(??? POV)
...ugh...?
Huh... Where am I...?
Upon opening my eyelids slowly, I found myself trapped in darkness.
Why is it so dark...?
I felt a weird tentacle-like wrapping my whole body from bottom to top. It was gripping me tight.
I felt numb...
I WAS numb.
I've lost the ability to move my body. The numbness felt like a burning or a pins-and-needles feeling.
It hurts.
It really hurts.
I can't breathe... Am I even breathing in the first place?
...
..
.
Few moments felt eternity, I finally got used to the numbness.
The pain was there.
Yet for some reason,
It was nowhere.
"Ugh...."
A voice...? I can finally speak?
"Testing... Testing..."
I cleared my throat and attempted to move my fingers. My thumb twitched, it was a success. Slowly, but surely, I'm finally regaining some of my senses.
My vision began to blur as a sudden rays of light hit my eyes. It wasn't bright at first, but as the seconds continued to pass, it became brighter until it eventually lightened up everything.
I blinked once. And then, I found myself in a white empty space. I looked around my surroundings to familiarize the place. From my side view, I noticed a big palace reveal itself all of the sudden.
"What in the world...?"
The palace itself felt familiar.
However, I couldn't clearly remember when I have seen it before.
Russle~!
The sudden noise that came from behind me prompted me to turn around.
"This place... Now I understand."
The white landscape from earlier was replaced with a lively city. With the tall buildings behind them, huge crowds of nobles gathered around as they approached my direction.
—Is this where the heroes have gathered?
—Is it true that one of them had finally pulled out one of the holy swords...?
—From what I have heard, yes. My daughter was there to see as the Hero Prince from the Lastborn Kingdom took the Holy Sword, Altair, from the stone.
—You mean Prince Julius...?!
As the conversation continued between the two nobles, one of them phased through my body... It seems like I can't interact with this world.
I followed the nobles from behind and entered the palace.
The sight of the beautiful decorations and the structure amazed me. From the antiques, to the knights that had gathered around from the sides, then the tables full of exotic foods. Nobles were sitting on their assigned table, while the heroes and their party members stood at the center of the place. It was a sightly scene.
As I was about to take a step forward, I noticed a familiar figure from the distance.
"No way..."
With his grey hair and silver eyes that made him stand out among all the heroes that had gathered, I found my jaw unable to close.
There he stood, the man who I was supposed to be.
In front of him, an unfamiliar woman with a blurry face. Her hair was pink, but the blur made her eyes hard to see.
It was then,
"I'm breaking our engagement, Hero Saber!"
***
Inside a secluded bar in the city, Saber was drinking all his problems away.
He had just experienced his first ever heartbreak. His fiancee had broken up with him, his companions left him to join the other heroes, and most of all, he got humiliated in front of everyone.
Surely, the news would immediately spread about all his misfortunes that happened in span of a day. He was already bound to be a laughing stock among the people including the heroes.
"Ha ha ha... You look pathetic."
Sitting beside him, a man with ashy brown hair and blue eyes was laughing wholeheartedly as he watched Saber with a happy face.
Earlier, after Saber got abandoned by all his party members, only one hero came to his side to comfort him.
It was none other than Maximus.
What was their first meeting like? They already became friends after Saber had just became a hero.
Maximus was a cheerful, yet a haughty person. Oftentimes in their first exchange of conversation, he would often brag about being able to solo a dungeon.
However, although he may act arrogantly in front of him, Saber knew that the prick in front of him was kind.
"Like I told you already, women are too troublesome to deal with. That's why I decided to go solo."
And there he goes again with his nagging, Saber thought to himself as he glanced at the prince.
Maximus pointed at himself using his thumb with a confident smirk. He continued to brag around his adventure to Saber, who in-turn told him all his struggles with his former companions. Their exchange continued until the table around them was full of empty beer.
"Ugh, why am I always unlucky..."
Saber chugged his glass until it was empty and placed it on the table. Maximus laughed at him when his body started to sway side to side. He caught his body when he was about to fall.
Just before they could finally leave the bar, Maximus suddenly had a sudden spark of idea in his mind.
"Ah, I know! Considering you are my best bud, why don't you just join my party?"
"Party...? Aren't you supposed to be a solo, considering that everyone is scared of your face?"
"How rude!"
Maximus forehead grew veins and smacked Saber's back lightly.
"I'm inviting you because you're my friend and I know I can trust you."
"...Really?"
"Why would I even invite you in the first place if I can't trust you? Besides, even though you aren't strong unlike the other heroes, you are very skillful in almost every aspect that almost every heroes and even I lack."
"...."
Saber rolled his eyes and chugged the beer that the bartender had handed to him.
"Saber, you are good at solving mathematical equations in a way comparable to a genius, you're a good conversationalist, a quick thinker, being able to adapt in any dire situations and survive, and many other stuff!"
Saber became flustered by his compliments and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
"I can still state some of your feats like how you managed to lessen the casualties on each Waves thanks to your strategies and many other more!"
When Maximus said this, Saber raised both his hands in defeat, as if to say he can stop now. However, Maximus persisted.
"But to be honest, Saber you are like a genius with a "wasted potential". As to why I'm saying this to you, I know that you are envious of the other heroes' strengths and overshadowing yourself by endlessly comparing yourself to them. If you only were to drop those feelings and focus more on yourself, I'm sure you'll be a greater Hero than any of us combined."
