In the enchanting backyard of the castle, I followed the Young King, Leroy, through a tranquil garden adorned with blooming flowers.
Nature's beauty surrounded us as we ventured deeper into the serene atmosphere.
Finally, we reached a delightful pavilion where a woman in elegant attire sat gracefully, her mesmerizing eyes observing the picturesque garden.
Her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back, and an air of authority surrounded her. It was evident that she was someone of great importance.
As Leroy introduced me to her, she turned around with a cheerful smile, and at that moment, I felt an inexplicable familiarity, as if she were someone significant in my life, though I couldn't quite place her identity.
"Oh~ Leroy, I didn't expect you to see me here. You must have something important to say, huh?"
With joy, she said.
Leroy explained that I had saved Siana.
"Hm... so you brought him here to let me train him, huh?"
She said.
I couldn't believe my ears and blurted out,
"Wait—WHAT!?"
"Haha, whenever you bring someone up here, it's always for training. It's been ages since I've had a new student."
She replied cheerfully.
"Alright, that's all for now. I'm off. Good luck, Aki."
Leroy said, swiftly turning around and striding away.
"Oh~ are you still scared to see me? After all the training I gave you when you were still young?"
With a smirk, she added.
Feeling a sense of betrayal, I was shocked as Leroy walked away. But then, I suddenly remembered something I hadn't mentioned before, the stolen ring.
"Wait! I forgot to tell you that we came here to give you the ring that Skyler stole from your request…"
In a hurry, I said.
"Skyler? That kid is still alive after 10 years, huh?"
Her surprise was evident as she exclaimed.
"The Ring? Why did Skyler tell you guys to deliver it?"
Curious about the ring, Leroy stopped and curiously asked.
"Well, eh… It's a long story."
Feeling the weight of the complicated story.
"Where is it?"
Leroy ask.
"Oh, it's with Siana. She's carrying it."
I replied.
"I see, hopefully, she won't do anything with it. I'll go talk with her later. You can meet me at my office after you're done."
Leroy said.
Nodding in agreement, I watched him walk away, leaving me alone with the elegant woman, who introduced herself as Miyaki Hanae, the Swordsman Trainer.
"So you're Aki, huh? It looks like everything's sorted out..."
She clapped her hands once, her tone decisive.
"I hope you're prepared for what's to come."
She added with confidence.
"What–"
Confused, I replied,
In an instant, she stood in front of me, ready to strike with a wooden sword.
I was caught off guard and received a blow to my neck. The sudden attack left me bewildered and in pain.
"Hahaha! Come on, Aki, this has just begun!"
Amused, she smirked and laughed.
"Is this why he was scared about her!?"
In my mind.
And so, the training began, my first battle with Miyaki.
She threw another wooden sword at me and instructed me to fight her.
She moved at the speed of light, but this time, I was prepared and managed to block her strike with the wooden sword. I had learned from my mistake.
Miyaki disappeared before my eyes, and I felt a blow from behind, hitting me.
"Ah! Damn it!"
I exclaimed.
"Hahaha! I see that you're not that good at combat yet, huh? Come on! Show me what you've got."
She continued to laugh, encouragingly.
I stood up and struck at her, but she effortlessly blocked my attacks with the wooden sword. My frustration grew as I kept trying without success.
Determined, I went for another strike, putting more strength into it, and suddenly, a small red flame emerged from my right hand. Miyaki was shocked but still managed to block the strike.
"Damn it!"
In my mind, I cursed.
"Oh~ I see that your movements are a little faster now, and I can see that you have a strong aura in your body, but you better try harder."
She smirked and commented.
Her thoughts revealed that she sensed my hidden power, but also that I couldn't fully control it yet.
"Is that it? Show me what you've got."
She placed the wooden sword in front of my belly and struck it, teasingly saying.
Determined, we continued to fight until I couldn't hold back my anger any longer. A black and red armor materialized on my right side, enhancing my movements. Miyaki was surprised but still managed to block my attacks with excitement in her eyes.
"Interesting…"
Whispering to herself, she said.
To my surprise, her sword also turned black, with red flares coming out of it, making her movements even faster.
I was taken aback to see that she had the same colored flame on her sword as I did. Did she possess the same power as me?
In a moment of distraction, she seized the opportunity and grabbed my armor, pulling me down to the ground. Her wooden sword was dangerously close to the back of my neck.
Exhausted and with my anger subsiding, the armor faded away.
"Hahaha! Don't let your guard down next time. It seems like you can't go any further now, huh?"
Amidst her laughter, she said.
"Hahaha, You remind me of him..."
Her tone softened after the laughter.
"You mean Leroy?"
She released me, I got up and asked.
"No. It was a friend of mine a long time ago. He was just like you, but unfortunately, after the duel with his friend, it got him…"
Miyaki Sensei replied.
Her saddened smile made it clear that this person was dear to her but no longer alive.
"Oh, sorry to hear that..."
Feeling sorry, I said.
"Haha, you don't need to be."
She smiled back and said.
"Who is he?"
I asked, curiously.
"When we first met, I was a young swordsman protecting this royal family. As his crew walked past me in the hallway, I paid my respects because he was their leader. Then, he came up to me and asked if I was 'Miyaki.' It was confusing because we had never met before. Before he could ask more questions, one of his crew shouted his name, 'Hashino'."
She recounted with a gentle tone, reminiscing about her initial encounter with him.
Her mention of the name triggered a painful headache, causing me to feel slightly unconscious. The name felt familiar, but I couldn't place it.
"Hey! Are you alright?"
Concerned, Miyaki asked.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine."
I managed to regain my composure and replied.
"We will continue this another time. It's getting dark, and you should go back to the castle to meet Leroy."
Observing the darkening sky, Miyaki suggested,
With the training session over, I returned to the castle. As I entered, I heard Siana's voice calling my name, and she waved at me from afar, her cute smile making me happy to see her again.
We chatted, and she informed me that her brother Leroy wanted to meet us at his office to return the ring. Together, we made our way upstairs to Leroy's office.
As we stepped inside, there stood Leroy engaged in conversation with a girl donning striking military and gothic attire, a combination of white and black garments.
"Ah, there you are. This is Miho Takashi, one of our trusted maids in the castle."
Leroy turned to us and said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Leroy told me about the incident with the ring. Thank you for delivering it."
Miho Takashi curtsied politely and greeted us.
"This ring carries an ancient power. A fascinating artifact indeed..."
Siana handed the ring to Miho, who examined it carefully, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Yeah, it can awaken the power of the EmoCrysta while you wear it, and it's dangerous. Thank you both for bringing it to us safely."
Leroy added.
"You're welcome, but… what's EmoCrysta?"
Siana, intrigued, asked.
The mystery of the EmoCrysta was just beginning to unravel, and our adventure was far from over. Little did we know that our encounter with Miyaki Sensei and the ancient artifact was only the beginning of a grand journey filled with secrets, revelations, and battles that would change our lives forever.