New opponent, new system

[New Pov]

"Okay, okay! I get it already!" I shouted at the top of my lungs in my own room, being glanced at by the scowl of my own right-hand maid. I sat in a fetal position on my silk bedding, the curtains draped around the sides as silver linings adorned the cement walls, crafted by skilled hands. My eyes hung to my feet, my toes idly moved around as I waited to be scolded. My long blonde hair was disheveled, and my hands hugged my slender legs shrouded in a nightgown.

"I'll join the dumb ceremony–" Tears pricked the back of my eyes as I muttered, a soft exhale coming from the mouth of my caretaker. 

"Princess Abigale, this is your brother's ceremony, try to be a little more courteous." She lectured, her arms crossed and expression softened to me. "It's been a tradition ever since his passing, and it means a lot to your father."

"I know…" I murmured my disappointment far from hidden.

"Besides, it's the only time you get to go outside, you should be excited." The maid mentioned, trying to cheer me up with her words but that only served to make me feel worse.

"That's exactly it!" I snapped, though there was no anger in my words, my teeth gritted together in disappointment and anticipation before finally settling down.

"I only get out once a year and every year it's the same thing– over and over, I'm sick of it. I want to travel, I want to see the outside, but instead, I'm trapped in here like some kind of doll…" I hitched on my own words, stumbling on my own emotions.

"You're my maid, you belong to me, why can't you just choose my side? You've been so caring and kind to me, ever since my mother died you were the one I looked up to, Meraline"

I just heard a sigh, a sign that she was weary of my words and reason.

"I belong to no one but the king, I'm merely doing my job in ensuring you carry out your duties and to your safety." Meraline walked over to the door, her hand rubbing on the pristine wooden frame before looking back at me with a cold stare.

"The ceremony is in four days, I suggest you get prepared," and with that, she left without another word to me.

I let out an annoyed groan, tossing my pillow at the door long after it had closed. Burying my head into the bedding with tear-filled eyes.

"This is so dumb–"

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[Alya's pov]

"Ah, so you're here with a friend?" Fran pondered as I walked alongside him through the lively village. I nodded with a soft smile, looking up at him.

"Yeah, he's recovering from a fight earlier…"

"Sounds like you'll be here for a while," Fran commented, looking at me from the side.

"Yeah probably, we've already been here for three days so." I reached up to scratch my cheek with an awkward giggle, my hand squeezing my staff a tad bit lighter.

"In three days, would you care to join me during the festival? There's also a ceremony the day after but I doubt you'd be interested—"

"No, I'd love to!" I interrupted him, Fran looking at me with a slightly surprised look, before breaking into a smile that made me buckle internally.

"S-sorry…"

"You're fine."

We continued to walk side by side, he would often point out things I'd never seen before, the local fruits and foods, the songs, and the culture. I couldn't wipe that stupid smile off my face as he showed me around.

"Are you a local here?" I pondered, looking at him with a look of admiration for his knowledge.

He shook his head with a small smile as he responded.

"Me? No, I come here every year as a merchant. It's a big business selling at one of these festivals."

"Oh, that does make sense," I murmured, a thought crossing my mind as I looked up at him once more.

"Speaking of, what's this festival even for?"

Fran looked up ahead, his smile wavering a bit, the city was lively around us, serving as a good ambiance in the backdrop of our topic, the smell of food still dances in the morning winds.

"It's to celebrate the late prince." He answered. My heart sank at his words.

"Oh…" I mumbled, feeling bad for whatever could've happened. "How long was it?"

"It was fourteen years ago, he fought in a war alongside his father against the Dynasty," He explained.

"The dynasty… I heard about them, you have to win a war to be able to leave right? Or they take over your country!" I shouted in realization, now even more intrigued than ever in the situation presented to me.

"But why leave? Joining the Dynasty has a lot of benefits for small villages."

"No one knows why, but it happened around the time of the princess's birth, which means it was probably because of her. Though the villagers don't know the reason, they trust their king, he never steered them wrong before." His smile grew bigger before he turned to me.

"Besides, it looks like this town is doing great for itself in its fourteen years of independence."

I was taken aback by his sudden shift in tone, giving him a soft nod to his words.

"Yeah, this village is beautiful."

______________________

"I see, so that's how it is…" An eerie voice spoke upon a throne made of obsidian crystal, their legs crossed as they stared into the severed head of a monster we met not too long before. 

"What an interesting warrior." They muttered as they licked their lips, a burst of excitement running up their spine.

"I wonder who he could be, I wonder how this will play out."

"I need to see him…"

"He could just possibly be– one of them."

Many monsters made their way to them, surrounding them by their feet before they reached down and pet them, all six of their arms grazing against their rough outer scales.

"This'll be the most fun I've had in a while."

______________________________________________________–

[Mihalis's pov]

"Seems like you're all ready to go!" The old man spoke as I sat up from the bed, I'd been there for three more days I felt dizzy when I stood up for the first time in so long, the bandages fell off my healed frame, slightly more slender than when I came in.

