The boy with blue hair pointed directly at Evangeline and shouted, his voice filled with arrogance, "Princess of humans, face me in a fight to see who will marry Princess Megumi!"
Evangeline rolled her eyes and responded with a dismissive tone, "No, thanks. You can have her if you want."
"Don't be silly. Fight me. Are you scared? That's it," he taunted, his confidence oozing.
Evangeline shook her head, her patience wearing thin. "I don't care. I already told you, you can have her. Now leave me alone. I don't want to fight."
Megumi stepped forward, her disappointment evident on her face, and intervened, "Yuriko, stop bothering her. And I've already told you, I don't want to marry you."
Yuriko brushed off Megumi's words, determination in his eyes. "Megumi, I don't care what you say. I still have to fight her to prove my love for you. After all, she dared to touch you, and that's unforgivable," he declared, pointing an accusing finger at Evangeline.
Misaki chimed in, encouraging Evangeline, "Accept the fight, Evangeline. After all, you have nothing to lose."
Yuriko seized the opportunity, adding, "Yes, listen to your mother. But know that if you lose, I will marry Megumi."
Evangeline sighed, realizing the situation was escalating. "I've already told you before, I don't want to fight you."
Yuriko's determination grew, and he threatened, "No, you have to agree, or I'll follow you everywhere, without exception, even into the toilet."
Megumi, trying to diffuse the tension, spoke up, "Evangeline, just accept his challenge. It's not that bad."
Evangeline struggled with the idea but ultimately responded, "No, thanks. I'll pass."
Azumi, with a smile, interjected, "It would be good practice for you, Evangeline. Then agree."
"Well, if you're telling me to, Azumi, then I'll do it. Hey, kid, you want to fight right now? Let's get it over with," Evangeline agreed, her voice tinged with reluctant determination.
Yuriko smirked, correcting her, "I'm just pointing out that you're a kid too. We're not going to fight in front of the castle. Let's go inside, to the arena. That's where we'll settle this," he said confidently.
Hanako nodded in agreement, "Well, let's go inside the castle. I can't wait to see how this fight turns out."
The group entered the castle, and a butler accompanied them, carrying their belongings. The interior of the castle was breathtaking, with silver chandeliers adorning the ceiling, shimmering like diamonds. As they walked through, a sense of calm washed over Evangeline, soothing her nerves. Soon, they arrived in front of the fighting arena.
Yuriko sneered at Evangeline, taunting her, "You ready to be beaten?"
Evangeline looked at him, calm and collected, and asked one more time, "I'll ask you again. Are you sure you want to do this?"
The two of them descended into the arena while the others took their seats in the stands. Within moments, they stood face to face in the center of the arena.
Hanako's voice echoed through the stands, declaring the stakes, "Whoever wins gets to marry my daughter!"
Evangeline pondered her predicament, considering her options. Suddenly, Azumi's voice broke through her thoughts, accompanied by a dark look that sent a shiver down her spine, "Evangeline, you'd better do your best."
The weight of Azumi's expectation settled on her shoulders. Evangeline realized she had no choice. It was time to take this seriously, even if her opponent was just a child.
Yuriko interrupted her contemplation, eager to start the fight. "You ready to go?"
Evangeline nodded calmly. "Yes, I'm ready," she replied, assuming a relaxed stance.
Yuriko wasted no time, charging towards her with a water ball in his right hand. "Here, take this water ball!" he exclaimed, hurling it in her direction.
Evangeline effortlessly sidestepped the water ball, her reflexes honed. Yuriko, undeterred, lunged at her, aiming a punch. Evangeline swiftly caught his fist, displaying her strength.
Yuriko seemed surprised. "You're pretty strong, actually. Not everyone can dodge my water ball," he admitted, taken aback.
Evangeline released his hand, allowing him to step back. He prepared for another attack, this time gathering multiple water balls around him. "If one water ball can't hit you, then I'll throw more!" he declared, a smug smile on his face.
