"It is of no consequence..." Fafnir said.
Meanwhile...
"1,234,567,987,347,987..."
She swung her blade with passion.
"1,234,567,987,347,988..."
And with each swing, a weight was lifted off of her back.
"1,234,567,987,347,989..."
Because for the first time in a long time, Rory the 6th was genuinely happy.
"Rory! Come over here!" Kiara shouted out to her wife as she watched her train, prompting Rory to drop her wooden blade and walk over to her wife.
"It seems like everybody returned from the mission without too many casualties!" Kiara said excitedly, glad that nobody had died. Rory let out a breath of relief as she wiped some sweat from her forehead.
"That's good then," Rory said, smiling slightly. For the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't feel exhausted anymore. She didn't feel as if she had to train to prepare for the next enemy to come, in fact, she'd begun to enjoy swordsmanship a bit more like she did when she was younger.
"Rory, is something the matter?" Kiara asked, tilting her head as she watched Rory's eyes dim slightly.
"No, I'm fine, Kiara. It's just..." She couldn't help but feel it. The feeling of the past wrapping around her, trying to drag her into a pit. The feeling of all her past obsessions, all her past mistakes, all her past battles, trying to drag her into another hole. There was going to be another enemy. She knew it, she just didn't know when.
"I'm just cautious, that's all. I can't help but feel as if something's going to come to ruin this feeling... This warmth, I guess. I know there's going to be another enemy, another battle to fight." She said.
"Well, of course, there's going to be another battle to fight!" Kiara said bluntly, "But that's what we do, right? We get stronger so we can fight to protect the things we love, right?" Kiara said, smiling.
"Let the enemy come, Rory. We'll be able to face them together." Kiara gave Rory a light kiss on the lips, still smiling as bright as ever, even though deep down she knew Rory was right. There would be someone who'd come to thwart their happiness, even if it only existed for this short moment.
"Yeah..." Rory said, her smile becoming even wider. "I hope this moment lasts forever..." She thought.
But even the world of Dreams would be harsh and cold like the dying reality...
"Rory the 6th, huh?"
And soon, an enemy of untold power would bring about the end. Not merely to her happiness, but to the world itself.
"Haha! A worthy opponent, indeed..."
And he sought no domination. No salvation.
"Hero of the Dream World... This is going to be a battle to go down in the history books."
All he desired from this world was a worthy battle. And it didn't matter whether he had to plunge the multiverse itself into an infinite hell to get that.
"Here I come, Rory the 6th!"
And with his unrivaled power, speed, and technique, he would drag his steel across the ground, searching for the opponent that would once again ignite his battle instincts.
"Let's see what you've got..."
And he would do it all with a smile. For he held no honor in his heart.
"Hm? Who am I?" He was asked by the people he'd extracted Rory's location from in a less than ethical manner...
"Call me Dante." And then he was off.
