[ Hi fellas @[email protected] here! Everyone is busy because of the festival so I’m the only one who can continue this for a while. Hm, for now I guess I’ll go with someone’s POV.

Here, Princess Feme’s POV, enjoy! ]

Feme Foxtail, princess of the beastman kingdom and daughter of King Al Foxtail. She was loved and adored by the people around her because of her beauty.

But because she easily get what she wanted just by asking, she was starting to get bored. Nothing interesting that caught her attention, she was displeased. But because of her family and the people around her who revere her she was overall very satisfied with her life.

But six years ago, one event happened that changed her life.

The dimming light in her heart suddenly burst with flames. Her boring and uneventful life shattered just because of a single boy which is six years younger than her.

He was the one who let her experience a very magical night and gave her a very memorable memory. She never saw anything like that. That magic which can summon two majestic yet beautiful dragons flying and dancing in the sky.

She researched on how to create that magic. She asked various instructors as well as high-level magicians. But not even one can use it.

They just said that it is impossible and no other spell like that existed. Everyday something in her heart grows, a feeling she can’t describe. She unconsciously revered and worshipped the boy.

But also because of this, she thought the boy was far from her reach. And if she couldn’t reach him, then she has no right to stand beside him is what she thought.

Even now, just by thinking about it, her heart was filled with warm feelings and excitement just because of a boy.

A one boy who she believed to be the most powerful magician she ever known. The boy who is her first love and her only fiancée, Lyle Drake Dragonfang.

She forbids herself from seeing him, until she gets stronger.

At that moment, her boring and uneventful life completely shattered. She persevered, studies hard and practiced her magic. She tried to learn from various instructors and mages. All the people saw her was filled with awe. They respected her and held her in high regards. Even her parents felt proud to their only princess.

But for Feme it wasn’t enough. She thought she was still weak compared to him. Although she wanted to see him very much, she still persevered.

Then six years passed by. She was reunited with her most beloved, whom she had yearned for day and night and could not simply forget.

She was bewildered when her father wrote a letter and said,

“You should prepare yourself! A very important person will come in the school!”

Now she knows what he meant.

She was very surprised when Lyle suddenly entered her class room. Although his appearance slightly changed, but his handsome look was still recognizable along with his black, wavy hair and eyes.

Her first love and her most important man transferred in her class.

She wanted to run and hugged him but she held herself because they are not alone.

Then suddenly Mirin-sensei her instructor called him, but contrary to her expectations she called him in different name.

A name she couldn’t remember. A name very different from what she remembered as well as a name different from her fiancée; Lyle Drake dragonfang.

Her mind was now a mess. ‘Why? Is he not my Lyle?’ She thought. ‘Is he a different person after all?’

Then the boy spoke.

"...... it's troubling when I'm suddenly asked to say something about myself but ——— just as the appearance suggests - uncivilized and savage, Shin Kariya. Misogynistic, idiotic and foolish. Vulgar, brutal, and hedonistic, sometimes a good person yet cruel. I'm just a lowly commoner who values love, peace and justice. I just want to become a lowly member at the edge of the class and I love being alone so much so better keep your distance from me, and please don't concern yourself with me too much. That’s all thank you!"

‘This voice! It’s him!’ She concluded. Although his appearance slightly differs from before, his voice remains unchanged. ‘Then it’s really him! But why is he using a different name?’

The questions in her mind was now accumulating at a very fast pace. Although she was now sure that he no other than Lyle, she was still unsure on how to proceed.

Then as if testing, she called him.

“….Prince Lyle!?”

He immediately dashed and cover her mouth with his hands. With this action it was now confirmed to her that this was no other than Lyle.

“Ahahahaha I think you’ve got the wrong person here, I’m shin, S-H-I-N and you are…….. eh? Errr, are you by any chance, Princess Feme…!?”

Then he recognized her.

“Yes, t-that’s right l-long time n-no see P-Prince Lyle.”

But because of this, they were so close to each other. Her face was getting hot, but still she remained her calm. But in truth, under her calm façade, she is mentally shaking uncontrollably at the unexpected reunion.

Her chest was swelling from joy and happiness.

Then the homeroom ends for the morning. She dragged him up to the rooftop so that they can talk without others watching them. There she heard his reason in hiding his identity.

