HERO's POV

 

I remained seated, hoping that what I taught her will suffice for her survival. I listened to the host as he speak while staring at Dara. My heart stopped beating when a bomb underground suddenly explode and her frail body flew somewhere.

 

 

 

"HERO! STAY SEATED!" Il woo commanded and pulled me down. I closed my fists and looked away. I heard the crowd cheered 'Boo'.

 

 

 

I promised... I promised that I will get her out of here but I failed... failed to protect her.

 

 

"Oh! The lady got a kusarigama! But the miracle is she survived the explosion!" the host, Yax, said in amusement. My heart stopped and I quickly search for her and there she is, holding the kusarigama, unscathed.

 

 

 

I did not dare took my eyes off of her and I prayed, the thing I never did even once in my life. I prayed that she will not step again on any bombs. She took a single step, the thought that she will step on another bomb is scaring me. She took another step, and another, and another until she was five feet away from the flag. She pulled her weapon, as if, someone or something will attack her, and seconds passed, I was ready to jump on the arena but Soo-Hyun stopped me this time. Hundreds of fire arrows came to her at the same time.

 

 

 

"LET ME GO" I said with gritted teeth but Soo-Hyun did not budge. "I SAID LET ME GO!"

 

 

 

"Stop creating a scene, Hero. She's fine, look" Soo-Hyun said. "Now, can you please remain on your chair?"

 

 

 

I reluctantly went back to my chair. Il woo and Soo-Hyun shook their heads and took a deep breath. The crowd cheered when Dara raise the flag. I smiled and was thankful that she survive. However, I must help her escape before the second trial tomorrow because knowing the head, he will surely increase the difficulty of the second test, seeing how Dara managed to get the flag, unscathed and she finished it in less than five minutes.

 

 

 

"What a great amount of luck!" Yax said. "Since the lady did not get any injury, the head decided to proceed to the next stage!"

 

 

 

"What is the meaning of this?! It is not in the rules!" I asked Il woo and he just shrugged. "Are you trying to kill her?!" I raised my voice when I saw the four creatures she was about to face. I know that she has a griffin and a lion for a pet but a dragon? a basilisk? a hydra and a chimera? how the hell will she survive this?! Even I is having a hard time capturing those! What more for a mere lady who can only use teleportation once, her fire and water ability which I forbid her to use?!

 

 

 

"Stop being noisy and just watch, Hero. Stop acting as if you love that apprentice of yours, or the head will really decide to just kill her." Il woo said, annoyed.

 

 

 

I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. I restrained myself from killing somebody when I heard him say that Dara will meet her end since she stayed on the ground, sitting!

 

 

 

Damn! What are you doing, you stupid lady!

 

 

I said in my mind while watching the trainors unchain the creatures. Minutes passed by but none of the four creatures dared attack Dara, which I find unusual. Even if the trainors hurt them, they still did not follow.

 

 

 

"Yah! I can kill whoever is inside the arena, am I right?!" I heard her ask. The crowd just laugh but I think, the lady is dead serious.

 

 

 

"Y-yes, lady! You can kill whoever is inside, that is if you can" Yax said, still laughing.

 

 

 

"Alright! I'll take your word for that!" Dara said and did some stretching.

 

 

 

"Where did you meet that lady? She's interesting" Soo-Hyun said and I glared at him. "Why are you looking at me like that? I just said she's interesting."

 

 

 

"She isn't scared in a tiny bit. She's serious when she asked Yax, I must say, you found a strong apprentice, Hero. However, let's see if she can survive." Il woo commented. The three of us turned to the arena again and watch her move. None of us spoke... Dara just defeated the four trainors and easily got the bell from the four beasts and made them vanished.

 

 

 

She turned her head towards us, smiling at her victory. I can't even find what word to say. Nobody, nobody ever passed the second trial in less than ten minutes, unscathed.

 

 

 

"FOR THE LAST TRIAL! ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO CHALLENGE THE LADY, AT THE ARENA, NOW!" the head rise on his feet while his face is all red, from anger.

