He can't win this battle.
She knew that, and judging by the look in his eyes and every action he takes, he knows that as well.
No amount of hopeful wishing could truly change that, she knows. The world isn't kind enough to make impossible things happen—not without proper compensation. That is the way of things. For everything it will give, so too must there be an equal amount taken. Free miracles are simply impossible.
Everything in this instance, with every single element and determinant taken into account, pointed to his ultimate demise. A boy no older than twelve, who has never seen battle before, had greatly exhausted himself during his ongoing struggle. Faced against six goblins on his own… There would be no chance for survival.
The mere thought of it left her feeling cold.
Why did she care so much? This boy, whose name is Kirito, was of no particular importance. Nothing in her mission involved him; in fact, the only reason why she was even here was because she'd been curious. A couple of children going into the woods late at night garnered some amount of concern, so she'd decided to tag along. Perhaps she wouldn't directly interject, but at the very least she could make sure that they got back home safely.
The next few moments had been some of the most shocking things she had ever witnessed in her life.
It took a brave man to fight a battle, and an even greater man to lead a war. It takes a fool, however, to accomplish the suicidal, and for him to have devised the plan of keeping the goblins focused solely on him to give his friend an opportunity to save the girls, despite knowing just how much danger that put on him…
Was he a fool, or something more in the making?
Seeing his friend close to dying moments ago spurred her to make a decision. That was more than enough for her to protect this young one as well.
20th day of the 9th Month – HEC, 372
Within the forests surrounding Rulid Village
This person… Who the hell is she?
In all honesty, this night had already turned out to be unlike anything he could have possibly imagined. Seeing goblins in their land was already not what he'd expected.
This is certainly even more so.
This woman had positively come out of nowhere, putting herself between him and the group of goblins. It spoke of a certain amount of skill that she'd managed to somehow bypass everyone's attention (even his, although he doubted he would have been able to notice.
But what truly stuck out to him was her aura.
She didn't look particularly 'strong', in any given way. He could tell that she was rather thin, even with the black dress that she is wearing, and her build wasn't particularly muscular by any means. Her hands, from what he could tell, looked incredibly smooth and dainty, which meant that she'd likely never wielded a weapon proper.
And yet, from the moment her gaze had shifted from gentle to cold with just the snap of the fingers, nothing in him denied that she was a woman who had done battle in her life. Her posture indicated that she was poised for combat.
Everything in him screamed that she was dangerous.
The goblins had all but completely ignored him in favour of this mysterious newcomer, and if the look in her eyes was any indication, it seemed as if that was precisely what she was hoping for. She'd made herself an immediate enemy in their eyes to draw attention away from him and towards herself—just as he'd done for Eugeo. Although, rather than running away, she fully intended to finish things here in a fight.
Kirito gulped. What was she thinking? Even if he was bad at counting, even he could tell that one against six was a horrible match-up. Was she really this confident that she could win this one on her own?
He wished he could help her, but he doubted he'd be of much help, tired or otherwise. The woman seemed far more capable, even if he couldn't spot any weapon on her person. Was she some kind of martial artist? He knew that some people are adept at hand-to-hand combat.
Still, if that was the case… to go up against all those numbers on her own? He grimaced. He needed to help her.
"Kirito," her voice caused him to stiffen in place, head raised to stare up at her. She hadn't turned her gaze away from the monsters in front of her. "Might I ask that you stay away from the fight? Leave them to me."
"B-But… There's so many of them."
"Indeed, but these numbers will prove no true challenge for me," it wasn't a boast; just a mere statement. Her tone indicated that she was giving no room for any argument. "Have faith in me."
He wished he could have told her that she didn't have to worry. That he could back her up too. Unfortunately, though, her words bore truth; his body feels like crap from all the running and dodging he's been doing, and any assistance on his part might just bog her down. "R-Right. Be careful. And sorry."
"You needn't apologize," she says. "This would be a perfect opportunity for myself to test this vessel that she has granted me regardless, so I might as well."
Vessel? Well, whatever she was talking about, he trusted her to know what she was doing. The boy wasted no moment to move further back, watching the enemies as carefully as he could.
They really have ignored him altogether. They were more focused on his protector now, as if knowing that she was the true threat here, which isn't wrong to assume. Even so, for them to be so wary towards her…
The leader of the goblins raised his weapon, gripping it with both hands. He recognized that stance, likely preparing himself for a simple overhead slash. Simple, but deadly, and with how massive his weapon is, it would likely crush her if it connected. His companions readied themselves to attack as well, bracing for a rush down.
It was a deadly stand-off. One that left him feeling tense, despite the fact that he wasn't going to be one doing any fighting. The lady in front of him seemed too calm despite her situation.
"You… Who are you?" The leader asked, amber eyes scanning her for any movement.
"It seems rather discourteous of you to ask of another person's name without offering your own first," she responded. "Nevertheless, I suppose it would be fine either way. You may call me Charlotte. And to whom am I speaking to?"
"Gabura," his response was immediate. There was no sign on his part that he was underestimating her in the slightest. "None of us noticed you approaching. The fact that you'd managed to show up without giving yourself away means you are no ordinary woman."
"Flattery is unnecessary with me."
"I speak only truth. And you do not don the metal of the Integrity Knights. Are you perhaps of a different order, perhaps?"
