[Labyrinth of Fate; Chapter 1]
It was midday and the rays of the sun permeated the sandy grounds below. Not a single cloud was in sight which left the unfortunate ones on the ground at the full mercy of the scorching heat. This was certainly an intolerable environment, and for someone accustomed to a life in the city, this was the last place they would want to spend their afternoon in.
"Princess, would you like me to fan you?"
Two individuals were sitting within a luxurious carriage that was slowly being pulled across a seemingly vast desert by two large camels and their driver. A couple hours had already gone by since they embarked across the desert, and besides the rhythmic trots of the camels which shook the carriage, it was relatively silent. The one who once again broke the spell of muteness was a tall man dressed in flashy and colorful attire that much resembled the clothes a priest would wear. He had black droopy hair that hung down which also matched his lazy looking eyes, and his most distinguishable feature were the markings below his eyes.
His name was Koubun Ka, a trustworthy servant of the Kou Empire. Despite his cold personality towards those he was not familiar with, he was exceptionally caring of those he served.
"I can do it myself, I don't need my assistant to do that," answered the other passenger in the carriage.
If one were to describe her personality, willful and stubborn would be common characteristics given to her. She was a young woman, not yet an adult at the age of sixteen, but nonetheless already quite the beauty. Extraordinary auburn eyes, cherry-red lips and milky colored skin; these facial qualities were fine enough to leave most ordinary men breathless. Her dark pink and luscious hair was pinned up with an extravagant golden hair stick which coordinated with her long, elegant gold and pink dress. With just one look, there was no doubt she was royalty.
"That isn't right, princess," Koubun said with a slightly displeased attitude. "You are Kougyoku Ren, the eighth imperial princess of the largest empire of the current era, the Kou Empire. It's my duty as your personal assistant to spoil you. Whether it be fanning you, cooking your dinner, kissing your shoes, or even washing your undergarments, I'll do them all with extreme satisfaction."
"Urgh, you disgust me, pervert," Kougyoku replied with a contorted expression and edged further away from her assistant.
The man had been attending to Kougyoku since she was a child, so their relationship was quite close despite the clear difference in status. If this was their first meeting, and her servant had the audacity to say such a thing, there would've been a fist implanted right into the center of their face. Of course, Kougyoku understood that this was Koubun's attempt to lighten the mood as they endured their tiring travels.
Koubun smiled mischievously as he pulled out a map from the inside of his robe and unraveled the paper.
"We should be arriving at our destination shortly, I'm sure Master Judal is already waiting," Koubun explained while looking over the map. "If we're lucky, we should capture the dungeon by the end of the day which gives you the opportunity for a much needed rest before we head back to the capital."
Dungeon Capturer, it was a term that applies to individuals who had enough power to clear a dungeon, and thus reap its rewards. Thirteen years ago, colossal buildings erupted from the ground in random locations throughout the world without warning. People had gone in and were shocked to discover treasures from ancient dynasties that were believed to be lost across time. The treasures consisted of incredible items; diamond crowns, sapphire thrones, golden palaces and other unimaginable artefacts. Eventually people had coined these buildings as 'dungeons'.
Kougyoku had always dreamed that she would one day acquire the chance to become one of the few individuals who could be deemed as a Dungeon Capturer. Some of her older brothers and sisters have already completed the task, and are now heralded as heroic warriors. Not only was there a large monetary sum that was attained from clearing the dungeon, but a much greater item was obtained. Something that would have Kougyoku's family and the people of the Kou Empire recognize her as something more than some pathetic child.
"I'll get that Metal Vessel no matter what," Kougyoku stated with determination as she firmly clenched her fists.
When one captures a dungeon, they also seize the power of the one who controls the dungeon through an object known as a 'Metal Vessel'. The masters of a dungeon are an artificial being created by the Rukh known as Djinn. They rule over their respective dungeons; living in them, altering them and even changing the difficulty required to complete them. It's believed that the number and strength of the individuals that enter a dungeon dictate the shape of the dungeon itself. For this reason, only two individuals would accompany Kougyoku in her quest; her assistant Koubun and the man known as Judal.