 

 

 

"Aish! That lady really has a talent in angering people!" I said while looking at the crown inside the stadium. At least fifty stood up, some are strong but some are just a show off. "H-hey! Why are you standing too?!" I asked Min Woo but he just smirked at me. Not just him but all of the top ten at Trixa are standing, including Il woo, Soo-Hyun and that troublemaker Yifan who shot Dara. "How can you stand up? She's just my apprentice! Isn't those people enough?"

 

 

 

"She just insulted everyone here, Hero. If we let her be, then shall we accept that she is stronger than all of us combined, including the number one, Il woo?" Lumin, the number ten, said.

 

 

 

"Lumin is right. She finished the two levels at exactly thirteen minutes and three seconds and no one ever finished that fast as that lady" Yooseung, the number eight, said, agreeing to Lumin.

 

 

 

"Our pride is at stake here, I cannot let that lady tarnish our ranks! It's as if we are a laughing stock!" Taehee, the number nine, spoke this time.

 

 

 

"What did you just say?" I asked them mockingly. "Are you afraid of my apprentice? Is she really a threat to us?" I laughed. "Are you kidding me? Then go! If she managed to defeat you, then you will really be a laughing stock." I mocked them, hoping that what I am doing will make them stay on their seat.

 

 

 

"Then, let us see if she can even land a single hit to any one of us." Min Woo, the number five said.

 

 

 

"Yifan.." I glared at Yifan, the number four, and he stood frozen.

 

 

 

"It's no use stopping the nine of us, Hero-ah. If I see that lady fit for you, then I will acknowledge her and will make sure that she will survive but I won't guarantee you that she will not be harmed." Il woo finally said.

 

 

 

"If you touch her, you will have to go through me first!" I firmly said while looking at them, my head held high.

 

 

 

"Do as you want." Il woo said and jumped down towards the arena. I followed and position myself behind Dara.

 

 

 

"Aish, you really are a troublesome lady!" I hissed.

 

 

 

"Why did you get down here? Are you trying to challenge me?" I heard her say.

 

 

 

"Didn't I promise you that I will let you escape?"

 

 

 

"So are you trying to say that you will protect me?"

 

 

 

"Y-yah... W-what are you saying? I just said that I will help you escape, not protect you" I stuttered. I almost lost my words from her straightforwardness.

 

 

 

She chuckled. "Psh! So, does it mean that I still can't use any of my ability since you are here?"

 

 

 

"If you use your ability, you have to stay here" I said and she giggled again. "yah! You are about to die and you still manage to laugh?"

 

 

 

"I really don't mind staying with you." she said making me lose my word.

 

 

 

DARA's POV

 

 

I saw the top ten of Trixa stood up. I suppose, the one beside Hero is the top one because I can feel that he's strong. I don't know if Hero is number two or three since his power right now is only at par with the other one next to him. I continued watching them and it seems like they are arguing and it seems that Hero is trying to stop them but failed when all of them jumped down towards the arena. The other people from the audience, also, jumped off and surrounded me while the top ten, aside from Hero remained at the back, as if waiting for me to defeat the ordinary people who came from the crowd.

 

 

 

Aren't they expecting too much from me? Tsk... I thought I am only an apprentice here? Am I suppose to defeat all of these people without using my ability? What do they think of me? A mere apprentice? Stronger than the top ten? Tsk tsk... If I am here as the Princess then I am stronger than all of them combined but I am here as an ordinary person, I even planned to get a slight injury but there's no way I will let these many people injure my flawless skin!

 

 

"Aish, you really are a troublesome lady!" Hero said as he approached me from behind.

 

 

 

"Why did you get down here? Are you trying to challenge me?" I asked him.

 

 

 

"Didn't I promise you that I will let you escape?" he said. I fell silent for a while and smile thereafter.

 

 

 

"So are you trying to say that you will protect me?"

 

 

 

"Y-yah... W-what are you saying? I just said that I will help you escape, not protect you" he stuttered making me chuckle.

 

 

 

"Psh! So, does it mean that I still can't use any of my ability since you are here?" I asked him, trying to get the real score.

