Team SWRZ - Volume 1 - Chapter 4 - Zorina Hertz!

"The bat hanging upside down laughs at the topsy-turvy world."

The Hertz Family mansion is a lavish household in one of the high-class residential areas in Mistral. People of high status, Huntsmen, Nobles, Politicians, and so on, arrived at the manor in droves. Today was a special day. It was an event that happened only once a year at the house-the future Huntsmen Academy student enrollment.

Dozens of students from all over attended the event with their parents or sponsors. Most seemed promising, hoping to try their luck in securing a spot in perhaps one of the most remarkable projects in the history of Mistral. This project guaranteed a prosperous future in the world after graduation. The person hosting the spectacle was a famous Huntress and Matriarch of the Hertz Family, Danica Hertz.

A large crowd of people gathered in the auditorium. Guests and spectators moved to one area of the room while the participants in the enrollment process stayed in the center of the room. Young men and women stood proudly with bright smiles as they faced the staircase. At the top of the stairs resided Danica Hertz, a noblewoman of noticeable age. With her cane in hand, she elegantly brandished it before the crowd before her.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Hertz Family manor. We are honored to have you here with us today," Danica greeted her beautiful guests. "If not for all of your loving support, this goal of mine would not come this close to fruition. Those of you participating today will have the honor and prestige of being the first generation of students to attend the Hertz Huntsmen Academy soon."

Thunderous applause resounded in the auditorium. Everyone was ready to get on with the event.

"Like the previous events, we will have the combatants draw lots and have them go through the bracket. The winner will get the chance to face my very daughter in a match afterward."

With nothing left to say to her guests, Danica signaled for the event's start. Meanwhile, upstairs rests the person of the hour, resting peacefully in their bedroom. A room concealed in darkness, the décor boasting Gothic art, contrasting the décor of the rest of the manor.

The doors to the room opened. A senior man entered the room and maneuvered through the dark abyss without issue. He approached the black curtains and swung them open, allowing the bright, cleansing rays of the sun to bleach through the windows. Almost immediately, the darkness vanished, bathing the room in its warmth. Although it was for the older man's comfort, the place's owner didn't feel the same way.

The moment the light touched her skin, she wailed in pain and rolled off the bed, wrapping herself in the safety of her covers.

The old man shook his head and responded, "Madam Zorina, it is nearly time for your match."

"The light! The light! It's burning the delicate skin of this Empress of Darkness!" Zorina continued to wail in pain. She thrashed about on the floor, kicking and swinging her arms around, completely unfitting someone of noble birth.

"Once again, Madam Zorina, your skin is fine. The light does not harm you." In a monotone, the older man said. Having to deal with the same daily routine took its toll on the poor butler. Nonetheless, he performed his duties and prepped the girl for her match.

"You will suffer in the eternal abyss of darkness, foolish, Sonnen. Your treachery for entering my domain without permission will not go unpunished." Zorina stood from the floor and struck an odd pose. Her covers dropped to the floor, unveiling her naked body to the butler.

However, the man's eyes did not wander.

"Madam Zorina, please get yourself dressed for combat," Sonnen informed her.

Zorina looked down at her covers. Her face flushed immediately as she picked up the blankets and rushed into her closet. The doors to the closet swung open seconds later, revealing a combat-ready Zorina. Her leather combat outfit was predominantly black, and affixed to her back was her weapon of choice—a giant scythe with a blade shaped like a bat's wing.

"Hmph, that foolish mortal will feel my wrath! All that have challenged the Empress of Darkness have suffered a fate worse than death!" Zorina stepped out of the closet, wrapping her hands in bandages.

Sonnen shook his head and approached the girl. "Madam Zorina, I believe this is not the attire your parents wish you to wear for battle."

"My creators are not the ones engaging in this skirmish, now are they?" Zorina defiantly crossed her arms over her chest. If she was going to battle, she wanted to wear something that suited her.

"No, but as long as you live under their roof, you must abide by their rules." The butler brushed the bangs out of the way of Zorina's face, revealing crimson eyes. "I understand you have your...idiosyncrasies. But, you must control yourself while guests are in attendance. Those are the rules. Take out those contacts, change your clothes, and get ready. The tournament will end soon."

