The air was crisp and cold with a hint of winter's bite. It was too early for winter but because of no sunlight for that long time. It was cold and, though faint, the fog was covering the place. The vision was just limited to a few hundred meters.
K came out of his home and locked the door. He was going to open his shop. It seemed to be late to do so but it now had become his routine.
His shop was attached to his home so he usually locked the door of his house from the outside and then opened shop so that no one could go inside without him knowing.
He unlocked the store's front shutter and lifted it. The noise from the hinges was loud in that silence. A little dust fell.
The shelves are stocked with essentials like everyday necessities and widely consumed grocery products, as well as household goods and other items. The floor of his shop was many years old and so, cracked.
He did the prayer after cleaning his shop.
He put the headphones on, "Haven't played this one yet. Guess gotta give it a go." and started playing games.
This is what his normal days are.... or instead, had become.
Meanwhile, a little far from his shop, the weather was getting worse.
Some people were still outside but none of them were out for a stroll. This weather wasn't good enough to go outside so these people were only outside for something necessary.
A man came out of his home, holding a woman who was shaking. They both had warm clothes on them so they weren't chilly but that woman was still shaking.
She was sick.
He was walking slowly while holding her to support her walk. The temperature even reached 0°C for some time.
The issue was not the temperature, but rather the fog, which was making it difficult to breathe and also making it hard to see more than 50 meters ahead so, they chose to walk on foot. The fog wrapped around trees and buildings, creating spooky shadows.
The air felt damp and earthy.
But then it started getting warmer and the mist started dissipating too but the wind was moving faster than before.
"Looks like it is getting worse, Honey," she was his wife, "I think we should go home."
"I don't think that's a good idea. Just a bit more and we would reach the clinic. You've been ill since the morning and now you can't even move without support. We are going back only after your checkup."
That man looked up and saw something, barely. "We got to hurry up a bit."
The clouds started changing to a dark bluish color. A humming sound filled the atmosphere and fog started disappearing. The nearby trees shaking from the air. The temperature increased a bit.
Something dark started coming down.
That man took his wife in his arms and ran as fast as he could.
The rumbling sound stopped and the whole area went silent. Then, something landed on the ground, and fog spread around it. It was a spaceship... but smaller than the mist made it look like, about the size of two or three cars.
Someone jumped out of it. "Ah, finally I'm back here... and it still smells as filthy as ever."
A few voices came out from the spaceship. "Wait, Commander Irnis! We are here to guard you. You can't jump off the spaceship and leave us behind like that." They were guardsmen with a certain weapon in their hands.
Irnis, a statuesque woman with long black hair and dark skin, exuded an aura of quiet confidence. Her slender body moved with a ripple, suppleness, and grace that belied her formidable strength.
Her presence seemed to draw the eye, like a dark magnet. People nearby can't ignore her presence.
"Do you think you have the right to tell me what to do? I am going to take this route. Ask Princess to come out or else I would come inside."
The guardsmen panicked. "Y-yes ma'am." They ran inside and came out with Princess.
Now there were a total of five people. Three guards, Princess and Commander Irnis. It was a very lax security for someone to be called a 'Princess' but it also shows their strength compared to humans.
Dramons are already many times stronger than humans and can instantly kill anyone who tries to attack them.
All the guards were closer to the Princess than Irnis since Irnis did not need any protection.
But, for some reason, the Princess was looking kind of sad.
She was petite with a slender figure and wore a dress with futuristic patterns on it. Her raven hair fell down her back with a little mixed color highlights at some parts. Unearthly beautiful cerulean eyes, full lips, unfairly fair skin, high cheekbones, and a delicate heart-shaped face made her breathtakingly beautiful.
A jeweled crown adorned his forehead. And still, despite her elegant appearance, her cute features shone through, with a subtle, endearing quality that made her even more beautiful.
But her eyes were sad. She was looking as if she was being bullied, by none other than Irnis because she was looking scared of her.
"Madam Irnis... What path have you chosen this time?" A guardsman spoke from behind the other guardsman.
"Today we will be going to Lakshman-kshetra.... so just follow me, idiots. Change the mode of the ship to 'Walk' because I want it to stay close by."
"Yes ma'am."
They did as she instructed and followed Irnis in the way she was going. Princess wasn't looking up and was a bit distressed by something.
As they turned to a street, their unexpected visit shook every person nearby. Their guards seemed relaxed as if they were out for a morning walk. But the princess was kind of stiff and her demeanor gave off a sense of uneasiness, like she was being forced into this.
Some people who were far from them went to hide while those who came in front of them bowed down in fear, especially, since they were looking more afraid of Irnis.
It was kind of a marketplace so everyone closed their shops and stores when they passed by.
K's shop was there too but he didn't close his shop as he was engrossed in his game, enough to not notice what's going on nearby.
"Ah... shit. Another miss huh... Gotta use tactics next match." At this time, he won't even chase a thief who stole something from his shop right now.
Princess noticed his opened shop. The sky was like evening or early morning type so K had turned all of the lights on which was making something like a glass shine on her for a second. She looked at K playing games and Irnis noticed her.
"Where are you looking at? Don't you think you can go anywhere without my permission?" Irnis asked her while coming in front of her.
"N-no. I-I was just lookin-... Please keep going..." Princess suddenly turned her eyes.
"And what exactly are you looking at?"
"Nothing. Just keep walking."
"Shut up! Know your place! Do you think you can order me around? You can't stop me anyway so just do what I say."
