoughts. He lifted the revolver, with an eye closed.

A thin line crossed Castrius’s neck.

Blood slowly rolled down his face. His eyes were widened, and the blue iris dilated. He reached up, touched his face with two fingers, then looked at the blood resting upon his hand for several long seconds.

"Hah." His voice rose a little louder.

"Hahahaha..."

Then he looked at Benign.

"You got me. I missed this," he huffed. "It has been eons since this happened."

A wave of thorny flowers spun around his frame. With a wave, they all vanished. He marched towards Benign.

Benign raised his blade. His revolver rested in his right hand. Both hands lay on the other. "Next time I won’t miss."

The man stopped as Lady Alana stood in front of Benign.

"You are truly dangerous, Benign Cross." Her eyes settled on the wound on Castrius’s face. "You could leave now. Any further and I’ll be forced to act seriously."

A chuckle escaped the man. It wasn’t mocking anymore but... pleased.

"He has never failed to surprise me." He looked at him. "And you still hold your weapon too tightly."

Benign frowned. He released his grip on his blade. "We just met."

Castrius stepped away, disappearing into the darkness. Before leaving completely, he looked back only once. "Remember quickly. I’m getting impatient."

Then he was gone.

Silence settled.

Lady Alana looked toward the darkness where Castrius had disappeared.

"That man bled."

Benign blinked.

"What?

"He has not bled for centuries."