As Takeshi walks down the hallway towards his room, he is intercepted by a silhouette that steps into the light, revealing herself to be Princess Měiyù.
Princess Měiyù: Excuse me, I am Princess Měiyù. And you must be the guy everyone's been talking about.
Takeshi (with a slight bow): Takeshi, yes, I am. (He resumes his walk, clearly intent on reaching his destination.)
Princess Měiyù (eyes narrowing in displeasure): Hey, peasant! How dare you ignore me and move on? Do you know the consequences of such disrespect towards the royals?
Takeshi pauses mid-step, his back still towards the princess. He sighs, his expression showing fatigue. (Turning slowly, he meets her fiery gaze with a look of indifference.)
Takeshi (calm but filled with exhaustion): I don't really care. I'm tired, so I shall see you tomorrow.
Takeshi, clearly annoyed, takes out his sword in a swift motion and attacks the princess. Suddenly, the guards appear abruptly and block the attack with their own weapons. The princess stands her ground, unfazed; her expression is calm and collected. (Takeshi, momentarily surprised by her composure, lowers his sword slightly.)
Takeshi (impressed): You don't seem to be like a crybaby royal. What business do you have with me?
Princess Měiyù (coolly): I needed to speak with you about an urgent matter. But it seems you have quite the temper.
(Takeshi sheaths his sword, his irritation giving way to curiosity.)
Takeshi: Fine. Speak. What is this urgent matter?
Princess Měiyù: Follow me to my room. This is not the place for such discussions.
The guards dissapear, and the princess and Takeshi go to their room.
Certainly! Here's the refined and expanded version of the dialogue:
Princess Měiyù (firmly): I will be training with you and the other Pillars from now on, so I need you to be my personal bodyguard. You have what it takes for the job, and this is a direct command from my father.
Takeshi (annoyed, crossing his arms): I refuse. I need to focus on my own training and can't afford distractions. Besides, you seem more of a liability than an asset, so I have no interest in protecting you.
Princess Měiyù (with a sharp tone): You're quite the insolent one, even though you've pledged loyalty to the emperor. My orders are absolute. You will serve me as my bodyguard, whether you like it or not.
(The Princess dismisses Takeshi with a commanding gesture.)
Takeshi (muttering to himself as he walks away): She's such a nuisance, but she does have a certain charm and looks cute. Maybe I should take on the job and get closer to her. She could be a valuable ally.
(Takeshi heads back to his room, still visibly annoyed. (Suddenly, a voice echoes in his mind.)
Ryuunoten (the dragon spirit, speaking in a calm and authoritative tone): The summons she had was from the Quintessence Guardian. It is an extremely powerful spirit that embodies the pure essence of the elements: fire, water, wind, and earth, as well as the ethereal fifth element, quintessence, representing the spirit's ultimate harmony and balance. Quintessence can merge with the other four elements to enhance or transform their properties. For example, it can create a harmonious balance between fire and water, resulting in steam-based attacks or defenses. It can also blend wind and earth to create powerful dust storms or quicksand.
Takeshi (sighing, clearly frustrated): How did she end up with such a powerful summon? And it doesn't really matter anyway. I have you, a dragon. You could certainly beat that summon in a fight, couldn't you?
Ryuunoten (with a hint of caution): Of course, I can. However, if luck favors her, the outcome could be different. The Quintessence Guardian is an SS-rank summon and seems to be a household guardian passed down through generations.
Takeshi (curious): Who is the strongest dragon, and can you beat Prince Longwei's dragon?
Ryuunoten (with a thoughtful tone): I'm uncertain about defeating Prince Longwei's dragon. The strongest dragon is said to be the black dragon. It wielded both Umbra and Essentia and had an army of dead at its command. The army was called "The Immortals.". It could even revive the dead. However, its existence is shrouded in mystery, as it was from an era long before the Great War. Even I am not certain if it truly existed.
Takeshi (contemplating): That's quite a revelation. It seems like there's a lot more to this world than I initially thought. Did anybody ever summon the black dragon?
Ryuunoten (with a hint of reverence): The Black Dragon was the summons of the mythical Immortal Warrior. This warrior is said to have been the strongest being, even surpassing the heavens. He was known as the "Destroyer of Faiths."
