I stroll down the shady alley, following the noise of a duel. When I track it to its origin, I find myself in the heart of the dim alley.
Two shadowy knights are locked in a fierce fight. No doubt in my mind, one of them is Alexia, wearing a school uniform and a short skirt. But the other is a mysterious man in a black mask.
I sneak up to a rooftop and secretly observe them from above.
"Quit already! You don't stand a chance," Alexia taunts.
She seems to have the upper hand. The masked man isn't weak, but he can't even touch Alexia, who has gotten really good with her recent training.
His black coat is ripped and his blood stains the cobblestones a dark red. The winner will be determined with one final push.
"Why do you harm innocent people? Is that why you fight?" Alexia questions.
"We are Shadow Garden..."
Just now, the jet-black man definitely said, "Shadow Garden."
"Is that all you can say? Is this what that man Shadow truly wants?" Alexia challenges.
"We are Shadow Garden..." the jet-black man repeats. Why is this guy pretending to be part of Shadow Garden?... who am I kidding, I know why.
'/
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"It's game over for you," Alexia declares.
She sends his sword flying, clanging onto the cobblestone road. Suddenly—
"...Ugh!" Alexia dodges a surprise attack from behind.
She blocks another quick strike, kicks the assailant in the stomach, and swiftly retreats. She glares at her new opponents, catching her breath.
There are two more dark knights dressed in jet-black. Alexia clicks her tongue as she watches the first man raise his sword.
That's three of them, and she figures they're all tough. Against one of them, she could win easily. She might be able to take down two. But fighting against three opponents is...
"It's not very fair to have three of you against a delicate girl," she remarks. She hope they give her a response.
"How about three one-on-one battles? Or is that not allowed?" she suggests.
They slowly encircle her from all sides. She makes sure her back is protected as she edges away.
"We are Shadow Garden..."
One man approaches her from behind, and she keeps him in check with her eyes. Their swords move with small gestures as they try to figure out each other's intentions.
"Oh my. Aren't you going to turn around? I think you should," Alexia smirks.
Her crimson eyes shimmer in the moonlight.
"Because there's a gorgeous lady right here."
"We-..!"
She got him.
Alexia moves swiftly, bringing her blade down to slice through her clueless opponent who turned back to look.
𝘋𝘪𝘦. She doesn't say it out loud, but her sneer says it all. She tears through his black cloak, splattering fresh blood.
But the cut isn't deep enough. She just needs one more strike to finish him...
And in that moment, Alexia receives a blow to her stomach.
"Augh...!"
A black boot slams into her side, and she can hear her ribs snapping upon impact. As she coughs up blood and swings her weapon, she thrusts her sword into the black boot.
But the enemy dodges her attack at the last second, and her blade bounces off the cobblestones.
The other men are too far away to reach.
Alexia spits up blood and wipes her mouth. Her hand is stained red.
At this point, she successfully distracts two of them, but there's one left - the one who kicked her to stop her from killing the other man. Alexia glares at him with spite.
Three against one. The numbers haven't changed.
But the situation has worsened. Two of them are unscathed, and the other is badly injured but still able to wield his sword. She can't ignore the last man.
On the other hand, Alexia's lungs are punctured by her broken ribs.
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦, she thinks. I guess this is the end... But with these dru—
Suddenly, a blue-violet light shines down on her and all her injuries suddenly get better. She feels more energized and her mental fatigue is gone. Not only that, her magic is...
At that moment, something dark descends from the sky, landing as silently as an owl gliding through the night.
The ebony blade slices through one opponent, causing blood to gush out. The suffocating stench of gore fills the alleyway. With a swift swing, the man clad in black, Shadow, wipes the blood off his sword, leaving a red streak along the wall.
"𝗧𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻..."
This is Shadow, the most powerful being in existence. He's the one who displays flawless swordplay— the one she could never forget.
'𝘐𝘴 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸... 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?'
That's what it seems like.
"𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀," Shadow declares.
In the next moment, the men in black spring into action, making a split-second decision to leap from the cobblestones, bound off the wall, jump onto the rooftop, and flee.
"𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰..." Shadow starts moving to go after them.
"Wait up...!" Her voice stops him in his tracks. He turns back slowly, staring right at her.
Her sword starts shaking like crazy. She suddenly realizes... she's doing something really stupid.
"I'm Alexia Midgar, one of the princesses in this kingdom."
Shadow just keeps staring at her. She knows he could easily end her life if he wanted.
