My Sister The Villainess: Alternate Volume 2

"So, how is he?"

A tall, fair-haired man appeared at his side. He was General Armand, a powerful man with a frightening talent who'd soared through the ranks of the Martial Empire and reached his current status by the young age of 30. As the younger half-brother of Sir Marcus Kane, that was almost as to be expected.

He stood at equal height to Rebecca, and as the two came within arm's reach their respective auras charged the air with electricity. It was a physical manifestation of their power colliding against one another, fighting for dominance, and they had to restrain themselves lest their rampant energies surge and cause an accident.

"He's more talented than you." Rebecca's cool, ice-like tone was neither loud nor quiet. Her evaluation, however, caused Armand some surprise. 

He looked over at where General Morgen's eyes were glued. To the other side of them lay a vast open field a dozen feet below.  It was pure chaos down there. This was not an orderly training session. It was a free-for-all as every new recruit, who numbered at least a thousand, all battled against one another without rule. 

The battle raging before them was messy, bloody. Like real combat.  Everyone was being pushed, shoved, even made a shield of. Everyone was an enemy and only the top 500 would pass onto the next stage of training. 

Each stage would test some aspect of their physical abilities. This one was a combination of combat skill, endurance and ruthlessness. 

Before this, they had been put into teams and given several months of training that forced them to build upon their sense of camaraderie. They had to trust in and rely upon each other as they were pushed to their physical and mental limits...and each member had to succeed or none of them did.

Now, that trust was broken. No teams, no allies. Only those you had to step on to rise above. Some, those who were wiser, kept their teams and worked together even though they didn't have to. Everyone else listened to the words of General Morgen and regarded those closest to them as obstacles. 

It didn't matter what they decided to do. Only those capable would be able to pass. The means with which they did so was up to them. Whether they clawed their way up on their own or faced this challenge as a team with a backbone of iron, either way the Empire will gain recruits of quality. 

Currently, there were a few who stood out from the rest. One was a dark-haired boy with sharp eyes who rallied his cohorts into a tight formation and held their ground against an onslaught of foes. 

The Martial Empire didn't use wooden blades. Those who fell this day may never rise again. Even so, against this grim reality that had left many in his team fearful, the boy merely grit his teeth and held firm. And as he did so his aura, still just a babe, invaded the hearts of those at his side and hardened their hearts. Soon enough, his team had become what Rebecca and Armand saw now.

"His is a very unique aura," Armand commented. "It's especially suited for war." He had to admit it, the boy is more talented. Armand still carried the scars of his time down in that field, but the boy had only gained a few knicks here and there. It was wildly impressive. He didn't dodge, for he knew his allies behind him may have to endure whatever he ran away from. Instead, he defended then countered. Each and every time. 

It was a sight to behold. 

"What of that other one? The girl?" 

Rebecca turned quiet for a moment. Then, without a word, she pointed. Armand followed it and what he saw was...

He frowned. 

"I don't understand. Why aren't they attacking?"

From the other side of the battlefield, there was a small zone of calm. With a blonde-haired girl at its center, there was a wide circle where none dared enter. It was strange. He'd never seen it's like.

Rebecca's eyes shone. "They're too scared to attack."

Armand was baffled. "Scared? These recruits come from the finest schools throughout the world. Others from the recommendation of retired soldiers, or hail from families involved with the military for generations. At least some should--"

"There were. They're dead now," Rebecca replied. She let out a sudden grin. "She cut them down like cabbages. It didn't matter who they were. As long as they were in her path, they died. Even her previous teammates were no different."

Interested, he asked, "She and the boy came together if I remember right. Which of the two do you think is better?"

The woman cut him a glance. "You can't compare a man to a beast." 

That, alone, was enough to leave Armand shocked. He focused on the girl once more. She was lithe and beautiful, with a kind of unmatchable grace and style that didn't quite fit her age. 

Armand grew curious. He let a string of his aura fly towards the girl. He was startled as the girl looked up, fury in her eyes, and stared at him. 

A sting of pain bloomed in his heart as his thread of aura was violently torn apart. 

He sucked in a cold breath. "What the fuck is she?" There was no possible way some new recruit should be able to damage his aura, even just the barest thread of it. Even though some may know how to manipulate aura to some extent, there was a qualitative difference that shouldn't be capable of being bridged!

