Cor raised his right arm ready to catch the blade if the need arose but was surprised by his sword about to be parried. If anything, it was him whose strike felt weaker despite.
Just as the sword stuck down at him, the boy tried the same move he did on Ignis before and instinctively slid his sword towards a side a little, tilting it to shift the momentum.
And it worked on Cor as his attack was of pure strength and with no control which caused his momentum to shift easily as he could not maintain his posture.
The kid quickly took a step outwards, instantly pointing his sword towards Cor to mark his victory.
But Cor chuckled as he saw the sword that was pointing towards him was no sword but a broken wooden piece.
"You win." as Cor retracts his sword.
Cor thought to himself "I guess this will be the last time" as he looked at the wooden sword before casually using his right arm and throwing it away without looking as it landed into the barrel holding other swords with precision.
Cor's expression turned serious "But before that, tell me. Are you going out there to die?"
The kid thinks for a second and replies back 'Don`t worry.'
A vague response like that can have different meanings.
"I know you are grieving… but what awaits you there could be death itself. So I will go—"
But was cut off by the Kid who said 'Death? I have already seen it multiple times today alone.' as he smiled and asked 'But what about you? You still went easy on me. You really are soft for someone so big.'
Cor responded with "Ha, look at you. You are a bigger mess than I am. Get out of here before I change my mind."
As the kid was walking towards the fence gate of arean when Cor said "But when you come back… You still have to thank the village people for protecting your freedom and the miss at tavern for that chain, those things aren't cheap you know."
The boy stopped on his path 'You know me, it`s not like I will die' as he responded so without turning back and continued to walk off.
Just as he stepped outside, he smelled a unique scent being carried by wind from somewhere.
The same unique scent from the ground was being carried by the wind. He wondered 'Did I imagine it?' but brushes it off.
The kid reaches the exit of the village and he stopped looking at the string which pointed towards the direction his group went off to before the incident and talked to himself 'I guess we are going the same way'
As he took another step, he saw her, a girl named Ella who is a bit older than him and had vivid blue eyes like the clear sky, medium sized dark blue hair that covered some of her eyes within them as she was looking down nervously, standing there, waiting by the gate there with a small bucket of hot water.
Ella looked up at the kid and smiled 'I had a feeling I would meet you here'
She smiled 'You are not going anywhere with those bandages' as she lifted the bucket of water for the boy's bandages.
The kid half raised his hands in the air like admitting defeat as he said 'I guess you really never fail to find me'
She knew how he wouldn't take them off himself and how much he was at odds with the bandages and separating them from the wound.
Ever since moving to the village with mercenaries, Ella had been the only kid of his age who was friends with the boy .
He was considered an outcast by a bunch of other noisy kids who pushed him away thinking themself as an inner circle of "Elites" and "Leader" of the village.
Ella was like his elder sister who cared for him. While barely knowing her, she was able to find him at any place.
Every time he felt sad, lonely or even went out for a walk and did not return in time. She would mysteriously come to him smiling as if she knew where the boy ran off to. Even when the boy changed his places, she would still show up even if it was in the middle of nowhere.
She noticed his face was a bit swollen like something hit him and and touched against it while taking off the bandages.
She saw his wounds were already healed, as if bandages were just for a show.
She looked at the boy confused and just to see him himself confused.
Bandages were stained from his blood but only on one side and not a single scar or visible wound remained. The village had no healer yet despite that, he stood here, completely unharmed.
The kid stared at the part between his thumb and index finger that he had sliced his skin open while fighting Ignis was completely fine, as if— he had never even fought against Ignis.
She immediately noticed him glaring at it and his face was different from usual as she asked "What's on your mind? You are usually smiling." without a clue of what went on.
Oddly enough the boy opened up to her with no resistance and said 'What is the point of smiling if it can not even protect those it showed for… All I have done was fooled others and while I lied to myself'
Ella replied 'Maybe it`s to show others that you care for them, even when you are crumbling inside' as she smiled back.
'I guess– that might be true as well.'
Her smile was almost radiating light on the dark gloomy day giving off a gentle warmth as he said 'But I prefer you like this, a man without a fake smile and true to himself, I am here for you, if you ever feel lost, just think of me.'
She turned back and looked at smiley with a bright smile 'I know where to find you as always', as she flexed her lady-like arm with no muscles to speak.
This reminded him of how she used to chase and scare kids away who used to pick up on him which made the kid genuinely smile and he said 'Whatever you say Miss Weeping Beast'
Weeping beasts are a creature of the Veil. Kids used it to taunt each other for how scary and ugly looking it was.
She hit him in the head 'You know I do not like that nickname'
She scoffed a laugh but Kid just smiled while looking at her laughing.
He took a step away to which she raised her fist towards him saying 'I will be there when you need me the most. Till the time we meet' as she smiles brightly with teeth visible still shining her radiance over others.
Smiley raised his fist and extended his arm, joining into his fist. He brought his arm down as he thought 'I am sorry… but I am about to do something stupid.'
