Deleted scene from Chapter 30 of monster, after the trio, Regis, Seira and Rael all leave Lukedonia to go after Raizel.
A friend.
Rael looked importantly up at Rajak, nodding intently. "Ok, brother. Take care." He disappeared with the rest of the household.
When Rajak treads through the forrest awhile later, he looked up, seeing the high-speed jet of the Noblesse's charges fly from Lukedonia.
"Remember, you must tuck in your chin and not your thumbs, stay concealed until the last moment. Our speed is our greatest ally, but that is not the end of our abilities. Tactical concealment — if our enemies cannot see us coming, then that will decide our victory. Our fight is not based on brute strength or power, Rajak, it is the way in which we utilise our speed."
He remembered the first time he struck Ragar Kertia from behind, finally catching his father off guard and sending him crashing against the ground. "Muh!" Ragar smirked through that obvious mask, disappearing in a second and reappearing to knock Rajak back when he was still staring at his shadowy after-image.
"Nice one, Rajak!" he chuckled, helping him up. "You've learnt this much faster than I was capable of. Heh, since you're not the prototype run-through, you'll surpass me very soon." The Kartas dissolved from his hand and Ragar pulled off his mask to smile fully.
"You mean, you didn't create this style? Then the Kertia Leader before you…" Rajak heard himself ask curiously.
Ragar's expression had changed. He was still smiling, bright eyed, but a hint of something else floated over him. "Well…" he started, eyes drifting to the sky, "That's half-right, and half-wrong."
When he saw Rajak's miffed face, Ragar shrugged and went on. "No, this style did originate with me, though I did not create it alone. I acquired help."
Rajak raised his brows, intrigued.
"It started with a funny question, really. 'Why don't I use my skills more efficiently?' I truly did not know how recklessly I used to fight. So, with a training partner, we developed and honed the Kertia's style of fighting to what you are wielding today." A sharp glint glazed over his father's usually reserved look, giving Rajak a mental jab. "How I so wish to fight him again. Or, one last time, at least. I have to demonstrate to him how much more refined our style is now." Ragar beamed at Rajak. "One day."
"Who is it?" Rajak asked.
"Hmmm," Ragar bought a finger to his chin. "A friend." That was all he said.
He remembered his father, Ragar Kertia, giving him that lesson of speed and silence many times over to get it right, and now he'd perfected it into art form. Completely erasing his aura, absolutely in control of every slight sound his body produced — punching, walking, breathing — he had learnt his father's trade down to every shy detail.
That was the Clan of Kertia's forte for a thousand years. If he saw him now, Ragar Kertia would be so proud of him.
"Hell, I am so proud of you," said another man to Rajak, many years later.
Rajak swung his weight forward, jerking at the last second to create a facade. He twisted himself to face the man from behind. He caught the tinge of a hearty smirk before the man turned his back upon the shadow-image and struck him. Rajak had never fought someone as wild and relentless as he — propelling himself forward before he'd even stopped skidding, jumping before he'd even figured how to land, and throwing around that fiery weapon with more precision than it looked. And yet, in small, sudden moments, he made Rajak recall those sessions with his father, could somehow emulate his fighting, copy his disappearing and, "Over, here, Kertia."
How could someone fight him like he'd done it four hundred times before?
Rajak had reached for his Kartas and watched the man's smile widen even more.
"Rajak Kertia, was it? Hah! — you're impressive. But there's no way in hell I'm letting you win."
Rajak became aware that Frankenstein was one that had fought his father, challenged him to countless fights and brawls, and the occasional chat or stroll after too may bones were broken. He felt stupendous for being so slow. Because it was a long time before he it figured out: when his father told of him with such fondness in his voice in an after-fight adrenaline, of a friend — he was talking about Frankenstein.
Rajak donned his mask in the forest and left.
Notes
The Ragar and Franken relationship just intrigues me. Remember when that one chapter came out and it revealed that while Franken said goodbye to Gejutel when he left Lukedonia to look for Rai, he didn't say goodbye to the Lord or Ragar. And then Ragar somehow predicted this would happen and waited out in the woods for him to say goodbye.
I bet Franken was much closer to Ragar than he was with Gejutel, the old man. They fought for funsies all day, Franken helped Ragar optimise his power until Kertia SpeedTM became the brand name and Ragar helped Franken learn how to use Dark Spear to the point where he was A-Ok watching him fight Urokai because lol, weak human who? Ragar "I could not afford to miss such an interesting event" chapter 291 Kertia totally took a side during that fight and it was not his fellow noble Urokai's.
Ragar went to say good bye, saying that they'll meet again, and Frankenstein agreed. They never did.
