A/N: 10k Words
***
Kawalerielki, it was a city that rivaled Lungmen in its commerce. The amount of people hustling around and moving to their place of work were in vast amounts, perhaps even more than Lungmen when it was in the early morning of the weekdays. The buildings around kept playing advertisements for products Megumi couldn't care less about, but the brief flashes to the 23rd Kazimierz Major continued to catch his interest. A single advertisement was playing on the largest one, making the black-haired man stop in his steps to gaze at it. The other people didn't share the same sentiment, perhaps they had already seen it a million times.
"Hello! Hello! Citizens of Kazimierz, young and old, the meek and the bold, this is your commentator for today, Greatmouth Mob!"
That voice... it really was annoying, no wonder Kuranta man was named that. The "title" seemed more like a backhanded compliment, but who knows, maybe the people of Kazimierz really adored the commentator.
"For our next match in the preliminaries before we reach the actual Major, we have the Knight dressed in dashing crimson, as red as the blood coursing through our very bodies! The sponsored Knight, dubbed as the Blazingaxe Knight, will face off against the Whitemaple Knight, hailing from the ivory—"
Megumi continued to make his way through the street, letting the commentary of the advertisement continue to enter his ear haphazardly. 'Fame... is that what these tournaments are for?' Chivalry... the only basis of connection he could compare it with was with Bushido. Even then, the Sorcerer couldn't call himself a professional in the concept or belief of Bushido in the first place, he only knew the bare basics. 'Is this... Chivalry?'
"—Just as the white sheen of the Whitemaple Knight's armor shines under the sun against the intensity of the Blazingaxe Knight's crimson splendor, I would like to inform you that you, yes, you! Can bear the same radiance as—"
'An advertisement mid-way through?' Megumi was nearly cut off from the white noise of the commentator when the subject had suddenly shifted. What was once a half-regard for what the man, "Greatmouth Mob," was speaking, was now turned into full blown attention for what he had started to ramble about now.
"—With the new product of the Horse Shampoo Corporation, even Kurantas with the scruffiest of fur can find them turned into shining locks of pure elegance—"
Goodness, he really was doing an advertisement midway through the match. Looking around, Megumi could see some of the people turn away from their phones and huff, before turning back to their devices. They continued to walk around the streets without much interest—but there still was a large majority of people paying attention to the advertisements. The Sorcerer, too, decided to pay attention to the announcements, just for some entertainment while he made his way through to the place where he needed to go.
He had handed some money to Laurentina to spend her time in Kawalerielki, since the black-haired man hadn't wished to burden her with his activities. The woman had places she wanted to visit, too, and he didn't want to keep her constrained to wherever he went. With some slight reluctance, the Aegir had decided to take his advice and explore some parts of the Nomadic City on her own.
"—Ahaha~ er, it seems some people in the audience have found my commentary to be quite the attention grabber, haha—!"
Megumi could practically hear the nervous laughter of the man. Thinking about the Major, he remembered a small facet of information he had learned, which was how four joint Nomadic Cities would come together during the time of the Kazimierz Major. The core city was the part that the three others would come to join up with, and where he stood right now... 'this is the core city, and the three others should join up after some time.'
"—Oh, Just look at that movement! The Blazingaxe Knight had sidestepped a crushing blow from the Whitemaple Knight, causing his enduring opponent to fall off balance for a split second, but the question is, will he be able to capitalize on—!"
Tourists, there were many tourists that Megumi could see. They ranged from Ursus people to Feline people mixed in with the large crowd of Kuranta. Multiple pictures were being flashed, and the black-haired man could also consider himself to be a tourist just as they were, even if he was here on more... official business. With such a large event happening in Kazimierz, the black-haired man shrugged to himself, 'should have expected that.'
"—Another sidestep?! Is the Blazingaxe Knight even trying? Just look at his straight posture, the domineering glare that seems to radiate off of his expressionless helmet! Unlike all other Knights, the Blazingaxe Knight has shown to be the most intimidating with his daunting flair for—!"
Sponsored Knight... the Blazingaxe Knight was an sponsored Knight, Megumi remembered that little facet of information about a minute ago. The Whitemaple Knight was a part of a Knightclub, something that he found to be an interesting facet of information. For an event such as the Kazimierz Major, it also provided an opportunity for companies to advertise their products and gain traction, along with these Knightclubs they could sponsor.
'Was that why Mob advertised a product? Because it was under the name of the... er, Whitemaple Knight?' No matter where he went, Megumi could see the same gigantic billboard playing the match. They were separated from each other at such distances where it didn't matter what location somebody was at, they would hear what was happening during the Major. 'It's... an interesting watch.'
Wanting to stall his visit toward where Ioleta Russel's place of residency was, he halted in the sidewalk, moving to stand under a vacant shop to watch the match happening. From his view, the Blazingaxe Knight was a contestant who held an axe, and was dressed in glowing crimson armor that looked to be made of bloodied ruby. However, Megumi could tell just from a glance that it was some painted alloy—the specifics were lost to him.
"—Would you look at that?! An upwards strike sends the Whitemaple Knight staggering while attempting to block it! But, wait—! Here comes the signature move of the Blazingaxe Knight that had won his previous match! The blood flowing from the ground is following his command like a soldier to their king, restraining the Whitemaple Knight! Goodness, the situation is looking more dire by the second...! Ah, and if you didn't know, perhaps the company known as BlueBull Energy Drinks would be able to—!"
It was at that moment, Greatmouth Mob went into another advertisement section, all the while the Whitemaple Knight and Blazingaxe Knight were clashing weapons. Megumi felt as if the brakes of a vehicle had been abruptly stepped on, making his eyebrows twitch, 'there's a time and place for everything, so why...?' Why the hell were they doing advertisements in the middle of the fight?
The Sorcerer decided to let the advertisement not register in his mind at all. Instead, his focus was focused like a razor sharp blade on the battle that was occurring in the arena. To be completely honest, 'they're really slow.' Megumi couldn't help but speak that piece of criticism in his mind. Perhaps he was far too used to seeing Jujutsu Sorcerers move at far greater speeds such as Zen'in Maki and Okkotsu Yuta—barring Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna—the two contestants didn't look too impressive.
