The bell's sonorous clang reverberated throughout the kingdom, signaling the start of another workday. Choenil Lina turned to Anon, her voice laced with concern and a hint of warning. "Oh, looks like it's time, Anon. Thanks for your concern about my brother, but it's better for you to not go to him right now. Let him be for now. Don't worry, I'll do my best to make him understand his situation and give him some motivation." Anon's eyes locked onto hers, understanding the unspoken message. He nodded, his voice measured. "Okay, I'll follow your advice. Just let Qshon know that my mother is just too busy for that, and also tell him not to be sad over something so trivial. Remind him to rejoice because he can still become sad." Choenil's gaze lingered on Anon's face, embedding his words in her mind like a gentle command.
As she departed to participate in an underground tournament, the thrill of competition coursed through her veins. The facilitator's booming voice introduced her to the crowd: "My hot-headed audience, look at what we have here! It's the kingdom's sword, Princess Choenil Lina, the renowned Greatest Sword of Peace!" The audience erupted in cheers and applause, their excitement palpable. Choenil's eyes scanned the arena, her long sword at the ready. The facilitator continued, "For a fitting opponent, we will pit against her the second strongest in this arena – the Black Hero!"
The massive doors on the opposite side of the arena swung open, and a figure clad in black emerged, shrouded in mystery. Choenil's grip on her sword tightened as she assumed a defensive stance. "Let the barbaric fight... begin!" The words barely left the facilitator's lips before Choenil charged forward, her sword slicing through the air with a speed that seemed almost supernatural. The blade bit into the air mere inches from Dan Ny's face, but he dodged the attack with an agility that belied his imposing figure.
Choenil halted her advance, a mixture of surprise and admiration on her face. "Not bad, you really are the second strongest in this arena. Normally, that attack would be my first and last. It's an attack with a speed almost akin to the speed of sound. You're a strong one; please, tell me your name." Dan Ny's silence was momentary, his voice low and husky when he finally spoke. "I'd be happy to be defeated again and learn more, but it would be a shame for me to be defeated by a girl. Call me Dan Ny."
The challenge in his words ignited a spark within Choenil. Her eyes narrowed, and her voice took on a competitive edge. "You are quite confident of your strength, Dan Ny. Looks like you don't know how dangerous this girl you're fighting is!" The air seemed to vibrate with tension as Dan Ny launched a powerful punch, the sound of it booming through the arena like thunder. Choenil didn't flinch, her hand rising to block the punch – not with her sword or a shield, but with an unseen force that seemed to materialize from the air itself.
Dan Ny stepped back, a glimmer of interest in his eyes. "Hmm, so that's the power they're talking about." Choenil's ability to control the air was a manifestation of her supernatural blessing, a gift from the goddess of peace and light, Lux Aeterna. The fight seemed one-sided, and Choenil's voice took on a cautionary tone. "Looks like someone needs to back off, right? I warn you, Dan, don't fight me. I've acknowledged that you're strong, but it's not what I want. I want to fight seriously and train with a stronger opponent."
Dan Ny's response was laced with indignation, his voice rising above a whisper. "That's the biggest disrespect I've heard in my whole life." His eyes seemed to hold a secret, a murmur escaping his lips. "I'm sorry, Luna. Looks like I need to fight with my power." The words were lost on Choenil, her focus solely on the battle ahead. She summoned a vast shell of empty space, devoid of air, to suffocate Dan Ny and end the fight swiftly. However, her expectations were shattered when Dan Ny stood firm, unaffected by the vacuum.
Choenil's eyes widened in surprise as she dispelled the vacuum, her voice laced with curiosity and a hint of trepidation. "What are you? Why aren't you affected by it? A normal human should be dying right after that. Are you also a blessed one?" Dan Ny's response was a low, rumbling laugh. "It seems I have more lungs inside me, hahahaha... Okay, let me ask you, is it a fair fight right now?"
Choenil's response was to unleash her most potent attack, a cloud of poisonous gas that would be lethal to any ordinary human. "I didn't mean to do it to you, but you are a threat to the kingdom. There should be only one." The cloud dispersed, revealing Dan Ny still standing, unscathed and unperturbed. Choenil's eyes widened in incredulity, her voice barely above a whisper. "Impossible!"
Unfazed, Choenil summoned her full power, materializing the air into razor-sharp swords that sliced through the environment with deadly precision. She unleashed a flurry of attacks, her movements a blur as she swung the swords in a lethal dance. Dan Ny dodged each attack with ease, his movements almost casual, until Choenil landed a blow that should have cleaved him in two. Yet, Dan Ny caught the sword with his bare hands, the blade biting into the ground mere inches from his feet, sending dust flying everywhere.
The audience held its collective breath as the Greatest Sword of Peace, the renowned warrior, was rendered powerless against the second strongest in the underground arena. Choenil's knees buckled, her head bowed in defeat, tears streaming down her face. "Not my sword, my power, my poison, my techniques... I'm weak." The crowd's silence was oppressive, witnessing the proud princess's moment of vulnerability.
Dan Ny turned and walked away without a word, leaving Choenil kneeling in despair, her sword still clutched in her hand. As she exited the arena, her face downcast, she spotted Anon sitting outside, a bag slung over his shoulder. Anon's eyes met hers, concern etched on his face. "Oh, Choenil, why are you here?" Her voice was barely audible, cracking with emotion. "I... I was defeated, and I didn't even scratch him!"
Anon stood, his movements gentle as he sat beside her, his hand on her shoulder a comforting presence. "I was defeated too," he said softly. "I had high expectations, thinking I could win any fight. But when I was defeated, a new feeling emerged – a realization that I needed to do more, to train harder. It didn't become my weakness but my strength to continue." His words soothed Choenil, and she began to open up about her past, her voice laced with vulnerability.
"Thank you, Anon. I just can't accept this reality – that I'm defeated without doing anything. I've always thought I'm the strongest, with the talent, knowledge, wealth, and influence... and most of all, this power. These things made me think I could defeat anyone, but now... I think I'm just hallucinating." As she spoke, Choenil saw Anon in a new light, as a big brother figure who offered comfort and understanding – a stark contrast to her usual role as the strong, protective sibling.
Meanwhile, Anon's thoughts were consumed by guilt and admiration. He hadn't anticipated facing Choenil in the arena, and her defeat was a harsh reminder of his own actions. His mind replayed the fight, his words repeating like a mantra. "My bad, my bad, my bad... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Ahhh, she's so cute when she cries." The gentle smile on his face betrayed his concern, revealing a softer side to his personality.