"I do not serve the ruler of the Human Empire's ruler," the way she said it, Kirito could have sworn he heard hatred in her voice. It was gone when she spoke once more, making it seem as if it had just been a mistake in his hearing. "I fight you tonight not as duty, but simply because I wish to protect this boy."
"Hmph. The brat will die, with or without your protection. I'll kill you with him and all his friends."
"You may try, and I will kill you in retaliation. You may choose to leave, and I will not hunt you down."
Charlotte's offer made him scoff in return, mild irritation present in his tone. "You would look down on us, huh? We may be beasts in your eyes, but we have our pride as warriors. To run away from a fight, more so from one person, is no less a dishonour upon ourselves as it is upon our ancestors. We will fight you, woman, and if we must die by your hands, with our blood soaked into the earth, then it shall be," jeez. He looks like a brute, but he sure knows how to talk fancy.
"So be it," the lady's hands were tensed, prepared to fight—even without a weapon? "I will deliver you to your god."
"As if the lives of his people matter to Vector," he didn't seem particularly bothered by his words, but Kirito flinched all the same. The idea that a god doesn't love the people he governs over seemed too cruel. And yet, Gabura didn't seem to mind badmouthing the god he worships. "He is a bringer of curse and misery to the humans. Though we give him our prayers, he brings nothing to us except for Dark Arts. He doesn't give us rain or light. Terraria and Solus are the ones who bless the lands. And when a person or animal or tree or monster dies, it is by the Goddess Stacia's side that all souls go to."
"But you do not worship her."
"We don't, but every living thing has «Life». Us monsters as well, so nothing changes the fact that from her we come to exist, and to her we return."
His words gave Kirito pause, momentarily forgetting the fact that the guy tried to kill him mere moments ago in favour of staring at him. From his expression to his tone, there didn't seem to be any indication that he was lying or simply spouting nonsense.
There was no denying the conviction in his words.
Such an unexpected thing to be said that it left the boy momentarily speechless as he pondered over his words. For a monster of the Dark Territory to say such a thing… it was far more philosophical than he'd expected.
It reminded him of what Sister Azalia had said, a long time ago. How, even in the Dark Territory, there were most certainly good people. Gabura and his goons don't necessarily strike him as 'good', considering they'd tried to kill him and his friends, but even so…
He didn't have it in him to call them 'monsters'. They're people, just like him and everyone else.
"Enough words, woman. You've dragged this out for long enough. Now is the time to fight," he cracked his neck. His muscles tensed for what would likely be a forwards charge. His squad all braced themselves to rush her down with their leader. "Have you made peace with your goddesses?"
"Have you made peace with your god?"
"I said it, did I not? We worship him and he gives us nothing in particular. It would change nothing, even now."
"…Very well," Charlotte nodded. "Come, Gabura—"
The earth cracked. Kirito's eyes shot wide the moment Gabura charged forwards, his foot breaking the ground beneath his feet without much effort. In just that single moment, he closed the distance between himself and his enemy in mere seconds, muscles bulging greatly as he raised his blade and swung it at her.
She did not move! She remained in place, still making eye contact with the leader. She made no move to defend herself or evade his attack, and Kirito almost screamed out for her to do something.
But that's when he noticed it. A single twitch. Her fingers, once apart, seemed to curl inwards as if she was grasping a rock in her hand. It was such a miniscule motion, barely any effort poured into the action that he doubted it was enough to make a muscle tense.
But the massive blade did not connect. Something caught it at the very last second, stopping all of his momentum and actually pushed him backwards.
Kirito, and likely everyone else there, simply gawked at the sight. Gabura did not seem injured, but he quickly backed away from the black-clad woman, raising his weapon at her. Charlotte, in turn, relaxed her hand once more, staring at him impassively.
"Boss! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine. But this woman…" He met her gaze and growled. "She is powerful. Do not underestimate her. She is my equal. Likely more so."
His equal. Gabura had already given off the image of a powerful warrior, so for him to say she was on equal footing… That was saying something. Kirito stared at her back, still trying to discern just what she'd done to be able to halt his attack so easily back there. It didn't seem like she'd used a «Sacred Art» spell.
'Was it the same thing as what Deusolbert did that day?' The trick with the invisible sword couldn't have possibly been achieved with «Sacred Arts». At least, that's what he and Eugeo had thought. Was she likely doing the same thing?
"Now you know the disparity between us. Would you still like to—"
Gabura rushed at her without giving her the chance to finish, letting out a roar as he swung his weapon once more. This time, however, his blade moved significantly faster, its wielder having decided to no longer hold back against his opponent.
Charlotte made the decision to back away, easily leaping backwards from his wide-arched attack and letting it sail through, almost cutting her face. He reversed the swing and came in for another.
This time, she blocked—and with her arm. Charlotte raised her left and allowed the blade to strike against her wrist, but no one expected the sound of metal to ring in the air. It was enough to momentarily stun Gabura, as his failed attack makes him lose his footing and his defense left wide open.
Charlotte does not waste the opportunity. She moved straight at him, cocking back her right arm before thrusting a fist right into his sternum.
The single blow cracked the air around them like a snap of the whip. Kirito could feel the sheer impact from the distance, watching in shock as the larger goblin was knocked a few feet back.
'No way… She blocked the attack just like that? And that attack of hers…'
The tides were turned. Charlotte took the initiative this time, charging at Gabura at an incredible speed. That was enough to snap the other goblins out of their stupor, moving to intercept the sole fighter and defend their leader.
