章節 7: Volume I - Chapter 7
╔─━━━━━━━━━━━░★░━━━━━━━━━━─╗
『Notice』
Hello, everyone! I'm here to deliver a brief announcement: for this chapter, I'm going to try something different. I'll be narrating the actions in the American style this time (or, in the style that the majority of fanfics use, which involves using "" for dialogues and '' for thoughts). However, I'll still maintain the character names as I believe that is one of my trademarks. Please let me know what you think—whether you find it better or prefer the previous style. Thank you! :D
╚─━━━━━━━━━━━░★░━━━━━━━━━━─╝
Anger was radiating from Aelfric, clear and intense, and I knew he was more than ready to "teach" me a lesson in front of everyone watching. Perhaps, on second thought, he wanted more than that: he wanted to humiliate me, to make an example out of me for the others.
With a serious look and something that seemed almost like excitement in his eyes, he handed me a sword. But it wasn't any sword: it was a real, sharp, dangerous blade—not a wooden training sword we were used to. 'I see,' I thought, 'This won't be child's play.'
The tension in the courtyard was palpable, thick enough to cut through with a knife (or a sharp sword, in this case). Each step we took seemed heavy, loaded with intent, and Aelfric's gaze told me he expected me to take this as seriously as he did.
Aelfric: "I hope everyone here learns something valuable today" - he announced, his voice laced with unquestionable authority and a hint of disdain. - "Kuroto, don't you dare hold back. If you don't fight seriously, I assure you, you'll leave here with more than just scratches."
'As if I have a choice,' I thought while tightening my grip on the blade and assuming a defensive stance. Every muscle in my body was tense, ready to respond to any move, any signal of attack.
"Here we go then," I replied, attempting to mask the nervousness in my voice with a playful tone. "But no crying afterward, okay, instructor?"
Laughter rippled through the onlookers, a quiet and anxious murmur. I cast a quick glance over the crowd and saw familiar faces. There they were: Lint, Fred, and Siegfried, the usual trio. But one face, in particular, caught my eye - Tosca. She gave me a discreet thumbs up, a subtle gesture of support that somehow made all the difference.
Aelfric: "Your mouth is quite active, Kuroto. I hope your sword skills are as sharp as your tongue."
"You'd be surprised," I retorted with a half-sardonic smile, immediately noticing his face harden - 'This isn't good.'
I braced myself mentally. I wasn't quite sure how to handle Aelfric, but one thing was clear: under no circumstances could I underestimate him. The fight began cautiously with us circling each other, evaluating, waiting. Aelfric made the first move, swift and accurate, and I barely managed to dodge. The blade swung perilously close, and I stepped back, trying to put some distance between us.
But he didn't even give me the chance; as soon as I took a step back, he had already recovered and lunged directly at my torso. I barely had time to block with my sword, but the force was significant, pushing me to the side. I felt my arm go numb, even with the pain suppressed it affected me.
'How strong is he really?' I thought, shaking my arms trying to get rid of the numbness.
Aelfric: "What's the matter, kid? Where's your arrogance now?" - his voice was a mocking murmur as he circled around me, eyes fixed on mine, with his sword casually resting over his shoulder. - "You take things too lightly. I've told you time and again. You're always holding back as if playing with the others. That irritates me. Think you're stronger than the other boys? Let me show you the skill gap now."
'This won't end well,' I internally acknowledged while trying to reassess the situation. My arm was still recovering, and Aelfric wasn't showing signs of letting up.
Then I received a system notification, a warning that immediately altered my expression.
╔─━━━━━━━━━━━░★░━━━━━━━━━━─╗
『MISSION』
The first given mission is always the most unforgettable, right? Demonstrate your gifts and your true strength to everyone who underestimates you; respect begins with strength.
In adversity, strength awakens. Awaken your strength and overcome challenges.
Win a duel against 'Aelfric'
[0/1]
『Rewards』
+500 DG
Since experience cannot be added to the 'Player', a new reward based on your performance will be calculated.
