ã€ŠThe Children&#x27;s Crusadeã€‹


 Prologue: Red snow falls

    I recall that she was a busy person. But she always had time to take care of me with her warm, smiling eyes. It was a fine day, one of those rare days where dad was off from work. Mom took us to the central park.

    "Hahaha-!"

    My name is Helen. I was seven, eight or maybe nine. I was a jubilant little girl, yet unknown to the sorrows of the world. My brother, Garen, was around seventeen. He was my favorite grown-up who would always call me "princess". Never would we quarrel or fight. When I would try to do so, he would just pinch my plump cheeks and giggle.

    "Hehehe!"

    I was stubborn that day and wanted to wear my white dress. Mom told me that I would be cold, but I was not listening. My heart was already on the snowy plains outside. I wanted to be a snowflake myself; cold, quiet, and beautiful.

    "It¡¯s snowing! It¡¯s snowing!"

    Slowly and gently, white flakes of beauty were gliding down from the sky. Garen gave me that mischievous look, and started throwing little balls of snow at me. After getting hit several times, I tried to lump snowballs myself, but somehow the icy dust would always slip through my fingers. As soon as Dad saw me stick out my lips, he started shooting snowballs at Garen. My brother let out a playful laugh, and the grand snowball battle had begun. Of course I cheered for Daddy. Mom was laughing the whole time, uttering ¡°Silly man, silly man¡±. I was happy, too happy to doubt that this happiness could last. My family would always be with me. They would always be there. I was sure. Oh, I was so sure. My world would never change.

    But it did.

    My world fell that day. It crumbled; miserably. Everything, all of it, collapsed into a lump of dust.

    There was an explosion in the middle of the park. Hot, parched gust hit my face. Snow-flowers that had covered the land were gone; they evaporated in an instant. The dance of crimson flames scattered them away. Lights flashed all over the place, and the air shook in heat. Everyone stood in their place, utterly stunned.

    I raised my eyes. Something was in the middle of the park. It was orange, brown, red, gray, black, big as an airship, and shaped like a bell.

    It was moving.

    Writhing and twisting, as if it was struggling to get out. There was something about it that made me feel sick. Finally it split into three pieces. The insides of it were a mix of carmine red and purple. I saw hundreds of pores, blocked by a jelly-like membrane. Something was moving in there....

    One of the membranes popped open. I heard horrified screams. One by one, the pores burst open, spitting gelatinous green liquid into the ground.

    "Run..... RUN NOW!"

    My dad was well educated about Kyl¡¯aq invasions since he was a government employee. He scooped me in his arms and took off. Garen took Mommy¡¯s hand and ran behind us. Out of curiosity, I turned my head back.

    And I saw it.

    I will never be able to forget it. I saw death, the damnable devil that crawled out of hell itself. Its reptilian eyes, red and furious, its enormous body, split into multiple segments, layered with iron, reddish muscles; its jaws, dripping with saliva, and a rough carapace that looked like it had been formed out of the earth¡¯s depths. It wielded sharp, deadly claws.

    Suddenly I realized, it was the monster they talked about on TV. I¡¯d seen it. I knew what it was. It was them. The big, ugly blob all the children tried to hit in P.E class. It¡¯s the bad guy.

    Kyl¡¯aq. Monster.

    It was fast. No, too fast. It didn¡¯t make any sense; it was far too fast for its size. One of it jumped at a man, and the snow beneath him turned red.

    Again, and again, fresh blood splattered the field. The Kyl¡¯aq hunt the people¡¯s heartbeats. Bodies were torn like balloons holding red paint. One by one, they turned into crimson stains.

    I heard mothers screaming over their sons, daughters miserably weeping for their fathers.

    Boys yelped for their torn limbs, and girls fell to the ground, utterly stunned. Children lay dead with potato chips in their hands. Men poured their guts into the ground. Pregnant women took their last breaths ¨C with children that never, ever breathed. The sky was bloodied, the earth was well, and dark red, blood red, was everywhere.

    "Close your eyes Helen!"

    Mom shouted at me, but I was too frightened to listen. Could it be? I thought one of them was chasing us. Yes, I am certain now; I can even hear the monster grinding his teeth. Its terrifying scream still lingers in my dreams. I can still hear it ¨Cvividly.

    "Kyieeeeeeeeaaaaaaaakkkkk!!!"

    Dad rushed into a nearby building in hopes that the monster would get stuck between the doors. But no, the beast tore in, completely destroying the entrance; ¨C rocks and debris flew in the air. Garen was a few steps away from it. He could not move; he was stunned by its gaze. The Kyl¡¯aq bolted at him and just before it stabbed Garen with its razor-sharp claws ¨C

    Clunch-

    I was tossed to the ground. Just before I fell down, I heard something. It was a horrible sound, the sound of a spear sinking deeply into flesh. Dad''s face distorted with pain. I saw a big hole in his left arm and Garen standing safely behind him.

    "Dad!"

    "Stay away from me!!!"

    Dad stopped Garen from approaching him. He shouted at us to run. ¡°Run toward the narrow alleys. Avoid big streets. Run, run I mean now.¡± Mom started to cry. Dad turned his back. His voice was trembling.

    ¡°Please go. I am begging you. Take care of the kids.¡±

    Mom picked me up in her arms, and we started running.

    I heard dad let out a big sigh. He held out his gun.

    "You can kill me, but you are NOT hurting my family."

    The monster jumped, and the gun flared. It was a one-sided battle, but my dad didn¡¯t give up. He fell, hugging the ground. Just before the Kyl¡¯aq began pulling its blade from my dad¡¯s chest, Dad whispered,

    "Now Wh.. Where do you think you¡¯re goin-"

    Barely able to breathe, he frantically grasped on its forearm. The Kyl¡¯aq shook its body several times to pluck the crimson blade out of him. My dad clenched his jaws and held on. He shut his eyes. With all his strength he shot a kick to the monster¡¯s head. The monster howled in anger. At last the monster swung its other arm to rip the man apart. ¡°No, Daddy!¡± I burst into tears. The hideous creature sank its crimson blades into him. My small hope of his survival shattered into pieces. Yet my Dad did not release his grip. Dad opened his mouth and shouted out something resembling ¡°I¡¯m still alive.¡± He held on to the Kyl¡¯aq blade until his limbs were both sliced off. He did not give up even then but buried his teeth into the Kyl¡¯aq. A small, moaning sound slipped out from his tightly clenched mouth.

    ¡°I am still not dead. I am still not dead, you monster,¡± He garbled.

    Just before the monster raised its legs, they were out of sight.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    My mom and Garen ran desperately. The Kyl¡¯aq, now red with my father¡¯s blood, had almost caught up with us. If our running speed was one, its speed must have been eight or nine.

    ¡°Kunkayee !¡­¡±

    My brother let out a curse. The monster gained ground, thundering about ten steps behind us. We were going to die at any second. Just as I felt its disgusting breath touching my cheeks, I heard a bang.

    The razor-sharp blade was there no more. The Kyl¡¯aq screeched in pain.

    Bang.

    Blood blasted out the Kyl¡¯aq¡¯s head.

    I looked immediately around. There were several people in green uniforms that read PDC: Planetary Defense Corps. They were hiding behind some building debris. They had to drag Mom away from the site, for she was frozen from the gun sound.

    ¡°Get behind us!¡±

    ¡°Move it!¡±

    We were safe. It took me a while to realize that. Garen crumpled to the ground, exhausted. Too many things had happened in the space of few minutes. A soldier handed him a water bottle, and Garen hastily swallowed from it.

    ¡°Maintain suppressive fire!¡±

    ¡°Do NOT expose yourself!¡±

    More Kyl¡¯aq approached the soldiers, lured by the thundering gun sounds, but the skilled firepower of the infantrymen quickly turned them into messy pieces of meat. The agonizing screams of the Kyl¡¯aq were heard all the way down the street.

    ¡°Hey, Baron!¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°This is way better than your gorram computer games!¡±

    ¡°I know right? The graphics are way too good.¡±

    ¡°This is why we need to send those stupid game designers to the front lines!¡±

    ¡°About friggin¡¯ time.¡±

    ¡°Mark! Baron! Quit chatting and shoot!¡±

    I watched loads of Kyl¡¯aq collapse to the ground. Their blood showered upon us. The gunshots endlessly tore through the sky. Suddenly, a big one appeared on the horizon. Its black carapace flashed in the falling sun, and its claws were stained with blood. Horrified, I clung to my mother¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Hey, hey! Big one twelve O¡¯ clock!¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, we got a 6-meter!¡±

    ¡°Wax em¡¯ boys!¡±

    Instantly, all the guns were pointed at the big Kyl¡¯aq. It did not take any damage, however. Yellow bullets bounced off on its thick carapace. It crawled toward us, destroying all the buildings around it in the process.

    ¡°Sir! 50 mm¡¯s not working!¡±

    ¡°Give me 70! Lieutenant! Where are those 70s?¡±

    ¡°Delta has it sir! They took it all!¡±

    ¡°Blast and damnation! I told them to spare some!¡±

    ¡°What do we do sir?¡±

    ¡°Just put more pepper on it! Don¡¯t let it approach us! Our orders are to stand our ground!¡±

    The big Kyl¡¯aq crushed one of the soldiers. The men tried to hold on, but the Kyl¡¯aq had already smashed through their battle formation. Terrifying screams were heard everywhere. The officer cried into his headpiece, ¡°Team Charlie requesting support! We need armor! Repeat, send armor to point C!¡±

    One of the men screamed at him. Everybody was in fear.

    ¡°Officer! We can¡¯t hold!¡±

    ¡°Fuck this, retreat! Take the civilian and leave! NOW!¡±

    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡±

    ¡°Kyieeeaaaaaaakkkk!!!!¡±

    One by one, the men were smashed into a pile of blood. Frightened and confused, the soldiers scattered in all directions.

    ¡°Idiots! Stop shooting and run!¡±

    ¡°Baron is down! I¡¯m gonna get him!¡±

    ¡°No! We have to leave now! Allen! Take the civilian!¡±

    A young, teen-age soldier took Mom¡¯s hand. I could see he was afraid like we were. His metallic name tag swung in my sight. We fled together.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    The Kyl¡¯aq was distracted by the men on the ground. The men writhed in pain, but unfortunately, no one could save them. The horrified faces of them would put a permanent stain on my heart.

    Leaving the men behind, the squadron darted between the buildings.

    ¡°Move! We need to reach point B! Team Bravo has armor.¡±

    ¡°But what about Baron?¡±

    ¡°Do you want us to all die, soldier? Now move it!¡±

    I breathed heavily. My head was spinning. What was happening was simply unbelievable. This had to be a dream.

    The soldiers probably felt the same way.

    ¡°Damn it! What the hell is happening right now? I just wanted a quiet holiday!¡±

    ¡°Consider yourself lucky. I was on my way to my sister¡¯s wedding.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean the music girl. Damn, I thought I would get her first.¡±

    ¡°Wake up.¡±

    ¡°Who took her away?¡±

    ¡°Vocal major. Shit, I just got a message from him. He¡¯s saying the caviar is ready. Crap, I love caviar!¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°You two, shut up and run!¡±

    I was crying. Warm teardrops drenched my mom¡¯s back, and she tried to calm me down.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right Helen. Mommy¡¯s right here. Don¡¯t cry. We¡¯re almost there. We¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    BAM.

    A piece of a building crashed on the road. Everyone looked up. Something was falling from the sky.

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±

    The falling object resembled a giant dragonfly with eagle wings. Its tail had razor sharp spikes on. It opened its exterior, spraying acid into the soldiers beneath.

    ¡°Bogie inbound!¡±

    ¡°Flyer!¡±

    ¡°Open fire!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhghhh! It burns!¡±

    ¡°Vermin nissest! Just shoot the gorram gun!¡±

    The deafening rifle cracks stunned my senses. Blood splattered all over us. My eyes rolled around in fear. I saw Garen. I saw mom¡¯s back. We were still running. I faced the other way. The fair-looking boy was there. The next moment his body was sliced in half. My mind turned white. My vision blurred. I lost consciousness.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    I tried opening my eyes. My eyelids were still heavy. I frowned. The air smelled awful, as if something foul was burning. I realized I was lying on a deflated mattress. Slowly, I raised my head and rubbed my eyes like I always did. I saw Garen smiling.

    ¡°Ga¡­Garen.¡±

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    Garen was listening to a radio transmission. At first I couldn¡¯t hear the words properly. The ground was stained with red spots. Blood-red spots. I suddenly realized that this was not a dream. The announcer spoke in a shaking voice.

    Hundreds of Kyl¡¯aqi are crawling, running, and flying over our land.

    Our planetary forces have fallen, and the city of Iydunburg is now no more.

    Infantry and Armor are scattered everywhere, and the headquarters of the army is swarming with¡­-

    After rubbing my eyes with my baby-like hands, I started looking for my mother.

