After the introductions, a faint hum signaled the scanning process. A blue light flickered briefly before the I.D. card and ring emerged, each gleaming with freshly imprinted details, marking the process complete.
Kilian retrieved both the I.D. and the ring, tossing the latter to Su-nae. She caught it swiftly, immediately inspecting the ring with a focused, calculating gaze.
"It hasn't changed a bit. Despite Chiharu's clumsiness, he always takes care of his things. If Haru and the others hadn't gone to the forest, you would've been in serious trouble for forgetting your ring. which i have no problem with"
After inspecting the ring, she opened its storage compartment and reached inside. With a determined effort, she pulled out the enormous beast that Kilian had hunted earlier, its massive form nearly filling the space around her.
The creature was the size of a two-story house.
Su-nae's expression shifted once more, this time deepening into irritation. She then sighed just accepting his mistake.
"It's good enough, I guess." Su-nae then threw the ring back to Haruo.
***
Kilian then led them to the castle, the imposing structure rising majestically against the sky. As they approached, the heavy wooden doors swung open, revealing a grand entrance hall adorned with intricate tapestries and flickering candlelight.
After arriving, Kilian took a moment to assess the group before assigning them to their respective rooms.
With a firm but friendly tone, he guided each person through the castle's winding corridors, explaining the features of the rooms along the way. He pointed out the cozy sitting areas, large windows with stunning views, and the luxurious furnishings, ensuring everyone felt welcomed and comfortable in their new surroundings.
"Alright, you'll be living here temporarily. I'll assign you to a division later. For now, just relax and make yourselves at home,"
Kilian said before walking away, leaving them to absorb the news and settle into their surroundings.
"Temporarily?? And a what??" Haruo exclaimed, his confusion evident as he struggled to understand what Kilian meant by division.
He sighed and shut the door, feeling overwhelmed. Turning around, he was alarmed to see Taiyo in the corner, playing with knives he had found in the personal kitchen. The blades glinted as Taiyo tossed them in the air, and Haruo felt a surge of worry.
He quickly grabbed the knives from Taiyo's hands, his heart racing at the thought of what could go wrong.
"You shouldn't be playing with these!" he exclaimed, ensuring they were safely out of reach.
Worry flooded through him; the last thing they needed was an accident in the castle.
"Let's find something safer to do," he suggested, hoping to redirect his brother's attention.
***
Meanwhile, Ena explored the castle, wandering through its grand halls and discovering various rooms. Intrigued by the ornate decorations, she searched for ways to pass the time, her curiosity growing with each new chamber.
'My mansion didn't have any of this, despite being so large,' she thought to herself, a pang of longing surfacing.
'I'm used to lavish furnishings, but this feels different—just another royal privilege, I suppose. It hasn't been long since my manor burned down, yet here I am, surrounded by all these intricate details.'
As she walked through the halls, Ena suddenly spotted a training ground where a group of people were engaged in rigorous training. The sound of clashing swords and the shouts of encouragement filled the air, drawing her attention as she paused to observe the display of skill and camaraderie.
***
Back with Haruo and Taiyo, they played chess with extra pieces Taiyo had crafted from bits of wood and stone. One of the unique pieces was the archer, which moved like a bishop but could travel to both white and black squares.
Haruo focused on his next move while Taiyo grinned, hovering over an elaborate knight. Their playful banter filled the room, easing the earlier tension.
"I'm going to attack with the archer!" Haruo said, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. With a swift move, he positioned the piece, checkmating Taiyo and sealing his victory.
"Checkmate! Looks like I win," Haruo laughed, his voice full of triumph. Taiyo, on the other hand, pouted quietly, a few exaggerated sobs escaping him as he processed his defeat.
"Okay, how about we end it for today? Want ice cream?" Haruo suggested, watching as Taiyo's expression lit up. The pout vanished, replaced by a bright smile, and the earlier sobs were forgotten as excitement took over.
***
After buying ice cream, the scene shifted to Ena, effortlessly fighting the kingdom's knights. She dodged their strikes with ease, countering with swift, precise blows, leaving her opponents defeated one by one.
'For some reason, I'm getting déjà vu watching this. Meh, maybe it's just me.'
Haruo thought as he continued to watch Ena take down the knights one by one.
The vice-captain stepped forward, his expression intrigued as he watched Ena's skillful display. With a calm but deliberate motion, he unsheathed his sword, the metal glinting in the light, and pointed it at her. The challenge was clear, and the tension in the air thickened as he prepared to face her.
"It's rare to see talent within these walls, especially in a woman like you," the knight said with a provoking smile, his tone dripping with condescension as he kept his sword aimed at her. His arrogance only fueled Ena's determination as she prepared to respond.
Ena then looked at the vice-captain with a vein visible from her face Ena's gaze shifted to the vice-captain, a vein visibly pulsing on her forehead as she glared at him, clearly irritated by his remark.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ena said mockingly, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she stared defiantly at the vice-captain.