"Tell me why you're fighting. Who's your enemy? And... are you a threat to my country?"
Silence falls upon them both.
Alexia was about to speak, but she notices Shadow's pure glowing blood-red eyes... they seem... Is she imagining things now? How can she even see through that hood and mask?
Wait— he's smiling!? It's hardly noticeable, but she catches Shadow with a little smile, almost unnoticeable. She had to be hallucinating now.
"I̷'̷m̷ f̷i̷g̷h̷t̷i̷n̷g̷ f̷o̷r̷ w̷h̷a̷t̷ t̷h̷e̷y̷ l̷o̷s̷t̷.̷"
"...What—?" What about the other two questions?
"𝖨'𝗆 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝗒 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗏𝖾... 𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗒, 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋'𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝖺𝗒."
His voice sounds super calm, totally different from the authority he had just moments ago.
"You... Come back! Or— Or I'll—"
"𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲?" he guesses. And that Authorative voice comes back.
And with those words, Shadow disappears into the darkness. All of a sudden, she hear Iris' voice and she suddenly feels really really sleepy despite all that energy she had when Shadow arrived.
'/
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Two shadows dash through the dark streets of the capital. As they start getting worried about sneak attacks, the dudes in black turn into an alley and abruptly stop.
They seem really rushed. They press their hands against the wall, trying to catch their breath. For a little while, only their heavy breaths fill the dark alleyway.
𝙏𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙠.
A noise from deep in the alley.
They quickly turn to look into the darkness. A dark figure starts to appear in the shadows, coming closer to them.
𝙏𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙠, 𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙠.
The sound of his boots getting nearer.
The guys carefully get their swords ready. But then, a black blade 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 deep into one of their heads, going right into the poor guy's skull without any warning.
"Agh... Aghh... Aghhh...!"
The black katana is pulled out as the guy screams in pain, blood spraying and him falling to the ground.
The other impostor starts panicking and backing away as the figure steps out of the shadows and reveals himself. In a black coat, he has a sword and keeps half his face hidden behind a magician's mask.
"𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁?" His voice is deep, like it's coming from the deepest parts of the earth.
"Eek...!" squeaks the guy in black as he steps back.
"𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱?" he asks. "𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸... 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆?"
The guy in black turns to run.
"What—?!"
"Great job, Master Shadow."
He turns and sees a lady standing there. She's attractive and classy, wearing a short dress.
"You caught the bad guy real quick. I'm impressed," she says.
"𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗡𝘂?"
"Yes," she answers, continuing the conversation with the assassin between them both.
He backs up against a wall.
"Leave the rest to me. I'll get information out of him."
The man clad in black lowers his sword.
"...𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿." he orders.
"Understood."
He turns around and disappears into the darkness. The pretty lady bows her head as she watches him go.
The beautiful lady and the dark dude are left in the narrow alley. The guy is all geared up, but the lady is defenseless in her dress and heels.
The guy acts fast. He tries to stab the unarmed girl to death with quick slashes.
Or at least, that's what he wanted to do.
With her dress lifted up, she breaks the night with her white, sexy legs. Ah yes, enjoy the imagination readers. Especially you weirdos interested in being dominated like this... for some reason.
Ka-chank. The guy's sword falls to the cobblestone road.
There's a moment before eight of his fingers drop next to it.
"A-aghh...!"
It's hard to tell if he's trying to grab his eight fingers or his sword.
With only his thumbs left, he reaches out with one of his hands.
But it gets crushed by her high heel.
"Gyah...!"
And then, a black blade comes out from the toe of her stiletto. The blood from his fingers flows over the cobblestones.
"I'm not as nice as Master Shadow."
He can hear the anger in her voice. The guy looks up to see a gaze so cold it could freeze him to death.
"Don't think I'll let you die peacefully."
With the edge of her dress fluttering, she smacks his chin with her pale knee. Ooh! I bet you'd like that wouldn't you? You masochists.
'/
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Another day in the life of Cid. I'm currently in the library because I was interested in the kind of books they have here, then suddenly I hear..
"AHH! It's my stalker!"
I move back and turn to my left. And sure enough, it's Po getting his ass beat. Deserved.
Anyways, I noticed a chocolate box on the ground, not sure how he managed to afford it, but it reminds me, I had 2 extra boxes after giving 10 to my dear sister Claire.
The bag of chocolate sways as I walk around the library. I usually never come here. It’s nice. I speak to the first girl from the Academy of Science that I pass.
“Here’s some chocolate.”