    ¡°Where is Mommy?¡±

    The droning radio filled the silence after my question, and Garen bit his lips until blood began to ooze out his mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bite your lips, Garen.¡± He remained stolid. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get a boo-boo, Garen. Boo-boos hurt. I don¡¯t want you to be hurt.¡±

    ¡°Helen¡­¡±

    Garen embraced me and began to sob. My eyes clouded with tears. I was young, but in that moment I knew. Mommy couldn¡¯t hug me ever again.

    ¡°But¡­ but I want Mommy¡¯s hug¡­¡±

    I let out a wail. Garen wept too. We stood there crying until our tears dried out.

    Then we started walking. Corpses and blood lay everywhere. I felt sick. Garen held my hand to comfort me. My white spotless dress was torn and grubby. My hair was tangled, and my face was covered with dirt. I was exhausted, but I was still sound. Garen, on the other hand, had an injury. He was bleeding from his right side. I was too young to know anything about breathing disorders, but I remember he was coughing badly as he walked onward.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Keep walking, Helen.¡±

    His voice was unclear and rather thick. I could see that he was in pain. He frowned periodically as he moved his legs. He smiled rather bitterly when I gave him a worried look.

    We were walking away from the city. Garen probably thought we could get help in the suburb areas.

    He picked up a pistol from a dead soldier. Garen was not the fighting type, at least in my memory. He was a rather small, skinny boy with a pale but charming face. He mostly talked with girls, and he liked to read about plants and trees. Once he boastfully told me that he was a pacifist. Puzzled, I had asked him what a pacifist was. Despite his beliefs, he did unload his pistol when the Kyl¡¯aq appeared in front of us.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    Helen gives me that sad, worried look. Oh the poor little girl. I force a smile. I can¡¯t let her be troubled by my misery; she saw enough today. My breath grows heavy as I take more steps. Ah, the lingering pain! It hurts every time I spit out the damn flaming air. Fortunately, the wound didn¡¯t reach my lungs. However, it damaged enough muscles to cripple my breathing pattern. I can¡¯t help but frown as I breathe in and out.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Keep walking, Helen.¡±

    I let out a bitter smile. I am so sorry for lying to her. But we have to get out of the city before night falls. We can¡¯t afford a break, regardless of my condition. Thank God Helen is unharmed. I¡¯ll have no idea what to do if she is wounded. At least the bugs aren¡¯t chasing us for now.

    Something materializes on the horizon. What is it? As we walked near, I feel my eyes widening. I see massive, armored vehicles with gigantic mounted rail guns. Never in my life where they looked so dazzling. It¡¯s a tank! It¡¯s the armored forces! Thank heavens, we found a military outpost. I strengthen my grip on Helen¡¯s arm. When we draw close enough, I start to fanatically flail my hands at them.

    ¡°Hey! Look here! We¡¯re here! Hey! Look here!¡±

    Two soldiers pop their heads from the gigantic tank and notice me.

    ¡°Civilians at three-o-clock. Repeat, civilians at three-o-clock.¡±

    We are safe now. We¡¯re safe. This time, we are really, really safe. I almost burst out crying. When the soldiers take us inside the base, I can¡¯t help stop repeating, ¡°Thank you, Thank you!¡± Several men smile at us when Helen mirrors me, murmuring her gratitude.

    ¡°Welcome, guys. Lucky that we found you before the bugs did.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    Most of the men are middle-aged, fully equipped with armor and guns. One of them leads us to an army tent to rest. Helen stood beside me, hastily consuming a big lump of chocolate. Poor girl, you must have been absolutely famished. I instantly collapse on the bed. Phew, sleep at last. I close my eyes. Not long after I fall asleep, Helen shakes me awake. ¡°What is it? I am very, very tired right now¡­¡± I move my lazy eyeballs to where she is pointing outside the tent and I frowned. My eyesight is still blurry. I¡¯ve barely woken up.

    Helen is still pointing in the same direction. Her voice quavers as she asks,

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    My eyes fix on the object to which she is pointing. Instantly, I feel my breath stopping. The object on the horizon moves. Its gray, purplish carapace, four sets of wings, four legs, four blades, a pair of huge mandibles and thousands of bones, muscles and fiber is grotesquely mixed together. It is small, about the size of an adult man, but it is covered in a huge plasma shield that deflects almost every bullet and shell we have. It is a complete abomination. Its body screams of death, death and even more death. I shiver in horror. I know what that thing is. The soldiers know what it is too. One of the older soldiers lets out a curse. Others shout the monster¡¯s name.

    ¡°Oh, my God.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an Atrox.¡±

    ¡°Atrox!!!¡±

    ¡°Alert the crew!¡±

    ¡°Red! Red! Red!¡±

    ¡°Open fire!!!¡±

    Sirens ring, guns flare, and cannons boom. But it is in vain, in complete vanity. No armor can match the Atrox, the final evolution and the ultimate weapon of the warring Kyl¡¯aq. It toys with the soldiers. One of the tanks fires its main cannon, but the shell does not even scratch the monster¡¯s hardened plasma shield. The monster crushes the tank into a pile of junk. It slices a second tank neatly in a half, lacerating the crew inside. Infantry falls quickly to the Atrox¡¯s blades. I realize this is no longer a battle, but a slaughter. I feel the sky crumble down. I stand there, completely hopeless. We are done.

    A pistol is in my hand. It is small yet fairly heavy. I picked it up earlier from a dead soldier. I look at Helen, who is covering her ears. She is screaming for it to stop, please stop. I holler at her to run. No use. She is too terrified to listen. The Atrox turns its gaze to at me. I raise my gun and aim at the Atrox. It flies toward me at an incredible speed. My pistol flames and my mouth involuntarily let out a painful scream.

    I suddenly realize this is the end for me. I am on the ground, drenched in my own blood. My eyesight blurs. The last thing I am able to see is little Helen. I move my lips to say something. After that, it is utter darkness.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    ¡°Run, Helen! NOW!¡±

    I remember coming back to my senses, and then backing up. Garen¡¯s tormented scream interrupted me before I could ask, ¡°What about you?¡± His blood splattered up, touching my cheeks. The next moment he was on the ground, his heart speared and his arm sliced. That was the end of my beloved brother Garen. It was a meaningless, young, and sorrowful death. He whispered his last words. I wept as his gaze slowly drifted into the afterlife.

    I¡¯m sorry, Helen. I am sorry.

    The monster slowly approached me. I tried to run, but as soon as my eyes met its beastly gaze, my feet were fixed to the ground. It was hatred, unending, bondless, and infinite hatred. Its eyes flamed with it. I could feel it. The monsters would not stop until the last earthling fell to the ground. They would stab, cut, tear, and crush until the last of us breathed no more.

    The Atrox stepped toward me. Finally, it stood right in front of me. Six buggy yellow eyes were looking at me. It slowly eyed me, as if it was looking down at a helpless prey. I stopped breathing. I did not move. My thinking process had completely stopped. Too scared, too shocked, I was frozen in the spot. Like a small bird paralyzed in front of a rattlesnake, I forgot how to move my body. The Atrox clutched me by my throat. I let out a soft moan. My small body was lifted toward the sky. The beast deliberately tightened its grasp slowly. He was playing with me, enjoying every little moment I struggled for my life. I twitched and kicked as I slowly choked on its clutches. My movement rapidly diminished. My body was involuntarily shaking from the lack of air. Finally, I succumbed. I could move my body no more. I helplessly hung in the air at the mercy of the Atrox. My vision began to blur. I could not feel my fingers anymore. I closed my eyes, as I prepared for the end.

    I could not think of anything. Nothing, nothing came to my mind. I was waiting for my death. Time passed slowly. Seconds felt like hours. With great difficulty, I opened my eyes. Was I dead? Did I get to meet Mommy, Daddy, and Garen again? No, the monstrous Kyl¡¯aq was still there, sneering at me.

    To my amazement, it let go of me. I fell into some rubble. I gasped for my breath. I shivered as I shook off the Kyl¡¯aqi scales sticking on to my skin. The Atrox jumped back and let out an intimidating scream. It stomped its feet, whirled its jaws, and shouted again. Its wings fluttered in excitement. I could not understand what had happened. I turned my eyes to the direction in which the Atrox was looking.

    A boy and a girl stood there. The boy¡¯s uniform looked familiar. I remembered seeing people with those clothes on television, in the papers, even at my school.

    Each held a slim, gleaming sword. I burst out crying. At last, I understood who they were. Probably every child in the universe would know who they were. Boys followed their gestures; girls mimicked their voices. They were everyone¡¯s heroes. I let out a small murmur.

    ¡°Knights.¡±

    Humanity¡¯s last hope, the living gods of our century ¨C these labels were given to our highest heroes.

    The Knights I saw that day were mere teenagers, short in height, with child-like faces and high-pitched voices. It was rather pathetic for these small kids to fight against the gruesome monsters of doom.

    Of course, on that day, they looked ever so big to me. The boy was full of confidence. His blue eyes blazed with fury. His grip was strong, and his drawn sword glittered in the sun. His face was like a wolf, snarling and growling upon his enemy. The girl beside him was a mysterious, beautiful figure with jet black hair extended down to her back and locked with an oriental hair band. Her expression was silent and cold, yet full of vigor. Her pose was well disciplined, her sword was exotic, and she spoke with an unfamiliar accent.

    ¡°Type-5. It¡¯s a named unit too.¡±

    ¡°Bone Smacker?¡±

    ¡°It is Bone Ripper, enlightened one.¡±

    The boy smiled, rather awkwardly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to remember all the names of worms I killed.¡±

    ¡°You have not killed it yet.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°You mean, we will.¡±

    The boy chuckled.

    ¡°Man, Nanny was right! Boys can¡¯t fight girls with words. We always lose.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see you were a stubborn student with a wise teacher. Recall that I bested you with swords, too.¡±

    Glaring at the Atrox again, the boy opened his mouth.

    ¡°What are you looking at, worm?¡±

    I was close enough to hear radio transmissions from the boy¡¯s suit. An adult voice was demanding the knights¡¯ withdrawal. It said the main forces were retreating, and the knights must wait for sufficient support. The boy shouted back.

    ¡°Coward! Are you afraid of death? Is that why you send us to the front? To hide behind your desk?¡±

    He held his sword and shifted into an aggressive stance. The girl changed her position as well. The Atrox rattled its blade in return.

    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting until the stupid worms chew up everything on this planet.¡±

    ¡°Then let us get to work. Shall we, Mr. Insecticide?¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeekkkk!!¡±

    The monster roared with a terrible voice, but the young knights didn¡¯t even blink. In fact, the boy shouted back.

    ¡°Shut your mouth, worm! And clean your damn neck while you have time. I hate staining my sword.¡±

    ¡°Let us engage.¡±

    ¡°Ready? Let¡¯s go with Position B.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The boy and the girl crouched for a jump. Their swords twisted simultaneously at a same angle. The boy¡¯s eyes lit up to a bright hue. Suddenly, he blurted out-

    ¡°Um, let¡¯s kill it with its head intact.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°For my bugger face collection. Uh, no, I mean ¨C You know biology class.¡±

    ¡°You? Biology? I am deeply concerned. I pray you won¡¯t end up in obstetrics.¡±

    ¡°Oh shut up.¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaakkkkk!!!¡±

    They kicked the ground. Instantly, both knights were in the air. The Atrox dashed at them. Sharp metallic sounds rang through the air. I watched in wonder as the boy and the girl danced with the winged Kyl¡¯aq. Their swords and the beast¡¯s blades flashed brilliant lights back into the sky. The Atroxi blade hit the boy¡¯s sword at ridiculous angles. The boy whirled around, dodging two blades and a pair of mandibles. Just before the Atrox swung another blow, the girl¡¯s blade jumped in. Their blades collided violently. The creature howled in anger and it extended its wings. The girl-knight returned a scream. Her roar was controlled yet powerful, like one of a tigress. The boy joined his colleague by conducting several blows to the left. The Kyl¡¯aq countered the girl¡¯s blade, sending her back. It then flew up and then plummeted at a ridiculous speed, delivering a massive blow to the boy¡¯s blade.

    CRACK.

    I gulped. The shock could be felt yards away. Dust arose in the air.

    Their blades locked together, vibrating viciously upon each other. A moment later, the Atrox swung its second blade toward the knight. The boy ducked his head just in time; the second blade sliced several strands of his hair.

    The monster must have put too much weight on its blade, for it leaned off its balance. The moment the Atrox¡¯s body tilted forward, the boy put up a cold smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re dead, worm.¡±

    The girl jumped in, slicing the Atrox¡¯s right forearm. It screeched in pain. The boy¡¯s sword smashed into the Atrox¡¯s defending primary blade. The blade shattered, and the knight¡¯s sword cracked into two pieces. Blue particles scattered into the air. For a split second, the Atrox stood there completely defenseless. Immediately, the boy and his sword became a giant bright light, and a cracking sound filled the air.

    A crescent afterimage was drawn in the air. The Atrox¡¯s right arm fell down. A clean line on its torso sliced its body into two equal halves. The Beast crashed onto the ground, its green, slimy body fluid drenching the earth.

