In the hours of darkness, the excursion of enormous, tumultuous clouds gradually spawned across the darkened horizon. Thunder rumbled in the distance and yet, that didn't seem to stop a certain blonde pair who were currently engaged in a clash of swords.
Ioder pressed his hand on his right cheek, rubbing the sweat off his skin before diving back in to carry out an attack. "Ahhh !"
Unfortunately, the knight grasped his intentions and ineptly stepped to the side, instigating the former to stumble over his footing and plummet down on the patching of grass.
Chewing on his bottom lip, Ioder shook his head as he attempted to get back to his feet.
"Ioder."
Looking up, he noticed the knight lower his weapon and offered his other hand to him.
"You all right?" Flynn asked, his voice veiled in concern.
Ioder blinked, surprised by his words.
Shifting away from his lustrous sky blue eyes, he glanced down to his awaiting hand. "…Thanks," He mumbled, accepting his gesture.
As he was lifted from the ground, he veered his attention to the nocturnal skies.
Encasing his sword back into the slot of his belt, Flynn crossed his arms over his armored chest.
"Considering that this was your first time fighting with a sword, there is a lot that needs improvement." He began, casting a somber glance. "For starters, the way you move is sloppy and your deliverance with your strikes are poorly untimed. In regards to the way you handle your sword, it's easily predictable if you just come running in. Be careful doing that or you'll allow your opponent to have the upper hand."
Ioder closed his mouth and nodded firmly, listening intently to his critique.
"I know how difficult it is to swallow all of this information in, but I implore you to keep practicing," Flynn continued, giving his master a reassuring smile. "If you do that, you'll get the hang of it. It takes time to get better at anything."
Again, Ioder nodded. "Does this mean we'll do another round?"
Flynn shook his head. "No," Dipping back down to retrieve the silver rapier, he then presented it over to his master. "Let's call it a day."
"…If you say so," Ioder mumbled to himself, reclaiming his rapier before locking eyes with his retainer. "So, what now?"
"Dahngrest," Flynn answered quickly, "The city is not much far from here. We can rest there for a while and restock our supplies." Without another word, he took this opportunity to initiate the first step of their long march.
Soon, Ioder followed his example as he scampered ahead, in hopes to catch up with him.
Gripping the handle of his respective rapier on his right and his shield on his opposing left, he raised his head a little. His emerald green eyes fixated directly on the knight's exposed armored back and long flowing cape.
Shortly after his declaration to want to pick up swordsmanship, Flynn insisted that they begin their drill moments after they were finished with dinner. Few hours have passed since then and to his dismay, there has not been much progress over his workout. As his mind wandered elsewhere, Ioder furrowed his eyebrows.
…Speaking of which, was it just him or did the cooking taste a bit…off?
The so-called chicken they ate…was it intentionally meant to be burnt on the inside? On the outside, it looked so juicy and delicious…
Shaking his head, Ioder had to remind himself that worrying about something as trivial as a chicken should be the least of his worries. So long as the food's appetizing, there shouldn't be much concern over the preferences of his food.
"Are you okay, Ioder?" Flynn spoke up after much silence, "You've been quiet."
"I'm fine," Ioder affirmed, mustering a faint grin.
Flynn bobbed his head. "Good to hear," He replied, "And also, I have a question to ask if you don't mind."
Ioder quirked an eyebrow. "A question?"
"I meant to ask you sooner but," Flynn began, scratching the back of his head while looking away, "What made you suddenly get riled up to pick up the sword?"
Ioder grinned pleasantly.
"I should be asking you the same thing," He tossed back, causing the latter to stop in his tracks and peer over his shoulder. "Flynn Scifo, what made you want to become a knight?"
Flynn brought a hand and placed it over his chin, mulling the thought over.
Becoming aware of the tense atmosphere between them, Ioder stiffened in place. "Forgive me for putting you on the spot," He apologized suddenly, feeling embarrassed. "I didn't know what came over me."
