The crowd gasped, then cheered even louder. Lightning manipulation was rarer than fire, and it was clearly more impressive to behold.
Kain stepped forward, standing beside Marius. "This candidate will train under me personally. He wields the same power I do, and I will ensure he becomes a formidable executioner."
Marius's chest swelled with pride. He shot me a triumphant look that clearly said, See? I'm special too.
But then Cedric's voice rang out again.
"And finally... one last candidate bonded with a very special blade."
The crowd went silent, leaning forward with curiosity.
Speculation began immediately.
"What power did he get?"
"Maybe plant manipulation? That's rare."
"Could it be gravity? Like Grandmaster Cedric?"
"I heard someone once bonded with a telepathy blade. Maybe that?"
Cedric gestured for me to step forward.
I walked out onto the platform, Katarina held firmly in both hands. The massive crimson and black greatsword seemed to pulse.
The crowd's excited chatter died instantly.
Silence crashed over the courtyard like truck-kun stopped by to do his job.
Everyone stared at the blade. At its blood-red edge, its black crossguard shaped like twisted thorns, the crimson crystal pulsing in its pommel like a beating heart.
"That's not..." someone whispered.
"What kind of blade is that?"
"I've never seen anything like it."
"It doesn't look like a normal executioner blade."
Cedric let the silence stretch for a long moment, then he spoke.
"This blade," he said slowly, his voice heavy with significance, "is from Clan Ciro."
More silence.
Confused silence.
Most people had never even heard of Clan Ciro.
But a few—the older executioners, the nobles who studied vampire lore—their eyes went wide with shock.
"Clan Ciro?" An elderly executioner in the front row stood up, his weathered face pale. "That's impossible. There hasn't been a Clan Ciro blade in the entire history of the Order. Their bloodline is too rare. They're almost impossible to kill. They're protected by the Vampire King."
"Indeed," Cedric confirmed. "I slayed this vampire myself many years ago, in what remains the hardest battle of my life. I kept the blade hidden because I feared its power. But tonight, it chose Vlad."
He turned to look at me, and I saw genuine respect in his eyes.
"Clan Ciro's ability is memory reading through blood consumption. When Vlad drinks the blood of a vampire, he will see their memories, their knowledge, and their secrets. This makes him uniquely valuable to the Order. He will be able to gather intelligence that no other executioner can access."
The courtyard erupted.
Not with cheers, but with shock, confusion, and—from some quarters—anger.
"A Clan Ciro blade chose the vile?"
"This has to be a mistake!"
"He's cursed! Vampire-touched! He shouldn't even be here!"
"How can we trust him with such power?"
"He's a stain on humanity! A rotting curse!"
The insults came fast and vicious, and I felt my hands tighten on Katarina's grip.
'Easy, darling,' she whispered in my mind. 'Let them bicker. Their words mean nothing. You're stronger than all of them combined.'
But before I could respond, both Cedric and Kain stepped forward.
"SILENCE!" Cedric's voice thundered across the courtyard with such authority that everyone immediately shut their mouths.
Kain drew his blade, and every other executioner in the courtyard did the same. The sound of dozens of swords being unsheathed filled the air.
Then, as one, they slammed their blades into the stone platform.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The synchronized impact echoed like a war drum, commanding absolute attention.
Cedric's expression was hard as iron. "Once a brother or sister enters the Order of Executioners, they are one of us. They are family. We do not tolerate anyone—executioner or civilian—disrespecting our own."
He looked directly at the people who had been shouting insults, and they shrank back under his gaze.
"Vlad has bonded with a blade. He has passed every test. He has proven himself worthy. And anyone who questions that is questioning my judgment as Grandmaster."
The crowd fell silent; they had been properly chastised.
Kain spoke next, his voice cold. "If I hear anyone speak against him again, you will answer to me personally. Is that understood?"
No one dared argue.
I stood there, stunned by the display of solidarity. These people didn't know me. Most of them probably agreed with the insults. But the Order's code demanded they protect their own, and they were honoring that code.
'Don't trust them,' Katarina's voice cut through my thoughts. 'They defend you now because they must. But remember, darling—one of them tried to kill you. Kain himself drove a dagger into your side and threw you into a ravine to die. Don't ever forget that.'
Her words were like ice water dumped over my head.
She was right. Kain was standing there, defending me publicly, while privately he'd attempted murder just hours ago.
I met Kain's gaze through his visor, and for just a moment, I thought I saw something flicker there.
Regret?
I couldn't tell.
...
...
...
The ceremony concluded shortly after. Sarah was embraced by her family. Marius basked in the crowd's attention and Kain's approval.
And I stood alone, holding Katarina, surrounded by people who called me "brother" but might stab me in the back the first chance they got.
I turned to leave, intending to head back to the orphanage, when Cedric's hand landed on my shoulder.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"Back to the orphanage," I said. "I need to sleep."
"No," Cedric said firmly. "You live with the executioners now. There's no reason for you to return to that place."
I blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?"
"You're one of us now. You'll stay in the executioner barracks, train with us, eat with us, live as one of our order." His weathered face softened slightly. "You're not an orphan anymore, Vlad. You're family."
Something tight in my chest loosened. For the first time in my life, I had a place where I belonged. Somewhere I was wanted.
"Thank you," I managed, my voice was rougher than I intended.
Cedric nodded and began leading me toward the castle's residential wing.
As we walked away from the courtyard, I heard voices muttering behind us.
Kain's voice was low and cold: "We'll finish him properly next time."
And Marius, agreeing eagerly: "Next time, he won't survive."
I didn't turn around or acknowledge that I'd heard.
But Katarina did.
'Remember their voices, darling,' she whispered. 'Remember who your enemies are. Because when the time comes, we're going to make them regret ever crossing us.'
I smiled slightly as Cedric led me deeper into the castle.
Yeah. I was definitely going to enjoy my new life.