19 Confrontation (3)
"... Sorry, but-- you're not the only one who's special."
Cristo exclaimed.
He forms a slight frown on his face while gazing downwards at Althea.
Those eyes were not mere emotionless as there was like a glimpse of looking down at the female knight.
Althea stays expressionless while viewing the white flames sparking over his chest and to his whole body.
Her lips curved into an amused smirk and slightly chuckled in delight since she had seen something rather entertaining.
"... White flames huh? It's kind of cool. I'll take you on, brat. I'll show you where you belong."
Althea exclaimed in an exhilaration tone.
She gestured her hand towards Cristo, signaling him to fight against her.
"... And that 'where' I'm referring to is far from here."
After listening to that last sentence, Cristo's eyes slightly widened as he didn't waste any more time and immediately formed a circle of red flames in front of him.
The appearance of the red flames causes the white flames to vanish completely on his body as all of the wounds that were inflicted have been entirely healed.
He starts to shoot a lot of fireball through that circle of flames.
In the middle of the air, he turned those shooting fireballs into sharp arrows targeting Althea right for her head.
Althea's eyes went wide in amusement since she was astonished by his choice of fighting style.
"That's quite impressive, brat."
She complimented him sincerely.
She lifted her sword, using it to easily deflect each arrow of flames.
She gazed back at Cristo with her eyes looking at him slightly disappointed.
"But that's a bit weak, well-- for me."
She claimed then twirled her sword around afterward retaining her fighting stance.
"Please improve on that."
Cristo looked at her as he didn't care about her statement before.
He quickly snaps his fingers as a fire arrow suddenly appears from thin air making its way towards her face.
Since she is far more experienced than him, she easily dodges her head away from it in no time.
Though, there were still fire flickering wider in the area, resulting in a small scratch on her cheek that had almost cracked her rabbit mask.
".. Surprise attack from thin air huh? You're clearly an impressive mana user at this time of age."
"..."
Cristo stayed silent as he kept going with his usual long-range attack.
He doesn't really want to get engaged in this battle, but he doesn't have any choice, considering that the knight in front of him would kill him, for instance, if he didn't fight.
Althea gazed boringly at Cristo as she put her hand that was free from holding her sword towards her chin as she hummed.
"Aside from the attack earlier, you got some potential from you, brat. I know you have some skills and techniques that are more amazing than this. But, I'll leave it to that for now."
When Althea said that, she immediately put back her sword in the sheath as she stretched her shoulder.
That sudden act causes Cristo to be confused.
'.. What is she planning..?'
Cristo thought confusedly before a sudden realization hit.
His eyes widen when he recognizes her intention of doing that.
'... She won't go for a boring long-distance battle anymore--!'
After realizing it, he mentally cursed himself for being in an unavoidable situation.
Cristo watched the female knight still standing on the spot.
Suddenly, she started walking slowly but then fastened her pace.
She was clearly and straight march into him as Cristo widened his eyes in shock at her sudden movements.
'Is she trying to get close to me to have the advantage of fighting in close combat?'
Cristo thought surprisingly but still focused on the match even though the panic rose inside him.
With the help of the flames, Cristo immediately moves out from his place, planning to punch her with his burning flames to burn her into ashes.
From a natural stance, Althea steps back with her right foot while simultaneously executing an inward block to Cristo's arm that is filled with flames.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you shortly."
She muttered as Cristo's was stunned by the counter-attack.
After knowing she has the advantages, she immediately executes a right horizontal punch to Cristo's ribcage as she checks with her left hand, making him groan in pain.
She slides her right hand down to his wrist as she goes into a grabbing check as well to make him unable to use his flames.
Simultaneously execute a right roundhouse kick to the groin and execute a left horizontal punch to his kidney as her right-hand pull Cristo's right arm diagonally and down.
Proceeding to throw him to the ground harshly, causing him to groan in pain.
'... It was so painful.. !'
Cristo groaned painfully but later disappeared as he blinked when he saw the beautiful and peaceful blue sky above him.
'Why is it so peaceful all of a sudden?'
For a moment, it was quiet and the sky was enjoyable to view.
How the sky is blue and white.
How the clouds move slowly.
How the birds filled the vast and deep sky.
It was all beautiful.
".. I finally understand something about you."
However, that beautiful sight was ruined by the voice of the figure who just put him into that position forcefully.
"It seems that you're pretty lame when it comes to close combat. I already expect this actually, sinner. But I must admit, you are great at long-range combat-- You're welcome."
Althea exclaimed confidently as she was also proud like she was educating a lazy student of hers.
Cristo, on the other hand, stayed silent because he was busy steadying his breath.
Nevertheless, the knight continues to brag about their fight.
".. I'm not even getting serious yet. Are we really done here?"
"... You're in the way of the sky."
He ignored her statement as he lazily exclaimed while looking at her.
".. That's it. I'm going to bring you to the Directive Central for your execution discussion."
Her confident tone turns into annoyance as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Cristo sighed deeply, thinking about his own grave.
He turned her head towards the side to be greeted by the perfectly fine red flowers.
He was confused because the fight before could easily destroy them along the way.
'.. Is she... protecting the flowers while fighting me?'
He thought confusingly as he didn't have a hint on what she was thinking.
'But why?.. Well, it's a bad day for me after all. Better if I die now and forget about this.'
He sighed as he closed his eyes, relaxing in the breeze.
But before he could give himself up, he remembered Dorothy's words.
'.. Ah yeah... doesn't she supposed to help me right now? Since she promised that she won't let me die?'
He thought about the past including their first sight towards each other.
'... This is stupid.'
-
Meanwhile--
Dorothy is inside her secret basement, studying about how witchcraft works.
She remembered that Azrael once explained that all of the current history books in public are completely fake.
She wondered how could original history books could ended up inside the basement and that came to her thoughts,
'Who made this basement? How can this little basement has a few original history books?'
However, no matter how she looks at it, she doesn't have a piece of single information about the outside world.
With a tired sigh, she decided to exit her basement, and then something important strikes inside her mind.
'.. Oh... The meal I was supposed to have with Cristo. I forgot about that.'
She thought calmly but she started to sweatdrop and hurriedly walk to the dining room to find absolutely no one.
"Y-Your highness!"
The head butler's voice echoed throughout the empty hallway, trying to reach Dorothy as fast as possible.
".. What is it?"
Dorothy asked with a raised eyebrow.
".. I-I think Lady Genetta just went out with Young Master Cristo--!"
Dorothy's eyes went wide the moment she remembered that name.
'Althea Genetta Third Order--!?'
"How?"
She asked, looking at the head butler with a serious expression.
"... How did she get here?"
She added.
The Head butler looks at her dumbfounded but decided to answer her anyway.
"... Lady Althea lives inside this castle."
Dorothy's eyes grew wider the moment she was informed with that information.
"... What-- I mean, excuse you, she.. live here?"
".. Yes."
"Since when?"
"... far before your highness's birth.. ?"
He exclaimed that sounds more like a question because he's confused about Dorothy's question since its normal and obvious.
"Why did she take Cristo?"
"... I-I don't know. But I'm sure she will bring him to the Central Directive."
She was taken aback as he mentioned unfamiliar place and quickly asked,
"Where is that?"
"The place where... S-sir Edward Agersia First Order.. lives."
By the sounds of the name, Dorothy knew that he is one of the five knights.
"... Who is that?"
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
The head butler looks at her as if she's asking the obvious but that only confuses Dorothy even further.
"I am asking. Who is Edward Agersia First Order?"
"He's the one who..."
Dorothy stood there, waiting for his answer.
"---control the Directive Order."
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