His aura had been refined thousands of times, hundreds of thousands. 

The fact this girl had so easily destroyed it....

Dread gripped his heart. 

General Morgen simply smiled. It was not a kind one. Rather, it was predatory and excited. "She'll replace you. Five years. That's all you have." 

Currently, there were six Generals within the empire. Each one of them was powerful beyond words, the best of any land. Armand was, of course, one of the youngest alongside Rebecca. But someone like him, who'd experience countless battles and had been known as a genius of the era, was told that he was going to be replaced with someone half his age?

He fought the urge to lash out in anger and forced himself to calm down. 

"Bold words."

Rebecca didn't bother to reply. "Did you know she has a brother?" 

Armand furrowed his brow at the unexpected question. "No. Why?"

"Does the name Claybrook mean nothing to you?" 

"Claybrook..."He tasted the name, momentarily confused. Then cursed. "She's from that family?" 

Rebecca nodded. "Now do you know who he is?"

"If it's her brother, it'd be that Damien...he's also exceptional." He spoke hesitantly. From what he knew, that was indeed the case. But it was only compared to outside the Martial Empire. He didn't know much about this Damien, to be honest, but Armand was never one to get involved in affairs outside the Empire anyway. 

Was there something about the boy he was unaware of? Because looking at the sister, he doubted he could be as outstanding. At the least, he hadn't been invited here like his--

"The Emperor tried to take him as a disciple a year or so back."

....

...

..

Armand swallowed hard. "He's...the Emperor's disciple?" What? When was this? Why didn't he know the Emperor took a disciple? He was on a verge of total mental breakdown at the news.

One has to know, the Emperor was ancient. He'd taken two, maybe three disciples in all his time on this earth. And without fail, each one went on to shake the heavens. They were entirely incomparable to people like him and Rebecca. 

...Not even Marcus, Armand's half-brother, known as the strongest swordsman in the world, would win against the weakest of them. 

Rebecca shook her head. "He refused. If I recall, his exact words were, 'Sounds like too much work, no thanks.'"

Armand opened and closed his mouth several times, speechless. Finally, he took a breath. Then, "Is the boy fucking insane?!" He hissed, appalled that there was anyone who'd be so utterly stupid!

This is the Emperor they're talking about. A man who had stood at the apex of the world for centuries. Who in their right mind would....would...

He couldn't even finish the thought. 

It was just inconceivable!

Rebecca let out a chuckle. "Not many knew about the Emperor's invitation specifically because the boy refused. I only know because I was the one who had sent the letter. I was to pick him up personally once he accepted."

Armand felt a headache coming on. Just hearing about this whole thing was wearing on his psyche. Really, who in their right mind would....?!

Again, he couldn't finish the thought. 

"If the sister is this amazing, I can only imagine how much of a freak the brother is." He shook his head in wonder, looking down at the girl.

"I'm not too sure he'd be much more than she is now. Apparently, he's very lazy. Even your brother has a hard time--"

"My brother?"

"Sir Kane is his mentor."

"He accepted that bastard, but not--?!" Armand bit his tongue in his rage. "Shit." He spat out some blood. "What's wrong with that guy?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Those who can catch eye of the Emperor would never be normal. By the way, his sister is quite obsessed with him."

"....Okay?" Why would I need to know that?

He looked at his colleague weirdly, but she didn't seem to notice. "In any case, it has nothing to do with us for now."

"What do you mean, for now?"

Her cold, glacial eyes cut through him. "Well, in a couple of years you may want to seek out his protection."

"Huh?

Then he remembered it. How he attained his position here in the first place. 

Oh. 

He clicked his tongue. Was she mocking him? As if he'd ever run from a battle! 

***

Down below, Dahlia sat patiently. Her focus was not on the pandemonium around her. No, instead it was on the two looking at them all from above. She zeroed in on the tall man to General Morgen's side. 

Before, she felt her body being scanned. Every nook, every crevice, seemed to have been spied upon by the man. 

...Only her brother had the right to look at her in such a way. 

The fact she was exposed to another like this set her heart ablaze. She felt a now-familiar madness settle deep within her bones made a silent promise to the man.

I'm going to gouge out your eyes and replace them with your balls.