Princess looked down. "Hm." Her voice went lower.
Irnis saw K's shop, opened and too bright. And when she saw K inside, ignoring her and playing games, she went towards him. Her gaze pierced through the shop window, fixing on K with an unsettling intensity.
"Irnis, I think we should-"
"Shut your mouth up. I have to teach this guy here. He dares to ignore me, so he needs to pay for that." Sure does sound illogical but her sadistic desires don't need a reason.
She didn't stop.
She went to him, with her eyes gleaming.
"Human, you seem to be ignoring our presence. I find that insulting." Her voice was like a cold breeze, cutting through the silence. It wasn't that loud but enough to intimidate someone.
Her words dripped with disdain, and she drew herself up, her energy field crackling with anticipation. "I challenge you to a Duel, human. Refuse, and I will make an example of you."
The Princess remained silent but watched with an unreadable expression.
"Hmm-hm, wait a minute." K completely ignored her. Pretty good for the flames burning inside Irnis.
She growled. "Look at me, human! You are asking for your death."
K's eyes finally lifted off the screen and met Irnis' blazing stares.
The intensity of her anger was too strong. The cracked floor was shaking because of the energy released by her armor's mechanics.
"YOU ARE IGNORING OUR PRESENCE! I FIND THAT... INSULTING!" The sound of her voice was like a crack of thunder and that shook him to attention.
He didn't lose his composure and took off his headphones and put his mobile in a desk.
"Who are you?" He knows that she is a Dramon and nothing will change even if he knows who she is... but probably he likes adding fuel to the fire.
"You do know what you are saying right? You are going to fight me, the Third Commander of the Armed Forces of Dramons. Accept or refuse. The consequences would not change much."
K's mind raced as he realized the gravity of his situation. He has unknowingly crossed a line he doesn't even know about and now, he is facing Irnis' anger.
"I accept," he said in the heat of the moment.
Irnis smiled.
"Very well, human," she said, her voice filled with sarcastic politeness, "let's see how long you can last against me."
Princess closed her eyes.
Some guardsmen grabbed him by his hands and lifted him off the ground to take him away to the Duel place.
When he was getting dragged away, he saw Princess' face. Her facial expressions were quite off and unhappy, her eyes were closed. He had heard about her but was seeing her face for the first time.
It caught K off guard.
The commotion around them grew. While some spectators tried to take advantage of the situation and escape, others rushed for something more important to do.
The guardsmen finally stopped at a place and Irnis pointed at the area.
"Here, you will face your fate, human."
It 'was' a park that had once been a vibrant green land. It now lay in ruins, because of the destructive power of the Dramons' offspring.
The ground was scarred and barren and resembled a badland more than a playground.
The way swings and borders were broken looked like it was done intentionally. The area gave off the vibe of danger, unwelcome, and creepiness, like warning the visitors to stay away.
But K was still unperturbed. He was ready to fight her without fear as if he didn't care.
He knew defeat was almost certain, but he refused to back down, his courage was unwavering, or probably instead of courage it was his stupidity.
And at the same time, Princess' eyes reflected deep sadness and helplessness as she watched this happening. Her heart was feeling worse every second. She wanted to save K's life, but she was bound by circumstances.
"Please, Irnis, have mercy," she whispered, a little sound in the silence, "This human's life shou-" She was silenced by Irnis's eyes.
She tried to persuade Irnis. Her desperate plea to Irnis to spare K's life trembled like a torn leaf in the wind.
"I don't think I allowed you to talk, did I?"
Princess backed off and looked at K. Her eyes pleaded for forgiveness as she was powerless to stop the events that were about to unfold.
*"Why is she looking at me with pity?"* K thought.
He understood that she was not in favor of this duel but he also knew that her sympathies weren't going to change anything.
He was alone in this fight, with no one to rely on but himself. In a Duel, there are only two things important: enemy and strength. He steeled his resolve for the fight in front of him.
Those guardsmen let go of his hands.
They both stood on the opposite side of the park.
Irnis' eyes were devoid of emotion, her gaze cold and calculating, like a predator looking up at its prey. She seemed to relish the situation, her expressions were showing her sadistic feelings.
*"I gotta do this quick. Well, anything I do is gonna end up as nothing so at least I would want to land a punch or something. That would look great for a human."* K thought in his mind while looking at Irnis.
Irnis, on the other hand, looked pretty calm and also bored in front of him. Her confidence was more than her strength.
K clenched his fists and thumped the ground hard, launching himself forward towards Irnis. His right arm cocked back, fist tight and then he unleashed his full-force punch. But *"I missed?"*
Irnis was too fast for him to even touch. He didn't stop and continuously tried to hit her but to Irnis it looked like a baby trying to fight an adult.
"Trying hard, aren't you?" She almost looked like she disappeared and went to his back. K felt her behind and turned her and even his fist touched her this time.
"Nice effort, but..."
But it was too weak and she punched him in the gut which sent him flying.
"You're too weak to hurt me."
K's bold charge was met with a swift response.
The impact was too immense, and his body crumpled under the blow. His vision blurred as he struggled to breathe. The world around him went hazy, his senses blurring as burning heat gripped his body.
That punch knocked the air out of K's lungs like a hammer. His chest burned and his diaphragm convulsed. His mouth breathed too wildly, desperate for oxygen. Time slowed down for him. His torso sagged like a released spring.
His eyes went red, and his body crumbled. He lost his grip on his body.