The girl knew something was off with him. She wanted to stop him but watching him walk out, it felt like not even the world could stop him now.
His eyes which were dark and had a hint of sparkle in them, like those heroes from fairy tales every kid used to read claiming on becoming the chosen hero of this Hero Cycle.
Watching him go out she mumbled 'You did it again, Smiley… so don`t die.'
Ella said with a smile of her own, tightening the grip on the wooden bucket.
She looked at the sky as the wind blew against her face revealing vivid oceanic blue eyes.
Meanwhile at the arean, Cor was sitting, leaning on the fence, staring at the sky when suddenly someone hit him on the head.
"Hey old—" as he looked above, there stood Rhina staring at him furiously.
'Who are you calling old?' She looked at him furiously and then sighed 'Just look at you trying to look cool after getting beaten by a child whom YOU challenged to a duel.'
"Haha. Calm down, I didn`t mean it like that."
Rhina asked 'Why did you let him go?'
Cor responded as he leaned back again "I mean I was the one who made the rules and lost…"
Rhina said worriedly 'I thought you would talk to him but now you let him go outside?'
Cor continued, "It might be better off letting him see it with his own eyes"
Rhina said scared 'See it himself? I told him to rest up since that little boy looked so weak and fragile to even step outside of the Inn. But you let him go outside the Village…???' she paused and her eyes widened 'What if he collapses… and get eaten by a wandering wolf— or even worse what if he gets kidnapped for his cute face or—'
Cor cut in her imagination and reassured her "Don`t worry so much. He was strong enough to fend off me while I was not holding much back. He should be strong enough to go to the tree by himself. Besides this place is a death for kidnappers. After all, the captain of Satus is not forgiving."
Rhina sighed 'Woaaahh~ so all you did was fight and now act like you both know each other like brothers from a forbidden past. Man really are weird'
Forbidden Past is a saying of old times. The past which was mostly burnt away during the war of Human vs Dragons and later outlawed to be studied by the Celestials.
Cor thought "Who are you calling weird? You overly obsessed—" but Rhina stared at him as if she could hear his thoughts.
Cor laughed nervously "Haha… you can say that. Didn`t thought you would be that worried—" but was cut on by Rhina who continued 'I am only worried since you might infect my sweet child with your stupidity'
Cor thought "… Ofcourseeee you are…" with a slight pause as he wondered looking at the sky as wind blew against him "I wonder if it was a normal duel, just how far he would have gone. Fariz was the strongest among us all. So how did he get defeated yet the boy lived… Ked. just what—"
A doubt started to form into his mind but Rhina interrupted his inner monologue 'Stop acting all broody or whatever you are doing. Maybe I should go after him?'
Cor responded 'No need to worry—' and suddenly realized he is not that careless to let him go out there himself. He was supposed to go with him earlier but got interrupted by his "Teasing Remark" which made him forget about it entirely.
Rhina looked at him in doubt to which Cor stood up as he nervously laughed and responded 'No use going after him now, you might not know but he walks pretty fast. We old folks—'
He paused as Rhina was looking at him with an angry smile as he corrected himself 'I mean old folk like me and Young women such as yourself can not keep up with him.'
Cor stretched "Well enough lecturing the boy… I need to stop running away myself' and thought to himself 'After all, drinking will not bring him back"
Cor took a single step saying "I guess I will get going now."
A hand from behind grabbed his shoulder just like how Cor had grabbed the boy. It was Rhina looking at him with a gentle smile saying 'Wait a second there Mister Old Man. You still have to pay for the tabs from earlier.' as she looks at him in passive aggression.
"Oh, haha… I forgot?"
Rhina sighed 'Just pay it later, you are probably going there anyway'
She continued 'And if you try to run, you know me, I will chase you to the end of hell if it's for the tabs.' as she gently smiles.
"You say some scary stuff with that unhinged smile of yours, you know." as he walks off towards the center of the village.
Rhina goes back to her tavern entrance, the people there were splitting their bets on the match before.
Unexpectedly only two people betted on the kid. Rhina who just randomly decided to scare them away and some teen outside from this village whom they suspected had no clue what he was betting on as one muttered 'Tsk, Beginner luck'
'Idiots…' Rhina mumbled as she looked outside at the sky 'Come back safely.'
Rhina walked into the tavern and sat on the table smiling at them as she asked them to pay up the bet and said 'Looks like I won, I am not leaving a single bronze behind.' which sounded more of a death sentence than a threat for "Betting against such an sweet innocent children of mine"
The betters were seized with fear of her.
Meanwhile at the village center, there was a small old ruined fountain which had gathered up moss and near it were multiple people wrapped in white clothing which had stains of blood.
The Cor walked up the bench which was shaded by a tree and in front of him was a body warped in white clothing strained with blood on his thigh, arm, palm of his hand and lastly one on his chest where heart resides showing the struggle of battle he fought and his will of not giving up till the moment he died.
Cor looked at the sky as he sighed.
"Hey, camlon… how you doing now…"