Chapter 7: A Duel With A Twist

The day of the duel arrives, and the warm sun light the arena.

As expected, the arena, the very place where Ayaka and I trained, is bustling with a lively crowd. The air is filled with cheers that reverberate throughout the area.

And there I stand, in the center, facing off against my opponent. Knight in full iron armor, wielding a shield and sword, standing in a distance.

Seated atop the arena are the king and the princess, accompanied by a group of knights from the Order, led by their captain that Ayaka named, Hiroshi. Ayaka mentioned that she had instructed Hiroshi to be extra vigilant and strict, prepared for any signs of danger.

"Good people of Silverstone! Adventurers! Warriors! Knights!" A man in a white suit strides to the center and shouts, pausing to stand between me and my adversary.

"The day we've all eagerly awaited has finally arrived! The time for the duel is here!"

The crowd raises their hands in excitement, some even standing from their seats, while others cheer at the top of their lungs.

"Today, we are privileged to witness yet another single combat match!" These are his last words before he turns to face me and the knight.

"The rules are simple," he begins to explain, but my attention is focused on scanning for any signs of incoming trouble.

I can't let my guard down considering that Ayaka trusted me for the kingdom's safety. Even the Guardian trusted me this mission.

"Satoshi, one of the esteemed soldier of the Order, versus Kazu, the challenger and the King's chosen warrior!"

Satoshi stood confidently at the opposite end of the battleground, ready for the fight. He lifted his sword and held his shield in front of him.

"Die or surrender!" A man dressed in white suddenly teleported out of the battleground, while Satoshi charged straight towards me.

He travels straight at me while my head's turning left and right.

I needed to find a spot where I could observe Satoshi and Ayaka while fighting.

So, I ran towards the left side of the battleground, dodging Satoshi's attacks and trying to change my position.

As I looked around for a good vantage point, I briefly glanced at where the royals were seated, the right top of the arena. Thankfully, they were still there.

But before I could focus back on Satoshi, a shield slammed into my body, sending me flying through a nearby wall. The impact was powerful.

I can hear the audience cheering and chanting before and after I bang into the wall.

"Focus! This fight will determine your worthiness!" Satoshi shouted as he charged at me again.

I quickly jumped sideways to dodge his second charge. He crashed into the spot where I had been lying just moments ago, almost destroying the wall.

"Focus on the match, if you really want to become one of us!" Satoshi reminded me as he looked at me intently.

"Y-Yes, sir!" I exclaimed, lifting my sword and swinging it, meeting his shield.

The impact created a whirlwind of air and dust around us, engulfing us in what seemed like a sandstorm. It obscured our vision from the outside, just as it prevented others from seeing inside.

"What incredible strength..." Satoshi's face displayed shock as he got back on his feet.

"I-It's all thanks to the sword," I replied, trying to downplay my abilities.

I might have gone a bit too far... I should be careful not to accidentally harm him. I can't let my name be ruined before it even rises. Besides, I just need to—

I attempted to glance towards where the king and princess were seated, but the swirling dust made it impossible to see anything.

Oh snap! I know Ayaka can handle it for a while but... I'm not sure for how long! Let's just hope the letter was just a trap and not a warning.

But still I need to end this as soon as possible!

Determined to end the fight without causing harm, I charged at Satoshi.

With every step, my movements cleared away the dust on the floor.

"Hiyaa!" Satoshi raised his shield once again and charged to counter my attack.

However, I predicted his move and jumped, landing a solid kick to his head. The impact caused him to lose his grip on both his sword and shield, sending him rolling across the ground.

"Surrender," I declared, pointing the tip of my sword at his throat.

"How did you... No, I mean, that was a great fight. No wonder you're the King's chosen warrior" he admitted, as I withdrew the sword from his neck.

"I didn't expect it to end so quickly, but you proved to be an outstanding opponent," I offered him my hand to help him up.

He chuckled.

"Sorry to disappoint you," he replied, accepting my hand and standing up.

Both of us stood there in the midst of the swirling dust, awaiting any announcements, cheers, or shouts. But there was only silence, enveloping the surroundings.

"Hello? The fight's over!" Satoshi shouted, walking around in search of a reaction.

---

No response.

"Kazu!"

A voice suddenly called out, making both Satoshi and I turn our heads in its direction.

"Kazu, where are you?!"

"A-Ayaka?!" I replied, recognizing her voice.

Without wasting a moment, I dashed forward towards the source of Ayaka's voice, realizing it was coming from the ground and not from the top of the arena.

"Princess?!" Satoshi followed, realizing it was indeed the princess.

"Ayaka, what happened?! Why are you on the ground?!" I shouted, frantically searching for her.

"T-The bandits..." Her voice trailed off, as if she had fainted or something.

"I'm coming! Hold on, Princess!" Satoshi exclaimed, accelerating his pace.

And there she was, lying unconscious on the ground, face down.

"Princess?! Princess?!" Satoshi leaped towards her, immediately checking her pulse.

"She's alright. Just unconscious," he reassured me, his hand resting gently on Ayaka's neck.

"That's good-" I began to say, preparing to take a step forward.

