It started as just another training day.
The sun filtered gently through the forest canopy, dappling our blades in gold as we practiced with real swords—not wooden toys, not blunted iron. The real thing. The weight. The danger. The trust.
> "You're hesitating again," I said, stepping aside as Seraphina's sword barely grazed my sleeve.
> "I am not," she snapped, cheeks flushed.
> "You are. Your left foot always twitches when you doubt yourself."
> "I hope a goblin eats you."
> "That's mean. But fair."
We'd sparred like this hundreds of times, sweat mixing with laughter, metal ringing in rhythm.
But today… something felt wrong.
Even before the screams.
---
The First Attack
On our way back to the castle, we sensed them.
Goblin scouts. Hobgoblins.
Too many for a border patrol. Too organized. And too brazen to be this close to the kingdom's patrol lines.
> "They're not hunting," I muttered, gripping my sword. "They're moving."
We cut through them easily—me targeting their necks and joints, Seraphina using fast footwork and controlled bursts of flame. The forest lit briefly with her ability, turning the shadows crimson.
But the moment we stopped…
More came.
> "Alein," she said, eyes narrowing. "Something's wrong. It's not stopping."
---
Castle Airillesta
We made it back to the capital walls by nightfall, blood-streaked and tense.
Just as we entered, the gates opened again.
A scout on horseback, pale, armor dented, collapsed into the guard's arms.
> "Your Majesty!" the messenger cried, voice hoarse.
"There's no end to them—monsters from deep forest, surging like a wave—no strategy, no retreat!"
> "How many?" the general asked.
The scout turned hollow eyes to him.
> "Ten thousand. At least."
Gasps. Screams. Guards paled. Seraphina grabbed my arm instinctively.
---
The War Room
Later that night, the royal chamber burned with torchlight.
Maps sprawled across the tables. Generals, nobles, and commanders surrounded King Lunstein von Airillesta, who stood at the head of the room, unmoving.
> "Ten thousand monsters," one general whispered.
"We don't have the manpower to hold the forest line."
> "Even with our strongest mages," another added, "our walls will fall within three days."
> "We must call for reinforcements—Dragereth Kingdom owes us—"
> "Dragereth's armies won't arrive in time."
> "Then we evacuate the border towns—"
> "We won't make it in time."
The room spiraled into shouting.
And through it all, Father stood silent, unmoving.
Until finally…
He raised his hand.
Silence fell.
> "...Send word to Dragereth."
Everyone turned.
> "Evacuate our civilians. All non-combatants. Children, elderly. Scholars. Families. The next generation of nobles."
> "And my sons."
The room froze.
> "Your Majesty?" one noble asked, stunned.
> "You're… ordering the royal family to leave?" another gasped.
He didn't answer right away.
His eyes—tired, shadowed—met mine and Seraphina's. Then Allcrine's. Then Edrin and Hyarus, who'd been standing behind the generals quietly this whole time.
> "This Kingdom may fall. But our people… will not."
> "Alein. All of you. You will leave with the evacuees at dawn."
---
Later that Night
I stood by the balcony, sword resting against the stone, staring out at the forest.
The stars blinked quietly in the sky.
> "Are we really running?" I asked.
Seraphina didn't answer for a long time. Then she stepped beside me.
> "Your father isn't running. He's staying."
> "To die?"
> "To fight. So we don't have to."
The silence felt heavier than any sword.
> "So this is the fate I changed…" I murmured.
> "What?"
> "Nothing. Just… back then, I joked about having a body that could survive anything."
I looked at my hand. Faint golden light pulsed briefly beneath my skin.
> "Now I might have to prove it."
---
The war table was louder than yesterday.
The final meeting had begun.
General Albreth slammed down a map showing monster movements from the eastern ridge. The head mage of the court barked reports of mana surges in the deeper forest. Noble advisors were raising voices, arguing about logistics, transport, safe passage.
But none of them were louder than my father's silence.
King Lunstein von Airillesta stood at the head of the table, both hands clasped behind his back, watching everything with eyes like stone. Every piece moved. Every voice mattered. But he was the only one carrying the weight of a nation.
Then his voice cut through the noise.
> "This is my final command."
Silence.
> "Duke Zuel Silva. You and your daughter will oversee the evacuation. You are to escort the Lunstein family—my sons, the queen, the court nobles, and as many civilians as you can—to the western border."
