It's difficult to sustain any emotion over a long period of time.
Even if you lose something precious to you, you won't be as sad about it in ten years. Emotions fade by nature.
Positive ones are no different. It's impossible to make a single moment of joy or happiness last for a decade, either. Even anger diminishes with time.
And thus, I have a theory l'd like to propose.
Most interpersonal problems will solve themselves given enough time, which means it's fine to ignore them.
"Do you know what I was thinking as I waited for you outside your dorm?"
"Nope."
I answer the intruder's — Claire's — question honestly in my room.
It seems one day wasn't enough.
I guess my sister needed longer to cool off.
"I visualized beating you to a pulp. In my mind, I could see myself hitting you over and over and over and over. But my anger still doubled every second you kept me waiting."
"I see."
Discovering there's a type of anger that grows with time has been a valuable learning experience for me. But people eventually die.
Even though my sister is furious, she won't be able to sustain those feelings to the grave. In other words, time is still the ultimate solution.
"But you probably don't even care."
"What? No. That's not true."
I gaze up at the ceiling of my dorm room as my sister sits atop my chest and strangles me.
Her red eyes and black hair flicker in and out of my vision.
"Wanna test to see how long someone can survive without air?"
"When you strangle someone, they pass out because you're cutting off the blood flow through their carotid artery. Air doesn't have anything to do with it."
"Oh, I see. Well, whatever."
Her grip tightens.
Actually, this is great. I can just go limp and take a nap.
"You're thinking of going limp and taking a nap, aren't you?"
"O-of course not."
"It's written all over your face."
"I'm sure you're just imagining things."
"The next time you break a promise to me, I'll make you pay. Understood?"
"I will do my best to become a man who upholds his promises. Now, would you mind getting off?"
Claire removes her hands from my neck, but she's still sitting astride me.
"They say you're supposed to sit on your dogs when you're teaching them who's boss."
"Oh, I see. Don't worry. I'm well aware of the pecking order here."
"Nope. I don't like your attitude."
With that, Claire drops a piece of paper on my face.
"What is this…?"
I look at it and discover it's a ticket.
"A reserved seat for the Bushin Festival. You can't get your hands on them anywhere."
"Huh."
"I'm giving it to you so you can go watch the fights and learn something. I think there's hope for you."
"I dunno..."
"I see promise in you, and that's why l'm going to help you practice. If you put in the work, you're sure to see something come out of it. And I'm ordering you to put in the work."
"No. I can't."
"You can. Are we clear? And you're coming and watching the festival."
"Okay, okay."
"Excellent." Claire stands up, still looking a little displeased.
"Oh, right. You aren't participating this year, right?"
"Excuse me?" Claire glares at me with murder in her eyes. "I'm entering as Princess Rose's replacement as the academy representative.
Don't tell me you didn't know that your own sister was participating."
"O-of course I knew. I-I was just double-check-Urk!"
Claire reaches out with her right hand and grabs my neck in a claw grip.
Then, she leans in and glares at me. You know, that thing delinquents do when they're trying to intimidate someone.
"By the way, you remember my birthday, right?"
"O-of course."
"I would hope so. And you've memorized all my tournament results?"
"O-of course."
"And the day I won my first tournament?"
"Y-yeah."
"Good. There are some things you should really make sure not to forget. Things you'll want to remember...if you want to live a long and happy life."
I bob my head up and down.
Claire gives my head a good rap, then releases me.
"I'm going to take the trophy this year, so you'd better make sure you're there."
"Yeah, absolutely."
As she leaves my room, she continues glaring at me until she rounds the corner.
"Man, I'm tired."
The primary rounds finally start tomorrow.
"Guess I should get some visualization exercises in."
With that, I close my eyes.
<<•>>
It's the start of a new week, and the Bushin Festival primaries are here.
Apparently, Claire went to the venue ahead of me. I hold the ticket I got from her and search for my seat.
