Chapter 41: Scary Sister

Today is the day that I fulfil my mission. After today, the seat of the Rounds is within sight.

"Good morning, King Raphael. I see you're… healthier than yesterday." King Midgar said as he addressed King Oriana who's walking beside me while hiding his suspicion. He is accompanied by 2 guards from the Crimson Order, including Glen the Lion Beard, and his minister.

"I thank you for your concern over my health, King Klaus. I've managed to recover after a day's rest." King Oriana replied with a polite smile. Behind us are two First Children from the Cult who are disguising as bodyguards. If push comes to shove, they will assist in killing King Midgar today.

"I see. Then shall we?" King Midgar said as he led us to the VIP booth. Both he and King Oriana sat on chairs reserved for kings, on the highest platform in the booth. Behind the chairs is a statue of Olivier (or at least the historical version of her which depicts her as a man) with an Artifact sword in its hands. I stood beside King Oriana while observing the people who are present here.

The only people worth remembering that I can see are Princess Alexia Midgar, Claude Normann, Charlotte Normann along with Duke Normann and his wife. The whole Normann family is here today. Iris didn't seem to be present after her humiliating defeat yesterday. That's a plus for me. I only need to worry about Claude Norma— No. How silly of me. With Lord Necromancer's assistance, that boy will not stand a chance. I shouldn't be too paranoid or I'll lose my focus.

"Hm?" I saw a black haired boy leaving the booth.

"Toilet. Toilet."

Hmph. What a fool. Why am I distracted by such an insignificant insect?

"Excuse me, ma'am. This is the VIP booth. Do you have a ticket?" There's a commotion at the door.

"She's with me. I invited her here." I heard Iris' voice. So she decided to show up after all. But who is her guest? I saw a woman whose face is obscured by a hood.

"She is Beatrix, the Goddess of War." Huh!? Beatrix herself!? The woman who awakened the blood of heroes on her own!? Why is she— Ah! I was too focused on my mission that I didn't notice her name on the bracket. She will have a match against Claude Normann today!

"Duke Perv. What's wrong?" King Oriana said.

"N-Nothing, your majesty." I answered.

"Don't be so stiff. Just relax and enjoy the show." He said with a smile. I noticed King Midgar silently observing our interaction from the corner of his eyes, most likely with suspicion.

Calm down! Calm down! Lord Necromancer will handle her as well! I just hope my debt to him wouldn't increase too much after this! Now then, Rose. Come! Come so I can end this farce once and for all!

Today is the day that I, as Mundane Mann, must face my sister. I managed to trick Alexia using the good ol' reliable excuse which makes her too disgusted to even question it so I managed to leave the VIP booth. Her sister was strangely absent, maybe not feeling well after her defeat yesterday. The ikemen Claude and his sister didn't pay attention to me too. Good! But the guy with the perverted name somehow gave me a stink eye as I left though.

The fact that they didn't notice me sneaking out yesterday is a blessing because it means I can use this excuse today without worry of it being repetitive.

"Mundane Mann! I know you're strong after you defeated Annerose and your doppelganger yesterday! But for my future and my brother's, I shall defeat you!" Claire declared as we stood face to face in the arena.

"Haahh…" I can't help but sigh. This is the first time I face her not in a spar but in a real match. Sorry sis. I'm gonna defeat you. I'll make sure to be gentle though. I'm not a slave driver like you after all.

"Today's first match! Mundane Mann VS Claire Kagenou! Match begin!" The announcer shouted.

"HAAAA!" Sis charged in and went for a horizontal slash with ferocity that I expected of her. But sis, as someone who haven't surpassed nukes, you are too naïve and sloppy.

I blocked the slash easily with my sword.

"Huh!?" She retreated after she saw visions of her hands being sliced apart by my counter attack, which didn't actually happen in real life.

"What was…?" She muttered as she's getting nervous.

"Tch!" She charged again, this time stepping to the side midway in order to catch me off guard. But…

"Hyaahh!" A slight twitch from me and she suddenly saw visions of being bisected. She end up abandoning her assault to take a few steps back. She clutched her sides, where she was bisected in her visions, and took a breath to calm down.

She tried to take a step forward but saw a vision of her leg being sliced apart.

"Ughh!" She grunted as she felt the phantom pain in the leg that was sliced in the visions and fell to one knee.

"Not yet…!" Not giving up, she stood up again and tried to adopt a stance before seeing a vision of her head being sliced off and falling to the ground. "Aghh!" She grabbed her neck and breathed heavily. I might've overdone it.

"This sensation… Cid?"

Hm? What the… She realized it? Impossible! How did…?

Oh no. I developed this technique while sparring with her as a child and I could've sworn she touched her neck after I gave her a subtle vision of me slicing her neck back then. She experienced a weaker version of this technique! It's a mistake to use it on her!