    The girl smiled, satisfied. ¡°Dissection complete. I say, splendid abdominal cut, doctor.¡±

    The boy walked to it, and held his broken sword to the monster¡¯s head. Emotionless, he slowly drew a mark on its neck. The Atrox hopelessly cried out and twisted its body, but the boy¡¯s face remained cold. At last, the head fell and the monster stopped moving. The boy sheathed his sword.

    ¡°Damn, not again. It¡¯s my third sword this month. Instructor¡¯s gonna kill me.¡±

    ¡°Doctor, you get too emotional while performing dissections.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s totally the academy¡¯s fault! These swords are so low in purity.¡±

    ¡°Good doctors don¡¯t complain about equipment. Perhaps you should practice eastern medicine instead. Poking is easier than cutting. Oh? Hey there! I think we have company.¡±

    The girl must have felt me looking at her. A moment later, she stood in front of me. I did not move. She lent me her hand. It was a small hand, thin and delicate, like those of a violinist. Some kind of exotic writing was on the back of her hand.

    ¡°Greetings, what is your name?¡±

    I was barely able to whisper my name. ¡°Helen. Helen Emoliya.¡±

    ¡°What a beautiful name! I am Arien.¡±

    I took her hand, which felt much different than its appearance. It was rough, cold, and somewhat metallic.

    ¡°Ari¡­ yen?¡±

    ¡°Kya! You are so cute!¡±

    The moment I said her name, she hugged me with all her might ¨C I could barely breathe! Before I could say anything, she dragged me to the boy. With sparkling eyes, she asked him,

    ¡°Can we keep her?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Arien¡¯s lips pouted.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°She is NOT a pet, Ari.¡±

    ¡°But I wish to keep her! Here, Helen, please pledge to be my sister.¡±

    Alas, I was too young to know about oaths and pledges.

    ¡°Wh...What?¡±

    ¡°That means no.¡±

    The boy grinned. The girl puffed her cheeks. She grabbed the Atrox¡¯s head in her hand.

    ¡°Hmph. Then I shall discard your precious specimen.¡±

    ¡°What? How did you¡­ Wait! No! Stop! Don¡¯t do it!¡±

    ¡°And what do you say?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Fine! We can keep the girl. Just give my bugger face back.¡±

    Arien smugly handed the Kyl¡¯aq specimen to the boy.

    ¡°By the way, his name is Lyouell,¡± She told me.

    ¡°Li.. Lie-you-all?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t pronounce his name right. The boy grinned when I tried.

    ¡°You may call him Lugh.¡±

    ¡°Hey Ari, take the cutie and let¡¯s get outta here.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Location of her legal guardian?¡±

    ¡°Both are on the deceased list.¡±

    Arien paused, frowning bitterly. But as I watched her, she quickly changed her expression to a joyful one.

    ¡°Um, so Helen, what do you wish to be when you grow up?¡±

    For a split second, everything that had happened that day flashed through my mind. The Kyl¡¯aq, the soldiers, and all the slaughtered people mingled together in my memory. I could see Mommy, Daddy, and Garen lying helpless, powerless and defenseless in front of me. They were dead. I had lost everything, everything. They took it from me. Mommy¡¯s hug, Daddy¡¯s smile, the word princess ¨C they were stolen. And I could never, ever get them back again. Why? Why did you have to do this? Why? The horrible scream of the Kyl¡¯aq lingered in my ears. I had realized it was laughing. It was laughing at me. It was laughing at the solders laying helplessly in the ground. It was laughing at all the innocent people who could not defend themselves. Something snapped inside of me. Boiling anger burst from of my heart. It consumed my fear. It devoured my sorrow. It paralyzed my childlike emotions. I grinded my teeth, clenched my small fists, and raised my face, my eyes ablaze with fury. The cold, beautiful snow-flake was there no more. I was a burning piece of charcoal, and now no one could put out my flames. I opened my mouth to speak. At that moment, I was not a child anymore.

    ¡°I want to be a knight.¡±

 0: Child of the sword

    Palala starsystem, third planet, Nire. Home to billions of Nireans, the descendants of the Goddess Danu. Once they were in the center of the mighty Eailech Kingdom. However, their glory lost light as they waged war against the Terran confederacy. The great king Cian was murdered, and the Nirean capital city of Teamhrach crumbled to ashes. Since then, they have lost much of their legacy.

    Today, the great nation of Nire struggles to reestablish supremacy over their own planet. They are no longer independent; the confederacy had planted their flag in the war-torn planet years ago. Neglected and forgotten, the Nireans woke up to the same old morning they saw yesterday.

    It is standard time 0700 in the city of Falias, central of the Ulaid continent. Its sun, Palala, was burning furiously as ever. Usually, this is the time where laziness prevail in the heart of men, where people would drag their tired legs in a reluctant manner.

    However this particular morning was somehow different; the streets were filled with an unusual vigor. People shook hands and exchanged greetings to strangers. Everybody had a grin in their faces. A happy group who had finally found something to be proud about.

    Girls in school uniforms were the most high-spirited ones in the crowd. They were laughing, squealing, applauding, and speaking at the same time.Not a strange sight considering of their age; however, today happened to be the first weekday. Even high-schoolers should have sluggish movements and sleepy eyes. Odd, thought one of the mechanics hanging upside-down on the electric poles. The festival of the spring equinox was weeks away. There was nothing particularly special in this day¡­ or was it? After repositioning himself with the help of his suspending exoskeleton, the young mechanic opened his mouth.

    ¡°Hey Joe.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Did I miss something? What¡¯s the fuss going on with the kids?¡±

    Joe smirked after blinking his eyes twice, turning off his visual enhancer. Even he was in high spirits; the young mechanic never saw his coworker in such a good mood.

    ¡°Drugging again? Get a life. Seriously, you don¡¯t know? It¡¯s pretty much clogging the cosmonet today.¡±

    The mechanic raised his eyebrows. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t check cosmonet today. I was busy fixing code all night. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    One of the high school girls let out a sudden scream. ¡°He¡¯s so handsome!¡±

    Her friend joined in. ¡°Yeah, so cool! Would totally go out with him.¡±

    ¡°Totally.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, ooh! I got an update! The UNN broadcast website! He¡¯s coming to the Starport station!¡±

    The other girls¡¯ eyes widened in an instant.

    ¡°Really? Auto taxi! Auto taxi!¡±

    Not too far away, the UNN broadcast editor-in-chief was hollering in his visual transmitter. His elevated voice could be heard by everyone working on the same floor.

    ¡°Did you check with the company? Good. Sweetener? Good. Do everything to get our camera in the front. Yeah, take the bulkiest droid with you. Private streamers? I don¡¯t care, push them away. We put too much money and time in this. Don¡¯t screw it up. Director¡¯s gonna be here too, so get your injections and expect all-nighters for a week!¡± He ordered another cup of nicotea as he hung up the call.

    ¡°Jeez, what a mess. If we keep this up, our entire branch is going to be replaced by AI.¡±

    His colleague laughed at his comment.

    ¡°We were here like, forever.¡±

    ¡°Corporate will think again if they keep losing money,¡± said the chief, picking his drink from a flying drone.

    ¡°Well, as long as the law requires a certain percentage of human labor in the work force, we¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    ¡°Ha, let¡¯s make sure robots don¡¯t get any votes.¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡±

    At the other side of the line, a man in a neat suit was running about in the Grand plaza. He was answering several calls at once. The man busily pushed his finger around his temple.

    ¡°Yes sir, I¡¯m working on it. I¡¯ll call you when I get job done. Click. Hey! What happened to our deal? You said the ticket was already bought! Use the diplomatic channel if needed! This is a national event, man! Planetary scale! First knight-to-be from our planet! Come on! Foreign media is coming in like twenty minutes! We need that first-class ticket! Legal or illegal!¡±

    After angrily breaking off the call, the man hurriedly booted up the news presentation software.

    The moment the camera blinked the message [Airing], a computer-generated image of a charming young lady appeared in a set of television in a nearby house.

    ¡°Mum! It¡¯s starting! Live broadcast! Come on, you¡¯re missing on real history! A real knight!¡±

    ¡°But what about Breakfast?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll drone in breakfast. Come here quickly!¡±

    The voice from the screen was clear and professional.

    Our planet¡¯s first Squire-class knight cadet, Lyouell Panceloffe, is on his way to the Grand plaza in a military limousine. He will then have lunch with the planetary representative, and will respond to a simple interview¡­

    The planetary representative was in the dressing room along with his robotic adviser. The feminine humanoid spoke in a perfect common tongue.

    ¡°Representative, you will have a quick lunch with the Knight-to-be in twenty one minutes.¡±

    ¡°This is the day! Never knew we would get a knight during my career.

    The gynoid interrupted him. ¡°Squire, sir. He is not yet a Knight.¡±

    ¡°Anyway. The important thing is, that finally we have national celebrations. The fuss about ministry of foreign affairs will certainly fizzle out now. We can¡¯t afford a scandal now, just months before election. Uh, remind me again, what was his name? Ra-yool?¡±

    ¡°Lyouell, sir. You pronounce Lee-you-el quickly.¡±

    ¡°Lyu-el. An unusual name. It¡¯s quite difficult to remember.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll update your virtual memory.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. We are providing the tickets, right? What does the finance minister say?¡±

    ¡°Already done, sir. The knight has even agreed to sell war bonds in his name.¡±

    ¡°Favors, eh? Smart kid knows how to do politics. Better tell him to join our party if he makes it to retirement.¡±

    ¡°Incoming transmission. Sir, the starliner have just arrived in Starport station.¡±

    ¡°Brilliant. Did I tell you that you are the best secretary I ever had?¡± he said, as he carefully caressed the gynoid¡¯s soft thighs. The robotic woman put up a playful smile. Her expression was very convincing ¨C it was nearly impossible to distinguish her from a biological human.

    ¡°Because I work lesser than minimum wage? Sometimes it is hard to identify the difference between work and slave labor.¡±

    ¡°Good point. I hope robotic rights never get attention.¡±

    The gynoid let out a muffled laugh. ¡°Well, one of the districts are working on it right now.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I wonder why they get no support from the central.¡± He said, smugly.

    ¡°Just remember to wipe my memory clean before I sue you for discrimination.¡±

    The representative chuckled. ¡°Sure. Come here. I¡¯ll do it now.¡±

    His robotic adviser leaned forward, exposing her memory unit on the back of her neck. Her brown hair touched his cheeks. As he selectively wiped out her memory, the representative muttered, ¡°Before I forget it, you should consider dying your hair to blonde.¡±

    The gynoid smiled as she made an appointment to the mechanic. ¡°As I have a choice.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Not far away, the colossal space cruise ship emitted massive amounts of steam as it opened six passenger hatches at once. Hundreds of passengers left the ship in all directions; among them were a dozen of stewardesses dressed in Prussian blue uniforms. The youngest one, looking about sixteen, chirped in a high-toned voice.

    ¡°I heard that a knight would be in the ship today.¡±

    Her colleagues put up a smile. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re way too late on the news.¡±

    ¡°Is he good-looking?¡±

    ¡°Look him up. He¡¯s in the VIP list.¡±

    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s his name?¡±

    All of them replied in harmony; ¡°Lyouell Panceloffe.¡±

    ¡°Lyou¡­ here he is. Wow, is he a cutie. Can I be on the serving team today?¡±

    ¡°No. Check your virtual mail. The serving crew has already been decided.¡±

    The small girl puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Where is he now?¡±

    ¡°Military Limo. He¡¯s on his way for lunch. Meeting with this planet¡¯s representative.¡±

    ¡°Am I allowed to talk with him?¡±

    ¡°Only if he asks to.¡±

    At that very moment, the black Limousine stopped in the Grand plaza. The door opened, and a teenaged boy stepped out ¨C a blonde kid dressed neatly in a Planetary Defense Corps officer uniform. He was surrounded by well-built bodyguards, and he himself was armed ¨C a silver pistol was attached to his waist. A small earpiece was attached to his left earlobe, where whispers told him what to do. He quickly hid his face with the uniform cap. A political move, especially since the Defense Corps were infamous for housing separatists against the Greater Terran Confederacy. Too bad shades worked nice on him; it hid his wickedly beautiful oceanic eyes. Dozens of camera drones were flying around him. Thousands of photic flashes enveloped the kid, revealing his face underneath. He was a handsome young man, perhaps a bit too skinny, looking tired from his journey. A pretty face, beautiful yet fragile; it would be more fitting if he would be posing as a model instead of running about in the battlefield. A bit awkward, but most teenagers are awkward anyway.