But it was just no use. With practised ease, Charlotte manoeuvred past their attacks and launched blow after blow to knock away the lesser goblins. It was a dance of sorts as she swayed left and right to let their attacks harmlessly slip past her while she retaliated with sweeping kicks, elbow jabs and uppercuts. Every single one of her attacks broke their ranks, the black blur proving too much for the group.
Kirito almost couldn't believe it. Five goblins against just her was proving to be utterly useless. She was outmatching them in terms of speed and finesse. Even her close combat techniques were impressive, switching between gaining distance and making sure each hit hurt.
Someone roared. The boy watched as Gabura was suddenly coming down on Charlotte from the air. She sensed his incoming trajectory and quickly backpedalled away from his landing crash, his sword destroying the earth around him before he rushed in to meet her, blade slamming against her raised arms and both of them stepping back before meeting once more for a trade of blows.
It said a lot about a person who could move so quickly despite wearing what should be restrictive clothes. The long skirt should be hindering her mobility, but the way she was fighting, it was utterly negligible. She matched Gabura's lightning-fast sword swings, leaning back from the arcs of his swings and easily deflecting them by striking back with punches and kicks.
The ground was being shaken up by their combat, kicking up dirt and dust into the air. Metal rang in the air countless of times, showers of sparks lighting up the dim clearing with every time their attacks collided.
'H-Holy crap… They're really going at it.'
And it wasn't hard to notice how none of the other goblins were trying to get close and blindside the woman. For how devastating the combat between the two was, they knew they'd just get pulled into the crossfire.
They clashed one final time, Gabura forced to block a sudden blow to the flat edge of his sword. As he was pushed backwards, it gave his allies the opportunity they needed to quickly rush Charlote down, attempting to strike her down now that she was left wide open.
She really wasn't.
That exchange of blows hadn't worn her out in the slightest. She switched gears, meeting the lesser goblins' attempts as harshly as she did their leader, easily sidestepping their attacks and retaliating with a flurry of blows. A back kick to a jugular, a series of five punches at one's chest followed by a devasting uppercut, a sweeping kick, and even a haymaker.
One such goblin had attempted to strike her from the behind, prompting her to cartwheel away from his attack before she spun on her heels to deliver a devastating heel to the back of his skull. She allowed herself to somersault backwards from a slash of another sword, and she positioned herself mid-air to crush the head of a goblin into the earth. She kicked aside another blade with her sandal and thrust a fist into his face, likely cracking his nose.
Everyone moved like clockwork, and Kirito felt awed by how amazing this Charlotte person was. How was she doing all of that? 'Is she some sort of renowned fighter that I've never heard of?'
No… No, that just wouldn't make sense. News can travel fast within the Human Empire, so there was simply no reason that he wouldn't have ever heard of Charlotte. For someone of her prowess, she would be celebrated greatly by the people.
And to be protected by her at the moment… there was a muted sense of disappointment inside of him. An itch to rush in and help. Being a bystander who was just watching the combat ensuing before him without any actual opportunity to do anything felt…
A glint in the darkness of the canopy caught his attention. His eyes snapped in that direction, gasping as he noticed the goblin perched atop a branch, yellow eyes shining like a beam of light.
"Crap..! Lady, behind you! There's—"
"Too late!" The goblin screamed, dropping down with a dagger poised to stab her through the neck, cackling like a madman. "Meet your end, humie! Gahahaa—"
And then, he was bisected right in the very centre.
It was too quick. Far too quick that even Charlotte couldn't have possibly done something, for the way that the monster was split in equal halves would have required something to have cut through him—but she held no weapon.
The goblin dropped to the ground by her feet, spilling blood and gore onto the soil near her, killed in a single blink.
All around them, the goblins stared at their fallen comrade, Gabura especially not even trying to hide his astonishment. It quickly turned into rage, however, as he gripped his weapon once more.
He didn't spare any words. He merely went for her once more; in a simple, all-too predictable frontal charge with his companions quickly disposing of their doubts to join the battle. Rage fuelled his motions as he swung wildly at her in hopes of catching her. Charlotte no longer held herself back, either, her fingers dancing in the air as she operated invisible machinations.
One by one, as if the world was contorted to her wills, every single goblin were being killed off like flies. Clean cuts across their beings, done in a way that no normal weapon could hope to achieve. And with how she kept dodging their leaders' swings, there was simply no way to describe just how terrifyingly good she was at fighting.
Split in halves. Decapitation. Bisected.
Something silver caught his eye. Faint, almost imperceivable by the human eye, yet he caught the glimmer of the thread at the very last second—right before the final goblin failed to plant his sword into her throat, and the upper portion of his head was sent flying off.
A string?
Something so thin, almost invisible. And she danced across the opening, swinging those threads everywhere and slicing her enemies so quickly, it seemed like some sort of mirage at play. It was amazing.
"Ghraa!" Gabura was the last one standing. His blade rushed at her in successful blows, connecting with her at every opportunity but failing to make any effect. Despite his obvious failure, he wasn't stopping in the slightest. His blade, despite how massive and heavy it was, moved with such speeds that even he had a hard time keeping up with. "Damn you!"