"No, you did nothing wrong," Flynn assured him, smiling. "And well, as for my motive…it's sort of a long story."
Ioder grinned in return.
"We have plenty of time to spare," He pointed out, moving on ahead. "Why don't we just walk and talk? You know, get a chance to know each other."
Flynn bowed his head, happily obliging to his suggestion.
He then took a few steps, approaching the blonde noble. Once the pair were mere spaces away from the other, with Ioder in the front and Flynn on the side, they began to share their personal accounts with each other.
"I…aspired to become a knight to protect the people I loved." Flynn professed soundly and genuinely, "It's a known fact that I hail from Zaphias but a lot of people, including my former subordinates, don't know that I'm actually born in the middle quarter. My late father, who happened to be a knight, had passed away executing the same deed. And so, my mother and I…we had no choice but to move out of our home and live in the Lower Quarter. A year later, and she died from an incurable illness."
Listening intently, Ioder mouthed a soft-spoken apology.
Flynn bitterly smiled. "It's okay," He assured him, "Over the years, I've come to accept that I am an orphan. But if it weren't for the kind endeavors of the people in the Lower Quarter who raised me, I wouldn't be the person who I am today."
"And is that why you strive to become a knight?" Ioder pressed on, intrigued by his words. "To protect the people of the poor?"
"Yes, but that's not all," Flynn pointed out, sneaking a glance over at his White Knight sword set on the side of his right hip.
"I would also like to help others in need beyond the barriers. In the darkest and lowest point of my life, it was the community of the Lower Quarter and a few others who took me under their wing and lifted my spirits." As he said that, his cheeks burned slightly crimson. "To express my thanks, I wanted to give something back to them. And so, a few days after my eighteenth birthday, I enlisted myself in the Imperial Knights Program."
"That's quite admirable," Ioder commented, grinning.
Flynn bobbed his head in agreement. "And now, it's your turn," He noted, giving the latter a side glance. "So, Ioder, what made you want to pick up the sword?"
Ioder gripped his rapier and the handle of his shield tightly.
"I desire to be as courageous and daring as my cousin, Estellise," He admitted, his eyes twinkling with eagerness for a split second before waning quickly. "You might not know this but…I'm really a coward. I'm not reliable with weapons nor am I an agile fighter."
After a thick moment of silence, he forced himself to continue. "Back at the manor, I wasn't given the option to train with one of the Imperial guards or soldiers. Understandably, I was too feeble and weak to move around. There was a point in my childhood when I was forced into a wheelchair and could not venture around unless one of the staff members were there to aid me."
"Because of that, it's no surprise that our Uncle favors Estellise quite a lot." Ioder forced laughter from his throat as he added in, "Honestly, I'm glad for her but I wish…" And then he paused briefly, contemplating over his words carefully.
"You wish for someone to recognize you…" Flynn finished off, arching an eyebrow.
"I'm always in the background, you know?" Ioder explained further. "Always cheering for her, supporting her, happy if she's happy or upset when she's upset. But when it comes to our Uncle, there's no doubt that he prefers her over me." His expression sobered. "With Estellise being the oldest between the two of us, she is pressured to do so much. I do what I can to help her in any way but when I do, my Uncle would see me as a distraction to her and wave me off like I'm nothing."
"And then I'll be forced to dwell in the library, in my chambers—anywhere really, so long as I'm not venturing outside the manor…and as always, I'll be waiting. Waiting until Estellise comes back from her studies or training and resume with whatever we were doing that day." A light chuckle escaped his lips. "I must sound pathetic right now, don't I?"
"No," Flynn interrupted, his tone of voice growing serious. "Look, I may not know you as much as Lady Estellise…" He then placed his hand on the other's shoulder, squeezing it. "But after what you've been through, I can tell that you're strong—both mind, body, and in the heart. Forget whatever your Uncle said to you. Most importantly, don't ever let anyone's opinions of you drag you down. Because in the end, they won't matter." As he said those words, he grinned.