    The crowd waiting behind the police line was going frenzy with excitement. Already, he was not mare human. The blunt attitude, the forced smile, the long sighs were not from a disgruntled delinquent, but from a saint who shouldered the very existence of the human race. Most importantly, a fellow Nirean. Unknown to battle, yet he was already their hero; the embodiment of the nation, a symbol of the Nirean people. The bluish rugged jacket he wore on his initial interview became a lasting trend in the city. The Nirean citizens praised him until their mouths went dry. The boy¡¯s eyes held a plaintive melancholy, yet the crowd failed to see it. The ones who saw his sapphire eyes would be beholden ¨C they couldn¡¯t stop talking about the charisma enveloping him, apparently indescribable to the Nirean language. He made crowd-mockers and the most stubborn critics jump out of their seats and stand on their toes. Children ran upon him, the elderly smiled at him, women gave him yearning eyes, and men hollered fanatically in excitement. For a split second, the police line broke and a high school girl dashed upon him. The boy put up a dry smile as the girl put up a selfie with him, before bodyguards literally lifted her back to the police line. The photo she took would make her a local cosmonet celebrity for an entire week. After three more fanatic encounters, the knight-to-be quietly disappeared inside a five star hotel.

    The representative was waiting for him, as well as several selected reporters from all around the globe.

    ¡°Welcome, mister Panceloffe.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Representative.¡±

    The pair briefly posed for the camera as they shook hands.

    ¡°Everyone, the first Knight Cadet in history of planet Nire; mister Panceloffe.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡±

    The applause was so loud that the boy could barely understand what the representative was saying.

    ¡°Congratulations to your squire-class admission, Mister Panceloffe. We were more than delighted when we heard that you made it into the program. My entire cabinet sends you their commendations as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°On behalf of our entire planet, we are proud to present to you the best starliner ship we can provide; Lady Barquish¡±. The planetary representative held out a massive golden ticket. The cost of the ticket and a hologram of the ship was greatly emphasized to grasp the viewer¡¯s attention. The boy held one end of the ticket and smiled. Another wave of camera flashes enveloped him. All three of the major news broadcasting was recording the entire event on live.

    ¡ï

    Ellie smiled bitterly as the young man appeared in the holographic television. Nobody was meeting her that day. Unlike the boy, she was not destined to be a public celebrity. The Knightschool hated public attention on their students; without considerable political pressure and monetary support they would have never allowed such an event. The girl waited for the immigration employee to widen his eyes and gasp. It was not common for officers to misidentify her status. In their defense, her appearance was more than a bit deceiving. She yawned as she stretched out her small, childlike arms. The gates opened as soon as her status blinked in the holographic screen.

    [Knight Cadet ¨C Active]

    The little girl scurried to board her starship. Her pink baseball bat stuck out of her backpack. She did not forget to refuse the special assistance for unaccompanied minors. She played with her own hair as she stepped on the platform. She was thinking of the inflight meal¡­ and the private shower of course.

    ¡ï

    Five stories below, two guardsmen were blocking the gates to the engine room. Special cameras carefully monitored the biology of the people passing towards them. Any suspicious activity would be caught immediately, as well as alarming nearby policemen. Two shadows appeared in the horizon. One of the guards raised his head. Before the guard could even say anything, he grasped his neck. A small pin had punctured his skin. He fell unconscious in less than a second. The other guard stood up and unveiled his own mask. A man in his late fifties emerged from the disguise. The middle-aged man quickly started dismantling his tranquilizer pistol. He made sure the cameras were offline this morning. An old lady and a small little girl stood in front of the sleeping guard. Covered in a black cloak, they spoke in an unusual tongue.

    ¡°Peace be with you, Great mother. Is Yoon alright?¡±

    The old lady hastily shook the man¡¯s hand. The little girl was hiding behind her.

    ¡°Thank the divines! I am overjoyed to see you well, captain. Yoon is with me.¡±

    ¡°Great mother, I am afraid we do not have much time. Please remember my instructions.¡±

    The man projected a hologram from his wrist. The interior of Lady Barquish was in display. The little girl peeked at the image, with glittering jet black eyes.

    ¡°Two doors to the left, take the first turn, go straight until you see the escape sign. Go five stories up the stairs. You must stay in the 3<sup>rd</sup> class cabin.¡±

    ¡°I Understand.¡±

    ¡°You must depart soon. Please keep Yoon safe¡­ I hope we all survive this disaster.¡±

    ¡°Worry not, War-father. There has been wildfires in the past.¡±

    The man let out a short sigh. He placed two paper tickets in the lady¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Your words grant me much confidence. However I have yet to seen a fire so grand.¡±

    ¡°I have seen bigger ones, kinsman. In the end, the mountain survive the calamity.¡±

    The man made a fist and wrapped his other hand over it. The old lady put her sleeves together in response.

    ¡°Until the Eternal flower blossoms again.¡±

    ¡°Until the Eternal flower blooms again, kinsman.¡±

    The lady and child disappeared into the spaceship. The man hastily moved away from the platform.

    ¡ï

    A massive spaceship was projected in the television. The news anchor was busy explaining about the starliner the knight cadet would take. He was sitting with two guests; a well-known international news reporter and a celebrity reporter.

    ¡°Lady Barquish is a behemoth-class starliner owned by the Demoritt Company. Famous for providing the most expensive luxury seats throughout the galaxy, it is home for six thousand humanoid robots and two thousand human crew members. It is the fastest and safest ship Nire can provide for interstellar travel.¡±

    ¡°Neat, I assume our Knight will stay in the luxury suite.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have info that he will stay in the most expensive room. That is the uppermost floor with six personal stewardesses.¡±

    ¡°So Davis, tell me, who is piloting the ship?¡±

    ¡°Fully automated, captain Deshawn is on board just in case things get out of hand. War veteran, 20 years of service. Although I believe his helmsman Randol is going to do most of the manual work.¡±

    ¡°So, it is safe to say our knight is in best hands?¡±

    ¡°Certainly. He¡¯s a squire, by the way. He will be a full-fledged knight when he graduates the school.¡±

    ¡°My mistake. Anyway, the cruiser seems fitting for a man of his caliber.¡±

    ¡°Well, he is the first Nirean reaching squire-class, as well as being admitted in the Knightschool.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Do we have pictures when he was a page?¡±

    Immediately the other guest speaker squealed in delight. ¡°We do! Shooting on the screen now. Isn¡¯t he adorable?¡±

    The audience instantly shouted out cries of endearment.

    ¡°Absolutely charming. My, he looks like a young wolf cub.¡±

    ¡°Let me ask you one more question, Davis. exactly where is the ship headed? We are all curious about the location of this Knightschool.¡±

    ¡°Although the exact location of the school remains classified, we do know that Lady Barquish is headed for planet Celestia. Knight-to-be children will gather there. From there on, we do not know where they will go.¡±

    ¡°Is there any possibility that the Knightschool is in Celestia?¡±

    The reporter grinned as he took down the diagram of Lady Barquish.

    ¡°Every planet is a possibility. What I do know, however, is that Knight cadets are protected under the global Knight care act; so, you shouldn¡¯t try to track them. They are invisible, anyway. In fact, no news reporter in the entire cosmos has ever found the exact location of the school to this very day.¡±

    ¡ï

    Lady Barquish was a mammoth starliner, hundreds of stories high and wide. In the dock, it easily outsized the commercial transportation ships around her. A huge group of people were gathered in the docks. It was uncommon to see luxury starliners in planet Nire; they had little incentive to visit the insignificant war-torn planet. Everyone who did not visit the space docks were watching the live feed on the primary news network. The screen portrayed the various viewers from all around the planet when the Knight Cadet was talking privately with the planetary representative. One of the viewers was from the other side of the planet; he gaily said that the local time is way past his bedtime.

    When the young Knight-to-be finally reappeared in the screen, he was in the starship¡¯s main bridge alongside with the captain. The boy shook hands with the captain. A quiet man, who kept his speech to a minimum; as if he wished to avoid the attention. The representative was not shy to ask questions about his previous military career. The planetary representative followed the boy all the way to the starliner. Several cameramen followed them inside, as camera drones were not permitted to enter the ship.

    The interior of the starliner was as grand as its exterior ¨C at least in the 1<sup>st</sup> class cabin. Six stewardesses came up to greet the Knight Cadet. They were his personal crew ¨C they would provide service to the boy throughout the trip. Viewer rating all over the planet was at peak when the camera crew walked into the Knight Cadet¡¯s designated VIP room. It was a colossal cabin, with two floors and a gorgeous vista out the window. The Knight Cadet sat in the ivory armchair as the cameramen busily captured the view on video. All sorts of electronics were provided in the room, including a fully motorized mini bar. His queen-size bed had flower petals sprinkled around on it. Colorful pictures decorated the room, as well as interactive screens ¨C the entire room was pretty much papered with it. The representative commented on one of the liquor stored in the mini bar. After several more questions and congratulations, the time has come for the boy to depart. The camera crew left his room, one by one. The representative shook the boy¡¯s hand for one last time.

    ¡°I hope we meet again, Sir Knight.¡±

    The boy smiled. There was a glimpse of sorrow in his blue eyes.

    ¡°I do too hope to see you again sir, as a real Knight.¡±

    The entry door began sliding inwards. As the boy walked back to his room, lights started flashing again. The crowd outside the ship cheered for the boy. People along the continent lifted their cups. The entire planet was in elation; it was a planetary jubilee, a festival. But when the VIP door slammed shut and the boy was finally alone, he ripped his earpiece off his head and dropped his hat. He threw his pistol on the table. The boy fell to his knees and started weeping. In the end, he was only a child; a youngling, steward, and slave of the sword. After weeping for minutes, the boy lay motionless on the ground, like a puppet not knowing what to do when the puppeteer let go of his strings.

 1: The white room

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    It was a white room. All sides were a mirror image of each other. If there was no gravity, it would be impossible to identify the ceiling and the floor. I had a black robe on myself. In my hand, there was a sheathed sword; nice and heavy, like all other good swords.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Numerous figures in long, white robes were watching me. They were completely covered with the white, snowy, fabric ¨C head to bottom ¨C that I could not identify any of their faces. They had tall figures, short ones, big and small ones. All of them were facing me. No one spoke a word, but they occasionally let out small laughs and giggles, as if playing a silent game that I do not know of.

    ¡°¡­¡­...¡±

    There were no doors, windows, or openings in any of the white walls. I was trapped. Another giggle tickled my ears. Suddenly I realized what they were laughing at. Me. I let out a small sneer. This feeling is very familiar. I was trapped in a room, with a sword on my hand. The walls are white; the observers are clothed white, and I, black. Are they mocking me? Are they making fun of my life?

    Impulsive anger boiled inside my heart. You know, they are right. I will be a knight; I will be humanity¡¯s sword, I will kill for them and die for it. I am trapped, imprisoned for the people¡¯s freedom.

    But it was never about me. You see, I never asked for this. Do I admire the brave hero who saves humanity? Screw it. I¡¯m not interested. I am a true egotist at heart. I was an ordinary student, mostly concerned about video games and talking with pretty girls.

    But it was you who forced me into this.

    The rushing emotion filled my mind, and my entire body start shaking.

    I moved my fingers. The cold metal vibrated in my hands.

    My mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, all of my friends, all of my neighbors¡­ they were all fake. Well, at least my sister sincerely wept for me, shouting ¡°don¡¯t leave¡± when I was dragged from home. My life was a lie, and I was born to be a war-machine regardless of my petty emotions.

    They tore my heart apart. They did it on purpose. Well, it makes sense, who else is crazy enough to fight those hellish monsters? Yeah, they did a damn good job on it too. I lost family, I lost love, I lost life, and I lost my entire world. They twisted my mind. They warped my emotions. And then they threw me a sword. What else can I do than to whirl this thing around rest of my life?

    I am not a kid anymore. I am not even human. I am a weapon. Not a being, but a thing.

    My hands? My feet? Too late, they¡¯re not mine anymore.

    I am not even human, since half of my body is artificial material.

    You know what is funny?

    Those guys I believed as family, who were ever so loving to me, were all in the same group with the people who ripped my body apart, to send me to war. Oh, not just any war, but the war with the infernal horrors that slaughter men and feast on children¡¯s live flesh.

    I have no future. It was stolen. What is in front of me, is not glory and honor, but sorrow and death.

    There are thousands who share my miserable fate, and they are children, under 20 and under 15. Tens of thousands of children died under the ¡°glorious¡± name Knight.

    Those sick, devilish bastards. Who crack open and twist the body and mind of countless children who can¡¯t even properly defend themselves.

    Justice is dead, and reason lost light.

    You are nothing but hideous abominations, thirsty for blood and hungry for flesh.

    Are you truly blind?

    Do you not see the bloodstained tears of our sisters, pouring into the ground?

    Are you truly deaf?

    Do you not hear the tormenting curses of our brothers, screaming into the air?

    Damn you,

    Curse you.

    Be gone, away, to the Kyl¡¯aq lair.

    Live as live feed to those dreadful monsters.

    May they gnaw on your flesh and let you regenerate, to be eaten all over again!

    Live long, never die, for death is too much a blessing for you to enjoy!

    Even hell has no place for your dark, wretched souls.

    As if they understood what I was shouting within my mind, the observers in white started emitting vulgar laughs in unison. Burning anger consumed my soul. My mind was overdriven with intolerable rage. My sword was already drawn. I was screaming, no, screeching, with agony, terror and fury. I will kill you now. I was in a complete frenzy, shouting and crying like a madman, whirling my sword in all possible angles. But my sword did not even touch the white cloaks; it was cutting nothing but air. They warded off my blows, fluttering their white garment in the air. The laughing sound was even bigger.