Takeshi (musing): Whether or not he truly existed, it's clear that his legacy has had a profound impact. Isn't he also worshipped in places?
Ryuunoten: Certainly! Right now, you should focus on getting stronger. You should be strong enough to wield my powers so that you can be above everybody. I also need to evolve and get stronger.
Takeshi: Sure, I will get stronger and prove my worth to you.
(Takeshi goes to sleep and promises to give it all in his training tomorrow.)
The morning sun cast a warm glow over the training grounds as Takeshi and Princess Měiyù made their way toward the arena. The atmosphere was tranquil and serene as the sect leaders announced an exciting activity for the day: a strategic challenge to test the abilities and teamwork of the pillars.
As Takeshi and Měiyù approached the other participants, Takeshi couldn't help but notice the determined expressions on everyone's faces. The sect leaders had divided the participants into groups of two, each tasked with defending a torchlight in their base while attempting to extinguish those of their opponents. The last team with a glowing torch would be declared the winner and receive the expensive gifts promised by the Emperor himself.
The arena for this competition was a vast and intricate maze crafted by the sect leaders. Its towering walls and winding paths offered plenty of opportunities for stealth and strategy, making it an ideal setting to assess the pillars' skills.
Princess Měiyù: "Takeshi, remember that as my bodyguard, protecting me is your top priority."
Takeshi: "Of course, Princess. I shall do my best to ensure your safety."
Princess Měiyù: "Good. We should aim to end this game as quickly as possible and demonstrate our worthiness. Doing so will ensure several benefits for us."
Takeshi: "Understood. I'll fight while you guard the torch."
Princess Měiyù: "Very well, Takeshi. I'll call for help if needed."
With their plan settled, Takeshi and Měiyù took their positions in the northern section of the maze, their torchlight flickering steadily at the base. The arena's center lay open to battle, with the other teams situated in the east, west, and south sections, each preparing their strategies.
As the signal to begin echoed across the arena, Takeshi sprang into action. The maze's high walls cast long shadows, providing ample cover for their movements. Takeshi, unknown about the terrain, refrained from standing out and used his stealth ability wisely. He navigated his surroundings.
Huang Fei: "Alright, Li Wei. Let's keep our defenses tight and strike when the opportunity presents itself."
Li Wei: "Agreed. I'll watch your back, and you watch mine. We should focus all on assault and destroy their torches."
Huang Fei: I shall hold this narrow pathway, and you can go fight off. I shall immediately come to your aid, as I can see far away from my eyesight.
Li Wei (feeling assured): Well, then I have my trust in you.
Suddenly, Li Wei encountered Mei Lin, Tao Jin, and Chen Long. The four of them faced each other, each looking at and being wary of each other. Chen Long said we all know that the strongest among us is Takeshi, and we do not know the strength of the princess, but why don't we build an alliance and take on the princess and Takeshi? After they are out of the picture, we can settle it among ourselves. There were no restrictions on making alliances.
The others considered Chen Long's proposal and, after a moment of thought, nodded in agreement. An alliance, albeit temporary, seemed like a strategic move.
Takeshi was there all along, listening to their conversation. He is the strongest of the pillars, but not even he could face off against the entire pillar by himself. The four of them, still without trust, just proceeded to go towards the north, where Takeshi was.
Huang Fei, with the eyes that see through a thousand leagues, saw what was going on and figured that they were making an alliance. Takeshi quickly headed back and informed the princess about the incident.
Takeshi: Princess, the other groups are making a temporary alliance to take us down. We need to take the torch with us and run.
Princess: Let's fight them head-on; we will hide the torches somewhere else safe.
Takeshi: I am not sure if you can hand them on; they are the pillars, after all.
The princess replied If I beat two of the pillars on my own, will you fulfill one of my wishes?
Takeshi: Sure, but work fast. I sense the two coming this way straight, and the other two seem to be in hiding.
The princess used her illusions to create mist everywhere.
Takeshi was surprised and said this was her ability. The princess made several torches to confuse the onlookers. The sect leaders saw the clever tactics and praised the princess. The princess dulled the flame in the torch and hid it in the thick mist.
Li Wei and Chen Long charged straight forward, while the other two were in hiding. Takeshi fired a huge fireball at them, but Wei and Long just got out of the way.
The emperor present there said, "Now things will get interesting."