Ryu grew confused when he didn't feel any pain… in fact, it felt like he was still in the air. He slowly opened an eye, since he was wincing in preparation for an impact, and found he was in the air with a blue platform below him, held up by two familiar arms. He looked up to see his mother's smiling face. "Well, here's something you don't see everyday." The Queen commented, a proud look in her eyes. "Someone using Magic beyond their traits… Son, how would you like it if you came to Magic School?" Emily asked, to Ryu's awe and excitement.
From there, it was a long journey for Ryu, learning the other Magic types over the years. It was far from easy, as each tutor drove him to the brink of death and back. It was training straight from hell, but it was working. He took steps up a mountain, trying to use Integrity to defy gravity, but ended up falling into Emily's arms once he lost focus. The mother-son duo had a good laugh about that specific incident, with the otherworldly Queen always encouraging her son with love and positive reinforcement.
Two years later, when Ryu was 8-and-a-half-years-old, the Queen took her son out camping by one of the nearby mountains, amusedly watching her son talk about his dreams of being a hero and saving The Lost Isles from the Beast that was constantly threatening them, the Brown Leviathan. As the two then laid down to prepare for sleep, Ryu shifted his gaze from the night sky to look at Emily. "Mom, where did you live before you met dad? You said you came from a different Kingdom, and you were raising me to be *your* heir…"
"You want to know, hm?" Emily smiled knowingly, as she turned over to face her son, her pale lavender hair falling behind her. "Well, I came from all the way up there…" She said, pointing up at the night sky, as Ryu frowned.
"Momma, everyone knows no one lives in space, that's absurd." Ryu pouted. "Tell me the truth!"
"Oh, but it is the truth. And I can prove it." The woman sat up, as did Ryu, with Emily pointing her hand at Ryu. He watched confusedly as she put her pinky finger out for him to take. "When you're older, I'll take you to Alestia, and we'll have fun together. It's a promise." Ryu eventually hooked his own pinky finger with his mother's, as the promise was forged, with the boy grinning and crying out of joy.
The dreams kept coming, and they were starting to confuse Ryu. He awoke from his bed in Roswaal Manor, noticing his cheeks were wet with tears and then shifted his head to look at a worried Rem. He didn't even question why she was sitting next to his bed as he sat up and wiped away his tears. "...Good morning, Rem." He eventually greeted, once his face was dried. He put a smile on his face, slowly easing the girl's worries. "What time is it?"
"Sunrise was a while ago. If I remember correctly, you had a meeting in the village you were to attend, as well as a trip to the capital." Rem answered dutifully, as the dual-traited Prince got out of bed, looking at the now awake Wolgarm he had tamed and petting her head. Teymin whined in pleasure as Ryu scratched behind her ears.
"Thank you for telling me this, Rem. I'll get myself ready." He replied to the maid, causing her to smile and nod as she eventually left the room. Ryu then closed his eyes and focused. 'Shi? Aus? You two alright?'
"I'm alive, if that's what you mean. And even if that isn't what you mean, that's all you'll be getting." Ryushi said in a casual and dull tone, as Austin hummed from within.
"Well, since I'm not a living being I can't say I'm alive. What I can say is that I'm damn proud of ya for whatcha did last night."Austin said, causing Ryu to chuckle nervously.
'I'm not that great to be praiseworthy, but fine.' Ryu eventually changed clothes and then looked at Teymin, who was standing by his side dutifully. "...We're gonna need to put a leash on you." He said to the Wolgarm, causing her to whine in sadness momentarily before Ryu continued. "But on the bright side, I've figured out a way to feed you indefinitely. Just give me some time. In the meantime, here." He threw a ball of condensed Hate at Teymin, as she opened her maw and snapped it up, with Ryu then forming a leash out of Hate essence and putting it on the dog-like Mabeast. "Right, let's get going."
"C'mon Petra! You call those flames? Hotter!" Ryu barked, watching over his student's progress with soul magic. This was supposed to be their big test, where he was going to see the payoff of their training.
The orange-haired girl narrowed her eyes as she drew her hand back, summoning an orange Spear of Bravery . It was a purely magical weapon and could be described as a long, narrow cylindrical shaft that has a bright orange color and glows with a diamond-shaped object at the end of it. The diamond on its end began to ignite with fire as she then thrust it outward, sending searing Flames of Bravery into the air, before she waved it around to form a symbol. 火. The symbol faded after a while, as Petra fell to her knees and breathed heavily, looking up at Ryu.
The dual-traited older man stared down at Petra with a passive look, almost bored, before he smiled and raised a thumb. "Well done, Petra. You pass with flying colors. Power and technique are excellent for your age and limited training. I'm proud of you." At that, a large smile came to the orange-haired girl's face. "Right! Everyone line up, I'm going to give you all your prizes!"
Immediately, all the children rushed over with excited expressions, as Ryu then gave each one of his protégés five Gold. They each seemed excited upon receiving the pure gold coins, knowing what they were from Ryu's stories. "Wow! Money from another land!"