    Why, but why?

    I swung my sword in maximum speed. My sword drew marks on the air, but the laughing did not stop. My mind was burning. And finally, I lost it. Insanity consumed me. I let go of my limiter. Tendons in my arms began to snap out. I felt my bones cracking. My entire nervous system was overloading. Ignoring the pain, I added more weight in my sword. Every time I thrust my sword, pain pierced my bones. The pain piled up as anger. And anger tightened my grip, further hurting me with pain. I shouted again.

    I will kill you.

    All of you!

    At last I reached my limit.

    My twisted muscles tore apart. My hand succumbed to the brute pressure, and crushed into a messy pile of blood. My foot collapsed. I fell to the ground. I drenched myself in my own blood. I coughed heavy breaths into the air. I lay there, helpless and defenseless. The white cloaks approached me.

    And they laughed at the poor kid drenched in blood.

    I felt my iris crack open. I let out a horrifying screech, kicking and writhing violently. The next moment, something unbelievable happened ¨C hundreds and thousands of blades sprang out of my body, stretching out in all directions. The white robes stopped laughing. They started stepping back. One of them stumbled. I opened my torn eyes.

    I got you.

    Instantly, all of the blades stabbed the observer in white. Blood sprayed everywhere and pieces of flesh flew in the air. Insanity and rapture violently mixed together in my mind. I quivered my body with satisfaction. The robe was white no more, but crimson red. I grabbed its hood, and tore it. A face appeared.

    The face I reveled, was¡­

    My beloved sister, Rei Panceloffe.

    ¡­..

    ¡­..

    No way.

    I stared at her dead body. The tormenting laughs of the white robes faded away.

    All of my sensing organs went numb.

    Soon, I was screaming again.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    Beep! Beep! Beep!

    A loud noise crushed the boy¡¯s vision. When he opened his eyes, gasping, the white room was there no more, and the luxurious cabin room came into sight. He panted as he tried to calm himself.

    A dream? What in the world¡­ The boy let out a bitter grin. His whole body soaked with sweat, and his artificial hand wiggled involuntarily of intense tension. He held it firmly until it stopped shaking. The boy raised his tired body, and swung his right hand in the air. Instantly, a large clear screen with huge letters appeared in his sight.

    [Celestial year 649, Month 2, Day 17.]

    [Standard time 10:32:43]

    [Humidity 51%]

    [Atmospheric pressure 0.7G]

    [Oxygen level 20.95% - optimized]

    The boy closed the window, and crawled back into bed, muttering, ¡°The early worm gets eaten by the bird.¡±

    However his attempt to sleep was interrupted by grunt and a groan. He rose from his bed and bent his body.

    ¡°No pain, they said. Automatic recalculation, they said.¡±

    Occasionally, his artificial muscles would miscalculate the linking point of the nerves, triggering a sharp shot of pain. The boy pushed the small button on his ankle and re-initialized his nerve positioner. He searched his mind, thinking a way to somehow pull a real good prank on his physician. Maybe I¡¯ll secretly unplug my heart pulse measuring device and play dead for a while. Hmm, hacking into his artificial limbs might be fun. Nah, too much work. The boy rolled around his bed, attempting to sleep. But the pain had put an end to his slumber. Finally, the boy stood up. The first thing he did is to pick up the pistol placed on the table. He pointed it towards an imaginary foe. Aiming for its head, he pulled the trigger. Click. The magazine was empty. The boy stabbed the pistol in his pocket. He drew his gun. Click. He put it away. Another draw. Another click. The boy continued his routine gun practice for about twenty minutes. After replacing his gun on the table, he threw his golden silk pajamas into the washing bin as he walked into the bathroom. The bathroom was huge, fully equipped with spa and massage treatment. Yet the boy thought a spa in the morning was somewhat excessive. The moment he stepped on the shower, his vision blurred and a red window that said [Alert! water] popped up. So what, this thing is waterproof. The health diagnosis system scanned the shower while he was in it. The boy felt his mind clearing as the water poured on his body. Hmm? What is this? A new window appeared in the shower. Milk bath? Green tea? Wow, these guys are really serious on service huh? The boy pushed on the green tea button, purely by curiosity. Instantly, the water emitted an herbal smell.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Cough-¡±

    The boy jumped as he let out an involuntary cough. The health system had initialized his lung filter. He frowned. Just can¡¯t ever get used to it. Another window popped up as the boy left the shower.

    [Heart ¨C maintaining high blood pressure. 169/109 bp. 34 bpm.]

    [Artery ¨C decrepitude 21% ¨C maintenance advised]

    [Lung ¨C Filter check: normal]

    [biOS ¨C software updated]

    [ECCM ¨C software updated]

    [Cranial cushion ¨C decrepitude 3%]

    [Artificial hematocytes ¨C decrepitude 4%]

    [¡­]

    Darn it, not those arteries again! I am so, so tired of that surgery. The boy roughly read the contents and opened a bottle of dental fluid. He swiftly poured out the contents into his mouth, feeling the transgenic bacteria and dental nanorobots sweeping around his teeth. A million worms crawling around my mouth. The boy moved his gaze into the mirror as he spit out the jell-like liquid.

    Splat ¨C

    A skinny Caucasian boy in his mid-teenage years was standing there. His rich blonde hair fitted well with his deep blue eyes. Despite his white pale skin and his severally depressing expression, he still looked like a normal teenager kid.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The boy put his fingers over his own cheek. The touch and appearance of it was clearly of human skin. But it isn¡¯t human skin though. The boy removed his hand and opened a drawer. A small butterfly knife was inside. He took the knife, quickly exposed the blade, and pressed it on his cheek.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Without hesitation, the boy drew a linear mark on his cheek. Some blood oozed out from the cut. The wound healed immediately, not even leaving a trace on his skin. The irregular healing speed of his skin was rather disturbing. It was not natural. It was fake.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a strong impulse to break the mirror shook the boy. But he let down the thought. That would be way too clich¨¦. After rubbing on some branded luxury skin care products on his cheeks, the boy walked out the bathroom typing [any descent casual clothing.] in the drawer.

    Beep! Beep!

    Instantly, a clean, nicely folded cabin outfit popped out of the drawer. It had a VIP pin on it. The boy dressed himself in a jiffy. He shot a glance at the mirror once again, smiling. Not too impressive, but the hanger makes up for it. He searched for his headgear. It was on the table, waiting for the boy to pick it up. When he placed it on his skull, it crawled to secure itself behind his earlobes and around the occipital. Before the boy could say ¡°there¡¯s a spider on my head¡±, a knock resounded on the door. A window popped open on the wall screen. It was one of the stewardesses.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Good morning, sir. The computer notified me that you are up. Would you like some brunch?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure. Islandic breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, sir. We¡¯ll have it ready in six minutes.¡±

    The stewardess disappeared from the screen. Coffee? The boy typed in several commands in the hologram generator glued on his wrist. At once, the smell of burning beans filled the room. The boy let out a yawn as he shoved his knife in his pocket. His eyes moved back to his wrist. Eh, water level is kinda low. A few hand waves, and a cup of water appeared on the kitchenette. Oh, I almost forgot. The boy pulled out a packet of vitamin powder from the shelf. Clumsy clumsy¡­ He glanced at his wrist. Why in a hurry? I have a lot of time¡­ The starlight outside the window seemed shaking more than usual.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    After brunch, the kid dashed straight to his private lounge. He did not want to walk into anyone ¨C he was quite sick of ¡°important people¡± bothering him. A bunch of them were probably lurking about in the VIP commons, waiting for the knight-to-be to appear. If only I had a personal cloaking device.

    The stars outside the window were still shaking. Gahh. After letting out a groan, the boy sat down in one of the couch-chairs. He closed his eyes, trying to remember his anxiety training. But the stars still quivered when he opened his eyes. Nope, not working.

    The boy rolled his eyes to the left. An old lady with a big bag was approaching him. The boy blinked his eyes. A person with symptoms of biological aging is an unusual sight these days. The old lady had black hair with some strands of white and wore unusual clothing that had beads, knots, and exotic writings all over it. She was most likely one of those far-Easterners, notorious for worshiping the dead. Perhaps that is why nobody offered her a hand. The boy tapped his finger on the armrest. He eventually rose from his seat, straightening his clothes.

    ¡°Need a hand, granny?¡±

    The boy put forward his hand. The old woman looked at the boy. She looked confused at first, but soon her wrinkles moved into a graceful smile. The boy took her luggage. It was quite weighty.

    ¡°Ja-ja wrei noloi dan fei.¡±

    The universal translator automatically turned on. The boy adjusted the attachment in his headgear. He fumbled on the buttons located on his temple. Soon enough, text messages began to appear in his eyesight.

    ¡°Ugnn, Gnom yier¡±

    The machine converted his voice into another language immediately after the boy spoke.

    ¡°Thank you so much, young man. Please call me granny Sharei.

    ¡°Shari. Sherry. Sarei.¡± Lyouell frowned as he failed to pronounce it quite right. The lady smiled.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± asked her.

    ¡°Lyouell.¡± Replied the boy. He was quite certain that the lady won¡¯t pronounce his name the right way either.

    ¡°Ryu-al? I have difficulty saying it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Most people do.

    A small face appeared behind the woman¡¯s robe; it was a little girl.

    ¡°This is my grandchild Yoon. Say hello to him. Come on honey, don¡¯t be shy.¡±

    The girl hid behind the old lady. Not so social, eh?

    ¡°Hello kid.¡±

    ¡°Who, who is he?¡±

    The shy girl chirped in a tiny voice.

    ¡°Why, he is the gentleman who is going to carry our luggage for us.¡±

    Her head popped out from cover.

    ¡°Delivery boy?¡±

    Lyouell smirked. Oh, yes yes. Delivery boy indeed. Absolutely. He rubbed his chin. To think about it, delivery boy might not be a bad idea. No threat of death in my teenage years. Sounds like a pretty good job. Certainly, a better deal than a Knight.

    ¡°Uh... so where are we headed?¡±

    ¡°To the garden in the second floor. I wanted to see some flowers.¡±

    Lyouell blinked his eyes. There is a biosphere in the vessel? I didn¡¯t know that. Blast, those stupid officers never give me important information.

    ¡°Uh, why carry your baggage to the garden then?¡±

    ¡°I was worried that someone would steal it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that. My talisman, gemstones, frog eggs, my big bug head, some snake bones¡­¡±

    Lyouell cocked his head a little bit. O¡­K? I guess this has to do with something with her cultural background. But why in the cosmos is she carrying a bug head? He was still thinking about this even when he arrived at the biosphere, second-floor. There was a big door blocking their way, but it unlocked as soon as Lyouell laid his fingers on it. The cool breeze took away the boy¡¯s sweat and his thoughts away. It was a marvelous garden; the floor was all in greens, the air was refreshing, and flowers were blooming everywhere. Red, blue, purple, yellow¡­ it was a carnival of colors. The boy had not seen such a sight in years.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    It was beautiful. More importantly, they were living. They were real.

    ¡°Just¡­ amazing¡­¡±

    Granny Sharei smiled as the awe-struck boy dropped his jaw. The boy would have stood there for hours if she had not tapped on his shoulder. Yoon giggled as he snapped out of his stupor.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The old lady stopped about midway of the garden. After digging in her bag, she quickly set camp. Various mattresses and carpets with unusual geometric designs covered the ground. On top of that, an old-fashioned electric stove with big and small pans were set up. Lyouell widened his eyes as the woman took out boxes of cooking supplies from her bag. How did she stuff all this in that bag?

    ¡°Would you like some lizard tea, young man?¡± said granny Sharei as she pulled out her elegant China set.

    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± replied Lyouell, hoping the word ¡°lizard¡± was a mistranslation. He let out a relieving sigh when he peeked at the stove. Good. Green powdery stuff. No dead reptile in the water. Lyouell blew at the liquid as he received his cup.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    The smell wasn¡¯t bad at all. The tea was a clear light-green. Lyouell took a sip. Probably some sort of green tea. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t. His face immediately turned white pale. He barely succeeded at maintaining his grin. The boy than began weighing the losses and gains in his mind; spitting the lizard-powdered hot water out or being polite. It took a while for him to gulp the nasty liquid down the hatch. Lyouell shivered in disgust. Today¡¯s lesson; have confidence in your speech translator.

    ¡°Would you like some more?¡± asked granny Sharei, who seemed quite cheerful that the boy gulped the tea.

    ¡°No please¡± said Lyouell with a very, very firm voice.

    ¡°How about you, cupcake? Lizard tea?¡± asked the lady to Yoon. The girl frowned and stuck out her tongue.

    ¡°No, that thing is nasty. It tastes like salted silkworms¡± Lyouell smiled. Now, there is an important piece of information that I want to tell my past self.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like silkworms dear?¡±

    The girl shook her head, rather determinately. Good. I think I can be friends with this girl.