"You should count yourself lucky, you heal really fast," The old man mentioned, picking up the bandages from the floor, humming a soft tune to himself before a rather peculiar question crossed his mind.

"So, you and that girl close?" He pondered, looking back at me with a curious, yet cautious glint in his eyes. 

"Not in the slightest-" I responded bluntly, stretching as far as I could before letting out a soft sigh. I can feel every fold of muscle in my back relax as my hands reach for the sky, a loud yawn escaping my lips.

"She sure did seem to care bout ya a lot, I don't know about you but I wouldn't stay this long for someone I don't like." He commented, standing up right and turning to me.

"She's still here?" I asked.

"Yup! A little bundle of joy that one, she left today all happy to go to the festival." He started to walk towards the door as he spoke "Say, where're you from, boy?"

I looked back at him, with a confused look before I looked at my wrist, testing its strength after recovery.

"I don't remember, I only carry memories of Haku village, though I was merely raised there..." I muttered, my gaze dropping to the floor, trying to search for the memories even though I already deemed them missing, to be truthful, I was curious in that myself, my origins...after I separated from my mom as a baby, I only remember that yet strangely enough I can't remember the first few years of my childhood, not even glimpses.

"I see, that's a mighty long way." With that, he wrapped it all up into a ball and made his way to the door. "Oh, by the way your things are on the table near ya."

I turned to my right and surely there it was, I gave the man a soft nod as he left, closing the door behind him.

_______________________________________

I walk around town, the whole village filled with flowers and life, everyone dances happily and sings songs of old with flower crowns on their heads. I rolled my eyes at the sight, my attention only caught by the sound of clashing swords.

A crowd surrounds the source, I carefully maneuver through the mess to see two people having a fierce battle with swords, they dance around the battlefield in amazing choreography, each step planned ahead of time, their swings whisk by in an almost invisible strike, the clashes forming a melody of the heat of a dynamic battle.

A tiny figure in a green hood whisked toward their adversary, their hood flowing with the opposing winds, feet lightly tapping against the stone pavement yet pushing back with so much force. My eyes remained glued on the sight before me, the fighter that stood before him swung his sword, in an attempt to block their path, but their blade was easily dodged with a simple pivot. 

His eyes widened in horror at the sudden movement, the smaller fighter pushing off the ground with all his might sending a swift kick across his face causing him to stumble backward, his steps shaking the earth we stood on but the warrior in the green hood didn't let up on their advance, sliding between the stomping legs of the pseudo giant and slicing at his calves, causing him to fall to the ground.

The man who once towered over them is not groveling, his head hung to the ground as he tries to recover, his nimble opponent already looming over him, above the man ready to drive their final strike home, but alas their advance was stopped by their foe. The man's fingers coiled around the fabric of their hood and slammed them to the ground, their body bouncing off ever so slightly from the stone path as blood spewed from their lips.

Quickly reaching for his sword once more to deliver another blow his attempts were spoiled by the swift movement of his opponent, rolling out of the way and quickly recovering to their feet.

The crowd goes crazy as they watch with widened eyes, being scared to blink for if they did they would've missed what was about to unfold next. The two of them charged each other, their arms gripping the hilt of their blades. 

With a mighty swing, they both collide, sparks flying, and the blade of the nimble opponent skidding across the field, disappearing into the crowd, though they didn't let that deter them, leaping at their opponent once more.

Seeing this the bigger guy tried to block, though it was no use, the green hooded figure managed to grab onto the arm of their foe, their hands barely wrapping around his forearm.

Before he knew what was going to happen it was too late, the soles of their shoes were driven straight into his face, his nose shattered under the pressure and blood spewed from the wound.

The man stumbled on himself, falling back into the battlefield, he tried to get up, to fight once more, but little did he know the battle was already over. 

His opponent stood over him, their blade drawn and touching his Adam's apple, so sharp it cut through the small layer of skin by a slight graze.

"There you have it folks! Our five-year running champion, twilight! Remains undefeated!!" The announcer roared and the crowd followed suit, the loser swiftly taken from their makeshift arena.

"If anyone dares to face me, come on out, try and take my title!" Twilight called out to the crowd, their voice seemed as though it was deepened by force like a kid pretending to be a man.

I smirked at the opportunity, my hand resting on my claymore as I stood out of the crowd.

"You're on, kid." I declared, the crowd dropping to nothing but whispers and murmurs the minute I stepped on the field.

I couldn't see much but i could tell the smirk peaking from that kid's hood.

"O-oh, what's this? Seems like Twilight had gained a new adversary! Will this finally be the day they lose their title as the undefeated flower warrior!?"

My grip tightened on the hilt of my claymore, the friction almost digging into the skin of my hand.

Twilight got into a stance one leg positioned ahead of the other, their knee bent, the other leg extended behind them as they hung their body low to the ground, sword gripped in a deadly vice, ready for attack.

"That's some style…" I commented, my eyes focused on their movement and positioning, I've never seen a style like this before, and now that I'm up close, I can actually tell for myself.

I let out a toothy grin as I got into my stance.

"This'll be fun."

[System protocol: Learn and adapt.]

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