Act 10 - "My Name Is..."
My name is Kuroe.
No.
My actual name is Kuro Eri Phanty.
However that name is something that I must kept hidden from the world. After all, I share that family name with the person who is probably the most hated individual in Mesgaea's history, my father.
My father was an ambitious ruler. As the Dark Lord who held great pride of his homeland, he aimed to conquer the land of Mesgaea and unite everyone under his command.
Twenty years ago, a war broke out as the forces of the Dark Lord set their sights on the country of flames as their first step towards world domination. The war dragged on for a long time, however my father's first target also ended up being his last.
The great Dark Lord was slain in a decisive skirmish by a rising knight from the Ignian ranks. A young knight that went by the name of Helios.
The Dark Lord's defeat and their attempt to conquer the world was well-known among the other nations of Mesgaea. This marked the beginning of an era of hatred towards us Phantians, all because of the ambition of a single man.
The throne of the Dark Lord was passed down to the rightful heir, my twin brother, Yami Phanty. Unlike my father who was a warmongering sovereign with a strong ambition, my brother wanted to clean the name of our nation, and work towards establishing peace and creating progress to our land.
However...
Such a thing was but a short-lived dream. Upon 'their' arrival, my brother ended up being a leader puppet that submitted to 'their' every whim.
As for me, I was instead trained at a very young age. I became 'their' possession, 'their' plaything, 'their' pawn. However, I lived through it all, and followed 'their' every command. All for the sake of my brother's safety.
After years of being subject to 'their' grueling training, an important task was assigned to me. As 'their' pawn, I was sent to the land where my father was slain, Ignia. However, my purpose was for not some mere revenge against the knight who then became the king of that land. Rather, I was sent to awaken the Fire Vixen, one of the six primordials of ancient times, and capture its power for 'them'.
The plan was simple. Since the awakening condition for the primordial is to endanger the life of the current sovereign, I did what I could to get close to the royal family to the best of my abilities. Offering myself as a capable guard, I stood by the king's side. However, as I spend more time with him, I came to realize that even though he was a sovereign, his blood isn't as pure as a true royalty.
And so, I set my eyes on his daughter. I tried my best to come up with a plan of action to endanger her life to bring out my target into the open without rousing much suspicion.
However...
"Young Fuubuki, what do you say about becoming my daughter's personal bodyguard?"
As the king said those words to some nobody from outside these castle walls, I was infuriated. Years of my life was about to be wasted because of some thief that wasn't even supposed to be here. I tried reasoning with the king, however my frustration fell on deaf ears.
Nevertheless, I let it go. After all, speaking about it will only raise suspicion unto me, and that is the worst scenario. I decided to just plan around the fact that there was now an interloper. I only wished that I need not resort to extreme measures.
But now...
Ignia Kingdom.
Slum area.
The already ruined landscape of the abandoned district was even more riddled with destruction. Rubbles of destroyed walls scattered everywhere. Craters of scorched earth filled the streets like blisters on a skin. Echoing from somewhere is the continuous clanging of metals as blades clashed relentlessly.
The young knight, Fuubuki, and the king's aide, Kuroe, were equally fierce with their attacks. The fight had lasted for quite a few minutes now, evident from their fatigue as their movements began to slow down.
Slash marks adorned their bodies like tattoos brought by their extended skirmish. While Fuubuki's wounds were deeper and more abundant, Kuroe's wounds also had burns mixed in along with some part of her clothes destroyed by the flame.
Any moment now, and a single mistake could be made that will decide the outcome of this battle.
"!!!"
And the one to make that mistake was the young knight himself.
As Fuubuki swung his sword once more after finding a supposed opening, he exerted too much momentum on his attack that he lost control by only a small margin. However, the experienced Kuroe made full use of that short window to deliver a devastating counter attack.
She quickly raised her blade over her head, then, using her dark power, she amplified the gravity of her blade as she swung full force downwards.
The young knight tried to block in time but was not able to summon enough strength to defend against the crushing blow from above. As the blade descended, a cloud of dust swept through the area brought by the force of the attack.
"Fuubuki!" Akagi screamed from inside the safety of the workshop. She tried to open the door to go outside but Gray prevented her from doing so.
"You fool! What are you thinking!" the old man said while pulling Akagi's arm.