"—Despite the imposing and colossal figure of the Minoan known as the Blazingaxe Knight, he's as swift as any Kuranta fast on their hooves. Man, I gotta say, even I am having a harder time keeping track of his movements as the time passes—!"
Megumi put his hands in his pockets and sighed. The match didn't seem to be any more interesting to him than watching Okkotsu Yuta steamroll the Kyoto Goodwill Event. Results were going to be about the same, he assumed, the Blazinaxe Knight was far above the Whitemaple Knight, such as how Okkotsu Yuta was far above every other Sorcerer during that time. Including himself, that much he would admit about the prodigal genius. After all, he was the one who could reach Gojo Satoru's level more solidly than himself.
"—Holy! Not even the Whitemaple Knight could have reacted to that swift grab to his face! Look at that brutality! Damn—!"
From the looks of it, the Whitemaple Knight had been grabbed by their face and was slammed into the arena floor.
"—He's down for the count! Is this going to be a count to ten white he lays sprawled on the ground after such a devastating blow?! Let's see what the referees have to say—!"
Megumi turned his gaze fully away from the screen. The results were already conclusive, the heavy blow that the Blazingaxe Knight had dealt would keep the other opponent knocked out. Still, it was commendable how the... Minoan, dressed in his blood-red armor, was able to hold back slamming the other opponent's face continuously. In a real battle, such an action would have been appropriate, but the Sorcerer was able to recognize that they were fighting in a more controlled environment than the battlefield.
"—Oh?! Amazing...! The Whitemaple Knight is actually conscious and standing his ground?! Who would have expected such a result! From the looks of it, a furious bout of red against white is about to occur once more, ready to shake the foundations of the arena once more! However, if you order the services of Mountain Builders Cor—"
'...Here we go again,' Megumi dryly noted in his mind, before shutting his eyes. There was no need to pay any attention to the advertisement, so he decided to go back on his route toward the estate and deliver the letter in his shadows. There wasn't much else to say about the match, other than it was going to be a long and dragged out one from the looks of it. That was to be expected, as none of the contestants were looking to kill each other after all. 'Has there been cases where a contestant killed another?' Now that was a curious thought.
The rest of the commentary had truly become white noise that he didn't register in the slightest. It was strange, how the monotonous view of people passing by had become one where they all stood still in unison, watching the match play out on the screen emitting an artificial blue light. The countless images flashing from their phones were no longer of any interest, and neither was the destination of where they needed to go in the first place. An amusing thought came to the Sorcerer watching them while passing by just as the wind would, that the employers or higher-ups of these people must be irritated at how late they would be to work. Well, that was merely an assumption, not every Kuranta that walked the streets in a well-dressed manner had an occupation.
His gaze turned to the side while his body continued to weave its way like a needle through fabric, crafting a beautiful cloth—or rather scene—of somebody who seemed to be untouchable and unstoppable in their advance. Instead of an unheeding mountain, he was a swift and undetectable figure in the large density of human beings gathered around. Look at them, not a phone in sight, just living the moment—with another larger screen than their phones. Some things just didn't change, from Earth and now to Terra, not that Fushiguro Megumi had any complaints though.
The Sorcerer much preferred being in a more modern city that he was familiar with than a more "traditional" country that hadn't changed its structure since centuries ago. Although the buildings of Leithanien were a sight to bear witness to for a modern otherworlder such as himself, they eventually started to become more alien to him the longer his gaze would linger on them. The constant normalcy of skyscrapers was always what brought him a feeling closer to home, and so did utilizing his Cursed Techniques, strangely enough.
More shops started to pass by him like a bullet train, and just like a bullet train, they merely became a blur in his memory—only their poppy and sometimes even soft colors becoming the only parts that he could recall. The products from what he could tell were merchandise of the many Knights participating in the Kazimierz Major, and he made the educated guess that the majority of them were of the recent winners. That way, most of the products being sold held the highest chances of being sold, as they were of people who held the most popularity from their winnings.
Clouds started to find their way above the sky, causing a large shadow to be cast over the skyscrapers of Kawalerielki. The already gray skyscrapers started to turn darker, while the neon lights flashing from the aforementioned billboards and screens continued to persist. The people around didn't care much for the change in scenery, and he was sure that they didn't even notice the change in the first place—with how everybody was far more invested in the match than before.
Suddenly, the chatters amongst everybody started to rise, combining together to reach a melodious peak, and they were chanting only one title. The Blazing Axe Knight. Together, they formed a chorus of symphonies Megumi had only seen back in the theaters of Leithanien, during the time where Arturia had played her cello for the crowd. Instead of an orderly mood having been formed from the chaotic mesh of multiple voices, it was far more disorganized in this boisterous scenery.
It was fitting. For a theater such as Leithanien's to be silent amongst the crowd as the performers upon their lit up stage to be playing their instruments. In contrast, the streets of Kazimierz held no such unspoken laws of respect toward the stage, as the Kazimierz Major was a far more grandiose event for them, telling tales of Competitive Knights vying for glory in their bloodsoaked arenas. A tale, which had been spoken ever since the idea of "Knight" had come around to Kazimierz's culture, leading to a large-scale event such as this to flourish amongst all others.
Fushiguro Megumi... did not share such a sentiment. Perhaps it was because he wasn't that connected to Kazimierz's culture, or because he didn't come from this world in the first place, and maybe because the scenes of battle being presented before him just wasn't suiting his satisfactory needs—there was no enjoyment to be felt from being in such a lively scene. The combat, as fast and splendorous it may be to the wider audience, still wasn't something that showed a true clash between twin epochs reigning for supremacy.