However, Kougyoku did not know much about the man named Judal, except for the fact that he was a Magi. Magi are magicians who can shape the world with their ability to control the world's Rukh. This grants the user impeccable power because of their ability to manipulate Rukh, and thus convert it into magical power, Magoi. With his capabilities as a Magi, Judal has helped other members of the royal family capture dungeons across the land. He was a mysterious individual who mostly kept to himself and rarely interacted with those around him. Though he appeared cruel and arrogant at times, it was because of him that Kougyoku was given the chance to become a Dungeon Capturer. She respected and owed Judal for giving her an opportunity to prove her worth to the Kou Empire.
All her life, Kougyoku had been ridiculed and abused because she was a bastard child. Despite her attempts to rise to an equal rank with her siblings, it never once made a difference because half of her blood belonged to her prostitute mother.
"It'll be different from now on…" Kougyoku whispered beneath her breath with a sense of vigor.
"—!" A gasp escaped from both Kougykou and Koubun as the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
Both of them immediately raced to the front where the driver was seated.
"Hey! What was that about," Kougyoku questioned the driver angrily.
"W-w-we're…" the driver sounded petrified from fear.
"Speak clearly!" Koubun insisted worriedly after noticing something was not right.
Without waiting for an answer, Kougyoku slipped outside the entrance and saw for herself what the commotion was about.
"We're surrounded by thieves!" the driver cried out with a shriek.
"H-how can this be…?" Koubun faltered as he looked towards the outside. "There was previously not a single report of thieves in this area. They don't even appear to be civilians of the Kou Empire!"
The desert between the capital and their destination was still within the territory of the Kou Empire; could they have come from beyond the border and escape detection? The Kou Empire was after all the largest empire in this new age and stretched across a massive amount of land. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think that thieves from out of the country could make it past the border patrols. Such misfortune, to think that Kougyoku would be exposed to thieves when there were no guards around to help her.
Because of Kougyoku's position as the eighth imperial princess, there was quite a dispute that occurred prior to leaving for the dungeon. Questions were asked such as:
"Why is Kougyoku given the chance to become a Dungeon Capturer before the other members of the family?"
"Why is a bastard child even being considered at all?"
As a result, no escorts were given to Kougyoku in her journey to the dungeon. All materials and supplies were gathered by Kougyoku and Koubun without the help of anyone else, and because of that, they were now surrounded by thieves to fend off by themselves as well.
Their numbers were quite high for a band of thieves; ten of them were on camels and approximately another ten followed from behind on foot. They appeared to be quite tolerant of the environment, which hinted at their origins. Another clue was their clothes that were quite distinctive from the ones worn by locals of the Kou Empire. Most of them wore a plain white robe and a keffiyeh to protect their skin against the burning sun. It was common attire for the people of the Oasis City, Qishan, but to think they would travel this far out for their misconducts…
The sounds of swords being drawn signaled their obvious intentions. They grimaced menacingly as they looked towards the carriage, and after seeing Kougyoku, another vile objective was added to their list. Drool seeped from some of their mouths as they licked their lips in a perverse manner. Upon seeing this, Kougyoku slightly shrank back and grasped the sleeves of Koubun.
"Koubun! H-how did this happen? Kougyoku asked tensely as her hands quivered.
"Driver… I'm going to step out to deal with them," Koubun exclaimed to the frozen driver who looked like he'd shatter with a light touch. "The moment you see an opening, I want you to race full speed with the princess towards the planned area."
"Y-yes sir…" the driver weakly moaned.
"Koubun! There's no way you'll come out of this alive!" Kougyoku was now shouting loudly as her nerves were getting to her.
"I can't help it; this is my duty as your assistant…" Koubun replied hesitantly.
"I-if you think I'm the kind of person to leave their subordinate to die, then you obviously don't know me!" Kougyoku lashed out towards Koubun; her stubbornness was admirable, but it clearly led her to dangerous situations at times.
