A man groaned in pain as his body stopped glowing.
He landed on a platform and quickly spat blood.
"KukuhAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He laughed maniacally.
He was injured, but it didn't matter to him.
Multiple stab wounds went across his body.
"He knew how to counter everything…!"
Disbelief grew in his voice. The man had gone through something— a fight.
He sat down on the platform and grabbed a bottle from under it.
A small bottle with some red "beans". He opened said bottle and swallowed them down—fluently, smoothly went down the throat.
"Gah! Shit!"
It immediately took effect. All injuries began to heal in a matter of milli-seconds.
The man sighed in relief as all the pain and fatigue faded. All that remained were his thoughts.
"He didn't even use an ounce of magic…!"
From what he could tell, not even the slightest amount of magic was used from the opposing party. He merely read and reacted to everything.
The man stood up and walked. You could see bodies inside some sort of container… magic was being drained from said bodies. All going collectively somewhere, that could not be detailed as of currently.
"...that power… was it the same as this?"
But the man himself used the power to such levels not seen prior.
But his opponent had not used power.
The man looked as blood was drawn from others. They weren't useful. No. They weren't useful compared to those they needed.
"...I need more!"
More desperation for his goal to accomplish. After such humiliation, he needs the power…!
He looked as transparent tubes drew as much blood as they could from the people.
"I need more beads… I need more power… I need to be stronger."
That's the sole reason for all this existing, after all.
Each and everyone inside the Cult had their reason for power.
No reason was the same. Sure, some could be similar, but no reason was the same.
"I need the Diablos…"
"Fenrir-sama…"
Two doors burst open as a man with circular glasses appeared from them. He had short black hair that reached his ears.
The man took a good look at Fenrir and you could see an eyebrow being raised.
"What's with all the blood, Fenrir-sama?"
Fenrir himself stood up and walked towards the man.
"I met the Peak of Skills… of martial arts… And that's something I can't withstand."
Fenrir looked at the man, a grin appearing on his features.
"You teleported. The Artifact can only transfer so much matter at a time. I warned you about this, Fenrir-sama."
"I'm here, I'm fine. It worked as it was supposed to."
"Now the Artifact needs to be fixed."
"It can be done. Now… I couldn't find any vessel other than Iris Midgar, but we can't do much as of currently. Only having one vessel is a nuisance. We need multiple."
"Precaution in-case of messing up?"
"You got it."
Fenrir walked towards one of the containers and placed a hand against the window separating the two.
"We need more…"
"Supplies have gone down, and due to the multitude of failed experiments on the possessed, we've lost a great number of potential candidates."
"That won't do. After all, there's no way he'd grow weaker."
".."he"?"
"Shadow."
"—?"
"We need the Supply of Diablos, and as fast as possible. If it weren't for the Artifact, I assure you, I would've been dead, Petos."
"But Fenrir-sama, you're one of the strongest within the Round of Knights, how can that be?"
"My magic did nothing to dissuade him…"
"You lost?"
"Kukukukuku…"
"—"
"I'll meet him again, I'm sure of it…"
"Did he use magic? Is there a way for us to be able to capture him?"
"Magic? I couldn't even feel magic within him. He merely used a sword and… to say the least, made a fool out of me."
"..."
"We need to revive the Right Arm. I need that power if I want to ever beat Shadow in the fight…!"
"I'll look into it. But… it's as I told Viscount Grease. We have to be wary. The Therianthrope I captured was stolen away, and we have no information about their where-abouts. We've lost a lot of men and resources."
"It only means they couldn't do their job properly. Don't let it get to your head, Petos. We have a goal—I have a goal."
"And I ask for you, Fenrir-sama, to understand the circumstances. We are losing a lot and way too quickly."
"It doesn't matter!"
Fenrir slashed at the now named Petos with anger. Petos stood there, calmly.
"As long as I have the strength to defeat Shadow, we're all going to be fine. So don't you dare question me."
"I wasn't. I was warning you, and letting you know of the troubles that have happened."
Fenrir turned around.
"I'm going to train more on my skills. You're better off leaving, as of currently. Else I might kill you by pure intention."
Petos looked at Fenrir as Fenrir walked a certain direction. Petos sighed before he turned around and walked through the doors he had entered. They closed.
"Shadow even knew of what they called me years ago…"
Fenrir believes that Shadow might be as old as he is.
"I need Diablos…"
Fenrir knows that he needs Diablos.
"Princess! You must leave the facility!"
People surrounded one red-haired girl as they quickly ran out of the arena. Said red-haired girl looked troubled as the ground shook and explosions could be seen in the distance.
"This way!"
One felt the power coming from it—from them. It completely overpowered those from the Kingdom with ease.
A guard bent down over the princess as rubble landed on his back.
"Quickly! Move! Move!"
The damage those explosions were causing were more than enough for the Kingdom to be sent on high-alert. Most Knights were moving in disarray, all looking for the source.
"I-I need to see what's going on!"
"Princess! We are under strict orders…!"
One of the guards surrounding the Princess said as the princess herself looked back at the destruction that was being caused.
Buildings were collapsing—rubble increasing by the second.
Not only her and the guards, but hundreds of people hurriedly left the scene or anything near. It was certain that any life that was caught in the crossfire had disappeared.
"But we must know who the culprit behind all of this is…!"
The Princess argued.
"We'll let the higher ranking members of the Dark Knights do such a thing… We must go, Princess Iris-sama!"
"No!"
The Princess stopped running and turned immediately, before she herself began running back.
"Princess Iris-sama?!"
Iris ran towards where the explosions blasted loudest. Fear evident, but determination evident too. Her guards tried to convince her many times, but she didn't give in. No. She'll be the next ruler of this Kingdom, will she not? She has to stand for it, and defend it herself.
The closer she got, the less explosions there were. They'd died down… But remaining magic could be felt. Extreme levels of it, too.
Where did it happen? Where did it begin? Iris herself, not her guards could tell… but this was the place where most magic was felt.
She and her guards walked with caution. They could feel nothing other than the remaining magic, but they were still wary.
There was nothing, as much as there was no-one.
But the damage in this place was major.
"Not even I have this much power…"
She doesn't know what caused this or why. All she knows is that the collision is stronger than anything she could muster even in the midst of a fight…
"Princess Iris, it is best we leave."
The remaining magic felt weird—released. Something that few people did. She didn't even do it herself, as she saw no reason to…
She looked around and once more, there was nothing.
"Why…"
She didn't know why, and that's what bothered her. If only she knew a reason.
But alas, there was nothing to see, but something to be wary of… whatever that may be.
…
It's been fourteen days.
Fourteen days since there was a fight within the Kingdom, a fight where she was involved in.
She looked over the arena. Today it is the quarter finals. No-one caught her interest. Sure, she saw a huge amount of potential within fighters, but none really caught her attention as much as Fenrir and Shadow did.
She, Beatrix, was interested to such a level. After her defeat, she had begun a search of her own, trying to find where Shadow was currently, to no avail. She had a feeling that the eyes she felt in the arena were his, but she hasn't felt them again since then. When she felt his stare, she began searching for him immediately, and found someone strong, and she herself got defeated.
It was the person she had been hunting for. The Chaos Demon of Midgar. She had heard of the killing this person had done and she had been hunting for them for years, but not once did she find a trace of them… until recently. She hasn't been able to find them once more recently but she believes they're still in the Kingdom.
