By the by Italics=Mark's narration. I mean it's kinda obvious but I wanted to state just in case.

Now on with the show

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I was called the Swordsman of Destruction.

Mark fell to the ground. Blood pouring out of the wound, he stared up into the sky eyes vacant and empty.

I don't know how many people I've killed. I mean, nobody counts how many times they eat or bathe. This was no different for me

"Hold on Mark…" Lyn said pulling the spear out of his stomach. Serra ran up next to Mark and already began healing him.

I had an older brother, and another man who was like a brother to me. Together we were called the three swords. I the swordsman of destruction, my elder brother the swordsman of life and the last one…

(Flashback)

Mark chuckled as he stabbed a dead body.

"Come on, Elder brother. Surely you heard wrong?" Mark chuckled as he stared at his elder brother. A man who could have been his twin if not for his slightly more masculine looking face a much longer hair.

"You told us, that this man was a master swordsman, and he always traveled with, the best bodyguards money can buy." Mark says shaking his head.

"Perhaps, Mark we are simply too good for them." Another man with long black hair covering one of his eyes said walking up beside Mark.

"Perhaps you're right Karel." Mark muttered sitting down on a nearby chair.

The sword-demon

"You two shouldn't complain our client paid us a lot of money." Mark's older brother said walking up to them.

"Tch, what good is money elder brother. I'd rather have a true challenge then fight these jokes." Mark said leaning back in his chair.

"Well anyways, you said this was just a starter job. So who's our real target?" Mark said looking up at his elder brother.

"An Ostia noblemen name is irrelevant. Current location places him in the Sacaen plains." Mark's elder brother said, sheathing his sword.

"Well I suppose we should be heading that way, isn't that right brother?" Mark said looking at his elder brother who simply nodded.

Sure we bickered, what brothers didn't? Heh but we had a special relationship, one that transcended brotherhood… we were feared Mercenaries and assassins. They said we were the best...

(Sometime later)

Mark, Karel, and his elder brother were riding through the Sacaen plains.

"Meh, I hate these long rides." Mark whined for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Are we there yet, I'm so bored. Green everywhere such a dull color." Mark continued to whine as he rode alongside his brothers.

"Must you whine, Mark? It makes you seem weak." Karel muttered shaking his head and glancing at Mark. Mark's eye twitched slightly

"Shut it you, damn Emo bastard." Mark shouted, pointing at Karel.

"Emo?" Karel said arching his eyebrow.

"Yes Emo its short for Emotional." Mark said

"… If you say so." Karel muttered rolling his eyes.

"That's enough out of you two; we've almost reached the designated spot." Mark's elder brother said.

"I don't get it brother, why are we taking a job from the Black Fangs; they're the 'Best' assassins in the world." Mark said shaking his head.

"Money is tight brother; you know this as well as I do, far be it from us to question the merits of a job." Mark's elder brother said bringing an apple to his mouth and biting into it.

"Tch whatever you say elder brother." Mark muttered rolling his eyes.

How foolish we were, to stumble into something like that. Yet it's not like you can blame us I mean how could we have known?

Mark, Karel, and Mark's elder brother all stop and dismount.

"Is this the place?" Mark said glancing around. It wasn't much a few hills and a couple trees; otherwise it was an open area.

"I don't see the target, what about you Mark?" Karel said looking at Mark.

"I don't like this..." Mark said glancing around.

"Despite how you are, you are the tactician amongst us. Do you think this a trap?" Karel said still staring at Mark.

"How observant of you." A woman with long black hair said walking out.

"You… you're the one who contacted me." Mark's elder brother said stepping forward. Drawing his sword.

"Yes… all to lead you into this trap. You three are to big a thorn in my master's side. So now all three of you shall die." The woman says waving her hand, out of nowhere an army seemingly appears.

"Surrounded… but… where were they hiding?" Mark mutters looking around drawing the Musamune. Karel says nothing drawing his own blade.

"How many do you estimate, brother?" Mark's elder brother says looking over at Mark.

"Shit… a full legion… maybe more." Mark said biting his lip.

"Well then Mark, I hope this is enough to keep you entertained." Karel said.

"How many do you think you can handle, Karel?" Mark said grinning back at him.

"Two hundred… anymore and I might have to start trying." Karel said glancing back at Mark.

"Well then, I'll just have to pick your slack." Mark said still grinning.

Mark charged the troops a smile playing across his features.

"He's so reckless…" Mark's elder brother says shaking his head.

"… I suppose we should join him, someone has to ensure that he doesn't die." Karel mutters shaking his head and following after Mark. Mark's elder brother sighs and follows them.

"Fool's they rush to their own death's… Kill them." The woman shouts pointing at the group. A moment later she vanished. The soldier's silent as the grave charged.

