A Little Parade — Part 1.

"Drop your pants." Liam ordered.

With a quick turn, not minding the blade, the stranger pushes Liam away and looks at him in disgust and replied.

"What?"

"Yeah… bad choice of words…" the both stared at each other, Liam in embarrassment while the stranger still in disgust.

"…alright, let's run it again, just to clear off the misunderstanding." Liam suggested.

"Yeah, you better." The stranger replied as he turns his back while Liam holds onto the stranger's neck from behind while his blade comes in close contact with the stranger's neck.

"Uhm… what should I say?" Liam asked nervously.

"I don't know, am I the one with the blade?" the stranger complained.

"Uhm… alright." With a deep breath, Liam continues with his threatening scheme.

"Get naked… now."

With an intense speed, the stranger breaks off the hold and looks back at Liam just the same way a mother looks back at her kid in utter disappointment.

"Really? Get naked? This is probably your first time and if I may guess, you haven't planned this scenario out ever in your life."

Liam couldn't respond to his claims as he was totally disappointed with himself as well as being embarrassed to face the stranger.

"You want my clothes right? Fine, I'll give them to you but just please, be far from me, okay?" the stranger instructed which in response, Liam could only nod in agreement.

The stranger distances himself from Liam as he readies his clothes for offering.

A few minutes later, the stranger comes back with nothing but his underwear and hands over his clothing to Liam who in excitement, withdraws his summoned blades and puts on the clothing.

His mouth was brimmed with smile and heart, with excitement. The trousers was a fit and the top looked more like the gym training top as it was a body-hug and stretchy as well.

Liam with a content smile approached the stranger, placed his right palm on the stranger's left shoulder and patted it whilst saying, "thank you so much… now, don't go around assassinating people."

"B-but my partner is in danger." The stranger's facial expression quickly changed to one that is pitiful to look upon.

"Who sent you?" Liam enquired as he was curious to know the whole story behind the assassination.

"He said that he is the parader in possession of the combat mage ego."

"Brianna?"

"He left me no name, just his title."

"He? Brianna is a female… although she doesn't act like one."

"Oooh, alright, I see what's going on. Either the shield knight class parader or the spear knight class parader is on a move, one that involves mind games.

Be on your way… uhm, who again?"

"Alvin, Malo Alvin." The stranger introduced himself.

"Alright Alvin, be rest assured, nothing is going to happen to your partner. Two days more, the exits will be open, just focus on getting out alive, that's all."

Liam patted Alvin's shoulder once more before saying.

"I will be on my way now Alvin, see you at school."

Alvin nods in agreement as he watches Liam's back while he disappears into the distance.

............…

It was already midnight but Brianna seemed restless as she carries on with her sprint as she paid no mind to any obstacle before her.

With a sweep of her warhammer, she smashed everything before her while keeping her pace.

All this was to reach out to Liam before Collins as she has her heart keeps on sinking deep while thinking of the complications the spear knight class parader has gotten the other three paraders into.

"Wow, so touching!" Brianna could hear someone's voice but she paid no mind to it and carried on with her search.

"One would actually think that you are in search to save someone's life… or am I actually right!?"

Brianna suddenly stopped her movement and positioned her warhammer for a swing.

With full force, she swing it round twice, first was to clear off the surrounding trees and the other was against the soul who's goal is to taunt her.

"Oops, that's a close one, don't you think?" said a male figure clothed in green ragged robe and on his back are spears of different shapes and forms, all in a black and emerald green combo.

"The parader who possesses the spear knight class, I assume." Brianna spoke out as she positions herself facing towards the spear user.

"Your assumptions are no doubt correct, just like how you easily detected that I am the mastermind behind the built up complications."

"Hmm, you are quite far sighted, Gerald Hemsworth." Brianna, with frowned brows, points the warhammer's tip at the spear knight.

"Seems like there is no other information on me that is left hidden, daughter of the Emperor's unorthodox mage." Gerald responds with a chuckle as he makes small steps towards the warhammer's tip.

"Oh, don't be too disappointed on your secrecy, I still don't know about your ego." Brianna taunted.

"If that is true, then it is safe to say that you know about my plan to reduce the number of paraders in the enemy nations."

"Wow, that's a lot of information right there."

"Oops, I actually didn't expect you to already know my aim."

"Well, that doesn't concern me a bit since that is the Emperor's cup of tea but what I'm curious about is how you know about the parader with the reaper's class?"

"Well, a fellow reaper of his gave me an information on him. It's not like I'm the first one sent to this school to inspect about him, you can say that the three years of applying to this academy's entrance examination was actually not a waste."

"Well, I guess that is all to get from you."

"My pleasure, I guess it's time to dance." Gerald summons one of the spears strapped on his back, which quickly got replaced by another spear out of nowhere.

With a stance, the two stared at each other's eyes waiting for the other to make the first move.

"I guess you go by the lady's first culture?"

"Ladies first…" before Gerald could finish up with his statement, Brianna launches forward to offer an attack.

............…

[Same Midnight]

Almost could see the green forest before him, Liam felt relieved, finally, water. With the last strength of his, he sprinted towards the new area.

Surprisingly for him, he hits an invisible wall just few inches away to get into the area.

"Come on, you don't have to be in a rush."

Liam quickly raised his head to know who was speaking and couldn't detect anyone.

"You can't detect my presence? You are not even in the pawn rank? Makes more sense why you would want to eliminate any rivals."

"Uhm excuse me but isn't it quite rude to still be hiding your identity after placing a barrier before me?" Liam suddenly got annoyed with the speaker's taunts.

"Quite hot blooded, I see." Said Collins as he finally reveal himself to Liam.

After some few seconds of silence, Liam broke the silence by asking the obvious question.

"W-who are you?"

"The one who you asked for his head. Is it that you don't understand how being a parader works or you are just stupid?" Collins asked as he squats to answer Liam who is still on the floor.

"Uhm… I don't quite get what you're saying right now." Liam responded as Collins' statement threw him off completely.

"Let me just ask you this, how weak are you? Like, weak enough to have yourself backed up by an assassination?"

"I still don't get what you're saying, Mr and I can't even see your face."

Collins then stands up and shows his back at Liam, revealing his summoned ego weapon, a shield crafted with gold and what looks like a glossy white precious stone.

"Still playing dumb, huh? Fine, before your death, allow me to honour the culture of the art of duels.

My name is Collins Armstrong and to you, I am a pawn ranked shield knight parader.

Don't bother letting me know of your name for that would be known later when your death has been announced."

Just after his introduction, Collins lifted his shield high and slammed it right at Liam who was lucky to dodge on time.

"Quite the good reflex but you need more than that to save yourself."

Liam quickly summons his chained sickles and swings them at him only for Collins to effortlessly smack the two sickles off from him.

Using that chance, Liam controlled the chains to wrap around Collins' legs and tried dragging him to the ground which was nothing but a comedic act to Collins.

With a smirk, Collins pulled off a stance; shield upfront and being held by his right hand, right leg arched a bit while the left one is stretched out behind him as well as the left arm, like a rugby player.

Liam, still on the floor, knowing that he really needs to dodge it or else, he might actually die, withdraws his sickles and quickly gets up.

"Now, whatever your name is, probably the reaper class parader amongst us all, 8 hope you land in hell and tongue kiss the devil for me."