Charlotte did not respond. Verbally, at least, for she stepped close into his defenses. She thrust two open palms into his chest, knocking him backwards. He tried to stop himself and move forwards and cut her down, but she'd already moved first, blocking his attack and throwing a strong hook into his left shoulder.
A crack resounded loudly across the clearing. Kirito watched in shock as that single blow practically dislocated his other arm, causing it to simply become a sagging limb to the side. The part where she'd struck was quickly bruising up, a sickly blue and black.
'How the hell..?'
But Gabura did not give up. He attempted a flurry of swings at her once more, each dodged by the nimbler woman, before he attempted for a finisher once more. He planted one foot into the ground and unleashed a powerful overhead slash. Charlotte did not evade the attack, choosing instead to raise her arms and take the attack head-on. The impact behind the blow formed a crater beneath their feet, air rushing out around them and rustling everything in the area.
From the sudden smirk on his face, it seemed like that was precisely what he wanted.
In a sudden, jerking motion, he lashed out with his right leg at her, knee driven into her gut and knocking her backwards into a tree. It could not withstand the impact, snapping apart like a bone, yet her body continued to fly through, crashing into several other trees and knocking up the scenery. Kirito watched in horror as her figure disappeared into the shadows.
Gabura suddenly switched his stance, lugging his oversized machete onto his right shoulder. He wielded it with just his right hand, his feet kept apart as if he was intending to throw his blade right at Charlotte.
He wasn't planning to. He was about to do much worse.
" By the blood of our ancestors, burn my blood into ash!"
" By the fangs of our descendants, sharpen my blade beyond their ivory!"
" And by the Dark God's will, let my enemies succumb to their deaths!"
Fire. As if his very words had spawned the will of the gods themselves, he'd summoned a spark. And then, his sword was suddenly ignited, nightmarishly red flames wrapping around his weapon. It seemed to pulsate in colours, shifting from oranges to yellows and reds; as if it was alive.
But it was the change it had upon Gabura that truly stole his breath. The very same fire that had consumed his blade were now burning within his veins, every scar marks on his body and even his dislocated arm going up in flames. From his eyes, fire burned like a mask, giving off the visage of a bloodthirsty monster.
Kirito could feel the heat emanating off of his person, the sheer power more so. It was enough to get him to shield his eyes with one arm, the area around them bathed in bright oranges and reds.
Was this some sort of «Dark Art»? Sister Azalia used to tell him how the people in the Dark Territory practised some sort of different rituals compared to humans, which gave them access to their god's power. Could this be it?
'And yet…' As he watched the inferno, all he could tell was that this seemed familiar. 'This feeling…'
It reminded him of what Deusolbert had done when he'd arrested Alice. When he threw an invisible sword at Kirito when he'd tried to charge at him with his axe.
Clearly, an invisible sword and setting something (and themself) on fire were two completely different things, but all Kirito could think about was how similar it felt. Both exuded an equal amount of… something. A pressure of sorts. But all he knew was that neither were any different from each other—and that meant that it wasn't just something an Integrity Knight could do. Normal people, just like Gabura, could do it too.
But this wasn't the time to think about that! Charlotte may be durable to swords, but there was only so many things anyone could resist, and fire might just do the trick. Plus, setting that off here would burn the forest down, and that was going to be devastating to the landscape.
He gripped his axe. 'Should I..?' This would be a risky move, and carelessness on his part might mean he'd be on the receiving end of all those flames. He screwed his eyes shut. 'Damn it..!'
Like he needed to think.
As if someone had pushed him from behind, Kirito jolted forwards before breaking into a rush, screaming at the top of his lungs as he brandished the Dragon Bone Axe once more. His body felt heavy, yet he forced himself past his limits.
He knew he wasn't supposed to do this. Charlotte had explicitly told him off of joining the fight, but he has to! He can't just sit back and do nothing!
Just one strike. He needed to get in one strike!
'I can't just let Charlotte protect me alone! I can fight too!'
His screaming caught Gabura's attention. His head snapped in his direction, and his golden eyes seemed to burn red in frustration and anger behind the fiery mask. "Braaat..!"
He turned himself and swept his blade forwards in an upper arc. Fire shot forwards in the shape of a crescent moon, coursing wildly and scorching the earth and the grass, leaving behind a line of pitch black in the ground.
Kirito felt his breath stuck in his throat. With how fast it was moving and how it was coming straight at him, he could feel the inevitable end to his own life. How this single moment would erase him from existence—and it felt accurate to think that way. It would truly leave nothing behind, incinerating him from flesh and bone into ash.
But he did not die. His mind on overdrive, his body commanded that he side-step the flaming arch. Though it sailed past him by a mere centi- Mel, he could feel the unforgiving heat wash over him, practically vaporizing all his sweat and his breath. It left him feeling light-headed.
Still, he pushed forwards, closing the distance between himself and Gabura as quickly as he could. The goblin seized the moment to reverse his grip and slash his sword downwards—that single action forced him to part his legs, and Kirito rolled in between to dodge the attack, narrowly avoiding having himself turning into paste.
'Now!'
With axe in hand, he reversed his momentum and quickly leapt at Gabura's back. With all the might he had in him, he swung!
Gabura screamed. The axe dug into his back, buried deeper than Kirito had expected. It carved a deep gash into his flesh. The boy swiftly planted his feet on his back and leapt away with the axe, in time to dodge as the massive goblin spun on his heels to catch him by surprise with a horizontal swing. He did not stop there, however, rushing in with fiery swings.