    ¡°How about you, good sir? Silkworms?¡±

    ¡°No thank you.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± The boy tried very hard to maintain his grin. I can¡¯t be surer in a decision in my life. Both the boy and the little girl raised their shoulders when the lady started munching on her snack. Lyouell quickly moved his eyes to the greens to get rid of the unpleasant feeling. He felt better pretty soon; a big, plump bumble-bee buzzing around for honey caught his eye. The small fellow tried to land on a small flower but failed to do so, due to its weight. Yoon must have seen it too. She giggled.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Yoon looked at Lyouell. She quickly turned her head away. She looked at him again. This time she slightly opened her mouth. A little more this time. Her eyes shook as she looked at the boy, hesitatingly. Finally, the frustrated Lyouell asked her.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Looking and pulling back, again, and again. It was the third time when the shy little Asian girl finally let out a tiny, little whisper.

    ¡°Play with Yoon.¡±

    Lyouell blinked his eyes. He had very few experiences with little girls.

    ¡°What do you want to play?¡±

    ¡°¡­.seek¡±

    Yoon made such a little sound, that even Lyouell¡¯s audio enhancers couldn¡¯t catch her words.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­and go seek.¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t hear you.¡±

    The girl blushed, and mumbled a little more.

    ¡°Hide and go seek.¡±

    The boy blinked again. He secretly pulled up his wrist and swiftly searched for this game in his database. A quick glimpse and he was ready to play the ancient earthborn game.

    ¡°Ok, who is it?¡±

    Yoon pointed her tiny finger to Lyouell. He chuckled.

    ¡°I thought it was lady first.¡±

    She made a face ¨C the boy quickly realized that she was going to cry if she didn¡¯t have her way.

    ¡°But, but Yoon is not a lady yet.¡±

    ¡°Ok, Ok. I¡¯m it. I¡¯ll count to ten, so go hide yourself.¡±

    Yoon glimpsed at him, and carefully examined his expression.

    ¡°Ten seconds.¡±

    Yoon puffed his cheeks. Lyouell raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Fine. Thirty seconds. You better hide now. One¡­ two¡­ three¡­¡±

    Yoon fled with surprising haste. Well, it really didn¡¯t matter how far she went. The boy was trained to locate humanoid objects making respiration movements from hundreds of meters away. Too bad you can¡¯t win.

    ¡°Twenty eight¡­twenty nine¡­thirty.¡±

    Finally, the count was over.

    ¡°Ready or not, here I come¡±

    Lyouell lifted his eyes. Even if she ran as fast as she could, ordinary girls can¡¯t possibly run more than 200 meters in 30 seconds. He designated four areas of the ground in his mind. He rolled his eyes. Area one, no movement in sight. Area two, small flying objects. No humanoids present. Moving on. Area three. Granny. No small cute Asian girl in sight. Which means the girl is in the fourth region¡­ what? The girl was not there. Puzzled, Lyouell searched his four regions again. Nope, no small humanoid breathing patterns. Is she holding her breath? Quite impressive. After spending some time fumbling through the green foliage, Lyouell raised his eyebrows. His hands began to move in superhuman speed. Three worms and a caterpillar was killed in the process, but the girl was yet to be found. Finally, he stood up. He had enough.

    ¡°Activate heat-seeker vision.¡±

    Instantly, the boy¡¯s eyes glowed a light blue. The beautifully green colors inverted into bright red in his sight. He looked around. To his amazement and frustration, he still failed a locating the girl. He let out an irritated breath.

    ¡°I give up. You can come out now.¡±

    But Yoon didn¡¯t come out. What now? Did I miss something? Lyouell pulled out his wrist again. According to his search, the ¡°it¡± must cry out ¡°olly olly oxen free¡± to signal the players to return when no players were found. Lyouell scratched his head.

    ¡°Olly Olly Oxen Free!¡± he hollered.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± chirped the little girl, hiding behind granny Sharei. She put up a triumphant face as the glorious victor. The boy made a face palm. I am a moron.

    ¡°Yay! Yoon wins!¡±

    Yoon stood up to the boy, in triumph, and shouted out ¡°Penalty! Penalty!¡± ¨C the boy made a bittersweet smile.

    ¡°Ok, what is the penalty?¡±

    Yoon put her hand under her face. After a short umm sound, she happily blurted out the penalty.

    ¡°The evil drawing of shame!¡±

    Lyouell blinked again.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    No explanation was needed when the girl pulled out her brush from her bag. She dipped it in a glass container labeled: black ink. Oh. Great. Just wonderful.

    The discontent Lyouell soon received an involuntary drawing of a clumsy black cat and some far-eastern letters in his face. He turned his face toward the old lady, who had just finished the last of her ¡°snack¡±.

    ¡°Hey Granny.¡±

    ¡°Yes my dear?¡±

    ¡°What does this say? In my face.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    After a snicker, she told him; ¡°I lost to a girl.¡±

    Yoon was smiling. Lyouell smiled back, in a passive-aggressive way. Quite the little devil, aren¡¯t you? Either knowing or not knowing his thoughts, Yoon let out a playful laugh.

    ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡±

    ¡°Umm, so when am I allowed to erase this?¡±

    ¡°After one hundred years!¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ll be dead in that time.¡±

    Yoon put her hands in her cheeks.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll erase it when you die.¡±

    Lyouell felt his mouth twitch. Little girls could be pretty creepy.

    ¡°Yoon, do you even know what dead means?¡±

    The small, dark-jade eyes of Yoon seemed to sparkle.

    ¡°I do! I do!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Sleeping forever. Some things make people sleep like that. Like the Kyl¡¯aq!¡±

    Lyouell¡¯s head involuntarily jerked backward at the word ¡°Kyl¡¯aq¡±. Just before he reached back for his sword, the boy was able to take control of his emotions. He shook his head, and retained his expression.

    ¡°Umm, I guess close enough?¡±

    The old women quickly took the girl in her arms. She had already packed her giant luggage.

    ¡°There, Yoon. Let¡¯s go now. We shouldn¡¯t bother him much more.¡±

    ¡°But- but¡­¡±

    The old lady smiled at Yoon. To the boy¡¯s amazement, the little girl obediently nodded her head.

    ¡°Now, what do we say to him?¡±

    Yoon put her small hands together, and bowed her head down to the boy.

    ¡°Thank you for playing with me. I wish you good fortune.¡±

    Foreign customs were not Lyouell¡¯s merit. He awkwardly bowed his head in return.

    ¡°Oh, umm, yeah. I quite enjoyed myself too.¡±

    Yoon smiled. The old lady bowed her head to the boy.

    ¡°Thank you so much for helping.¡±

    ¡°Uh, no problem.¡±

    Before they departed, the old woman took Lyouell¡¯s hand. She probably felt the unnatural coldness of his fingers. It was such an unexpected behavior, that the boy didn¡¯t know what to do. The lady held his hands for a bit, and looked directly at the boy¡¯s blue eyes. His eyes were shaking.

    ¡°Your hands are so cold¡­. Young man, I don¡¯t know what you have been through, but be strong.¡±

    ¡°Umm, thanks.¡±

    The lady gracefully smiled as she let go of the boy¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Mind if I write something on your hand?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Curious, Lyouell lent his hand again. After a while, an oriental character appeared in his right hand.

    ¡°What does it say?¡±

    ¡°Yin. Patience. I hope this helps you some day.¡±

    With that, the mysterious lady and the little girl left the boy. Lyouell stood there, idly. After some time had passed, he looked down at his hand. The glossy black ink reflected his blue eyes. It was not shaking anymore. Lyouell sat down. The soft feeling of grass touched his fingers. The view was still gorgeous. He could sit there and marvel at it all day. There was something so calming about nature¡­ Lyouell did not realize that he was falling asleep.

 2: Bright green eyes

    Lyouell had slept for a good eight hours. He could not remember when was the last time he slept for so long. Well, knowing that he is returning to the Knightschool, this would be his last chance to do so for a long time. Shouldn¡¯t nap long too often, though. Adjusting back to polyphasic sleep is a pain.

    He lay back, breathing in and out fresh oxygen provided by the living plants. He ran his hand over the grass. The blades slipping through the fingers felt like human hair. He pulled on the grass. A good bit of it broke loose. Lyouell snickered as he imagined himself in an Earth-age fairy tale, locked up behind bars.

    ¡°What¡¯s your crime, mate?¡± asked his imaginary cellmate.

    ¡°Accidently scalping a dryad¡± replied Lyouell, as he let go of his fingers. Cut grass fell to the ground. Lyouell rolled his eyes as he drifted away from his daydream. He was the only one in the biosphere. Several gardener robots were doing maintenance work; they were very quiet and were careful not to bother him. Lyouell reached out his hand, this time to the skies above. The dark sky was glittering with stars. They seemed so close, yet so far. Lyouell closed his hand, pretending to hold one in his palm. When he finally stood up, it was getting close to midnight. Lyouell walked sluggishly to the exit.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    A soft sound of pressurized air was heard as Lyouell returned to his room. The indoor light brightened up. Two live orchids greeted the boy¡¯s return. The stewardesses must have made his bed while he was gone. A basket full of expensive sweets was on the table, accompanied by a single bottle of vintage red wine. If the boy was older, he would have been a bit more interested in the overpriced wine. Lyouell picked up a lollypop instead. It was decorated with fine gold powder. He put it in his mouth and flew his body to the bed. A colorful flavor of tarty apple and creamy cheesecake rolled in his tongue. He touched the hologram screen just above the bed. Blast, still fifty hours from arrival. He let out a long yawn. Now who said space travel is fun? Well, at least this ship has artificial gravity. If not, I would have been forced to exercise every four hours. After sucking the candy dry, Lyouell rolled around his bed for a couple minutes. He thought of going back to sleep, but in the end, he kicked his bedding and stood up. Sugar had fed the boy¡¯s mind to go wild. Lyouell stared at the wall. It was white. Wait. Why is it plain white? Suddenly the unpleasant dream flashed on his sight. He shook his head. No way I¡¯m keeping it.

    ¡°Computer, change wallpaper to an urban night themed one.¡±

    ¡°More than 12500 results. Use night view of the central knight academy?¡±

    Ooh, why not. Lyouell smiled, and the wall instantly changed into a beautiful night with glittering neon lights. He added a small avatar of himself flying through the academy with his sword drawn. Now that¡¯s more like it. Lyouell sat down in his bed again. A full dive movie, perhaps? He looked out the window. Pitch black. A sudden realization made him leap to his feet. At night time, nobody would be wandering around in the ship. They would be all in bed; nobody would bother him. This would be a perfect time for sneaking around places.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    Lyouell had almost forgot what it feels like walking on a whim. The whispers giving him orders were surely about to echo in his ear at any moment. Yet the moment did not come. He was still alone when he opened the observatory doors. The stars that were beaming on him earlier were there. A beautiful sight. Lyouell walked up to one of the huge windows. He touched the screen. An informative voice flowed through it; obviously computer-generated.

    ¡°Did you know that you are made of stardust?¡±

    Lyouell blinked his eyes.

    ¡°No. Explain.¡±

    ¡°Every element is produced in stars, in a process called stellar nucleosynthesis. In a sense, you and that girl over there are made from stardust. Isn¡¯t that neat? Now, go on and say hello to your star born kin.¡±

    Lyouell moved his view to his right. A young girl, looking much younger than the boy was standing in the opposite window. Her unusual bright green eyes glittered in curiosity as she met with Lyouell¡¯s deep blue ones.

    ¡°Hi.¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    Blonde hair, tied up in in a cute twin-tail. Hexagonal markings in her right cheek gave her an unworldly look. It looks like one of those yucky equations I saw in organic chemistry. She was carrying a pink backpack, with a cute little baseball bat sticking out in the corner. She is very small¡­ maybe around nine or ten? What is she doing here? As young as she was, nobody was standing near her. No parents, teachers, siblings or friends. She was alone in the observatory, all by herself. The logical conclusion was that, this girl is probably lost in this ship.

    ¡°Hey. Are you lost?¡±

    The girl shook her head. Lyouell tilted his.

    ¡°What are you doing here in midnight?¡±

    The little girl shrugged. Her tiny shoulders moved up and down.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep¡± said the girl. Her voice was high pitched and frail, like a chirping robin.

    ¡°Huh, so you decided to go watch the stars.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I like stars. I love to watch, read, write, draw, anything about stars.¡±

    Lyouell couldn¡¯t resist smiling. He could imagine the little girl walking slowly up the stairs.

    ¡°You¡¯re a brave little kiddo. I like stars too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The computer told me we are made of stardust. Does that make stars our great grandparents?¡±

    ¡°Huh, I guess.¡±

    He glanced at the door. It was tightly closed when he walked in.

    ¡°How did you get in here?¡±

    The girl held up a golden card instead of an answer. Lyouell whistled. Thought I was the only kid in this town lucky enough to get a VIP room. She must be one of them rich kids.