"No! Let me go! Fuubuki!"
As the dust settles outside, the victor became clear. Kuroe stood tall over the collapsed body of Fuubuki. Her attack drew a line along Fuubuki's body, running from his right shoulder to the lower left part of his abdomen. Blood seeped through the open wound, pooling on the ground under him.
Kuroe stared down at him with a hint of melancholy on her face.
"You fought well, young knight. I'm sorry it had to come to this," she said as she turned around and begin to head to the workshop where Akagi hides.
"W-wait..."
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing a voice call out to her, Kuroe turned around once more.
"D-don't walk away y-yet... w-we aren't finished..." Fuubuki spoke but his voice came out soft and raspy as if he's summoning what little strength he has to speak.
"Akagi won't suffer. I'll stay true to that promise. I'll make it as swift and painless as I could," Kuroe pledged as a sign of respect to her adversary.
"I said we aren't finish yet!" Fuubuki's voice surprised Kuroe as it came out as a shout. Despite that, he still finds himself lying on the ground, barely able to lift a finger. However something was amiss...
"Hmm?" Kuroe noticed the wound that she made on his body.
"Was my cut that shallow? No... that can't be it... he couldn't have lost such a huge amount of blood if that were the case..." she thought to herself upon seeing that Fuubuki's cut looked a bit off.
As she observed further, she began to realize that Fuubuki's wound was indeed closing ever so slightly by the second. However, such regenerative power is not possible for a magus, let alone a regular Mesgaean.
Then again, this boy have shown multiple times already his abnormalities as a Mesgaean. Still, this level of regeneration can still be considered an abnormality among abnormals.
"Hmph. I don't know what your deal is, but with that amount of blood loss, you still won't be able to do anything," she evaluated.
Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard from the workshop. Kuroe turned her head towards the commotion and saw Akagi running out of the building.
"Hey! Stop it you idiot!" old man Gray called out as he ran out of the burned down door frame of his workshop. Akagi seemed to have used her magic to force herself outside.
"Foolish as ever, Lady Akagi," Kuroe snickered under her breath. A sad smile painted on her face as she began to make her way towards her.
"Akagi... no... stop..." Fuubuki wheezed, his voice came out weak once more. He tried lifting his body up from the bloodied ground, but his strength was nowhere near enough to even lift a finger. He helplessly raised his head slightly to look at Kuroe slowly walking towards Akagi.
"Stop..."
Kuroe raised her blade as the distance between her and Akagi continued to shrink.
"No..."
Akagi now steps within arm's reach of Kuroe. With eyes full of regret, Kuroe brings down her blade.
"Stop!" Fuubuki shouted desperately.
Time seems to freeze at that moment. If nothing is done, then Akagi will be slain helplessly in front of him. Just as he has finally fixed his life, will he really let such a tragedy befall him because of his weakness?
No, he's better than this. He still has some fight left in him. As long as he lives and breathe, nobody is laying a finger on Akagi. That was his vow.
"What?!" Kuroe suddenly coughs as blood comes out of her mouth. Out of nowhere she feels a piercing sensation through her abdomen as her sword remain lifted in the air.
Kuroe looked down at her body to inspect the wound. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw an accumulation of mana passing through her body from behind. The mana takes on the form of a blade as it glows a bright fiery orange.
Suddenly, she felt a strong force coming from the blade as it moves to the side, taking her body along with it. She went flying towards another decrepit building that crumbled immediately as she crashed on its walls.
After a few moments, Kuroe furiously shoved aside the fallen debris. As she stood, she held the injured area of her body though something was off. There was no wound on her body, not even a scar. However, she still feels the stinging pain within that part, not only that but a searing sensation could also be felt along with it.
"What is happening? What hit me?!" she wheezed as she turned her sights back to where she was earlier.
"Unbelievable..."
She clicked her tongue in annoyance as she saw Fuubuki standing in front of Akagi with his blade drawn. His clothes are drenched in blood, and his wound from earlier, though mostly healed, is still quite visible.
However what became extremely noticeable was the glowing orange aura that envelopes his sword. What was once just a simple piece of metal is now brimming with magical power.
The blade's aura extended its reach by about tenfold, and the heat emanating from it could be felt from far away.
