[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights II: The Shadow of Justice

Episode 35: Pining for Love

"Go ahead and reunite with Tetsuya," I said, dropping Rosalba off halfway halfway between the mountain and the city.

Rosalba pushed me away without warning. I had forgotten how squirmish she got when held by a guy. Perhaps my brother was right, maybe I was a little too insensitive around girls.

"Sorry," I said, turning away. "I didn't mean to trigger your dark memories. Tetsuya or whoever it was will pay for what he did."

She gave me the same suspicious look that she reserved for Tetsuya, at least she used to. Did she really discount him as the aggressor?

I made my way back toward the site of the land dragon.

My sword was made out of the fang of a dragon. It should be strong enough to slice through its thick skin.

"Wait," Rosalba yelled, running after me. "I'm coming with you! If I don't, you and that prince will likely kill each other."

Seriously? I wasted all this time and energy to try to get her to safety?

Forming an ice wall between us, I continued on my way. "Stay back. I won't be responsible if anything bad happens to you. Besides, it seems that you aren't comfortable around me."

She couldn't get hurt, not again. If she did then she'd likely collapse and if that happened, what would I do?

I glanced back at the wall of ice that I had formed. Memories of the day after the ball flashed through my head. The princess had nearly died.

Why did she help him back then? She wanted him dead, but then asked her sister to aid him. It makes little... Wait, it does. Despite what happened, she could never stop loving him. Could that be the reason for why she has such a hard time coming to terms that he did it? Or could it be that...

I shook my head.

Why do I even care? My duty is to slay the creatures of darkness, not to babysit the princess. No, my real duty is toward myself. I still have much to learn. I need to become stronger, strong enough that I won't need to depend on others.

I opened my wings and flew off toward the mountain.

***

When I returned to the mountain, there was no dragon and no Ryonoko. I rose higher to get a better view but a lot of the terrain was obscured by thick mist. No matter how much I searched from the air, there was no sign of movement from within the mist. I doubted that the dragon would be so calm after having been attacked like that, nor did I imagine the prince would have been defeated so easily. He might not have been as strong as his parents, but he was still recognized as a strong individual in both Wynaga and Zionia. At the least he had to be as strong as his cousin, Zyuuni. Then again, the beast he was up against was a legendary monster.

"Did he lead it somewhere else?" I asked myself, rubbing my chin as I pushed away some of the mist. It was easy for me to do as the water particles making up the mist were in the process of turning back into solid form.