Kirito moved on automatic, bobbing and leaning away from every attack. He couldn't hope to block his attacks; with the sheer power behind every single motion, Kirito knew he'd break his arms trying. That was why he could only rely on dodging his attacks.
'I just need to buy Charlotte time to recover..!' He thought to himself as he backed up into a tree, swiftly ducking to let the sword cleave the tree into two. It ignited upon contact, forcing him to quickly move away from it before he was caught on fire himself. 'This..! I can do this! I'll be fine!'
But his opponent wasn't. His muscles bulged and his eyes glared down on him as he initiated a flurry of swings to catch him even once, yet the boy easily weaved through each one, backpedalling to put some distance between the two and trapping them in a stalemate.
Until the larger goblin attempted to initiate a diagonal slash from up high. Kirito's eyes shot wide open; it was an «Azure Wind Slash»!
'How the hell does he know to use that technique..?!'
There was literally no time to even consider the question further before he hastily brought up his axe to block the speedier attack.
The weight of a beast crashed down on his arms. Kirito almost blacked out. Could feel his bones rattle in his arms from the impact, enough to make him drop his makeshift weapon. The blaze over his person felt like it was eating him alive. However, he held on and quickly backed away from the following swing.
'Shit, shit, shit!'
Gabura wasn't giving him much room to dodge this time. He kept moving into his space, bringing down his weapon in multiple overhead slashes. No longer was he content with giving him breathing room. There was no opportunity to dodge; forced into such close combat, all that Kirito could do was block each attack with the axe.
It truly said something that an axe forged from the bones of a dragon failed to make much of a dent in a goddesses damned tree, yet could withstand the powerful blows of this massive goblin multiple times. Each blow felt like he was being stepped on by some gargantuan beast, yet he had to tank the blows with the haft of his axe every time.
A horizontal slash forced him to duck into a roll to let it sail past him. A fast thrust had him sidestepping the attack. The ensuing four-swings combo had him bobbing between each arc.
"Tch..! Slippery bastard!"
"No choice! You're trying to kill me!" A hasty move on his part forced him to barely deflect the burning sword by smashing the axe leftwards against the flat edge of the weapon, causing it to bury deeply into a tree. 'An opportunity!'
Quickly, he moved off to the side, just in time for Gabura to wrench his blade out of the tree and attempt for a swift diagonal slash at him. He had his legs parted once more. Kirito didn't waste the chance to charge right at his enemy, slipping between his legs at the very last second. He fixed his grip and turned, aiming for the tendon.
'Go down!'
The goblin howled in pain once more as the Dragon Bone Axe cleaved into the back of his foot, ripped out and severing the bone and tendon. He fell onto one knee, his weight shaking the earth. He attempted to spin and cut the boy down, but the pain got to him and had him faltering. His concentration broken, the incited fire spell was undone and his machete reverted to normal. Kirito quickly pulled away, panting loudly as he watched his enemy.
'I can actually do this… I just need one more swing..!'
And he really needed to do it fast, because the massive goblin had all but decided to limp on his good foot to try and reach him. Encumbered as he was, Kirito had no trouble trying to get out of his range, keeping his distance to make sure he wasn't hit in the slightest.
And yet, with each struggle, pain flickered across his expression. Sweat trickled down his chin and his fangs were gritted hard to ignore the wounds on his back and his ankle, or his arm that was . Even his swings had gotten slower. He…
"Damn it… Stop it, man!" Kirito found himself screaming as You're already roughed up enough, just stop moving!"
"I… will not!" His growl was accentuated with defiance, halting for a moment to regain his breath. "I said so, didn't I..? I am a warrior, and I will fight to my final breath. No matter what… the results are!"
"But you sure as hell lost from the very beginning! Charlotte was too much for you!"
"So?!" The outburst caught him by surprise. This time, a new emotion made itself present on the goblin's face. One that he couldn't understand. "I may have been beaten and my brothers slain… but we would rather die warriors than cowards! That is our way of life!"
That fire in his eyes… Even with his dying breath, he refused to let go of that fire. That thing that made him him to begin with.
Kirito faltered, feeling an odd wave of discomfort wash over him. "What the hell… I don't understand you…"
"That… You are wrong," amber orbs stared into his onyx own. "After all… you are the same as I."
"…What?"
"You, a mere weakling… likely one who has never raised a weapon before, chose to join the fight. Why?"
That's… "I-I don't… What are you trying to say?"
"I am calling you a warrior, boy," the words threw him for a loop, but Gabura continued nevertheless. "You fought me to protect that woman, did you not? I could tell… the entire time during the fight, you itched to join the combat. You could not tolerate standing by and doing nothing."
He… Gabura had been watching him from the very start? Kirito hadn't noticed. He'd thought the goblins would have been a lot more preoccupied trying to fight Charlotte to even care, yet for their leader to say this…
"Heh… A little brat like you, jumping into a fight that would have killed you if you were careless, simply because you wanted to help that woman… Here I thought all humie's are nothing but sheep. Weak, pathetic things that couldn't do anything to save their own lives. And here I am," he closed his eyes. "Bested by a brat…"
Gabura smiled. There was no emotion that he'd expected from the goblin at the fact that he could be dying; no anger, no irritation, no desperation.