Compared to the Emperor's Blades he had stared down, and the Gesatzwachter that he had clashed against, the Competition Knights of Kazimierz didn't seem that... impressive. On a wider scale, they were only there for entertainment, nothing more, nothing less. If he had to make a comparison to Earth, then the Kazimierz Major was an Olympic Event where athletes would compete against each other—all in various states of peak human conditioning. However, that did not mean they compared at all to the elite troops of a country's military prowess, such as their famed Special Forces.
'So, it's not fair to make comparisons.' Megumi decided to let it be as it is, because the Kazimierz Major served the purpose that he theorized it was meant for, 'entertainment, money-making, and capitalism.' Glancing to the side once more of the various shops which held merchandise, the notion continued to ring clearer to him. 'What kind of Chivalry is this?' Despite being ignorant on the matter of Chivalry, he was aware enough to know that it wasn't meant for making money.
In the modern world, that didn't matter to corporations. That much... should have already been an obvious thing to him. Such as how the Samurais of Japan are sold as action figures and represented in games to attract people who were interested in the subject, the code of Bushido had also become a common marketing strategy in the Heisei Period of Japan. Of course, who wouldn't want to see the epic of a Samurai fighting against the struggles of honor and dishonor? It was a good marketing strategy. The only commendable praise he could give for them was that there were a few products that actually told a moral lesson in between all the ones simply attempting to wring money out of their consumers.
Most of them came in the form of fantasy books or video games, but Fushiguro Megumi hadn't dipped his foot into any of them. All he cared for was the pure and unadulterated factual presentation that could be found more commonly in history books, where non-fiction persisted over fiction. That, in his opinion, was much more worthwhile to look at, rather than having to put faith in a company and hope that it wasn't attempting to take his money. Even then, the appeal of such hobbies and activities never interested him in the first place, fantasy and video games just weren't his appeal.
Just as his gaze tore itself away from the multitude of merchandise lining the shelves, the black-haired man began his journey once more. Unfortunately, his path would find itself strayed when he just had to have the displeasure and unluckiness of bumping into somebody when he had escaped his thoughts. A small thump was felt on his chest, and because Cursed Energy Reinforcement wasn't something he could keep hold of 24/7—no Sorcerer could except for Gojo Satoru—Fushiguro Megumi had actually found himself overpowered by the shorter person he just made contact with.
The faint clacking of pure white armor could be heard, along with the fluttering of a white cloak which obscured his vision. Taking a brief moment to regain his balance by taking a step back, Megumi saw his black haori shift slightly forward, the long sleeves intertwining with the cloak of the other, just as they—she—was also recovering from the bump they had unknowingly made against each other. A faint pause where all noise deafened occurred as he and the other person finally recovered as quickly as they could, revealing their appearances to each other amongst the jubilant crowd.
Blonde hair, untainted by the neon lights of the city flashing amongst the many virtual screens was shown before him. The woman wore a hood over her head, with two large deer antlers peeking through holes at their top, and two Elafian ears just beneath the antlers. Her attire consisted mostly of white, with the outfit under her pale cloak being a black tight woman's dress tunic along with a black skirt draped over her snowy pants. Reaching up toward her knees were plated leggings, the shoes she wore being metallic high heels that didn't look too fit for combat. On a piece of fabric peeking out, the words "Kazimierz" can be seen. What caught most of his interest... was the sheer unnecessary amount of belts attached to her outfit, that nearly made him raise an eyebrow at the absurdity of it.
Seriously... it was as if she came from an anime.
His eyes turned elsewhere, to the face barely hidden behind the hood she had draped over her head. She was beautiful, just as any other woman he had met on Terra, making the black-haired man wonder if the standards of Terra were on a much higher average compared to Earth. Her sanctified eyes that lacked any other color other than the bleached snow turned toward him, and the Sorcerer could barely perceive a pupil in them. The woman's soft expression looked surprised, and perhaps even... terrified(?) for a brief moment as her eyes came upon him. To add insult to injury, the Elafian woman took a step back, making the black-haired man wonder if he should just go on his merry way.
"Sorry—"
"My apologies—"
They spoke at the same time.
***
Viviana Droste wasn't one to go out on her own whims, but today was nearing the peak of the Kazimierz major, an event her eyes had been kept on ever since she had arrived in this country. The many lessons instilled into her by Ioleta Russel, her adoptive mother had already painted a clear enough picture of what this country was like, leading to her upbringing as it was now. The Grand Knight's Territory should have been enough of an indicator even for a clueless man from a foreign land finding their way to this country.
Watching the battles occur in the confines of the arena was magical to some extent. The clashing of blades, even if they were in an environment such as an arena, showed off the many gifts of the Knights participating, from generous Sword Arts to voracious footwork that encompassed the entire arena to evade strikes and slashes. Overall, it was a magnificent place to present the many skills and beliefs of the participants, all under the single belief of a Knight's Chivalry... which, admittedly, Vivianna hadn't felt was the main focus, as time had passed and her views had become more broad.
Being a Competition Knight herself, an independent one to be more specific, the Elafian woman had found that many of her matches were filled with countless prose given by the commentator mixed in with the capitalistic advertisements of sponsorships. It was the same even when she hadn't participated as a knight in the Kazimierz Major's preliminaries, as the screens she watched the Knight's tournament on had also been previously filled with the presentation of products that she—plainly—couldn't care much about.
Pulling her hood down while making it through the crowded sidewalks of Kazimierz's streets, she was slightly grateful for the distraction that the large screens provided. Although she hadn't been as popular as the many other contestants, her rise in fame had been dictated by the few victories she had been able to accomplish back in the arena. It had led to the point where she had been scouted by a few K.G.C.C. spokesmen, suggesting that she joined a Knightclub sponsored by them. The same response was given in the form of; 'I'll think it over, thank you.'
Indeed, that was the best response she could give. If she were being completely true to herself, Viviana did not know what to make of their advances to have her join the Knightclubs. Of course, they provided countless benefits, such as maintenance of gear and training facilities that were maintained and repaired every day; along with people who researched potential opponents as if they possessed a PhD in such things, she just didn't feel as if they were... honest? Was that the right word? It was certainly not the brightest word she could provide with her vocabulary, but that was the most apt descriptor she could grant for them in a moment's time.
