Eventually, I regained consciousness, and looked around the room from a really comfortable bed... wait. Am I narrating out loud? I decided to check with a fancy mirror that was in the room. Ahem. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. The giant Bidoof flew from the sky and hit into my legs. Nope, not narrating out loud. Huh... I was a Honedge a while back. When I was narrating the overview, I was definitely sure about my sword leg... now I feel like an unidentified species.
"Checking if you were narrating out loud?"
"Yeah." It took me ten seconds to realize there was a voice. I turned to face the Durant that was sitting in a chair against the wall. "Oh... H-Hey..." It's kind of unsettling to have the person who was about to kill me in the same room as me.
"Mina... it's me... your dad..." said the Durant. The news hit me extremely rough, but I got over it and assumed this guy's lying. "I've finally found you after all these years... I've missed you a lot, sweetie..." He walked over and hugged me tightly, but this was clearly a ruse. First, the Durant didn't seem friendly the first encounter, so if he knew I was his daughter... why the sword threat? Second, his hug felt forced. There was no sign of worry or happiness in his heart when the hug pressed his chest against me. Third, I heard him say something during the hug, as if he was talking to someone with his wrist. When he pulled away, I payed close attention and remained alert. "So... Dad. How did you find out it was me?" I asked him.
"Oh, well. I knew you were my daughter from a gut feeling," said the Durant King.
"Elaborate. What else was evidence that I'm your daughter?" I questioned.
"Um... Well... I, uh..." Occasional pauses. He's thinking as this conversation goes on. If that's not suspicious, I don't know what else could be. However, I can't be too harsh. Who knows? He might actually be a lonely king that wants someone to care for, and assumed I was a threat... or so I thought. What he said next confirms my suspicions. "W-Whatever the reason, Mina... I missed you very much. It's lonely in the castle without any family... I'm sorry that I was intimidating, I needed to check that it was you... I wasn't sure, but I knew it was you. I can't believe I let my daughter end up becoming a Buranku, but you're safe now. Daddy's gonna protect you, sweetie. No one will harm you."
... I wasn't sure, but I knew it was you. I can't believe I let my daughter end up becoming the Buranku.
I can't believe I let my daughter end up becoming the Buranku.
Buranku.
BURANKU.
"Oh... um, Daddy. I'm hungry... Can I eat lunch?" I ask, showing no signs of fear. "I feel as if I need to make lunch by myself to get used to the food..."
"O-Oh... Sure, Mina." I got up and walked out of the room. Checking my body, I saw that I was in red pajamas that had sunflower patterns on them. I was wearing blue slippers with a cute slime design, and warm socks with red and pink stripes were covering my feet. Whoever dressed me, they had a good view of what I dream my sleepwear will be. It may be childish, but I liked how cozy it felt.
I had little idea why I was important to the King, but one thing's for sure: I need to leave. The castle was confusing, and I got lost a couple of times. I eventually became even more clueless to which way I should go. I continued walking, but a butler stopped me. "Lady Mina. Where are you going?" he asked.
"I want to go for a walk," I respond.
"Where to?"
"Around the village."
"Around the village?"
"Yes."
"Where the exits are?"
"Um. Yes."
"..." The Butler immediately screams "THE BURANKU IS ESCAPING!" very loudly. Startled, I punched the butler right in the face. I had to strip him and shove him into an empty room, then I put on his clothes and his hair. Yes, I stole his hair. This got dark, but this part would have been darker if I didn't do that.
"Hey! You said the Buranku was escaping?" A variety of people had ran up to where the voice came from. Such crowd consists of royal knights, servants, and three suspicious people among those knights and servants. I nod at the crowd, and point in a direction. "T-The Buranku ran that way, but she stole my weapons so-"
"The Buranku's a girl?" asked one of the knights.
"Yeah, why else do you think the King didn't extract her energy right away? Girls are tougher than guys," said a maid.
"Heyheyhey. Guys are stronger. The Buranku must have been a guy, and this ugly butler mixed up the gender," said a different knight. I took offense, but this hairstyle and suit... they're really messy. I began walking away, leaving the gender war alone. There was an opening in one of the walls, so I entered and began traveling in secluded stealth. It didn't last long, because this opening led to only one room - and Sauna's been found in it.
