Who Needs Magic in a Fantasy World Anyway?

Chapter 15: Trial

David's P.O.V

"I'm sorry..." Benson apologized for perhaps the hundredth time since they'd sat down on the bleachers above the arena's floor, even though no one from their family blamed him. "Because of me-"

"You did what you had to do to try and save us from Lord Blackman's plot." Shell interrupted him, though her voice sounded just as disturbed as his was. "She was offered a way out, and yet she chose to worry about us instead..."

"I'll never forgive that bastard." David said afterwords, his entire body trembling from both rage at Ernie and frustration at not being able to help Koko. "I should be the one down there, not her!"

"W-when it's over, I can go down there, right?" Teya asked, already covering her mouth with tears running down her face. "I can heal her, right?!"

"You can... when it's over." Benson replied, and all any of them could do was watch now as the king's party reached their position above the bleachers along with James, whom David currently hated with every fiber of his being. After all, if it wasn't for the man agreeing the the trial, then it would have been someone else down there... even though that would have been just as much of a lost cause as this was. After all, Benson was only level one-hundred and fifteen and Shell was only level one-hundred and thirty-seven. So compared to Lord Blackman, who had just reached two-hundred a few months ago...

"Koko... please be okay." David whispered, praying to whichever gods were out there that Ernie would show mercy and spare his sister. Though given the man's personality, it didn't seem likely.

James's P.O.V

"Are you sure about this, your majesty?" Tristan, the commander of the Royal Knights, asked behind Xavier once the man had sat down on the throne above the arena.

"Not at all, but it seems that James is..." Xavier looked behind him towards James, who waved slightly in reply with a large smile still on his face. Truth be told, he was excited to see the outcome of this trial. It really was regrettable that David and his family were caught up in this whole matter, but what James was really interested in was Koko. Everything about her seemed to be a mystery, and that was before he even considered her strange fighting style and her blatant disregard for his authority. And, even if she lost this match, James was determined to hire her as a maid in the castle or something so that he could protect her from Blackman and Ernie. He'd like to do so now even without the trial, in fact, though couldn't given her status.

"She doesn't even have any armor though..." Tristan continued.

"She doesn't need it." James replied, causing all heads to turn towards him. "I said it before, didn't I? She's interesting."

"I really do hope that there's something special about her like you think. Otherwise, I'll be doing something terrible to such a small child." Xavier sighed to himself, taking a moment to collect his thoughts before he stood and walked to the edge of the platform to speak. "The combatants may enter the arena!"

Koko's P.O.V

"It's been a short but good life, I suppose..." Koko sighed to herself while waiting inside one of the tunnels that led into the arena. The tunnels were made with stone bricks with no light from any torches to help with the darkness they casted, though she guessed that was supposed to make entering into the light of the arena more grand. However, she was feeling anything but grand at the moment, wondering if she even stood a chance against her opponent.