The ticket in question is covered in extravagant gold leaf, so it definitely has that "reserved seat" feel to it. After following the directions on its back, I find myself in front of a room guarded by an ostentatious door. For some odd reason, it's segregated from the general spectator area.
This can't possibly be it, I think. After checking with the staff member standing by the door, though, I find that it can.
They lead me inside with utmost politeness, and the moment I enter the room, l immediately want to leave.
These aren't just reserved seats. These are the hyper-VIP.
Everywhere I look, I see the faces of famous aristocrats and their families. The who's who of the academy is all here, as are the daughter of the current leader of the dark knights, who was in section one of Royal Bushin with me, and the hot second son of a duke. Everyone here is notable in some way.
When I get to my seat, I find myself sitting next to royalty.
"Oh, and who might you be?"
It's a woman with fiery red hair and eyes: Alexia's older sister, Princess Iris Midgar.
"My name is Cid Kagenou. It would appear I'm sitting in the wrong seat. Please excuse me."
I perform a beautiful spin and try to retreat.
"Oh, Claire's younger brother. I guess that must mean you're the one she gave the ticket to."
"...You know my sister?"
My escape attempt ends in failure. If a member of the royal family starts talking to me, it's not like I can just ignore her. Alexia being the exception, of course.
"I do. We became close during my sister's kidnapping. I'm planning on having her join my Crimson Order after she graduates. Do have a seat."
"Oh, I couldn't..."
"You have the number correct. Please make yourself comfortable."
"…Thank you."
Princess Iris's sincere smile pains me. If only her smile had been as full of malice as Alexia's, I could have just flipped her off and bailed.
"Claire has told me so much about you. I'm a little jealous of the bond you two share."
"I think you might be overstating our relationship."
"Oh, that reminds me. You were friends with Alexia, weren't you?"
"Friends is...one way to put it. It's more like I pick up the gold coins she chucks on the ground."
"The coins she chucks on the ground?" Iris repeats.
"You know, like when you toss a stick and get your dog to fetch it."
"Oh, so the two of you played with a dog together? Thank you for taking such good care of her."
"We didn't play with a dog. I was the... You know what, never mind. Actually, those gold coins came from the royal coffers, so I should be the one thanking you for taking such good care of me."
Upon hearing that, Princess Iris beams happily.
"It sounds like you and my sister are like two peas in a pod."
"Yeah, no, that's definitely not how l'd put it."
"You know, Alexia was supposed to be here today, but she suddenly said she didn't want to come at the last minute..."
"Ha-ha. Is that so?"
"I'm really sorry about that."
"Oh, no, no, no. Please, don't worry about it. I mean it."
I make ample use of the free beverage service as we talk.
The daughter of the dark knights' leader joins our conversation. "Princess Iris, which contestant do you have your eyes on this year?"
The duke's hot second son pipes up. "I'm interested in your thoughts, too."
Apparently, the two of them know Iris through Royal Bushin.
"Well, they all look quite strong, but if I had to pick one" — Iris touches her cheek as she thinks — "it would be Annerose, the former member of Velgalta's Seven Blades. I recognize many of the other faces from past Bushin Festivals, but this is her first year competing. When I watched her preliminary matches, I could tell she was strong. I'm looking forward to facing her in the second round if we both make it that far…"
She smiles, full of confidence.
"I watched her fights, too, and man, is she strong. If we fought right now, I doubt I could beat her…"
"Yeah, me, too, but l'm sure Princess Iris can take her. The Royal Bushin method has been getting a bad rap ever since the terrorist attack. If Princess Iris wins here, though..."
"Hey, don't go putting that pressure on her."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
As the two of them start arguing, Iris cuts in.
"It's fine. I was planning on winning from the outset, after all. I'm prepared to carry the weight of the Royal Bushin method, as well as this very country, on my back."
I feel bad for interrupting when things are getting so intense, but I wanna be part of this conversation, too. "Um, is there anyone else who's piqued your interest…?"
I probably come across as socially awkward right now.
"Wait, who are you again?"
"He looks familiar... Oh, right, you're that guy who used to be in section one."
