Princess of Ice
"Ok, Satori, let's get off the carriage. I'll escort you inside the Colosseum of Ice." "Right, but you know...I won't do anything rash because, after all, I am innocent...kind of."
Benjiro knew of this fact...I was innocent. However, his intentions were...along with securing the "criminal" myself in place, to protect me...
"Curse you, damn heartless demon...die, burn and rot in hell for your petty crimes...for kidnapping my daughter!" "They are even allowing this scum to participate in this sacred tournament?" "Let me through! Let me through. Right now, I'm going to kill him...with my own hands, I will...I will."
So that's how it is? I am the hated one...all over crowds of people standing near the entrance of the colosseum just to curse at me, throw stones, trash and some even...
"Stop it, Captain Benjiro...why is someone like yourself even protecting this ignominy? He's a monster...a greedy barbaric bastard who kidnapped our country's girls." "Stand back...stand back, I said, or I will have to use violent means, and just to clarify to everyone, he still...right now is a member of our sacred tournament, so any torment towards him you can expect the involvement of the military...that's all."
"I see, so Benjiro...Benjiro, you are also with him! Protecting him, standing up for him. Don't get so cocky just because the ten icicles aren't present!" "So that's what's going on?... Benjiro also?" "Well, I have had my doubts about Benjiro...maybe it's true?" "Get this. I heard rumors Benjiro is the one who suggested his attendance to the tournament." "What, seriously?" "So Benjiro can also not be trusted? After all, he himself denied the country's command many times it's been rumored." "Yeah, but quiet down if he hears us. We are finished for."
Crowds of people...crowds all laying their pointless selfish accusations infecting everything around me with hate. Why? How dare they!
"All you...all you."
I struggled to talk. With so many who were guiding their displeasure along my way. But how dare they turn their back on Benjiro. He suffered. He killed. He lost his freedom all for this country and its sacrificial princess. It isn't right. Just watching this churns my stomach...it truly revolts me.
"If Benjiro was not standing above...standing before me...I wouldn't hesitate to slaughter, brutally rip apart every part of your being...be my guest, go ahead, eliminate, mock the one who is keeping all of you pigs shielded. If you do that, then I can truly enjoy a massacring today!"
"Satori...stop, don't. You will just deepen the hole!" "No, Benjiro, I already dropped beneath the hole...there is no hope for me no longer, but I will not allow them to ridicule...an individual who had preserved my rightful innocence!"
"Benjiro...I got carried away. I'm sorry, you are really not the one at fault here, besides now we have the opportunity the pleasure of witnessing him endure agony!"
That's right...he's not to blame...only I am.
"It's the royal family!" "What...where? Weren't they already inside?" "Here they come...I don't believe it...it's my first time seeing them!"
Wait...is that the king...the queen and the younger one with glistening blue eyes, distinctive light blue hair...the princess, princess Yukina?
"My eyes they have been blessed with the sight of such beauty...so that's princess Yukina, a creation of heaven's top masterpiece." "Isn't she just so graceful and elegant! Also, the queen's silver-white hair, although contrasting from her daughter's due to genetic diversity, both their appearances are bewitching and share the same angelic aura." "We should also...bow down right now." "Oh right, I was so focused on trying to believe the very magnificent scene right before my undeserved eyes I totally forgot!"
At a single moment, the entire setting changed.
Everyone was cherishing the advent of royalty, the most important individuals...supreme dominant beings in the country of Aisurando.
"They are headed this way! I don't believe it!" "Stupid, keep your head down!"
The admirers before me had it correct; they were advancing towards my very area.
It looked like a tremendous prayer, each one bowing, some on their heads to the great existences before them.
Shit, I was not focusing as my eyes were on the people. The king stands right before me!
Unlike his adopted daughter Yukina or his silver-haired wife, he bared dark ocean blue and black ombre hair. His presence...it wasn't weak or spoiled royalty. It was of a genuinely serious noble. But...
"Benjiro, will you hand me your blade?" "Yes, my lord...here it is."
The absolute dominance was obvious. It was held by this figure who stands right in front.
Even Benjiro did not question or hesitate to follow his superior command...
What? Why?...
Pain... Throbbing... discomfort... why do I feel it?