╚─━━━━━━━━━━━░★░━━━━━━━━━━─╝
Aelfric, seizing my momentary distraction, decided to use the opportunity to either frighten or perhaps even hurt me - his exact intention wasn't clear. With a cold smile playing on his face, he delivered a blow directed at my chest, the blade gleaming dangerously as it drew close.
"You wanted me to take this seriously, then so be it," I murmured, almost to myself, as the strike approached. In an instant of pure need and focus, my hand lit up with an aura invisible to the other observers, a cursed energy of dark and crimson hues enveloping my fist. With a swift motion, I punched the blunt side of the sword, abruptly stopping it in its tracks.
The look on Aelfric's face was priceless, a mixture of shock and disbelief as he tried to process what had just transpired. To all appearances, I had stopped his blade with nothing more than my bare hand, an impossible feat for most.
'Let's see who's underestimating who now,' I thought with a twinge of satisfaction as I braced myself for the next move in our dance of power.
The tense atmosphere in the air thickened further as I adjusted my stance, opting for a close-quarters combat approach, eyes fixed on Aelfric with fierce determination. A raw energy was pulsing through my veins, fueling each movement with an intensity I didn't know I possessed.
The dance resumed, wilder and more unpredictable than before. Each step I took was calculated, a mixture of controlled aggression and stealthy cunning, as I advanced towards Aelfric. My fists, energized by an invisible and potent force, acted as a shield against Aelfric's blade, blocking and deflecting each strike with surprising precision.
Whenever an opening presented itself, I would strike. Each blow was a test, probing Aelfric's defenses, looking for a weak spot, a crack in his armor of confidence and skill. My movements were fluid, feet dancing on the ground with deceptive lightness, creating patterns designed to disorient and deceive.
Aelfric was clearly taken aback. I could see it in his eyes, in the slight furrow of his brow, in the way his strikes became a tad more hesitant and uncertain. He did not anticipate this shift, this sudden turnaround in the dynamic between us.
Aelfric: "What's happening to the kid?" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else, cautiously circling around me, sword still in hand, eyes evaluating and calculating.
"You asked for seriousness, didn't you?" I retorted, a half-smile playing on my lips as I moved, my body swaying to the rhythm of combat that I felt to my core. "So, let's get serious."
Shock in his eyes gave way to renewed determination, and the battle commenced anew. Aelfric's blade cut through the air, whizzing with the promise of pain and damage, but I was ready. Each attack was blocked or dodged, my fists meeting steel with surprising strength, my movements keeping me out of reach from his most dangerous strikes.
In turn, I launched my attacks, delivering quick and efficient blows aimed at vital spots, places where I knew I could inflict maximum damage with minimum effort. Aelfric was now on the defensive, struggling to keep up, to understand the shift, to find an answer to the storm that was my onslaught.
"You're not the only one full of surprises, instructor," I whispered as I attacked again, a wild and unrestrained smile on my lips as I felt power and adrenaline coursing through my veins. Victory was within reach. I just needed one strike, one precise hit. And I was ready to deliver.
My feet pressed against the ground, vibrant energy moving through my legs as I advanced, eyes locked onto Aelfric's, reading every move, every intention. The air crackled with tension, a momentary silence falling over the field as the world held its breath, watching, waiting.
Aelfric shifted his weight, and I knew. I knew the strike was coming. A thrust, quick and deadly, aimed straight for my head, a move meant to end this, to assert domination and make his point. But I was ready.
With agility I didn't know I possessed, my head moved to the side, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike, though not quick enough as it left a deep cut on my cheek, accompanied by a thick layer of blood. And then, in the vacuum that followed, in the moment of exposure, I advanced.
My right hook met Aelfric's blade, a powerful and precise strike that forced his guard open, unbalancing him, making him stagger back with the unexpected force of the blow. And I didn't waste any time.
With the way now open, Aelfric's defense compromised, I advanced. My step was steady, relentless, an advance that left no room for doubts or hesitations. And then, with all the force stored in my body, I threw a left punch.
