Red hoped that he hadn't been too mean to Christopher. Even he knew how overbearing he could be once he started a rant, he would honestly have to make sure not to start up again as soon as he saw him. He kind of deserves it this time though. Red had wanted a girlfriend for a while, so Christopher reminding him that he was single throughout the day had made him bear his horns so to speak.
Maybe I should just ask Kitty. Red ignored that thought after a moment, as cute as Kitty was, he was unsure if she liked him; he didn't want to put her in an awkward position were she might feel like she had little choice but to go out with him.
Just then, Red felt a surge of mana, and from what he could tell, there was more than one person involved. Being one of the Four Kings, Red had much higher mana than most people, in Uruz alone, he was the second strongest person following his father. The more mana one had the easier it became for them to sense disturbances in the world, Red could sense them especially well. This mana... Red thought the mana clash was nothing special, but he could recognize one of the mana signatures.
"Well, I guess I should go take care of this." Red said this with a sense of duty that he rarely displayed. Collecting a vast amount of wind mana, Red began to soar into the sky. Red had managed to learn to fly after training for a few weeks when he was younger. This was an advanced skill that only a handful of wizards ever learned. Red however had learned it so young, that even at his current age, people rarely believed he could do so. After assessing the exact location of the mana signature, he blasted off.
Christopher Arknight, was a noble of the city of Uruz. The Arknight family was renowned for their superb sword skills, and among them Christopher was the cream of the crop. There used to be a point in his life were he honestly believed he might be the strongest in the entire city, until he met Red that is. Christopher still recalled the overwhelming strength Red had shown in their duel. Christopher had become so arrogant, that he had even decided to challenge the crown prince during his tenth birthday party.
Red had simply laughed and accepted his challenge. And a few moments later it was over, Red had beat him with Christopher's specialty, the sword. Expecting a rough punishment for challenging the prince in a public setting, Christopher had winced at the time.
"You're strong, but I'm stronger." Red had simply said that at the time.
Christopher had decided to pledge his blade to Red at the moment, Christopher had been ecstatic to have finally found someone worthy enough to serve. Despite the fact that everyone in Uruz already served the king, pledging his blade was akin to pledging one's life to serving their lord.
Just like that Red had become even more famous for managing to gain the loyalty of the Arknight family's genius swordsman. "You already serve me, moron." Red had retorted this at the time as well.
"He's still as exasperating as ever." Christopher recalled the spectacle Red had created at his expense.
Christopher was currently kneeling in front of the cathedral of Uruz trying to concentrate enough to pray to the goddess of light. After gathering his thoughts, Christopher fully concentrated his mana, a golden aura radiated around him, he had only decided to thank the goddess instead of asking for something, and the goddess had given him a minor blessing as thanks.
Christopher slowly got up and viewed the cathedral for a moment, he had managed to calm down from his previous embarrassment. He knew Red had been blessed by the god Usval, but he had never seen him pray in the cathedral. He guessed it had to do with the ridiculous amount of mana Red had. "If he fully concentrated his mana here who knows what might happen." Christopher said this while thinking it was for the best.
"Red!!! You bastard, I finally found you!!!" A sudden scream alerted Christopher, he readied for what might happen by grabbing his sword hilt.
Azure appeared in front of Christopher, he looked disheveled, a vast trail of wind mana behind him. "You'll pay!" Azure had sensed a strong mana at the Cathedral, he guessed the man standing before him was the prince.
"Who are you?" Christopher asked this without taking a hand off his sword hilt.
"My name is Azure Rosales Kailen, I'm one of the Four kings." Azure said with pride in his voice.
"You, ...really?!" Christopher couldn't believe the guy in front of him held the same title as his lord.
"Red Uruz!!!! How dare you insult me again!!!" Azure howled while launching a boulder of Ice at Christopher.
Christopher enveloped his sword with wind and sliced right through the boulder in a swift slice.