She looked over the arena. Currently, it's vacant. Currently waiting for those who're going to participate in the quarterfinals.
She looked around at those seated.
None came close to the image that she had of the one named Shadow. None looked all too interesting, strong or anything in between, and if, by any chance he was there, he did a great job of concealing himself. Was he not looking for glory? For fame? Was he like her, to that extent, only looking to fight strong opponents? She could commend him for it, if it's the case.
But now she's curious.
She wants to meet him.
She wants to talk to him.
She's interested in whoever that being is.
How is he so strong?
She wants to meet him.
She'll continue her search, and she'll also train harder. After all, her pride is the least of her worries… She herself knows she has to grow stronger. Fenrir—or the "Chaos Demon of Midgar" showed her that there's room for that, and Shadow showed her that it's not power, but the utilization of it; she knew beforehand, but it just showed her that she has room for improvement.
"..."
She stretched her arm. A finger pointed forward, towards the air itself…
She remembers how Shadow healed her. The beam of purple that hit her. Power that healed and removed all fatigue.
She tried to imitate it with her own magic…
"..."
No avail. Back when he did it, he said he had things to do, things to accomplish…
And he disappeared, and she felt people approaching her location, so she too disappeared, as if not wanting to be someone who caused the destruction. She would've taken the blame, or at least tried to explain what happened, but she'd be blamed for it no matter what, and she herself didn't want such a thing.
She knew how hard it is to let magic out and be able to use it in the air, so for him to do such a thing was quite outstanding. She also questioned… What did he hide?
Fenrir was quite potent and his abilities were outstanding, but Shadow never showed anything other than understanding and knowing how Fenrir's abilities functioned from the get-go, so what could Shadow himself do?
She'll never get her answers if she doesn't meet him again, she knows that quite well.
The arena had three people; three whom she knew quite well. Not that they knew her personally, of course.
On one side stood Iris Midgar, Princess of the Midgar Kingdom, and on the other side stood Eduard Suchiro. One of the best Dark Knights under the age of thirty. Most Dark Knights get stronger with age; they're not your usual soldiers who with age grow weaker.
But how does that work? Dark Knights have a strict schedule; they're forced to work and train, not like the soldiers from the Kingdom, so Eduard Suchiro is a prime example. Why is he, then, here?
Most look to grow in the rankings or stronger, and this just allows him to do both.
He wore bulky armor that covered all-around his body. Not a visible thing but his hands, where he only had gloves on. The sword he had was long and thick. Its weight makes it hard to carry, but when set in motion, hard to defend by the opposing side… but also hard to stop by the one wielding it. Momentum is a bi—
She knows how all of this works. After all, she has her favorite equipment for said reason. She doesn't wear much armor, merely a chestplate (literally, only covering her chest) thus allowing for fluent and continuous motion, allowing her to move freely and smoothly.
That's what Iris Midgar did, but her fighting style was no such thing. She barely wore armor, using her royal clothing and over it merely wearing boots and a chestplate. She had a simple sword, as no artifacts were allowed yet, but most restrictions had been removed from this and the final fight.
No limits in the amount of magic.
The remaining ones were: Avoid injuring civilians
No Artifacts
No killing
There was an artifact play for the first one, of course. Not even she, Beatrix, could get past unless she got serious—not a lot, since she's still one of the strongest ever known as of currently, but it'd still take a bit.
"On this side, we have Iris Midgar, Princess of the Midgar Kingdom!"
There's no referee from the quarter-finals onward. It had to be someone who could overpower them—the fighters, and there are few that could. Of course, there are the obvious, but even then it's not recommended to get in the midst of a fight because it could cause an injury to either side or the referee themselves… It's mostly trusting the fighter not going overboard. There's punishment if they do, of course.
"And on this side we have Eduard Suchiro! Member of the "Dark Force" branch!"
Dark Knights went by ranks and branches. Most were knights, as that's the title, but if some had more magic or were well-versed on something different, there were branches for it.
Iris Midgar is too from the "Dark Force" branch, since she's mainly a Dark Knight—a knight, as is Eduard. The other branches specialized in magic, tactics and a whole of other stuff.
"Are both fighters ready?"
Both of them nod.
"Alright then!"
They wait.
"Begin!"
Dust appeared beneath Eduard as he disappeared from where he stood. Iris Midgar reacted, moving back to get a better grasp on Eduard.
His speed was quite the thing, one must say.
Iris raised her sword to her right, right when Eduard appeared and swung his blade.
It being so big sent Iris flying the opposite direction, the momentum of the blade being hard to stop.
She landed on her two feet, one back and one front.
She twisted everything to her left, and raised her blade, blocking another strike. Once again, the momentum and magic being so hard to stop, she had no option but to retreat once more to avoid being striked down.
Regaining her balance, she tried to get her eyes on the target, but she had no such luck. She had to move herself back a step to avoid being cut. She couldn't understand how Eduard could be so fast with such clunky and heavy equipment.
She raised her eyesight back up and instantly tried to find the target. Successful. Her target was gaining his bearings once more after failing to hit her three times.
He's fast though clunky. He uses the raw output of his movements and magic to make it way stronger. So she'll take advantage of that clunkiness.
She rushed towards Eduard who too attacked her.
He did a horizontal slash, forcing her to either stop, jump or duck. But she continued moving forward. The moved to the left and the blade flew past her, and she immediately was within striking range.
She thrusts her blade towards Eduard—
Clunk!
—but it hits his sword.
She attacks once more, and begins her offensive. She begins her attacks, trying to force an opening.
This somewhat reminds Beatrix of Shadow. Shadow didn't force anything… it's almost as if he knew that if he did an attack, a spot would open instantly. He used those to his advantage and she could tell.
Iris Midgar is forcing an opening, mostly attacking Eduard's left with the intention for him to not react in time to protect his right.
But it failed, as not only did Eduard react in time, his blade being so thick let little to no openings be there. Of course, Beatrix could see some, but for someone who's inexperienced as Iris, she couldn't.
Eduard took just the tiniest of openings and kicked her in the guts, once more sending her back, but she didn't stop. The moment she regained balance, her barrage began once more.
But Eduard himself already saw enough, as he blocked Iris' blade and kicked her once more.
If he couldn't attack with his blade due to defending, he'll use his legs.
Iris took notice after being hit twice, so she decided to immobilize him; aim for his legs.
He raised his blade and used magic all over his body.
He too began his attack once more, Iris dodged what she could and blocked what she could. But blocking was a no-go. His momentum and magic was too much for her, she had to overpower him…
Is what she thought. Beatrix knew and saw. You don't need to overpower, but to outskill them.
Iris poured as much magic as she could as she began her barrage. Her intention was clear to Beatrix.
Aim for the neck, get it blocked. As fast as possible, aim for the legs.
And that's how it went. Iris aimed for Eduards neck. It, of course, got blocked.
She ducked and with all her upper-body tried to hit Eduards legs.
It, of course, got blocked.
Kick to the face.
This sent her rolling, but it didn't matter.
She stood up at a moment's notice and immediately blocked an attack. Eduard was giving her no time to rest.
He swung to her right, blocked. Kicked her on the left.
Her body almost went against Eduard's sword, but tilting her blade just enough let her slip by.
Wasn't enough to avoid Eduard who used her moment of freedom to his advantage.