"Ah, now I remember. You were Princess Alexia's..."
Iris interjects. "He's Cid Kagenou, Claire's younger brother."
The other two nod, seemingly satisfied with that.
"Unlike Claire, you're the one without any talent, right? Make sure you keep up your training."
"Your sword work was pretty uninspired, but there's no point comparing yourself to others. Slow and steady wins the race, after all."
"Thanks for those words of wisdom. So, Princess Iris, anyone else you found interesting?"
"Hmm..."
"L-like, uh, y'know, that Mundane guy that Annerose is fighting in the first round, for example. This, uh, this is his first time participating, too."
I bring up Mundane in the smoothest manner imaginable so I can gauge their reactions.
Iris's is noncommittal. "Mundane... I haven't seen any of his matches yet, so l really can't say."
Great. That means that Princess Iris doesn't know much about him yet.
"Oh, I saw him fight. He was fast but not much else. And his stance was amateurish, so it feels like most of his wins were just dumb luck. Annerose will beat him."
"I saw him, too, but... He really doesn't seem like the primary-round type. He's got guts but no talent."
The other two have written him off as a scrub, it seems.
Everything's going pretty much according to plan. I've been able to control Mundane's public perception just the way I wanted.
All the groundwork has been laid.
Now, the fun starts...
"There is one other person I'm interested in, though she's not a contestant."
I said my bit, so I'm already satisfied, but Iris pipes up again.
"Apparently, the winner of the first Bushin Festival, the elf swordmaster hailed as the War Goddess, is here in the capital."
"An elf swordmaster... You don't mean...?!"
"She hasn't made a public appearance in over a decade!"
Uh...
"I would be surprised to find a single person fighting on that main stage today who doesn't have what Beatrix the War Goddess is doing on their radar."
Who?
Whoever this chick is, she certainly wasn't on my radar.
<<•>>
It's almost time for my fight, so I say I have to go to the bathroom and hurry on over to the players' waiting room. Looks like Claire won her first round, and she has a chance of making it pretty far.
As I walk down the corridor, I pass alongside someone wearing a gray robe coming the other way.
Suddenly, I stop.
A moment later, they stop, too.
We turn around in unison.
Vibrant blue eyes peek out from beneath the robe and stare straight at me.
"You smell like elf."
The voice is feminine and husky.
Her faded gray robe is worn and frayed.
I stay, waiting for her to continue.
"Do you have any elf friends?"
Her blue eyes peer into mine as though searching for something.
"A couple, yeah." I don't see any reason to lie, so I tell her the truth.
"There's an elf I'm looking for."
"Okay."
"She's cute."
"Cool."
"Do you have any idea where she is?"
"That's not a lot to go off of."
"She should look just like me."
"Uh-huh."
"She's my late sister's daughter."
"Huh."
"Do you know of any elves who look like me?"
"Um..."
"Do you know of any?"
"Your robe is covering your face..."
"Ah, right."
She removes her robe, laying her face bare.
I offer no reaction.
It's an intentional act on my part.
After all, she looks a lot like Alpha.
"Not ringing any bells. Sorry."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
I'll have to ask Alpha about this next time I see her. They aren't 100 percent identical, but they look similar enough that I wouldn't be surprised if they were related.
"I see." She shrugs dejectedly. Then, in one fluid motion, she draws her sword.
There's no bloodlust or wasted motions behind her swing, only certain death.
As I watch her out of the corner of my vision, I accept what's happening.
I get it. She's gonna stop right before she hits me.
And sure enough, her blade stops right as it touches my neck.
All it does is touch it, though. She doesn't cut so much as a single layer of my skin.
Her timing is exquisite.
"Whoa?!" Pretending to go weak in the knees, I collapse to the ground.
I think that was believable.
"Hmm?"
She tilts her head to the side and draws back her sword.
"I was mistaken. Sorry." She gives me a neat bow. "I'd thought you were stronger. What's your name?"
She offers me her hand as she speaks.
