Evil Samurai In Cultivation World

It had been a week since the meeting with the Second Elder and his talk with Senior Beldon.

As always, Claude Rayforth was practicing in his courtyard, trying to improve his cultivation techniques and skills.

"Pant...! Pant...!"

Claude heaved as his hands moved with the grace of a ballerina, swinging his Katana in an elegant manner, almost as if he was dancing.

When he first started cultivating the Sunrise Sword Technique, he couldn't even use it for a long time, as it would've drained his spiritual energy in a short amount of time. He couldn't even use the technique twice in the same day. But he used the knowledge he had and figured out what he needed to do in order for him to be able to maintain this technique for long periods of time. 

He studied his technique and the way his body moved in order to reduce unwanted movements, and to conserve as much energy as he could. He practiced cultivating this technique every day, and now, his body, which he had trained systematically for a whole week, was already showing lots of progress.

Whoosh!

With a light breeze, Claude stepped forward, and then his figure moved.

Swish!

He swung his Katana, and a raging wind gusted by, followed by an incomparably tyrannical aura blasting out from the strike. The blade strike manifested in the air visibly and instantly enveloped the sky before transforming into a stream of resplendent light as it struck the ground.

BOOM!

An explosive sound thundered out, as the ground shook violently, torn apart once again by Claude's attacks.

'With this… It'll be the fourth time of the day!' 

As soon as he completed his 4th continuous usage of the Sunrise Sword Technique, Claude kneeled on the ground instantly. Claude looked at his hands, and realized that they were trembling.

"Would you, Claude Rayforth, betray your master if necessary?"

As he sat on the ground, exhausted by the amount of training that he had done, Claude suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Senior Beldon.

"Why?"

"Huh?" As Senior Beldon looked at him with a confused expression, Claude hesitated slightly before asking. "Why did you ask me that question? Why me? What was your reason for asking me?"

"..."

Senior Beldon's expression turned blank for a second as he listened to Claude's words, before nodding his head.

"I see. You sure you want to know?"

"... Why? Is the reason something absurd?" Claude asked like it was ridiculous, but Senior Beldon shook his head with a little smile. "No, no.. it's nothing absurd. It's just unremarkable."

"Then yes. I do wish to know what your reason was for asking me that question."

"Alright," Senior Beldon nodded his head and continued. "It's because you reminded me of myself."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Claude looked at him with a confused expression once again.

"It is as I said. You reminded me of myself. Someone similar. Someone who thinks more than usual. Someone more analytical. Someone who is careful." 

"And that's it? That's your reason?" Claude asked, his eyes filled with surprise and suspicion as he stared at Senior Beldon, who smiled brightly and continued, "Probably a bit uncharacteristic of me, but I felt as though I had to look after you. Since we're similar. I don't know how to explain it properly, but I feel as though we're connected by fate."

"So it's just a feeling," Claude replied, and Senior Beldon shrugged his shoulders in response. "You can call it whatever you like. But I do think I did the right thing by asking you that question. I knew you would've answered it the same as me."

"And what if I didn't?" Claude asked, staring at his Senior's face. 

An amused expression appeared on Senior Beldon's face for a brief second before he smiled. "Then I wouldn't have asked!"

'Similar to him, huh....' Claude stood up from the ground, and looked at his trembling hands.

He didn't know what Senior Beldon was going to do with his answer, he didn't feel anxious for some reason.

'Perhaps...' Claude's face brightened as he clenched his hands tightly. 'Fate… did he call it?'

Claude wasn't someone who believed in God, for the god he was taught to believe in was righteous and kind. Not one who tortures his creations. But he did believe in the devil.

Why did he get reincarnated? For what purpose was he given a second chance? Claude didn't know. But he did know that it wasn't an act of kindness. 

"Fine, I'll play along with fate if that's what the devil wishes for," Claude turned his gaze towards the skies, his eyes bloodshot as he continued. "But don't expect me to kneel in front of you! I'll play along, but I'll do it my way!"