He appeared behind her—the clunkiness was not there. He's been through worse, and that much was obvious for Iris.
His speed was outstanding.
He kicked her in the back, forcing her down, before he grabbed her head and placed it on the ground.
Before she could even start moving, a sword was pressed on the back of her neck.
She had been defeated.
"Iris Midgar has been defeated! Eduard Suchiro advances to the next and final round!"
There are only a few ways for you to be defeated in these rounds.
-A very serious injury.
-Surrender.
-Fallen down position, blade crossed on your neck.
The most common one is the third one.
Eduard sheathed his blade back and stretched his hand out to Iris, who accepted it, albeit shamefully. She was almost in tears—frustration was evident in her features.
She still stood up and Eduard bowed down, before he retreated to the tunnels, as did she.
"...she's frustrated."
Beatrix could tell. And what will she do? Nothing. She'll let Iris Midgar do her stuff.
She, Beatrix, is here for every Bushin festival. [Author: Pretty sure that in the LN it's not like that.]. She's constantly in the search for something, but she takes her time coming here to see who's the new star in Midgar.
What is she searching for? Her niece, who was lost a year ago. She has found no sign of her—they were identical at their young age. So… if she's still alive, it's safe to assume that she'll look similar to her.
But in three days it'll be the final match for this year's Bushin Festival, so she'll go back searching after then. After all, she has someone else to find here in Midgar.
Shadow.
"Next time don't let go of my hand when we're running! You're not as fast as I am!"
Nee-san was scolding me as of currently.
I sat down, seiza position with my head lowered.
"You know how long it took us to find you?! Only to see you behind baldy running away from the center of the chaos…!"
When I went to fight, I saw two people. A silver haired man and a platinum (pretty much silver) haired woman who happened to be an elf. I was wondering which side to choose. The silver haired man was clearly stronger, and the elf looked somewhat similar to Alpha. How similar? I can't really say since Alpha is still quite young but if Alpha somehow aged instantly today, they'd look way too similar.
"I was scared and hugged myself…! Before I lost sight of you Onee-chan!"
"And you somehow found baldy before me?!"
"It was a coincidence! He was running and I saw a glint! The sun reflected off his head!"
"While it's a valid and completely reasonable excuse, that doesn't mean I'm not angry!"
She was walking around as if she was my mother. Arms crossed, walking from one point to another. Funnily enough, Kaa-sama was seated in the corner just reading the newspaper calmly.
"This is the fifth time you've done it in two weeks…!"
"What thing?"
"Scold me!"
"I have to, otherwise you'll do it again!"
"We haven't even gone to see the other matches!"
"Yeah because of you and your lack of relevance!"
"What does that mean Nee-san?!"
"You're as easy to forget as you're to lose sight of!"
"That's mean! Kaa-sama, Nee-san is being mean…!"
"...I wouldn't say she's wrong."
"Is she ever?"
Oto-san added.
"Haah?! You're our parents! Why are you taking a side?!"
"One has to agree with the obvious."
"Shut it Oto-san!"
"Shut it Baldy!"
"...what they said, baldy."
"Anyways! It was not my intention! She lost sight of me because she had a weak grip and I am merely an eleven year old boy!"
"That's a dumb argument! She's twelve!"
"As Kaa-sama said, Cid! You should be as if not more mature than I am!"
"Are you calling both of us immature?!"
"You!"
"Anyways it's your fault!"
"No it ain't!"
"I heard the finals start some day soon!"
"HAH?!"
"Yeah! Apparently Iris Midgar-sama lost against Eduard Suchiro and both he and Mel Figuer are in the finals!"
"How do you know all of this, Cid?!"
I pointed towards Oto-san.
"How do you know all of that, baldy?!"
"Is that a way to treat your own father?"
"I'm going to kick you again."
"I read it in this newspaper! The very first page talks about Iris Midgar's defeat and the next competitors!"
He pulled some newspaper from a stack and placed it in front of his very own head.
"Who are those other two competitors, then?"
"I-uh, two dark knights from the "Dark Force" branch! One is twenty eight, the other being twenty nine!"
"Who is who?"
Eduard Sochiro is a low class noble who grew in standings due to his determination and strength! Mel Figuer is a high class noble who learned Royal Bushin method and became one of the best at it!"
"Don't they usually have other people from other lands?"
"Most of the time, yes! But this year was an exception; not because something happened, just none of them showed up…!"
"...I see…"
"You see Nee-san?"
She turned back to me as Oto-san became one with the chair.
"Yeah… The finals are tomorrow…"
She turned to Kaa-sama, who already handed her a pouch.
"Cid. If you get lost once more, you'll be training five times as hard as you are currently, food will be limited and anything that Claire says, goes. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am!"
I wanted to go back to Midgar just to see those people again. I mean the silver-haired man showed me some ways in magic I haven't seen before that were cool! I need to learn to do that!
Oh, also, the artifact had been set up and now we're safe and secure! As if we weren't before. Like, what are the chances of a kidnapping or someone stealing a Dark Knight? Not very. It's not known that Oto-san is a Dark Knight, but, ei, he can still defend us.
…as if I can not defend myself.
Anyways.
The silver haired man. His powers were cool! Imagine being able to make an exact copy of your body with magic! That's wild! And then he hid himself and his presence WITH magic! That's cool! But it's hard to conceal magic itself. I felt with each step of movement he took the flow of the magic move as well, thus giving his position away easily.
Also he made a thousand blades appear out of thin air, and while I can do that too, he felt different. It was no magic, but it seemed the blade had something to do with it? I really don't know. Anyways, I called him the Chaos Demon of Midgar and both he and the elf looked surprised at that name… I've never heard of it and I thought it'd be cool to call him that.. Was I wrong?
He said that I was as old as he was! Even though he looked young..! That's magic, no? I want to live at least 300 or 600 years, so I hope to find something similar! Or is he even old? Is he just playing around? I don't know, I just know that his magic was cool.
I'll try to imitate it another time, then. Or not "imitate" but improve and just, y'know, better him. I can't copy something, can I? I'll just make one that's ten thousand times better!
"Anyways. Tonight I have plans for the four of us."
Oto-san said.
"Or at least, the two of you."
He pointed at Nee-san and I.
"What are those plans involving us, baldy?"
"Well instead of always beating Cid to death, I decided to grab both you and Cid an instructor!"
"Oh? That's actually the best thing you've done for Cid since getting him his room."
"His name is "Ricky". He's an expert that I trained with back when I was in the Dark Knight Academy. An old Champion from the Bushin Festival. While he only won once, it's enough to validate his strength… I never reached a third-round myself, so he's quite potent."
"Oh?!"
Ricky the Warrior. He worked under the King as his guard for a good amount of time. He's known as a considerate yet powerful Dark Knight. He was considered once to be part of the magic branch, "Magic Infatuation" due to the amount of Magic he possessed, but he himself decided to stay in "Dark Force" because it was his strong-suit.
"You've told us about him previously, Oto-san."
"Have I?"
He, in a well-known Oto-san style, doesn't remember.
"Yeah. You went on about how frustrated you were about him and how he easily overpowered you in every spar you two had and how jealous you were—"
A book was thrown at my head and hit me directly in my forehead.
"S-Shut it! It brings back bad memories!"
He shuddered as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Silence ensued as I nursed my forehead.
"Get his ass!"
"You must finish this Mel-sama!"