> "You are to take them safely to Dragereth Kingdom and request political asylum for the duration of the war."
Duke Zuel stepped forward, jaw tight. "Understood."
> "You will ride tomorrow, at dawn. This is not a request. This is a final order as King of Airillesta."
Gasps rang out.
Seraphina, beside her father, froze.
My brothers—all of them—turned to look at him, stunned. Even Allcrine, the 1st Prince, hesitated.
> "Father…" Hyarus muttered.
> "Your duty is not here," the King continued. "Your duty is to survive. Airillesta may fall. But as long as its future breathes… it is not dead."
---
As everyone began discussing routes, who would go, how many carriages, what provisions—
I stepped forward.
Without a word.
Without hesitation.
I walked past generals, advisors, startled guards, and even my brothers.
I walked until I stood directly in front of my father, then dropped down onto one knee, hand over heart—not as a prince.
But as a knight.
> "Father," I said.
"Let me stay."
He stared at me, unmoving.
> "This isn't about proving anything. I don't want a title. I don't care if they call me weak or useless or just a failure waiting to die."
> "I want to stay… because I have something worth protecting."
I lifted my eyes, steady.
> "I want to fight. Because this kingdom… is my home."
The room fell utterly silent.
My voice echoed between the stone walls and war banners.
> "Let my brothers live. Let the nobles run. Let them call me foolish."
> "But if I must fall… let it be with a sword in hand, beside the King who raised me."
---
For a long moment, Father said nothing.
Then—
He slowly stepped forward.
His shadow fell over me.
And for the first time in my life…
He placed his hand gently on my shoulder.
> "...Stand, Alein."
I rose.
He stared at me with quiet pride—raw and heavy.
> "You will not stay as my son."
> "You will stay as my knight."
---
Across the room, Seraphina's eyes widened.
> "Idiot," she whispered.
> "Absolute idiot…"
But there was a smile tugging at her lips.
---My father placed his hand on my shoulder.
> "You will not stay as my son," he said.
"You will stay as my knight."
I nodded, eyes steady.
But in that same moment, someone else did not approve.
And her silence… said more than shouting ever could.
---
That Evening – Royal Training Grounds
The sun dipped low, painting the skies in hues of fire and smoke. The horizon felt far too quiet—as if even the wind was holding its breath.
I was no longer training in the forest that evening.
I was standing at the center of the palace training courtyard, surrounded by full-armed royal knights, each one watching with sharp eyes and crossed arms.
And in front of me stood Captain Reinard Vernhart—the man known as the "Unbreakable Shield" of Airillesta.
Broad shoulders. Grizzled silver hair. Eyes like a cold mountain.
And a wooden training sword in hand that may as well have been carved from a lightning bolt.
> "His Majesty has approved your decision," he said, voice gruff but fair.
"But I haven't."
I blinked. "...Pardon?"
> "You want to fight beside the King? Then prove it. Not with words. Not with family name. With your sword."
He lowered the blade toward me.
> "If you lose this duel… you retreat with the evacuation tomorrow."
> "And if I win?"
> "Then I'll permit you to stay."
My fingers tightened around my sword.
> "Who put you up to this?" I asked suspiciously.
He didn't answer.
But somewhere up on the castle balcony… I felt it.
A presence watching.
A familiar pair of eyes.
Red. Quiet. And angry.
Seraphina.
---
The Duel Begins
The sparring ring was silent.
Captain Reinard stood motionless, blade resting lightly in his palm.
> "Whenever you're ready, boy."
I took a breath. Slid my foot back. Lowered my stance.
Then—
CLASH!
Our wooden swords met in a blur of movement and sparks.
He was fast.
Faster than I expected.
But I wasn't the boy from five years ago anymore.
---
He came at me with strikes heavy as stone, moving with discipline only a battlefield could forge.
I dodged the first. Parried the second.
The third sent me sliding backward across the courtyard tiles.
> This guy's no joke…
> "Your form's decent," he muttered. "But you hesitate when it matters."
> "Only because I don't want to accidentally hit a knight with a wife and six children," I quipped.
> "I'm single."
> "Oh good. I can go full force, then."
---
We exchanged ten, twenty, thirty blows.
My shoulders ached. My grip burned.
But I didn't stop.
> This is my chance. My only chance to earn my place here… not as royalty. As a warrior.
---
He swept low—I jumped.
He jabbed high—I ducked.
He feinted left—
I caught it.
