The sun beat down on Knight Blackburne's back as he arrived at the kingdom, clutching the Sword of Perfection. He paused for a moment, slightly dizzy from the immense speed he had traveled.
Kokusho. I don't know where she went, but mark my words...I will find her.
Knight Blackburne straightened up and surveyed his surroundings. He stood before the kingdom gates, surrounded by workers diligently repairing the damaged bridge. His battle with Azurath had severely impacted the kingdom, and despite the passage of time, much work remained. The absence of the king and queen made the task even more challenging.
I suppose I can understand why Elysia would ask such a thing of me... Still, she'll catch up eventually. She's quite strong.
Knight Blackburne sheathed his sword and started across the bridge. He encountered a ragged, elderly man who appeared ill and malnourished. Most notably, the old man seemed gripped by fear, as if something unseen was watching him.
Knight Blackburne knelt beside the man. "What are you afraid of?" he asked. The old man remained silent, staring at the sky in terror. Then, slowly, he lowered his gaze to meet the knight's.
"I...I can see things. Something...I don't know what...but something is coming...wait...no, agh...my head hurts..." the old man groaned. Knight Blackburne raised his eyebrows.
"What can you feel?" the knight inquired. The old man frowned.
"Fear...fear emanating from the lives of many, and the lives yet to come. All-consuming, paralyzing fear, O knight. But...with you...just maybe..." The old man began coughing. Knight Blackburne helped him sit up.
Fear...coming from the lives of many?
"On the night the kingdom was engulfed in flames, what did you see? Please, tell me..." the knight urged. The old man struggled to process the question, then uttered a single word: "Dragon."
Knight Blackburne crossed his arms.
A dragon? That's impossible...everyone was surely underground. Koko was the only dragon present, and she was protecting Elysia, wasn't she? Could it be something more symbolic? Ugh, nothing ever makes any sense to me...
Knight Blackburne stood, his black cape billowing. He was about to question the old man further but was interrupted by a group of people approaching. He turned to greet them, but they brushed past him and roughly forced the old man to his feet.
"This is unexpected. What do you intend to do with him?" the knight asked. The old man's fear intensified as the group's grip tightened. The knight glanced back at him.
"Are you with them?" the knight inquired. The old man remained silent, seemingly afraid to answer. A stern-looking man from the group stepped toward Knight Blackburne.
"This man has committed the blasphemous act of obscenity within our religious space, sir knight. We will take him to court for judgment."
Knight Blackburne frowned. "Punishment? No, can't you see his condition? He needs help."
"Indeed he does. The Lord's blessing helps all, but some acts are too evil to go unpunished. He's coming with us, sir knight."
Knight Blackburne looked at the old man again, but the old man didn't resist. It was as if he had resigned himself to his fate.
I'm not going to force anything...but...I do want to know what he meant about 'dragon'.
As the old man was led away, he turned and looked at the knight one last time. "Look for the one who bears the weight of the world in their ring. Beware, holy knight. The Black Death is upon us."
Who bears the weight of the world in their ring? Black Death? Knight Blackburne pondered the old man's cryptic words as he was taken away. Now, he stood amidst a stream of peasants going about their lives. Many eyed him, but he didn't mind. He was, after all, a knight.
...
Harlow had to pee—again. He quickly got up from the carpet and stormed to the bathroom, where he sat on the toilet for ten minutes. He still couldn't believe that he was actually in the body of the opposite sex.
I think I remember hearing about this from someone. Oh yeah, periods—forgot about those. I tried to put on some briefs, but I guess that was stupid. So, I managed to find some panties to put on and...well...I had to change them out sometime later...
Harlow didn't feel anything. Even in this body, where he would think this might've been the first time he felt pain, or whatever it was that normal humans called it, there was nothing. If anything, it was just uncomfortable.
It just gets worse from here. I can't even find the doctor or the officer. I tried, but I got lost, and now I'm just chilling in this building. I can't really think of anything to do since I'm still not hungry. It's weird, though. Wouldn't I be hungry in this body?
Harlow finished his business and exited the bathroom. He sighed. He strolled back to the ransacked couch and sat on it with a FLOP, leaning back in a relaxed state.
KNOCK-KNOCK.
Harlow leaned up, raising his eyebrows.
Who could be knocking at this time? Did someone follow me?
Harlow casually got up and approached the door. He initially thought that maybe one of the women in the suits had indeed followed him after retreating, but it still didn't make sense to him. He casually grabbed the knob and opened the door. Standing outside in front of him was a seven-foot-tall, slim, crimson, and malnourished monster with its organs partially hanging out. Harlow frowned.
He didn't even think twice about casually slamming the door shut and walking back to the couch. It's not that he was afraid; he was just simply annoyed with everyone trying to interrupt him.