"What?! Mel?! Blegh! Eduard got this in the bag…!"
"Keep on dreaming!"
"There's no-one in the arena! Why the fuck is the lot of you screaming?!"
The four of us were seated in the arena once more. The crowd was lively as it has never been before. People were cheering to such a level that it shook the whole arena.
Even Kaa-sama had to hold onto the chair else she would be sent flying.
We were waiting for the fight to start. Dark Knights were stationed all-around to prevent anyone from trying to get into the arena and just perish. There were people handing out snacks and such, walking up and down staircases with a backpack filled with snacks.
Man, even they were trained! Imagine trying to sell snacks having no strength? You gon get picked with ease! You gon get stolen from with ease!
That's why we sat in the order we can defend ourselves.
Oto-san, Kaa-sama, me, Nee-san.
The strongest in the corners.
Kaa-sama isn't weak by any means, but she doesn't compare to people here in the Kingdom; she doesn't compare to people here in the Capital.
"...people are wild…"
Kaa-sama muttered as she looked at everyone.
Fights were breaking out—fist fights to be more exact. They were going ape.
"ARE YOU ALL READY?!"
The crowd erupted as the referee's voice rang through the Arena.
"I can't heaaaar yoouuuuuuu!"
They yelled even louder.
"OOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!"
…
"On the left side! We have Eduard Sochiro!"
He looked at the crowd smugly. His raw magic output was enough to even knock-out a few of those standing in the closer seats.
He walked a bit forward and stopped, before looking at the VIP section and bowed,
The King was present, as was Iris Midgar…
…and the elf from before—"Goddess of War" above the VIP section… albeit she hid when his eyes went upward. She was looking a lot at the crowd for whatever reason.
"And on the right side! We have Mel Figuer!"
A dark-skinned blond man appeared. He wore a sleeveless chestplate and a pair of leggings. Under the chestplate was a green shirt.
His eyes looked at the crowd cheerfully. Almost as if it was his first time in the finals—which it was if I'm not wrong… as it was for Eduard.
"How are we feeling today?!"
The crowd once more cheered loudly.
"Contestants, are you both ready?!"
They both nodded.
Mel had a long sword similar to that elf.
"Get ready!"
The crowd went silent.
Nothing was said. Nobody moved. Nobody dared to talk, move, or even sneeze or blink.
"Go!"
Sparks of magic hit the barrier that was set up. Then clashes could be heard.
Unadulterated, uncivilized and untrained clashes of magic were happening. The easiest way for victory for either or was easy: Overpower the other.
Eduard thrusted his blade, and Mel didn't dodge nor block. He merely stood still magic doing its use, tanking it.
Both of these fighters are, while not equal, similar to the amount of magic they possess.
The moment Mel tanked, he took it to his advantage, he too thrusted his blade.
There was no technique.
There was no practice.
It was raw power.
Somewhat like Delta.
And while Delta is fine, this disgusts me.
Do you know how much I practiced to get where I'm at? Do you know how much I sacrificed and am willing to sacrifice? This is an insult to what I stand for!
…it's not like anyone in this tournament knows. So I'll cool myself down.
Anyways, fight, yeah.
Mel was on a single knee before he rolled back and stood up instantly, blocking a strike from Eduards blade. Eduard instantly disappeared from Mel's sight, but Mel knew already where Eduard would be.
In a single blink of an eye, Mel let go of his sword and instantly jumped. His sword landed on the ground, and the moment his feet touched the ground, a blade was thrusted his direction.
There is no "conversation" in this fight. Merely power and strikes thrown around.
How were their previous fights in the tournament? I have no clue, but this one, while powerful, is completely dependent on strength.
Mel dodged and ducked, grabbing his blade and thrusting upward from his position.
"...I can't see their movements! It's so crazy strong…!"
Nee-san said.
And I understand, if I weren't me, I'd have trouble too. But if Nee-san could see, she'd understand how lame this fight is.
Eduard had dodged with haste, and immediately spun around to block an attack. Since Mel had used his down position to his advantage, Eduard couldn't strike the ground with major inconveniences.
A bunch of dust rose—a distraction.
"Hah!"
Eduard screamed as he slashed behind him diagonally. Mel was using his speed to his advantage. But Mel was not taking advantage of Eduard's current thoughts, which is a no-go.
Mel himself tilted to Eduards left just enough that it'd land a good hit, but Eduards rash and sudden movement blocked all easy points in his eyes.
Their styles come mainly from action and then reaction. Something happens? Act accordingly. Most fights are like that here. Pour power, then use that power to defend one's self.
But if you had an intention behind each strike, you'd have a better reason.
I got blocked on the right side? The left side is currently more vulnerable. But that also leaves open space—a lot of it.
Neck area is exposed.
They'll instinctively try to defend their left side, so their right side will be more vulnerable.
Legs.
It's all mind games and how best to use what's at your disposal.
Of course there are a lot of other factors in play, but as of currently, these are fine…
—Sparks flew as magic collided with each other.
This on the other hand, isn't.
Mel was too close for neither to actually hit each other with the swords.
Eduard took a step back as did Mel, and they both swung instantly.
Mel's superior speed and Eduard's superior strength collided.
Due to Eduards strength and the momentum he carries with his blade, it's hard for Mel to stop him. Best he can do as of now is try to control Eduard's blade, not overpower it… he tries to overpower it.
How do you control the blade? Use your magic to hold back the blade, but let it move you just a bit. That way it gives you leeway and allows you to do a move before having to retreat due to the impact.
But overpowering it gives Eduard an advantage here, since Mel got the momentum after pushing Eduard's blade back, he has a free hit.
Mel noticed this and tried to move back as far as possible, but it seems Eduard read this.
Eduard instead of trying to hit Mel instantly, he waited. The moment Mel moved back, he went with and thrusted.
With so much magic usage, it's hard to instantly try to move all the magic from the feet to the guts. Do-able? Totally. Still hard though.
Mel was unsuccessful. Eduard's sword left a nasty mark.
But Mel didn't falter. While he was in pain, he still moved back and grinned. He placed a hand on his new wound and used the sword as support.
"Previous times it wasn't like this…"
—I could feel the Goddess of War scanning the arena.
Mel raised his blade and pointed it directly towards Eduard, who began sprinting towards Mel.
They crossed blades.
There was no advantage here unless you forced one… which most of the time is a no-go.
Mel took a step to his right and used more strength to his left—to where his sword crossing against Eduards is currently located. This forced Eduard to take a step to his right to counter Mel's strength…
…but he let go and let Mel overpower him. The moment Mel did, Eduard began falling side-ways, but that was part of his plan, as he with his left leg—with his left foot, hit Mel in the chin as he fell… with the speed Mel had forced upon Eduard.
Smart, I have to say.
Eduard rolled to his side but was quick to cover a strike to his left. He was on a single knee while his foot tried to stabilize himself.
He couldn't move or dodge, but he could try to minimize the upcoming damage. If it were me I'd—... y'know I'd just blow everything up.
Eduard lost balance and the moment he did, a blade pierced his left shoulder. He had fallen, but before a blade crossed his neck he rolled, ignoring the pain as he put weight on his shoulder and stood up, fast.
This is to win the tournament after all.
Eduard narrowed his eyes as Mel grinned.
"Blood for blood, ei?"
Eduard didn't say anything, but he did grin.