Kougyoku was frightened; the lustful eyes of the thieves spoke about what would happen if they succeeded in capturing her. But this no longer mattered to her when she saw the sweat dripping down from Koubun's forehead, as well as the blood coming out of his palm due to how hard he was clenching his fists. It was times like these where Kougyoku could verify her existence to those she cared about. After all, if she couldn't even protect her friends and family, how could stand in front of the nation as a princess? Even if she would lose her life to a bunch of low-life thieves… at least she would die in a way she believed was righteous.
"P-princess… please remain in the carriage—!" Koubun's voice trailed off into a screech as he witnessed the unexpected.
Kougyoku had grasped her weapon and bounded out of the carriage to face-off against the mob of thieves. She was confident in her combat abilities, and was certain she could handle any of these men in a one on one confrontation. The problem was how long she could last against twenty passion driven thieves.
"Miss, put down that weapon, you'll injure yourself!" a stout older man laughed out and was soon joined by his comrades.
It was probably a peculiar sight, seeing a young lady carry a two-handed sword that was almost the same height.
Without any traces of fear left, she brandished her sword towards the group of thieves.
"Leave this area at once or face the consequences!" Kougyoku announced with authority towards the now stunned men.
A small gust of wind blew across the desert; it would've been perfect if a tumbleweed came rolling between Kougyoku and the thieves.
"What a funny girl! Hahah!" once again, the band of thieves exploded in a racket of laughter.
"Everyone stand back!" the older man from before marched forward with a scimitar in hand. "Let me show you how cruel the real world actually is—!"
The man suddenly broke out into a full headlong charge and swung his blade from an overhead position. It was an unrefined movement lacking any grace and would be predictable to any warrior with minimal training.
Kougyoku angled her blade upwards and easily parried the small blade the man was waving around. With a swift circular motion, she brought her own blade back down towards the torso of the man. Cold steel met with fabric and flesh uninterrupted as the sword made a deep slash across the man's body. Blood gushed out of his wound and he dropped his weapon to apply pressure with both his hands to it.
It was supposed to be an intimidation tactic; she was expecting some of the members to waver, and some to feel anger over the injury inflicted on their companion…
"Are you kidding me!? A young girl injured you!" the band of thieves openly mocked the bleeding man who was inches away from death. Tears could be seen coming out of some of their eyes as they gawked and pointed at their new source of entertainment.
"W-what?" an unanticipated reaction left Kougyoku bewildered.
"We're not dealing with normal people," Koubun had gotten off the carriage and stood beside the confused Kougyoku. "These criminals have unquestionably killed others just for the sake of killing them. They're fighting for their own selfish desires, not for each other."
A simple dagger was gripped in Koubun's hand which was drenched in sweat. He was still noticeably shaken, but it was much better than before. Koubun had practiced the art of using the dagger, and though he was still quite the amateur, it would not lose to the nonexistent style of these thieves.
"Hey lad!" one of the thieves called out to Koubun. "Give us your carriage and the lady beside you and we might let you live."
"G-go to hell you savages!" Koubun answered without any qualms and pointed the tip of his dagger towards the thief. "L-lay one finger on her and I'll kill you!"
In Kougyoku's mind, Koubun had always been a little timid and physically weaker than others. So seeing this sight before her now put a smile onto her face despite the situation she was in.
"Thank you, Koubun…" she whispered loudly enough so her assistant could hear.
"Princess…" Koubun murmured. "We can't let ourselves be surrounded, so on the count of three, we'll break through their formation directly left from us and then run towards the nearest city beside the dungeon. I've already explained it to the driver, the moment they chase after us, he'll race forward and meet us."
Looking towards their left, there were only two men standing side by side, followed by a large gap. It was without doubt that this was the weakest point in which they could aim for. Tactics and strategies was one of Koubun's fortes, it was one of the reasons why he had gained the position as Kougyoku's assistant from once being a child of the slums.
Kougyoku nodded her head in agreement.
"One."
"Then you can die trying to be a hero! Hah!" the thieves readied themselves.
"Two."
They casually motioned towards the carriage.
"Three!"
Kougyoku and Koubun bolted for the left while kicking up a storm of sand from the speed they took off at. Even with the massive sword weighing her down, Kougyoku sprinted for the men on the left before they could react.