"The first time you summoned me, I detected incredible power inside you…great potential to do wonders and greatness. You've got a long road ahead, Ioder, and as your servant, your champion—" He went on to declare, his sky-blue eyes united in solace with emerald, "—I, Flynn Scifo, will do whatever it takes to help you attain your goal."
Ioder blushed, appalled by his encouraging speech. "Thank you, Flynn," He expressed, smiling softly.
"No, thank you," Flynn admitted, "For granting me the opportunity to do so."
Exchanging smiles, the pair laughed earnestly.
Shortly after, Ioder released an exasperated sigh. "It feels great to get that off my chest,"
"Doesn't it?" Flynn chuckled, nodding to himself. Moving his head to revert his gaze toward his master, he added in, "I'm glad that I got to know a little more about you,"
"Same here," Ioder followed along.
And so, they strode forward, sharing more about themselves, their fears, their strengths, their aspirations and so on—dispelling what was once a rigid and inflexible relationship between them into that of affable closeness.
Along the way, they managed to escape a few monstrous encounters.
Though at times, it was Flynn who decided to take up the mantle and fight, he always made sure to keep an eye on his master, who chose to hide yet made sure to keep close to observe the latter's battle performances. Few hours have passed and gone with the duration of their journey extending from nightfall to the brink of dawn.
The first wink of sunlight gently graced the leaves from the towering trees from high above their heads to the lush grasslands around them.
Albeit exhausted and weary, the blonde pair finally arrived at their main destination—there, not too far from where they were currently standing, was a large city with two big bridges angling on each corresponding left and right edges. Vast, white ringlets soared throughout the perimeter of the elaborate warren of brown brick-and-stone structures.
"We…made it," Flynn huffed, relieved.
Ioder grinned, "The City of Guilds…Dahngrest," He mouthed to himself.
Without another word, they entered through the large gateway of the city and walked along one of the iconic bridges.
The blonde noble wandered animatedly, emitting a half, tired grin as he raced over to the stone pavement and leaned over, drinking in the majestic sight of the rushing waters underneath them. "Incredible…" He commented, "I've never seen anything like it…"
"Ioder," Flynn called over, beckoning him to join him in the open streets.
Nodding, Ioder ran forth.
As he approached the knight, his ears picked up the sound of a feminine shriek.
Alarmed by this, the pair turned their heads, taking notice of a large gathering of people located at the center of the bustling market plaza.
Curious, the two of them made haste in hopes to discover the significance of the commotion.
Barely two minutes in, and another scream erupted, this time followed by a chorus of voices ranging from all directions.
"IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?"
"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT THING?"
"HOLY MOLY! A FLYING FISH!"
Halting in their tracks, both Flynn and Ioder fixated their sights toward the crisp, reddish-tinge skies. Seconds later, their neutral facial expressions immediately changed to that of utter astonishment.
"What the…" Flynn trailed off, trying to comprehend what was occurring.
Lo and behold, the folks around them were right—in the great distance, there appears to be a humongous hybrid of a fish-bird donned with light periwinkle feathers, monstrous golden horns, and a long tail.
Upon closer inspection, the monster was spiraling around, descending gradually to a nearby facility with a large ship mounted below its chest.
"Excuse me!" A high-pitched, boyish voice chirped suddenly, "Out of the way! Coming through!"
As if on cue, Flynn and Ioder took a few short steps back to allow the young boy with a large bag to zip past them and into the crowd.
"Almost…there!"
The boy pushed himself to go past his limits and kept running.
A few minutes flew by and as the large facility came into view, he eventually slowed down his pace. Stopping in his tracks, he peered up to the heavens, just in time to witness the giant Entelexeia's graceful descent with the ship, notably called the Fiertia, sliding downward.
As soon as the ship had successfully parked next to the wooden dock, the door of the cabin burst open.
Beaming, the boy rushed forward.
"Judith!" He cried, waving his arms frantically above his head in glee. "Rita!"
On cue, the female lancer and her short partner emerged from the inside. Looking down from the ship, Judith flashed him a smile.