And they clash once more. But this time a bit more thought. You could feel it. The tiniest of differences in magic, their footing. But it's still "overpower".
They both had an idea, but they didn't know how to implement it. It's obvious.
Eduard took a step back, letting Mel's blade fly past, and before doing anything, he waited once more.
Mel didn't attack though, merely took a step forward.
They were in this awkward position where none of them could really hit each other conveniently. One had to take a step back.
But neither did.
Mel tried to attack, but with ease Eduard blocked and kicked. Mel grabbed his leg before impact and dropped the sword. Using all his strength, he pulled and raised Eduard before dropping him to the ground.
Eduard tried to react, but a blade was crossed against his neck. The match had been decided.
"Mel Figuer has won this year's Bushin Festivaaaaaaaal…!"
The crowd erupted. People screamed and threw things in the arena. People cheered, some cried. Some left the arena in frustration.
"That was amazing…!"
I have a feeling that most couldn't really understand what was happening. They just watched sparkles of light and dust fly around and were amazed. Although the best Dark Knights could tell what was happening…
I assume. I have no way to tell.
"It really was, don't you think so, Cid?"
"I don't know. I couldn't really see the match."
"B-But you were watching the whole time!"
"Watching and understanding are two different things. We saw this last night with Ricky-sensei."
But it was cool, I guess.
Also, Ricky. Weird guy, right. There's an abundance of Magic Overload that's dying down. I can't really say what caused it, or if he even neutralized it, because it feels determined—almost as if he was taking some sort of pill to cause it for a certain period of time.
But that'd be stupid, honestly. Like what advantage would it have? Right. It's dumb… My theory is dumb.
But he's strong, that's a fact. Stronger than the fighters in the arena. Stronger than "Chaos Demon of Midgar" or "Goddess of War", definitely not, but strong nonetheless.
"Let's wait for the arena to empty a bit more before we leave."
The main spectacle is over. People were leaving… and I was eager to leave as well!
It's not like another fight is going to happen in the middle of Midgar once more…!
…
…
…
…
…
Y'know this is where it'd usually prove me wrong… But nothing actually happened. Man, what a boring day.
"Focus, Alpha-girl."
I let out a sigh as my body relaxed. We were training, and now my body feels like jelly.
A silver haired woman was walking in circles in front of me.
"Gamma-girl. Are you sure that… this is what we'll need?"
I opened my eyes. I saw Kaida with a bunch of papers on a desk.
"Y-Yes. Most resources are hard to find, but with the Zenin Lord Shadow has given us, it should at least let us have a bit of an advantage."
There were around twenty papers of pure blueprints and then hundreds of papers of pure details on resources, income and such. Gamma had worked till death to get all of this in such a short amount of time. We were currently under some shade in where Alexandria was previously. We made this ourselves, and in a bit of a rush.
"Yeah I don't know enough about all this to really understand it, I'll just trust your and Master's judgment…"
"He doesn't know about this.. It's a surprise. We've talked about this."
"Yeah, I'm aware. You're lucky he's actually complied with your wishes… it'd be impossible to stop him."
"Lord Shadow isn't one to ignore one's wishes like that."
"And that makes him more desirable…"
"K-Kaida please. Focus."
"I'm focused alright." She shrugged.
"Doesn't feel like it…"
"Anyways. How do you even plan to do all of this discreetly; hidden from even the world? How're you going to get the resources and such without others knowing?"
"..."
"It ain't easy, y'know. There's only so much one can do."
"I'm aware, Kaida… But something will work and it'll go according to the plans… I hope."
"Putting a lot of faith into the unknown, don't you think?"
"Lord Shadow said there are hundreds if not thousands of possessed." I said, "If we can start with getting help from them, then building things as such and getting the resources for them will become easier."
"That's a long goal you're saying, Alpha-girl. Gamma-girl's information… Those are big numbers."
While Lord Shadow knows a lot of the world around him and anything thrown at him, Kaida is only well versed in magic and science.
"It'll be accomplished, I… surely hope so."
"Dream big…" Kaida said as she turned around.
"Anything for Lord Shadow…"
Kaida nodded before she looked at the area surrounding her.
No ashes could be spotted. The ground was healing as grass growed, slowly but surely.
I walked up to Kaida and stared at the surroundings with her.
"Alpha-sama."
Someone called out for me. I nodded as a response.
"The information; the ones we missed during our first attack has been gathered. All that was left that we couldn't gather during the first raids is with us, as of currently."
I turned around and stared as Zeta together with Epsilon waited for a response.
"Is there anything of immediate interest?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, out with it."
Epsilon spoke up, "Most, if not all possessed are women; the heroes were women. The three great heroes Lord Shadow mentioned were all women. We can't figure out their identities as of yet, but that's what's known about them. These heroes were the ones that defeated Diablos. It's unknown as to why, but they decided to continue working under the Church for whatever reason. What happened to them after defeating Diablos remains a mystery as of currently."
Those were hypotheses we had. Lord Shadow had told us beforehand, but we decided to conduct our own research just in case. Once again, he proved how far ahead he is compared to us.
"...There was quite a battle since Zeta discovered a new base, and we decided to investigate. Safe to say, we were found. Since Delta was there, it was quite easy to get rid of most of them, but one of them took some red pills and became immediately possessed, but he seemed… controlled. He could control the possession. Zeta and Delta took him down together…"
"Which explains Zeta's current condition."
Zeta had an injury on her right shoulder that went all the way down to her elbow. A nasty slash…
"Why haven't you healed it, Zeta?"
"My Lord says that experience comes from failure. While we didn't fail, this is a reminder that I myself have to grow stronger to accomplish his goals."
"...that's fair, but you still need to take care of yourself."
Zeta merely nodded, before I turned back to Epsilon.
"Where's Delta, then?"
"Currently off hunting for something to eat…"
"Alright then, continue."
"U-Um. While we were unable to find any more possessed, we were able to gain a bunch of files and something about the "Round of Knights"... It didn't say much about them, but said something about there being twelve of them and being the strongest of the strongest."
"Did it say anything about them? Name? Whereabouts?"
"Nothing of the sort, Alpha-sama."
"Hmm… Did it say what they were, even?"
"Yes. Apparently the ones in control of the Cult of Diablos…"
"!"
That's useful information.
Epsilon pulled out from her backpack around five papers.
"These are the most important ones when talking about it. They merely go into detail talking about what the intentions are and how it functions; how they control certain sections all around the globe…"
"And seeing this…"
I pointed at a point on the paper. Some parts were unreadable; clearly erased with the intention for it to not be read. Evidence being removed.
"I can only assume they're the names of the ones controlling that area…"
"Midgar Kingdom…"
To where our Lord wanted to head to next.
There are only six names mentioned and six regions of control on these papers.
But this person, blurred, controlled the Midgar Kingdom. To be more specific, the Midgar Capital.
"Yes. That's where Lord Shadow plans to head next."
"Yeah. He told Eta that there's Darkness in the Kingdom… in the Capital. He knew before we were even aware…"
He truly knows everything. He truly is aware of everything…
"Didn't Master say he planned to study there?"
"Yeah… how did you know that Kaida?"
"Eta-girl told me while we talked about artifacts…"
Eta, Epsilon, Kaida and Lord Shadow were the ones that talked most about magic, artifacts and such.
"Does this mean that Lord Shadow tends to fight off the leader of that region?"
