"Is it that good?" I asked Lilith.
"Uhm!" She nodded a few times with her teary eyes.
"Well, glad you like it." I grateful that she likes it.
Mom just smiled watching her eating so ravenously, well me too. It makes me wonder, did she have a hard life or something? Or maybe she just has not eaten for days?
"Uhk! Uhk!" she choked on the food.
"Hey here's your water drink it!"
She grabs the iced chocolate milk we had ordered and drink it.
"Why is she eating so fast, though… but it's kind of cute—" I thought.
But Elea is the cutest!
"Ah… sorry…" she apologised.
"It's okay, try to eat slowly alright…"my mom advised.
"Y-yes… but I have a tournament to catch up to…" she informed us.
"Eh, really? Is it Hero Armament Championship?" I guessed.
"Ah, yes, I will be in the fifth round."
I look at the time on my SACRED device. It's already one-hour minutes since the last tournament.
"Hm, wait, let me call my friend," I said.
I call for Quinn until a second later, when he picked up the call.
"Hey Quinn!"
"Yo! Evans what is it?" he replied.
"What round is now?"
Lilith look at my face with worried expression. I give her a calm down gesture.
"It's the third round, look like the it will be finished it another 30 minutes."
I show her my thumbs up gesture to Lilith as indication everything is okay.
"Alright thanks Quinn. Bye!"
"Alright!"
I hang up the call.
"Don't worry, it's still the third round and look like it will take some time before the fourth one."
"Ah really? Thank you!"
"Sure," I replied.
Our conversation ends there, and we continue finishing our meal.
--- [15 minutes later] ---
"Mom! Evie! And… who is this?"
Eva come running to us just when she sees us come out from the cafeteria.
"This is Lilith, my new friend, Lilith this is my sister Eva," I introduced them to each other.
"H-hye…I am Lilith, nice to meet you," Lilith greeted Eva softly with awkward voice.
"Hm…Evie…" Eva come to my side and whispers to my ears.
"Hey, she's beautiful, did she try to seduce—"
"What? No! I just met her, she was the one who tend to my ankle before!" I break in before she finished her ridiculous assumption.
"Oh…" she figured.
Eva turned to Lilith, smiling and shake hands with her.
"Hye Lilith! Thank you for taking care of my brother! I'm Eva, Evans's number one beloved older sister which she loves more than anyone. Nice to meet you!"
"Y-yes…" Lilith nodded slowly.
"So, mom, actually I found something amazing near the arena location, let's go!" Eva informed.
"Alright, let's go," mom agreed.
Mom and Eva both walk in front of me while Lilith walking beside me. I guess this a proper time to start a normal, nice conversation.
"Hey Lilith, you are quite big for a girl you know that? Hehe…"
"E-eh?" She was surprised.
"How much would you rate yourself?" I pushed the conversation.
"Um… rate myself?"
"Yes!"
"E-EH?!"
Eh? Did I ask the wrong question?
"W-why should I tell you?!" she stuttered with her beet red cheeks.
"E-eh, shouldn't I?" I was surprised as well mixed with guilty.
"Well, I think so… More importantly, girls' body rating a big deal!"
Eh? Body rating? Is that what I meant?
"Ah… so-sorry, I don't know a girls worried that much about it… I would rate you 10 over 10 though…"
"E-eh, is that it?"
"Mmm… yeah… I guess..."
"Um… well maybe 5 over 10…" she answered embarrassedly.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"
"N-no! It-It's because… I thought you ask about my…body…proport…"
"Eh, body what?"
"B-body… p-proportion…"
"Body proportion? The 90-60-90 thing?"
"Y-yes…" she covered her red face with her hands.
"Um… so-sorry… I didn.t mean…" I apologised while rubbing my hair.
"It's okay… but if you insist to know my body proportion… um…"
"It's okay you don't need to tell me really!" I insisted on refusing.
She looked so relieved after I refused. Well, if I can guess, her proportions should be 79-50-76 proportion.
