Chapter 2 - The Flower Princess

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The strength of a knight is seldom determined by the sheen of his armor or the silver of his sword. It is determined by whether or not his shield can protect, and whether or not his blade can cut. 

I will be the knight who wields the flag of victory, hurdling through the final cavern and emerging with the honor of both himself and his nation.

"Stay here and watch, everyone," the Crimson Witch purred. "This will be your lesson to never cross me."

I drew my spear and twirled it above my head before giving a small curtsy, a customary sign of respect before a duel between comrades.

Lady Signora spared the formalities and began the battle with a flick of her wrist. Crystal quartz burst from the snow, and I shot into the sky, standing gracefully on thin air.

"Ah yes, your signature move," she scowled, clearly unhappy that I had the high ground. "But how long do you think you can stay up there, girl?"

Signora launched a blue bolt, aimed right at my head.

I pirouetted into the clouds, stabbing my lance into the icy rock until I heard a satisfying crack. I let it burst into cold dust, flying in all directions, but the breeze was no longer blowing in my favor. My hand moved towards the wooden shingles of the cabin, carrying myself to the ground safely. 

La Signora is a long-distance fighter, I thought. I'll cut off the flow of her Delusion once I get close.

I evaded a pair of snowy tornadoes and used the momentum to burst into a pink flurry of flowers.

La Signora frowned as colored fog danced before her eyes. It was all, of course, an illusion, but sometimes reality is too boring to make use of.

Snatching the opportunity, I sprinted across the fog, twirling through the mist and landing right before my mistress.

Her eyes widened, and my vision sharpened on her heart. 

With one precise move, I stabbed my hand into the space between Signora and the direction of the 9th Fatui Harbinger, Lord Childe.

(Note: At the moment, there are only 9 Fatui Harbingers. Rin is the second-to-last to join their ranks.)

A subtle snap rang in the air, yet only audible to the both of us.

Time moved like snow: fragile, wistful, and slow. La Signora, as much as I disliked her, was no different from me. The Crimson Witch was just a love-struck damsel, working diligently to attain her dream, yet fate still twisted her to wickedness. Destiny is so cruel. It turns even the happiest people into vile monsters.

But La Signora would merely be a stepping stone in my journey

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But La Signora would merely be a stepping stone in my journey. Someday, I would be so much stronger than her. But that didn't matter. I saw it blank, so stark in her lonely sapphire eyes.

Someday, as fate had decided, Signora would join her prince, her one and only Rostam. 

There was no need for me to win this battle.

𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜'𝙨 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙬 // scaramouche x ocWhere stories live. Discover now