It was a brutal blow, a fist charged with energy and determination hitting Aelfric's stomach with a dull thud. I could feel the shock of the hit spreading, the waves of force moving through his body as he was thrown back, feet losing contact with the ground as he was pushed several meters back.
And then, with a dull thump, he fell. Kneeling on the ground, body bent with pain and surprise, he was struck by the unexpected defeat with the force of a train. For a moment, all was silent, the world frozen in the image of a kneeling Aelfric and me, standing victorious.
'Never underestimate, instructor,' I thought silently as I caught my breath, feeling the heat of battle start to subside, leaving in its wake a sense of exaltation and power. 'Never underestimate.'
The field was bathed in palpable suspense, a buzz of shock and expectation hanging in the air, infiltrating the space between the onlookers who watched with wide eyes, breaths held and whispers cutting through the growing tension.
"You think I care about this blood? Get up because I'm just getting started!" my voice was a deep and resonant murmur, carrying weight and seriousness. Each word was sharp, cutting, devoid of the usual humor and irreverence, replaced by cold and relentless resolution.
Whispers in the crowd intensified, a rising murmur of confusion and concern. This was no longer the didactic spectacle they had expected, no longer a demonstration of the instructor's authority and discipline over the rebellious student. This was something else, something more visceral and raw. A real and unrestrained combat, where the outcome was as uncertain as the path we had walked to get here.
In the field, Aelfric hesitated, eyes oscillating between surprise and something deeper, darker. He could feel the change in the air, the change in me. This was not the game he had planned, and I could see uncertainty, doubt creeping into his gaze.
However, there was no turning back.
My posture readjusted, feet firmly planted against the ground as I prepared for what was to come. There was a fire in my chest, a blazing flame of anger and frustration that had been contained for too long, boiling and roaring now, asking to be released.
This would be our battlefield, and I was ready to fight to the end. All the years of repression, all the moments of silent anger and contained despair, were coming to a head.
And I was more than willing to let it all out, to face the instructor and anything else that came my way.
I didn't need to prove anything to anyone, but I needed to let off steam and this was a great opportunity.
Aelfric slowly rose, a new and dangerous glint in his eyes. The air seemed to condense around us, becoming thick and heavy, laden with the expectation of imminent violence. I could see in his eyes that the joke was over; he would take me seriously now.
With a low growl, Aelfric lunged forward, his blade slicing the air with deadly speed. My eyes followed every movement, every contracting and relaxing muscle as he advanced, the blade meant to end our dispute once and for all.
But I wasn't willing to give in so easily.
The blade came towards me, sharp and relentless, but I was ready. With a roar of effort and determination, my hand shot out, grabbing the cold and merciless blade between my fingers. Pain was immediate and intense, but I ignored it, squeezing even tighter, my bloodied hand gripping the blade with unshakeable force.
My eyes met Aelfric's, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. Nothing else mattered, just the two of us and the blade between us, the sharp edge cutting into my skin, but unable to cut my determination.
With a silent scream of effort, my other hand rose, striking against the blade with brute and indomitable force. The metal sang, a high and disharmonic sound, before breaking, snapping under the pressure.
The broken tip of the blade spun in the air before I caught it, bringing it down in a quick and deadly arc, pointing directly at Aelfric's vulnerable neck.
Then, a scream cut through the air, pulling me back from the edge of the abyss into which I had been about to fall.
Tosca: "Kuroto!"
The blade stopped, a fraction of a millimeter away from Aelfric's skin, close enough that a single drop of scarlet blood welled up, gleaming vividly against the pale skin.
The world snapped back with a jolt, sounds, smells, and sensations flooding back in, and I blinked, looking down at the broken blade in my hand, at Aelfric below me, at Tosca and the other onlookers, all frozen in a moment of shock and surprise.
The silence that followed was heavy, thick with unspoken words and unperformed actions, and for a long moment, no one moved.
