swordprincess | 005 [Voice/Action]

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005 [Voice/Action]

[Karla is...confused, to say the least. She didn't know who she was...but she hasn't thought about it either. She only thought of herself as just a girl, looking for her big brother. Others saw her as the Princess of Swords, a devastating warrior whose skill and beauty was talked about all over Elibe. She didn't care too much for that reputation, because she didn't care about fighting. The only thing on her mind was finding her brother.]

[But Zompano's recent takeover allowed her to become something else entirely. A wife and a mother with a family. She had to admit that she liked it while it lasted.]

[Her voice is filled with sadness and disappointment as she casually speaks into her journal.]

To be a wife and a mother, even for a short time, was...quite an illuminating experience. That's a kind of life I would have liked to live.

[At some point during the day, the Sword Princess can be found at the Battle Dome in yet another "bandits raiding the village" scenario. There are three bandits facing her now. They move in to attack, mercilessly swinging their axes at her. Karla dodges their attacks easily, as if they were moving in slow motion. And then three strokes from her sword led to three fallen bandits. The setting fades back into the usual empty room. Karla sighs as she sheaths her sword. Asch had shown her how to use the Battle Dome, but now she needs to learn how to make the scenarios more challenging.]

[Later on, she takes a break, sitting on the edge of the fountain in the plaza. She cradles her sword in her lap, stroking the smooth blade with her fingers. It's strange, having to get used to the sword all over again after temporarily forgetting her skill. As usual, she remains oblivious to the world around her. Approach her anyway?]

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[He doesn't bother to really wait for an answer on her part, if she heeds his warning him leading the attack to allow her to see the opponents in action is the best idea. If she doesn't... Him leading the attack would help to show her why she should. Either way it would be stupid to let someone who doesn't know the enemy go first unless both of them were equally ignorant of their opponents' abilities.

Ikki launches himself forward, practically flying over the ground as his Cosmo flares and the flames surround him completely, almost hiding his body and taking the form of a bird. He releases his attack as soon as he reaches the front line, a whirlwind of flames around him captures some of the Specters before the phoenix flaps its wings and flies towards them. In a matter of seconds the flames explode, burning and devouring armor and flesh alike and three Specters fall to the ground, dead. Their absence creates the opening Ikki needs to position himself inside the front line, punching and kicking the enemies.

Some of them try their own Cosmo attacks on Ikki, but he dodges them easily, he has seem them all countless of times already, and no Saint would be such a failure as to be affected by the same Cosmo attack twice. Dodging when fighting several enemies isn't easy though and gives him a disadvantage as the time he spends dodging allows the closest enemies to try to attack him, normally he wouldn't even bother dodging just nullifying the damage with his own Cosmo. But he's not fighting alone and Karla needs to see him dodge the attacks so she can learn how to dodge them herself. Those Specters may be inept in the use of Cosmo, but even they can be dangerous to someone not used to fighting them.]

[Those words earn her a rather bemused look. Then again, maybe he shouldn't be all that surprised... there were many different kinds of people in Luceti and things were not always as they seemed.]

Are you not human? I admit that I have a habit of assuming all are human here unless there is something to set them apart from the rest...

I am...technically. Sometimes I forget...

[Her voice becomes gloomy again as she walks, focusing ahead.]

[Karla watches his movements carefully, taken aback by his display of power for a moment. Never has she seen any power like that in Elibe. Once she watches Ikki dodge some of the enemies' Cosmo, she has an idea of how to proceed.]

[Some of the Specters begin to advance on her from different directions. Karla decides to go on the attack first, starting to take down one after another with a smooth, powerful stroke. She made sure to target the exposed areas, and for the ones who were fully armored, she threw in as much power as she could muster.]

...How does "speed dating" work?

[Eley glances to her at that.]

You forget that you are human? That does not sound right... What else would you think yourself?

...A weapon.

[She stops, her face expressionless. Her voice becomes mostly expressionless as well, but with a small hint of sadness.]

When I fight...I focus solely on the battle itself. I forget everything else...my pain, my fatigue, my own human limits. I become the same as my blade. No thoughts or emotions, just the purpose of fighting.

[A pause as she lets out a deep sigh.]

I don't kill my opponents if I can help it, but...perhaps you are right about me.

[Eley listens carefully. From her explanation, he can certainly see why she would assume that he would think of her as nothing but a killer. Maybe he does if he's being honest. Yet she already said that she didn't want to live for the blade anymore, right? Besides that, she just told him that she tries not to kill. That was important.]

Even the knights of Agkelos, a race born to uphold peace, have had to take lives against their will. They try not to and that is all I can ask of them. Sometimes... people must fight to protect themselves and to protect others. I do not like it and long for a time when it will not be necessary... but I cannot totally condemn anyone who acknowledges that killing is something they wish to avoid.

