"Get out of my way!."
Otto having lost it failed to recognize Reifa as he threw the flail toward her , the morning star attached to it moved astronomically fast covering the distance between her and Otto in a distance
Reifa remained frozen from shock as the flail inched closer , royalty as she may be this was a close encounter with a certain death.
-Reifa pov-
'Is this how my life is going to end?'
In a way I hadn't envisioned skewered and crushed by that spiked ball, I want to scream out his name. Zephyr's but what right do I have? , I've used him to cement my rule in the region and while I do have some feelings for him. The guilt for what I'm about to do to him next scares me, death might be a solace for myself to not end up like Mother is my saving grace.
'Flin I won't use him to that end!.'
'You have no choice Reifa, to take on the lion sultan is but a mere requisite to gain his respect.'
'Sara he could die!!?.'
'What's 1 life compared to the realm your highness'
'Reifa please reconsider'
'Do you want me to get him killed over a ....'
'In the grander scheme of things, it is for the best.'
'In the grander scheme of things, you've reminded me of my own mother. Always using those close to her for her own benefit.'
'E-excuse me your highness, you don't have to.'
'At ease Flin, she deserves to know.'
'Mother thought it would bring peace to Oraia if she'd gotten me wed she was prepared to throw me off at the mercy of Emperor George of Bloodhaven, had it not been for Zephyr I'd have been all but dead. So you see to me, he's my saviour whom I-I may or may not be fond of to cast him off against the new Sultan is something...'
I can't do
"Haaah!."
There was no time , I summoned my own mana as focusing solely on reinforcing my legs.
I leap towards Reifa using the momentum gathered by my reinforced legs to instantly propel myself infront of her.
"Z-zephyr."
The traumatic experience had mad Reifa entirely uttering that single word my name out of bewilderness.
"Well good to see you're well princess."
"Well, me? I'm fine I can say but what about you!??, you're severely bleeding!."
"I can take some of that pain if it means you're safe."
Well I'll be damned look at her blushing, I might look pathetic with all the bruises and dirt covering my body at the very least I managed to look heroic.
"you can't be serious!! Zephyr you're .... insufferable."
"hahaha indeed Iam."
"Could you please stop fooling around and let me .... help y-you for once."
She takes a glance at the soldiers brought with her half of them stood in shock just like she'd been.
"With all due respect your highness, your safety takes precedence over my own. I'm just a lowly adventurer and you might as well be the future queen."
"Queen??!!, highness??!! I deserve no such title from you. Remember I've used you from the very beginning i would continue using me just like my mother used me as well as you!!."
"I know that y-your highness."
"Then leave me to my fate!!."
"That I can't do, well I know what's it like to live under pressure success looms itself over your actions that could build or end careers. I've been there and you know what your highness as long as I'm with you. I won't have you endure any of this alone."
Energy shifted away from the morning star , giving me a breather, however it had all but subsided as I sensed a troubling mana gathering coming from Otto.
"Zephyr whats wrong?."
"What are you doing standing here guards take her away!!??."
"Y-yes sir!."
I held onto my position as they carried her off the battle ground. With that said and done being on the defense solely at that consumed quite a considerate amount of mana. We have to end this now and I suggest Otto thinks the same as his strikes lost momentum he proceeds to take stance.
"Zephyr wait!!.".
"Enough playing around."
He said gathering focused energy his aura seeped and shaked the ground, 'seriously why is this new character so op' i humoured myself cussing the reality of this event. Needless to say I've also held back by a significant margin I don't get the power scaling behind the real world of Etherea though however it maybe its either me and him. He's willing to throw his and my life out of his own violation or more accurately out of pride, haha in someway we think the same.
"Hubert!."
I call onto the scruffy aristocrat watching from the balcony.
"Throw a field spell, and keep it up for a while!!."
"I-i'm going to fall from exhaustion and use up all my mana on you brutes but for her highness sake I won't allow a single residue of your filthy mana out of my field!."
summoning another lance from my spacial inventory , I begin taking my own stance focusing on supplying as much energy as humanely possible.
Hubert in turn erects a field spell encompassing the entire ground.
The world had gone dark, that field spell Hubert casted constrained us in a single space its me or him, this will be the end for one of us. I can let some of my frustration out, if there's something I hate more than my old self its someone who puts others in danger for their own amusement
The energy surrounding Otto subsided revealing a beastial form.
"It was a mistake for you to corner yourself alongside me hero."
"Otto, you might have thought that you got me cornered but you were mistaken."
With this i let some of my limiter go and doned my draconic armor , shining with my purple mana hue. With it I materialized my other lance.
I pointed my lance at Otto and said...
"Let's go furrball."
There wasn't a need to que , we both took our steps forward meeting heads-on Otto swung his flail and I in return swung back with my spear.
100 or maybe more consecutive times without a humane interval we deflected each others strikes my twin spears meeting his morningstar the ground quakes as thunderous roars echoed in the field the impact of our clash could most likely be heard within miles radius.
"Aahahahaha, now this is it!!."
Increasing my mana threshold i focus solely on enhancing my endurance and stamina, I strike a pose and charge myself towards Otto, this is it, my enemy launches his flail again predictably i increase my spead dodging his destructive attack. In an instant i find myself right to his face.
My spear's tip pressed against his neck.
Killing a diplomat however crude they may seem is frowned upon in this world, but letting him go scott free seemed far too lenient for my liking. I'd serve him a warning at the very least, not for my sake but for Reifa and those lives he endangered.
""I've spared you this time however next time I'm definitely severing your head."
Otto simply smirked and simply discarded his flail in a calm demeaner before replying
"Never a dull moment with you dragonkin warrior."
Sara barges in together with Reifa, Kayla , Hubert and the guards.
"Otto, i hope you realize that you've got some reflecting to do."
"No promises from me."
"Some things never change." Ruen shrugs to his response
Hubert exhausted from using excess mana managed to slide in a complaint following Sara
"Don't y-you dare ask this of me again."
"I knew you'd be capable of holding on Hubert ." I give him a thumbs up for the effort.
"Hero!."
Kayla uncharacteristically goes for the embrace the impactful shock had sent me reeling a few inches.
"Kayla, what was that for."
"You were amazing Mr. Zephyr, like a knight in shinning arm- ahem I mean I'm glad you're safe."
"I'm glad to see you fine too Kayla."
Behind all the ruckus i see Reifa looking at me from a distance.
"Ah as for you Princess, there's no need to hide behind your guards if you have something to say now's the time."
"Did you mean it?."
"Yes , I meant it."
"I'm planning to use you , rather i will use you and put my realm before your own.."
"I won't mind, not at all." I said both of our faces turned red
"*ahem*."
A voice interrupts that belonged to Flin captain of the royal guards.
"Your highness we can't delay this any further."
Flin spoke out a sense of urgency reverberated from his tone
"Reifa, we await your answer."
To which Sara had coming closer to my side spoke out in turn.
Reifa looks at me nervously , not bothering to think nor speculate I give her a nod.
"We accept your proposal , I will be sending Zephyr to represent my realm in the tournament of the oasis."
"Ahahaha so this means, I'll see you at the tournament Hero." Otto exclaimed cheerfully
"Tournament??!!."
To be continued