"Step no further, kid. I don't know who you really are. At this moment, I can't trust you. Especially considering what happened to her majesty on the day of our duel," Satoshi interjected, gripping his sword and pointing it towards me while adjusting Ayaka's position.

"W-What are you talking about? I have nothing to do with it!" I resist.

"I see you distracted before. You knew something will happen."

Wait... I understand now! It's not a trap, but a setup! They want the entire kingdom to believe I'm responsible for any troubles that will happen today, making me the enemy of the kingdom! Why didn't I think of it sooner?!

I attempted to retreat, but our feet were slowly sinking into the ground. Both Ayaka and Satoshi were also being pulled downward.

"W-What is this?! The floor is swallowing us?!" Satoshi struggled to resist, but he couldn't free his feet from its grip.

I tried to jump, bending my knees and loading up all my strength I've got. I move no more than a centimeter.

Is this some kind of spell? Or a unique attribute of a weapon? I recall Kaito's special ability to see through walls and Ayame's ability to materialize her sword. But turning the floor into quicksand?

But why? What could be the purpose of this? Maybe revenge? Or are they want to take away whoever got in their way? Think, Kazu! They're up to something! You need to figure it out!

In just a second, we continued sinking, the floor closing in around our necks, pulling us down.

Veiled Guardians.... I failed in my first mission...

Ayaka... I have let you down...

I failed to protect you... your Kingdom... The palace...

I can do nothing but to close my eyes as the floor reached my nose, accepting whatever will come next, and completely swallowed us up.

———

"Kazu!" a voice calls out faintly from the darkness.

"Kazu! Wake up! Come on!" The urgency in their voice persists.

I groggily open my eyes, finding myself in complete darkness. It feels like we're trapped inside a cave or something. The only source of light comes from the torches held by the three strangers, currently engaged in a battle against human-sized spiders.

"Finally! I thought you'd sleep through the entire journey." Ayaka, who I realize is cradling my head, looks down at me.

"Where are we?" I inquire as I sit up.

"You might want to lend a hand here. We'd appreciate it!" The girl among the three strangers calls out, briefly glancing back at us.

All three of them are wearing the same brown cloaks I used to have.

Now, I wear the black hood, representing the Veiled Guardians. I must protect them. I can't let the group name ruined just because of me again.

I swiftly rise to my feet, surveying our surroundings.

"Are you searching for your sword?" The girl looks back at us once more.

She then conjures a small fireball from her wand-like stick and hurls it into the horde of spiders. The small explosion creating a light that gives me a hint of our surroundings.

The spiders continue their relentless advance, even from above. The torches illuminate the nearby decaying stones, moss-covered bricks, and shattered floor slabs. It seems we're trapped within ruins or a dungeon.

"That man in armor took it when you both were unconscious. He left you here with these spiders." She continues

What? That man took it? He even abandoned Ayaka, the princess, for that sword?! Is that what they call a knight of the Order?! I'll give him a piece of my mind when I lay eyes on him again!

"Hey, Kazu, can you still fight?" Ayaka stands up and gazes at me.

Before I can respond, the boy with the bow interjects.

"Does it appear as though he has a choice? We'll all end up as lifeless bodies if he doesn't lend a hand!" He stretches the string of his bow, releasing an arrow that splits into three. It travel straight towards the spiders head.

"But-"

"It's alright, Ayaka. Besides, I need to make it right," I reassure her, patting her head.

"Make it right for what?"

"For failing to protect you, the palace, and the kingdom."

"It's not your fault, none of it."

"But it is. And don't worry, they're just spiders," I wink.

"Besides, I'm just about to get serious!" I declare, pulling up my hood.

"That hood..." The swordsman freezes in his stance, his gaze fixed on my hood.

"Is that...?" The archer mirrors the same reaction.

"A Guardian..." The girl turns her head, her eyes widening, as continuous explosions rip through the spiders, engulfing the area in a brilliant blaze of light.

That's makes me think how popular the Veiled Guardians is in the outside world. I know they're feared enemy for the facility, but how about in the surface? How did they make a name in the surface? I thought they're working under the shadows...

Another figure, also wearing a black hood, materializes before us, as if teleporting into position.

"03, don't hold back. I mean, let's not turn the entire place into rubble." The newcomer speaks.

It's Hayuki. And those explosions... I'm certain they were caused by Haru.

"How many of us are here?" I inquire, taking a step forward.

As I step, I hear Ayaka's whisper.

"Kazu..."

"Only three. The other two are fighting Strixor in the kingdom," Hayuki answers, effortlessly slicing through ten spiders in the blink of an eye.

"I'll brief you on the details later. Go help 110, leave the Princess to me," she instructs, launching herself at the nearest spider.

"The princess?" The three strangers simultaneously turn their heads towards Ayaka, their faces filled with shock.

I sense their confusion. There's so much to process.

"What about us? Are we left defenseless?" The girl asks.

Hayuki and I exchange a glance, wordlessly communicating.

"Alright, no protection. I'm fine with that. We'll fight alongside the guardians! Nothing to fear!" She exclaims, rallying her two comrades as if leading an army.

I catch Ayaka's gaze, and we share a nod.

With that, I dart forward, making my way towards Haru at the heart of the spider swarm.