"I hate the rules...." Zorina spat. However, she returned to the closet and changed her clothes as instructed. When the closet doors swung open again, she came out a different person. The bangs of her silver hair were parted, revealing her full, delicate facial features and golden eyes. Her clothes were no longer dark and brooding. But instead, they were light and elegant—certainly those befitting a person of noble status. "I look ridiculous. How can anyone fight in something like this?!"

"If you properly trained with me as I instructed, you would be able to maneuver in that outfit without difficulty," Sonnen said.

"I can hardly move in this wretched thing! Who in their right mind would want to fight in a dress?!"

"It is a combat skirt, madam."

"Whatever. Let's get this over with." Zorina walked past her butler and headed out of the room. She and Sonnen proceeded through the mansion in complete silence, hardly acknowledging the handful of servants lining the hallways. Zorina soon stopped in front of a large set of doors that led into the auditorium. She hadn't even entered the room, yet Zorina already felt the tension in the air. How many people had gathered to see her fight?

When would it all end?

"Madam Zorina, you do not want to keep everyone waiting." Sonnen placed his hand on Zorina's shoulder.

"Right..." Zorina took one last deep breath and then pushed the doors open. The auditorium grew silent as she entered the room. All eyes were on her. But she ignored them. She focused on the man standing in the middle of the room with his sword in hand.

She immediately recognized him.

"Zorina." The young man called out to her.

"Hello, Stein." Zorina pleasantly returned the man's greeting, following up with a curtsy. Oh, how that action alone killed her on the inside.

"I hope you're ready to lose this year. It'll be me if anyone gets recognized as the top student at Hertz Academy." Stein boasted as he pointed his sword at her.

"You said that last year and the year before that." Zorina held her hand out. Sonnen handed the young girl's weapon, [Blood Wing], over to her, which she chose to swing around as a method of intimidation stylishly. The onlookers gasped in awe at how smoothly the scythe flowed from one hand to the other. A single misstep could cost the girl an arm or her head. She finished showing off and rested her weapon on her shoulder.

"If everyone is ready," The voice of authority came from the Matriarch herself, Danica. Zorina unconsciously shuddered and adjusted her posture, trying to appear more proper and elegant in front of such a large crowd. "The final match will be Stein vs. my daughter, Zorina."

Right on cue, energy barriers are constructed around the guests and onlookers for their protection and safety. Once confident that everything was in place, Sonnen signaled for the match to commence. The first one to strike was Stein. He cleared the distance between him and Zorina in a single lunge. Zorina's blade quickly blocked his preemptive strike. Nonetheless, he continued his assault.

He pressed forward, giving Zorina no quarter. Each sword strike of his proved to be fiercer than the last. Zorina was utterly on the defensive. She backed away and defended each blow that came her way. She gritted her teeth and pressed a button on the shaft of her scythe, activating one of the Dust crystals embedded in her weapon. The blade of her scythe caught ablaze, causing Stein to back away. Zorina performed several well-performed swings. Arcs of flames shot out from the blade, heading straight for her opponent.

Stein dodged each projectile, ignoring the small explosions from behind him. When the flames around Zorina's blade vanished, he commenced with the attack. He lunged again, using his growing momentum to perform a powerful slash. Zorina blocked the attack, but the force knocked her back. She tried to catch herself, but the blasted dress restricted her movements and caused her to trip and fall on her back. Gasps from the spectators filled the room.

However, the battle did not stop. Stein jumped into the air with his sword raised above his head. As he descended, Zorina tried to get back on her feet. She realized she wouldn't make it in time and used her last resort. She slammed the palm of her hand on the floor. Seconds later, the entire area was shrouded in darkness.

The spectators exclaimed in shock and confusion. Horrified screams soon filled the room as dozens tried to escape from the room. However, the darkness slowly disappeared, and all could see once again. The audience was blessed with seeing Zorina standing over her defeated opponent.

Indistinct murmurs were exchanged between the guests, trying to figure out what could have happened. The guests quieted down when they heard a round of applause from the higher floors. It came from Danica.

Albeit confused, the guests joined in the applause.

"Thank you, thank you." Zorina handed her weapon to Sonnen and followed up with a curtsy.

"What a wonderful performance." Danica stood and ceased her applause. She flashed a bright smile to the guests as she continued, "Once again, my daughter, Zorina, has defeated another opponent. This goes to show that my training is top-notch. Should your children wish to become as successful as mine, they should attend the soon-to-be-constructed Hertz Huntsman Academy."

