Arch-Sabre: The Inheritor of The Blade

Blade Festival

I cannot stop thinking about what has happened since last 4 days. It is to unrelatable to be true. This is not some adventure story where a family is harmed and suddenly the one member of the family become the chosen hero to save the world. The world is already at its peaceful times. This is driving me crazy.

            “Evans!”

            “EVANS!”

            I regain my consciousness from my deep thought after being called several times by Quinn.

            “Oh, sorry, I was spacing out.”

            “I know. Look, I am sorry for what happened. I think most of our classmates knew about it too, but I can’t help but feel uneasy seeing you like this.”

            “Yeah, I am sorry.”

            “Evans…”

            I apologised with weary intonation. I feel so worn-out from that unfortunate day. This morning, my mom awoke earlier and immediately go to the hospital to take care of dad. She really worried about him. Sister too, she seems quite unmotivated and unusually get up later than me, so today we got to school together but still, she seems a little bit down.

            “Evans, the class has finished, do you feel like eating something at the cafeteria? My treat.”

            Quinn asking with his soft voice is probably an attempt to coax me and help me regain my motivation. Maybe I should not let him worry more than he already is.

            “Okay sure if it’s on you,”

            “Yes! Leave it to me!”

            I get up from my seat and walk out of the class with Quinn beside me. We walk but both are unusually reserved today, me particularly.

-------------------- [Cafeteria] --------------------

            “I guess I will have the chicken rice and onion soup today. What about you, Evans?”

            “I think I will have the spicy lamb rice today.”

            “Okay got it, you wait here, I will order it.”

            As instructed, I sit at the two-seats dining table beside the large transparent glass. It is not too hot even with the sunlight directly touch my vulnerable hands on the table. It is rather warm and feels pleasant on my skin. As I tried to gaze outside the window, I realised there are a packed of students gathering with someone tat the middle giving a briefing on something. The cafeteria is currently crammed with students, boys, and girls all and here relaxing, eating, chatting, and even laughing as if they own the world.

            I could not hear what exactly the person outside the cafeteria is talking about, but I tried to hear it by focusing my hearing sense to their voice, barely hear their voice.

            “For anyone who want to join the Hero Armament Championship during the Blade Festival, please fill in your name and information in this form and return it to the student council office by this evening!”

            “Blade… festival?”

            I am back in deep thought, thinking of what the man in black or ‘shadow’ said before. He wants me to draw the legendary sword. If what he said is true, the only legendary sword here is, The Endless Rapier, Teroria.

If I could get my hands on that sword, I can save my family, and everyone around me.

            There is no other choice. There are three legendary swords in total.

            But now, only The Endless Rapier, Teroria is the only one I possibly grab. I have heard about its skills and potentials, quite terrifying and powerful. I have heard during previous tournament, there are several contestants that was chosen by Teroria as its master, the probability is low but it’s extremely low. But…

            “Hey Evans! Here is your…”

            “It’s decided! I will join the Blade Festival tournament!”

            “What?!”

            And so, I explained about wanting to join the Blade Festival to Quinn.

            “Oh… you want to join the blade festival… that is cool, but why do you want to join it this year despite of rejecting my proposals from last two years?”

            “Well, I just feel like it this year…”

            “Weird, if you want to say about savouring your last memories here in the academy, you can just join it during our final year.”

            “I just feel like it, that’s all!”

            “Hm okay sure, if you insist…”

            I could not tell Quinn the reason behind my enlisting into the tournament. I must ascertain this out by myself because that is the safest way to do things. Maybe I am being watch from somewhere. Any wrong step would lead my family and friends to danger, and I will do anything to prevent that from happening,

            “This spicy lamb rice is really good Quinn! You should try it!”

            “You know I cannot handle spicy foods right…”

            “Hahaha, yeah I know. Hey Quinn, tell me about the Blade Festival tournament! You have been participating for two straight years, right?”

            “Uh… sure… Where should I start…”

            I start to listen to him attentively, this will be my only opportunity and fortune will be on my side if I can figure out the plans before start fighting with the opponents.

            “Okay first of all, Blade Festival is not about fighting only, there are also student booths that sells foods, drinks and exhibitions…”

            “Let’s skip that.”