My inner mouth had flooded with blood... which escaped as I was suffocating in response...
"Huh, blood?"
I looked at my hand, at my bloody abdomen as he who of authority drew the sword out of which he lodged...
"I apologize, Benjiro. I have got your sword stained. But I'm sure Yukina will be able to replace this one."
In my moment of affliction, I looked in his navy blue aloof, distant eyes staring at me with the inferiority separating us.
I had thought I was accustomed to this bodily process, but I still blared in pure agony...
Maybe it wasn't the pain itself... but the individual...who knows.
As expected again...death was not granted to me even by this "holy" presence. I regenerated...
"So it's true, you really can recover...what a foul ability to be granted. It lacks all righteousness, disgusting."
The king stated only this of me.
Disgusting, huh? But he's not wrong...
"Father, who is that boy...why did you..."
Even the pawn Yukina is worried about me? I would wish. The king did not answer that question, nor did he look back, entering the Colosseum of Ice...
"Yukina, my dear, that is a criminal who will be served justice in or after the tournament, so don't worry yourself...he will have nothing to do with you after."
"So mother, he's also a participant? Then this isn't right at all!" "Yukina, seriously, it's just a violent criminal. Don't concern yourself of such."
"No mother, he with all things stood is taking part in the tournament. How is it fair that he is handicapped with that wound."
"Haha, naive as ever, Yukina, my daughter, fine if you feel that ill of my actions, grant him a sword...although it would be like handing down diamond as if it were worthless."
The king and the queen departed inside, leaving her behind. Princess Yukina.
She wore typical clothing of a princess colored in light blue, matching her long tied-up hair. She looked awfully uncomfortable in it despite her being royalty...almost like she was not used to wearing it.
What I thought I would never witness in this new world...a hand? She's helping me up?...
"Your name?" "my...Satori Anzai" "Satori?! No way, your Satori? So You're the one that Aina mentioned... what's going on here?"
Aina? How does she know of Aina?
Wait... If I am a criminal now...what will they do to Aina?
Don't tell me...
The whole reason I gave myself up to this unsought misery was her.
How dare you all.
The amount of bloodshed... for what reason?
"Satori, you're hurting me...it hurts, please I'm sorry you had to suffer...I apologize regarding my father's behalf, so please!"
I speedily grabbed onto her wrist, putting all the pressure I could exert...with pure hatred.
"As I thought, a frail princess...I don't need your damn pity. Aina, where is she! Go on. If you're really in that much agony, why don't you kill me? It should be easy for you, my dear Yukina...I am a wrongdoer after all!"
"Please let go...I don't want to kill...anymore."
Tears of suffering had followed along with her few words...
"Kill anymore?"
The force I exerted increased with my resentment fueling it...
"How dare you...stop mocking me...people idolize you all around; however, hundreds of homeless children...thousands of poor refugees freezing in the cold, are in despair looking for a destination for peace and you...and you... wish to conserve your innocence with denial to end a life. Pathetic."
I knew she was a pawn... and could do nothing.
I knew she had already realized this before... So why did I say it?
"Stop it..." "You're still pleading?" "Stop it, Benjiro, back off...that's an order."
Benjiro.
A block of ice beside me acting as a barrier blocking the very sword of Benjiro from going through my throat. The ice princess Yukina had rescued my life against him...Benjiro's blood lust.It was the first time I had witnessed Benjiro's true will to kill, And the only way to describe it would be...a man-made machine which had no other purpose but to slaughter the ones before it, with its speed and efficiency being its biggest feature.
I let go of Yukina's hand... or should I say, I had weakened through absolute fear.
Her arm was broken. It dropped straight down, with no stabilization keeping it in place. What the hell did I do... I truly am scum.
How can I face Benjiro now?.... even more the people?
"Satori, for your own safety, head inside now..."
Humorous now, the safer place for me is... my match against Kenji...
"Oh, and please take this blade with you... don't worry, it won't feel too cold. And one last thing... Aina... she is safe."
Pity?... no, it wasn't.
The sword of ice she crafted before I was an appealing sight... It was magnificent... a speckle of ice she conceived turned into a beautifully crafted sword.
I took the sword. It was strangely light... and felt...