"Good timing, Karol," She greeted him while walking over to a pulley. With both hands, she proceeded to crank the wheel over and over, triggering the thick wooden plank to rise from the flooring and slide through.
Folding her arms over her chest, Rita shot him a glare. "Where's the Don?"
Frowning, Karol tilted his head in confusion. "He's attending a meeting," He explained, "Why? Something wrong?"
Rita snorted. "Something like that," She replied casually with the wave of her hand.
Karol furrowed his eyebrows, not apprehending the meaning behind her words. "What are you talking about— "
Before he could finish his sentence, a male figure came into light…but he wasn't alone.
Eyes widening, Karol's mouth dropped open as he realized that there was an overwhelming number of people on board—at the front, at the rear, in the middle—everywhere he looked, they were tightly cramped in within the vessel. He watched as Judith and Rita ushered the passengers to start walking down the plank.
Without a moment's notice, the people abide by their orders.
All the while, Karol stopped and stared at the commotion unfolding before him.
Glancing up, he took notice of the female couple, along with the man carrying a sleeping pink-haired woman, approaching him.
"What's…going on?" He managed to sputter out.
"It was exactly as what Raven predicted a few days ago," Judith quickly answered, her eyes sharpening to a certain degree. "That last night, the metro train headed for Dahngrest was hijacked at precisely 1800 hours by Leviathan's Claw."
Alarmed, Karol exclaimed, "Woah, you serious?"
Rita rolled her eyes. "Come on, this should be old news to you by now," She groaned, shaking her head.
Bringing a hand behind his head, Karol sheepishly grinned. "Well, I…sort of, slept during the conference…" He trailed off, glancing the other away as he scratched his head.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed that some of the passengers were rapidly mixing in with the crowd of bystanders from nearby, seeking for some form of refugee and support.
From the looks of their sorrowful and anxious faces—with some children bawling their eyes out, mothers trying to calm them down, some able men and women supporting the elders while a few others desperately trying to get in touch with their loved ones through their electronic devices—he couldn't help but sympathize with them.
"Did anybody get hurt?"
"Most of the elderly," Judith expressed, a line etched between her brows, "But the rest are unharmed." A pause. "And as for the death count…"
"The Conductor and his entire crew were eliminated," Rita responded right away, "We both confronted the assholes responsible for the takeover but, of course," She emphasized the last two words as she shaped her hands into balls of fists, "Those spineless freaks just had to flee the scene before we could capture any one of them."
Registering her words, all Karol could utter was a soft, "Oh…"
As he motioned his head to the right, he noticed the dark-haired man still standing near them. Curiously, he inspected the pink-haired woman nestled in his arms. His eyes slowly went round the instant he saw blood on her tattered clothes. "Oh, no! She's hurt!"
Looking back up to lock eyes with the man, he cried, "Come on, follow me!" And then ran off toward the main entrance of the facility.
Blinking, Yuri turned to look at Judith for some kind of explanation.
"Go with Karol," She told him, giving him an assuring smile. "He'll take care of the two of you."
Yuri slanted his head to the side. "What about you guys?"
"We're gonna go pay a visit to the big old grump," Rita joined in, placing a hand on her hip. "For now, focus on tending to Estellise's wounds."
"Don't worry," Judith added in, "We'll come running back as soon as we resolved everything."
Yuri bobbed his head in response. "Thanks for the ride, by the way,"
"Thank nothing of it," The female lancer replied with a playful wink.
With nothing else to say, he turned and strode off to meet with the boy who patiently waited for his presence by the door.
Once they were alone, Judith cast a glance over to her partner and asked, "Shall we?"
Rita released an exasperated breath. "Let's get this over with," She grumbled and began heading toward the direction of the crowd.
The facility was grand and spacious.
Like most of the buildings in Dahngrest, the brick and stone design were intact along with a few minor brown rusting. Despite the exterior frame somewhat lackluster, the interior within the compound was different.