"C-Cid Kagenou...," I reply, making my voice tremble as I take her hand and rise to my feet.
"I'm Beatrix."
Beatrix doesn't let go of my hand.
"Um...?"
"This is a good hand. I'm sure you'll grow stronger."
With that, she flashes me a pretty smile. It resembles Alpha's.
"I'm sorry for startling you."
After apologizing one last time, she turns her back on me and leaves.
I watch her recede, then mutter "...I bet she's pretty strong" to myself before turning around to leave.
<<•>>
Iris sits in her reserved seat and waits for the match to start.
She can see the entire stadium from the reserved seating area, and it has a private staircase that leads directly to the arena.
The two dark knights are already being called to the ring.
One is the woman with pale-blue hair whom Iris has set her sights on, Annerose.
The other is a black-haired man named Mundane Mann. It's the first time she's laid eyes on him.
Iris's gaze sharpens when she sees the two of them.
A man sits down next to her. "It looks like it's about to start." He's sitting in Cid's seat.
"I'm sorry, but that seat is..."
"Hmm?"
Iris looks up at his face and goes silent. She whispers a silent apology to Cid.
"Perv..."
"I trust you're keeping well, Princess Iris?"
Perv grins gracefully, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. "It's like a dream, watching a match with you."
"What a flirt. Don't you have a fiancée?"
"She seems to have flown the coop, unfortunately. Don't worry, though. Just a little lovers' spat." Perv lets out a light laugh.
His looks are handsome for a man around thirty, but something about his smile rubs Iris the wrong way.
"Is King Oriana in good health?"
Perv answers Iris's question without missing a beat. "I'm afraid he wasn't able to make it today. He told me he's confident he'll be able to come tomorrow, though."
"King Midgar plans to start showing up tomorrow, as well."
"What a coincidence."
Iris tries to scope out what lies behind Perv's unsmiling eyes, but she can't get a read on him.
"Is that the Annerose I've heard so much about?" asks Perv as he gazes down at the arena.
"The one and only."
"She's the talk of the town. I hear she left Velgalta and is currently in the middle of her journey of training, but l'd love to be able to invite her back to my country."
"I agree. I'd love to invite a swordswoman of her caliber to stay here in Midgar."
"Ha-ha. Midgar has plenty of talented dark knights already. Unlike Oriana..."
"That's what our alliance is for."
"It pains me that we're so reliant on you, though."
"Is that so…?"
Talking to him is exhausting. Iris sighs internally.
It feels like she's trying to have a conversation with a puppet.
"What about her opponent, Mundane?"
"This is my first time watching him fight. The rumors about him aren't flattering, though, and he doesn't look particularly strong."
"Then Annerose's victory is all but assured."
Iris's tone grows vague. "Not necessarily. Something about Mundane seems... uncanny."
"Uncanny?"
"There isn't any other way to put it. He certainly doesn't seem strong, but there's one trait of his that makes it impossible for me to see him as weak."
"...Oh? What might that be?"
"His absolute confidence. As far as I can tell...it's as though he feels certain he'll win."
"Hmm... Could it just be hubris?"
"I'm not sure. But there's no hesitation in his eyes. He sees...a path toward certain victory."
"He sees a path, eh? Can you see it, Princess Iris?"
"No. You?"
"Me? Oh, I'm useless with swords. Don't know my points from my hilts."
"Is that so?"
As Perv plays dumb, Iris snatches a glance at his well-trained sword arm.
He laughs bitterly.
"I can't hide anything from you, can I? Swordplay is looked down upon in the Oriana Kingdom, so I hope you'll forgive me this little lie. To be frank with you, I'm decent with a blade."
"Decent, huh?"
"Just decent, yes."
Once again, Perv's smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"Now then..why don't you show us how much this 'absolute confidence' of yours is worth?"
They look down at the arena.
"Annerose versus Mundane Mann!!"
The two names are called out...
"Ready? Begin!!"
And so it does.