"They're fast!" the thieves behind them shouted out as they struggled to keep up.
Kougyoku's two-handed sword immediately impaled through one of the men standing in her way, and she quickly drew back the sword to continue running. To her side, Koubun had disposed of the other man by hastily puncturing the man's carotid artery.
Blood splashed the pale desert ground as the two ran for their lives without looking back. The borders of the city shouldn't be further than twenty minutes away at their top running speed. If they could somehow manage evading the thieves, and pick them off one by one, then it could be possible to reach the city with their lives.
But nothing ever goes as planned.
Koubun realized it was a futile attempt to outrun these thieves who were accustomed to these harsh surroundings, and even Kougyoku knew that for this plan to work, a miracle was required. If anything, this would only delay the inevitable.
The men on camels quickly sped ahead of the two of them, and blocked their advance. Koubun promptly grabbed Kougyoku's hand and dashed towards the right where an opening should've still been available.
As if predicting their movements, the foot warriors suddenly covered their escape route. Kougyoku sharply spun around and scanned the area for any possible way of eluding the enemy, but before they knew it, they had already been besieged on all sides. This group of thieves were more organized than their impressions gave.
"Hey now, you can't just go and kill our friends like that," scoffed one of the men. "We'll have to punish you in return, isn't that right miss?"
Their disgusting voices once again reached the ears of Kougyoku as she trembled slightly at their lecherous eyes. Looking back towards the carriage, Kougyoku noticed the helpless sight of the driver. He was being held up by a knife ready to slit his throat at any moment.
Tears began welling up in Kougyoku's eyes as she glared back towards her enemies around her. Her shoulders shook and her knees felt like buckling underneath her.
"E-everything will be okay, princess," Koubun tried consoling her with his own terrified voice.
"That's right…" Kougyoku said in a dispirited tone. "Koubun, we'll have to try charging through their flanks again and back towards the direction of our carriage."
"Get them!" this time, the thieves stormed towards them before they started running.
Kougyoku and Koubun reacted in an instant and scurried in the opposite direction of the men on camels. A wall of men carrying one-handed swords and knives obstructed their way escape.
There was no other choice, the two of them had to break through or they would be killed. Kougyoku and Koubun assaulted them impulsively without slowing down.
However, the thieves realized that these were two strong individuals that they would never have the chance of beating in a fair fight. So they fought in a way they were quite adept and experienced at.
"KOUGYOKU!"
"Let go of me!" Kougyoku screamed with all her might as she resisted against the men who were twice her size.
The men standing in Koubun's way had leapt to the side before crossing weapons, and instead they surrounded Kougyoku and apprehended her. Five men were needed to stop her assault on the thief that had managed to deflect her sword without sustaining an injury. They held onto her arms and disarmed her of her weapon, and they also restricted her legs to prevent her from thrashing about.
"Let go of her you bastards!" Koubun raised his dagger and rushed forward.
"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you," one of the thieves raised his blade towards Kougyoku's smooth and pale neck.
"You cowards…" Koubun halted in place and gritted his teeth to the point where it was strange that they didn't break.
Slowly, the rest of the thieves gathered and smiled smugly over their underhanded victory.
"Drop your weapon," one of the thieves sternly said.
"Koubun don't!" Kougyoku screamed in a panic. At this point, tears streamed down her distressed face. "Please, just try to run away without me!"
"Shut up—!" a fist had suddenly impacted into the Kougyoku's stomach and she coughed out in pain.
"Now that I look at her closely, she's quite the young beauty isn't she?" the same man drew his knife, and brought it to the top of Kougyoku's dress.
And then, he slowly severed the threads that kept the dress together all the way down to her stomach. The cloth covering her chest was split open, and revealed her soft and innocent looking skin beneath. Lewd expressions were donned on the faces of the thieves as they grinned and sneered at Kougyoku's attractive white skin devoid of any blemishes.
"No… no… don't," Kougyoku lost all power in her voice.
The sound of something solid implanting itself into the ground was heard and Kougyoku slowly raised her head to look.
A dagger was buried into the sand a few meters away from Koubun who was now kneeling on the ground with his head hung.
