Late at the ballroom meeting, Tania Bloodtide has start her plan by calling out one of The Fifth Army. After arriving from afar, Archie Lydia came with her full armor and weapon at hands since she don't get any rest after arriving. She just enter the ballroom after being called by her boss and her boss superior. She enter the ballroom and being welcomed by fantastically heavy aura.
Before Tania Bloodtide, she bowed down since she felt where are those aura coming from. Like being judge, Archie Lydia stutter and paralyzed while bowed down before her. Even though, she know that bowing down before her is not the right ethics for salute at her. But since that ethics came from her origin, Tania letting her do as her wish.
"Stand up." Tania's order.
Thus, when she stand up, suddenly Tania smash her hand seat and call The Fifth name loud and clear. Knowing that her boss is going to be scolded, Archie turn down her face and close her eyes tightly. She's well known what kind of attitude she must behave while confronting with her boss superior.
"What do you think of her ?" ask Tania.
"She is the most reasonable, the most rational, and the one who may answer our call for this mission. In my opinion, she is the most suitable for this mission on the day after tomorrow, Mrs. Colonel." answer The Fifth.
"Huh ? Do you think she could become a real threat for him ?"
"Yes, Mrs. Colonel."
Feeling disappointed, Tania immediately sips her tea and then drink them all in one go. For a moment, she had a pretty smile to be showed before her subordinates. But somehow, all of her subordinate who presence on the night has a feeling that they might not like what's going to be happen afterwards.
Since they know their leader very well, they have a bad feeling about her idea. But for some reason, they were wrong this time. Tania Bloodtide has a very good idea to get rid her distrust against the one which The Fifth call.
"Archie Lydia, I know you very well. And considering The Fifth opinion, I might use you all I'd like."
"For my master, I am going to do whatever you want me to do."
"Then.... have you killed a man before ?"
Shocked, Archie then look at Tania's face properly. But on her face, there are no sign of her being unserious about her question. She does really want her to make a bloody scene under her command. Hesitance swallow all of her body, she might can't accomplish her mission since she don't have an experience to do so.
"I am sorry, I have not killing before."
"Good, then this is going to be your first time." Tania then started to smile ominously, "Have you heard of The Crow of Astarea ?"
Recalling those words, seems that Archie has something to do with the name. A name of a village in the past where Animalia Crows lives their best at that place. Because of that place, she has a reason to fight back the injustice and get back what's truly belong to her.
"Yes, Mrs. Colonel. That place is a reason why I joined the forces."
"Then, I am going to give you that place and recover its golden state once again, by the name of The Tiny Devil. But in one condition...." Tania then sticking out her hand. She tried to reach Archie deeper into her heart, "I want you to bring me Abraham Huraira head."
"For the glory of The Tiny Devil !" Archie accept her role.
+-----+-----+-----+-----+
"And.... START !!!"
*slash*
In one quick motion, Archie swing her halberd as fast as she can. Cade dodge the attack and immediately take one step behind. But not stopping there, Archie then launch her attack once again by swinging her halberd aiming for his head.
A wind then blows, it brings the black feather Archie brought with her flying around the arena and almost make the sky turn black. Thus inside the fabricated darkness, Archie attack freely with her halberd while she restrict her opponents vision. She keep swinging her halberd again and again inside the fabricated darkness but somehow Cade still keeping up with her.
Remembering what she called here for, Archie pick up some of feather like knife beneath her sleeves and dance with it to defeat Cade Valentine who's still defend himself. She swing her halberd and when Cade deflect her swing then she pick up her knife and strike closely with it. But then, Cade easily counter her attack by smashing her hand, which is holding the knife, from below.
Thus one strike from Cade, he launch Archie away from him to make a distance.
Archie block his attack but then she is being launched by him instead strongly. She underestimate Cade power so much that makes her shocked after witnessing how strong is he using that only single blow. Thus she calm her mind and think rationally a way to make a scene in the arena. Abraham Huraira in her mind is not the one who easily be killed. She then hold her halberd tightly knowing the difference between them.
"Slow down lady, you're going to be burn."
"Abraham Huraira, an unknown man who suddenly join the forces with ease." Archie Lydia then stand up and point her halberd towards Cade, "Your existence shall perish in this place. I, Archie Lydia, will show you nightmare before your eyes."
Hearing her brave declaration, the crowds are applauding indicating that they're waiting for an epic battle. But in Cade's ear, all he heard is only stupid rant for him. It is true that Archie is going to kill him for real but it also true that Cade waiting for a greater challenge in the arena so he could entertain the audience.
"Nightmare ? I am waiting for it."
Swinging her halberd in the air, Archie then smash her halberd to the ground and turning a switch around the halberd. Suddenly, her halberd emitting a dark purple light from inside and makes atmosphere around heavy. The dark purple light then swallow her halberd whole and makes the surface of her halberd peeled off and revealing the technology inside her halberd. The dark purple light of her halberd then creating a form of a giant scythe on her halberd.
She swing the halberd, the wind suddenly blowing so hard into Cade's direction. The feathers that flying around the arena suddenly revolving around her and makes a heavy swirl around her. She now looks like a witch that may control wind freely. And because of her halberd, she's more like an embodiment of death herself.
"With this magical technology, I swore to defeat you right where you stand !" said Archie in distorted tone.
"Come and get me."
Thus Archie jumped into him, she swing her halberd imbued light and aiming for Cade's head.
Knowing that it might her first move, Cade confidently swing his normal random halberd and clashing with her halberd. As a result, they both equal at strength. Archie then jumped out herself out of Cade's attack range.
Archie spin her halberd then hold it tight with both of her arms. She started to move and make circle around Cade Valentine with her halberd. For quite some time, she swing her halberd and spin her body to launch the feathers that flying around her into him.
Cade easily dodge and blocked her black feather attack. He play with his halberd while dodging and blocking the feathers. Like a man in a circus, he also played the sturdy feather, which is the knife, and then give it back to her by smash the knife with his halberd.
After finding the right position and right momentum, Archie then strike with her halberd while Cade attention distracted by one of her black feather. She swing her halberd right aiming for Cade's head in one quick motion. But again, Cade successfully block her attack and deflect it with his halberd. Thus they clashing to one another and closed by Cade pushing Archie away from her attack range.
Knowing that the scythe power alone is not enough, Archie Lydia start to push her last switch to transform her halberd into something new.
Archie rise high her halberd. She turn another switch on her halberd then makes the halberd emitting a great energy from inside. The halberd blast some energy from the center into the tip and shoot it out to the sky. In one strong motion, she smashed the ground with her halberd again then makes a great blast of energy out of it.
The wind blows hard, the air got so dry, the halberd Archie hold now is emitting a dark purple fire on its tips. She swing the halberd with full of grace of fire. And with that just one swing of her halberd, the ground is burned and leaving a black trace of burned ground on it.
"You are strong. But let's see, how long you could handle the fire." said Archie.
"Thanks, I love your compliment."
Without answering his words, Archie then move towards Cade and strike him with her black burned halberd. She strike Cade with all her might but Cade then still deflect her attack easily. They both then clashing each others halberd neatly. Archie strike then Cade deflect, Cade strike back then Archie deflect it.
A war of skill playing the halberd is occur at the arena. People who see their fight has nothing to say but mesmerized by their skill playing the halberd. In front of them, they see Archie playing with the burned halberd like she was playing with a stick of light and Cade whose deflecting and blocking Archie attack looks like a man who makes a fireworks. Every time Cade hit her burned halberd, it creates an effect like he was making a fireworks out of it.
" ! ! Crow Animalia Arts : Black Feathered Swing ! "
Suddenly, right after she swings her burned halberd, a burning knife came out beneath Archie sleeves and thrown right into Cade's direction. Moreover, the knife is thrown every time she swing the halberd and the knife is almost looks infinite out of her pocket.
But after dozen knife thrown at him, he block the burning halberd and the burning knife simultaneously with ease. He block and deflect her attack until he reach the point where he may reveal the secret behind her burning feathers knife. And it turns out, the burning feathers knife is just a regular feather but burned and thrown in a high speed to makes it hard as a metal.
Archie jump, she swing her burning halberd in the air. Then, when her attack being deflected by him, she continue her move by stepping to the ground for a moment then jump again to tried smash his head using her burning halberd.
Seeing an epic move presented by her, Cade decide to not to disturb her action by deflecting and embarrass her in front of many people. He then dodge the mighty smash Archie makes and take a very far distance from her. A giant explosion then occur after she smash the ground due to her weapon energy release out of Cade's expectation.
*BOOM*
There are so many smoke flying around the arena. Cade swiping his hand in front of his face to make them away from him. Meanwhile, the crowds are curious what was happen to Archie after the explosion since she is the one who is the closest to the source of an explosion. And as their expectation, Archie Lydia is limp because of the explosion.
Her skin burned, there are so many black stain around her body, her face almost got broken if she didn't hold the explosion with her hand. Seeing her condition like that filling Cade's heart with pity and sadness. He suddenly remembered how worse his servant scar yesterday.
But even though she had so many scar due to the explosion, her halberd is still intact and she still had a strength to fight. Still, even her halberd still intact but it has run out its power. Thus slowly, she approach Cade with pitiful condition of her while holding her halberd tight. She still believe that she might at least make a comeback with that halberd of hers.
"Ki....ll.... I am going..... to kill...."
Then after she get close enough to Cade, she rise her halberd tall and get ready to make another move. But after releasing her last drop of her power, she suddenly lose her power to move and fell on her knees.
Knowing that she might fall on her own, Cade immediately catch her then she fall right on his lap. She release her halberd, her halberd fell to the ground, thus the match is won by Cade Valentine and he makes a glorious win.
The crowds shout, they cheer for Cade's win since he get the same glorious win as The Symbol of Strength. Seeing his glorious win, Desmond immediately leave the crowds seat and prepare for his next battle. He now seeing him as a formidable opponent he must take cautious. Cause in his eyes, Cade is yet to reach his true potential and he win the battle with ease.
Meanwhile, while he carrying out the title of glorious win, he also carrying the weight of his subordinates loses. He ignore the crowds and just walk towards the participant room while carrying Archie Lydia on his hand like a princess. And before them, there's The Fifth himself waiting at the hall to the participant room.
"You've done well, Archie Lydia. I am impress for your hard work." said Cade while carrying him on his hand.
Thus, when they arrive in front of The Fifth presence, Archie Lydia open her eyes. She turn her head to her master and start shedding her tears. Like a baby crying sobbingly in his father's lap, she also does the same while she met again with her master.
"Master.... I am sorry.... I do am sorry.... I failed you in the end.... *wwaaahhh*...."
The Fifth then take Archie Lydia to his possession and hug her right away like he was a father figure to her. He took Archie to his lap and letting her crying in his shoulder. The weight she carrying out must felt heavy for her since her responsibility may decide her master future. And also, her master is the only who trust the responsibility to her very much.
"Abraham Huraira, you've proven that you are worth for us. From now on, you have my acknowledgement and trust as one of The Thirteen Princess Claw." The Fifth then pat Archie Lydia back, "And for you, Archie Lydia. I am not disappoint in your action. Moreover, I am proud for your bravery fighting one of The Thirteen Princess Claw."
"Masttteeeerrrrr..."
"Mrs. Colonel might too scary for her, right ?"
"Indeed. None may stand straight against her when she had made her mind. And also, Abraham Huraira," The Fifth then turn down his head against Cade, "Please, I beg of you. Find the lost village, Astarea Village. Somewhere around the mist."
To be continued.....