'There is no way my luck is this bad.'
Haru repeated the thought over and over as he stared up at the gigantic figure now standing before him. The man's arrival had been nothing short of overwhelming, his presence alone casting a shadow so massive it blotted out the sun. For a brief second, Haru genuinely considered whether he had somehow triggered the final boss of the Initiation before it had even begun.
The man was enormous.
Not just tall, MASSIVE. His body was built with refined muscle, the kind carved through years of battle rather than training alone. Scars crisscrossed his skin like a map of wars long past, each one telling a story. He wore no traditional armor, only a rugged kilt, a thick strap slung across his chest, and heavy boots made from what looked like the hide of some monstrous beast. Slung casually over his back was a hammer so large it looked like it could flatten buildings with a single swing.
Haru blinked slowly.
"…Yeah," he muttered under his breath, "I'm definitely going to die."
The man looked down at him, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as the surrounding crowd instinctively backed away, clearing space like prey retreating from a predator.
"Imagine my surprise," the giant began, his voice booming across the square, "when my beast informed me of an encounter with some wet-behind-the-ears brat who dared to attack it unprovoked."
Haru winced slightly at the sheer volume alone.
"I thought," the man continued, folding his arms, "that such a fool must either have an overabundance of confidence… or a severe lack of sense."
Sylvie gasped from the side. "What?! You attacked a mountain griffin?!"
Haru snapped his head toward her. "Hey! Can we not say that so loudly?!" he hissed before turning back to the giant, hands raised defensively. "Wait! Hold on a second. What do you mean unprovoked? That thing kicked me into a tree! I didn't attack it first, I ran into it by accident!"
Motar's expression didn't change immediately, but his eyes flicked toward the griffin beside him.
The massive creature, Momo, shifted awkwardly, its talons scraping lightly against the ground. It looked away, almost… guiltily.
Haru pointed immediately. "See?! Look at him! He knows exactly what he did!"
The griffin let out a low snort, turning its head even further away as if suddenly fascinated by something in the distance.
"…Did that bird just ignore me?" Haru muttered, incredulous.
Sylvie whispered under her breath, "You just called it a bird. You're actually trying to die."
Haru leaned closer. "It is a bird!"
"It's a mountain griffin! There's a difference!"
Motar let out a low hum, clearly amused as he observed the exchange. "Interesting," he said. "So my beast is at fault, is it?"
Haru nodded quickly. "Yes! Exactly! Finally, someone reasonable..."
"No matter the circumstances," Motar interrupted, his tone shifting instantly, "you were about to attack."
Haru froze.
"…Well, I mean...technically..."
"So for that transgression," Motar declared, straightening his posture, "you will duel me."
"…EH?"
The word escaped Haru's mouth before his brain could catch up. His face drained of color as the reality of what had just been said sank in.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
He glanced at the griffin. "You… you menace… what have you gotten me into?!"
The surrounding crowd erupted into chatter almost immediately.
"Wait, did I hear that right? Motar is going to duel that kid?"
"He got lucky. Motar could've just crushed him."
"Lucky? A duel might be worse!"
"DUEL! DUEL! DUEL!"
Haru turned slowly, eyes wide as the chant began to spread like wildfire. "…Why are they excited about this?!"
Sylvie grabbed his arm, her voice urgent. "Because this is the most entertaining thing they've seen all day!"
"That's not comforting!"
**Back at the Palace**
In a dimly lit chamber deep within the palace, King Drago, the Dragon King, sat at the head of a long stone table. The room was silent save for the faint crackle of torches lining the walls. Across from him stood Servious, the fifth-ranked Vanguard, holding a small paper bird that pulsed faintly with magic.
"Yessss, my lord," Servious hissed, his voice carrying an unnatural, mechanical echo. "This message appeared today… and it does not bode well."
King Drago leaned back, his expression darkening. "Play it."
Beside him, Kane, the newest Vanguard and Gram's brother, smirked slightly, clearly intrigued. "This should be interesting…"
**Back in the Square**
The crowd's excitement continued to build as Haru stood frozen in place, trying to process his rapidly deteriorating situation.
Sylvie leaned in close, her voice low but serious. "You can't refuse," she said. "A duel issued by a Vanguard is binding. If you say no, you could potentially face consequences like being disqualified from the Initiation, or worse."
Haru blinked. "…There's a 'worse'?"
Motar suddenly let out a booming laugh, clearly having overheard them. "You there, girl," he called out, pointing directly at Sylvie. "You're Six's sister, aren't you?"
Sylvie froze. "…Yes?"
"Good!" Motar grinned. "You can join him."
Silence.
"…I'm sorry, what now?" Sylvie asked weakly.
"You heard me," Motar said casually. "You're part of this duel now."
Sylvie's face went completely pale.
"…I hate you," she whispered, slowly dropping to her knees. "I actually hate you."
Haru looked down at her. "Why am I the problem here?!"
"Because trouble follows you!" she shot back. "You showed up, and within five minutes, you were almost in a brawl, insulted a griffin, and got challenged by the third-ranked Vanguard!"
"…When you say it like that, it sounds bad." Haru looked away curtly.
"IT IS BAD!"
Nearby, the mysterious woman from earlier chuckled softly, watching the scene unfold with clear amusement. "Oh, go on," she said lightly. "It should be fun."
Yu and Mi clapped their hands excitedly. "Fun, fun, fun!" they chanted in eerie unison.
Haru looked at them. "…Why do I feel like I'm about to be sacrificed?"
Without warning, a faint hum filled the air.
Haru glanced around just as a translucent dome of shimmering energy began forming around them, sealing them off from the rest of the square. The noise of the crowd dulled instantly, replaced by an eerie quiet.
Motar stepped forward, cracking his neck slightly as he reached behind his back, gripping the massive hammer.
"This will prevent unnecessary destruction," he said casually. "Wouldn't want to level the capital before the Initiation even begins."
Haru swallowed hard. "…That's… reassuring."
He glanced at Sylvie. "Any last advice?"
Sylvie looked at him, deadpan. "Don't die."
"…Great."
Motar planted the hammer onto the ground with a heavy thud, the sound reverberating through the dome like thunder.
"Now then," he said, a grin spreading across his face, "shall we begin?"