    ¡°Is your dad a banker or something?¡±

    The girl set her eyes to the window. Her voice was gloomy when she answered him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t remember him.¡±

    Lyouell closed his mouth tightly. Way to go, Lyouell.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What about your mom?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t remember her either.¡±

    Lyouell almost bit his tongue.

    ¡°What?¡±

    The girl swung her hands back and forth.

    ¡°I¡¯m an orphan.¡±

    Lyouell scratched his head. He thought of apologizing, but that might make the girl feel more so sad. He decided to make an alternative answer. Something involving sympathy.

    ¡°Ey, I don¡¯t know my parents either. I was adopted to a fake family.¡±

    The girl looked at him. There was something odd in her smile, an expression where older sisters or mothers would make when they look down at their youngling.

    ¡°You were raised to be a knight?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Wait, how did you know-¡±

    The little girl giggled as she put her hand forward. She swept her hair behind her ears with her other hand.

    ¡°I know all about you, Lyouell Panceloffe. The nation¡¯s hero, the Nirean pride.¡±

    Lyouell muttered in discomfort as he took her stumpy little hand.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Hey¡­ you are embarrassing me. And you are?¡±

    ¡°Why, I am but your loyal, humble maidservant.¡±

    ¡°Where did you learn how to talk like that?¡±

    ¡°The cosmonet, your knightliness.¡±

    ¡°Hey, cut it out.¡±

    ¡°Anything you wish, my Lord.¡±

    Now Lyouell¡¯s face was getting quite red. The little girl was quite adept at teasing boys.

    ¡°Your name? I still didn¡¯t get to hear it.¡±

    The girl held her shirt to the side, as if it was a skirt. She was mimicking a Northerly curtsey.

    ¡°This one¡¯s name is Elysia Placo. it is an honor to meet you, sir Knight.¡±

    ¡°Elysia? Cool name. And would you please stop doing that?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Being so formal and honorary.¡±

    ¡°Is that bad?¡±

    ¡°Just act like a normal kid, would you? I¡¯m getting nervous.¡±

    ¡°Oh fine. I¡¯ll return to my boring kid speech.¡±

    Elysia swept her clothes. Her movement was fast and on point, like of a well-disciplined soldier.

    ¡°Your name is kinda hard to pronounce. Can I call you Lugh?¡±

    ¡°Loo?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°You can call me Ellie.¡± Chirped the girl, rather cheerfully.

    ¡°Okay Ellie. Now tell me why you can¡¯t sleep.¡±

    Ellie put her fingers to her chin. She was smiling as she looked directly into Lyouell¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You know, thinking about returning to the Knightschool.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I understand. Realizing the end of a vacation always sucks¡­¡±

    Lyouell¡¯s brain did not process what the girl said for a good ten seconds. He widened his eyes when he finally understood what she had said.

    ¡°Wait, what? Knightschool?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only Knight cadet in this ship.¡± Ellie reached out for her pink baseball bat. It shifted its shape in an instant. When Lyouell looked at her again, she was no longer holding a bat ¨C a sword was in her hand. Lyouell blinked his eyes in disbelief. Knightswords only unsheathe when a Knight or a Knight cadet touches it. There can be no trick, since the sword does a bio-scan every time before it unsheathes.

    ¡°You¡¯re in squire class?¡±

    ¡°Yep. I graduated page class last year.¡±

    ¡°But you are only like, ten! Did you start page class at five or something?¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Lyouell scratched his head.

    ¡°Well, I might be standing with the youngest Knight cadet in history. Why aren¡¯t you on TV?¡±

    Ellie shrugged.

    ¡°People don¡¯t wanna hear about kids dying in battle.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡±

    Ellie¡¯s remark made Lyouell frown a bit. An awkward pause followed. Ellie nervously fumbled with her hair. She kept looking at Lyouell, as if she was waiting for Lyouell to start the conversation again. Lyouell kept trying to think of words to say, but all the things popping in his head did not seem like something witty or funny enough to impress the little girl. The quiet hum of the air conditioner could be heard¡­ Finally, the boy spat out the most generic and obvious one he could think of.

    ¡°How old are you, Ellie?¡±

    Ellie turned around and looked at the boy. Her bright green eyes were shaking.

    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m not going to tell you.¡±

    Curious, Lyouell raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ woman¡¯s secret.¡±

    Lyouell blinked his eyes. What does that mean? Why in the world is she hiding her age? The boy gave up on the question, since he remembered girls are hard to understand in general, even the young ones.

    ¡°Okay¡­ at least tell me, is this your second year as squire class?¡±

    ¡°Nope, third year.¡±

    ¡°Really? I never even been to the knight academy¡­¡±

    Ellie smirked as she brushed back her hair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lugh, I¡¯ll show you around when we get there.¡±

    ¡°Man, that is weird.¡±

    The young girl put her hands behind her back. She tilted her head a bit. Was it because of the lights? Her hair seemed to brighten up a bit.

    ¡°Do you like bubbleglow, Lugh?¡±

    ¡°Um, sure. Why do you ask?¡±

    In an instant, Ellie took Lyouell¡¯s hand. Soon, she was leading him outside the room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you the first drink.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, non-alcoholic! Hehe!¡±

    Lugh couldn¡¯t help but smile at Ellie¡¯s impish laughter.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    The boy and the girl walked to the first-cabin lounge, tracing the glowing lights in the floor. They made extra effort ensuring that those silly stewardesses would not follow them. The lounge was nearly empty. Avoiding any eye contact, the pair sat on a table near the corner.

    [Welcome, Mr.Panceloffe, Ms. Placo.]

    The menu appeared instantly as the boy put his hand over the table. Hundreds of food options filled the monitor. The boy made a sulky face as he eyed the overpriced bubbly drink.

    ¡°Bubbleglow is cool and all, but I don¡¯t have much appetite in space. I can¡¯t even taste well here. Might as well get dirt-cheap coffee instead.¡±

    Ellie laughed at his remark.

    ¡°I¡¯m buying, silly. Half the price is for the privileged first-class cabin. You know, the interior design and the golden leaves on top of bubbleglow.¡±

    Lugh widened his eyes.

    ¡°Yikes, golden leaves?¡±

    ¡°Oh, calm down. Here, I¡¯ll order for you.¡±

    A message appeared as she put her fingers on the table.

    [Your order has been placed. Payment method: biometric scan]

    Less than a minute later, a flying robot approached them. It was the one that is currently very popular with serving food. It had four propellers, a small body and two arms that held the dish. The arms looked convincingly human, that it looked quite uncanny.

    [Your Order is ready. Have a good day, Ms.Placo]

    A well-coordinated human voice sounded from the robot. Still fake, thought the boy. He eyed the robot as it skillfully set the drinks on the table.

    ¡°Hey, thanks for the drink.¡±

    ¡°Enjoy!¡±

    Lugh looked at the glass. The drink was a glowing bright green, with golden gradations moving up from the bottom. A thick layer of colorful bubbles was in the top, just below the golden leaves.

    ¡°It¡¯s so bright, I¡¯ll believe it if someone says this is radioactive.¡±

    The girl chirped cheerfully as she took a sip.

    ¡°No worries, we have genetic therapists in the school.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ good to know.¡±

    Lugh pulled out the golden leaves with his fingers. How in the world is this thing floating on the bubbles? Is this really gold? Or are the bubbles super strong or something?

    Ellie¡¯s words shook him from his observation.

    ¡°So Lugh, tell me more about yourself. Where did you live? How were your families? Did you have a good relationship with them? What did you do for fun?¡±

    ¡°Uh, you seem very interested in me.¡±

    Said Lugh, still staring at his bubbleglow. He missed Ellie making a bitter smile.

    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out. Or¡­ forget about it.¡±

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    After the drinks, Ellie decided to explore the main bridge with Lugh. Since he was kind of a celebrity, he had free access to the area. The helmsman greeted him warmly.

    ¡°Ah, Good morning, mister Knight.¡±

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    ¡°And this is?¡±

    ¡°Elysia Placo. I am Lugh¡¯s friend.¡±

    ¡°Oh. A honor, miss Placo.¡±

    The helmsman apologized that the captain was still asleep in his private quarters, as he carefully explained the progress of the travel. He had a mid-toned voice with a timid attitude. It was probably his first time with a young Knight.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing at the moment. I am here simply to kill time.¡±

    ¡°More like a hot date.¡±

    Ellie chuckled as Lugh scratched his head.

    ¡°I see¡­ would you like to view the ship¡¯s course, sir?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    As Lugh waited for the helmsman explain all the images and the data pages on the big screen, Ellie walked up to a vending machine and dispensed a ball of gum for herself. She shuddered as the strong sour taste stung her mouth. Lugh almost burst out giggling at her sight. Good thing the helmsmen spoke in a boring tone that kept him maintain a straight face. In front of Ellie were several gynoids were sitting in position, with their eyes fixed to the screen. One of the seats were empty; it read communications. Lugh felt his heart sink as Ellie pointed her finger at it. She detached a part of machinery making up her headgear. She carefully enveloped it in the gum she was chewing on. Making sure she was out of the camera angle, the girl put the gum underneath the screen desk. The entire time, Lugh was holding his breath. She walked casually out of the room.

    ¡°Umm, I think I will return to my room. Thank you for the kind welcome.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, sir. Feel free to explore the bridge as you like.¡±

    Lugh hurryingly left to see Ellie outside the bridge. She did not forget to laugh for her mischief.

    ¡°What in the world was that, Ellie! You could have been in so much trouble-¡±

    ¡°Hahaha- your face, your face!¡±

    After a good laugh, Ellie wiped her face.

    ¡°You should go play video games now. I¡¯m gonna go sleep.¡±

    ¡°Hey, how did you know I play-¡±

    ¡°Your interview.¡±

    ¡°Oh."

    "And If you want to listen in to my bug, tune in to my private channel."

    "But I don''t have your private-"

    "003413550052."

    The pin code was automatically saved in Lugh''s virtual memory.

    "Got it."

    ¡°See you around, Lugh.¡±

    ¡°Right. Seeya.¡±

    Ellie left him as soon as he said goodbye. Lugh stood in his place for a bit, daydreaming that Elysia was an old lady trapped in a little girl¡¯s body.

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    The boy felt releaved as he returned to his room. Dealing with girls were exhausting business. A window appeared in his view as he moved his fingers in the air. A headgear popped open from the bed. It looked like an ancient knight helmet, only without an eye hole. It was mostly made out of plastic, and was colored black. One of its lights turned on as the boy put his finger on it. Three alphabets appeared; EVW ¨C entrance to the virtual world. When connected with a stable network, it can connect the user to the vast virtual world. After its invention hundreds of years ago, countless numbers of different worlds were constructed in its limitless universe.

    After laying down straight on the bed, the boy installed the EVW on his head. He slightly frowned as several pairs of cables connected with his scalp and neck. Needle-induced nerve links were the worst. The apparatus hummed quietly as the boy selected several buttons on its screen.

    [Brightness ¨C Auto]

    [Sound ¨C Auto]

    [Language ¨C Universal commons]

    [Language auto translate ¨C Yes]

    [Visual aid ¨C No]

    [Alarm ¨C after 8 hours]

    [Allow mods ¨C Yes]

    [Allow mod update ¨C Yes]

    [Allow pain emulator ¨C Yes]

    [Main software is ver.0432 update needed ¨C postpone]

    [Anti-disturbance program ¨C On]

    [Warning! Anti-disturbance program will shut down all sensory signals]

    The anti-disturbance program is a feature of the EVW that caused great dispute centuries ago. It effectively blocks the bodily senses to the brain. By doing so, while connected with the virtual world the user cannot see, touch, smell or listen to anything in the real world. Back in earth, when this system was invented, there was a incident where a psychotic programmer trapped thousands of players in his game using this technology.

    [EVW is not responsible for any accidents involving the anti-disturbance program.]

    But no gamers today stop using anti-disturbance because of health hazards. Why? Because it¡¯s simply way too fun. That includes me.

    [Proceed? ¨C Yes]

    [Please type in username]

    The boy took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. He slowly moved his virtual fingers. The machine hummed, and he was in this world no more. The boy¡¯s name blinked in his screen.

    [Lyouell Panceloffe]

 3: Pixel duel

    Millions of color pixels filled Lyouell¡¯s sight. He put up a sour grin as he returned to his little fake world.

    Moments later, he was in a room filled with flamboyant colors and brilliantly realistic animations. He hastily selected his choice of game by touching one of the fighting animations. A window labeled ¡°loading¡± briefly flashed in his view. The logo of the game, the Duelist appeared.

    It was the most popular player-vs-player game at the time. The rule of the game was simple; you select your avatar, armor, and your weapon of choice, and engage against the opponent player. There were several duel types and rules, but of course the most popular one was the ¡°knight duel¡±, where players are set to fight like real knights. Since the armor and weapon were highly customizable, it was very uncommon to meet an opponent with similar costume.