"It's the best outcome. After all, they're working for Diablos and those who're kidnapping those descendants of heroes… and using it for their own benefit."
"What are we going to do then?"
"We'll wait for Lord Shadow and his actions. Unless something sudden happens, we're fine as we are currently."
"What do you mean by sudden, Alpha-sama?"
"Who knows. We'll have to wait and see."
Lord Shadow said it himself best. He may know a lot, but he doesn't know everything that'll happen. So unless something happens that'll put him or anyone he cares for in danger, we'll stay near and with our current plans.
"Master will be fine no matter what… we are to help him no matter what."
We'll stand by him, in the good ones and the bad ones. No matter what happens. After all, he let go of his own life to save ours. It's the least we could do.
"Anyways. Out with all that."
Epsilon grabbed her papers and placed them away as she walked towards where Gamma's currently located.
"What's the plan now? What can we do?"
"We'll continue with what we're doing. There isn't much to do."
"Alright, then…"
Yeah, this will do fine.
"Epsilon-girl. I have to wonder…"
Epsilon turned her attention towards Kaida who raised an eyebrow.
"You see I haven't known any of you for long, but I've seen quite the growth physically from everyone here, yet yours seems to be more late."
"Eh? What do you mean? I've grown taller. I'm almost as tall as Zeta…"
"That's not what I mean."
"I don't get what you mean, then…"
",,,"
Kaida seemed troubled. Almost as if she didn't want to say it.
"...I think I'll ask Master what he thinks first, before talking about it with you all… that's if I even see him."
"You're going to leave us with that? Now I'm going to be all confused…!"
"That's fine. You'll understand once Master comments on it."
"And you can't be the one to fill in the blank?"
"Yeah."
"And you won't…"
"Nope~!"
Epsilon sighed before shrugging, not really understanding what Kaida meant. Not that I can blame her, since I too didn't understand.
"Say, Alpha-girl…"
Kaida began once more.
"Where's Beta girl?"
"Oh, she's currently serving as Lord Shadow's maid…"
"I see. Will Delta-girl go as well?"
"No. Delta has a habit of calling Lord Shadow 'Bossman', and while it's fine here or when he's in his Shadow persona as he calls it… while he's around those important to him that aren't aware of his true prowess… it would raise suspicion."
"Delta-girl can't keep quiet?"
"No… and while she's grown a bit more calm, her energy is quite outstanding…"
"Will I be able to go as a maid, then?"
"You, Kaida?"
"Yeah, me, Kaida."
"Didn't Lord Shadow ask for you to stay here and guard this place?"
"Yes. But it's not as if you are all weak girls that need a dragon constantly protecting you." She shrugged as she crossed her arms under her chest. "Plus it wouldn't be for that long… a day max. I haven't been able to see him or speak to him for a while, after all."
"That's fair…"
A single day wouldn't hurt. I'm certain…
"Yeah, I think it's fine…"
"Sweet! Then when Beta-girl—"
"Oh nono… It'll be after my turn as Lord Shadow's maid."
"Huh?"
"I'm the last one in line, you see, and I'm not letting you jump it."
"It's a single day compared to a week."
"Matters not."
"Psh! Petty!"
"Very much so."
"How's Methy doing?"
"Still in the early stages, we still have to wait."
"I see… scratch that one."
A page was turned and rustling noises were heard. The room was dimly lit, and light barely entered through the window. Outside they were hidden as well as they could, using their environments to hide as much as they could from the outside world.
"Say, Jean. Didn't Ricky start working with Claire?"
"You wouldn't stop bothering me nor anyone else. Ricky took it upon himself once hearing it from one of the higher ups. He decided to investigate how and why she was healed, and since, by pure coincidence, he knew Daric Kagenou, he was easily hired as the instructor of both Claire Kagenou and Cid Kagenou."
"You as a Doctor would've worked quite well…"
"Are you stupid Gorou? Imagine your doctor way too frequently visiting you just for check ups after you've been healed. That'd be suspicious."
"There's alo the leverage that Ricky is strong… while not stronger than Grease here, he's still quite a powerhouse."
"Speaking of! You lost in the tournament, didn't you, Grease?!"
"If it wasn't for the second round restrictions, I would've won against Eduard."
"Doesn't seem like that to meeee~"
"Why were you looking into Methy?"
"Looking into previous records. Trying to see if anyone else is healed like Claire… after all there was a bet."
"That's not happening and you know it."
"I have goals."
"And I have dreams. Doesn't mean they'll become reality."
"You're being quite mean Esteve-kun."
"Speaking facts into reality."
"Are you trying to sound cool now? Drop it. You're the one with the least humor here."
"What does humor have to do with anything?!"
"Can you all answer one damn question?!"
They all turned to Grease.
"Why are you all here? Don't you all have your own bases of operations? This is where I do my stuff. Why are you all here?"
"I mean yeah, Jean-san, Fern-san, Ricky-san, and myself have our bases but we've had to evacuate most of them further and this one thus far has been the safest."
"That doesn't mean anything, Esteve."
"Completely true. But, I'd rather work under you than lose my life working under myself. I mean think about it, Grease-san, you have plenty more soldiers working under you."
"Which raises the chances of being found by whoever is destroying our bases…"
"Gah don't use logic now!"
"There are too many of you here."
"Not much we can do. We have to be wary."
"C'mon Grease. We all have a common goal…"
"Fenrir-sama is the one wary now."
Everyone turned their attention to a new voice. A man covered in a cloak with a long brown beard.
"Fenrir-sama? What do you mean Fern…"
"According to his own words, he lost in battle against a man who called himself "Shadow". Security has risen ten fold since he still needs Diablos, and you, Grease-kun, are the most efficient when it comes to the kidnapping and securings of the possessed."
"It's not like I have any other option, you know? I still want to heal my daughter."
"I understand that, but Fenrir-sama's will comes first."
"What's known of this Shadow figure then?"
"Nothing. Only that he was strong and no-one here can defeat him, merely stall him."
"..."
"The reason I'm here mainly is to bring this."
He pulled a thick white stick with two plates at each side. Runes written all over it.
"An artifact?"
"Teleportation device. While it's not really the most convenient since no-one really has the power to teleport matter in such a short amount of time unless forced… Petos-sama said to use it if we find out who Shadow is."
"We're bait?"
"Nothing of sorts. But there are very few remaining bases. This one will be found sooner or later."
That's not very comforting to hear right now.
"Petos is hoping that you all can fend off Shadow once he finds the base, if he's the one who's destroying them of course. To the point that he by mistake reveals his identity or something that can be used for our future goals."
"What does that mean?"
"Who knows. Maybe Shadow is connected to someone. Maybe he knows someone here. Maybe he's someone here, although doubtful."
"...I see…"
Grease muttered as he grabbed the artifact.
"We'll try our best then, Fern."
Fern merely nodded.
"I wish you all the best of luck, then."
And he walked out of the base.
"..."
"You all heard the man."
Esteve said as he walked around. He stared to where Fern had walked out through.
They all had a mission, they all had their own goals, but this territory works under Fenrir, and they all, accordingly, work under Fenrir. So whatever his goal is, is theirs… to some extent.
"Hah!"
A blade swung through the air.
Her defeat hurt her. Of course it would.
Sure, she's still younger, but what has she been training for? Not for defeat. That's obvious.
