It was one of those occasions where you could literally feel the excitement in the air.
It was infectious.
The sound of people cheering and laughing, the smell of various foods wafting through the cool winter air, and the sight of people dancing along to the music that flowed down the various streets and shops making up the market square. It was almost impossible not to feel at ease with such a festive atmosphere, an aura of good nature and lively crowds of common folk. Even those who would normally keep to themselves felt the need to join in, expanding the exuberance well beyond the confines of inner Arcadia.
Of course, while the common masses enjoyed the parties and joyous celebrations, there were those who had no real care for any of it.
Kurona Pendragon was one of those individuals.
During the same time everyone was out partying and letting loose for the holidays, the young pink haired female wandered the various streets, donned up in black armor. When the people were dancing and drinking, she was checking alleyways and calming down those who had gotten far too drunk for their own good. If clashes and arguments arose, she was the first one there, quickly breaking it up and maintaining the harmonious atmosphere as much as possible.
She hated it.
Though unable to admit it aloud, Kurona despised it down to her core. Babysitting others, keeping up order and civility because some idiotic knuckleheads didn't know how to keep themselves in check. It was late afternoon and the day was still pretty young. By all means, she should be out and about, bathing in the festivities just like everyone else and living out her limited youth. Yet here she was, forced into menial guard duty once again because of bullshit responsibilities and the utterly ridiculous "pride of a hero" lecture from her parents. Instead of cruising the streets trying out the various food stalls, she had to wander around making sure the drunkards didn't cause any scenes.
It was enough to drive anyone up a wall. Kurona wasn't any exception either as she was well near her wits end. There was only a small sliver of self control left in her, and if was the only reason she had yet to fold anyone into origami cranes.
Of course, that was before the incident happened, the one that lead her to her current situation.
Near the edge of the Market located in the inner section of Arcadia, the pink haired maiden had stumbled unto a scene of sorts that was almost impossible to mistake. A cloaked individual standing over a woman with a bag clutched to his chest. It was almost as if the gods had blessed her with a way to relieve her own stress and anger, a quick vent that would get her through the rest of the night.
"Give it back to her, remove the hood, and I'll let you walk away." Kurona Pendragon let out a small exhale as she reached for the sword attached to her hip, bright blue eyes locked onto the concealed individual before her. She wasted no time getting to the point. "Refuse to comply and I'll be forced to deliver your punishment here and now."
The world was full of misunderstandings and misinterpretations. This was something that the young Kurona was quite aware of and why she would, more often than not, ask questions before jumping to any sort of conclusion. However, the scene that had just taken place in front of her seemed so clear cut that she didn't even hesitate to call it out. A person with a black cloak covering his head and face clutching a shopping bag, a collapsed woman on the floor looking up in fear and discomfort, and onlookers who were quickly backing away from the situation. With the added addition of two daggers strapped to the assailants waist, Kurona had little doubt of what she had stumbled upon. In that particular moment, all hesitation fled and she quickly took action. It also didn't help that she REALLY wanted to knock off some pent up aggression.
"I'll say it one more time," Kurona said as she slowly pulled out her sword, the black metal almost absorbing the sunlight as it made its way out the scabbard. "Drop the bag, remove the hood, and we don't need to come to blows."
"While I'm not opposed to fighting against a Hero, how about we don't." A boyish voice rang out from the individuals hood. Kneeling down, the male placed the bag onto the floor. "We can resolve this peacefully. Wouldn't want to hurt any bystanders."
The young lady didn't bother to give her surroundings a once over, already fully aware of where they were. Raising her sword, she pointed the tip towards the cloaked man's chest, her long pink hair ruffling in the light breeze.
"Remove your hood, deviant." Her tone left no room for objections, making it clear what her intentions were. "Lest you wish to have your arm parted from your body."
In the Kingdom of Arcadia, there were two laws that were punished heavily with little to no leeway or pardons if broken. The first one was the crime of r*pe and murder. Two actions so unforgivable they were combined as one and given the exact same outcome if performed.
Death by torture.
The second one was theft. Depending on the severity of the crime committed, one could lose anything from a finger to a whole appendage such as an arm or leg. This was done in hopes that every time the perpetrator glanced at their missing limb(s), it would cause them to stop and think about their own actions.
While Kurona understood what needed to be done and why it had to be dealt with, she wanted to give the thief a chance at redemption instead of an outright punishment. The boys quick compliance in dropping the bag and his seemingly unwillingness to put other people's lives at risk only strengthened her need to give the man benefit of the doubt. While most others would have immediately dealt out the appropriate action, she decided to hold back until the criminal either followed her requests or completely denied them. If there was a chance at a peaceful resolution, she was all for taking it regardless of what other people thought. Even if she badly wanted a fight, she wasn't going to risk the lives of others if the youth followed her orders and removed his disguise.
"How about you put the sword away and we can-" the hooded figure reached towards his hip as he talked, prompting Kurona to go on the defensive.
"Everyone, scatter!!" Kurona screamed out an order as she pulled in her blade, blue eyes glowing as she activated a skill. A red aura surrounded the sword as the female leaned forward. "Fortification."
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Hero Class
Basic Skill - Fortification (Active) Lvl 3:
Increases the users speed and strength by 475% for a complete 3 minutes. Afterwards, user will receive a 100% reduction of both stats for 45 seconds.
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Screams of terror and panicked shouts could be heard as those close bolted in all directions, retreating from the area as quick as possible. No one dared to remain, not even those curious on how the fight would play out. The vast majority knew who Kurona was and were aware just how serious she was when she demanded a clear area.
(("Alright you dumbass.")) Kurona frowned, eyes fixed onto her target. (("You better not die from this."))
Exhaling, the pink haired maiden blasted from her spot, swinging her sword downwards towards the cloaked man's right arm. She was certain that, at least to the figure, she had become an entire blur that was difficult to even trace, let alone react to. She wasn't sure what the opponents Class was, but Kurona was confident in the abilities she slaved away on every single day, in what she poured her heart and soul into.
BOOM!!
The ground cracked as the attack was halted in it's tracks, the sword prevented from completing its swing down. Two daggers, one white and one black, held them at bay, much to Kurona's disbelief. Beneath their feet, the stone cracked and caved further as the opposing sides wrested for control of the clash, neither one willing to give a single inch to the other.
(("He BLOCKED it??")) Kurona frowned as she pushed down with all her might. (("How? Did he use a skill?? Absorption? Negation? What class is he? How the hell is he able to match my strength???!! Actually, how the hell did he even BLOCK it?"))
Millions of questions flickered through Kurona's head as she decisively backed away from the struggle. She had been so confident on landing and finishing the fight in that single hit that she hadn't thought of anything past that point. Confused and unsure of herself, she took the brief moment of separation to gather her jumbled thoughts and emotions to better calculate what her next move should be. Whether she liked it or not, a three minute time limit had begun the moment she activated her skill. In other words, she either had to finish everything up within that frame or book a hasty retreat and let the deviant become someone else's problem. If she failed to accomplish those two options, then she would be the one facing defeat, not the assailant.
"So...are we done?" The concealed individual asked, holding his arms out to the side. "I kinda have better things to do."
(("Tsk. Fine.")) Kurona let out a sigh, ignoring everything her opponent had said. Holding her sword to the side, she shot forward once again, swinging her sword toward the cloaked man's left side. (("First things first. Figure out his Class."))