<<•>>
As soon as the match starts, Annerose immediately charges into Mundane's reach.
She's well aware of his true skills, and she knows the secret to his strength is his overwhelming speed.
He destroys his opponents by moving so fast that not even a former member of Velgalta's Seven Blades can track him. That's the way he fights, and that's what makes him strong.
She also knows, however, that in contrast to his speed, his technical skills are lacking.
In all his victories so far, he's basically never crossed blades with his opponent.
Why is that?
One reason is they simply couldn't keep up with him.
But Mundane's stance is practically that of an amateur. She finds it hard to imagine he's ever had any proper training.
What if the reason is that Mundane himself has avoided doing so?
What if he's afraid his clumsy sword work will be exposed?
In other words, maybe he's won all his fights without crossing blades to hide his own lack of proficiency.
If that's the case, then all she has to do to win is avoid being dazzled by his speed. That's the theory under which Annerose is operating.
The only thing that worries her...is those weights he took off.
If removing his shackles lets him move so fast that she can't even react...she could end up losing.
As the fight begins, Annerose makes sure to crush that tiny fear of hers.
She's fighting an enemy who wins with speed, so all she has to do is restrain his movements.
If she can do that, victory is hers.
"HAAAAAAH!!"
Having closed the gap in a mere instant, Annerose lets out a battle cry and slashes at Mundane.
There's no way he sees this coming.
Even so, he blocks the blow.
He's fast, all right.
It shouldn't have been possible for him to block the attack in time, but Mundane manages to pull it off.
Because he's blocking her attack, though, his legs are pinned in place...
...and those are what Annerose has been aiming for.
"Uragh!!"
While Mundane's legs are still immobile, Annerose strikes at him again.
He blocks this attack, too, but Annerose's tempestuous flurry leaves him no room to take advantage of his speed.
Annerose wears down Mundane's guard a third time, then a fourth, then a fifth, and eventually his stance breaks.
She's won!
Certain of her victory, Annerose launches a thrust at her opponent's chest.
It pierces him...or does it?
"Huh...?"
His skin offers her blade no resistance.
In fact, his entire body vanishes lazily from her sight.
"...That was my afterimage."
She can hear his voice coming from behind her.
A shiver runs across her shoulders.
Calm down. She carefully turns around.
She's trembling but commands her body not to let it show.
"You're even faster than I thought..."
Her voice is steady. At least, she thinks it is.
As she trains her sight on Mundane, she thinks.
What should I do?
His speed far surpasses what she can react to.
What can she do to overcome it?
Think of something.
Anything…!
Anything at all...!!
"What...?!"
Before she knows what's happened, Mundane is gone again.
Annerose's body responds faster than her mind.
Her ability to react to the subtle shift in the air isn't birthed from skill or experience but dumb luck.
Kschhhhh!! She feels a terrifying impact and finds herself launched backward.
She can feel her consciousness start to fade and her sword toppling out of her hand, but she frantically reels them back in and stands up.
"Rgh...!"
A pained wheeze escapes her mouth.
She can see Mundane in her periphery. He's holding his sword listlessly and standing stock-still.
His stance is nonexistent, and he's making no effort to chase her down.
However, Annerose doesn't see that as arrogance.
He's just simply that strong.
"I'll admit it: You're good."
Annerose steadies her ragged breath and steels herself.
Mundane is simply fast. Overwhelmingly so.
Annerose doesn't find that fact unfair. After all, speed is just another form of strength.
Besides, she still has a shot at winning. Her odds are slim, but they aren't zero yet.
If speed is all her opponent has...she just needs to catch him.
She needs to land a counter.
The moment Mundane attacks her will be her final shot at victory.
The problem is whether she'll be able to react in time.
Luck was the only thing that let her block the previous strike.
She doubts she can pull that off again.
She can't rely on chance to snatch this victory; she'll need talent.
If her reflexes aren't good enough, she'll fall back on experience.
And if that won't get her there, she'll rely on intuition.
She'll use any means she can get her hands on.