Evangeline's mind raced, analyzing the situation. She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, the temperature rose, causing the water balls to evaporate before they could reach her. Yuriko was left dumbfounded.
"How did you do that? That was my most powerful spell!" Yuriko exclaimed, his anger evident.
Evangeline remained cryptic, her smile hidden behind her mask. "You don't need to know. Just be prepared to lose, because I'm going to attack now."
Yuriko braced himself, assuming a defensive stance. "Even if you attack, I won't lose," he stubbornly declared.
Yuriko waited anxiously for Evangeline's attack, eager to defeat her and prove his strength. But after a few seconds, she vanished, leaving him bewildered and panicked.
"You're too weak, kid," a voice taunted from behind. Yuriko turned to face Evangeline, but before he could react, a powerful blow struck his neck, and darkness enveloped him as he lost consciousness.
Fuji chimed in, "It was a good fight. I couldn't predict the winner until the very end."
Misaki interjected, incredulous, "You must be joking. I was certain my daughter would win. That kid was hardly a challenge."
Azumi, with a proud smile, patted Evangelin's head. "I'm proud of you," she said, her voice filled with affection.
Hanako spoke mischievously, "Well, since Evangeline won, she gets to marry Megumi," a gleeful smile playing on her lips as Azumi mirrored her expression.
Megumi objected, "Mom, please! We're too young to get married."
"She's right. We barely know each other," Evangeline added, voicing her agreement.
Azumi sighed. "Such a shame. Well, we'll have to consider it another time."
Misaki redirected the conversation, reminding everyone of their original purpose, "Well, we didn't come here just for that. Now, show us where you'll be staying."
Leaving Yuriko still unconscious in the arena, the group quickly exited and arrived in front of the rooms.
As they stood before the rooms, Hanako pointed and said, "Here are your rooms."
Megumi took Evangeline's hand and led her into a room that closely resembled her own, a shade of pink dominating the decor.
"I picked out the decor myself. Do you like your room?" Megumi asked, a smile on her face.
Evangeline thought for a moment, then replied kindly, "I think this room is beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it. Shall we go explore the castle while our parents talk?" Megumi suggested.
"Sure, why not?" Evangeline agreed, allowing Megumi to lead the way as they embarked on a journey through the castle. They encountered breathtaking sights such as rivers in the sky and unfamiliar animals. However, the most impressive sight for Evangeline was a place teeming with fairies. She lost herself in play with them until a butler arrived, signaling that darkness had fallen and it was time to return.
Back in the presence of their parents, Evangeline sat next to Azumi, who promptly placed her on her lap. To her surprise, she noticed that Fuji had done the same with Megumi.
Azumi inquired, "So, how was the castle visit?"
"It was amazing! I saw so many new animals, but my favorite part was playing with the fairies," Evangeline replied, her eyes shimmering with excitement.
Misaki commented with a warm smile, "You seemed to have had a wonderful time, Evangeline."
After a quick meal, Evangeline's parents guided her back to her room.
Azumi said gently, "It's time for your shower, Evangeline."
"Of course, I'm ready," Evangeline responded, grabbing her towel from her suitcase and heading to the bathroom, removing her mask.
After a refreshing shower, she donned her pajamas and settled into bed, joined by Azumi and Misaki.
"You must be exhausted from the journey," Azumi remarked, her voice filled with concern.
"Yes," Evangeline replied, her eyelids growing heavy as sleep beckoned.
As she started to doze off, a few hours passed until suddenly, she awoke, finding herself in an impenetrable darkness.
"Where am I?" she called out, her voice echoing into the void.
Startled, she heard a noise behind her. She turned around to see a colossal blue wolf, its presence alone sending tremors through her.
"What are you doing here, kid?" the wolf growled in an angry tone.
(What did I do to anger this wolf?), Evangeline wondered, her heart pounding. The wolf raised its enormous paw and pointed it swiftly at her.