Chapter 16 : Fallen Angel
Azalia von Starfall is having a bad day. Scratch that. She had it bad since the day she was born. Surrounded by nothing but a bunch of idiots, she had it hard. She is already 10 years old and was a genius since birth. She is both skilled in sword arts and general arts.
But what about her surroundings? The father king doesn't care a single thing about what is happening in his empire. The mother queen is indulging herself in liquor all days. Her two brothers plotting amongst themselves for the throne. The only person she holds love for in her family is her little sister who is two years younger than her.
That is also the reason why she went on a journey to train under sir Hero in sword arts. When she gets old, she would get pulled into the political mess. When that happens, she would need strength to protect herself and her sister from assassination attempts. So, she came under Hero's wing with permission and a recommendation letter from the prime minister.
The only reason why this empire is still standing strong among surrounding countries is because of the prime minister. The Prime Minister is more of a father to her than her actual father. And he actually cares about the empire from his heart. He can even start a coup d'état if he wants to. That is how strong his political position is.
And it has already been three months since she had started studying under the Hero. She learned a lot under him and she had been one of the strongest students under him. Too bad, the Hero is only proficient in sword art and not in magic. The only magic he knew is self-reinforcement magic. Believe it or not, she wanted to become a magic swordsman. It has been her own passion instead of studying for her own survival.
She had heard about the ruin that has been guarded by Heroes through generation. It was just 3 days journey from her place. She wanted to check and visit there for once before going back to the Capital.
"Hey! Azalia! Where are you going?!" she heard a voice from afar.
When she turns around, she sees a boy younger than her by a year with a handsome face and raven dark hair on his head. She unconsciously groaned. This is someone with who she doesn't want to interact.
His name is Bright Coven. The grandson of the Hero and someone who is said to become an upcoming hero. Of course, she knows the fact that he holds affection for her. But she does not return the feelings and just acts aloof near him.
"Oh, just here and there," she replied.
"Do you want me to come together with you?" he asked as if he is hoping to come together with her on her journey to the ruin.
"No, I would like to go there alone. This will be my last free time before going back to the capital. So, I don't want to go there with anyone."
"Is that so?" He looks like a puppy that got beaten with a stick.
"Then, we can see each other at the magic academy, right?"
"Yes, you are." She replied. She will be seeing him even if she doesn't want to.
She went on her journey to the ruin after informing the Hero. Although he doesn't want her to go there, there is no such situation that puppy eyes won't work. She is currently free. Free from the worries as a royalty and free from the constant flattering from the nobilities. Right now, she is just Azalia, a normal ten years old on her journey.
This is the third day on her journey and she could see the ruin away. So, she had decided to camp inside the forest near the ruin. Because the Hero is watching over the ruin, there aren't many monster beasts in the forest. Some wilds can be eaten though.
After eating and prepared her sleeping place, she had decided to sleep. Until she heard the sound of a sword-swinging from a place near her camp. Curiosity got into her and she went to see who had been practicing sword arts.
When she got to the place, she was stunned. There, she sees a boy younger than her with white hair. She couldn't see his face clearly because of constant moving. It looks like dancing but, she came to realize the fact that what she is seeing are sword stances. He kept doing twelve moves over and over without getting tired and without stopping. She tried to learn those stances and imprint them inside her memory. Without her knowing, the sun is already rising. She quickly went back to her camp and rest. She needs to be in top condition if she wants to explore the ruin.
When she woke up, it is already noon and she quickly prepares for the exploration. She was very excited to explore the ruin that was guarded by the Heroes for generations. It must be something special for the ruin to be guarded by the Heroes.
"Water? Check. Rations? Check. Torch? Check. Rope? Check. Other necessities to explore the ruin? Check."
After checking the things needed, she hovers her hand over the sword that she hangs beside her. The sword is something her mother gave her before turning into the drunkard. The only present she got from her parents and she treasures it dearly. She might hate them but they are still her parents. She wants to improve the empire and she will try hard for it.
It was already night when she gets inside the ruin and she was very excited. She looks over every rune written over the walls. Those are demon languages but she can still understand some of those.
"It said, 'seal', 'sword', 'angel', 'evil', and what does the other mean?" she touches the wall and she got prick by some stone and some drops of blood were smeared on the wall. Just like that, some mechanism works and a hidden door appears at the other side of the corridor.
She knows something got strange but her explorer mind got the best of her. She walks to the door and what she saw was a sword stabbed on the ground. She got chills when she looks at the sword. Just when she got into the room, there was a whirl of dark and purple color wind and just above the sword, she sees the young man with a pair of dark wings behind him.
"Die," the word came from the young man's mouth and she instantly dodged to the side. There is a large hole at the place where she was before. Her back is full of cold sweats.
"Fallen angel," she muttered. Those are the angels who fell from grace by committing one of the seven deadly sins. And all the angels are strong, fallen or not. She just knows that this is her fate now. To die in the ruin away from her sister.
She never thought that she will die on her joyous day. She doesn't want to die. She doesn't want to leave her baby sister in a den full of beasts.
She will survive. Even though she knows the fact that she won't win against this fallen angel, she will die trying rather than getting killed by her cowardness. She draws her sword from the scabbard and ready herself.
She dodged by lowering herself by instinct and an arc of wind blade pass through above her. She runs toward the fallen and slashes him with her sword when she got near him. But he easily dodges and without her knowing, a fist was sent toward her stomach. She flew toward the wall and slammed into the wall. If you look clearly, you will see a human shape carter on the wall.
"My backbone suffered some injuries," she muttered while using healing magic on herself. She can't even stand straight. Using the sword as a cane, she tried to stand up. Drops of blood are streaming down from her head. She looks miserable and no one would believe that this is the proud and genius princess of their empire.
"Come! Even if I die, I will die without regret!" She can finally stand on her own feet and roared toward the fallen. This time, the fallen had gone for the final blow. He sent a ball of darkness energy toward her and she braced for the impact that would eventually come to her.
But what she expected doesn't come but she saw the boy whom she had seen during the night is standing in front of her and slashed upward the ball of darkness with his sword. And to her surprise, the ball got sent upward and the ceiling got blown off.
"Am I late for the party?" the boy asked. When he looks back at her, she saw the handsome face with some baby fat remaining on him.
With the moonlight shining behind him, it was this moment that imprints inside her mind as one of the most beautiful scenes she had seen.