"Hahah, what an idiot!" the thieves snorted and looked back towards Kougyoku. "Kill him, and then we'll undress the girl."
This wasn't supposed to happen; I haven't even achieved anything yet.
Kougyoku's mind raced and her heart felt like it would burst from her chest. She had worked so diligently and earnestly for the past decade of her life; she wanted to prove to everyone that even though she had the blood of a prostitute in her, she could still become someone great. Her mother had never lived the life she had deserved, despite the fact that she was the most loving and caring person Kougyoku had ever known. Kougyoku wanted to prove the world that her mother was able to give birth to someone great, and that lineage determined nothing.
Rough hands tore and tugged away at her ruined dress while a few men walked forward with their weapons drawn towards Koubun.
Her entire life had been worthless, and yet she still continued fighting for that bleak dream. Was this the reason she had been born? To be raised as a dirty and ill-treated child only to be later violated and killed by the hands of thieves?
"S-stop it…" Kougyoku weakly pleaded with a face drenched with tears. She was always a proud individual who had always fought to find her place in this wold, but now, she was helpless against fate.
It can't end this way… This cannot be my fate…
Time seemed to stop as a sinister and dark power amassed within her soul. It felt to her as though the light was being consumed by this new darkness. Her vision began to cloud with the sight of black butterflies swarming the area, so she closed her eyes to escape the terrible scene before her.
"dO yOu CuRsE yOuR dEsTiNy?"
Kougyoku was a bastard child and she was often condemned by high ranking officials and the legitimate children of the king of the Kou Empire. Her mother had died from an illness when she was still a child, leaving her all alone to fend for herself. It was rare to find any sort of comfort from those around her, because the more she tried to get closer, the more they pushed her away. She was tortured, ridiculed, abused, frightened, miserable, angry, lonely, and she had never belonged.
It would've been simple to just say yes; it appeared perfectly reasonable after all the tragic experiences Kougyoku had faced throughout her life, but even so…
That's right, what am I thinking…? Despite the emptiness of my life, I will never curse my destiny.
To reject her destiny was to reject everything she had lived for thus far. To reject her destiny was to reject everything her mother had given her.
These thieves may take the life of Kougyoku, but they would never corrupt her soul.
I'm sorry mother; I couldn't become someone that would make you proud.
An image of her mother suddenly manifested within her mind. Kougyoku's mother looked just like how she always imagined her; kind, beautiful, and loving. Kougyoku tried reaching out to touch her mother, but no matter how hard she tried, she never got closer.
I'll be reunited with you soon, mother…
Her mother smiled compassionately, but instead of welcoming Kougyoku to her side, she did the complete opposite.
She waved goodbye.
…
The darkness vanished without a trace, but so did the grip of the men who had restrained her.
Cautiously, she slowly opened her eyes in fear of seeing Koubun lifeless body.
Her assistant still remained in the same kneeling position as when Kougyoku last saw him. There was a complete change in him though; instead of his hopeless and fearful expression, it was replaced with one you'd expect of someone who just witnessed a miracle.
Kougyoku briskly began examining the situation and searched the area around her. She couldn't even comprehend what had just happened as she tried assessing her situation.
The thieves who were just moments ago holding her down had all been impaled by different and unique long swords. Each sword had accurately pinpointed the lethal areas of the men, giving them an instant and fatal death. Blood was becoming a common sight for Kougyoku as it continued spouting out of the five men who previously detained her.
Her other senses seemed to have been coming back gradually, because as she motionless stood surrounded by the dead bodies, she heard the pitiful screams of the remaining thieves.
"GET AWAY!"
"THE FANALIS HAS FOUND US!"
"HE FOLLOWED US!?"
"Please spare my life! I had nothing to do with them!"
"I'll do anything, I'll become your slave, please don't kill me—!"
Terrified cries and pleads for mercy was all Kougyoku could hear. At this point her muscle coordination had been recovered and she turned her body to face the commotion.
It was an unexplainable scenario. Kougyoku was sure she had not 'lost consciousness' for more than a minute, but within that short frame of time, the seventeen able members of the thieves were cut down to a mere five.