Eventually, the Elafian woman found her gaze turned toward the artificial screens discreetly, just as all the other citizens across the vast streets had been doing. The match happening before her eyes was just as she would have imagined two Knights to battle against one another. One of them she recognized more compared to the other one—the Blazingaxe Knight. The Minoan man who possessed a blood-red armor cleaving his way through the competitors who had thrown themselves his way, a brutal yet refined Knight who proved to be an effective product of Kazimierz's seasonal Major.
Some time later, he would become her opponent. That was the only future that awaited her if she were to succeed in her next matches, so it was a good idea to keep an eye out on how he fought. Dikaiopolis, that was the name of the Blazingaxe Knight who had been gaining a meteoric rise in fame recently. She watched his movements through the screen, the recording barely being able to keep up with his movements as the tank of a man dashed across the battlefield, manipulating blood in order for it to follow his bidding. The many applications made her compare it to her own Arts, with how flexible they were.
From traps to strikes to forged weapons, the blood Arts showed itself as a formidable ability to both use and go against. With the many forms it was able to take, Viviana wondered what other creative breakthroughs she should find with her Arts, as the sights bestowed before her made the many capabilities she held feel almost... lacking. There wasn't much more to think about the match other than to see how it ended, and she had already placed her bets upon the Blazingaxe Knight to come out victorious. He always did, amongst the blazing crimson blood which flooded the battlefield, brandishing his large curved sword which was as agile as his own movements.
A splendid display or artistry, even if the Minoan had gone on countless occasions to say that there was nothing artistic about his fighting style nor Arts—only to be dragged off stage or away from interviews from his manager—not many people knew why.
Viviana turned away from the screen, still hearing the echoing clashes of an axe once broken turned into a bloodied sword condensed from blood itself against the Whitemaple Knight's sword. There wasn't much else to look at, usually, when the Blazingaxe Knight equipped themselves with that famed weapon, they would come out the match victorious. That was the only constant with his Arts abilities, the swift K.O. of any opponent having the displeasure of facing that finely forged weapon amidst the heat of battle. Therefore, her gaze was lingering elsewhere.
A merchandise store. She remembered visiting one of them during the 22nd Kazimierz Major, with the sole purpose to buy plushies and keychains of a certain Radiant Knight that had once commandeered her own victory in spite of all the difficulties that befell her. The first match, the second match, the third match, and soon, she was straight out of the preliminaries with flying colors. It was then during the peak of the Kazimierz Major that was encroaching with her countless other victories, the Radiant Knight had swiftly and skillfully won against the final opponent in order to claim the trophy. A sight, which was accompanied by the cheers of many fans and tourists alike.
But alas, such stories were only in fairytales, weren't they? The news soon broke out as abruptly as a falling steel construction pipe. It produced a thunderous sound which silenced all the viewers of the Major, being plastered across all black and white newspapers and online news outlets, presenting only a single phrase needed to destroy her career and reputation;
'Margaret Nearl, the Radiant Knight—is Infected.'
It spread like wildfire, and was soon proven to be true. This left the Pegasus to be exiled from her hometown, off to who knows where. The fact left a bitter taste in Viviana's mouth, and brought up many other questions to herself. Why had she been exiled just for being Infected? What had she done wrong to deserve such a fate? Why did the aegis and pure representation of Chivalry have to take such a desolate fall? She didn't believe it at first, taking it to be a slanderous measure against Nearl to have the competition annihilated.
Oh how battering and miserable the nights were, staring at the articles which had spoken of the news that Margaret Nearl had indeed been expelled from Kazimierz entirely. That night, it felt as if all the marigolds had dimmed, along with the light of the sun never to bloom across the horizon ever again. Cold... how cold that night was, Viviana hoped and prayed for the best to come for Margaret Nearl, an unbefitting fate for Kazimierz's ever radiant hero which had presented the truest representation of knighthood amongst the masses plagued by modernity's poison.
Her gaze continued to scan through the windows, seeing the merchandise only comprising the Blazingaxe Knight and... herself on some of them. It was embarrassing to see herself in the form of a plushie in one of the shelves, but Viviana shook her head to rid the stupor that had overtaken her for a second. Their population density was only small varying amounts compared to the Blazingaxe Knight, something which she had surprisingly taken great relief to. Attention wasn't something she was used to or something she desired, a life of peace and quiet while writing poems was more enticing.
...However, Viviana also wished to become a Knight, just as her idol had. So, two clashing goals in nature, with only one she could choose wholly and to commit to. While she could still write the poems she desired, living in the limelight was also what came with the decision she had made. Balancing between the two lives shouldn't be too hard, as she had told herself many times, so the Independent Knight decided to take everything with a stride, and see what the future had in store for her.
Her steps continued to make way across the sidewalk. A few gazes had turned toward her, and she could hear their whispers across the loud chants of the citizens rooting for the Blazingaxe Knight. Lowering her hood lower, Viviana passed by a few more windows overlooking the inside of the merchandise shops—not finding what she wished to seek. She should have expected something like this, and briefly chided herself for getting her hopes too high. What was she even thinking? Of course all merchandise of Margaret Nearl would no longer be produced.
Taking in a small breath of air, she decided to check out two or three more shops before heading back home. Training was something that needed time to invest into, and frolicking around doing nothing wasn't a good option if she wished to win against her opponents in the Kazimierz Major. One more match, and she should be able to make it out of the preliminaries, a strange thought that she would have never humored on her first attempt into the Major, but it had come to fruition—somehow.
Well, that was a rather—
BUMP
"Ah—!" Viviana found herself bumping into somebody and being pushed back as a result. From the looks of it, the other person seemed to have also felt the force and were staggered themselves.
Taking a moment of her time to recover from the sudden intrusion to her senses and thoughts, the Elafian woman balanced herself on her right foot and stood upwards once more with a correct posture. Her white eyes turned upwards to see who she had just bumped into and apologized, an instinctual response honed from the lessons of respect she had learned on her road to learning Chivalry.
