Techxin, the third child of the king and his seventh wife, was not just any prince—he was a legend. Favored by the Blood God, he stood at the top of the succession line, feared and revered alike. At just 14, he led a mere hundred soldiers—only ten of whom were blessed—against a hundred thousand warriors imbued with the power of the Light, Wind, and Fire Gods. When the dust settled, only those ten remained, and Techxin himself had cut down the rest. The survivors spoke in hushed tones about the boy who fought alone, screaming and laughing, drenched in gore, chanting, "Blood for the Blood God!"
And now, that same war-crazed brother stood before Maxi, grinning wide, his sharp teeth gleaming.
"There you are, Maxi. You can't keep me waiting, can you?" Techxin's voice was deep, rough, and cracked unpredictably, as if his throat had been worn out from too much screaming.
Maxi sighed. How does my day keep getting worse? He forced a polite tone.
"Sorry, big brother."
Techxin smirked wider. "No, you're sorry, but you're about to be."
Maxi barely had time to react before Techxin lunged. He instinctively kicked his leg up, knowing that his brother would grab his leg, but Techxin was already there, grabbing it mid-air.
"Good! You knew what I'd do—makes my job easier."
Then, without warning, Techxin took off running. Maxi screamed as he was dragged by his leg, his body bouncing against the castle floors, down the halls, out into the open air. His maid was left standing in the wreckage of his destroyed room, stunned into silence. Was she about to be fired for letting this happen?
By the time they reached the outdoor training grounds, Maxi's body ached. Techxin stopped abruptly and, before Maxi could even process what was happening, flung him into the air. Maxi braced for impact—but Techxin caught him mid-air, only to slam him into the ground moments later.
"Take off that stupid waistcoat and put on the leather training armor,"
Techxin commanded.
Before Maxi could even breathe, a leather chest plate hit him in the face, knocking him flat on his back again. Gods, give me strength.
Techxin then gathered an assortment of wooden weapons—an axe, a sword, a rapier, a dagger, a bow, and some dull arrows—and dumped them all on Maxi at once. Maxi groaned under the weight.
Techxin, unfazed, sat beside a training dummy, dusting off his red-and-black pants lined with golden runes. He surveyed the training area before finally speaking.
"You know the drill. First, a one-on-one fight. Then drills, weapon styles, and stances. Then endurance training. Then we're done. Got it?"
Maxi sat up, rubbing his sore body. He sighed heavily, taking off his round glasses and setting them aside. His vision blurred slightly, but not enough to stop him from fighting.
He adjusted his leather chest plate, secured the wooden dagger at his side, slung the bow and arrows over his back, and took up the rapier in his hand.
His stance changed. His demeanor changed.
The playful, exasperated younger brother disappeared.
A more calculative, focused Maxi stood in his place.
"Yes, I got it, big brother."
Techxin smirked, grabbing his wooden axe and taking a powerful chopping stance.
"Good to hear."
With that, the fight began.
Techxin swung his axe down in a brutal chop. Maxi barely dodged, the blade grazing past his shoulder. Before he could recover, Techxin released the axe mid-swing, letting it carry its momentum downward. At the same time, his hand snapped to his wooden sword, drawing it in a fluid, reverse slash.
Maxi rolled backward, just barely avoiding the strike, and used the momentum to counter. His rapier lashed out toward Techxin's exposed side.
But Techxin was already moving.
He caught his falling axe mid-air, gripping the handle effortlessly, and dashed forward. Maxi barely had time to react before the axe's wooden edge came crashing down toward him. He raised his rapier to block, but the force behind Techxin's swing was too much—his weapon snapped in half.
The impact sent Maxi crashing to the ground, his breath leaving him in a sharp gasp.
Techxin loomed over him, his axe pressed lightly against Maxi's neck, just enough for him to feel the weight of his loss.
"You lose again," Techxin declared, grinning down at his younger brother. "That's 2,578 losses, Maxi."
Maxi lay there, panting heavily, his body aching from the relentless training. "Well, what the hell do you expect? You're the Blood God's favorite—out of everyone in history. The god even gave you permission to declare yourself his son or even the Blood God himself. Meanwhile, I don't even know who the hell blessed—or cursed—me."
Techxin threw his head back and laughed mockingly. "Well, I'll tell you this—it's not just one god that blessed you. Unlike me, who has only my glorious Blood God."
Maxi groaned, still catching his breath. "Well… lucky you."
Before Techxin could respond, the sound of fast footsteps echoed across the training grounds.
A familiar voice rang out, filled with fury and concern.
"TECHXIN! What did you do to my baby boy?!"
Maxi's mother came sprinting onto the field, her face twisted in panic as she locked eyes with her battered son.
Techxin's eyes widen as he throws his sword and his axe to the ground as he say
"Oh, nothing anti Ray, why do you ask?"
Techxin smile's awkwardly scratching the back of his head