Believing she had finished her part, Zorina left the auditorium and returned to her room. Sonnen followed close behind her.

"That was a close call, Madam Zorina." He stated.

"I know." Zorina sighed.

"Your mother will not be too pleased once she is done with the guests. You know she does not like it when you use your semblance."

"I know that, Sonnen!" Zorina exclaimed. All servants around her stopped performing their tasks and looked up at the silver-haired girl. "Just leave me alone for a while...." She barged into her room and slammed the door shut.

She quickly changed out of her clothes and back into her previous attire. She then sat in her room in complete silence, contemplating how to deal with the storm that was soon to blow in her place.

As predicted, the door to her room burst open. Only one person entered the room—her mother.

The woman slowly approached her seated daughter, watching her face grimace when her cane hit the floor.

"Care to explain what the hell happened out there, Zorina?" Danica demanded an explanation. Although her tone was soft and appeared sincere, Zorina wasn't foolish enough to fall for the woman's façade. She knew the malice behind her mother's voice and body language.

"I told you I don't like wearing that crappy dress for combat. It restricts my movements and hinders my fighting style." Zorina complained, ensuring not to make eye contact with her mother.

"Fighting style? Do you mean that debauchery from earlier? I doubt anyone could call that a fighting style." Danica turned her back to Zorina, displaying a fierce scowl on her face. "That boy had you on the defensive the entire time. It amazes me how you inherited your father's raw strength yet never utilized it properly."

"I would if you didn't always try to make me dress in such uncomfortable clothes."

"Being a huntress is all about skill and appearance. You are from a noble household; therefore, you should dress and fight like one. Your father and I have trained you for several years, yet somehow, you can ignore that training and do whatever you please. I tolerated it for this long because you managed to win every fight. But, you had to resort to using that awful semblance of yours this time."

"There's nothing wrong with my semblance!" Zorina exclaimed. When she looked up, Danica sharply turned and held her cane inches away from her daughter's face.

"Nothing wrong with your semblance? Look around your room, Zorina!" Danica demanded. "Everything is black! You have grotesque signs and symbols all over the place! You parade around the house, boasting about how you are an Empress of Darkness!"

"That's—"

"Do you believe this is how a noble should act?! Instead of prancing around, playing dress-up and make-believe, you should train and hone your skills! You are going to be the top student at my Huntsman Academy! You need to be in top form!"

"I don't want to be part of your Huntsman Academy!" Zorina stood to her feet and confronted her mother. "I've already decided to go to Haven! I'm through with your training!"

"Haven?! You are going to attend a school run by a coward?! What good will that do for your future?!"

"It's better than being here! At least there, I'll be free to do what I want!" Zorina tried to move past her mother, but the woman stood her ground.

"You are not going to disgrace this family by attending that school! I forbid it!" Danica slammed her cane on the ground. Zorina scowled and kicked the cane out from her mother's hand. She stepped aside and watched the woman hit the floor. Her first instinct was to help her mother back up. But, something ignited in her stomach.

It was her chance.

Without another word, Zorina rushed out of the room. She forced her way through the countless servants that tried to figure out what happened. The only person that brought her to a stop was Sonnen. The butler stood before the exit with both hands behind his back.

"Where are you going, Madam Zorina?" He questioned.

"I'm getting out of here, Sonnen. I'm sick of being their slave." Zorina didn't bother trying to hide her desires from the butler. She knew she could never hide anything from Sonnen for long.

"That is a cruel way of putting it, Madam Zorina. Have you taken the time to think things through properly? Where do you plan to go? What are you going to do when you leave? Do you know what running away will do to your family?" He bombarded her with questions.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," Was Zorina's answer.

"Carelessness and recklessness will only get you so far, Madam Zorina. But, this is your choice." Sonnen stepped aside and presented the exit before the girl.

"You're not going to stop me?" Zorina found the man's unexpected behavior odd.

"I haven't been given the order to do so. You should hurry and go before it comes, however." Sonnen warned.

Zorina smiled and approached her butler. She hugged the elderly man and said, "Thank you, Sonnen. I know what I'm doing is wrong, but I'm doing it for the right reasons. I need to go and be my person."

"I understand. Good luck out there." Sonnen returned the hug and pushed the young girl out the door. He wished her all the best. After all, he knew all too well how dangerous and cruel the natural world was. Perhaps a tiny taste of it would wake the girl up and bring her back to reality.