A new individual had also entered the scene. He was taller than Koubun, who was already above average in height, and was wearing a long brown cloak which concealed his body from head to toe. From the little skin he flashed with each of his movements, it was certain that this man was very conditioned and had a very muscular body stature.
The man wielded two elegant looking blades; one which seemed to absorb all light within its vicinity, and another which dazzled gloriously underneath the blazing sun. Due to its distinguishing shape and form, it wouldn't have been odd to think that they were forged within the Kou Empire. Finally, what struck Kougyoku most was the powerful looking red hair that could be spotted underneath his flimsy cloak.
"Fanalis…" Kougyoku said out loud.
Two key features of the Fanalis race were their red hair and red eyes. The Fanalis were humans from a hunting tribe native to the Continent of Darkness. Their physical strength far exceeded that which normal humans could obtain. They were rumored to be capable of reducing the mightiest of beast to a whimpering and pitiful pet. Though the Fanalis race was a power to be reckoned with, their numbers dwindled after being hunted down for slavery. Their small numbers were not enough to fight off the greed of mankind, and because of that, it was quite rare to see a Fanalis anywhere other than the property of nobility as slaves.
Kougyoku vigilantly continued watching the Fanalis' actions as she reached down for her weapon she had previously dropped.
"What do you want!? Land, money, women!? We'll give you it all!" one of the thieves was reduced to a crying mess as he begged on his knees. He wasn't the only one, as his remaining comrades joined in with his desperate and shameful begging.
"That's not what I want," the Fanalis answered in a cold and harsh tone. His expression could not be seen from Kougyoku's angle, but it was no doubt a horrifying one based on the reactions of the thieves.
"Why are you chasing us then!?" the thieves were getting more restless and fearful as the Fanalis suddenly took a step forward towards them. The pungent and nauseating smell of urine was now prevalent throughout the air.
"Three days ago, your band of thieves massacred a small rural village… Men, women, children they were all killed by your wretched hands," the Fanalis was shaking; it felt like the air around him could tear a piece of steel to shreds with just its force. "And for what reason were they killed? I've been tracking your group for the past couple days after our last engagement and all I've seen your group do was visit brothels and engorge yourselves in luxurious foods. You're telling me innocent victims were killed just too briefly satisfy your desires?"
Not a single sound was heard from the five men who prostrated themselves in front of the Fanalis.
"ANSWER ME!"
"W-w-we're sorry!" they all squealed. They were nothing more than little rodents now. "We'll never do it again, we swear on our lives!"
"You've executed many innocent lives in cold-blood; do you actually believe you deserve my pity?" the man asked a question that the thieves could not answer. Answering 'yes' would incite the man's wrath, but answering 'no' would basically be the same as forfeiting their lives
"…" an obvious answer by the thieves.
However, the Fanalis did not appear phased by the thieves' lack of response. Instead he relaxed his shoulders, and drew in a long and deep breath.
"I'm not certain what the law is for criminals who have committed atrocious crimes, but I hope they punish you accordingly," the Fanalis unsympathetically announced.
"You mean you'll let us live?" they asked in shock.
A long and exasperated sigh escaped from the Fanalis' mouth as if to try and calm him down. There was still a deadly aura circulating around him that seemed to long for the death of the thieves, but it seemed like his willpower was enough to suppress his murderous cravings.
"I'll let the officials of the nearby city decide the course of action to take. I'd rather not kill if necessary," the Fanalis surprisingly said. "Your other comrades made the mistake of trying to attack me or taking hostages. Stay there, and do not move until I say so."
The Fanalis suddenly turned his heels on the thieves, and left them to quarrel and converse amongst themselves. His strides were long and he motioned towards Kougyoku and Koubun, who had stood beside her without her noticing. As he walked towards them, his torn and dirty cloak billowed behind; looking at him now, his appearance gave off the impression of a spectre of death.