"…"
Ten minutes has passed. This walk has been awkward for a while now. I've got to break the ice!
"H-hey Lilith, I do have another question," I initiated the conversation.
"Um, what is it?"
"Why did you join the tournament?"
A straightforward question. I guess this is better than I tried to make up some senseless conversation and caught up in an awkward situation like before.
"Um… well actually, I came from a poor family, my mom is currently sick, she is on the hospital sickbed, I heard the tournament offers a valuable prize and some bonus money, so I thought of getting it hehe…" she answered with honesty written all over her soft smile.
"Is this your first time joining?" I asked another question.
"Yes…"
"Actually, me too."
"Eh, you join the tournament too?"
"Yes, my match is after yours, the last round."
"Oh… are you a first year?"
"Eh, no, I'm a third year."
"Eh, really? We are the same then!"
"You are a third year too? You enter at 16 years old?"
"Eh no, I entered at 18."
"We are the same age then!"
"Oh, what a coincidence! I happy to know someone from the same age as my frie… um… acquaintance…"
Oh, I sure she was about to say 'friend' just now. Since she is so shy maybe I should be the 'pusher' in this conversation.
"We have not done this properly before so; can I be your friend?" I asked.
"Eh, re-really?" she surprised.
"Yes, can I?"
"Y-yes, I would be happy to be your friend too!"
She smiled so brightly. Am I her first friend? It's okay, I will be your friend that you can depend on from now.
"What program are you studying, Lilith?"
"I am a Magic Analysis Program student. What about you?"
"Blade Mastery Program."
"Oh, that's cool, it must be hard right?"
"Not really, I like the classes and all."
Except history class.
"Well, most of the participant in the tournament is from Blade Mastery Program so I guess it must be hard for me…"
"Don't worry, I sure you can do it, hey let's make a deal!" I proposed.
"A deal?"
"Yeah, make it to the final, you can ask me anything and I can ask you anything as well!"
"Eh… um… okay… but n-no dirty things!" Her face was a little bit red.
"Alright! Deal!"
We smiled to each other signalise our agreement on the deal. We keep walking until we reach the booth my sister talking about, and it takes total of 20 minutes to reach there, it's that long since the academy ground is too large! But later we arrived at our destination.
It is an outdoor theatre, playing as the three legendary heroes that saved the humanity from the deadly monster emperor, Dragorath. After we take our seats, a guy started to narrate the story with the title "The Everlasting Heroes of Azaria".
The story starts with three heroes where they are fated to meet at a battlefield as prophesised by the first emperor of Azaria, Will Maximillian Stardust. The moment those three legendary heroes facing each other while gripping their sacred blade, the blades glowed, and they realised it was time to unite. They went on adventures together, crossing the land and sea, retaking lands that once belonged to humans.
Finally, after three years of harsh, tedious journey along with countless gruesome battles, the three heroes are finally facing the deadliest dragon who rules over the monsters on the planet. It is called, The Monster Emperor, Dragorath. Dragorath is a tyrant humanoid dragon which is as gigantic as a quarter of the moon, the body scales are almost impenetrable, and its power is otherworldly.
The grandest battle took place on a faraway, isolated land called "The World's End ". Right after the dark, starry night was turning to the first light of a tense, fateful day, the dazzling heroes with unwavering resolve stood bravely in front of the vicious, frightening Dragorath. The legendary final war was occurred for one month with no rest on both sides. The clash between the righteous heroes of justice with humanity fate rest on their shoulder. This battle is undeniably the greatest, eminent battle in the world history. This battle is also called the 'Subjugation of Dragorath'.
The entire citizens of Azaria waiting patiently for the safe return of the heroes. After the long, gruelling battle came to a closure, the whole citizen of Azaria cried, screamed, and hailed out of joy for the reappearance of the heroes with torn armours and innumerable injuries. Their hopes to survive in the scary, violent world was finally fulfilled but the most regretful and dismaying matter was the loss of a great hero, Arthur Astraea as the cost for their victory. His sacred blade was failed to be retrieved. The empire citizens grieved for the loss of Arthur. As a remembrance and gratitude towards Arthur's death, they build a monument of honour for reverence with engraved title 'The Legendary Hero Arthur' in the heart of the empire. The monument stands tall at the Central City of Azaria, Anthea.