"You were with the Buranku when we got her, and at the time of her escape you and your friends ran into the castle," said a man who was standing in the middle of the room. Along with them, there was a slanted table and an uninterested woman leaning against a wall with a towel in hand. "Tell me what you know, or else I'm gonna waterboard you."
Sauna had a terrified look on her face. She was in ragged peasant clothes, and one of her eyes was shut tight. I had to get her out, immediately. The risk that these two people have weapons is a factor, however, so I was forced to time my action correctly. The moment that the man was walking away from Sauna, I sneak over to where she was sitting and pull her to the wall opening. Only the female interrogator saw me, but there wasn't a clear view of who I was, leading to her dismissing me from being a threat. "Sauna." The mangosteen looked at me, and smiled weakly. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine, M-Mina..." she weakly responded. "The m-man was fierce, but I c-could never die from what weak thing he was going to do..."
"... Sauna. They were going to put you on a slanted table and put a wet towel over your face," I told her. "I got you out just in time. Doing that makes you feel the cruel feelings of drowning."
"O-Oh..." Sauna tried reaching for my arm to hug it. I moved my arm closer, and she weakly hugged it. "D-Daddy... and Mizetto... we hurried here to avenge you... and you're alive..."
"Mizetto...?"
"Japanese phonics for Midget... I gave him that name, and he accepted it..." She chuckled weakly as I put my arm around her. We both stand up, and I lead the way out of the wall. Both of us were unarmed, walking through the hallways of a large castle. The two of us slipped on a smooth, marble floor and began sliding along the hallway. We were literally under a guard's nose when we slid past one. It was a thrilling ride, but I need to remember that I have to keep us safe. Hachimitsu and... Mizetto are somewhere in the castle as well...
...
"Was leaving a good option?" asked the Necromancer.
"They started biting. We needed to leave that crowd," I responded. "Right, Sauna?"
"R-Right!" said Sauna. "We needed to leave that place, Hachimitsu!" Instantly, I knew something was wrong. Most of the time, Sauna doesn't address me as my first name. When she does, she's usually depressed. How Sauna said that sentence just now... it wasn't in depressing tone. I lift Sauna up and look at her closely. She made no effort to conceal her face, it was clearly the face of the lightning girl. "... Oh... Hi..."
"... Hello." I put her down onto the floor, and pick up the Necromancer. "Let's go." I run quickly away from the girl. My goal now was to search for Sauna. I was frightened and full of anxiety at the possible outcome that my little girl is alone in a large castle. The Necromancer... ミゼット (Translated Phonics: Mizetto)? Yeah, ミゼット, Sauna and I had planned to run into this castle to simply avenge Mina. It was going to be a simple case, but we had to blend in with a crowd when the butler loudly screamed that "THE BURANKU IS ESCAPING!" If Mina is alive, then she's clever enough to take care of herself. Sauna's a priority that I put first. ミゼット must have agreed with me, since he was just as worried as me.
However, fireballs were being launched at us. ミゼット... Mizetto? Mizetto was just running as the fire was missing him completely. However, I'm the unlucky man who had to effectively evade even more of these spells. If she didn't have a grudge against me, I would have been astounded how lucky Mizetto is. I saw an opening in a wall and jumped into it, effectively escaping the mage. However, the situation ahead was worse than having fireballs launched at me. Two people were just staring at me, so I had to look around for a quick strategy.
And then my eyes widened at the blood puddle. "N-No..." The blood was a mixture of green and pink. I looked around more to see cleric robes hanging on a wall. "No... y-you two..."
"... Get him," said the man. The woman rushes forward with two large swords, but I roll to the side. My eyes widened with a few tears escaping, my mouth opened to reveal clenched teeth, and my grip on the daggers tightened. The woman, as she was about to strike, was then stabbed in the knee with both of my daggers. I leave the daggers there and take both of the large swords. "Y-YOU KILLED HER." I whacked the woman with a sword handle, and she fell over. Looking over to the man, he was standing in terror. "R-Reinforcements! This is Apocalypse. An unidentified individual is in the interrogation room. Rose is knocked out, repeat, Rose is knocked out." Within a couple of seconds, the exit door of this room is surrounded with armed knights.
"Is that the Buranku the King told us about?" asked one of the knights.
"No, the king confirmed the Buranku was female," said a different knight. "Apprehend him."