"What business do you have with the prince?" Christopher asked this in order to determine how badly he should beat Azure.
"Stop trying to trick me." Azure said with a smug chuckle. "I already sensed your mana, since it's close to my level, it's obvious that you're the prince Red Uruz." A smugness was still present on Azure's face.
"If you think that I'm the prince, than you really are unworthy of the four kings." Christopher said this knowing Red's strength better than anyone.
"Again you insult me?! You're unforgivable!!!!" While yelling at the top of his lungs Azure unleashed a torrent of sharp wind currents around Christopher.
Christopher weaved and dodge the air currents while producing ice that he used as leverage to gain altitude. After reaching a few meters above Azure he howled "Heaven sent blade!!!!" Mana made of light enveloped his sword, soon after he came crashing down towards Azure. Managing to cut his cheek, but Azure had managed to dodge just enough to avoid any other injury. "At least you're fast!" Christopher called out while evading more air current attacks.
Kitty was having a bit of trouble keeping up with Rosalina. It wasn't because she was faster than her or that she was hard to keep track of, but Kitty was unused to dealing with young noble women.
Most of the nobles in Uruz were men, including her friends Red and Christopher, so she had been surprised by Rosalina and her need to check out every store in the square. She might just be eccentric. Kitty was unsure if this behavior was common among girls her age.
After two hours of shopping by the square, Rosalina gasped.
"What's wrong?" Kitty asked, expecting a problem.
"I forgot about the music box store in the old castle quarter!! Let's go Kitty!!" Rosalina said this while pulling Kitty again.
"I don't know if that's a good idea, I know lady Sybil…" "There's no need to worry about mother, we'll be back soon enough!"
Rosalina stared at the music boxes from outside the store, entranced by the designs they displayed. Kitty on the other hand was on high alert, the old castle quarter wasn't a dangerous place, but it was less crowded and offered less visibility than the castle square, and right now silence denoted the atmosphere. To say this was unusual would be an understatement.
The Calico martial arts, allowed a sort of sixth sense to develop in their users. A thin mana was constantly radiating Kitty. This is why she had been able to avoid the attack that had suddenly targeted her back.
After separating herself and Rosalina from the attackers in a swift movement, Kitty was shocked to find that the bodyguards that had been accompanying them were the ones behind the attack.
"What are you all doing!" Rosalina was the most shocked by this betrayal, they had all been servants of her house for a few years, and now this.
"Stay behind me!" Kitty was a member of the knights regiment, as well as a member of the Calico family. She wasn't going to allow herself or Rosalina to meet such tragic ends.
The same guard tried to attack Kitty again, but this time she parried the strike with a mana charged blade, and with a swift movement of her left hand, two thin knives were shot out at incredible speed. The guard had both the center of his neck and forehead perforated.
The problem was that the other guards seem much better skilled. With that attack, Kitty grabbed Rosalina and took her to an abandoned building nearby where she used to play with Red and Christopher. It lacked a roof and an entire wall, if she had to contend against two blades at once, Kitty hoped to narrow down what direction the attacks would come from.
Rosalina finally coming to her senses, used her mana on Kitty. "Wind fast robe!" Kitty felt that her movements had been accelerated. "Thank you Rose." Kitty hadn't asked if she could call her that but it felt fitting. "Be careful." Rosalina had barely managed to squeak that out in her fright.
Both of the remaining guards launched at Kitty with swords drawn. Pulling out both of her swords, Kitty had little choice but to take the onslaught head on. Strike after strike were pushed aside, but even Kitty had been unable to parry and evade so many strikes. A slash hit kitty on her left shoulder, it hadn't been too deep, but it had made her falter. Kitty feared that this would be the end.
Mana!!! Every single person in the room had that thought at the same time. Feeling mana was nothing special, but the sheer amount of mana they had all sensed made the fight stop dead in its tracks.
A roar from high up in the sky was heard at that time. "What the hell do you dumbasses think you're doing in my city!?!?"