He sounded… pleased?
"You've got spirit… Way more than the humans I've met all these years, that's for damned sure," amber orbs revealed themselves once more. "Which is why, you must finish me. Here and now."
"W-What?" He stared into his eyes, long and hard. When he'd finally come to terms with the fact that the goblin wasn't joking, he felt his face go pale. "Are you insane?! Y-You're beaten! Stop being insane and just give up already!"
"Ours is a kind of culture you could never understand, but one I refuse to be ashamed of," he harrumphed. "We live our lives in the ways of strength. In pride of our blood and our ancestors, and the struggles we must endure on a daily basis. We are strong, and if defeat comes to us… we will accept it as warriors. Nothing less."
"But this and that are two different things!" He yelled back. "You're asking me to kill you! I'm not doing that!"
"Then I will return, and I will slaughter your friends and your people," the words made him freeze once more, witnessing how deadly serious the goblin was. "You lured us here to protect your friends. You fought me to protect that woman. Surely, you can finish me off.
"T-That's… You're insane."
"I am. I am also a warrior who recognizes strength, and tonight, I've seen that in you. If I am to die tonight, then it shall be by your blade."
The axe felt heavier in his hands all of a sudden, his chest feeling tighter than ever. This… This isn't what he'd asked for.
He'd wanted to draw these guys away from his friends, and yet now, he stood before a leader of slaughtered goblins, himself having not been unscathed. He had been steadily bleeding now, the ground beneath him slowly dyed a deep crimson.
Gabura did not look defeated. He looked accepting. As if he had a lot more fight in him, but was willing to relinquish his victory to the foolish boy who'd only wanted to protect someone who'd fought to protect him mere moments ago.
Why… Why was this happening?
"It was clear as day that I dwarfed you in every aspect. Combat experience, power, technique—I far exceed you in those fields. And yet, you've outsmarted and resisted all the while. I underestimated you, and you'd bested me, so I ask you, here and now," Kirito met his eyes once more. "Kill me, if you wish to protect your loved ones."
"N-No. I can't just…"
"Give this monster a proper end. I accept yours to be the blade that shall end my life, for you are a warrior," he nodded. "And in my death, shall you find greater strength and become a man of your own making."
This… This isn't fair.
Gabura was no longer struggling. He released his hold over his blade, allowing it to topple onto its flat edge against the ground. Steady amber eyes—reflecting nothing but sincere respect—never left his onyx pair.
It was enough to leave him wordless. Yet again, this night had been too much. Too many things that he'd accepted as fact of life, yet have completely shifted his perspective on just about everything. He didn't know what to feel about this.
And yet, he knew. There really was no other way to this. He wasn't allowed the option to simply walk away.
Kirito gritted his teeth, staring into the goblin's eyes. As if he could read his soul through those yellow windows, hoping to find something. What that is, he wasn't sure, yet he knew it had to end this way.
His grip over his axe tightened. Slowly, begrudgingly, he lifted the axe that had only ever tasted the bark of a tree over his head. It felt heavy. Heavier than the numerous swings he'd blocked tonight. And heavier than his stomach weighing down in his body.
Damn it all…
The forest at night was incredibly silent. There was no sound to be heard from the distance, leaving him with an uncomfortable feeling in his gut that had him fidgeting in his place.
And it wasn't just him. "A-Are they okay in there?" Eriana asked, looking over to her friend.
"The fighting must have stopped a few minutes ago… I-I'm sure they're fine. That lady seemed pretty strong."
She was. Eugeo got the sense that she wasn't all that weak, despite how lithe her appearance was; considering how confident she was charging in alone to go help Kirito take on the six goblins, it says a lot.
Even so, there was no helping the dread in him. It doesn't help that he wasn't allowed to go check on his friend at the moment. Not when there was still the possibility of other goblins showing up to attack them. The cover of darkness would be most useful in that aspect, so they had to stay here. Someplace that would be wide and spacious enough for them to notice any incoming presences.
'S-Still… If something bad happened to them…'
The sounds of rustling in the distance catches his and all the other girls' attention. They're quick to move towards him, all three of them hiding behind his back in preparation of whatever would be coming at them. Eugeo braced himself as well, his good arm spread apart to shield them in case anything bad happened.
Funny, considering how he's the injured one here…
However, any tension in the air dissipated when a pair of black-haired individuals popped through the shrubbery. The relief he felt in that moment was indescribable, his voice rising an octave as he called out his friend. "K-Kirito!"
"…Huh? E-Eugeo! You're—" The joy at seeing him quickly turned into fear, his best friend quickly racing to reach his side. "Oh shit..! A-Are you okay?!"
"K-Kirito! I'm fine! You don't need to fuss on me that much—"
"I wouldn't call this fine!"
To be fair, he had every right to be as concerned as he was being right now (though his only complaint was how he was being a little too fussy like his sister). After all, the injury the goblin had inflicted on his arm had left pretty bad wounds that still felt searing hot up until now.
Thankfully, Charlotte had stemmed the bleeding using the 'Luminous' element before she wrapped his arm in a makeshift cast using some cloth that she had on her person. It wasn't the best treatment, so they'd need to check in with Ivenda first thing in the morning—or tonight, if they could. Still, it wasn't the worst thing.