"THIS IS WHERE THE FUN BEGINS!" Mark shouts in almost maniacal glee and begins battling with the soldiers.

He skewered one soldier, parried another oncoming spear and swiftly decapitated him.

"As always Mark, your form leaves much to be desired." Karel mutters, stabbing a bandit in the chest before spinning his blade around and impaling another bandit behind him.

Mark paid his words no mind and continued battling.

We were arrogant at first; I mean we were the best weren't we? How quickly reality came back to us.

Mark jumped back his breathing was now labored. He cut the spear in half and ran at the knight slicing him and the rider down at the same time.

"They just keep coming… for everyone I kill… three more take its place." Mark said stabbing his sword into the ground.

"This is no time for a break, brother." His elder brother said having taken out a group of archers.

"We have to press on, Mark." Karel muttered slaying a pair of mages.

"Heh… I can't be outdone by you two." Mark chuckled lifting his sword out of the ground.

"That's the spirit." Mark's elder brother said, knocking a sword out of a Mercenaries hand.

"Yeah…" Mark said turning away from his brother for a moment. He turned back to look at his brother.

"BROTHER!" Mark shouted running over to his older brother. A pair of daggers was sticking out of his elder brother's chest.

"… I-impossible." Mark's elder brother muttered. The assassin pulled the blades out and before Mark could arrive seemingly vanished.

"I-it can't be… H-he can't fall." Karel muttered his usual cool falling away.

"NO BROTHER!" Mark shouted still running to aid his fallen brother. Slicing down anyone that got in the way.

With a battle shout, Karel cut through the nearest soldier… ah empty plain. He should… No he had to escape, he would not die here.

Karel ran from the battle leaving Mark and his brother alone. Mark had reached his brothers corpse and kneeled down next to him. All around them the soldiers approached.

"Elder brother… you… you can't die…" Mark said tears welling up in his eyes. An assassin approached him he took out one of his daggers and raised it. Ready to strike Mark down once and for all.

"DIE TRAITOR" yelled the assassin.

The dagger fell…

You can't die now…

(Back to the present)

"Please…" Lyn said staring over Mark's prone body. Mark's eyes were closed. Tears were pouring from her cheeks. Beside her Serra was doing her best to heal Mark.

"… I… the wound… it's…" Serra sighed sweat was beading down her face. She was drained from the attempts. Yet she knew she had to press on. She had to try to heal him. If not just for his sake, but Lyn's as well.

A moment later Mark's hand twitched and eye's slowly opened.

"I-I…" Mark muttered looking into Lyn's eyes.

"This is the second time… I awaken from a dream to see your beautiful face, Lyn." Mark said a slight smile playing across his face.

A small smile played across her face, even though the tears never stopped falling from her face.

"Yes… yes it is…" Lyn said, neither the smile nor the tears ever left her face.

"G-go… Lyn… I'll be fine here…" Mark said closing his eyes again.

"Go see your grandfather… before it's too late." Mark said.

"A-are you sure…" Lyn said looking down at Mark the concern evident in her face.

"Yes I'm sure my dear Lyn… I'll be fine…" Mark said opening his eyes. Lyn looked at Mark one last time before running into the castle.

"… I heard a voice… in my dream… I think she pulled me back from the brink." Mark said chuckling as he looked up at Serra.

"Heh… she wouldn't stop talking while you were lying dead on the ground. It was kind of romantic in its own way." Serra said, chuckling and shaking her head.

"Your one to talk Serra." Mark muttered. Serra's eye twitched and she applied pressure to Mark's wound. He screamed in pain

"OW, the hell was that for." Mark said gripping the wound in pain.

"What are you crying about you big baby." Serra muttered rolling her eyes.

"Oh stuff it…" Mark muttered lying back on the ground.

"… Don't scare me like that again." Serra muttered looking down at Mark.

"I'm sorry… When I saw Lundgren… I knew what I had to do." Mark said gripping the Musamune tightly.

"I'm sorry… about Erk to… I'm the one that ordered him to the front lines. He said he had to stay by your side but… I made the call for him to go on ahead and insisted on it. I left him no choice." Mark said opening his eyes again to look at Serra.

"I-I thought as much… it wasn't that." Serra said moving her hands away from Mark stomach. The wound was all but healed. Silently Serra wondered what kind of miracle had saved his life.

"It's just that… I realized he'll be leaving me soon. I-I wanted to distance myself from him… it was the perfect excuse." Serra said, shaking her head.

"Such a stupid… stupid reason…. I suppose I'm no better." Mark chuckled staring up at the sky.

Serra said nothing and shook her head, before staring at the sky again.

"We're so stupid… aren't we big brother?" Serra asked not breaking her view from the sky.

"It would seem so Serra… it would seem so." Mark closed his eyes.