The tension was suffocating.

  Villagers fled in panic, stumbling over debris. Dust hung in the air like a gray veil.

  Souta glared at Tears.

  Pikonota trembled on the ground.

  Meliora stood up, her arm bleeding.

  — Gah… my arm…

  The cut was shallow, but enough to ignite Souta’s fury.

  — You bastard… you hurt the princess!

  Tears smiled coldly.

  — Don’t worry. There are healers at the castle. Once I take her back, everything will be forgiven.

  Meliora raised her hand, nervous.

  — No! You don’t need to take me back. I want to go with him. This isn’t a kidnapping, sis Tears!

  Tears sighed dramatically.

  — My dear… if it were only that, I’d let it slide. But… — she pulled a leaflet from her bag and dropped it.

  The paper floated toward Meliora as if alive.

  Meliora caught it, hesitant.

  It was a wanted poster.

  Kihara Souta — Rogue Drone. Dead or Alive.

  Crimes: kidnapping Princess Meliora. Threatening the Queen. Assaulting nobles. Jewelry theft. Attacking Princess Stingara… Taboo of fighting another drone.

  The list seemed endless.

  Each line made Meliora tremble more.

  — Lord Kihara… you hurt Stingara?! And all these crimes?!

  Souta only smiled. A bitter smile.

  Tears opened a wild, extravagant grin.

  — The poster says “dead or alive.” But everyone knows dead is better. — She drew her sword, silver aura vibrating. — Let’s see if you’re as strong as they say.

  Souta raised his spoon, black aura warping the air.

  — Pukonota, Meliora… get out of here.

  The ground trembled. The clash was inevitable.

  Tears lifted her sword.

  — Beast Magic: Instinctive Blade!

  Silver aura wrapped the blade, like a wolf waiting for its prey.

  Souta answered.

  Greenish flames wrapped around the spoon.

  — Swamp Spoon!

  Flames of Lament!

  The two magics collided. The impact burst into dust and shards.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Creamy warned:

  — Careful, sir!

  A vertical slash fell like thunder. Souta leapt back, the air whistling around him.

  That blade… it feels like a divine relic.

  Tears advanced like a beast, every strike precise, instinctive, flawless.

  Souta used Shadow Step, appearing behind her.

  A horizontal slash tore the air. Tears dodged with a fluid spin, smiling savagely.

  — Predator Instinct! Solid Claws! Dual Conjuration!

  Cutting aura exploded in two directions. Souta raised the spoon.

  — Reflective Spoon!

  The impact hurled him forward, blood dripping from his arm.

  Tears licked the blood off her blade, thrilled.

  — Hmmm… your blood is warm.

  Souta recoiled, disgusted.

  — Gross… your mind is twisted, woman!

  Tears charged, silver aura slicing the air.

  — You’re holding back, young Kihara. You’ll die like that. Worried about the princess?

  Creamy shouted:

  — She’s right! That sword is Devora, the Titan Devourer, forged from fragments of ancient divine relics! If you hold back, you’ll die!

  Souta grinned, aura shaking the earth.

  — Don’t provoke me, kitty…

  Purple aura covered his hand — and the spoon.

  Instant Step.

  Tears smiled even wider, wild, eyes shining with excitement.

  — Yes! Entertain me! At least your death won’t be in vain!

  Blade and spoon collided.

  Horizontal, vertical, diagonal strikes.

  Souta dodged with flips, countered with kicks, the spoon spinning like a scythe.

  The air exploded with each impact, houses collapsing around them.

  — Dragon Dessert Spoon: Acid Snow Tornado!

  A whirlwind of ice and acidic wind erupted, tearing through the village. Tears dodged, but took a cut on her arm.

  She laughed, savage.

  — YES! More!

  Souta rushed in with multiple consecutive slashes, fast as rain.

  Tears dodged like a beast dancing with its prey.

  Beast Magic.

  — Emitter II: Activate!

  Souta absorbed her magic before it formed, countering with a brutal sequence: vertical, horizontal, diagonal.

  Metallic echoes roared like thunder.

  Piercing smile vs savage smile.

  Meliora and Pikonota watched, stunned.

  — Lord Kihara… he’s fighting on equal footing with sis Tears…

  Tears unleashed all her mana. The sky and earth trembled.

  — Come at me with everything, Kihara!

  Souta raised the spoon, black aura covering his body.

  — Stamina Break. Full Burst.

  The air warped. The ground cracked.

  Both charged, weapon and spoon overflowing with magic.

  Shadow Step. Spiral.

  Souta vanished with a buzz.

  Tears spun, confused.

  — Huh?!

  Her feet dragged on the ground, breath heavy.

  — Huff… huff… he ran away?!

  She looked around.

  — The princess… damn it! They escaped! How am I supposed to explain this to the Queen?!

  Outside Aurora, Souta walked with Meliora and Pikonota.

  — The fight was out of control. If it continued, it wouldn’t stop until one of us died. Tears is one of Beeatrix’s strongest weapons against the Celestial Generals, he thought.

  Then—

  — Wait, where’s Mel?!

  Meliora and Pikonota froze.

  — Huh?!

  Mel, the tiny familiar, still dizzy, crawled out from inside Souta’s jacket.

  — I-I’m here, sir… she said with a trembling voice.

  Souta smiled, relieved.

  — Good. I’m glad you’re safe.

  She shrank shyly.

  Souta looked ahead.

  — Armoura isn’t safe anymore. The news will spread fast. Your journey begins now, Lady Meliora. I’ll put the world at your feet. Let’s discover it together.

  Her eyes sparkled with emotion.

  — Yes! Lord Kihara!

  She ran to Souta, holding his hand.

  Behind them, Pikonota sighed, melancholic.

  — They’re ignoring me again… geez.

  If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a ? rating and comment: Should Souta keep running… or confront the Queen and her weapons head-on?

  Every bit of support helps the spoon dig deeper toward the throne!”