“Huh?” She’s a cute-looking female with light-pink hair.
I hand off the bag of chocolate and leave.
“Wait! What?”
I can hear her getting all confused. I think I’ve seen her face before, but I can’t remember where.
'/
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In the study room, a curious girl with hair the color of peaches tilts her head to the side. Her relaxed eyes carefully examine the brown objects inside the box, but she can't figure out what they are. The boy who gave it to her called it chocolate, but she's not so sure.
"Sherry, are you okay?" a middle-aged man with slicked back salt-and-pepper hair stands behind her.
"Assistant Principal Lutheran..."
"You promised to call me Father in private."
"Foster Father." Sherry smiles uncomfortably.
"Why do you have that box of chocolate?"
"Chocolate? A boy from the Academy for Dark Knights gave it to me."
"You don't say." Lutheran strokes his beard thoughtfully. "That's a luxury snack. All the girls have been talking about it. I think he gave it to you as a gift."
"What? But I don't even know him."
"They call it 'love at first sight.' That's the finest chocolate in the world. You can line up for it at the crack of dawn and still not be able to purchase it. He must have done the impossible to get it for you."
"Love at first sight..." Sherry murmurs, her cheeks turning pink.
"How will you respond to him?"
"Respond...?" Sherry's face turns bright red, and her eyes dart nervously.
"You're not just here for research. You should learn how to interact with your peers. That's what school is for."
"...I will."
Lutheran smiles gently at Sherry, who hangs her head.
"Is everything going well with the artifact?"
"I've just started." Sherry smiles uneasily, her cheeks still slightly flushed.
"That's understandable."
"But I do know one thing: It's written in a unique code."
"A unique code?"
Sherry spreads documents across the table. "I think it was used by an ancient country or organization. And... it's almost identical to the one from my mother's research."
"Oh, Lukreia's... She was a great researcher too." Lutheran closes his eyes, lost in memories.
"I need to decode the message my mother was researching right before she died."
The face examining the documents reflects the brilliance of a dedicated researcher.
"It's the perfect task for you."
"Thank you."
When Lutheran pats her head lightly, Sherry becomes bashful.
"Where is the artifact now?" he asks.
"A knight is guarding it in the other room."
"You're not keeping it with you?"
"Only if necessary. It's important for me to think in peace. Besides, I get too nervous around the knights."
"I see. Cough, cough... Excuse me..." Lutheran turns away to cough.
"Foster Father! Are you alright?" Sherry panics and rubs the back of the skeletal man with sunken cheeks.
"I-I'm fine. It's alright," Lutheran soothes his breath. "I was feeling good just the other day. I suppose illness can be unpredictable."
"Foster Father..."
"Don't worry about me. More importantly, I received another message from the college town asking if you'd like to study abroad."
"The college town, Laugus..."
"The most brilliant scholar in the world has recognized your research. If you study in Laugus, your skills will only improve. It's an incredible opportunity."
Sherry shakes her head. "I can't leave you alone while you're sick, Foster Father."
"You don't have to worry about me, Sherry."
"I would have been lost if you hadn't taken me in after Mother passed away. I want to help you... for helping me," she says, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Sherry... you're a wonderful daughter," Lutheran responds with a kind smile. "Good luck with your research. And enjoy your chocolate."
"...I will."
Lutheran leaves the study room. Sherry puts a piece of chocolate in her mouth.
"It's sweet... It's delicious."
She reaches for a second piece.
'/
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The campus looked all orangey like the sun was going down. I was strolling around, not many students around, when out of nowhere this girl comes up to me.
She had on a uniform that said she was in her second year at the Science Academy. Her hair was all pulled back in a bun and she had these plain ol' glasses covering her brown eyes. For me, I could easily tell this was the 13th, Nu.
But if you're a pro at this acting stuff, you could tell she was trying to be low-key and not steal the spotlight. That deserves praise.
"Hey, can we talk for a sec?"
"What's up, Nu? " I whisper.
It's pretty crazy how a different hairstyle and some makeup can make someone totally unrecognizable. But—
"Hm, so you aren't joining this school?" I ask, keeping my voice down.
"No, I'm just borrowing the uniform. It helps me blend in with everyone else."
"I see."
I don't really know most of the students here. As long as she's wearing that uniform, she's probably gonna go unnoticed.
"Where do you wanna chat?"
"Let's go sit on that bench."
There's nobody around the benches with the sweet view of the whole campus, so we plop down and enjoy the beautiful sunset.