 

 

 

"If you use your ability, you have to stay here" he said and I giggled. "yah! You are about to die and you still manage to laugh?" he asked, annoyed as of now.

 

 

 

"I really don't mind staying with you." I smiled and moved away from him.

 

 

 

"YAH! COME BACK HERE!" I heard him yell.

 

 

 

Just watch... stay with the higher ups first. I can manage, if you feel and if you see that I can't, you can help.

 

 

I said in his mind. I chuckled when he looked at me, confused.

 

 

 

I'll explain later. If someone managed to injure me, then you can help.

 

 

I said again and luckily, he followed me. I pulled out the kusarigama on my back and stood up straight.

 

 

 

"LET THE LAST STAGE BEGIN!" the host finally said and they attacked me at the same time.

 

 

 

"Aigoo, aren't they too excited killing me?" I smiled in amusement. I think, I am having fun here.

 

 

 

I used the chain of my kusarigama and it grabbed the sword of one of my enemy. He was caught off guard and I smirked then approached him and punch him on his face and he was K.O.ed. In ten minutes, I managed to defeat twenty six, barehanded. I wiped my face since I am a little sweaty because the arena is so crowded.

 

 

 

"Whew! I never sweat this much... feels nasty but good." I muttered to myself. I continued fighting until I defeated all of the ordinary ones. I smiled at the top ten and some of them are dead serious while some of them looked amused. "Aigoo! Can you let me breathe fresh air for a few secon--- woah! Easy!" I grabbed a hold of the attackers hand. "I am still talking, you know?" I said and calmly put his hands down. "Eh, eh, eh.. Don't dare attack me again or I will really twist your hand. I just need a fresh air for a few seconds, can't you respect the wish of a young lady?" I smiled and moved away from the young, uneasy, man.

 

 

 

I casually turned my back on him. "Didn't I tell you not to attack me, hmmm?" I said, still not facing him.

 

 

 

"I... I... Aisht! Why do I have to listen to you?!" He said. I dodged his attack and faced him again. "Why are you mocking me?!"

 

 

 

"Mock you? When did I? Did I say anything to you hmmm?" I asked him, still dodging.

 

 

 

"I will make sure that you will die..." he said with gritted teeth.

 

 

 

"Eh? Why are you mad at me? I am just here to take my test to be Hero's apprentice you know? I didn't even kill any single person in here and now you want to kill me?" I said, wondering why.

 

 

 

"Aish! Your mouth needs to be stitched"

 

 

 

I forced a smile.

 

 

 

How can this guy be like this to a pretty lady? What? My mouth needs to be stitched? Ridiculous! I have never heard someone said that to me in my entire life! Even Jae's father did not tell me that, take note, he really hates my existence but never did I hear his father said that. Jae's father only wants to bury me six feet under but not sew my mouth.

 

 

 

"Lost your tongue?"

 

 

 

I laughed in disbelief. "Aren't you rude?!" I grabbed his weapon and gently throw him on the ground. "Yah! You are a bit cute, let's be friends after this, oh?!" I shouted at the young man who is now ten feet on the ground.

 

 

 

"Yah! W-what cute?!" Hero suddenly appeared beside me, staring too at the large hole I just made when I threw one of the top ten.

 

 

 

"Wae? He's cute right?" I asked him and he glared at me. "Wae? Wae? Why are you angry?"

 

 

 

"Aish! Can't you be serious? You almost died twenty times if it were not for me!" Hero said and I just stared at him.

 

 

 

"What? Twenty times?" I asked him, clueless.

 

 

 

"Aish!" he suddenly grabbed me and blood sputtered on the ground. "Y-you really are a troublemaker." I felt some liquid from my hands.

 

 

 

"HERO-ah!" I heard Jinhee screamed.

 

 

 

I felt my eyes start changing colors from brown to red. I took a deep breath and got a hold of myself. I lifted Hero and gave him to Jinhee. "Take care of him..." I said and went back to the arena.

 

 

 

"All of those who wish to be severely injured, step in the back... and all of those who wish to die, step in front."

 

 

 

----

 

The last chap is short so here is a not so long chapter. Hope you like it, kekeke. Thanks for reading ^____^