"Pure gold!"
"Used by Monsters!"
Ryu smiled at their excitement, as he turned to the cloaked figure of Emilia. He couldn't really see her face due to the properties of said cloak, but he was pretty sure she was smiling with that unseen face of hers.
"Ryu, the villagers really seem to like you. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up voting for you in the Royal Selection if they heard about you running." Emilia commented with a smile as they walked through the forests to return to Roswaal Manor. "Ever since you safely returned the children, they've kept on pushing you about debts."
"It's something they've been trying to do for a while, really." Ryu chuckled, amused. "Not like they're wrong about the things they say about me though. I probably would have manually killed every single Wolgarm in that forest five times over if Roswaal didn't do it for me. But on the bright side, this course of events let me have Teymin." He reached over to pet the tamed Wolgarm, as Emilia softly giggled.
"I still have no idea how you managed to tame a Wolgarm, but things seem to be working out in your favor, so I can't argue against your choices. I'm sure you know what you're doing." Emilia responded, bringing a smile to Ryu's face. It was comforting to know that Emilia trusted him. Maybe this situation wouldn't be too bad, he could build himself a new life in this world.
It was a few moments later, when they arrived at Roswaal Manor, did Ryu notice something off. "Is that a dragon-drawn carriage?" He muttered in interest.
"Welcome home, My Lady." A white-haired man dressed in a black butler's outfit greeted Emilia, as Ryu took note of his muscular physique and sagely sky-blue eyes. He could sense not only wisdom inside of him, but a lot of potential. His soul was strong, extremely so, even for his age. The more Ryu observed him, the more he could see this man as someone who could be seen as a wise, old grandfather figure of sorts. "I offer my most humble apologies for parking in front of your mansion."
RE: DETERMINED
Act 3, Chapter 01 - Prelude to Despair (絶望への前奏曲)
"An emissary from the Capital is visiting us," Ram further explained upon Ryu and Emilia's arrival, with the experienced Soul Mage leaning on a staff he made out of Hate as he listened. "Lord Roswaal is attending to them now. Please join him, Miss Emilia."
"An emissary?" Emilia questioned, prompting Ram to further explain the situation.
"I believe it has to do with the Royal Selection," Ram said, causing Emilia to grow a bit more serious. Ryu blankly watched them for a bit before sighing audibly.
"I already know I ain't gonna be invited into this meeting, so I ain't gonna waste anyone's time," Ryu said, catching both Ram and Emilia's attention. "I am a King Candidate, but I'm new to all of this, meaning it's best I don't embarrass myself in front of an emissary. I'll continue with my studies in the meantime."
"You've been working hard for the past day, haven't you?" Emilia smiled at Ryu, causing him to blush slightly from the kind and proud look in her eyes. "I'm sure you'll turn out to be a great King if you win, Ryu. I can sense it!"
"That means a lot to me, Emi. Thank you, I mean it." Ryu bowed his head to the half-Elf, overwhelmed by the praise. He wasn't really that great at receiving it since he didn't see himself as worthy of praise. Ryu then watched Ram and Emilia walk away, and then shifted his gaze to the outside, where he saw the old man from earlier cleaning the carriage that he was seen with. There was certainly one way to pass the time that came to mind right now...
Ryu then walked over to the man, carrying a tea tray over with him using a Hate Tendril as an extra hand, while keeping his own hands in his jacket pockets. "Hey, aren't you bored all by your lonesome, sir?" He asked the man, gaining his attention as he stopped his cleaning to turn and look at him.
The man's attention shifted to the Hate Tendril, an eyebrow raised. "If it's not too much to ask, what is that behind you?"
"Oh, this?" Ryu pointed at the Hate Tendril, a nonchalant look on his face. "That's just a tendril of dark magic, nothing too notable." He shrugged, before offering the man some tea.
The man took a sip, before releasing a small satisfied sigh. "It tastes lovely. Drinking it feels like I'm indulging in a great luxury." At that, Ryu nervously chuckled, taking a sip of his own tea.
"To be entirely honest with you sir, this is the most expensive tea in the mansion," Ryu explained, gaining the man's attention again with a more concerned look on his face. "If Ram found out about this, well I'd definitely be scolded for the rest of the day."
"I see…" The man's eyes narrowed slightly, seemingly a little wary and distrustful. "And what are you hoping to gain from this old man using precious bait?"
Ryu sighed, putting his teacup down as he looked up at the man, a serious look on his face. "I just want to ask you a few questions."
"About the nature of this visit, I presume?" Wilhelm asked, as Ryu shook his head negative to the man's surprise.
"Nah, I already know enough. Don't need to go prying for more." Ryu's eyes then released a small flash of light. "I'm more curious about you, sir. I have a peculiar ability that lets me see the potential of others, and I can see despite your already formidable strength, you haven't hit your limit. There's something missing, and I'd like to get a few answers about your own past so I can get a read on what it is."