Reacting to the approaching figure, the nervous Koubun had stepped in front of Kougyoku with his dagger positioned for combat. Strangely enough, Kougyoku had not felt a single drop of fear as the man drew closer and closer. She reached for Koubun's shoulder, and pulled him back to indicate that she would deal with the Fanalis. They shouldn't be showing that they were willing to fight, after all, what chances did they have against a man that could easily dispose of more than a dozen thieves?
A distance of five meters separated Kougyoku and the Fanalis as he finally stopped approaching. He raised his two blades up into the air and threw each of them into the ground to his side. For someone who had so much power, he seemed awfully sensitive to those he wasn't trying to kill.
"Are you two alright?" the Fanalis asked in a gentle and soft voice.
"A-ahh, y-yes!" it completely caught Kougyoku off-guard. "Thank you for your assistance."
"Not a problem," he replied in a seemingly embarrassed manner as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
At this instant, Kougyoku's cheeks began blushing deeply in a light pink hue as she brought up her sleeves in an attempt to hide it from the man standing in front of her. It was a habit of Kougyoku to conceal herself whenever she was ashamed by the reddening of her face. She fought so hard to maintain a sophisticated composure, but standing before this man and seeing him like this had somehow taken down all her defenses.
An awkward silence enveloped the both of them as the man seemed to watch Kougyoku's odd behavior. With no other choice, Kougyoku had to rely on her emergency solution to regain a decent poise to face the man in front of her. She brought both the palms of her hands a few inches away from her cheeks, and gave herself a couple of quick firm slaps. It was a technique she had developed herself in case of situations like the one she was in now. In order to concentrate on something other than her embarrassment, she could deceive her own mind by inducing pain! It was quite ingenious.
A sigh could be heard from Koubun as Kougyoku completed her method.
"Is something the matter?" the Fanalis had asked after observing another bizarre sight.
"Nothing's wrong!" Kougyoku had replied in a shout. She had to find a new topic, fast. "Why did you save us from those thieves?"
"There was no way I could ignore something like that," the Fanalis answered in a confident voice that was filled with a sense of fulfilment. "I'm just glad I was able to make it on time and save the two of you before something terrible happened."
"Ahh…" the wonderful words that came out of the man's mouth had left Kougyoku temporarily at a loss for words. "No words could ever express how thankful I am."
Did this man know the identity of Kougyoku and was just flattering her? Was this why he was acting so prim and proper in front of her? Such questions continued bombarding Kougyoku as she tried figuring out the Fanalis' intents. It was unlikely the man had a lot of money judging by his broken down cloak he was donning. If he was looking for money, then he definitely deserved it now.
"You don't have to thank me… Since I must apologize for everything," the Fanalis slightly lowered his head to prove he was genuine in his words. "It might have been due to my negligence that this band of thieves travelled this far out into the desert."
"What do you mean?" Koubun asked in curiosity. When Koubun returns with Kougyoku to the capital, he would have to report this incident to his superiors. If he had evidence regarding how the thieves' presence was unpredictable, then he could avoid any harsh penalties.
"I have had previous encounters with these thieves, and each time they were able to flee because I had to attend to the injured before I could successfully deal with them," the Fanalis said emotionlessly. "I suspect because of my actions in tracking them, they eventually fled east into this territory."
"So that explains why they would venture out so far…" Koubun said with interest.
For what reason did the Fanalis track down the thieves? Did they kill someone he knew? Did they take something valuable of his? Was he some sort of mercenary hired to capture the thieves? Each question Kougyoku thought up, another two would suddenly follow. She was becoming overwhelmed by the many questions she had for the Fanalis, and she knew no idea where to start.
"I-I'm Kougyoku Ren, the eighth imperial princess of the Kou Empire," she finally settled with introducing herself.
"P-p-p-princess!" Koubun shouted out in dismay. "You shouldn't reveal your identity to strangers!"
"It's fine," Kougyoku nonchalantly waved off the warning. "And this man beside me is my assistant, Koubun Ka."
As Koubun's temper flared from the lack of care that Kougyoku had just exhibited, the Fanalis removed the hood of his cloak and revealed his face.
It belonged to a male that looked a little older than Kougyoku, but not yet a full grown adult. Looking at his face felt calming, even though it had given off a sense of solitude and a hardened life. It was a clean face that lacked any facial hair unlike the people to the west, and he had stunning golden-brown eyes.