'/
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Nu surveys the academy, her eyes squinting behind her glasses. If things had gone differently, she would be in her second year by now.
She always thought she'd have a peaceful and successful future, but that turned out to be nothing more than a daydream. Little did she know, everything she held dear - her friends, family, and even her own life - was built on a fragile foundation. Nu was a happy kid, unaware of the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface.
Now, she watches the other students with a mix of envy and sadness, recognizing a few familiar faces. In social circles, she used to be known as the marquess' daughter, living a posh life. But that's all in the past now. She's been erased from her family history as if she never existed. She wonders if her friends still remember her, or if they prefer spreading hateful rumors instead.
Being possessed comes with its own consequences. There's no logical reason for her to meet Shadow in broad daylight at school, but she clings to a glimmer of hope. She wants to believe she has a place in this campus, a peaceful corner to call her own. It's a foolish dream, but Nu can't help but smirk.
She may not have a home to go back to, but she has comrades who share the same goal. And right beside her sits her beloved master.
He fights on, even if he's the last person standing. His existence is what keeps the Shadow Garden alive. People are fragile creatures, always seeking something to rely on. If god is important to Earth, then Shadow is just as important to the Shadow Garden.
But Nu thinks he's even better than god. When she opens her eyes, she sees him. And when she reaches out, she can touch him.
"Hey, what's up?" he asks.
Noticing something on his shoulder, she brushes away a loose thread and gazes at his profile.
"Please don't tell Gamma I snuck onto campus during the day. She'd be furious."
"No worries," he replies. "But I have to say, I was somewhat surprised. You look completely different with that makeup."
"My face is pretty plain, so it's easy for me to change my appearance. I've always been good with makeup. It's one of my old hobbies, I guess."
"Wow, and what about your Mitsugoshi persona?"
"When I'm there, I make myself look much older than my real age."
"I see. By the way, how old are you?" She looks pretty old to me but not that old, and I don't mean it as an insult.
"That's a secret," Nu says with a mischievous smile. "I'm here to report on yesterday's incident with the man in black."
"Great. What did you find out?"
"I interrogated the imposter, but couldn't get any useful information. I suspect he's been heavily brainwashed. Based on his physical characteristics, I believe he's a Third Child."
"A third child..."
If the Cult ever comes across impoverished orphans or young individuals with even a hint of magical ability, they snatch them off the streets and bring them to a special facility.
There, these children are subjected to brutal training and brainwashing.
They are pumped full of drugs, and it's rumored that less than 10 percent of them actually survive the process and "graduate."
The Third Children, those unfortunate ones who fall into the 10 percent, are considered worthless. They exist solely to be sacrificed and discarded. Despite their corrupted minds, they possess a power greater than that of the average knight.
The Seconds, on the other hand, are mentally stable. And the scarce Firsts, said to be the greatest warriors in the world, are a force to be reckoned with.
Nu doesn't bother explaining all this to Shadow. She assumes it's common knowledge for him. She assumes wrong!— Oh wait, in this timeline, she assumes right!
"The Cult is trying to control everything that's happening. I think they want to trick us into joining them somehow. As stupid as that is."
"Agreed."
"But that's not their only plan. The other day, we found out that there's this special kid called Rex, the Game of Betrayal, in the capital. I think they're all gathering for something big. We don't know where Rex is yet, but we're investigating."
"The Game Of Betrayal, huh? What a cr—"
These special kids, they're like the superstars of the Cult. They've done amazing things for them. Most of them are the top dogs, but sometimes there's a second-in-command. Some of these superstars even made it to the Knights of Rounds, which is like a big deal.
And guess what? One of the members of the Shadow Garden used to be one of these special kids too. That lady told us all this info, but Nu thinks he probably already knows.
"Be careful, okay? The Cult is up to something fishy. We'll keep digging and let you know what we find."
"Mm, sure." The sun is setting, making the clouds all orangey.
Nu wipes her sweaty neck and gets up. Shadow stretches beside her and stands up too.
They could've had a future together, going to school and being all lovey-dovey. Nu smiles sadly, thinking about what could've been.
Even though it's kinda cheesy...
"Hey, don't you know how to treat a lady?"
"Oh? Like this?"
He sticks out his arm and she links hers with his, walking side by side and smiling.
This is the future she should've had.
Suddenly, a guy in the distance screams, "Damn klutz!!"
Nu rolls her eyes in annoyance.
She knows that guy. He's the loser who always hits on her in social circles. She's definitely gonna teach him a lesson later.