Summoning this newfound strength from within, Fuubuki pointed his blade towards Kuroe. His eyes were intense as he challenged her mentally one more time with that piercing glare.
Akagi stood behind him with a worried look. However there was also relief in her eyes as she sees her precious lover still standing on his feet.
"Let's finish this," Fuubuki declared. As he did so, the glowing from his sword intensified once more.
The constant wave of heat that was radiating from him transformed into a violent, surge of flame. Meanwhile, the orange glow from his sword began to change its hue into an incinerating blue color along with the growing heat of the surrounding area.
"Enough with this already! How many times do I have to take you down!" Kuroe let out a rage-filled scream as her emotion finally got the better of her. She pushed herself off the ground, making a massive leap towards her enemy. Her sword was pulled back, ready to swing once more.
Fuubuki did the same as well. Whatever mysterious force is keeping him up, he is making full use of it as he launched himself towards Kuroe.
The two opposing sides clashed in the middle as sparks flew both from their blades meeting each other and the constantly pulsing heat wave from Fuubuki's weapon. Kuroe could feel herself getting repelled by the heat but with the power of her darkness' gravity, she kept herself from being pushed away.
"Aargh!"
"Haah!"
The two screamed their lungs out, summoning every bit of strength left from their body in order to gain the slightest advantage. Their blades grinded against each other. However, the winner of this clash became apparent not long after...
"!!!"
No longer able to take the heat, Kuroe's sword snaps in half as it was melted by the heat emanating from Fuubuki's blade.
Kuroe's gravity kept her going forwards. She sees her life flashes before her eyes as the burning blade approaches her body.
"No-"
"Rrraaaaagh!!!"
With an explosive roar, Fuubuki pushes his blade further as the extended edge finally made a clean contact with Kuroe's body. The blue glow penetrated her body, running across her chest before looping back around for another blow.
And then another.
And another.
Fuubuki delivered successive hits of his mana-infused blade all over Kuroe's body.
There was no visible physical wound on Kuroe's body due to the attacks hitting her only through the mana extension, however, the searing pain as the blue glow passes through her body were no better. Each hit, she could feel her insides being burned to a crisp.
The violent flurry of sword hits finally began to slow down as Fuubuki braces to deliver the finishing blow.
"Be gone!"
With a big step forward, Fuubuki summons all of his strength to deliver a devastating blow onto Kuroe's chest. This time, the solid part of the blade made contact with her body, carving a visible wound that ran from the top-left of her left breast down to the upper-right of her abdomen.
"No... brother... forgive me..." Kuroe wheezed out her last words as she slowly falls into unconsciousness.
"Remember me well! As long as Iluve and breathe, no one is laying a finger on Akagi! My name is Fuubuki! The Child of the Wind!" Fuubuki screamed for the last time as his blade completed its swing, sending Kuroe's body flying forward. She landed right in the middle of two buildings, her face blanked out, and her body not moving an inch.
Part of her front was exposed as the cloth covering them was burned off. Her chest was out in the open as well as the massive cut etched by Fuubuki's weapon. Smoke fizzled from the wound brought by the intense heat of the infusion.
Kuroe was defeated. Yet somehow, it didn't feel like a victory.
With all the tension gone, fatigue finally caught up with Fuubuki's body as he collapsed backwards. Akagi caught his head before he could fall further, cushioning his body with her own.
"Well I'll be, what the hell did I just saw?" old Gray remarked as he stood from far-away. The situation has calmed down now, however the damage brought by this encounter was left for the world to see.
"Damn. I gotta move..." he added with a small chuckle.
Slowly lowering herself on the ground, Akagi carefully supported Fuubuki's unconscious body. As she sat down, she settled Fuubuki's head on her chest as he snored peacefully. The blue glow emitting from his body has subsided along with the lowering of his body temperature. The young knight now sleeps peacefully after a well-fought battle.
"Hehe, you're unbelievable. Sleep well my hero. You've earned it," Akagi said softly as she gave Fuubuki a small peck on the forehead.
Some time later...
Arriving at the scene of the battle is Captain Griffon and a squad of five knights, riding on horses, along with the royal carriage that left earlier to call for backup. Their eyes were left wide open as they witness the scene before them.