"It's okay… Charlotte treated my wounds as best as she could, so it's completely fine," noticing how he wasn't satisfied with that response, he decided to provide some truth. "Okay, it… It still hurts. Like, a lot. But it would have been much worse, so…"
"…Damn it. How did this happen?"
"There was another goblin that stuck around in the area, sometime after you left. He must have stayed behind in case the girls tried to run away," he sighed. "And I got careless, thinking that all of them had already left. So we… sort of got into a fight."
It honestly wasn't that bad. Sure, he'd thought that he was going to die at the time, and he feared the thought of leaving Kirito behind and the girls getting killed without him there to protect them—but the fact that he'd somehow managed to fend off the goblin that long had him impressed with himself.
Still though, what really bothered him more about this entire situation is…
"I… I just…" Kirito let out a sigh, combing one hand through his hair. "At least… At least you're okay…"
The flaxen-haired boy winced at that. The look of genuine hurt on his best friend's face was one that he had seen once before; when he'd finally woken up and known that Alice had been taken away from them. To see that expression once more, and for him of all people, mortified him.
He can't let that happen again, he knew that for sure…
"At least…" Kirito forced out, straining a smile on his face. "At least it's over now, am I right?"
"Y-Yeah," Eugeo nodded back. "Gotta' count our lucky stars for that one—"
" Kirito!" The two turned to find the church girls running at the ravenette, tackling him in the front and causing him to grunt in surprise. Both girls wept, voices muffled in his tunic. " We're so sorry..!"
"I…" Kirito met his gaze for a moment before he smiled, patting them on the back of their heads. "It's okay. Tonight was… well, it sucked for sure, and Eugeo and I probably have some grey hairs, but at least you two aren't hurt or anything," then, he turned to look at the last member of the group. "You too, Selka."
"A-Ah…" The orange-haired girl looked guilty, averting her gaze from the boy. "W-We didn't mean to cause you so much trouble… And what happened to Eugeo was…"
"H-Hey, it's okay! Really!" He tried to reason, waving his good hand at her. "I mean, worse things could have happened, am I right? Don't feel bad about this. I technically could have done something else or something…"
Everyone were quiet immediately after that, trying to wrap their heads around this entire situation. Eugeo himself thought that this night in particular had been the single most craziest thing to have ever happened to him, Alice's arrest included. And far more dangerous than he would have liked.
His right arm throbbed for a brief second, making him hiss through his teeth as he attempted to cradle his arm, only to stop himself at the last second, knowing that he'd likely hurt himself further by doing that.
Even so, he couldn't help but feel grateful.
He gave a sideways glance at his best friend, rubbing comforting circles into the girl's backs. He looked less worse for wear, though the light scorch marks on his clothes and the dirt on his face was a cause for concern. He'll just ask him at another time.
"…Oh yeah. I forgot," Kirito then turned his gaze to the woman, who'd been quiet the entire time. "Charlotte, I… Thanks. For saving us."
"A-Ah, right," so her name is Charlotte? Eugeo nodded to the woman. "Thank you too, for treating my wounds. It's not perfect, but I still appreciate it a lot."
"It's nothing to thank me for, Eugeo, and you as well Kirito," she shook her head, smiling a little. "The both of you handled yourselves well. Though we hadn't come out of this completely unscathed," Eugeo simply shrugged with his good arm. "I, too, am simply glad to know that all of you are alive and well. I cannot ask for anything more."
"That's… Yeah, I suppose so," sighed Kirito. "I gotta' say, I was really impressed. You're really strong, Charlotte. What's up with that? You some trained fighter or something?" Eugeo agreed with him on that, a little curious on that. As he looked over to the woman, however, he found a slightly reluctant expression on her face.
"That's… Well, it's not exactly something I'm meant to tell any of you, unfortunately," she sighed. "Do forgive me for the secrecy. I am withholding information from you simply because I feel like it is not my place to do so."
"Hey, it's fine. You saved our skins. You don't owe us anything."
Charlotte nodded back. "Thank you, Kirito. Now then, I suppose you should head back to your village."
"You… You don't want to come with us?" Selka asked, gaining her attention. "You can rest in our village for a short while, if you'd like…"
"I… I'm not exactly certain if I should—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the sound of something in the air reaches their ears. Eugeo turned his head up, spotting a bird of sorts approaching them.
It was a strange creature, for certain. It was black from head to toe… talon? With white hair sticking out of its breast and even its legs, both of which seemed incredibly fuzzy. What truly piqued his curiosity was the long, slim tail with feathers at the end of its tip, as well as the… are those wings sticking out from the sides of its head?
The little thing perched onto Charlotte's extended arm. It made a shrill sound for only a moment, black beady eyes staring into the woman's. She stared it, as if she understood every single word it was saying.
Eventually, one of her brows raised. "Is that so?" The bird 'cawed' once more. "I see… Very well then."
"W-What did it say?" Selka asked as she stepped beside Kirito. The woman threw her arm upwards, letting the bird take off into the night sky once more.
"It seems there has been some… amendment regarding my duties here," she began, turning to look at the girl. "It seems that I shall be joining you in your village in the meantime," everyone, himself included, regarded her with surprise. "Would that pose an issue for you?"
"N-No! Not at all! We'd be happy to have you here with us!" The girl stuttered out.
"But… where will you be staying?"
"I am most certainly fine anywhere. I am known to be able in making the most out of any place for sleeping."