As long as she can land the timing... from there, all she'll need to cut him down are the skills she's spent her life building.
Silently, but with utmost concentration, Annerose waits for the crucial moment.
It comes.
There isn't a shred of warning.
Mundane's body vanishes, and the moment it does...a moment before it does, Annerose swings her sword.
Nobody is in its path yet.
But a second later, that changes.
She's won!
Mundane appears, and Annerose is certain she's got him.
Her blade is traveling on an intercept course with his body.
At that speed, dodging is impossible. She's sure of that.
"What…?"
She gazes at his movement, dumbfounded.
He stops.
It's as though he planned it ahead of time —right before he enters Annerose's reach, he halts.
Her sword grazes the tip of his nose as it swings through the empty air.
This is no coincidence.
It is the product of perfect spacing.
It is the product of terrifying foresight.
Annerose thought she'd been timing her counter to match his attack, but that wasn't what had happened. He had been timing his attack to match her counter.
"I see..."
It's then that she realizes something.
After that fleeting exchange, she's certain of it.
Mundane Mann...possesses superlative skill as well.
Her posture is broken, and his sword approaches her.
It's the slowest move he's performed that day.
But though slow...its technique is transcendent, almost to the point of art.
"Ah..."
It's beautiful.
It's also the last thing Annerose remembers seeing before she blacks out.
<<•>>
"He's incredible...," Perv hears Iris mumble from the seat beside him.
Down in the arena, Mundane has just taken down Annerose and starts to leave the stage.
Perv hides the unrest in his heart. "'Absolute confidence'... It seems your intuition was right on the mark, Princess Iris."
"I never imagined he'd be that good... I find it nigh impossible to believe a dark knight of his skill has gone unnoticed for this long."
"I concur. Mundane Mann... l'd never even heard his name."
"And I've never seen that technique, either. It was sharp yet beautiful beyond compare."
"It doesn't come from any established style, right?"
Perv has never seen a sword move so elegantly in his life. He doubts Iris has, either. Does this mean a practitioner of an underground style just made his first public appearance?
"Not that I know of, although there's no way to know for sure without asking him directly. The surprises never end, it seems."
Iris leans back in her seat, then lets out a sigh as though trying to relieve tension.
Nobody saw this result coming, so the reserved seating area is abuzz.
Everyone's attention has shifted from Annerose to Mundane, and the conversation is centered around his next opponent.
"Princess Iris, you're up against Mundane in the second round, right?"
Iris smiles. "I am."
"You sound confident."
"I do plan on winning."
"Oh...?"
"Mundane's sword work was fast, sharp, and of unparalleled beauty. Sadly, mine doesn't measure up to his in that regard. Looks, however, aren't what decide matches. If his fight just now is the best he can do, then he's still no match for me."
"I agree."
Perv nods, then adds a silent addendum. If that was Mundane's full strength, Iris can still win. A little skill isn't going to be enough to contain her magic.
But what if that wasn't his true strength?
Iris continues, "In all likelihood, he's hiding something. His posture, stance, and skills are all fake, yet he made it all this way."
"Knowing all that, you still think you can win?"
"I may not know what his secret is, but I plan on taking him down, secret and all. I have a competitive side, you see."
Iris beams as she stands. Her smile bleeds hostility.
"I see."
"Now, I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me. I have a match to get to."
Perv watches Iris leave, then sighs.
He investigated everyone who might pose a threat to the plan beforehand, but Mundane's name never came up.
If Mundane is going to interfere, he needs to be disposed of quickly, but... there is no need to rush. He can leave that decision until after Mundane's match against Iris.
Mundane Mann. A master of a beautiful, perfected style.
Perv can't understand how he went unnoticed.
There must be some reason.
Some reason Mundane needed to hide his strength.
Some reason he'd never taken the spotlight.
[+]
He could belong to a school lost to history but passed down from father to son. Or no, he could be from the Lawless City and just have faked his papers.
The Lawless City doesn't belong to any country-it's a hive of evil and greed.