"What kind of battle took place here..." Griffon mumbled to himself.
"What should we do, captain?" one of the knights asked, awaiting for Griffon's order.
"You five, split up and scout the surrounding areas to see if the coast is clear. I'll go to where Lady Akagi was left," Griffon commanded.
The five knights then followed the issued command and rode their horses to five separate directions. Meanwhile, Griffon followed the carriage driver as he leads him to the workshop.
Upon arriving at the place, Griffon let out a sigh of relief as he sees Akagi sitting on the porch of the workshop, safe and sound. Fuubuki continues to rest on her lap, snoring peacefully.
"Your highness, are you alright?" Griffon asked as he hopped off his horse and approached the two.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for coming," Akagi replied.
Griffon takes a quick scan of the area. The scorched craters on the road, the fallen decrepit buildings, debris scattered everywhere. It doesn't take a genius to tell that an intense battle has occurred here and, looking at the princess' safe condition, it's very clear that the outcome is in their favor.
"You never cease to surprise me, young knight," Griffon said with a relieved voice.
"Yes, he fought valiantly indeed," Akagi said with an agreeing tone.
"Oh! If it ain't that rascal Griffon! How have you been!" old Gray waved from inside the shop. The old man is currently working on the broken door that Akagi broke down earlier.
"Good to see you too, uncle Gray. Thank you for keeping these two safe," Griffon greeted back.
"As if I had a choice! Anyways, you do your thing. I need to fix what that brat blasted away earlier," the old man said before going back on his little repair.
Griffon then returned his sight onto the two before him.
"I'll take care of things here princess. Please go back to the castle now," Griffon urged as he opened the carriage door.
"Right. Thanks, we'll do just that," Akagi said as she stood up while carrying Fuubuki with his arm around her shoulder.
"Ah, I'll take care of that," Griffon kindly offered before carrying Fuubuki's body to the carriage. Akagi followed shortly after.
"Alright, take them back to the castle safely. Follow the route we took earlier and you shouldn't run into any problems" Griffon ordered the carriage driver who then replied with a quick nod before leaving.
"Now then..."
With the safety of the princess now secured, Griffon head off to investigate the area. He was genuinely bewildered at the scale of the battle that took place here, judging by the environmental damage.
"It was almost as if a small war took place here..."
Shortly after, four of the five knights he sent out returned.
"Area cleared on this side, captain."
"Same here."
"There were some more traces of their battles in my area but other than that, nothing to report."
"Mine is clear too."
The four knights each gave their report one by one. Not long after the four arrived, the last one came galloping on his horse in a hurry.
"Captain! I found Miss Kuroe!" he reported.
"Right. Good job. Let's retrieve her now for interrogation later," Griffon said as the five of them went towards the other knight's direction.
Upon arrival, Griffon's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Well I'll be... I didn't think it got this bad..." Griffon remarked as he sees Kuroe's half-naked, battered state. What's even more impressive is the fact that he could still sense some life in her even with the gaping wound on her chest.
tap
"Patch up her wound and tie her up."
tap
"Yes, sir! Should I call for another carriage to pick her up?"
tap
"No, no need. I'll be taking her. We don't have to increase manpower here. Now let's--"
tap
"!!!"
An ominous feeling stirred up within Griffon's chest as he senses someone... or rather... something approaching.
"Was it my imagination?"
tap
"No..."
tap
"This is-!"
tap
"Pardon me," a voice rang out from beyond the darkness of the alleyway in front of them.
Just from hearing the voice, Griffon could feel his body shaking. It has been a while since he felt it... fear. Whatever is approaching them is enough to induce fear into his heart. However, his belief is that fear is something that a knight must overcome.
"I'll be taking that girl," the voice said in a blunt tone.
"I do apologize but she is currently under the jurisdiction of the Ignia Knight Order. If you have some business with her then please wait until after we finish with her interrogation," Griffon calmly, and politely declined the unknown person's demand.
"That so... alright then," the voice sighed.
A short silence followed shortly after as the footsteps got closer. Until finally, Griffon can finally see the features of this mysterious persona. The moment he did however, his expression tensed up and he immediately reached for his blade.
But he wasn't fast enough, as 'she' instantly got in front of him in the blink of an eye.
"Wither away."
SLASH