"My apologies—"
"Sorry—"
Viviana blinked in slight confusion while the black-haired man had spoken at the same exact time as her. It wasn't just the fact that they have spoken in tandem with each other, but his overall appearance was the most shocking factor when she had fully come to see what it was. It went as follows, a Higashinese man sporting black sea urchin-like hair with a golden ornamental wheel floating atop his head—acting like some kind of Sankta halo—which she assumed to be an Arts Unit.
He wore a black haori of Higashinese origin, and possessed no racial features. That was enough for her to delegate him as an Aegir in race, but there was still a possibility that his features were just simply really well hidden. Moving away from his attire, Viviana turned to look upwards at his face, registering the color of his eyes. They were of an unnatural crimson, bearing a small glint which possessed a piercing edge, analyzing everything with a surgical neutrality she had only seen from doctors who had checked up to see if she possessed any ailments or disease when she was just a child.
...There was also something so... so strange about him that—
—All preconceived notions were blown away immediately with a small gust that turned into a cycling tornado. When staring upwards at his face, the Independent Knight found herself at a lull, where her mind and body did not respond to her whims at all. The crimson emitting from his eyes was far more intense than the Blazingaxe Knight's armor and Blood Arts, to a terrifying degree. Instead of just mere blood that she was being presented with when gazing at the Blazingaxe Knight, this other man seemed to possess a valley of rotting corpses inside, each with their own history of bloodshed.
Then there were eyes, multiple eyes numbering in the thousands staring at her, all gaped widely, blood ceaselessly flowing from them like a waterfall.
Taking in a panic breath of air when inhaling, Viviana found her hand reaching for a blade sheathed by her right side. She didn't have her Arts Unit with her, but she could use the small unlit candle as a wand to substitute it, which was placed just by her weapon. Just before her hand could fully draw her weapon however, the other man reacted fast and swiftly grabbed her wrist. That brought her out of her stupor, the red world she had seen before vanishing completely.
"I-I, ah..." Viviana found her mouth opening and then closing, letting out a small sound of shock when the face of the other man was just by hers, giving her the strangest look she had ever been presented with. The raised eyebrow, the creasing of his lips that turned downward into a frown, and the overall displeasure that seemed to be illuminated under the bloodied orbs of his.
"...Are you okay?" The black-haired man narrowed his eyes in what she could only tell was annoyance, "listen, sorry for bumping into you... but drawing your sword isn't necessary." His voice turned into a whisper, as if not wanting to draw attention to them.
Viviana nodded slowly.
"Are you calm now?" He asked, as if he still hadn't trusted her with the hand she had upon her sheathed weapon.
"Yes... my apologies..." Viviana slowly let her hand release from her blade's handle, and much to her relief, the other man let go of her wrist. She watched him pull back with his brows still creased, before wiping the hand that had gripped her wrist with his other one. "I just hadn't expected—" her speech was immediately cut off with an abrupt announcement from the screens.
"—Take a good look folks! The Whitemaple Knight is out cold in the arena after having sustained a devastating blow from the Blazingaxe Knight! Let's give our contestant a round of applause before the judges decide the winner—which should be obvious enough!"
"...Huh," the black-haired man turned away from her, focusing on the big screen placed on the skyscrapers without much of an interested look. "Who would have known...?" It sounded more like a rhetorical question to himself.
Viviana had also turned to look at the screen, watching the red-armored man standing with one arm raised up, while his other one still held onto the trademarked curved Bloodblade. Multiple lights flashed before converging on his form, along with countless confetti being flashed into the arena. Accompanying all of the special effects was the high cheers of the crowd echoing in both the screen and the streets around her.
"He doesn't look too happy..."
The Elafian woman turned back to the black-haired man when hearing his words. Instead of an impressed look on his face or the same fervor she would have expected him to possess—like the crowd—he looked to be... bored? Unamused? What could have possessed him to hold such a facial expression during a time like this? It confused her, and the woman was once more brought back to the memory of that... indescribable place, where he stood amongst a towering structure made of nothing but corpses.
Pure evil, but... where had it all gone? Was it just an Illusory Arts? Viviana opened her mouth to clear her confusion, "uhm, excuse me, sir..." she watched as his head turned toward her, still expressing the same emotionless air he had before "...apologies once more about the unseemly action before, I haven't a clue what had overcome me." She watched the other man barely react to her, "but may I ask... were you expecting the Whitemaple Knight to win?"
"No, I wasn't," the black-haired man responded, turning back to the screen, "he was doomed to lose, because of the countless mistakes and blunders he made during the battle. The Whitemaple Knight is unskilled, bearing an overconfidence that would get him killed anytime on the battlefield. He hadn't even taken note of the traps and obvious strategic maneuvers pulled off—"
"—Unbelievable, can you still believe such an outcome, citizens of Kazimierz?! If you had doubts about him earlier, then I believe it is time to dispel those right here, and right now! The incomprehensible strength that can't be described in mere words, the towering figure of the Minoan man, the unending fervor to pursue his opponent around the arena and keep up with their stature, before even the judges have anything to say, I'm sure we all know that the victor! Is! The! BLAZINGAXE KNIGHT!"
"—So, it was obvious why the Whitemaple Knight was bound to lose. Somebody like him... I don't think sports fighting is an occupation fit out for him, and that should extend to the actual battlefield, too. Goodness forbid he is ever put on the battlefield," his words were critical, very critical. It was like a disappointed parent pointing out all the flaws of their child, providing ample constructive criticism, yet still demeaning them.
"That's... quite an assessment." Quite cruel, too, but that part had been omitted, as Viviana felt the other man hold an immense amount of displeasure at what he was seeing. "But not everything should be compared to the battlefield, isn't that right? Every subject has its applicative differences..." She also hadn't missed the way he called the Kazimierz Major as merely a "sports fighting." Despite how the words didn't sit well with her, she had already agreed to the man's words deep inside.