*****************

About a hundred years ago, the country of Capenea was a landmark for civilization that was on its way to become the cultural and economical centre of the world. 

For a while, it held onto the title of the richest, proudest, most supercilious country in the martial world, and was under the rule of Olaus Alim Bartholin, Emperor of the Great Nordian Empire.

However, everything changed after the Shadow Plague, a pandemic brought to the Capenea by warrior units who were returning from campaigns in the North, wiping out a large proportion of the empire's population and claiming the life of the Emperor as well, devastating the Royal Army and leaving the country in ruins.

Since that unfortunate incident, Capenea was never able to return to its glorious days of the forgotten era. It took them almost a century to get the country back on its feet.

However, it seemed the gods weren't too fond of the Capeneans, for another misfortune awaited them.

BOOM!

The Capenean soldiers were desperately trying to defend against the Thionian army, but it seemed to be futile. Hundreds of cultivators erupted forth, attacking at the same instant, their combined might exploding out in all directions and causing a swathe of grand destruction, as the Capenean buildings began to fall. 

"Get to safety! Don't forget to protect the civilians! " An expert from the Capenean Army, General Hans Harrington yelled out to his troops, who were falling back frantically. He then rushed towards a wall of debris, hiding behind it as he studied the Thionian Army.

'Goddammit! We're getting annihilated here!' As he stared at the Thionian army who were pushing forward, butchering the Capenean forces as if it was nothing, his countenance turned incredibly unsightly.

He then focused his gaze on the centre of the Thionian forces, on a man who was calmly moving forward along with the Thionian soldiers, and yet not making any moves at all. But it wasn't because he was weak. General Hans Harrington knew that he couldn't underestimate this man, who's eyes emanated a terrifying aura that was beyond anything that he's ever seen.

"Gilbert Gottfried!" The cold tone of his voice contained a terrifyingly sharp killing intent, his aura flaring up in anger. 

The man who's responsible for this attack!

The General was completely enraged and his eyes flashed with a baleful malevolence as he spoke, "I promise you, Gilbert Gottfried… that you'll die under my han-

Boom!

Before the General could finish speaking his words, Gilbert Gottfried took a step forth, and in an instant, a surge of bone-chilling cold killing intent permeated this entire area, causing the Capenean soldiers to feel terror in the depths of their souls.

"Are you just going to hide there?" Gilbert Gottfried's ice-cold voice erupted forth, pressing towards the debris behind which General Hans Harrington was hiding.

"Did he hear me? Impossible.." General Hans Harrington's countenance turned incredibly unsightly to behold, his face alternating between shades of green and white.

"Why are you not coming out? I thought you wanted to kill me? Or are you just all talk?" Gilbert Gottfried's eyes shone with coldness, and he continued to stare at the fallen debris.

'He did hear me!' General Hans Harrington felt his heart trembling. 

How can this be? How was this possible? I was so sure that no one would hear me! How on earth did he hear my voice?

Countless questions flowed to his mind, but he couldn't find any answers.

"As you wish," Letting out a heavy sigh, General Hans Harrington slowly appeared from behind the fallen debris, and faced Gottfried.

Hup!

As soon as he revealed himself, dozens of Thionian soldiers stood in front of Gottfried and pointed their hands straight at General Hans!

"Stay back!" Gilbert Gottfried clicked his tongue and spoke with a dissatisfied expression, and the soldiers immediately moved back.

Gottfried then looked at the General, and with a satisfied smile, he spoke, "Do you wish to kill me, warrior?"

What?

"I do. But why are you asking me that?" General Hans Harrington, after a moment, asked in confusion.

Gottfried glanced at him as he smiled, "Oh, that's simple. Because I can offer you a deal."

"A deal?"

"That's right," Gottfried stared at the General, the coldness in his tone so icy that it could pierce the bones. "An offer to fight me; one on one!"