As he sat back down on the couch, there was another knock on the door—this time, louder.
Ok...fine...I'll let you in.
Harlow got up and opened the door again. The monster stepped in and nodded.
"Good morning. I see you've made quite the stay here," the monster said, looking around the room. Harlow shrugged.
"Yeah, so what? Look, I'm kinda busy doing nothing, so what do you want?" Harlow asked.
The monster turned around.
"You aren't afraid of me? Like, hostile or anything?" the monster asked.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"No, why would I be?" Harlow replied.
The monster sat on the couch.
"I heard that there was a battle that happened last night. I saw my friends' bodies scattered everywhere. Was that your doing?" the monster asked.
"No," Harlow replied simply. He sat down on the couch too.
"I see. Are you a powerful monster? I was going to ask you a favo—" the monster started, but Harlow interrupted him.
"Favor? No, not now. I'm angry that I don't even have my manga to read, or any manga for that matter," Harlow said, leaning back.
"Did you check the other buildings?" the monster asked.
Harlow thought for a moment and shook his head.
"Nah, although I did check one of the bookstores in the mall, I think. Oh, and on my way here, there was another bookstore I checked and still couldn't find them," Harlow said, pouting.
The monster nodded. Harlow turned around and put his hand on the monster's shoulders. The monster flinched a little, and Harlow raised his eyebrows.
"Hey, you're pretty weak for someone who looks strong, what gives?" Harlow asked, standing up from the couch. The monster felt afraid. It slowly got up, backing against the wall.
"You see, yes, I'm weak, weaker than a human even, but I use my horrifying appearance to scare humans and weak sentient monsters away. That's why I need your help with..." the monster started, but Harlow put out his hand.
"Hmm...you seem like a pretty chill person. I'm Harlow Blackburne," Harlow said. The monster reluctantly shook his hand.
"Kregg...You said your name was 'Harlow'? That sounds more like a boy's name," Kregg said, his eyebrow raised.
Harlow just shrugged.
"Yeah, well, I'm a boy—trapped in a girl's body..." Harlow said, a nonchalant tone.
Kregg's jaw dropped.
"A...what?" Kregg asked.
Harlow shrugged nonchalantly.
"Long story short, some psychic-reality mishmash thing happened, and POOF, now I'm living this strange, gender-bent life..." Harlow replied.
"What happened to your original body?" Kregg asked. Harlow frowned.
"That's the problem. I have no idea," Harlow replied. He clenched his fists, his brow deepening. He grunted and casually punched the wall with such force that it cracked.
"UGH! I CAN'T FIND MY GRANDMA, I CAN'T READ MY MANGA, AND I'M STUCK IN ANOTHER BODY!" Harlow said to himself, aggravated.
Kregg scratched his head.
"If your situation has anything to do with souls, then there's this powerful human they call Shadow. He goes around executing and enslaving monsters...even a strong monster could lose to him. I believe he's part of an organization that participates in necromancy. It might tie into your situation, although I'm not too sure..." Kregg started.
Harlow looked up.
"What? You mean there's a chance this Shadow guy can help me?"
"A very slim chance. They call him Shadow for a reason. The last thing you'll see before he kills you is his shadow..." Kregg replied. Harlow nodded.
"Uh, ok. So, what does this have to do with you?" Harlow asked.
Kregg frowned a bit.
"If all goes well, and you get what you want from him, I want you to kill him. He's too dangerous to us monsters. He can't distinguish between good and bad monsters, sentient monsters, like you and me. So, are you a powerful monster?" Kregg asked.
Harlow shrugged.
"I don't know, maybe. I guess I won't know until I go against him. But...this seems kind of sudden. Uh, how did you find me?" Harlow asked.
Kregg smirked. Harlow hadn't noticed it before, but there was another shadow next to his own—an ominous shadow. Harlow raised his eyebrows. Before he could even think about turning around, he felt something sharp touch his neck. That was the moment he realized the shadow in front of him was enveloping his own.
"Don't move, flower. Stay right where you are..." The ominous figure said from behind. Harlow was still confused. How did they even manage to get into the room? The door was closed.
Well, this is embarrassing, to say the least. This skinny-ass monster tricked me...
...
Princess Elysia sighed and slumped into a chair in the council room, her journal open before her. While the servants bustled about the grounds, tending to the yard work, she found her only solace in writing and swordsmanship.
Her thoughts drifted back to the events of Azurath, a shiver of fear running down her spine as she remembered the first time she laid eyes on him.
No, I can't keep dwelling on this. But...what if I had been the one to pierce his heart with that holy sword? What would it take for me to wield such power? Am I being foolish?
She paused, pen hovering above the page. Perhaps she was overthinking. But a nagging doubt remained. If the knight were to perish and her army, which had proven so ineffectual during the Azurath incident, was all she had left, could she truly guarantee her people's safety and prosperity?