A diagonal slash hit a dummy, before she swung horizontally with pure power.
The dummy stood, but it received the damage.
How can she defend her Kingdom from whoever was the one that caused the destruction if she herself didn't grow stronger?
She had the duties of a Princess. She has the duties as a Dark Knight as well.
Not only does she have to grow strong, she has to do it pronto. The worst enemy of hers, currently, is time.
She takes a step back and thrusts her blade directly forward before pulling and horizontally slashing once more.
She will defeat Eduard next time she meets him. She's certain.
She won't let her father determine her future. She's certain.
She'll fight for her own future. For her ideals, pride, for her glory. She's certain.
All she needs is power? Does she not?
All she needs is—
"Iris-sama. Klaus-sama has called for your presence once more."
Iris Midgar frowned as she dropped the blade. She's currently in one of the many fields of the Midgar Castle… where she used to train with professional Dark Knights, and her sister. A maid had walked up to her and told her about King Klaus…. She knows what is about to happen. It happened with previous Bushin Festival winners, as high aristocrats. If she was called by her father, it's because someone of power had appeared before him, be it physically or politically.
She dried her sweat and walked down the aisle with a maid in tow. She walked through a bunch of art and history from Midgar. After the previous Capital fell to "unknown reasons", the newer King's have tried to keep Midgar safe by any means necessary. King Klaus is no exception.
As she walked through the corridors, she could hear two men talking quite loudly. As she approached where the noise came from she reached two large wooden doors. She swung them open without a care in the world. It's exactly as she expected.
"Ah, Iris. Just in time. Welcome. First of all, let me introduce you to this years—"
"Bunshin Festival winner, I saw… Mel Figuer."
Her father had begun as Mel Figuer took a step forward and bowed down. Mel's eyes shone upon seeing her but there was no crazed look. His eyes stared at her with nothing but respect.
"A pleasure to meet you, your majesty. My name is Mel Figuer, a Dark Knight from the "Dark Force" branch."
Iris believed in true love. This is not what she believes in.
"The pleasure is mine, Mel-san. It was truly a beautiful fight."
"Hoho! Nothing compared to yours, Iris-sama. You've grown up to be quite the powerhouse."
"He's talking as if he has known me beforehand.."
"Thank you, Mel-san! I truly appreciate your words."
"It's a pleasure."
"Anyways, Oto—uhum… King Klaus. What have you called me here for today? I was in the middle of training."
"You're aware of the "why", Iris."
King Klaus smiled kindly… but in Iris eyes, it was the opposite. There was a certain intention which she couldn't decipher. It's always been like this, in her eyes.
"Are his parents informed about this?"
"Iris-sama. It is my utmost pleasure to be at your side."
Mel bowed down once more.
"I'll be the one to protect you from harm's way, even from the guy that King Klaus-sama says you're trying to avoid by any means necessary."
"I told you to stop telling them, King Klaus…"
Why would she want them to be informed of the person that she's trying to avoid? Why would they know about his name? The Kingdom already knows, it was in the posters darn it! So why tell them his name?
"If you don't want to be with Xander, I'll continue searching for someone with power for you to be pleased with."
"You've given me until the next Bushin Festival. If I don't win then, I'll admit defeat and go with whoever is that you choose."
"Xander is the prince of Vlarc. His father, Ecno, is quite powerful… an alliance with them is already in the works, and with your help it'd be faster."
"You're not thinking about Mel-san's feelings here, King Klaus."
Vlarc. A Kingdom that focused on magic. Their strength mainly came from the one in control of said Kingdom—the King. Their soldiers were quite potent, rivalring the Dark Knights, and it all came from their King. Their Techniques and use of magic all came from Ecno. Someone who's strength couldn't be rivaled.
"Mel has accepted whatever outcome that is to come out of this conversation."
Mel could only scratch the back of his head while chuckling to himself.
"And you're not thinking of my feelings here."
"I have and quite well. That's why if you actually win, Alexia is the one up next in line to go with Xander, or even Zenon Griffey, who worked as an instructor for Xander and is on friendly terms with Ecno."
"Y-You're just using your own daughters for your own benefit…!"
"Not to my benefit, because I wouldn't wish such a thing upon either of you. But this Kingdom needs protection. Whatever I need to do to protect both you and Alexia, together with this Kingdom… that's what I'll do…"
"..Hn!"
Iris frustratedly turned around and walked out at a quick pace. To her, her father only cared about the power that came with the Kingdom of Vlarc… mostly the King of the Kingdom, Ecno. She doesn't believe what King Klaus says. She doesn't believe what he's trying to tell her, as if there was something to protect the Kingdom off that they couldn't do with ease.
"..."
Unknownst to Iris, King Klaus sighed and stood up, chasing after all.
Iris walked through the corridors, she rushed through them. She wanted to fight something or someone, to let her stress free. She needs a distraction.
As she walked down the halls in haste, something grabbed her arm.
"Iris. Why don't you try to look a bit further into the future?"
Klaus had caught up to her.
"Protection? Oto-sama? Protection? What protection? You're marrying off your daughters just to get more political power."
"That's absurd Iris."
"Is it?! Is it really?! I have only seen Xander once, and I haven't even met Ecno-sama! Is it absurd?!"
"..."
Mel stood behind them and took a step forward.
"Klaus-sama has mentioned that he wants your safety, as well as Alexia-sama's safety to be over anything else. He has his reasons for doing this."
"His reasons might be for my protection, but not for my being! What if I don't want to get protected?! Do I really get something from marrying Xander?!"
"The four of us get something, Iris. Mel, you, I, and this Kingdom."
"Then why bring Mel-san here?!"
"Because he is strong enough to protect you–"
"I'll protect myself!"
"Stop with your childish antics, Iris…"
"Childish? Oto-sama…"
Klaus rubbed his head in a soothing motion. He looked at Iris, before looking at Mel, before once more looking at Iris. His eyes closed as a sigh left his lips.
"Mel, can you leave us alone for a minute? I'll call you back if needed."
Mel could only nod and walk back towards the King's throne. Klaus dragged Iris' through the corridor before they reached a meeting room. He closed the door and locked it, before a sigh left his lips once more.
"Iris. I can't tell you everything, but I need you to trust me."
Iris stayed silent as King Klaus spoke.
"There's… evil brewing, I guess. It's ancient, and it's only been growing stronger the last couple of years. We can't let them catch us off-guard. That's why this alliance is important. Their power… we are potent, but can we match those ancient powers growing daily? No…"
"Wh-What are you talking about Oto-sama?"
"There's not much I can say, but I can try to limit how far they go. I've taken and minimized interactions with others because I don't know who I can trust and who I cannot. Ecno I can trust, and I need you of all people to trust me."
"Oto-sama?"
"..."
None of the two said anything.
Silence was all that was heard from between the two Royal members. Iris and Klaus stared each other in the eyes. Iris trying to find any sight of deceit on King Klaus' eyes. Klaus tried for her to understand his intentions, trying to convey that he meant what he said.
"I-I can protect this Kingdom…."
Iris began as she looked down as she rubbed her left arm. King Klaus' eyes widened as he stared at Iris.
"No. I'll protect this Kingdom from the malice you're talking about."
"Iris…"
"But… the deal remains."
"It was going to remain no matter what."
"I'll win the Bushin Festival, and I'll protect this Kingdom. I'll… try to make the alliance go-by, and if it doesn't…"
"Alexia is next, whether you like it or not."