Inside, there were a collection of decorative plant pots situated in-between the small spaces of beige-tinted couches and cherry-wood coffee tables. Large intricate tapestries, suffused in colors ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, and blue—were displayed throughout the walls. Up above, there was an inside balcony.
Yuri squinted his eyes, trying to inspect what was upstairs. From where he stood, he could decipher a mass of cluttered books and framed weapons.
"Nice place you got here," He commented.
"Thanks," Karol chirped, grinning bashfully. "I try my best to make it as hospitable as possible."
Yuri blew a whistle as he took in the sight. "Where are we anyway?"
"We're at the garrison," Karol explained casually, "Originally, it was an abandoned warehouse. Thanks to the Don and Raven—Judith, Rita, Tison, Clint, Nan, and I managed to buy it. For the past year, we've been renovating this whole place. You know, to look more modern and chic. And now, I'm proud to call it my home."
Raising his arms high, he proceeded to say, "This is the lounge room!" As he said that, he proceeded to stretch his arm outward, pointing a finger to the right. "If you go past that hall, you'll find the dining room and the kitchen." And then he pointed to the left. "And over there's the first-floor bathroom."
Yuri frowned. "How many floors are there?"
Karol froze in his steps and pondered. "I believe…three?"
"Three floors?"
"Yeah, I think so," Karol confirmed, nodding to himself. "That's because, on the second floor, we have the bedrooms and bathrooms."
Tipping his head to the side, Yuri arched his left eyebrow. "And the third floor?"
"That'll be the study room, the library, Rita's laboratory…" Karol explained as he counted each room using his fingers, "There's also a staircase which leads to the roof."
Blinking, Yuri threw in a question. "What's up there?"
"The observatory," Karol went on, smiling, "You know, to see stars and stuff? Sometimes, Judith uses it to feed Ba'ul his grub."
"Ba'ul?" Yuri wondered, puzzled. "Who's…Ba'ul?"
"The Entelexeia that looks like a whale but with actual wings that fly. You know, the one that was mounting the boat you were on," Karol described to him, "When we met Judith, he was already with her. He's a lot scary at first, but if you get to know him, he's actually not that bad…"
A chuckle escaped from his throat as he was reminded of the first time he encountered the Entelexeia, how he nearly pissed his pants and how he actually thought that he was going to die right then and there on the spot until the older woman had to reassure him that her dear friend would never commit to something atrocious.
"He can get pretty shy around strangers but once you get to know him, he's actually a very friendly giant and—"
"You don't mind if we just cut to the chase?" Yuri interrupts, causing the latter to stop what he was doing and peer over his shoulder in question. "Didn't you say that you were gonna help us or—"
"Oh, yeah! You're right!" Karol suddenly cried, his whole face burning light pink prior to his derailment on the focus of their trip. "Anyway, let's head over here," And walked over to the spindle, wooden-made staircase at the far-left corner of the lounge room.
Nodding, Yuri followed after him.
He held tight of Estelle's unconscious form as they hastened their steps to go up. A minute later and they reached the second floor—as what the boy mentioned to him earlier, was specifically dubbed for the bedrooms and bathrooms. As they angled to another corner, Karol stopped, causing Yuri to freeze midway in his tracks.
"Here's the room you'll be occupying," Karol explained, already twisting the doorknob and allowing himself in.
Shortly after, Yuri did the same.
Once more, he took a moment to scan his surroundings—the room was clean and organized, with two beds found on the left side of the room, accompanied by a bedside table and a lamp on top of it, a closet on the opposing right, a door which leads to a private bathroom and a large set of windows in the center.
"I'm gonna go and get a first aid kit," Karol spoke up, causing the latter to turn and look at him with a puzzling expression. "Wait here, okay? I'll be right back."
As the boy rushed out of the room, Yuri quietly walked over to the nearest bed.