"I see. What a peculiar ability you have." The man commented, before eventually nodding. "I will give you the answers you seek-"
"I'm back, Old Man Wil!" A feminine voice called out, interrupting the man as he smiled knowingly, as if knowing this would happen.
"Some other time. I know we will reunite shortly." The man, apparently called Wil, replied as he turned to look at a feminine looking cat-person. Ryu was almost fooled into believing the newcomer was a girl, but a mixture of being experienced with the presence of androgynous people and Soul Magic prevented that from happening. This person was a… catboy, for lack of a better term, even with the feminine clothing he wore. "Sorry to make you wait outside. I bet you were bored, huh."
"Not at all. In fact, I've been passing the time having a small talk with this young man here." Ryu waved at the feminine catboy with his Hate Tendril, which took the shape of an arm before fading away into his body. The catboy then walked up to him and looked over him, releasing a few 'meow's and 'nya's as he went, before returning to his original position.
"Ah, nyow I see, of course! Of course! You must be the boy that Lord Roswaal and Miss Emilia mentioned!" The catboy exclaimed, as Ryu dumbly nodded to roll with the current situation, too startled to say anything. "Let's go, Old Man Wil!" Before entering the carriage, the catboy turned to Ryu with a faint smirk on his face. "See you in the Capital, Mystery Boy."
"You told them. You told an emissary from the Capital about me, without even asking me?" Ryu dully asked Emilia, causing her to nervously laugh.
"It's not like we weren't going to go to the Capital anyway! And besides, the secret about you being the 6th Candidate was going to come out eventually!" Emilia tried to explain herself, as Ryu sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This is fine, I just need to sort things out and speed up my learning." He could use Hate for that, split off a piece to do the learning for him while he was at the Capital.
"Based on the information before us, if Ryu is to come to the Capital before his studies are officially done, then we should have Ryu take his studies with him to the Capital." Rem suggested from behind him, causing the Prince to freeze up before grinning and turning to Rem, gently patting her head.
"Good idea Rem, you saved me a lot of time with that suggestion!" And a lot of energy too, since he didn't want to split a piece of his soul away from him for too long. Rem looked down, somewhat embarrassed by the praise but Ryu could see she was also pleased with herself.
"That certainly is a good idea, and would allow the Royal Selection to start as scheduled instead of requesting it to be postponed for your studies." Roswaal agreed from the side, briefly souring Ryu's mood as he remembered how he didn't really trust the man with the ancient soul too much. "I suggest Rem be the one to assist him in that endeavor."
"Then it's settled, there should be no issues, right Ryu?" Emilia asked the white-red haired teen, who only sighed tiredly before nodding. This was fine. He could manage. He was planning to go to the Capital anyway, it was just sooner than expected.
Elsewhere, in their Dragon-drawn carriage, Wilhelm van Astrea and Felix were returning to the Capital. "I must admit, I was surprised to see you talking with that boy." Felix began a conversation casually, looking at Wilhelm with his amber eyes through the carriage's see-through glass. "I always thought you'd rather chop people in half than talk to them."
Wilhelm smirked slightly at the Knight's words. "That's a grave misunderstanding. I merely took a liking to the boy and what I saw in his eyes."
"Oh?" Felix was vaguely interested, as Wilhelm closed his eyes for a moment before refocusing on the road ahead.
"Those were the eyes... of someone who has faced death many times before… and came out stronger each time. The eyes of a warrior."
"Nya… I'll never understand ya, Old Man Wil. Either way, if Wilhelm van Astrea, the Sword Demon is the one to say that… t hen I'm sure the boy faces quite a bumpy road ahead ."
"Hey, uh… Emi, maybe we should stop doing this-"
"No way!" Emilia rebuked his words immediately as she looked at him with her purple-blue eyes. "Not after what happened earlier! We need to ensure you get to the Royal Selection safely, and that means keeping an eye on you since you bring trouble everywhere you go!"
"I can still handle myself though, Emi!" Ryu complained, but to no avail. Emilia wasn't listening to his pleads.
"Alright you two, could you cut this out?" Ryu shifted his gaze to see Kadomon holding a bag of apples, no wait, appas and outstretching it to him. "You're going to scare away the customers."
"After promising to become a regular, this is what I get?" Ryu chuckled, taking the bag with his free hand as Kadomon smirked.
"Hey, that doesn't mean you're exempt from the fact that people will be scared off by a bickering couple." He teased, causing Ryu to faintly blush out of embarrassment. He couldn't see Emilia's face due to her cloak, but from how her hand tensed in hers, Ryu was willing to bet that she was just as flustered from the sudden remark.
They eventually left Kadomon's stand, but Emilia was still adamant about not letting him go. Ryu would have been annoyed by this, but she did have a point. His soul was like a trouble radar. It was only a matter of time until something happened that got him into some crazy scheme. "...What's next, Emi." Ryu tiredly asked the silver-haired girl, gaining her attention.
"Well, you said you wanted to talk with Reinhard, right?" At this nod, Emilia continued. "Then we should probably go to the guard's station in front of the nobleman's district next."