A sudden dissonance of information was noticed by Kougyoku; the members of the Fanalis race were supposed to have red eyes to go along with their red hair. She wanted to ask him about this, but before she could, there was something else about his mysterious man.
He seemed to be fiercely glaring at the both of them with his captivating eyes. Kougyoku had suddenly stiffened upon realizing this.
"You're from the royal family of the Kou Empire?" the gentle demeanour had shifted to the menacing one he had previously shown to the thieves.
"Y-yes I am…" Kougyoku should've been used to being in the presence of powerful individuals, but the pressure exerted by this man in front of her was quite uncomfortable.
"Is that so…" the man said with annoyance, and then weirdly enough, began taking off his cloak.
"W-what are you doing!?" Kougyoku stuttered after witnessing the man undress in front of her.
Luckily, the man was still covered underneath his cloak by a unique and lustrous suit. It was sleeveless, and appeared to be made of a durable type of leather that tightly hugged his impressive physique.
After removing his cloak, the man tossed it over to the muddled Kougyoku.
"I would actually like to avoid associating myself with your kind," the man stated as he moved to collect his two blades lodged in the sand. "But that won't stop me from asking you to cover yourself up."
Seconds passed as Kougyoku tried piecing together what the man meant. She looked at the torn and old cloak she had grabbed in the air, and then down at herself. It was only now that she remembered… Her dress had been split right down the middle.
"Koubun! Why didn't you tell me!?" a flustered Kougyoku screamed at her assistant with a blushed face, and clumsily covered herself with her newly acquired piece of fabric.
"I completely forgot myself…" Koubun said apologetically.
Kougyoku prayed to god that the man hadn't seen anything he wasn't supposed to, or else Kougyoku would have surely been ruined for marriage… This was beside the point; the other thing the man said had deeply troubled her. Although she could die from embarrassment at the moment, she looked back towards the man.
"S-sorry, but could you repeat and explain what you said in the beginning? I think I'm misunderstanding something," Kougyoku addressed the man while rolling up the excessively long sleeves of the cloak.
With piercing imperturbable eyes, the man gazed directly into Kougyoku's eyes. She couldn't help but glance down in discomfiture to avoid the man's formidable look.
"To put it simply…" the man said in a calm but threatening voice. "Just looking at your face pisses me off."
…
"W-w-w-what!?" Kougyoku stammered in a mix of confusion and irritation. She was not certain what Koubun's reaction was, but it was probably similar to her own. "You you you you—! How could you say such a thing!?"
That was definitely the rudest statement a random stranger had ever told her. Sure, those in the palace have said some nasty things that were on a different level, but this was the first time she was so utterly offended by the words of someone she had just met. Kougyoku was never known to back down from an argument, and she sure as hell was not going to let this man get away with ridiculing her like this. With her fists firmly planted against her sides, Kougyoku continued shouting towards the red-haired man as he spun around and began walking away.
"You you you idiot—! You piss me off too!" she shouted whatever came to mind, which wasn't much.
"My name isn't 'you' or 'idiot'," the man lifted one of his hands holding a sword and gestured his farewell. "My name is Shirou Emiya."
And with that, he moved towards the kneeling thieves and ordered them to move towards the direction of the nearest city.
Meanwhile, Kougyoku and Koubun silently watched as the man named Shirou vanished into the distance.
[Chapter 1 End]
Author Notes:
I hope you enjoyed the first real chapter of my new fanfic. The biggest problem I had with my previous story was that there were little differences from the canon storyline. So this is my solution to fix this problem; put Shirou in an area that is not really covered in the manga.
This takes place a year before the start of the manga timeline, and starts at the point where Kougyoku gets her metal vessel from the Vinea Dungeon. From that one frame in the manga where Kougyoku was shown in the dungeon, she appeared relatively similar to her current age in the manga, so my guess is that she acquired her metal vessel not too long ago.
Well, that's what I got so far, look forward to the next chapter! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are always welcome!
Till next time,
Cheers.