Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 12
Belief
The path through the trees towards the spiral staircase was silent as Anshii walked it. There were no birds singing, there were no small fluffy creatures coming out to look at her as she passed. The sun wasn't peeking through the trees to bathe her in a shining light as she walked.
This wasn't a shojou. No Magical Girls here.
She came to the first step, paused, and looked up. At the top of the stairs, everything would change. She'd do it. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and then squared her shoulders as she stepped onto the first step and began to ascend the staircase.
He paced back and forth, still annoyed at the audacity of the witch. She had some nerve. She had some gall. To publicly make fun of him! He'd show her. Tomorrow, he'd make some offhand comment to someone about her and let it humiliate her. He'd fix it so that she'd never want to be seen on campus again.
"The Rose Gate has opened," Ayomi said quietly.
But he didn't hear her. He was too busy plotting his revenge.
At the top of the staircase, Anshii paused again. Oh, for the composure of the Rose Bride! But… no. Not ever again. She could live with the anxiety. It was what made her real, what proved that she was alive. Her palms were clammy, she was as nervous as it got, but she was alive. And she would do this and win.
She believed in it.
As far as Keuseke was concerned, Anshii looked as calm and composed as the Rose Bride. He had no idea that she honestly wanted to go lock herself in her room and hide from the world. He had no clue how easy that would be for her to do.
Instead, he saw her approach with calm, measured steps. He saw the ease with which she carried her sword. He saw determination in the lift of her chin and the set of her shoulders.
And still, he would defeat her. She was, after all, a witch.
Ayomi set the pale yellow rose at Keuseke's chest, and then turned to Anshii, pinning a rose as red as scarlet to her dueling uniform. The soft voice whispered words that Anshii herself had said time and time again: "Should this rose be knocked from your chest, you lose the Duel."
Anshii nodded, knowing full well that she didn't intend to lose the duel, and that this wasn't the color of the Prince. Turning her gaze to Keuseke, she smiled. "I do hope that you will forgive me for my impropriety. I just couldn't think of a better way to challenge you."
He turned several shades of red, his cheeks dangerously approaching the color of the rose at Anshii's chest. She tilted her head in a formal nod, smiled primly, and stepped away.
She waited until Keuseke had summoned the Sword of Dios, and then took the formal stance that Juri had taught her. He noted the stance and sneered.
"So you've taken a lesson or two from our dear Fencing Instructor. It won't help you." He accompanied his words with a strong attack of the sword.
She parried, arm stinging from the impact of blades. Feinting low, she replied. "Perhaps," She thrust high, taking him off-guard, but he danced out of the way in time for her to miss his rose. "Perhaps not."
He returned the attack, moving in the form that Juri had warned her about. It was one that Ryuuji had used, and was difficult to avoid unless you knew the move itself. But Anshii had practiced well, and the point of Keuseke's sword-point met only air.
He scowled, and headed for Anshii again, only to be brought up short.
Dios was coming.
The Prince was coming to hold the witch.
Anshii's breath caught in her throat as the rose scent enveloped her again. Miki's words echoed in her head, the only mantra that she allowed. What if you were never a witch? What if you were a Princess? She felt Dios' smile. His hands covered hers, and she felt him direct her movements. She felt the jarring clash of the swords tingle her arms, but she didn't resist. Instead, she let Dios move through her, act as if he was there in her place.
For a moment, the world stopped, and her eyes flew open. She had no recollection of closing them, and she was only vaguely aware of the scent of the roses drifting away with the sound of bells in the breeze. Her eyes focused on a single rose petal dancing in the breeze. She admired the contrast of the rose petal against the blue sky, the fragile-seeming spot of yellow floating like sunlight.
Yellow…?
Slowly, Anshii registered what she was seeing. She'd won with Dios' help. Keuseke sat on the ground, looking at the point of Juri's sword still pinning the yellow rose to his chest.
Anshii stepped back, drawing the sword away from him, and the rose dissolved into petals on the wind.
A drop of wax sealed the envelope, and a dark-skinned hand expertly set the rose seal into the wax. Mariko would have to duel. It was the only way to fix things now.