            “…”

            “Yea…okay… then the core part of the Blade Festival is the tournament called ‘Hero Armament Championship’ referring to participant which is labelled as ‘Hero’ in the last stage who will force their way to conquer the stages of the tournaments to obtain title of champion. Each hero can use at most 2 set of any weapon. During qualification stages, participants usually will have to make team of three students during registration. Referring to previous battle, the second last qualification will have each team to fight among themselves to determine the one who will enter the last stage. For stage one and stage two is where all participants will have qualification process to reach the final stage, like previous tournament last stage, one versus one battle. Every year will have different type of qualification process.”

            “I see, so for the qualification, the students who lose is filtered.”

            “Yes, and customarily, only eight last standing hero from hundreds of participants will reach the last stage.”

            “Damn… That is crazy… even though I did not watch any of the matches, I do know the number of enlisting students, it was two hundred, right?”

            “Two hundred and thirty-two to be exact. Who told you that?”

            “My sister, she joined it last year.”

            “What? I did not see her anywhere last year.”

            “Do you remember a female participant that wears a cat mask and nicknamed ‘Eve’ during the tournament?”

            “Oh, the one with masterful archery skills and … wait…”

            “What?”

            “SHE WAS YOUR SISTER!?”

            “Yes, quiet down Quinn!”

            “WHY I DID NOT RECOGNIZE HER!! HER ARCHERY SKILLS SHOULD HAVE MAKE ME REALIZE OF THE ARCHERY CLUB PRESIDENT!!”

            You better keep it down before more students watch us, Quinn.

            “Ugh… I am so foolish to not recognize a maiden that I were lost with. What a shame…”

            “You lost to my sister?”

            “Yes!! She was exceptionally good! That time, it was the semi-final stage, my team versus her team. She was just standing at the back with her bow. We thought that she will just do some backup to her friends, so we all charged to defeat her team. But she shoots an arrow to my team leader until he was not able to move. We learned that she was the main threat since her friends were not so good at close quarter fighting, we easily beat them, but she shoots another arrow at my teammate till he collapsed. Then I quickly go to her to reduces the distance and put her into disadvantages with her bow, but she cut me down with a freaking arrow!”

            “HAHAHA! Now that is a fine story! “

            “It is not a laughing matter Evans, that sister of yours is a true monster on the battlefield!”

            “I was what?”

            “You were a…”

            “Hm….”

            My sister suddenly shows up right there standing behind Quinn. Even I do not realize she was there from when.

            “Hye sis, he was telling me about the Hero Armament Championship last year.”

            “Oh, why is that? Are you interested in the Hero Armament Championship, Evans, sweetie?”

            “Sweetie…” (Quinn sighed)

            “Sis, stop that, we are at academy. It’s embarrassing.”

            “Aw my cute brother is being shy, so cute!”

            “Cute…” (Quinn sighed)

            “Sis!”

            “Okay, I stop alright, sheesh, so what do you want to know? I have quite lot of knowledge since I succeed to enter the final stage but lost at the first matchmaking. I do watch all the final contestant though…”

            My sister offered me some information while pulling a chair from other table and sit beside me.

            “I want to know about the participants that entered last year.”

            “Okay, so first there was eight people who reach the final stage, two of them were graduated senior, and both obtained the fourth and third place. The other six were Richard Maximillian Stardust, Eleanor Maximillian Stardust, Ace Cardinal, Rigel Vincent, Helena Frosty and…”

            “And...?”

            I asked with full curiosity.

            “The most powerful and beautiful contestant, The Angel of Dawn, Eva Reinhard, your beloved sister.” (smiled)

            What with that cheerful smile? Do I seem like I am impressed? Can I smack her now?

            “I agree, you are beautiful, but you are the last place to be said most powerful is a little bit …”

            “THAKK!”

            I see it. The incredible velocity when my sister swings her hand before it reaches Quinn’s head making me believe on her story on succeeding on the entering the last stage of the tournament.

            “Quinn, are you okay?”

            I tried to ask if he still sane after that deadly attack.

            “Ah, I am being hit by an angel… it feels good…”

            I regret asking that.

            “So, who got the first places?”

            “Um… if I not mistaken, it was…”

            “KRINGGG!!!”

            “Ah, it’s already time to head back to the class! Ask me again at home Evans! Bye!”

            The bell rings interrupted my conversation. I could not even hear the name yet. I would like to avoid from asking her at home though. Well, maybe I will just ask Quinn again.

            “Quinn, it’s time for class! Let’s go.”

            “Okay.”