The Cult has yet to worm its way into the inner circles of any of its three warring rulers.
If he comes from the Lawless City, that means Mundane must be a member of the Blood Queen's family. Given his strength, he has to at least be part of the leadership. Perv realizes he needs to run more background checks...
There's also a chance that Mundane is affiliated with the Shadow Garden. Mundane is a man, though, and the Shadow Garden should have no motive to do anything conspicuous at the Bushin Festival. All in all, it seems unlikely.
One way or another, though, Perv can sense something unfathomable about him.
He's probably a member of the underworld, just like Perv...
"What's his secret...?"
Perv's murmur is lost in the stadium's clamor.
<<•>>
"Mundane, wait!!"
Upon waking up, Annerose rushes down the corridor after him.
He turns around, and she stops in front of him.
"You trounced me back there. I was completely powerless." She looks up at him and smiles. "I left my homeland to become stronger, and I like to think l've done so. It seems I got a little conceited, too."
She holds out her hand.
Mundane looks down at it, then slowly extends his.
"I learned a lot today. Thank you," she says.
"This was the first time l've had to remove my shackles. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"…That makes me proud to hear." Annerose smiles again and exchanges a handshake.
"Mundane, who exactly are you? How did you become so strong?"
He smiles sadly, then averts his gaze. He seems to be looking far off into the distance.
"I threw away everything... I'm just a fool who pursued strength and strength alone..."
"Mundane..."
Seeing his lonesome expression, Annerose feels her chest tighten. He must have had a tragic past that left him no other choice.
"You know...if you want, would you be interested in joining the military in Velgalta?
I'm sure I could find a post worthy of you."
Mundane just shakes his head.
"...I can't walk a path that bright."
He turns away and begins walking.
"Wait! I'm leaving to continue my journey tomorrow! If you change your mind before then, come find me!"
Mundane doesn't stop.
Annerose watches him go, then turns around.
In this world, greatness is relative, and there's always someone stronger. To her, fighting Mundane and watching his sword work in action was an irreplaceable experience.
His swordplay was polished almost to the point of being an art. To Annerose, it looked as though he'd put everything into it.
She's certain he'll win. Before long, the world will know his name.
He'll climb to the height of heights.
Right now, all she can do is watch him rise, but she's determined to become stronger.
Mundane has shown her the path she needs to take.
Once she becomes stronger, they will meet again.
Until that happens, she pledges to keep fighting.
<<•>>
Ahhhhh, that went well.
Prettttty darn well.
I was able to focus on making my performance as elegant as possible. There was a time in my training to become a mastermind when I pursued a fancy brand of swordplay. It was a little bit too graceful, so I don't use it these days as Shadow, but I'm glad the work I put in back then is finally paying off.
Thanks to Annerose, I'm able to check off about 70 percent of my goals for this Bushin Festival. All that's left is figuring out how I'm gonna drop out. There are a bunch of choices, though, so l'm at an impasse.
The simplest route would be to just win the whole thing, but looking at the tournament holistically, this next match against Iris is the best place to stage the climax. One option is defeating Iris and then just vanishing. That one has a badass feel to it.
It's the scene where the mastermind defeats someone widely acknowledged as strong, then disappears, leaving them with a simple My work here is done...
I'm digging it.
Also, if I defeat Iris and vanish, my sister has a decent shot of winning the whole tournament.
But a scenario where I go evil is pretty appealing, too.
Halfway through my match with Iris, I can go, I'm an assassin from the Assassins Guild... and now your life is mine! and start ignoring the rules to go all out. That scenario gets bonus points for giving me an elegant reason to exit stage right.
Still, winning the whole thing really would give me the biggest sense of accomplishment.
There are plenty of other exciting options to pick from, too. I need to give this some good, hard thought.
As my various choices fill my mind, I make my way back to the deluxe suite.
When I get there, I find some guy I don't know sitting in my seat, so I decide to bail.
Claire's match is over already, so whatever.
After heading back to the dorm, I start running through scenarios.