Once they arrived at the doors of the nobleman's district, Ryu heard footsteps approach. Shifting his gaze to the left, he saw a man dressed in the typical uniform and cape of the Lugunican knights, radiating a faint aura of power that Ryu was able to see with his own magic. "Well, if it isn't Miss Emilia." The man greeted in a smooth tone, reminding him vaguely of his cousin Marcus Entback. A refined and powerful knight, this man was. And like many people he met in this world, he saw potential in him. "Good to see you again. I hope that you've been well since we've last met?"
"Yes, everything's basically the same." Emilia's gaze temporarily shifted to look at Ryu as she let go of his hand. She had basically threatened him with her gaze: 'don't you dare run off'. "You also seem well, Julius."
"The mere fact that you remember me is an honor. And I must say, you've only grown more beautiful, Miss Emilia." Julius said as he walked over and took a knee, respectfully kissing Emilia's hand. Ryu felt something in him stir momentarily at the sight, but shrugged it off quickly. Julius was a knight. Knights were meant to be chivalrous, they did things like this around powerful women of status all the time, he knew that from experience. He instead crossed his arms over his chest silently, deciding not to leave since he didn't want Emilia to hunt him down.
"You're very kind. Forgive me for asking so abruptly, but I have business here and I'd like for you to act as my friend's agent while I'm in the castle." Emilia requested the knight, who smiled slightly.
"Oh, and would that business have anything to do with this young man here?" Julius looked over at Ryu, before pausing as he smiled wider, walking over with a hand outstretched. "It's nice to meet you, sir. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
"Hm? Oh, I go by Ryu." The dual-traited Prince responded after a moment, shaking Julius' hand.
"Ryu, is it? Well, I'm honored to meet someone as powerful as you. Reinhard has been telling us about your strange type of Magic, as well as the fact you crippled the Bowel Hunter." Julius said his tone as respectful as ever. "For someone of your age to be able to do that with a singular attack… you must have been trained by some magnificent people."
"I… I was." Ryu's expression softened as a smile tugged at his lips, slowly easing up as a side-effect of the knight's charismatic aura. "I'm honored to know that Reinhard has been telling people of my achievements, but really it's nothing that noteworthy…"
"Humble, are you?" Julius hummed, a calm smile adorning his face. "Well, allow me to show you to the conference mirrors."
"Actually, I'd appreciate it if you stayed here Ryu. Knowing your luck, you might somehow break half of the mirrors." Emilia both asked him and teased him, causing Ryu to pout slightly.
"My luck isn't that bad… but fine. I'll find something else to do." Ryu sat down on a chair he formed out of Hate essence as Julius and Emilia left. He pulled an appa out of his bag and began munching on the healthy treat, even though he wasn't hungry or injured. The fruit was broken down into excess Soul Magic and then turned into Mana for his Gate so his soul didn't overload itself. He then shifted his gaze to the side, where he saw the figure of a blonde woman with a black and red dress walking into a shady alleyway… or more specifically, the shady alleyway where he met the mugger teens in his first runs. "Mmmm I am going to get scolded by Emi for this… but I am bored as fuck." Ryu shrugged as he pulled the magic that made the chair he sat on back into him, walking over to the alleyway as he looked around.
"You little-"
"Don't screw around with us!"
"You wouldn't want us to mess up that pretty little face of yours!"
Priscilla Barielle, Matriarch of House Barielle and a candidate for the title of 42nd King of Lugunica, was currently being mugged by some punks… and said punks were completely out of their league. Ryu watched from above, using Hate to merge into the shadows as his eyes narrowed, a singular knife hovering over his hand. How did he know so much about this young woman? Simple, he read about her in his studies, and she was apparently going to be one of his rivals for the Throne.
"Don't much such a racket, you commoners," Priscilla said, opening her fan as she scoffed, covering her face with it. "Fools with no character at all pick fights for no reason."
"Why I oughtta-" The tall burly dude was stopped in his tracks as Ryu threw a knife right at his feet, causing him to jump up in fear and the others to look up at his now revealed position on one of the nearby rooftops.
"Now now, that's no way to treat a lady," Ryu said in a teasing tone, a smirk on his face. The thugs, remembering who this was, grew scared as he summoned more knives and jumped down. "Oh, you remember me. So you should know what I'll do to you if you don't skedaddle." Ryu said in a harsh tone, the whites of his eyes inverting to a midnight black as he glared at the thugs. The Thug Trio then rushed off, tripping up on each other as Ryu sighed and dispelled his weapons and the Hate buildup.
"Now who might you be?" Priscilla shifted her crimson-eyed gaze to Ryu, as he looked at her and shrugged.
"Just a guy with too much power on his hands who got bored and saw this as something more interesting than sitting down and waiting for my friend to come back." Ryu responded, returning his hands to his pockets. "I get bored easily, actually. And you're Priscilla Barielle, a candidate for the throne. Didn't expect to meet someone like you here."