"Maybe you're right, but that doesn't matter much to me." He closed his eyes and let out a hefty sigh, moving his hand to pull back his hair and rub it. "I guess they were just more disappointing than I could have expected..." Despite his words becoming a low whisper, the Elafian woman could still hear it.
It just didn't sit right with her, the unfair judgement that he seemed to be casting on the match. If she had to compare, it was like he was admonishing the tradition of Kazimierz itself. Flawed, yes, but it didn't look like he had any comments toward the Major in how it could have improved its matches. "I don't wish to pry in your matters, sir, but are you a tourist?" She hoped her words still reached him despite the crowd erupting into cheers.
"A tourist? Not necessarily," he shook his head, before reaching into his black haori, and then pulled out a letter. "I'm here to deliver this letter to... Ioleta Russel, I was heading there just now, until I was caught up by the match occurring." His gaze turned to give a side eye toward the screen once more, and then it turned back toward her.
"I-Ioleta Russel?" Viviana's previous words were dispelled when she had heard the name mentioned, "the Grand Knight of Kazimierz? Is that who you were referring to?" The Elafian woman kept her tone polite, but there was still a tinge of disbelief in it.
"Yes, who else could it be?" The black-haired man raised an eyebrow, but not much emotion could be seen.
It wasn't much of a surprise to Viviana that her surrogate mother had letters delivered to her with how much of an important person she was in Kazimierz, but she wouldn't have expected a Higashinese man. But that just proved the world wasn't as simple as she had thought, with how many countries there were, it wasn't completely out of the blue that there were some political matters relating to Higashi. It was just that the distance between Kazimierz and Higashi were... quite far.
The Elafian woman spoke, "I know Ioleta Russel, personally." She watched the other man turn a curious gaze toward her, rather than the neutral one she had been getting used to, "please, let me lead you to her. After all, I don't believe my words are an apt enough apology for what my previous actions were about to entail..." Viviana berated herself once more for almost drawing a sword against what could have been a very important political figure—which might have also been where his critique of the fighters must have stemmed from. A soldier turned into a diplomat wasn't completely unheard of, but the Arts Unit floating above his head, emitting a divine presence, already completed the image in her head. Even if he wasn't somebody important, just the fact that she had been so ready to draw her blade didn't sit well with the woman.
"Oh... I understand," the black-haired man looked surprised for a moment, "I wouldn't mind." His shoulders lifted upwards in a shrug.
"I didn't quite receive your name, sir." Viviana said, "my name is Viviana Droste, pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Fushiguro Megumi," the black-haired man, replied back without much of a hitch. "I don't think the letter should wait any longer," he waved the object he was holding in the air, "so let's get it over with."
Viviana nodded, still torn between the strange whiplash she felt from the young man before, and the guilt she felt from almost striking at him, "I'll lead the way, them, sir Fushiguro."
"Please, drop the formalities."
"...Understood."
The two then began walking.
***
There was a tunnel amongst the debris of a torn down place, the many scattering dust being blown across the ground toward the sky, before falling back down once more and entering said tunnels. They entered it with a formless movement, finding their way across every inch of the lodging they had invaded, from the broken seats to the creaking tables, nothing was spared from their graceless touch. Such was the ultimate image: ghettos hidden beneath the bustling streets of Kawalerielki, the humiliation and shame of the Kazimierzian Nobles hidden for no prying eyes to see.
The area was filled with nothing but a blend of rotting wood and rusting metal that made up the many buildings lining the area. There was barely a hint of light that reached into the crevices leading to the underground pathway leading downwards, where the people stationed underneath could bear witness to. It had been the same sight for them everyday, rocks, sediments, dirt, soil, and occasionally, trash. The amount of litter, however, could sometimes even be called a blessing.
In such large amounts, the already used cardboard—no matter the stains on them—could be used as makeshift blankets or beds that they could sleep on. It wasn't much, but it was an honest enough work to provide comfort for themselves. That was the life that they were forced to live in, illegal immigrants of Kazimierz, and the Infected of Kazimierz. They weren't wanted in the city, so all they could do was hole up and hide in these cramped places like ants and bugs, hoping to see the light of the next day.
A child Kuranta looked upwards from her curled up position. There was a buzzing sound in the air, mixing in with the waft of garbage lost since past its disposal time. A hint of curiosity started to develop, before she started to exit her curled position, the small tatters of her clothes billowing from the small brush of air that came with her action. A crunching sound could be heard in the darkness illuminated by flickering lights, while the child continued to be heralded by the unnatural sound fizzling across the environment.
She had stood up, ready to explore what it was. A small venture, a small journey, just as they had been told in the Knightly stories she had heard from her parents.
A sound left her lips, one of wonder at where it could have come from, or what purpose it served. Taking a step while holding the wall to keep her balance, she then took another step with her other leg, attempting to get used to the feeling of blood flow after having slept in an uncomfortable position for such a long time. Her steps soon gained momentum, increasing in speed as her hand started sliding off the wall, releasing the Kuranta girl to go wherever she wanted, just as she would have been able to—when she grew up.
Her footsteps echoed across the place. The many other people sleeping by the walls and who were far too tired to look upwards shifted slightly, digging themselves closer in whatever makeshift bedding they had or covering their ears to let the incessant noise disappear. It continued to echo across, producing a reverberating sound which bounced across the metallic walls disgraced with brown splodges across its structure. They sometimes flaked off, blowing off into the wind in imperceptible dust, perhaps even being inhaled by anybody unlucky enough to walk in its path.
The Kuranta girl continued to feel her ears twitch at where the sound was. Her steps stopped eventually, before turning right, where she had heard it. There was a story of the "Last Knight of Kazmierz," where they had conquered everything that the land of Terra had to offer. Wherever trouble—such as evil—spoke or showed their gnarly teeth, the Last Knight would always brandish his legendary lance, striking them down with one fell swoop. Whatever this sound was, it would eventually make its way toward where the adults were, and disrupt their sleep!