What really matters is if you are trying to improve... if you can control yourself.

[Knights, upholders of peace. At least Karla has some familiarity with those.]

But I'm not...like that. I don't fight to protect myself or others...

[Though she has found herself doing that more in Luceti. She's already explained her reason for fighting, so she won't repeat herself. At least she has already mastered the control of her strength, out of fear of losing her own sanity, if nothing else.]

...in that case, all I can say is that it is not always too late for people to change.

[There's certainly a renewed wariness about the Spirit now. What good was fighting if it wasn't for protection? It didn't matter how personal the reason or otherwise, to fight, but not for others, was not acceptable in his mind.]

Luceti has taught me many things. Perhaps it will teach you as well.

[But does she want to change? That is the question... Perhaps Eley is right about Luceti teaching her things, but she doesn't want to lose her dream either. She already hates being forced to think about these things.]

...Is it possible...is it possible to change without losing my dream?

What is your dream?

[To find her brother? To become like him? To surpass him? He could see any of those things being true... but in order to answer her, he has to know where she's coming from.]

...To find my brother. And hopefully bring him home again...

[She wouldn't force Karel to come home again, but she just desperately wants to see him again...]

From what I have heard about your brother it seems that it may be difficult. But... it is not hopeless. I do not see how a personal change would prevent you from doing what you wish to do. After all, it will not change your connection with him. Nothing will change that.

[That was something he had learned about families. Even the family he had had, the family that was a lie, is something he will never forget]

[As much as she believes him, she wonders if Karel believes the same thing.]

My brother has been gone for a long time. He only seeks out strong opponents. I wonder...if I even exist to him anymore...

[Eley comes to a stop at those words, pausing at the foot of a nearby tree. Now he's no longer concentrating on walking, he pays her greater attention.]

It sounds as though he has an... obsession. Was he with you before you were brought here?

[Yep, Karel has an obsession with fighting, and Karla has an obsession with finding him. What an odd pair of siblings they are...]

It does seem that way. He was not with me...I haven't seen him in so long...

[Eley sits down again now by that tree. Whether or not she wishes to join him is up to her.]

Then either he will come here as well or you will be able to continue your search when you return to your world. I know it must be hard to let go of that dream for now... but it will do you good.

I have been told that our worlds are safe during our time here. I sincerely hope that is correct... or my planet will be in great danger. Hold onto that thought.

[There's the barest hesitation before the reply:]

Probably. Though I don't go out anymore.

Really? I see. There's no need for an escort if you don't go out...

[For someone of Karla's expertise, the programmed enemies are only slightly better than the bandits and barbarians she's used to. The biggest problems and challenges come from those who don't hesitate to use Cosmos attacks and those fully armored as even with all her power their armors won't give away more than a crack after one strike.

It's something Ikki expects, actually, for the armored ones to be the most troublesome for her, after all their armors are made with special materials and capable of repelling and resisting attacks from conventional weapons. That doesn't make them invincible though, just extra harder to beat down. On the contrary, Ikki's fists, used to break through stone, metal and armors, meet little resistance against his enemies, even if he doesn't use his special techniques and they manage to get him a bit through the virtue of ganging up against him at the same time.]

[She doesn't join him yet. She just stands there, staring off into space. Whether she lets go of the dream, one thing she cannot do is let her skills wane. But finding other distractions might help.]

...What can I do then?

Whatever you want to do. While we are trapped in an enclosure, there is still much to see and do here, especially to one who has not tried many new things. [He'd found that out himself, of course.] Explore the area, look around the shops, try some new food or just simply pay someone a visit. There is also the Battledome, though... you may be aware of that considering your use of a weapon.

I will admit that I am probably not the best person to ask... I am new to many things and so my knowledge is limited. I am also quite content being... still. Time has no meaning for a being like myself.

I'm familiar with the Battle Dome. [That comes out without hesitation.] I just wish it was more...challenging.

[But the vague answer makes her sigh. So many things to do, but where does she even begin? Trying new food probably won't keep her busy for long. And who would she visit?]

So being a Spirit makes you...immortal?

Hmm... perhaps another reason to discover new things that do not involve fighting.

In a way, yes. I am tied to my world and as such I will only die when the planet itself dies. However, I have come to realise that being in a human body here has left me rather more... fragile than I first thought.

[It still troubled him that he was so easily broken in both mind and body of late. He really did have to do something about that... Still, he wasn't quite convinced that she was confident in diverting her attention elsewhere herself. Maybe he should step in?]

Perhaps... we can learn new things together, if you would not mind. It may benefit the both of us.

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