"Oh? If you know who I am, then why don't you begin groveling at my feet, hm?" Priscilla smiled, as if amused by a joke only she got. "This world was made to benefit me, and you might as well start worshipping your future ruler."
"Hm, nah. I think I'll pass you up on that." Ryu casually said, smirking in response to her words. "It really wouldn't look good on me to start grovelling to people when my parents raised me to do otherwise. Besides, the Selection hasn't been determined yet." That was one of the Shock family mottos: 'Never throw away your pride'.
"You'll see how wrong you are soon enough." Priscilla closed her fan, as Ryu heard some approaching footsteps.
"There you are, Ryu!" Emilia's voice called out as she walked into the alleyway… with a strange man who wore a helmet. "You said you wouldn't run off!"
"Oh, sorry about that, Emi. I got bored quickly. You know me." Ryu chuckled, as Emilia sighed tiredly in response to his nonchalant words and attitude. "By the way, who's this guy?"
"What am I going to do with you?" She muttered to herself, before answering Ryu's question. "This man right here was willing to help me look for you."
"I was personally trying to find a lost child." The man in the helmet spoke, causing Ryu to raise an eyebrow slightly. That was some strange wording.
"My my, how attentive of you to wait where you knew where I would be. I commend you for your dedication, Al." Priscilla said to the tall man, as Ryu then noticed Emilia was hiding behind him.
"Well, we found who we were all looking for! Let's get going!" Just as Ryu was about to lead Emilia away from the alleyway, Priscilla spoke up.
"Just a moment." The woman begun as Ryu shifted his gaze to the side. "Would you mind telling me what's in that bag of yours?" Ryu blinked in confusion as he looked at the bag of fruit in his arms.
"These are appas. You aren't telling me you don't know what an appa is, are you Miss Barielle?" Ryu asked in a confused and incredulous tone of voice. Priscilla scoffed.
"Please, don't make me laugh. Everyone knows appas have white flesh." The woman countered as Ryu sighed, grabbing an appa and throwing it at Priscilla, who caught it with ease.
"I don't know what to tell ya. Appas have red skin and white flesh. You've probably only seen peeled appas in your case." Priscilla looked up at Ryu, an unreadable expression on her face. "Now, don't go running off and freaking out Mr Knight-in-A-Helmet here, alright Miss? We don't want to test the limits of your luck, now do we?" Ryu smirked slightly as he looked at the helmet-wearing knight, nodding towards him as the man did likewise.
It was nearly sunset as Ryu and Emilia left that part of town. "Ryu, that girl from before…" Emilia began, catching the teen's attention. "I was wondering when and how you met her…"
"Oh, her? I met her completely on accident. I saw a woman entering an alleyway and I since I got bored, I followed to find some thugs trying to threaten her." Ryu replied, holding the appas in his left arm as Emilia had returned to holding his hand. "Though I have a feeling you won't be leaving me unattended to after this incident."
"You've got that right!" Emilia said in an accusatory tone of voice, a disappointed look in her eyes. "You said you'd stay right there and you left when it suited you. From now on, while we're in the Capital, either me or Rem will have to keep an eye on you."
"So I'm basically on house arrest." Ryu sighed at her nod of confirmation. Oh well, he hoped this was worth it. Maybe he could use Hate to make a duplicate of himself in the future so he could do his own thing without worrying about the house arrest thing.
When they reached the apartment they were to be staying at, Ryu sighed and took a seat in one of the nearby chairs, a bored look on his face. "So, tomorrow's the big day, huh? Where you and Roswaal reveal me to be the anomalous 6th?" He asked Emilia, who nodded.
"That's right. According to a new Prophecy, there are two outcomes that were available to us. Either there would be 5 Candidates who could become the Dragon Priestess and make a covenant with the Dragon… or the new outcome etched into the Dragon Stone, 6 Candidates, which one of whom would lead Lugunica to a new age of prosperity and strength." Emilia explained, as Ryu sighed. This was truly annoying, he was *used* to the Prince and rulership kind of stuff since he was raised to be that back home, but he had no idea what the current situation of the world was outside of Lugunica. That's why he was studying, so if he did end up winning somehow, he would be prepared to lead this country. "The Council currently acting as the temporary leaders of Lugunica wants to bring that second outcome to light, which means they were desperately looking for their 5th and 6th Royal Candidates."
"But you said-"
"I know what you're about to say, Ryu, and its best that we leave that for the Council to explain tomorrow. Just study and get some rest, tomorrow is the big day." Emilia replied to him, as Ryuuto eventually nodded. This was convoluted as all hell in his mind, but he could handle this.
Years later, Ryu was a 12-year-old Prince, jumping about the Kingdom of Rustcottmo as he messed around with his Integrity magic. He jumped onto another platform, smiling down at the kingdom below him, before he noticed a horse and cart. His brother and parents were standing next to it, waving at him. He smiled and jumped down, landing on the floor and looking his mother in the eye. "Ryu… tell me, when's your birthday?"
Ryu rolled his eyes at that, an amused look on his face. "Mother, you should know your own son's birthday." Ryu quipped, as Emily smiled softly.