Therefore, she must strike it down like how the Last Knight had done with his enemies! That was her thought process, as her pace continued to pick up. Her small body continued to make her way through the endless path of debris and trash, the stink not once impeding her path. Eventually, her steps came to a halt when the sound had reached its crescendo, becoming far clearer than she could have imagined it being. It was like a sonic fan blowing in the wind, that was what the sound reminded her of. The many instruments that would be found in the trash, and the technology which stilled work, was astonishing—as said by her parents before. But that was the best comparison she could make the sound to.
Eventually, her gaze turned upwards while slowly making her way through the scenery, across the mountainous trash heaps and littered rocks, she could see the object. It was floating in the air like an overgrown fly, but it definitely didn't match the same as an actual fly. The object was modern and simplistic in nature, the black material making it up looked to be smooth in texture. It was a drone, with four propellers keeping it upwards in the air, along with a red light emitting from its front, lighting up everything in its path.
The Kuranta girl placed her hands on some rocks that towered over her, before tippy-toeing in order to look over it, making her ears stick upwards while she finally grasped the full view of it from over the debris. A faint sound of a rock falling as causation of her previous action resounded, producing a low thump which had its sound enhanced in the echoing confines of the walls. The drone froze in place, only hovering in the air as it slowly turned around. She froze in place as it started to turn toward where she was, before lowering her head once more.
She glanced around, attempting to find any object that could be used to take it down. Eventually, she found a medium sized rock that just looked to barely fit in her grip, and when she grabbed it, the girl found that it did, indeed, fit in her grasp. Keeping her head down for the moment, the Kuranta could hear the drone buzz through the scenery, before finding that it was just hovering above her. Taking in an unhearable breath, she reeled her hand back, just before throwing the rock upwards at the drone and making a run for it.
CLACK
That was the only sound that was produced when the object she threw made contact. She didn't look back, not even once. In fact, a strange fretful sensation started to invade her nerves, almost resulting in her body locking up and tripping over itself. Thankfully, it didn't and the almost hyperventilating girl kept running through the underground ghettos in order to leave the scene she was at before. Much to her shock and fear, the sound of the drone buzzing could still be heard from behind, and she was also sure it was tailing her from behind!
SWISH
Fear, that was the only thing she felt. The moment a projectile passed her and nearly grazed her shoulder, did the full sensation of dread overtake her entire body. It dug into the ground, just as he passed by where it had impacted. From the looks of it, the projectile fired from the drone would be able to split her head open, just as it did by leaving a very small crater in the ground—one that looked to be as large as her own head. Her breath became harsher as a result, while her palms became increasingly more sweaty. That was not good, she remembered how her parents told her that sweat meant her body was working itself, and as a result would reduce energy needed to live.
SWISH
The air was mercilessly torn through once more, just as she had taken a right turn in an attempt to evade the drone. It was the right move, as another sound of impact and rocks breaking was heard. At that point, adrenaline was the only thing that kept her body moving, while her eyes started to water up at the prospect of what would happen to her should the drone finally catch up—or should one of its projectiles finally make its mark. Harshly, her foot continued to slam against the ground, her arms moving like they never could before to keep her balance while running.
It was then that all hope was lost before her eyes, as the scene in front of her path was a one that only presented despair and mockery. A gigantic mass of debris, filled with both rocks, boulders, and trash was piled up, blocking her completely. She could climb it, but that would provide enough time for the drone to shoot multiple shots at her, one of them eventually landing and leaving her crippled. That was excluding the pain that would come with it. So, when she closed her eyes while running, she prepared to make the leap of faith and attempt to climb it, in spite of the world seemingly laughing at her efforts... in the form of the drone's pestering whirr.
Her breathing came to halt, as her knees bent. Then, with a great amount of effort, her legs sprung upwards into a leap, feeling the faint wind brush against her face and hair. The Kuranta's feet found itself planting against the pile while her hands grasped on for dear life. After that, she began frantically climbing, the tears piling up in her eyes falling down in a small stream while her arms and legs moved with haste. Small gasps and chokes left her lips, as the sound from behind began louder and louder again. Just as her hand grasped a piece to bring herself higher up—she slipped.
Feeling her hands grasp at an object which broke off from the pile, the wind started to brush against her body again, this time against her back, rather than her front. A projectile passed by once more, where her previous position was, and nailed the pile straight through, digging into it and making pieces of trash and debris follow not longer after her fall. Thinking fast, the Kuranta let out a choked sob while covering her face, feeling her back impact the ground and briefly stun her. It was a stinging sensation, one that was further amplified as the debris and trash started to pelt her.
The girl's eyes shut, just as the sensation started to disappear. In this prone and vulnerable position, the drone could take her life easily, and she had fully come to accept such a fate. Just as her grip started to tighten while her arms covered her face, did the final projectile fire off.
SWISH
CLACK
Two objects collided against one another.
Her untimely fate hadn't come to fruition. Something brushed past the air, producing a gust of wind that the little girl hadn't felt before. Her eyes immediately opened when the strange sensation overcame her, rather than the feeling of a projectile digging into her flesh and muscles, tearing her body apart as a result, she was presented with the sight of a dashing white-haired woman, dressed with an immaculate dress flying across the air. Her gait was impeccable, one that the world slowed in the form of her sight, in order to capture it in its full and unbridled glory.
SWISH
A second shot came.
The Kuranta girl watched in stupefaction, as if a spell had overtaken her, the white-haired woman kicking the projectile out of the way and off to the side. It was like an impossible feat only seen in legends and fairy tales, but it had happened right before her widening eyes! She continued to stare on with vested awe, the beautiful lady twisting her body impossibly in the air, before turning upside down. It was a backflip kick done while still stuck in flight, delivering a cold, hard blow against the drone which was floating in the air.
BANG
A boom resounded across the underground tunnel, as the drone was reduced to nothing but a useless hunk of metal. The circuitry composing its internal organs continued to flicker and spark, producing multiple beeping and sizzling sounds before it completely turned off. Only a few sparks emitted from it like a heartbeat slowly dying out, fizzling its consciousness out of existence just as it had been about to do with the Kuranta girl. What goes around, comes around.