"Heh… I knew it… I knew it…! Cid…!" She muttered while smiling ominously as she stood back up.

Oh no. She realized it… What should I do?

"I knew that you have the potential to surpass me, Cid! I knew it!" Hm? What is she talking about?

"Mundane Mann! You've shown me a path that my brother could take. For that, I'm grateful. In return, I shall give you my all!" It seems like she hasn't realized it. Thank goodness. I'll be a failure as an Eminence in Shadow if my identity is exposed here.

"Haaaaahh!" She powers up and charged again, going for a thrust.

I tried giving her another vision of her being sliced apart but this time she didn't stop. She's even grinning like a maniac as she continued her advance. Scary! My sister is scary! Alright! Time to finish this!

I deflected her thrust with my blade and with my free hand, I gave her a hand chop to the back of her head, knocking her unconscious.

"Winner! Mundane Mann!"

Phew. It's over. For now…

Oh? I sensed something's happening. How exciting!

Brilliant display of swordsmanship, Mundane Mann, or if I'm not mistaken from my observations, my fated rival. That level of skill is not what normal people possessed. To think that you would be here in disguise. That technique which exploited your opponent's instinct… Brilliant. It was beautiful. I almost clapped my hands while doing an evil laugh.

"Sister. What did he do?" Alexia asked.

"I'm not sure… But it seems like he did something… and she was affected by it, except during the last moment. What a terrifying technique." Iris answered.

"Brother… He's good." Charlotte said with worry.

"Indeed he is." I replied.

"Can you beat him, Claude?" My father asked.

"I can't say for sure. But I'll need to defeat Beatrix first if I want to fight him." I answered.

"Beatrix will be a very tough opponent. But I believe in you Claude. You'll do us all proud. You always have." My mother said.

"Thank you mother. Now, if you'll excuse me." I stood up and bowed to my parents as I left.

"Kick her ass, brother!" My sister exclaimed.

""Language!"" Both my parents said in perfect sync.

"Claude!" Iris called out to me before I left the booth.

"Good luck!" She smiled, not letting yesterday's defeat to sour our relationship.

"Thank you, Iris." I replied with a smile.

Beatrix walked alongside me to the arena.

"Ready?" She asked.

"As ready as ever, Lady Beatrix." I replied with confidence.

"Good. Let us have a good match." She smiled as we kept walking. As we walked in the hallways, we passed through a girl wearing a dark blue hoodie carrying a violin bag. Her face is obscured by her hoodie and glasses but I know who that is.

You've finally come after all, Rose. Right on time. Now I just need to wait for a signal from the main body.

"I smell blood." Beatrix said as she stopped walking.

"I do too." I replied.

Instead of heading towards the arena, she went to the source of the smell with me following close behind and we found several corpses of Cult agents, probably 2nd and 1st Children. Most likely killed by Shadow Garden agents.

"Something's going on." She muttered.

"Indeed. And you don't have to know." Said the Necromancer who suddenly appeared behind us and knocked me through a wall with a wave of his hand.

"Eh…? Isn't that?"

"Really?"

"She has returned!?"

There seems to be a commotion. I looked towards the source of the murmurs and saw something unexpe—that I expected.

"Rose!" I shouted as I was about to run towards her before being stopped by my sister.

"Don't interfere, Alexia!" Iris whispered.

"But sister!" I whispered to her back.

"Just let Oriana decide her fate! We can't involve ourselves in this matter!"

"… Fine." I relented and she let go of my hand. We stood there to watch the scene unfolds.

"Ah… My wayward daughter has returned." Her father, King Oriana, who was nothing but a hollow shell a few days ago, addressed her with… a sinister tone that I did not expect.

"Father... You're… alright?" Rose said.

"I am, now that you're here." Her father replied.

"But… I thought…"

"You thought what? What were you thinking, embarrassing me like that? Did you have any idea how disappointed I am at your behaviour?" Her father cruelly said. This is not right. How could he say something like that? That's totally not something one would say towards his daughter!

I also noticed Duke Perv smirking like the evil bastard he is. He is behind this somehow!

"Father…?" Rose said, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Now return to me, Rose. And face your punishment." The king said as he held out his hand in an inviting gesture. I was about to intervene before-

*BOOOOMM*

A sound of explosion erupted somewhere in the building, shaking the VIP booth and sent the people screaming.

"What's going on!?" I exclaimed before I saw King Oriana as he brandishes a rapier he had hidden within his white cape and stabbed my father in the middle of the chaos while grinning like a madman.

"FATHEEER!" I shouted.

Author's Note:

Let the games begin.

Sorry to end it with a cliffhanger but as I said in the previous chapter, progress will be slow next week and this chapter is all the draft I've finished this week. The next chapter is unfinished at the time of this writing and currently I don't know if I would be able to finish it with the remaining time I have.