"Humor me." She said in a soft tone, as Ryu sighed.
"Two weeks." Ryu replied, as the High Queen hummed and nodded.
"Right, well… looks like we'll be going on a new trip in two weeks. Get ready." She put her pinky finger out, as Ryu confusedly stared at it before a wide grin appeared on his face, cheering loudly, only to shut up as Blaze casually slapped the back of his head with a heat-magic enhanced palm. "Remember to keep up your studies and don't bother your Aunt Rin!" Emily called out as the cart rolled away.
When Ryu woke up, he recognized that these dreams were too… frequent, too vivid to just be fabrications of his mind. All these things were too specific, too familiar to just be dreams. They were memories. Ryu walked over to the window, as he looked out to see the sun had rose a few hours ago. "...Damn, I'll be late at this point!"
"Miss Emilia and Lord Roswaal wanted to ensure you had enough rest for today." Rem said from behind him, as he turned to the blue Oni maid and sighed. "We could get there in time if we rent a dragon carriage…"
"Nah, Rem, it'll be fine. I've got this all covered." Ryu chuckled, as he gently patted the girl's head, causing her to blush. "Awe, you're adorable when you're flustered." He commented, causing her blush to deepen further. He then went for the door.
"Ryu, if you don't mind me asking, how will you reach the castle without a dragon carriage?" Rem asked, as he paused and turned to her with a smile.
"Trust me, I've got my own ways." He said, touching the door and then disappearing in a flash of blue light. He reappeared outside of the apartment and walked off, putting his faith in fate for the first time in a long time. He eventually raised a Hate Tendril from his back into the sky, waiting for something to happen… and his luck panned out on the good end for once, as an elaborately decorated red, gold, and black carriage drawn by a red and black dragon stopped in front of him. "Wow, that actually worked."
"Holy shit, maybe you're not as unlucky as we first thought!"
"This is the most strange thing I've ever seen. Fate actually helped. She actually helped you for once."
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he accepted the ride that was offered, shocked to see Priscilla and Al again. "You sure are lucky bro, be grateful for this coincidence. We just happened to be on our way to the castle too." Al said, as Ryu looked over his way.
"That so? I'm assuming it's for today's Royal Selection, then." He replied, as Priscilla laughed slightly.
"Of course, today there's only one reason to head to the castle. To witness the beginning of the process." The haughty and prideful blonde said, as she leaned back into her plush and soft seat in an elegant manner. She then opened her eyes, looking straight at Ryu as if she was staring right through him. "There have been rumors that both the 5th Candidate… and the fabled, mysterious 6th Candidate have been found… and I have a feeling bringing you along with me to the castle will make things interesting in that dull room."
Hm… he had a feeling he was going to get tired of her attitude, it was different from Ram's where hers was endearing. Priscilla's, however, was just pride for the sake of pride. She was arrogant, but then again she was someone selected to be a ruler by a magical touchstone, there were bound to be people who acted like this amongst the Candidates.
Ryu strolled into the insides of the castle alongside Al and Priscilla, watching as the people stared his way. He had used some of Hate's power to change his clothing magically so he fit the idea of a Prince, or at least his idea of what one was like. He wore a black dress suit along with a purple cape, with the insignia of the Delta Rune on said cape in white. He had changed up his hair a bit too, smoothing out whatever stray hairs were in his spiky locks. He could hear the people around him muttering and whispering among themselves, with his sharp ears able to pick up on some of the sound.
"Who's that, he looks important."
"What's that insignia on his back?"
"Is he with Lady Barielle?"
"I doubt it, he's got some sort of important aura around him."
And the rumors and ideas were already being thrown around. Fantastic . Emilia turned around to notice him and smiled in relief. "Ryu, you made it!" She exclaimed, causing furthermore rumors to be spread amongst the people around them.
"She seems to know him."
"Who is this guy, really? Strolling in with Lady Barielle and being someone sheknows?"
Ryu sighed and waved at Emilia tiredly. "Heya, Emi. Sorry for taking so long. Then again, you were the one who let me sleep in..."
Roswaal then walked over to him with a smile that unnerved Ryu. "It's good to see you're awake and well, Ryu~" The man said, extending the ending of his name as he typically extended his vowels. "Why don't you stand with the Knights until I call for you, hm?" The man winked at him, as Ryu then sighed and did so, following Al.
"Attention! The council of wise men will now enter!" The head of the Royal Guard, Marcos, declared as said wise men entered and took their seats, with Ryu standing in the line of knights… and noticing a familiar head of red hair.
"So, you decided to come here after all. I'm relieved to know that you're alive and well, Ryu." Reinhard van Astrea said as he shifted his gaze to look at him, causing Ryu to smile at the powerful knight. If there was someone in this world he admired and trusted, it was Reinhard. He could sense this man's pure intentions, he just wanted to do good and be a hero. It was a reminder of someone from his old world too. His adopted 'cousin' figure and trainer, Undyne. "When I heard through the grapevine that Miss Emilia was coming here, I had a feeling you'd be close behind."