Maximus compliments soon turned into a scolding. Saber just sat there. He didn't say anything and just listened to his every words quietly.
And after another fifteen more minutes, Maximus finally finished and paused for a moment.
"If the Waves of Calamity never existed in the first place, you would have shined even brighter than anyone else. But this is life. We can't change the laws of this world. We can only exist and live through it."
Maximus stood up from his seat and extend his hand towards Saber.
"Saber, I've been observing you for a long time. I deemed you as someone worthy enough to gain my trust and support."
With a short pause, Maximus said to him.
"That's why, do you want to be my partner?"
Saber looked at his hand before raising his head towards Maximus, "...Do you realize that what you said is basically a confession."
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Mmm.... If you were a woman, I would have considered dating you."
"Okay, that's enough. I was just trying to joke around, but it seems like our conversation is already taking a huge turn."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Saber rested his chin on his palms, his arms placed on the table. With an amused smirk on his face, he mumbled, "Although I'm drunk, I'm still sober enough to beat you."
As soon as he said this, Maximus couldn't contain his laugher no more. "As if you can beat me, ha ha ha!" He proudly exclaimed, his face showing a wide grin.
"Well, I can always talk to your sister about your attitude!"
And so, their bickering continued.
"What did you say? You want to take my sister's hand for marriage in exchange for joining me? If that's the case, welcome to the family!"
"Why are you selling her to me now!!?"
"What? You like me? Unfortunately, we can't be together since I'm a prince and the heir of my Kingdom. If you were a woman, I would have seriously considered it.... Wait, why don't we just find an artifact that can change your sex? I like woman with small breast, by the way. Girls with B-cup is the best!"
"Why are you even telling me your preferences on a woman!!?"
"Though, you already have an androgynous face. If you grew out your hair just a little bit until it reaches your shoulder, I can make your body an exception."
"What the fuck! That's disgusting!"
Maximus fell on his knees as he laughed at him wholeheartedly. He wiped the tears in his eyes, responding with, "But don't worry, I'm fine with becoming the woman instead of you. As long as you can be gentle in bed.... Huhu~"
Saber chocked Maximus with his arms in attempt to stop him from speaking. However, Maximus just laughed at his attempt and felt unbothered by his actions.
Five minutes passed again, Maximus fixed his collar and cleared his throat.
"Returning to our topic, do you want to join me?"
"Sure."
Unlike earlier, Saber didn't showed any hesitation.
After taking his hand, he smiled awkwardly and then—
"I finally found you!"
A woman entered the bar. She had a short sword hanging on her waist, indicating that she's a knight. Her hair was blonde, tied neatly into a pony tale. Her eyes were as green as an emerald, shining beautifully as the sun rays hit her face. The woman was wearing a breastplate armour that had a familiar insignia of a viscount noble.
Soon, she reached Saber's direction. She panted tiredly before taking a deep breath to calm herself.
"Uhh... Who are you supposed to be, miss?" Saber asked the beautiful lady with a tilted head. His eyes inadvertently looked away as he felt the lady shining brightly due to her pretty face. It was almost as if it was blinding him.
"Saber, it's me! The one you saved back when we were kids when I got lost and almost fall into a cliff," She says excitedly, her eyes shining as she looked at him with awe.
However—
Maximus leaned in his ear and whispered quietly, "Do you know her?" And to which Sbaet responded with a light head shake.
"...I don't remember meeting her."
The woman heard this, her expression changing looking quite hurt. "I see... I've already prepared if the possibility of this could happen, but I never knew it would still hurt."
She lowered her head. Saber felt sorry unknowingly and scratched his cheeks.
He was about to try and say something to comfort her when the woman suddenly let out a loud "Yosh!" and looked at him with dedication.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Aria, born from a viscount family full of knights." She extended her hand to him.
"Saber, I've been observing you for a long time."
"Deja vu."
"Please, be my partner!"
This time, Maximus interfered.
"Oy oy! Saber is going to be my partner, so back off, you woman!" He took a step forward and pushed Saber gently behind him.
The woman's brow furrowed as she forced a smile. "And who are you suppose to be?" She asked Maximus while elegantly bowing respectfully.
With a proud smug on his face, Maximus introduced himself.
"I am Maximus Avalonshire, the prince of the Avalon Kingdom." He exclaimed proudly.
He was about to add something in his speech when he noticed that the woman in front of him was already gone.
When he turned around, Aria was already talking to Saber.
Without wasting any time, Maximus rushed to Saber's side once again and guarded him away from the girl.
"He's going to be my partner!" He hissed.
1
"No, he's mine!"
"No, mine!"
"I said Saber is mine!"
"I already said earlier that you should back off woman! Saber is my pal and I wouldn't let any slut touch him!"
"Did you just call me a slut? Even if you are indeed a prince, I won't hesitate to cut you off!"
Fortunately, before the fight between the two idiots started, Saber decided to finally step in and stop them.
"Why don't we three just form a group instead?" He suggested.
""A group?""
The two spoke at the same time.
Saber remained quiet as he observed the two with keen eyes. They both looked at each other for a second before looking away.
"With this guy, no way!"
"With this woman, no way!"
And so, the journey of the pǝʇɐɟ trio has finally started.