Then, as if time resumed its course, the tension in the air began to dissipate slowly, leaving in its wake a sepulchral silence. Aelfric's eyes stared into mine, a mixture of surprise, respect, and perhaps a faint trace of fear shining in their depths. I returned the gaze, expressionless, my breath echoing heavy and irregular in the charged atmosphere.
Aelfric swallowed hard, and after a second that seemed an eternity, he nodded slightly, acknowledging without words the intensity and seriousness of the moment we had just shared.
Aelfric: "Alright, Kuroto. Training is over for today." His voice, normally firm and authoritative, trembled slightly, carrying echoes of the tension and adrenaline still circulating through our systems.
I released the broken blade, watching as it fell to the ground, a faint tinkle accompanying its landing. My fingers were carved, dripping crimson red, but as expected I was barely feeling anything aside from a small discomfort.
"Understood, instructor," I replied in a low tone, before turning and beginning to walk away from the training field. I took one of the bands that some students wore wrapped around their arms and made a small bandage on my hand to stop the bleeding, then proceeded towards the exit.
I could hear the buzzing starting behind me, the whispers and murmurs of the other students as they processed what they had just witnessed. They saw more than just an exchange of blows; they saw a revelation of something raw and powerful, a spark of something indomitable and fierce.
And as I walked away, with each heavy step, I could feel their eyes on me, weighing and measuring, seeing me in a new and different way.
The training field behind me seemed like a distant world, and as I walked towards my next task, or perhaps in search of some quiet place to reflect, I knew that something within had awakened again, something that irritated and bothered me whenever it appeared.
『••✦••』
P.O.V NARRATOR
Lint Sellzen, Freed Sellzen, and Siegfried, mere seven-year-olds, watched Kuroto walk away after the intense duel with Aelfric. Their young minds attempted to process the extraordinary event that had just unfolded before their eyes.
Lint, with her innocent and bright eyes, conveyed a mixture of admiration and anxiety, as her lips whispered words in an almost inaudible murmur:
"Did you guys see that? Kuroto was so... different. Wild, yet very serious."
Freed, whose bold and impulsive personality was evident even in his childhood, furrowed his eyebrows in a blend of discomfort and excitement.
"That was freaking awesome!" Freed exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with wild enthusiasm. "But it was kinda scary; did you see? He didn't even blink when the instructor thrust at him with the sword!"
On the other hand, Siegfried, the introspective and always thoughtful youngster, observed silently, his deep eyes reflecting a silent and insightful understanding.
"Something in him changed, or would it be better to say something awakened?" Siegfried quietly commented, almost as if speaking to himself, but loud enough for the other two to hear.
As the trio was engrossed in their thoughts and observations, Tosca rapidly approached Kuroto, concern painted on her young, determined face.
"Kuroto!" she called, her voice tinged with confusion and care. "What was that? I've never seen you fight like that. Are you okay?"
Kuroto stopped and turned to face Tosca. His eyes, usually vibrant, now seemed distant, as if focused on something only he could see.
"I'm fine, Tosca," he said, his voice calm but carrying a shadow of something deeper and unfathomable. "I just need some time to cool down, that's all."
Tosca observed him for a moment, her eyes scanning his face for any sign that might provide a clue about his thoughts. After a brief hesitation, she nodded, accepting his response, and walked away with a worried glance thrown over her shoulder.
As Kuroto resumed his path, Lint approached the two boys, her eyes following Kuroto's solitary figure in the distance.
"There's more to Kuroto, something we can't see," she murmured thoughtfully, more to herself than to Freed and Siegfried. "There's definitely more to him than meets the eye."
And so, while each child was immersed in their own thoughts, Kuroto disappeared from sight, leaving behind nothing but shadows and mystery.
創作者的想法 
Kuroto_Tennouji
Kuroto_Tennouji So, what did you think of the chapter? Was it better with the dialogue like this or worse? Please be honest; I need your opinions to improve the fanfic. Comment, stop being ghosts, guys!
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票