"Doesn't mean you should have to sleep somewhere uncomfortable… Oh! Maybe I can ask my parents if you could sleep with us! We… have an extra room," the small pause did not go unnoticed by Eugeo, though he opted to say nothing.
Charlotte likely caught onto it as well, but opting to be polite, she simply nodded her head without commenting. "That is fine with me. Thank you. Now then, shall we take our leave?"
"I… think that's a good idea," Kirito nodded. "Come on, everyone, let's head back home already."
And so it was that they finally turned for home, leaving behind the events of tonight to be buried in the recesses of their minds. Eugeo personally hoped for that to be the case, though he expected sleep to be a little hard to achieve; partly from the traumatic experiences they'd had to go through, and partly from the pain in his arm.
Still, he couldn't help but be more concerned about his best friend, who never stopped looking away from where he'd come from. Even when they'd broken past the forest perimeters and reunited with their families and forced to explain what had happened and whom Charlotte was (they'd settled on a story about wolves. Realistic enough to be plausible) before the whole drama could be well and truly settled before they headed back to their homes.
Everything had gone back to normal.
Or, at least that's what he thought it would be from then on. Though, considering everything thus far, he had little doubt it would not stay that way for long.
Author's Notes:
Alright, and that just about ends the pre-prologue chapters! Noice.
Nevertheless, I'm looking forwards to writing this story. I have a pretty good idea on its direction, and I've taken much time to step back and recuperate. It's time to get back into the writing groove—and that's pretty easy, because I'm simply enjoying it.
And so begins our heroes' stories. It's start might not have been what you expected, but hey? I like it. I'm feeling pretty good about it.
F.y.i., regarding Charlotte having a human form—the author wrote a series of stories under the label '32/33'. It's basically an alternative take on Sword Art Online Alicization story, branching off right around when the two of them already became Elite Disciples. In this one, Eugeo and Kirito never broke the «Taboo Index» at the academy. They win the tournament, they get accepted as Integrity-Knights-in-training, and they save the day… with cakes.
Err, that aside. In the very first story, If You Were Here, Charlotte assumes a human form to partake in a tea party with Administrator, Cardinal, Alice, Elevating Operator-chan and Scheta. If that sounds weird, it sure did when Humbert and Raios got poisoned by crabs the size of shiba dogs (yeah, that happened).
Although, for the sake of this story, I'ma give her some additional prowess in having spider-based abilities that were never exactly depicted in the anime, and she will be capable of using them in her human form as well. Some elements from Kumo Desu Ga, Nani Ka? right there (that was a fun anime) that, along time, she will develop a little more.
Moving on, let's get some questions out of the way! Pretty interesting stuff that I'm happy to clarify without giving away too much of the story.
Setting Story: This will take place solely within the world of Project Alicization. I honestly like the world's design, and it's a damned shame that I haven't played Lycoris yet, if only to get a sense of what the world is like and the kinds of people and events that go on. I'm relying on playthroughs I can find online.
As for story, Alicization: Lycoris deviates after the battle with Administrator, whereby Eugeo doesn't die and Asuna with the other girls enter Underworld to fight alongside Kirito. This particular story's direction is already altered from the very beginning, what with Kirito having no memory of his past and remaining by Eugeo's side, which means many things that happened in the light novel and anime won't be happening here. But don't worry. Your favourite characters will still get a shot at an appearance!
Pairings: This one… I've already decided, and it's strictly within the realm of Alicization. I get that Kirito's one and only is Asuna, but in this world, she and the others won't be making an appearance until muuuch later. I like to think that what I've got in store will be surprising. Unpredictable too, I hope.
I will say this, though. I've got a pretty outrageous idea I so badly want to test out, and liked or not, it's so out-of-there that I personally love it. I can't say what it is because it would be too much of a spoiler, lmao.
Characters: While I would love to limit the characters to just vanilla Alicization, I really like the concept of Medina and Edith in their respective games ( Rising Steel / Unleash Blading and Lycoris), so they'll be included. Characters from other gameverses or movies will not be showing up, so I won't include people like Strea, Rain and Koharu and so on.
I will mention that I do play Unleash Blading currently, so I'm familiar with Edith and some other additional characters. Lycoris, I've only ever watched the playthrough, so I'll make things up as I go.
I'll also be making up a lot of side characters, as you've already noticed. Seeing that Kirito lives in the orphanage but there'd never been a proper depiction of his interaction with the church kids in the anime, I'ma try and do that here. Plus, there's all the other village residents and the people they meet on their journey.
Any other stories?: This one is easy. Of course. But at the moment, I'm trying to limit myself to writing just this one story because I have a bad habit of multitasking and eventually getting lazy, so I thought of changing my pace and work on this story alone first. Plus, this one has been a blast to write so far, so I'm sticking with that.
Aaand I think that just about sums it up. Of Crowns and Swords is still in its infantile phase, and there's still a lot that I have to work on if I really want to make this a bop. Even so, I'm just gonna' have fun with this and see how it goes. I'll update it… every Saturday, at best. Yeah, that seems pretty good.
But most importantly of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's giving this story a shot. I'd been away for a whole damned year, so coming over to read this one is something I'm really grateful for. Not my best work so far, but I'm getting there. Slowly. Sort of. To all returning readers, good to have you back. To new ones, heyaz. And to everyone in general, stay safe and stay healthy. Peace.