And with one desperate pivot, I slid behind him, reversed my stance—and struck his back with a clean hit.
Thud.
He stopped.
Everyone froze.
> "...Well?" I asked, panting.
Captain Reinard stood tall.
Then gave a faint, amused chuckle.
> "You've improved."
He turned to the knights.
> "From this moment… Alein Lunstein is no longer a trainee. He is a knight of Airillesta."
The knights clapped once. Sharp. Formal.
He looked at me again, and added, just loud enough for me to hear:
> "You can thank your red-haired shadow later."
---
Up on the Balcony
Seraphina stood silently behind the curtain, arms crossed, her face half-hidden in the shadow of the stone.
She didn't say anything.
But her grip tightened ever so slightly on the curtain edge.
> "Idiot…" she murmured.
> "You're really going to stay, aren't you?"
---
The moon hung high in the night sky, casting silver light over the kingdom like a farewell letter from the stars.
My arms ached.
After sparring with Captain Reinard for what felt like an eternity, I could still feel the dull burn traveling up my forearms. My fingers twitched slightly from strain, and my right wrist—though slowly recovering—was tight with tension.
Even now…
Even with my hidden healing ability working slowly beneath the surface…
The pain reminded me I was still human.
I reached the door of my chamber, thinking nothing waited for me but silence and cold sheets.
But I was wrong.
---
I stepped into the moonlit room… and stopped.
She was already there.
Seraphina.
Sitting on the edge of my bed.
Waiting.
Her red hair loose, her back to me.
But in her hands…
Two unsheathed swords.
> "Seraphina—?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she stood.
Turned toward me slowly.
Then threw one of the swords straight at me.
I caught it on instinct. My tired hands still knew their duty.
> "Fight me," she said.
Her voice trembled. But her stance was solid.
> "One more duel. Right now. No wooden swords. No games. No ranks."
> "Why?" I asked.
> "Because if I can beat you… you have to leave with us."
---
I didn't hesitate.
I took the blade in both hands, lowered my stance.
> "Then you'd better fight to kill," I said softly.
> "I will."
She lunged.
---
The room became a cage of ringing steel and controlled fury.
Our swords clashed, dancing with sparks.
My fatigue screamed. My heartbeat surged.
But my hands moved anyway—guided not by strength, but by instinct and memory.
We'd trained together too long.
I knew her movements.
And she knew mine.
> "Why are you doing this?" I asked mid-swing.
> "Because I can't let you die!" she snapped, her sword crashing down against mine.
> "You think I want to stay behind? That this is easy?"
> "Then don't! Just come with us! Please!"
Her voice cracked. She swung harder.
> "I know you're strong! I know you want to protect us! But I—"
She struck again, my grip slipped—
And the sword flew from my hand and clattered to the floor.
Before I could recover, she was on me. Her blade at my neck.
Her hands trembling.
Tears rolling down her cheeks.
---> "I don't want to lose you," she whispered.
> "Not you."
I looked up at her, breathing hard.
She wasn't crying out of anger.
She was crying… out of fear.
---
I slowly reached up and gently brushed away her tears.
Then stood—ignoring the stinging in my wrist—and pulled her into a hug.
She didn't resist.
Her forehead rested on my chest. Her sword clattered to the floor beside us.
> "I made this choice," I whispered.
"Not because I want to be strong. But because I want to protect you."
> "The real you."
> "The girl who cries when no one is watching."
> "So please… don't cry when I go to war please leave a smile before i gone."
>"idiots... there is no joke this time." she said muffled on my chest.
---
We stood in silence for a long time.
Then she stepped back, just a little, cheeks red and eyes shining.
> "Then promise me."
> "Promise me you'll come back."
I smiled faintly.
She lifted her pinky finger.
I hooked mine with hers.
> "Pinky promise."
Then—
She leaned up on her toes…
And kissed me.
---
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't rushed.
It was quiet.
Full of fear, and longing, and everything we couldn't say out loud anymore.
When we parted, she looked me in the eyes.
> "I'll wait," she whispered.
> "So don't make me regret letting you go."
She left my room for the last time.
On that time i remembered when i fight her in final boss in Academy arc in Otome game, on her final phase she put all her power on the sword and said "Alein, wait for me i will come for you... And meet you again" The dark fiery aura become her helmet, cloak and much of it all on her sword.
And her pattern attack change into insane to predict and damage almost 1 shot the player shield and speed become faster ever second.
---