For some reason, Shadow looks like he's expecting something. Nu simply just squeezes his arm, ignoring that.
'/
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Who's the fiercest Dark Knight in school? Back in the day, it would've been Iris Midgar without a doubt. She ruled this place with an iron fist.
But now, she's long gone, graduated and moved on to bigger battles.
For a while, it seemed like there would be no one to fill her shoes, no one to claim the title of the ultimate warrior in Midgar Academy for Dark Knights.
But then, out of nowhere, a new champion emerged from the shadows.
And that champion was none other than Rose Oriana.
A transfer student from the posh Oriana Kingdom, Rose took everyone by surprise when she took the reins as the undefeated ruler of our academy.
You wouldn't have guessed it, but here she stands, my opponent in the first round of the tournament.
I could've backed out, taken the easy way out, but that's not my goal here today. First, I'm gonna impress Claire, look! She's right there! I gotta show off.
Second, I'm gonna show everyone that Cid Kagenou is 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 enough at the sword... especially to Claire.
So, here I am, standing in front of a roaring crowd, gripping my sword with determination.
Princess Rose Oriana stands before me, radiating beauty and strength. Her perfectly curled honey-colored locks frame her face, and her fighting gear gives her an air of sophistication. With her slender sword in hand, she's the epitome of grace and power.
And let's not forget, she's also the Student Council president, even though she's just a second-year transfer student. No wonder the crowd is going wild for her.
No one is chanting my name. It would've been nice to have some hometown support, but hey, I'll manage.
"Rose Oriana versus Cid Kagenou!" the judge announces, and our eyes meet.
There's something in that moment, a flicker of emotion that's hard to pin down.
As the match begins, Rose's rapier dances through the air, coming closer and closer to piercing my heart.
'/
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\'
Rose watched as Cid Kagenou skillfully parried her rapid strikes with his sword.
She couldn't help but be impressed by his above-average sword skills.
The crowd gasped in awe, and Rose couldn't deny that she was intrigued by this formidable opponent who managed to hold his ground against her.
With each clash of their swords, Rose couldn't help but misunderstand Cid's determination.
𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵. The Princess, Rose, thought.
He may not possess the natural talent and elegance that people expected, but his relentless spirit fueled his every move. He dodged and weaved, always staying one step ahead of her precise attacks.
As the fight intensified, Rose realized that Cid was not just an ordinary opponent.
His strikes were calculated and precise, showcasing his deep understanding of swordplay.
She couldn't deny the fact that there was more to him than met the eye.
Surprised by Cid's resilience, Rose adjusted her strategy. She became more aggressive, pushing Cid to the limits everyone thought he had.
The clash of their swords echoed through the arena, captivating the audience who couldn't help but admire their skill and determination.
But despite Cid's valiant efforts, Rose's expertise and talent began to take their toll. She gradually gained the upper hand, exploiting Cid's supposed fatigue and pushing him back with relentless precision.
As Cid fought on, refusing to give up, Rose couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for him.
He knew that he couldn't defeat her, but his determination to stand up to greatness inspired her.
With every strike, Cid channeled his 'passion' and 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, leaving a lasting impression on... like a fourth of the crowd.
Ignoring the fangirling elder sister in the background— Finally, Rose executed a swift maneuver, disarming Cid and leaving him defenseless.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers for both fighters, acknowledging their remarkable display of skill and determination... mostly only for Rose though.
As Cid stood before her, defeated but not broken, Rose looked into his eyes.
There was a flicker of respect and understanding between them, a recognition of the strength that lay within each of them. Or at least, that's what Rose saw.
As the crowd dispersed, Rose watched Cid walk away from the arena with his head held high.
He may not have won the battle, but in her eyes, he has definitely, won the war.
𝘊𝘪𝘥 𝘒𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶... She thinks. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
'/
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Rose Oriana, huh? Her swordplay is pretty nice looking. Wonder if there's anything I have that's like that.
Anyhow, I guess it was nice to meet you. But... it's even better to meet 𝗺𝗲.
"Cid!"
"Ah, big sis— Ack!" I just got jumped.
"You're getting really really good at the sword! I knew you had potential." She puffs her chest after saying that. Also, this position we're in is kinda weird.
"Th— thanks..."
"..."
"..."
"So, are you gonna get off me now?"
"...Hmph, because you said that, I'll stay here for a little longer."
"..."
I think I need to teach my sister about why she should precisely not do that.
________________________
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐜𝐲𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡! 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐥