THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Please forgive him!!!"

After the first girl screams at me, almost brandishing her sword, Anriette throws herself to the ground in front of them, her face kissing the ground as much as she can.

"We are so sorry that we didn't recognize immediately the heroes of legend. May MEETIA and YOUR HOLINESSES ever forgive us. Please!!!"

Wait, they are the heroes? For real?

"Ah, yes. There were three meteorites that day." Yeah, I remember now. So that's what heroes look like. Well, they are pretty, that's for sure. Really pretty, in fact. 

"What are you doing? Kneel already!!" Anriette holds my hand and tries to pull me down but she doesn't manage to.. "Please, kneel!! Or we might be executed for this!!!"

"If we are executed because we didn't kneel in front of people who are here to save us, then what kind of justice is it?"

"No, it is not that-" I grab Anriette's hand and lift her up.

"I told you before. If you want freedom, seize it. And the first step for that is not to kneel in front of people for no reason. Besides, we are not even sure they are reaaly the heroes, they could be bandits as well. You-"

"I have heard enough."

The first girl suddenly deploys her aura. She is only using her physical aura but the intensity is quite formidable. She must be really strong. Did I find a real opponent with whom I can use my full power? No, I don't want people to know all my cards. I should only use scripts that will look normal. But if she is really a hero and I defeat without my full power…How cool will it be?!!! 

"Listen, you... Whoever you are. I could tolerate that you don't kneel in front of us. I never liked it in the first place. But to insult us to the point of calling us 'bandits' !" Her aura becomes even more powerful. "This requires an appropriate punishment!!"

The two girls next to her back off and cross their arms. They seem frustrated as well. It appears to me that I have touched a rather sensitive topic. Then the first one plants her sword on the ground. Only that made the earth crack and open.

"You two stay out of this!"

"I wasn't going to intervene anyway."

"Whatever happens to him is not my fault so…"

Seems they all agreed. The girl approaches me slowly, walking like she owns the world. With the pressure that her physical aura is emitting, she might as well do.

"K'nor, stay with Anriette. In case the other two move, flee with her, got it?"

"Woof!"

If the other two are as strong as this one, I won't be able to protect them at the same time. Maybe I will have to use my draconic power. No, let's first go like this and see the result.

"Here I come!!"

The girl strikes the ground with her foot and it opens again. She is coming bare hand? Okay, why not?!!

She disappears from my sight just like that. No, wait, she didn't disappear. That was just like Disperse, the speed of her movement was too fast for my eyes to see.

"But not my ears!!" She is there, to my left. As I turn, I see a fist coming and dodge it. Then the girl passes right by me, our shoulders almost touch as well.

"Ohh! You are not half bad!!" As soon as she touches the ground, she disappears again. And this time, she comes from above. I dodge once again and try to kick her this time, to no avail though. I didn't use enough strength nor I am using Angas for now anyway.

***

One minute in, the girl hasn't touched once, her attacks are really swift and accurate, but I am getting more and more used to it.

"Stop playing with him, Farner."

Ah, so she is called Farner? That's a rather odd name. For a hero, at least. But it is a cute one nonetheless. 

"Yeah, she is right. Stop playing with me, Farner..."

I try to mimic the second girl's way of speaking. Surely by mocking her, she will make a mistake.

"Grr!! You asked for it!!!"

She suddenly appears in front of me. It was faster this time. Her arm is already armed to strike. Let's see if I can win a contest of strength against her. I use physical Angas as well and our fist collides.

"Rah!!!"

"Ha!!"

A huge shockwave is created as our fists meet. We are both pushed back pretty far. A good five meters. The gauntlet she is wearing gets destroyed as well. Wait, that's all? I thought I would make more damage. I was going all out after all.

"K-kevin!! Your arm!!" Anriette calls me back to reality with a loud scream.

When I look at my arm, blood is pouring out of it from everywhere. The blood vessels must have all exploded. My fingers are broken as well. The arm itself is bent to the right, with a clear angle showing the bone's fracture. 

"Tch. So that's my limit, then." I really thought I was stronger than that. Sadly, it is not the case, for now.

"Farner, he blew off your reinforced armor? How is that possible?"

Ah, it seems the other side is surprised as well, Farner especially. She is looking at her arm with total bewilderment. There are no wounds on it, though. It is no even trembling or anything. 

"I don't know, Excia. I am surprised as well."

"You must not have enhanced it properly."

"I did, Roxcia! Why are you so mean?!! You are the one who checks it every time!!"

"I must have not have checked it properly. The fault lies with me, then. Sorry."

Roxcia, the third girl lightly bows lightly to Farner while the second one, Excia, places her hand on her mouth and starts laughing.

"The saintess will give you one hell of a lecture this time. I am looking forward to it."

"What?!! No!!!"

Did those girls completely forgot about us? Then this the perfect opportunity to flee. I can't handle them for now. Especially if she can blow off my arm with a single punch. I lightly move my fingers while looking at K'nor.

"Woof!! Woof!!" He understands immediately then grabs Anriette by the collar and starts running. Ah... K'nor you are really the best! I must make sure to reward you later.

"Kyaa!!"

"Where do you think you are going?" That is if we can flee.

Farner jumps back and grabs her greatsword then as she raises it, she disappears again. I bring out my raizen and block her just in time. The shock from our clash is so great my whole body trembles. My ears are ringing as well. I had to use the elbow of my broken arm to block that attack so it wasn't as perfect. 

"You can even block that?!!"

"Tch."

I push her back and use Tremor. A single arm won't be able to hold her down for long. 

"Take this!" However, she takes a weird stance, showing me her back and then… Light. In front of me, for a second, everything becomes bright. Then things are back to normal. Or not.

"You take this!!"

Farner's greatsword is shining as brightly as the sun as she strikes upwards with it. When our weapon encounters, an explosion occurs, a loud and heavy explosion of Angas. And then, my raizen... shatters.

"Wha!..."

The weapon I have used for the past years. The weapon I had hoped to drive slowly in Demether's belly while burning his eyes slowly, shatters into a thousand pieces in front of my eyes like a dream. Farner's slash also cuts me. I don't think it was too deep. I try to jump back but then I see a foot slamming on my face.