Chapter 5 Strong opponent

"I'm back"

I called out as I stepped inside.

"Oh, welcome back, Luca!"

Lala greeted me with a cheerful smile.

"Was school fun today?"

"Well, it wasn't bad,"

I replied.

"How about you? What have you been up to?"

"This video game is so much fun!"

She exclaimed, her eyes glued to the screen.

"Glad to hear it. How about we go out for dinner tonight?"

I suggested.

"Okay! Earthling food is really delicious"

She agreed enthusiastically.

"Just give me a moment to get ready"

"Sure"

Soon, we headed out to a family restaurant.

"Hamburg steak is delicious!"

Lala said, beaming with satisfaction.

"If you like it, we can come back again sometime"

I offered.

"Um!"

She nodded, clearly pleased.

As we were leaving, Lala suddenly pointed at a nearby shop.

"Luca, what's that?"

She was pointing at a crepe stand.

"That's a crepe. It's a popular sweet here"

"Oh!"

Her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Would you like to try one?"

"Yes, please!"

"What flavor would you like?"

"Hmm, I'll have the same one that person is having"

I glanced over.

"Strawberry it is"

I bought a crepe and handed it to her.

"It's delicious! Aren't you getting one for yourself, Luca?"

She asked between bites.

"I'm not really into sweets"

I said with a smile. We continued walking and talking until we reached a park near my house.

"Um… Luca-dono, I know you explained it to Lala-sama, but I still don't understand why you're helping her so much"

Peke asked, her robotic voice filled with curiosity.

I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts.

"People usually have their reasons for doing things. But for me"

I said, my voice steady.

"I follow my heart. That's reason enough"

Lala smiled warmly.

"Peke, that's all we need to know."

"Lala-sama…"

Peke began, but was cut off by a sudden voice.

"Lala-sama!!"

A man clad in armor appeared out of nowhere, his tone commanding.

"You must come back with me!"

"Zastin? No, I don't want to! Tell Papa I'm never going back!"

Lala shouted defiantly.

"It's not that simple, Lala-sama. You need to return and meet the suitors your father has approved"

Zastin insisted.

Lala tried to respond, but I stepped forward, interrupting her.

"Enough!"

I snapped.

"I don't care who her father is or how important he might be. Marriage is between two people—it's about her entire life. No one else gets to decide that!"

Zastin frowned.

"But other suitors will continue to pursue her. What will you do then?"

"I'll protect her"

I said firmly.

"Then I must test your strength"

Zastin declared.

"Fine, but first, let me grab something"

"Very well"

He agreed.

I returned to my house and retrieved the Cloak of Darkness—a gift from God. It's a winter cloak, black with a mane of fur around the neck and shoulders. The cloak can redirect frontal attacks, but it requires precise control of spatial coordinates with mana to direct the rebound. It's also enchanted with high-level defensive spells and has one of the highest levels of spatial magic, allowing it to store items within a pocket dimension.

Once equipped, I headed back to the park to face Zastin.

He drew his sword and charged at me. I responded by drawing the Sword of

Destruction from my cloak—a sword that gleamed with a luminous silver light, its hilt adorned with an upside-down lion's face.

We clashed, our swords ringing out as they met. I used my mana to reinforce my strikes, parrying Zastin's attacks and countering with my own. He was fast, and I could tell he wasn't using his full power, but I managed to keep up.

"You're not bad for an Earthling"

Zastin remarked, his voice steady.

"But why do you go to such lengths for Lala-sama?"

Why do so many people ask for reasons today?

"I told you, I'll help her because I said I would. I made a promise—to her and to myself"

I replied.

"If the burden she carry forced her to leave the place she calls home"

"If the burden she carry forced her to make that kind of face"

"If the burdens she carry is too heavy for her to bear it alone, then I'll share those burdens with her."

"So, Lala"

I said, turning to her with a smile, "let's smile, laugh, and be free!"

"Luca…"

Lala's eyes welled up with tears, touched by my words.

I also stunned because Zastin stepped back, lowering his sword.

"I'm tasked with following the king's orders, but you're right,earthling. No, Luca-dono. I want to acknowledge your strength and resolve"

He said, bowing slightly.

Lala's face lit up with joy, and she ran to me, her emotions spilling over.

"Luca! Like you said, at first, I just wanted to use our marriage as an excuse. But now… I think I really want to marry you, Luca!"

"Wait, Lala-sama"

Zastin interrupted.

"I want to admit defeat, but I need to ensure your safety first. If Luca-dono can defend against my next attack, I'll personally convince the king to let you stay"

"It's not fair! You're the number one swordsman on our planet!"

Lala pouted.

"It's okay"

I reassured her, tapping her forehead gently with my finger.

"I promised I'd help you, right? Trust me"

"Okay"

She nodded, stepping back with a worried look.

"Come at me, Zastin"

I challenged.

"Yes, Luca-dono. Haaa!"

Zastin readied his sword, his stance reminiscent of a legendary warrior about to unleash a devastating attack.

Is that… Excalibur? Are you Saber or something?

"Haaah!"

Zastin unleashed a massive burst of energy toward me.

I also decided to go all out now. After I achieving 3 Stars, I am able to achieve the trademark aura of the White Flame Formula when circulating the formula, which resembles a mane of white flames that envelopes the user. It is this trademark aura that resembles a lion's mane that makes the technique so famous. Aside from that, the more stars one forms, the stronger one will be. This is because the stars in the heart resonate with each other, boosting the user's mana.

I unleashed a large, blazing white flame, covering my body and sword. With a roar, I charged forward, meeting Zastin's energy head-on.

Asura Rampage

I spraying out a dense net of sword force like a spider's web, countering Zastin's attack.

-Boom-

The impact was intense, but I successfully blocked his move.

Was it a draw?

"Luca!!"

Lala cried, rushing to my side.

"As I promised, Luca-dono, Lala-sama"

Zastin said, sheathing his sword.

"I will go and convince King Gid. Please take care of Lala-sama."

"Sure"

I nodded, reassuring him. Zastin bowed, then turned and disappeared into the night.

"Luca!!"

Lala, finally certain I was unharmed, jumped into my arms, hugging me tightly.