"Alright, now since Lucius escaped, but it isn't the end," the entity said. Since it was an inter-dimensional being, it seemed to derive its powers from imagination and gathered data on how people would react to different scenarios. It was like a food source for it, and the more reactions it got, the more satisfied the entity was. Well, this is going to be special.
"Is this when Princess Christina and Flora were kidnapped?" King Francois asked, almost sure. He hadn't heard of Haruto facing Lucius in between those rounds, so he assumed.
"Yes, you are right," the entity confirmed.
"Finally, I get to see Sir Haruto in action! I have always wondered how he managed to defeat the renowned leader of the Heavenly Lions."
Meanwhile, on the other side, I still remember those events as though they were yesterday. It was the moment I knew his true identity... no, I've always known it. I just didn't want to accept it. I wanted to deny him... and yet... yet he saved me and Flora. I know no matter what I do, it won't suffice for the pain he endured in the academy, Princess Christina reminisced as she looked at her dear sister, who was shivering and a bit nervous.
Just at that moment, Rio was suddenly standing before the door, looking around at the inside of the room. Christina, Flora, Lucius, and Duran were present. What kind of combination was this? He questioned the situation with a stern and doubtful face. "S-Sir Amakawa?! Why are you here...?" Christina was shocked, her mouth falling open in a daze. "Well, this is a surprise. How did you arrive already? There's at least thirty kilometers from the capital to this village." Duran stared closely at Rio. Only ten minutes had passed since he teleported here, so how was Rio here already? But Rio had flown at full speed after leaving the Paladia capital. "There's nothing to be shocked about. This guy can move at monstrous speeds." Lucius glared at Rio. "What's the meaning of this?" Rio's gaze sharpened, but Lucius drew his sword and pointed the tip at Flora's throat. "Wha..." Facing upwards where she lay on the bed, Flora stiffened faintly. Rio also braced himself to fight at any moment.
"Hmm, so you met them in this village as you told Haruto, but you said Prince Duran told you about Lucius's whereabouts, and yet Duran himself is in the village. How is this possible?" King Francois questioned, his voice filled with disbelief as he struggled to make sense of the unfolding chaos, his mind racing as he tried to piece together the puzzle that lay before him.
"They teleported, Lucius and Duran," the entity announced, its words echoing ominously in the tense silence that followed, sending a chill down the spine of everyone in the room. Francois felt his breath catch in his throat, his eyes widening in horror as he realized the gravity of the situation they now faced.
"Princess Flora, what happened to you? You seem unwell in that event," Satsuki asked gently, her voice filled with concern as she reached out to comfort her friend, her eyes brimming with tears at the sight of Flora's distress. Flora swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she recounted the harrowing ordeal she had endured, her words punctuated by the hitching of her breath as she struggled to hold back her tears.
"Princess Flora," Celia murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes filled with sympathy and sorrow as she gazed upon her princesses's pale and trembling form.
The weight of Flora's suffering hung heavy in the air, casting a somber pall over the room as they all grappled with the harsh realities of their situation, their hearts heavy with the knowledge of the trials that lay ahead.
"Whoa, there. Do you intend on fighting here?" Lucius said, looking at the dangerous air around Rio, who was ready to draw his sword.
"You were the one who drew first, no?" Rio retorted, his voice edged with tension as he stared down Lucius.