"Reinhard. It's good to see you, I've actually been looking for you." Ryu greeted his old friend, as Ryu was then interrupted by the catboy that came with Wil to the mansion a while earlier.
"Oh, how's it goin'?" The brown haired feminine boy asked, his hands held up in a manner reminiscent to paws.
"So, you're here too." Ryu smiled, as Reinhard hummed.
"I take it you know him, Ryu?" The red-haired Knight asked, as Ryuuto nodded.
"Sorta. I met him at Roswaal Manor, when he and another man he called Wil were visiting." He responded to the knight, as the catboy blinked.
"You're not surprised I'm actually a boy, nya?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as Ryu shook his head negative.
"I've got my own ways to determine people's birth sex. Judging by your clothing though, I'd say you're a Knight."
"He is indeed, and a powerful one by the name of Felix Argyle." Reinhard confirmed his analysis, as Felix chuckled softly.
"You're really a peculiar one, aren'tcha, Mister Ryu?" Felix commented, as he then waved and took his own place in line. Ryu laughed under his breath.
"Huh, I keep meeting Knights that I've met before. What next, Julius sneaks up on me?" Ryu joked, before he felt a presence behind him and looked to see the purple-haired Knight he was speaking of smiling behind him.
"Mister Ryu, it's a pleasure to see you again." Julius greeted him respectfully as he typically did, with Ryu doing likewise.
"Same with you, Sir Julius. I hope you've been well." Ryu said in a respectful tone, causing Reinhard to smile as he saw his two friends getting along. Julius replied that he was doing well, before taking his place in the line of Knights as well.
"Now if I may be so forward, I, Marcos, leader of the Imperial Knights… will act as director for all of today's proceedings." Marcos began, as everyone went silent. "It all happened about half a year ago, when members of the royal family, starting with the King, went into hiding one-by-one, causing-"
"Listen, I get you want to talk things up and put up a good show here." The light purple-haired girl among the 4 Candidates in the front of the wisemen interrupted Marcos, as Ryu looked over to look at his supposed rivals. "But I'm kinda busy, y'know. You might not have heard it but we have a saying back in Kararagi: 'Time is money'."
She was starting to remind Ryu of the businessmen back in his world, especially the bigshot men who had control over all the important stuff. Monopolies. If he remembered right, she was Anastasia Hoshin. Head of the Hoshin Trade Company. "I couldn't agree more." A woman with long, dark green hair and amber eyes spoke up. Crusch Karsten. Matriarch of House Karsten, another powerful rival who was well-liked by the people.
"Miss Crusch, should the head of the Karsten family say such a thing?" Marcos asked, as Crusch looked up at the man.
"I acknowledge that its important to observe formalities, but its also a fact that our time is rather limited. So it would be wise to inform us of why we are here." Crusch said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Naturally, however, I do have a general idea."
"Am I to understand that you already know the purpose of this meeting then?" The apparent Head of the Wisemen's Council asked her, a sagely look in his eyes.
"Yes, I do Lord Miklotov." Crusch's confidence was admirable. Did she know about the fact the final Candidates were found? "For a drinking party." Well, that dashed Ryu's original thoughts. She was clueless. "One day soon, we'll face each other as rivals. But by sharing drinks and conversing at the same table, we'll be able to learn more about one another."
"No ma'am," Miklotov said, shaking his head negative. "That is not correct."
"Felix, this is not what you told me earlier!" Crusch turned to the catboy, as the Knight turned to look at his Lady.
"That's not true. All I said is that 'maybe it'd be a drinking party'. I never said I never knew it for a fact or anything." Felix said from behind him, as Crusch turned back to the Wisemen.
"I see. Then I jumped to conclusions. Forgive me, please allow me to retract everything that I just said." Crusch said to the council, as Anastasia then budged in.
"Now just a second! Even if she backs down, my opinion on this isn't gonna change. There's no need to explain the Royal Selection process now, we already know how it works. Am I right?" Anastasia looked at her fellow Candidates for confirmation.
"Well, even so, I think we should hear them-"
"Sorry, but I don't remember asking for any of your opinion on any of this business," Anastasia said to Emilia in a rude tone, causing Ryu's eyes to flare up with magic momentarily in anger. How dare she be rude to his friend, he had half-a-mind to-
"Calm down, Ryu. Getting angry isn't going to help anyone."Austin's voice echoed in the Prince's mind, calming him down slowly. Austin was right. If the Hate Origin of all beings could stay calm for the past few weeks in his body, then he could stay calm for a little while longer himself. Then, Al raised his hand.
"Hey! I don't know about any of this Royal Selection stuff! I'd kinda like to hear the rest!" The helmet-wearing Knight said, as Miklotov looked at Priscilla with a raised eyebrow.
"Excuse me, but I was informed that this young man is your Knight, Miss Priscilla. Haven't you explained the selection to him?" The old man asked, as Priscilla continued to be Priscilla and waved it off.