Although it was for a nonsensical reason, but for some reason she find it cool.

They talk about the things happened in the past six years. She was having so much fun and relieved from seeing her beloved after so long.

Then the bell rang.

She stood up and walked her way towards their next class when she remembered about the magic he used before.

“Remember that magic you use in the palace six years ago?”

“Hm? Yes why?”

“You see, no matter how I search for it I can’t find how you did it. Can you teach me how? Because even the teacher doesn’t know it”

“Hahaha that? That is an original magic I use. Maybe only I can make it!”

“What? Really?....um, Lyle I’ve been meaning to ask you this but what is your rank? Your real rank”

“Hm? Let’s see, now, I think I should be an A-rank now.”

“WHAT!!!!!!!!! Impossible! Really? A-rank?”

She couldn’t believe what he just said.

About the magic he used being an original magic, as well as his rank.

Right now she was only a C-rank and she thought she was coming close to his level but now she knows, she was being a total naïve.

A twelve years old boy was an A-rank? No matter how you think about it, it was utterly impossible.

Raising your rank and power is very hard and takes too much time. Even the genius student she heard about was only a B-rank but now in front of her is far more than her.

Not just a genius but without a doubt a truly fearsome monster.

She couldn’t help but crumble.

Her hopes to reach him seemed like a far away dream.

She did persevered and worked hard. Because of the praise and attention she was getting and she thought, maybe

she was now getting closer to him.

But today, that hopes crumbled down, he was now higher than anyone can reach and is still flying higher.

She held these bitter feelings with her to her next class. Her confidence had already shrunk down.

‘Is it still not enough? Can’t I really reach his place?’ She thought.

These agonizing thoughts burned away her confidence slowly.

Then the instructor came.

She wanted to sit beside him but was rejected. She understand that it was because he was hiding his identity, but still deep in her heart she thought.

‘Is it because I’m not as strong as him? Is it because I still haven’t reach the place he was standing’

The instructor told them that their training is to defeat a C-rank demonic beast.

With this she thought maybe if he watched her defeat that monster then maybe he would felt proud of be delighted.

Her confidence was now rising but it was destroyed in an instant.

Because what came is not a C-rank monster nor a B-rank but an A-rank monster.

--- It was a Minotaur.

“Why? Why? Why?” She mumbled while tears running down her beautiful face.

She wasn’t stupid.

She knows her own strength but she also knows her own limit.

No matter what she does, she wouldn’t be able to defeat an A-rank monster like that. Fighting it would mean death for a C-ranked like her.

Her hopes had already left her.

Just like a broken doll, she fell in the ground with her knees.

“Why? Why are you the one who came? It should be a C-rank, a C-rank monster! In that way I could fight it single-

handedly! In that I could let him show how cool I am! Just why? Just why did you ruin it, you DAMN MONSTER!!!”

With tears streaming in her face, she was now screaming at the top of her lungs.

With all the frustration she held this past few years as well as the big revelation she heard about Lyle’s real ability just now. All of it, burst like a damn which couldn’t held the water anymore.

She was slamming her hands in the ground while crying. Although she heard Mirin’s shout of escape, she ignore it and remained crying.

Then she saw her two foolish classmates charged towards the monster.

Instead of awe and acknowledgement of their courageous act, she only thought of them as “Fool!”

Although they too was a C-ranked just like her, she was confident she could defeat them, but they just charged at an

A-rank monster like that? Are they crazy?

Courage and foolishness is one step closer to each other.

They will just be killed because they underestimated an A-rank monster too much.

She watched everything without moving.

Then the dreadful situation she expected came.

With just one swoop of its axe, her classmates were defeated.

Even her instructor was defeated although she was an A-rank just like that monster, but not because she fought but because she protected her one fool student.

Then another student came, the brother of Belial who was always bullied by his brother yet still saved him.

Seeing this, she was alarmed. She wiped her tears and stood up. She surveyed the surrounding, looking for a certain someone.

She was wondering as to why he was still not making his move and fought that monster. ‘Maybe he was buried under the rubble? It can’t be! With his power, this is nothing!’ She believed.

She run around looking for him, then she spotted him lying in the bench. Oddly, the bench was not hit by rubble.