    Of course, the most popular attire was the official knight uniform. However since it was only given to the most talented and dedicated players in the universe, it was nearly impossible to obtain. Lyouell chuckled as he pulled out his knight uniform out of his virtual closet. He walked into the game lobby, where players wait for their opponents, carefully selected by the computer. Already, some of the players noticed his famous gaming ID, Mr Insecticide.

    Lyouell¡¯s avatar looked much like himself, only without any mechanic implants. It was definitely not a trendy customization; most players liked the cool bio-implants and flashy neon tattoos. His avatar had on sunglasses as a minimal identity protection. His instructor would been horrified if he found out Lyouell was playing as a character pretty much identical to his real self.

    After letting out a prideful smile as other players noticed his knight outfit, the boy touched the entry hologram with his right hand. The glossy black oriental writing was still there. Lyouell blinked his eyes in confusion. Did the EVW scan his hand? Or did the computer somehow pick up his curiosity on the writing? The boy shook off his uneasiness as a window appeared in his sight, informing him of his opponent and the selected terrain for the game. Lyouell quickly rolled his blue eyes.

    [Map: Metropolis]

    [Your ID: Mr. Insecticide]

    [Opponent ID: Xotic]

    [Touch the Engage button when you are ready]

    His opponent looked like a speed-type close combat fighter. He had white hair with a custom-made military uniform. The glittering jade dagger he was holding indicated that he was a named player. The golden medal pinned to his jacket revealed his identity even more.

    Lyouell widened his eyes in excitement. Ooh, he must be one of the grandmasters! The boy quickly selected a duel-blade as his weapon of choice and punched the [Engage] button with all his might. The countdown started, and his avatar was transferred into a city-like terrain. Lyouell smiled as his opponent appeared in sight. This is going to be good¡­

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    The fight ended in Lyouell¡¯s complete victory. The grand master was miserably outmatched. Lyouell smiled as he received a great sum of game money by winning against a named player.

    Well, to be honest, it was not fair. The boy was a knight-to-be, after all. Lyouell walked into the in-game bar, and ordered clementine juice, as usual. He took a sip as he shot a gaze on the electric display. A few familiar players were fighting each other in the virtual arena. The enthusiastic shouts of loud commenters and the cries of both delighted and horrified gamblers could be heard throughout the match.

    Lyouell was frowning as he took another sip of his juice. It was remarkable to think that so many were spending ridiculous amount of energy on this fake world. Fighting in the virtual arena had nothing to do with muscle mass or physical training. It was fake. The fighting is fake, the gambling is fake, the bar is fake, and even this juice is¡­

    Clank!

    The sound of the glass hitting the floor and shattering rung through the bar. The broken fragments quickly vanished into blue, red and green lights. Lyouell prepared for his next matchup. Perhaps the heat of the fight would ease off the boy¡¯s depression. He hit the [Entry] hologram once again. A window appeared immediately, as if the computer picked up the boy¡¯s desperate urge to fight someone.

    [Map: Oriental Garden]

    [Your ID: Mr. Insecticide]

    [Opponent ID: Meari]

    [Touch the engage button when you are ready]

    Lyouell blinked his eyes in disbelief when he gazed on his opponent¡¯s avatar.

    She¡¯s a girl! A fairly pretty one too. She was a skinny girl with long, jet black hair and captivating dark back eyes. Oriental, exotic clothing covered with unrecognizable patterns veiled the mysterious warrior girl. The texture of the clothing was light and silk-like. A small section of the garment was floating in the air by an unknown force. Is that even possible?

    The girl held her hands together and bowed down. Oh, foreign customs again? Lyouell mimicked her gestures, rather clumsily. The girl opened her tiny mouth. Her voice was quiet, but held dignity.

    ¡°May the war-god smile upon you this day.¡±

    Lyouell was unsure if the girl was role-playing or not. He scratched his head before taking out his weapon. Very few female players make it to the upper league. Losing a crusing defeat would heavily penalize one''s chance to stay in the league; weeks and months of work can disappear in an instant. Lyouell knew that most of them get very distressed after losing. Some of them even cried.

    That shouldn¡¯t happen. Oh well, I guess I am playing kinda easy this match. Lyouell chuckled when his opponent took out her weapon. It was a spear. The design was very unusual; the blade part of the spear resembled an oriental dragon opening its mouth. The other end of the spear had something shaped like a turtle on it. Was it a decoration? Lyouell was not sure. What he did know, that spear users in this game get a ridiculous speed penalty.

    Lyouell whirled his sword twice. No way am I losing to a girl lancer. He had the most confident look as the countdown started. The girl put up a faint smile. She grasped her spear vertically from the ground, and held her right leg apart from the ground. She gracefully spread her other hand horizontally, creating a Mudra with her hand by touching two of her fingers while extending her third, fourth and fifth fingers. Her stance resembled a white crane opening her wings. It created a remarkable harmony with the cherry blossoms flying through the air.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    [3]

    [2]

    [1]

    [Engage!]

    The boy and the girl kicked the ground simultaneously, and their weapons clashed with each other. Lyouell was slightly faster than her, but the girl¡¯s weapon had more reach. Lyouell gave a slight twist in his arm. Upon landing on the ground, the girl dodged Lyouell¡¯s sword and launched a forceful counter attack.

    Lyouell was barely able to block. The dragon head narrowly missed Lyouell¡¯s head and cut through the boy¡¯s lips. He was pushed back and lost some hit points. He touched his lips. It was a rather deep cut. Blood dripped on his hands.

    ¡°Quite the tomboy, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The girl responded with a playful chuckle. Lyouell jumped in, and the pair exchanged fierce blows. The metallic crack of the colliding blades echoed throughout the oriental garden. Since both players were able to effectively cancel out each other¡¯s attack, the match seemed to be even.

    Lyouell raised his eyebrows. Huh, not an ordinary girl gamer, eh? I am rather impressed. Lyouell prepared for impact as the girl whirled her weapon. She was on the offence this time. Clang. The metallic sound of blades clashing rung in the boy¡¯s head. Now, it was surely his turn¡­ or was it? The girl still had her mesmerizing smile on her face¡­

    BAM-

    Another blow smashed through, and Lyouell¡¯s avatar flew through the air. He crashed into the ground, shooting dust into the air. Confused, the boy glared at his opponent. The girl straightened her clothes. She was holding her spear in reverse. Suddenly Lyouell understood what happened; the girl had hit the boy with the other end of her spear. She flung her spear so precisely that she could conduct the spear like two separate swords ¨C canceling out the speed penalty. The girl glared at him. Her eyes glittered at the moonlight shining upon her. She waited for the boy, as if following some kind of a knightly code.

    ¡°Rise.¡±

    Lyouell eventually got up. He had lost a large portion of his health by getting hit. He would lose the match if he was hit again. Lyouell clicked his tongue. Ok, Ok. No more Mr. Nice Guy. His blade made an intimating whistle as he wielded it. The girl replied by spinning around her dragon-spear. The massive reach and the threatening whirling sound of her spear discouraged the boy to take the offensive.

    Crack!

    But he took the shot as soon as the dragon head disappeared from his sight. A vicious blow struck his sword. He raised his left arm to block the upcoming counter attack. A terrible blow. His left radius was sure to be broken. But he bought just enough time to deliver a piercing attack with his sword. Lyouell chuckled. I¡¯ve won.

    But what is this? The girl let go of her weapon, and hit his blade with her bare hands. Blood oozed in her palm, but she was able to deflect the sword away from her vital organs. A following elegant kick knocked Lyouell¡¯s weapon away from his grip. Suddenly, the duel turned into a fist fight.

    ¡°Hiyaaaaa!¡±

    The girl let out a resounding cry. The next moment she was gone from the ground. Lyouell barely caught up in her kicks and punches.

    The boy was sure that he was losing the fight; not only was his left hand completely out of use, but also the girl¡¯s fighting style was completely unknown to him. Lyouell had a great interest in martial arts, but ancient fighting techniques were definitely not his expertise.

    The girl flipped and jumped in the air, seemingly hitting the boy in all directions. Her attacks were persistently aimed at his face. Just before she landed a powerful punch in his face, the boy shot his right elbow upward, connecting with her fist. Blood splattered in the air. The girl jumped back, frowning. Her hands were bleeding out from her previous wounds. She let out a muttering sound. ¡°¡­Ahyya.¡±

    They glared at each other. Lyouell quickly checked his life bar. Only a tiny speck of health remained. The next attack would judge the winner. He glimpsed at his weapon. It was only about twenty steps away from him, but the girl¡¯s spear was more close to her position. If he jumped to his weapon, the girl probably would have enough time to make an attack first. The boy stared at her deep black eyes.

    He carefully calculated his next move. After drawing some possible angles of incoming attacks, he dashed to his weapon. Almost instantaneously, the girl made her move. She was far faster than Lyouell¡¯s prediction. She was already pursuing the boy with the spear in her hand. Lyouell bit his lips. He quickly flipped his body in a cartwheel, locking his eyes on the girl¡¯s weapon. The spear made a wide stretch backwards. An image of the dragon head ripping through his side flashed on Lyouell¡¯s mind.

    Lyouell grabbed his blade amidst his cartwheel, while his foot was still in the air. The spear was now charging forward. Now it¡¯s a matter of speed. Lyouell closed his eyes. It was glowing bright blue when he opened it again. The frame rate of his eyesight seemed to drop. The world was now moving very slowly. Lyouell¡¯s left hand touched the ground. He bit his mouth as his broken bones crackled. He did not have enough momentum to swing his sword high. The hiss of the flying spear was near. He could see the confident smile on the girl¡¯s face. She gripped her spear, like a lioness clutching on to her prey. Lyouell flung his blade sideways. His eyes were fixed on the dragon head. His sword barely touched the spear. The dragon was about to take its bite on the boy¡¯s side. Just a little more. The boy stretched his fingers.

    Clank!

    The sound of steel sinking through wood made the boy smile. Got you. The beheaded dragon flew in the air. The boy finished his cartwheel. The girl was very close to him. The girl jumped up. Fool! You have trapped yourself.

    Lyouell¡¯s next swing would surely make a mark on her abdomen. The boy¡¯s blade sliced through the air particles. Just before it hit flesh, a window appeared on Lyouell¡¯s sight. It did not announce victory. It read [DEAD].

    Blood splattered on his view. His blade slipped out of his hand. His avatar sank to the ground, on his knees. Lyouell dropped his jaw in astonishment. The dragon head was deeply imbedded on his chest. To his amazement, the girl had caught the dragon-blade in the air with her small fingers, fumbled it around in position, and unleashed the spearhead on the boy ¨C before touching the ground.

    Impossible. The victor landed on the ground with a soft muffle. She straightened her clothes again before letting out a deep sigh. She put away her broken weapon, and drew a cross with her fingers. No, it was not a cross¡­ some kind of oriental character. The black ink written on her hand caught Lyouell¡¯s eye. It looked familiar. It shouldn¡¯t be. He did not know anything of oriental writing. Or did he? The girl bowed her head, in the most polite way.

    ¡°Respect. You have fought like a true warrior.¡±

    Lyouell blinked his eyes. He was unsure how to respond to her.

    He typed in, [Uh, thank you. Sorry about your spear.]

    The girl grinned. Lyouell blinked his eyes again. Wow, she really doesn¡¯t care.

    [You are really good at this game.]

    ¡°You are also a worthy opponent. The glory is yours.¡±

    The boy blinked his eyes. The girl¡¯s odd gaming ID caught his eye. Meari?

    [Hey, by the way, what does Meari mean?]

    The boy caught a glimpse of her bittersweet smile, just before his avatar was transferred back into the game lobby.

    ¡°Echo in the mountains.¡±

    Lyouell played several games after fighting Meari, but not against noteworthy opponents. He stopped by the in-game bar again, and re-ordered his previous purchase. After another glass of clementine, the boy rested his cheeks in his hand. The dazzling oriental warrior seemed to be flickering in his brain.

    He tried to distract himself by fixing his eyes on the electric display. But he could not focus on ongoing fights. The elegant pose of Meari flashed again on his head. Lyouell finally gave up resisting and let his mind sink into its own thoughts. The girl in his mind seemed to be smiling. The boy carefully recalled her moves and attack positions. She was truly brilliant. Angles of attack, accuracy, agility¡­ everything was superb, especially her reactions. The boy frowned as he dug deep into his memory. The final blow from Meari was simply unbelievable. It was definitely not a calculated strike, since Lyouell chopped the spearhead off. However, she carried out the attack in the most professional way.

    Lyouell blinked his eyes again. Who is she? Not a lot of players took victory against the knight-to-be boy. But this player was clearly the strongest opponent Lyouell ever fought against. Could she be a real knight? An applause from the electric display disturbed the boy¡¯s thinking. The next moment, the world shook a little bit. Two windows popped up in the boy¡¯s retina display. It was a message from the spaceship captain.

    [Alert ¨C We are experiencing turbulence.]

    [All virtual world users must disconnect for safety measures]

    Lyouell let out a discontent mutter. He quickly logged off from his favorite game. Thousands of color pixels surrounded his sight. It was not long before the boy¡¯s mind left the digital world.