"Whether I have or not holds no merit. You men will still ramble on about it, won't you?" Priscilla then shifted her gaze to the Royal Knight's Captain. "Please continue, Marcos."
"As you wish." Marcos nodded as he then continued. "There's a specific reason we have gathered you who are qualified to become the Dragon's Priestess. Two new Prophecies have been engraved in the Dragon Stone. This new insight says: 'From the 5 capable of becoming the Nation's new leader, chose one to become the Dragon's Priestess and have them enter a covenant with the Dragon'. But that was the old Prophecy. As of one month ago, a new Prophecy has appeared that changed the way we have viewed the selection. It goes as such. 'From the lands of a realm locked from our own, shall appear the 6th and final Candidate, and from there the 6 Candidates will either lead the Nation to prosperity and strength… or destruction and ruin.' The Council has decided to wait and see if this Prophecy is even possible, and recently Lord Roswaal J. Mathers and Royal Knight Reinhard van Astrea have claimed to have found the final Candidates. Both of you please, come forward."
Both the Margrave and the Knight did so immediately, bowing before the council. Reinhard was the first to go. "Honored Members of the Council of Wisemen," Reinhard began. "Imperial Knight, Reinhard van Astrea, would like to announce the completion of my mission. The Fifth Contender, mentioned in the prophecy, has been located." From behind them, Ryu could hear the large doors open up as Felt came walking through, wearing a frilly yellow dress and accompanied by two young servants. "The one I myself revere as Queen. Her name… is Miss Felt!"
"And aaaas for me…. I have found the anomalous 6th Candidate that was thought to simply be a rumor." Roswaal began, though he started to lose his over-flamboyant voice and attitude and slowly shifted into a more serious persona. "He is already among us, and I believe if he does win the election, things will turn out well. He is already an experienced Prince, who was trained to lead 3 different kingdoms in his childhood. Please, my friend… come on up."
Ryu eventually took this as the moment to walk out of line, as Roswaal's smile widened. "I present to you, the anomalous 6th and final Candidate for the throne!" All the attention in the room shifted to him, as Ryu looked up at the council with his eyes glowing brightly with power. "A powerful mage and a Prince of 2 kingdoms now destroyed! I present to thee, Prince Ryutensei J. Henderson-Shock!"
"A male… how certainly unorthodox. The New Prophecy didn't mention gender restrictions, and the restriction of it being a Priest ess has been removed indeed, but I would have never expected the 6th Candidate to be a male." Miklotov said, as he looked at Roswaal and Reinhard. "And what is the proof for their candidacy?"
"I hope this suffices." Roswaal said, as he gave Ryu an Dragon Touchstone, which began to shine brightly in his palm. Felt was given one likewise, as she then looked at Ryu while holding the glowing object.
"Hey, I know you! You're the one that burned that assassin's face to a crisp!" Felt grinned, before punching Ryu's back causing him to wince slightly. "How's your arm, it seemed pretty damn injured last time I checked!"
"It's healed up nicely, thanks for the concern Felt." Ryu laughed softly, before refocusing on the problem ahead of them. "So, does this prove it to you, sir?"
"Indeed. There is no way to make an illegitimate Dragon Stone, and it is never wrong…" Miklotov said, nodding. "Sir Ryu, I first must say that I am sorry for the fact your former home was destroyed. But I would like to know how this discovery was found."
"I can answer that for both of them." Reinhard said, as he knelt and placed his Dragon Sword next to him. "About a month ago, I met both Sir Ryu and Miss Felt in an alleyway near the Merchant's District. I was just passing through, and I met Ryu there first, becoming quick friends with him." The Knight smiled at him, and Ryu returned the favor. "It was then where I met originally met Felt, as she had run through the alleyway. We later found ourselves in a fight with Elsa the Bowel Hunter after tracking down Miss Felt, where Ryu was able to quickly overwhelm the assassin. As for Miss Felt, after the attack in the slums, I took her in as the Dragon Stone reacted to her and Sir Ryu… though Miss Emilia was willing to take him in, so I left him in her care."
"Are you saying that he's the one who burned the Bowel Hunter's face?" At Miklotov's question, Ryu raised a hand and summoned the yellow-colored flames of Retribution. "I see, and without the usage of any incantations. Truly, this young man is an expert at the usage of Magic. But is that his only qualification?"
Reinhard was about to speak, but Ryu raised his hand to the sky and channeled his Hate magic into the air, forming a misty black 'screen'. "I will tell you my tale, and what I think is the reason the Dragon's Touchstone chose me. This is a tale of two races who ruled over the Lost Isles, and how I interfered with fate to save an entire race from despair. This is my…" Ryu looked up at the people, as he snapped his fingers, turning 'on' the screen as it began to project his memories. " Undertale. "
RE: DETERMINED
Act 3, Chapter 01 - Prelude to Despair (絶望への前奏曲) - END
Yes, that's a cliffhanger.
No, I won't apologize.
This is the turning point where the Law of Re Zero begins to surface. There is always suffering.
Ryu is not exempt.