It's fusing slightly and is attached to my hands as I grip it? Is this supposed to happen? I don't have time for this. I should go in for my match. I did not look back. I did not want to see their faces...
Entering the Colosseum, it had three openings in the outer entrance, two of which led to seating areas in the middle... the one in front... towards the match.
The hallway leading towards the place of battle was of a very considerable length. Just how big is this colosseum?
Wait, is that a person? Oh, it's Kenji...
He looked as relaxed as the first time I encountered him at the meeting.
Leaning against the wall with his arrow on his side.
"Finally here, Satori Anzai, huh? I don't know what the fuss is about regarding your situation; however, know this... I do not care, and naturally, you are nothing but a stepping stone for me. I need to be number one... I have to win, you yourself, I'm sure, know how unfair this world is, and I have my own reasons. I won't pity. I won't show any sympathy, and I definitely won't show hesitation in our match. So you would be doing yourself a huge favor stepping down now..."
"Kenji Yajirushi... I do appreciate the not so obvious concern but doing myself a favor? I think not..."
"Well... whatever."
"Both of you, please make your way forward..."
After a short wait which felt like hours... it seemed everyone of great importance, and key individuals, including the other participants, the royal family as well as some civilians, made their way to the seats.
As we came forward... I could see the whole crowd.
So many watchers, each and everyone with their eyes filled with loathing towards me...
Of course, to the general people's eyes I was an abomination who kidnapped several girls as well as...
Basically, I am not liked.
Many wealthy, powerful, and influential individuals stood out amongst the crowd. In fact, it was mainly filled with them.
The other tournament members were given the most comfortable viewing seats, which were located furthest to the battlefield... for viewing, huh?... or as shields.
Is that?
It was Masashi...
He was just smiling and waving at me...
Even though I'm a criminal now?
Typical Masashi... I bet he probably doesn't even care about the details.
I could also see...
Mizuki sitting next to her brother... as expected. Also, I just realized that after my match, it's her against Chi...
Where is that B*tch...
How dare she...
How dare she be waving at me!
Mocking me while sitting calmly in her usual hellcat mask! Hopefully, Mizuki can knock some sense into her after my match!
Wait, waving?
This...
Someone tell me, what actually goes through her head?
Oh, also Homura sitting next to her, well he's looking at me... not very happily. Considering his personality, he probably feels very sickened at my actions.
Going back to where Masashi and Mizuki were sitting... Genkei, Oda, and of course, the munificent Hiriko were sitting with them. Neither of them really showed any interest in me, but... Hiriko looked in my direction for a second, but as our eyes met, she looked away in a hurry.
Hahaha, I am supposed to have kidnapped several girls. So it really makes sense she would react like that.
The hooded fig... Raiden was just sitting composedly there. He did not show any reaction, although I could not see his face properly, to be fair.
Nishimura, I think it was, was on the same side as Raiden, just smiling at the overall event... an excited thug? What else is new.
That makes all...
I wish that were all.
There's still the thing I'm choosing to ignore its existence.
But it's there.
Hannya Uch... the dark army girl.
It smiled at me, making a love heart shape with her hands facing me.
I was not too fond of many individuals in this tournament, as I still do... but she especially.
The Uchida name... Sakura.
She's ridiculing it.
I can't forgive such an act... ever.
"In this match, there will be a winner after one side had either fallen through being unconscious or the loss of life or either pleads to step out. Any harm to our audiences or other participants that are watching will take you out of the tournament entirely and may also risk arrest. With all that said, are you both ready?"
"Yes"
"Yeah"
"Great, please make your way to either side of the arena."
..."With his Majesties approval, I hereby declare the first match of the tournament of block A officially started!"
In a rapid motion, Kenji shoots his arrows without hesitation... I dodged them; he shot two... no three at once. Neither of them landed. I can do this! I need to get close with this frosty sword. I can finish this!
...
One arrow pierces my right arm...
Another arrow pierces my left arm...
and the third arrow pierces my heart.
"Ho... how"
All within an instant.
What was this? What abili...
Kenji Yajirushi, the one who holds nothing more than a handmade bow and arrow.
-Do you believe?-
To be Continued in the Next Chapter..