The legends of the heroes were carved in the various books of world history as the most prestigious, notorious tale to be passed down to the next generation of humanity. Even after hundreds of years had passed, the legends dwelled in the hearts of the citizens of Azaria.
Well at least, that is how the story is passed down to the generations in entire Azaria. The encounter with shadow still bugging me, I don't really want to know what is happening since it's already peace and safe but, my family life is being threatened. I need to follow through the whole thing and get my family out from this.
"Why me damn it..." I lamented on unfortunate my fate.
"Evie? Are you okay?" Mom asked while looking worried.
Ops! I accidentally spurted out my thought from my mouth. I should calm down.
"No, it's nothing mom…" I replied to put her at ease.
It is slightly but I realised Lilith was looking at me... or it is just my imagination.
"Hey Evans, come with me for a moment," Lilith requested to me.
"Ah, alright sure," I agreed.
We walked a little further from the theatre play and stop under a shady tree with beautiful green and orange leaves.
"Hey, I think I have to get ready for my battle, so I will leave now alright," she said.
"Oh, okay sure," I replied.
"And you seem down for a little while there, something happened?"
She does worry about me after all.
"No, there's nothing happened," I answered.
"…"
"Well, I won't force you to tell me, but I hope your problem will be settled quick and you can be happy like usual."
"Yeah, thanks for that."
"Bye then!"
"Yeah, make sure you win it Lilith! See you in the next stage!" I said to her.
"Yeah, make sure you too!" She replied.
Her figure and existence, somehow soothes me. Her kind word is like a motivation and that successfully calmed me down. I guess she have gone through some bad experience too.
"Guess I got to cheer up and get motivated too, it's my turn after her, can't show my lame side!"
--- [30 minutes later] ---
"They sure have some weird imagination to do those stories after they play the 'Everlasting Heroes of Azaria' hahaha!" Eva mentioned while we are entering the arena right after the stage play ended.
"Yeah, quite weird and funny!" I added.
I want to prepare for my match and see if Lilith group are holding on with all the other contestants on the fight.
"Hey Evans, why do you take so long?!" Quinn asked a little bit worried.
"Sorry Quinn, I was keeping my mom company until now," I replied.
"Oh, okay then, now sit here, we need to discuss about our strategy," Quinn recommended.
"Eh, strategy, why not we just enjoy the battle first?" I offered.
Elea stands up and starts talking.
"The battle already ended three minutes ago. Let's get down there and prepare ourselves."
"Eh, already?!" I asked out of shock.
"Yes," Elea answered shortly.
"What, Lilith battle has ended?" Eva asked.
"Looks like it is," I answered while looking at the damaged battlefield.
There are several people down there I thought they are the participants, but they are students that assigned as medical staff and stage reconstruction assistant. There's a quite a lot of destruction on the stage as if large magic power has been used during the battle. I wonder what happened to Lilith.
--- [Divided Royal Rumble Division F Last Match] ---
Hahaha. Wow.
"What a sight!!! Is the Thunder Spear Princess group can hold off all the contestants that is surrounding them!? We all already informed about how powerful Princess Eleanor is and one of them, nicknamed Quicksilver is a former participant for Hero Armament Championship for last year but, what about the other one? What do you think Carl?" Hana commentated.
"I'm not sure Hana, I think he is a new participant this year, but how he can be in a team with the notorious Thunder Spear Princess and Quicksilver? Who is this guy with red magical bow and that impressive looking sword on his back?" Carl continued.
"Look Hana, based on registration, he is a third-year student nicknamed…"
Eh, I have a nickname?
"ARCH-SABRE!!" Carl voiced it out loud.
Huh?
"WHATT!!!" I shouted.