"There you go," He mumbled, carefully placing the sleeping princess on the soft mattress. As soon as he laid her down, he finally released the breath he'd been holding in, stretching his arms up high and cracking his knuckles. He then staggered over to his bed close to the window, throwing his scabbard on the mattress. Crossing his arms over his chest, he snuck a quick side glance over to the female.
A smile unconsciously spread across his lips when he noticed a trail of drool leaking from her partly opened mouth.
"So ladylike," He commented, shaking his head in dismay.
His ears suddenly perked up to the sound of scampering footsteps from the halls. Whirling his head around, his alarmed expression eventually subsided once he registered that it was only the brown-haired boy.
As promised, Karol held a large white bag with a red cross etched on the middle of the surface. Sinking his knees to the ground, he began to take out the necessary medical equipment and bandages from its container.
"President Kaufman's gonna be here in a few minutes." He explained, "She'll be the one to inspect your friend's injuries and help change her clothes…"
"What about me?" Yuri questioned with a teasing smirk. "Do I get the same treatment?"
"I don't think so," Karol replied, rejecting his suggestion. "But I can go ahead and grab some clothes for you," As he rose, he turned to face the dark-haired man and added, "Come on, we should get going. Wouldn't wanna disrupt your friend's sleeping."
Yuri thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"…No, I'll stay," He insisted, "After what we both went through last night, it's best that I remain by her side in the meantime…you know, until that Kaufman person shows up."
Karol nodded his head in acknowledgment.
Suddenly a thought occurred to him.
"Oh, by the way," He began, grinning sheepishly. "I forgot to introduce myself! Name's Karol Capel! What's yours?"
"Yuri Lowell," Yuri introduced himself, his eyes passive and jaded. He then jerked his chin over to the bed behind him. "And princess sleepyhead's Estelle,"
Karol frowned, taking a moment to progress his words. "…Wait, you're Yuri—the Yuri Lowell?"
Yuri's lips curled upwards. "The one and only," He affirmed, shooting him a bemused look. "Why? You know me from somewhere?"
The boy gawked at him as if he produced two heads. "Know you?" He exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "I'm a huuuuuge fan of you!"
Yuri blinked a few times. "…You are?"
"Yeah!" Karol expressed, beaming excitedly, "You're the infamous vigilante from Zaphias! A few years back, you were one of the few people who's been granted the status of a champion! The Dark Enforcer! The Lone Wolf of the Lower Quarter!"
At the mention of the Lower Quarter, Yuri hardened his expression.
"Woah, easy there…" He told him, narrowing his eyes. "Where'd you learned all that from?"
"A lot of people here at Dahngrest talk about you! You're practically a celebrity!" Karol explained, "Everyone adores you! In the newspapers, they always seem to report your feats like stealing from the rich to give to the poor, fighting evildoers and—"
Yuri raised his hand, silencing the boy from speaking any further.
"Those rumors and stories you keep hearing about me…" He warned him. "Accept them all you want, but they don't depict the truth."
Karol's eyes widened. "They…don't?" He softly murmured, growing curious. "Wait, what do you mean?"
Yuri sighed. "Never mind," He grumbled, waving his hand dismissively. "Anyway, do I get a change of clothes?"
"Oh, right!" Karol exclaimed upon realization. As he rose from the floor and angled his body around, he was surprised to find an auburn-haired girl standing next to the door. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he forced a grin and exclaimed, "H-hey there, Nan! What's up?"
The girl called Nan shot him a menacing glare. "Who are they?" She wondered aloud, jerking her chin to the swordsman and his unconscious master in the room.
"It's alright, Nan, they're our guests," Karol simply explained, taking a step forward. "If you're looking for Clint and Tison, they're probably attending a meeting with the Don right now."
Nan clicked her tongue, turning her head away. As she motioned her body to walk away, she stopped briefly to look back at the boy and asked, "Are you coming or what?"
Karol shuffled his feet. "Uh…" His lower lip quivered as he tried to choose his words carefully. "Actually, I'm…gonna stay behind."
Surprised by this, Nan leered at him. "Oh?"