Just then, the chancellor entered the room, and Elysia hastily set her notebook aside.
"What news?" she asked.
"Your Majesty, King Oliver has announced his visit. He and his company should arrive within a few days. How shall we prepare?"
Elysia stammered, taken aback.
"I see. Ensure the royal chambers are prepared, of course. Arrange a formal banquet, but with a focus on the knight. I expect he'll attend the meeting as well."
The chancellor nodded.
"I understand your frustration with the other rulers. They were absent when we needed them most, but we had the holy knight on our side. Such power incites envy. They likely questioned why they should risk their forces for a cause that seemed lost."
Elysia conceded the point. The other rulers sending aid would have been futile. It wouldn't have changed the outcome. But the bitterness lingered.
"How can I prevent another Azurath? How can I guarantee our safety?" she asked, turning to the chancellor.
The chancellor paused, considering his words carefully: "Your Majesty, all we can do is prepare. That's all any of us can do."
Elysia nodded slowly. Prepare. But what did that truly mean?
"If I'm honest, a desire has been stirring within me..." she trailed off, her gaze drifting toward the garden outside the window.
The chancellor raised an eyebrow.
"Has someone caught your eye?" he inquired.
Elysia shook her head.
"No, it's not that. It's a desire for more than just ruling. I yearn for real power, chancellor. I'm talking about the kind of power that can protect this kingdom if the knight is gone. Greater threats loom on the horizon. I can feel it."
She watched as her soldiers honed their swordsmanship in the courtyard below, her eyes drawn to the clash of steel.
The chancellor approached her.
"You have every right to feel this way, Your Majesty, especially after losing the king and queen. But I cannot advise you to seek power through conflict."
Elysia met his gaze.
"Are you saying I'm unfit?" Elysia asked.
"No, Your Majesty. Far from it. I'm merely echoing what your father, the king, would have advised." The chancellor replied.
"I appreciate your honesty, but my mind is made up. After the banquet, I will pursue a different path. A path to a power that my mother and those before her lacked the courage to seek." Elysia stated.
With that, Elysia gave the chancellor a final look before sweeping out of the room.
...
Back to reality, District 3 Green Zone #2
Yowaya and Dr. Sunji sat at the outdoor table, eating what little they had. The military personnel who'd picked them up had promised them a good meal when they arrived at the Green Zone. Well, they got something to eat, alright, but it definitely wasn't good.
Nonetheless, Yowaya realized he needed to be grateful. After all, they recognized his officer status as soon as he boarded the helicopter and hadn't looked down on him.
I couldn't do anything anyway. Guns are useless against those...things...
Yowaya looked up and noticed that Dr. Sunji had almost finished his meal. Yowaya had barely eaten more than three bites. As he reached for another scoop, he saw a woman approaching their table from the corner of his eye.
Yowaya glanced at Dr. Sunji, who looked to the right and noticed the woman approaching him.
"Reina...it's been a while..." Dr. Sunji said, getting up to hug her. Reina reluctantly accepted his hug and frowned.
"I'm glad you made it. Food is scarce, and there isn't enough medicine to go around," Reina said plainly. Dr. Sunji nodded.
"Well, as long as everyone's monsterification levels are low within this zone, we should be able to hold up for a little while," Dr. Sunji said. Reina agreed. She turned to Yowaya.
"And you are—"
"Yowaya," he said, extending his hand. Reina shook it and raised her eyebrows.
"Did the two of you really manage to get from the detention center to the mall unharmed? That's an impressive feat in itself...anyway, I should get going. I'm going to check up on the other tents..." Reina said, walking away.
As Reina walked away, Yowaya contemplated for a moment. Then he turned to Dr. Sunji.
"Hey, I don't mean to pry, but...Suzune, that's Reina's daughter, right?" Yowaya asked, hesitating a bit.
Dr. Sunji played with his food.
"Yes, my baby girls still alive, for which I'm deeply grateful. What's your point?" Dr. Sunji asked.
"How does Reina feel about...y'know, her child...serving at a time like this...?" Yowaya said slowly. Dr. Sunji rubbed his temple.
"It's complicated, but she has come to terms with it, and I helped her through that. Suzune...she has a tough spirit, tougher than mine even. She was willing to put in the work, and now that the district is overrun with monsters, she didn't hesitate to use her skills against them..." Dr. Sunji explained.
Yowaya nodded.
"I guess so..." Yowaya started. Before he could take a sip from his water bottle, someone called out to him.
"Doctor Sunji of District 3 Detention Center—please, come with me to the conference room," The man said, standing upright. Dr. Sunji cleaned up his things and followed him.
Yowaya stayed behind and watched Dr. Sunji go, sighing.