Chapter 81: Setting The Stage

Chapter 81: Setting The Stage

“You shall go no further, foul demon!” A boy, clad in armor way too big for him monotoned in a robotic voice. He was no more than eight years old, yet the steel armor he wore was real. As was the dagger in his hand, that looked like a sword for such a small figure. And the realness of his armaments showed in a way that the boy could barely stand up straight and used both hands to keep the steel dagger above his waist.

“Grrrr-agh! You are no match for me, foolish hero!” Another boy growled at the armored kid who could barely keep his balance. This boy seemed not much older, maybe a year. Two at most. He was also a beastkin, type-cast for his role as a scary monster. He remained on all fours even when he talked, and was dressed in several layers of furs with strange, cracked black plates sewn own all over his garbs at random places, and a twisted black helmet that hid half his face. Clearly, he played the role of some monster or a bug.

“Take that! Gu-rah!” the ‘bug’ lightly pushed the armored ‘hero’ who unceremoniously fell on his back with a loud thud.

“Gasp! Oh no!” a dozen children cried out in make-belief horror.

The children stood upon a brightly lit stage. The stage was large enough to fit no less than a hundred people, should such a need ever arise. And the several dozen rows of seats that were placed in a semi-circle arc facing the stage could seat an audience of at least four hundred humanoid beings.

But currently, there was barely any audience present. A couple of maids sat in the front row. They had several trays of untouched food prepared in front of them: fruits, bread, cheese, thin slices of ham. The food was obviously not for the maids, but for those that were on stage. Or someone among them.

Two guards in plated armor, armed with long, sharp spears, stood at their post at the tall arched doors that were the entrance to the auditorium. Several more guards were spread throughout the auditorium, though none close to the stage itself.

“Fear not for I am here!” A girl’s voice echoed through the auditorium.

A pink-haired teenager walked on stage, followed by two more girls carrying red banners. The red banners displayed a single-color female figure that held a bolt of lightning in her hand above her head, ready to strike down those below her. All three girls wore armor, though the pink-haired girl stood out by far.

An undisputed beauty even at such a young age, the thirteen-year-old had her armor decorated with shining jewels. Even her braid—that collected her hair in a graceful, luscious ponytail—was pure gold with three diamonds at the top.

The girl stepped on stage with utter surety. She held her head high, her back perfectly straight. A slight smile, because she knew she was the best. The whole world belonged to her. The whole world was her stage.

One of the unremarkable boys in the crowd took a step forward and asked, “Who is this fair beauty?”

The pink-haired girl grimaced. Her perfect aura snapped as her face contorted in a rageful fury.

“THAT’S WROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!” the pink-haired girl screeched like a banshee and unleashed a crackling wave of electricity straight at the boy.