"..."
"As long as you understand the importance of an alliance with Vlarc, and more specifically, Ecno… it's all in your and Alexia's hands. Do you understand that?"
"..."
"If you don't win, you'll go with either that year's winner, or Xander. There is no inbetween."
"...alright."
As soon as Iris said that, Klaus nodded and opened the door.
"I'll be going back to Mel, then, as he is this year's Bushin Festival winner. There are things that must be done."
"..."
And Klaus walked out of the room, leaving Iris alone there.
Iris sat down on one of the chairs and stared at the roof. Her mind was jumbled; a multitude of thoughts, questions and wariness going through. She now knew why to some extent, but there were too many unanswered questions for her liking, and that left her more confused. What is this "ancient power"? What "evil" is "brewing"?
"It didn't look like he was lying…"
But he didn't say enough or show enough for her to understand everything he meant.
"Move to the left."
I took a few steps, my partner did so as well. There was a hand on my shoulder and someone else was holding my other hand. One of my very own hands held the other person by the hips.
"Do a spin."
We did so. She held onto my shoulder and hand tightly as we did a spin.
"Cid, take a step forward and bring her down."
I took a step forward, held her waist close to mine as her back arched backwards.
"Nice! That's enough for now."
We straighten up before I let go of her. I bowed down to her as she looked at me.
"Thank you for this dance."
"Oho. I should be the one thanking you."
"Nothing of the sort, Hitomi-san. It's a pleasure to be able to dance with you."
The girl in question smiled… I think. I can't really see her features. She's as tall as I am, has long purple hair and gray eyes. She wore a dress that matched her hair color. [#BF40BF] with magenta flowers around it. To say the least, it suited her quite well.
"Have you been practicing, Cid-kun? Last time we danced, you didn't dance this well."
"Kaa-sama is our instructor, Hitomi-san. If she's not happy with my performance right now, mark my words, I'm not sleeping tonight as I'll be practicing."
She raised her hand to her mouth and chuckled.
"Practicing with you has been fun, actually. I even talked with Miki-san to go practice with you daily."
"What did Kaa-sama say, then?"
I hope she said no.
"She said it's fine!"
This throws a wrench to my whole everything. Nee-san training, Ricky-sensei's magic understanding and now practicing with Hitomi-san? I'll have less time for my shadow broker activities.
"That's wonderful!"
I've been practicing with Hitomi-san for a while now. Two years? Three? Since I've been nine. So it's been constant grinding in this department, but due to personal problems of hers, there was a hiatus. She's a low class noble like me, but she doesn't look like a low class noble… her beauty is not one of a low class noble, even.
So I bet those personal problems were just a line of potential marriage candidates, and if so, I wonder if she chose one. Or even then, what if there was a problem in her Kingdom? She's not from Midgar, is the thing. She's from Vlarc, if I ain't mistaken.
According to Kaa-sama, Vlarc is a Kingdom that mostly works with magic. I haven't been able to figure out much information so I really don't know if that's a fact or not, but I'm not going to get into a business that ain't mine or that isn't of importance to me.
"I know right?! I'll be practicing with you every day!"
"Wait what?"
"Yeah!"
"Isn't… Isn't… Vlarc Kingdom a whole ass continent away?"
"Oh, I'm moving out from that Kingdom and staying in Midgar until conditions improve over there…"
"You're talking like an adult."
"One matures."
"You're my age."
"That means nothing, Cid-kun."
"Stop pouting, it'll ruin your face."
"What? Are you saying I'm beautiful?"
"Are you hearing things?"
"Yes."
"What's happening in the Kingdom that made you move to Midgar?"
"To Midgar? I'll be living here."
"Huh?"
"Miki-san allowed me to, as did my parents!"
"Which speaking of, they're not near."
"They're soldiers from the Kingdom, it'd be weird to see them here especially when on duty, especially with what's going on over there…"
"You didn't answer my question Hitomi-san."
"A high-class noble went missing recently. To be more specific, Soe-sama. It has sent the Kingdom crazy, as there is no sign of her left. Xander-sama, Ecno-sama and Lucy-sama have tried to calm things down but there's almost an anarchy forming."
"Oh?"
"Yeah…"
"I don't know who Soe is."
I have no clue about anything about the Vlarc Kingdom.
"Soe-sama is a proposed partner for Xander-sama."
"And why would her disappearance cause anarchy? And you said "conditions" improve. What conditions?"
"That's not a very good question, Cid-kun. Soe-sama disappearing is bad because she has connections to the King and Prince themselves. If she is to get interrogated, a lot of information could be spilled and that's dangerous for the Kingdom."
"And the conditions you were talking about?"
"Prices are going down, stealing and murders while they're not common, they've definitely gone up, and most people are preparing for the worst case scenario."
That sounds like such a thrill. If I knew where it was, I'd go there in a moment's notice.
"That-That sounds worrying!"
"Yeah. People aren't allowed to leave the Kingdom…"
"And how are you here?"
"Since my parents are high—"
"Hitomi-san. Why it's an honor seeing you here."
A dark aura surrounded both Hitomi-san and I. It's so dark and dense and not even I could cut through it! I tilted to the left to see who it was, and lo-and-behold, Nee-san had approached us.
"I take it your dance time with Cid has finished, no?"
Hitomi-san turned around and smiled, kindly.
"You're mistaken, Claire-san. Cid-kun and I were just about to go for another round."
"Were we?"
Hitomi-san looked back at me with a glare.
"I mean we were…!"
Nee-san stared at me with a glare…
"I-I mean… were we actually?"
"It's my turn to dance with Cid, Hitomi-san, so if you would kindly leave the premises…"
"What? The premises? Where would I live, then?"
"In the streets is befitting for someone trying to steal Cid away from me."
"Whatever could you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
"Let's dance, Cid-kun."
"Can you two calm down?"
Kaa-sama approached us with a sigh.
"Claire, I've let you practice with Cid every day. Hitomi-san too needs practice after not being able to for about a year."
"I'm certain that Hitomi-san has different reasons as to wanting to practice."
"Miki-san, not even Cid-kun is this rude."
"...I sometimes wonder what I did to deserve this."
Author:
Hello. Honestly vacations got cut short, so here I am!
Let me say: A lot of OC. I've had the idea for a while and have been arguing with myself if I should or shouldn't. I decided that I should. Not all, of course, but some will be relevant for the story. And, as for the story. The beggining isn't going to be that different compared to the original, but there's going to be more chaos, I'm certain. My main intention is to add more powerful beings and have them known before hand, and with the Black Rose, there's a lot of potential for that there. But yeah, a lot of OC and some if not all will be important for the future. Which? Well I'm certain it's obvious. Anyways.
Added: I don't know if you guys know this, or have been able to pick up through the writing... most litely not, though, since I'm trying my absolute hardest not to show it, but I really dislike Iris. I don't like her character at all. She's easily my least favorite character. I have plenty of favorites, but my top is Eta. I don't know why she's not liked more ngl. But yeah. I love Eta, and I'm certain that if you read this and then remember certain things I've written prior, you'd be able to tell, lol.
And, the story, I repeat, will be similar in a lot of cases, but there will be more people and just overall chaos. When it'll happen, you'll be able to tell, so yeah.
Hope you enjoyed.
CTN out~!