When she arrived she saw that the rubble was forming a circle around Lyle as if there was an invisible barrier.

Just like she guessed, there was really a barrier around him.

But what made her speechless and dumbfounded was not the barrier but Lyle himself. Inside it, Lyle was there snoring and sleeping soundly.

Not even minding the disturbance and the monster in the vicinity.

zzzzzZZZZZZZZ

He was innocently sleeping.

“Wha-!? What the hell is this!?” She exclaimed.

She immediately walked closed to him but was stopped because of the barrier.

*Pikon*

A vein popped out on her head. She couldn’t believe that they were dying yet he was just sleeping here, not minding at all.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

She was banging the barrier while shouting

“Idiot prince just wake the hell up!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Suddenly Lyle woke up while stretching his hands up in the air. He disable the barrier.

“*Yawn* morning, breakfast?”

“Breakfast? Just what are you doing? Were dying you know!”

“Hm? Dying?” Lyle looked around and saw the situation. “Uwaaa what happened? Did a nuclear bomb exploded here?”

“What the hell are you saying? That monster did it! Quickly help them. You can defeat it right?”

“Whoa! A Minotaur? Awesome!” His eyes was sparkling the moment he saw the Minotaur.

“Stop getting impressed, everyone will die you know!”

"Haaa~ fine. You should relax a little well you .. ?” As soon as he said that. He gathered mana around and then imagines the image in his mind.

“” He muttered while casually snapping his finger.

The sound reverted in the arena as if it has speaker installed to it.

Then crimson dragon appears and coiled around the Minotaur. Then just like that the dragon exploded leaving the

Minotaur burning to death.

She couldn’t believe what she just witnessed. Just like that, an A-rank monster was killed without lifting a finger. With just a snap of a finger, a monster so strong was killed.

What kind of dream is this? Her mind was now in total mess. Her common sense turned upside down

She stared at him wide-eyed with slack jawed. Her heart which was now barely hanging was completely and utterly destroyed. Her dreams of reaching him was now become an impossible dream.

This time, she couldn’t help it but understand it. She must face the reality, that no matter what she does she would never reach the height Lyle was standing.

The monster she couldn’t hope to defeat, for him with just a snap of his finger was over. She now realized how monstrous Lyle is.

Tears again were streaming down her face. She couldn’t move a single inch. Like a puppet cut with all the strings.

Seeing this Lyle was now in panic, although he doesn’t know how.

“How?” She muttered. Looking at him with tears in her face.

“How are you so strong? Can’t I really hope to reach the stage you’re standing upon? Can’t I be as strong as you? Tell me, how can I make myself strong just like you! Tell me, I’ll do everything just to reach that height which you are standing!” All the questions in her mind burst out.

‘This is bad. I overdid it’

In that frozen moment, watching the crying Feme in front of him, Lyle scratched his head.

Although she didn’t say it directly, Lyle could understand the problem.

“Ne, Feme” He called.

Feme raised her head looking at the standing Lyle.

“What do you think is strength? Just what is power? Is it the ability to kill or defeat your enemy? Is it the power to take whatever you want? or is it the power to protect what is important to you?" He asked while looking at the distant as if longing.

"There are different kind of strength. Then what kind of strength are you looking for? Is it the strength to surpass me?"

"N-no, I, I just want to...." Feme while crying, shook her head.

"Then is it just to be as strong as me? After that what will you do? Standing at the top isn't as wonderful as you imagine. Loneliness, sadness, anxiety, Boredom. various feelings will accumulate inside of you." Lyle was trembling.

"You see, although I can't really remember it but there was someone who I looked up to. For me, he was stronger than anyone else in the world. But he wasn't happy, no, more like it was a curse, he said!"

He walked towards her, and gently pat her head. "Don't belittle yourself, you are indeed strong! You shouldn't compare yourself to anyone else, because you are you! there is no one else in this world or the other world which is the same as you!

If you can't do something, then don't. Focus on something you can do"

This time, what laid before her eyes was a smile radiant than she ever seen in her whole entire life. As if the world which supposedly crumbled was slowly repaired, her heart which was burdened by desire became light and loose and her mouth curved into the most beautiful smile in the world.