"You should get going," Karol advised his friend, offering her a smile. "Wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your teacher."
Nan turned silent, mulling the thought over. Finally, she sighed. "…Fine," She concluded, looking away. "But you better be here when I come back, you hear me?"
Karol smiled. "Yes, Nan," He chirped, smiling.
And just like that, the girl sighed, snuck a deadly glance toward Yuri before hastily strolling away.
"…That was something," Yuri spoke up, breaking the silence.
Karol nodded in agreement. "You can say that again," Sitting back down, he let out a heavy sigh. "That girl you saw—her name's Nan. She's a friend of mine and well, she can be hard to deal with."
Yuri chuckled. "I could tell," He noted, "You seem pretty close."
"Kind of," The boy admitted, "Tison's her teacher and guardian. She serves under him as his student. Recently, her heroic achievements became recognized and was rewarded with the title of champion a few months ago." Thinking it over, he continued. "In the future, she'll be able to transform into a figurine and enter sleeping mode…you know, until she gets summoned by her master, forge a contract with them…the usual procedure. Only time will tell if she ends up doing it."
Processing his words, Yuri smiled. "I'm sure she can handle it. She looks pretty capable to me,"
"Yeah, she is," Karol agreed wholeheartedly. "For now, she's still practicing. And I personally wanna be there and help her until she transitions…" As he trailed off, he turned his focus to the swordsman sitting next to him. "Anyway, what about you, Yuri?"
Confused, Yuri arched a questionable eyebrow. "What about me?"
"You're a champion, aren't you?" He asked. When he received a nod from the latter, he beamed. "What's it like so far? I bet it's pretty awesome!"
"It's alright. Sure, it's got some perks…" Yuri began, ruminating through his thoughts. His next set of words, however, caught the latter off-guard. "And then there are consequences that you cannot escape from…a duty that you'll have no choice but to be forced to bear under your name."
Karol slipped him a curious glance. Scooting a bit closer to the swordsman, he proceeded to ask the big question. "…Like what?"
Turning around, Yuri flashed him a devilish smirk—his ebony eyes electrifying, exciting…yet, daunting, all combined in one.
And that alone was enough to make Karol tremble in his spot. "Y-you don't mean…" He drawled out, his eyes slowly lengthening in size.
"Once you've sworn yourself as champion, that's it." Yuri began, narrowing his eyes as he delivered his next sentence.
"…Congratulations—you just bought yourself a ticket to hell."
And that's it for chapter 7!
Hello, everyone! Kroissant here!
Yes, we are finally in Dahngrest and it looks like the main cast is together in the same city! More dynamics and meet-ups are coming soon~
Also, I want to apologize for my lateness! I meant to actually publish this last night but then I thought it'd be best to expand a little more—which allowed me to open the door and introduce Nan, along with the mentions of a few names that would hold significance into the next chapter.
With how long the battle scenes were in the previous chapter, I thought it'd be best and appropriate to shed some light with supports—as shown here with Ioder and Flynn, Yuri and Karol.
For the next chapter, here are two hints—the long-awaited (pipe) and (bird name) is coming…
As for the update, it's up in the air!
With the chapters flowing appropriately as well as with the release of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, I'm proud to say that I achieved my goal! (yes!) Unfortunately, I'm waiting for my copy of the game so until then, I'll be busying myself planning out more chapters for you readers! So, stay tuned, relax, and go have fun playing Vesperia: Definitive Edition!
In about a week, I'll be returning to my usual schedule—as I'll be updating a new chapter for SoSN (start of something new), then checkmate, then SoSN and so on…
Thank you once again for your support and comments! (they grant me so much strength so thanks!)
As always, be sure to leave a comment/kudos (Ao3 community) if you can!
Stay tuned!
Until next time!
P.S. recommended songs
Fate/Stay Unlimited Blade Works – Ocean of Memories (for Ioder and Flynn scene)
Final Fantasy 13-2 – Lightning's Theme: Unguarded Future (the majority of the chapter)