The white-haired woman's feet landed on the ground, her skirt fluttering upwards. The stranger's legs were graced with finely tailored leggings and boots reaching toward her thigh. She wore a complex dress graced with multiple ornaments clacking against each other, with a brimmed hat to top it all off. Brushing her hair to the side, she turned back to look at the child with a small smirk, an undaunted one the little girl had only seen in the aged children's book given to her for entertainment.
"Well~ what do we have here?" The woman asked rhetorically, "a drone bullying a small little horse? Ah, how unsightly." Her tone held a tinge of playfulness, yet also disgust when she turned toward the object she had just destroyed.
"A-ah..." She couldn't say anything, struck with awe at the previous feat performed by the woman in front her. It was at that moment, that she felt something bloom in her chest, one filled with hope to one day be able to perform the feat the white-haired heroine in front of her had been able to accomplish.
"So, you're not afraid, are you?" The other woman asked, "if that's the case, then allow me to introduce myself." She placed her hands at the base of her skirt, lightly lifting them up while one of her legs crossed over the other, "Laurentina, you may call me Laurentina." The now named Laurentina had her eyes closed while bowing, before one of them opened, forming what was a "wink."
"U-uwah!" The little Kuranta girl squealed in amazement while shaking, along with her eyes glittering in the faint darkness.
***
"What the hell?" Pawel had his arms crossed, staring at the very lightly armored man beside him. They were operating a drone, with a recording feature which could see and send noise that was emitted in close proximity to the said drone. However, all features had been turned off, just as they were about to complete their "objective." "What happened?! Hey, answer me!" He called out to the other person once more.
"No damn clue, hold your horses for a second," the other lightly armored man groaned while pushing the other man away roughly, fiddling with the device in his hands.
Pawel felt the pressure put on his chest and stepped back, feeling his brows twitch. This wasn't how the process was supposed to go, all they had to do was clear out some of Kazimierz's unwanted Infected in secret by utilizing a drone, something that somebody in the upper echelons of the K.G.C.C. wanted to do in order to save face. After all, the underground ghettos were their humiliation, and would cause a large scandal to be blown out of proportion if they were revealed.
"There's only static... this only happens if the drone is destroyed. Talk about stating the obvious," the man fiddled with the device, and tuned some parts, even shaking it at times in order to see if it still worked. "Tch, what a pain in the ass, it looks like whatever that blur was resulted in the complete annihilation of the drone, maybe a Knight...?" The person placed the device on some holster at their back waist, "never seen anything move so fast..."
"So? What do we do now?" Pawel crossed his arms and impatiently tapped his foot. If he didn't get this done with... "both of us are going to eat shit if we don't have this task completed by the allotted time, did I hire you for nothing? Aren't you supposed to be a skilled assassin from the rumored Armorless Union?"
"Whatever, whatever, I'll just go in," the member of the Armorless Union waved their hand in the air, before reaching for the crossbow under their cloak. "I'll go in and clear them out myself. Annoying as hell, but you're right—we're both eating shit if we don't get this done with quickly enough." So what if he had to dirty his hands, he'd make sure the paycheck was worth it.
Pawel sighed an irritated breath, "you'd better."
***
A/N: Do you guys prefer images or no images? Also, here's a romance Omake.
***
"Are you cold?" Fushiguro Megumi called out to FrostNova, watching the blanket covering the white-haired Cautus woman.
"Ah... I've always been... c-cold, but not t-to this... extent," FrostNova replied with a shaky breath, a condensing air emitting from where her mouth was. "C-could you please... reach for one of my candies...?"
"I've got it, don't worry," the Sorcerer replied, reaching his hand under the blanket, remembering clearly where she had her candy placed. "I'll be safe too, don't nag me," he included before she chided him for his careless actions. Eventually, his hand was able to find the pouch which held it, before fully fishing it out, "there we go..." Megumi started to undo the wrappings between his fingers, before the object peered from underneath it.
"I can... feed myself..." FrostNova was about to take the blanket off her body to take the candy, but was immediately stopped.
"No, you won't," Megumi replied with certainty, "you're not in the state to, just open your mouth and I'll feed you it," the black-haired man sighed while placing the candy in-between his fingers, and then placed it in front of her face. "Here, I don't want to see you in such a state."
"...Thank you," FrostNova paused for a moment before opening her mouth, feeling the spicy candy enter her mouth.
"You're welcome," Megumi replied not with much passion, but his tone held some warmth in it, seeing the Cautus complexion start to improve by the second. "If you need a flame, I can provide one for you," he then shifted in his place, and extended his right hand out. A spark was emitted, before a golden radiance formed in the shape of a fireball was seen.
"I really... owe you more favors, as the day passes, huh?" FrostNova amusedly pointed out, feeling the heat start to encompass the area.
"Please, don't," Megumi shook his head, "I don't like putting debts on other people.
"Mmh," FrostNova let out a sound, curling further in the blanket draped around herself. Slowly, her body inched toward the black-haired man closer, "you... you won't be hurt if you come in close proximity... will you?" She asked with worry, halting her movements.
"I won't," Megumi said, before proving his point by abruptly pulling himself closer to the other woman, his body heat being felt by the Cautus, "see?"
FrostNova found her mouth opening and closing multiple times at the dangerous action of the black-haired man. However, seeing his expression keep its usual neutrality provided a comfort for her, and also one that warmed her body to a degree she would have never expected. Therefore, she kept her mouth closed, letting her head lean against his shoulder.
Despite the shadows encroaching his every being...
...He was her light. A warm, illuminating light.
***
A/N: Also made a small change, Nearl was already banished from Kazimierz by the time Viviana arrived to the country. But I was only told that by the main author when the paragraphs was already written...
...So uhh, hopefully it doesn't screw up canon that much. Viviana is still a die-hard fan of Nearl.