My vision became glitchy. I can't describe the events after this, but I regained vision when I was lying against a wall. Next to me we're corpses of guarded knights, causing me to be afraid. The swords I took were bloody and rusted at my feet, and the interrogation man was shaking in fright within the room. I get up slowly, seeing that my chain mail was broken in a way that gave a slash indicator. If I didn't have the chai mail, whatever broke it would have cut my body. When I get to the hallway intersection, I saw a weaponless Mina and an exhausted Sauna bump into me. Despite the poor condition, at this point it could be even worse if Mina wasn't here. "S-Sauna!" I exclaimed. "You're alive!"
...
"Sauna!" Hachimitsu exclaimed. "You're alive!"
"Of course I am..." weakly responded Sauna. Hachimitsu immediately heard her weak voice, and grabbed her to look for her injury. It was uncertain where Sauna sustained damage, but Hachimitsu made her feel less hurt with a caring hug. She was still weak, but she no longer looks like a club was used to injure her. When we saw him, Hachimitsu was walking down a hallway casually. The placement of the hallway means he must have been spotted at some point- "OH MY GOD THERE ARE DOZENS OF BLOODY CORPSES. I THOUGHT WHAT I WAS DOING WAS DARK."
Sauna looked down the hallway, and she was shaking. Hachimitsu tried to comfort her, but the corpses weren't what she was afraid of. Eventually, the Beedrill and I saw the king walk down the same hallway from a room, as he was holding his bloody sword. What I had assumed was incorrect; Durant did it instead of Hachimitsu. I glared at the ant as Hachimitsu was prepared to retreat with Sauna on his back. "Mina. Run when I say go," said Hachimitsu.
The Durant king took one long step towards us. "Buranku... we could have done this peacefully... you would have allowed us to extract your corrupt energy... but no... you and your friends had to cause disorder..."
"You're the reason why we're even here! You kidnapped me, and forced me to remain in the castle! You injure a little girl because I escaped 'my' bedroom to make food?!" I yelled.
"You won't understand. You are full of energy that I depend on. We were going to extract it peacefully... but you cause a conflict between my knights and maids... you cause destruction of property with walls hit by fire... my knights are dead because your rogue here overreacted to damn blood..." said the Durant. "My brother is dead because you punched his face. He began choking on a tooth and suffocated to death in the room you left him naked in... you dare say I'm the villain here?" The King laughs in grief. "You're someone else who's seen the Antagon blade... meaning you intended to cause this destruction! You shall pay for this!" He held his sword upward, and I immediately knew to run. I ran one second earlier than when Hachimitsu said now, and Sauna paid the price by nearly avoiding the slash. Hachimitsu ran past the Durant into the hallway with corpses, as I was apparently making him chase me away from the bee and the mangosteen. "Mina, duck!" screamed Hachimitsu. I did so, and I saw Mizetto jump over me. A storm of fireballs rush past me, hitting into Durant's body multiple times. His armor endured the normal fireballs, but the giant fireball that almost hit me had pushed him backwards. Hachimitsu ran back out of the corpseway to whack the king and the fireball through walls.
"Okay, that's settled," said Mizetto. "Let's go. I found the way to the exit while running from Fiesta here." Mizetto ran past a mage that I assume is Fiesta, and I followed after. Hachimitsu ran ahead, Sauna holding onto him weakly. I was the slowest person, as even the mage was walking faster than me. The moment that all five of us are out the door, Mizetto remembered to remind us that we don't have weapons. We argued about who would get the weapons. I couldn't be the one, because I'm the one being hunted. Hachimitsu refused, since he had to care for Sauna. Mizetto was too short to look for the weapons if they're at high places, and Fiesta was just plain lazy.
"Hachimitsu. We'll watch over Sauna. Just hurry and get the weapons," said Mizetto. Hachimitsu almost put up an argument, but looked at me for three seconds and then just ran back into the castle. Maybe he felt grateful that I was watching over Sauna before we found him. Maybe it could just be-
"GET DOWN!" Fiesta pulls me down onto the ground, as a storm of arrows were being fired over us. Hachimitsu was crawling towards the source of the arrows to sneak past the archers, who were distracted by the Dragonite that was closing in on the village. I stared at the Dragonite to see that he was the corrupted one that I had to purify. The flaw in this: I had no weapons yet. I pick up Sauna and effectively sidestep to dodge most of the arrows as Mizetto and Fiesta were left behind in the crossfire.