The vice-captain then charged at her, but with swift precision, she dodged his attack effortlessly. Seizing the opportunity, she delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen. To her surprise, he quickly regained his composure and swung his sword at her, forcing her to react swiftly once again.
Both blades clashed, sending sparks flying with each swing. The vice-captain delivered a heavy strike, but Ena expertly blocked it. In a quick maneuver, she let go of her sword and swayed to the side, delivering a swift kick to his solar plexus.
The kick stunned the vice-captain, momentarily leaving him off balance. Not stopping there, Ena quickly grabbed his hair and drove her knee into his face, blood spilling from his nose and sending him reeling. The blow caused him to stagger, leaving him with a temporary concussion as he struggled to regain his bearings.
But once again, the vice-captain regained his composure quickly and launched an uppercut at Ena. Reacting swiftly, she tilted her head upward just in time to lessen the impact, mitigating the damage as his fist grazed her jaw.
Ena quickly stepped back to retrieve her sword and swung it at him, making it appear as if she was launching a straightforward attack. The vice-captain prepared to block, but to his surprise, it was a feint.
Instead, Ena aimed for an uppercut with the handle of the sword, catching him off guard and delivering a powerful blow to his chin.
"You're good, I'll give you that," he said, wiping blood from his mouth. "But that's barely enough to take me down." With a fierce determination, he began to channel his energy, activating his sword Qi.
The air crackled around him as he prepared for a more intense confrontation, the power radiating from his blade.
"A grandmaster!?" Ena exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. Quickly, she shifted her stance, bracing herself for the impending attack as she prepared to counter his enhanced abilities.
The atmosphere grew tense, and she focused intently, ready to respond to whatever he might unleash.
He swiftly charged at her with incredible speed, matching Haruo's agility. In the nick of time, Ena parried his weapon out of his hand, but her sword also flew away in the process.
As the vice-captain prepared to deliver a straight punch, she reacted instinctively, leaping into the air and stepping on his head to gain the advantage.
Both fighters found themselves on opposite sides, breathing heavily as they prepared for the next move.
In a quick motion, both the vice-captain and Ena reached for wooden swords, clashing them together with a sharp crack.
He then shifted his weight onto his sword, using the momentum to leap over Ena and launch an attack from above, aiming to catch her off guard.
Ena blocked the incoming attack, and a huge pulse of energy radiated from the clash. Taiyo cheered joyfully from the sidelines, his excitement evident as he watched the intense duel unfold.
Haruo, meanwhile, remained focused, keenly observing Ena's movements and trying to anticipate her next attack against the vice-captain.
Ena gritted her teeth, holding firm against the force, both she and the vice-captain appearing uneasy under the pressure.
With a sudden burst of determination, she channeled half her energy to the side, springing over the vice-captain to execute a counter-attack.
He was taken aback by her quick maneuver, but quickly rotated his body to face her, leading to another clash of their weapons.
Despite his efforts, he managed to knock her out of the ring, sending her stumbling back.
Ena executed the kick by using the recoil from their weapons to shift her weight upward.
In one swift motion, she launched herself into a backflip, extending her leg to deliver a powerful kick to the vice-captain's chin. This dynamic move caught him off guard, demonstrating her agility and strength.
But despite the force of her kick, the vice-captain remained standing. Both fighters quickly regained their footing, circling each other as they waited for the other to make the first move, the tension between them palpable.
'She has great agility, probably even better than mine. Throughout the fight, she's been using the force of her opponent's attacks as momentum to create counterattacks,' Haruo thought to himself as he watched the fight unfold.
'To pull off moves like that, you need superior reaction speed compared to your opponent, along with excellent body coordination, precise timing, and great agility.'
'Those elements are crucial for a fighter to perform at that level. While her technique isn't flawless, it's still quite impressive,' Haruo thought as he closely watched the match unfold.
In a swift motion, the captain hurled a rock at Ena, but she easily dodged it. Anticipating his next move to be in front of her, she was caught off guard when he appeared right beside her, exploiting the direction she had dodged. This left a massive opening for him to strike.
He then delivered a clean strike that knocked her off balance. Before she could regain her footing, he followed up with a powerful kick to her abdomen. With a loud gasp, she stumbled back, struggling to steady herself.
"Shit!" Ena exclaimed as she quickly stood up, throwing her sword at him. He dodged the attack, but to his surprise, she suddenly appeared behind him, as if she had vanished and reappeared in an instant.
Before he could react or block, she stomped the ground with force, creating a momentary unbalance for the vice-captain.
In a flash, Ena delivered a clean strike to his leg, shoulder, and temple. The vice-captain stumbled to the ground, a wooden sword resting against his chin, signaling that Ena had emerged victorious.
'I see, she took inspiration from earlier.'
'When the vice-captain threw a rock at her, it created a momentary blind spot in the direction she dodged.'
'The difference between her approach and the vice-captain's is that while he moved straight to the side, she wrapped around with impressive speed, making it impossible for him to track her movements.'
'That level of strategy is really impressive,' Haruo thought to himself, admiring her clever tactics in the fight.
"What a momentum spammer," Haruo said before finally walking away