I Am Still Here

The crowd roared in anticipation as Vin stepped into the arena for her quarterfinal match. Her heart raced, but her face remained calm, a mask of focused determination. 

 She carried her signature ninja tools—shuriken, kunai, and a set of small, enchanted smoke bombs—and moved with the sleek, calculated grace of a shadow. 

Tonight, she would show everyone that her skills extended beyond just being a shadow warrior. She was a master strategist and a fierce fighter in her own right.

Across from her, a lithe demi-human cat girl with shimmering silver fur and piercing green eyes grinned mischievously. Her movements were feline—quick, fluid, and unpredictable. 

Vin made a declaration to me before going out to the battlefield. She said, "Honey, I am still here, and I will prove to you that I am more than enough for you."

I blushed, as I already familiar with her confessions previously. Which prompted Enuma to say, "This is the same girl that pushed you to use breakthrough magic. Will you accept her feelings." 

I replied, "I already do accept them, even though she is scary and yet resourceful. I just never...had someone so upfront with me before."

Enuma said, "Well you probably should show it, give her something for all that she done for you. Especially all the food." 

I looked over to Uriko sheepishly. I do know that the princess is definitely not as good cooking compared to the girl from Insei. Yet there was something I recalled that made me pleased that Uriko was still here part of the adventure I started. 

Still, I remained flabbergasted, "I don't know what I really want. I do know that I needed this adventure to get away from the domineering lord that is my father."

Then Enuma mockingly elaborated, "This is the same boy that was not aware of the girls' feelings back at his home. But yes. Sometimes it can only be one tiger hunting in a forest. Two tigers can often inhibit the growth of weaker tiger's growth. Son of the Hero getting away will finally be able to grow when outside the shadow of his father." 

Vin headed out to the battlefield, and the announcement for the match to begin sounded and the two competitors started to move. 

The demi human cat girl is named Elara. She darted around the arena like a flash of lightning, testing Vin’s reflexes with rapid strikes and acrobatic flips. The crowd cheered, but Vin remained unfazed. She knew her opponent’s style well—speed was her opponent's advantage, but patience and strategy would be her key.

Vin’s eyes flicked over the cat girl, analyzing her patterns—how she darted, where she paused, how she preened before her next attack. 

She drew a deep breath, then activated her plan. With a quick flick, she threw a handful of shuriken, not to hit but to distract. As the cat girl leapt into the air, Vin ducked into a cloud of smoke, vanishing from sight.

The crowd gasped. In a flash, Vin reappeared behind the feline opponent, a kunai in her hand. The cat girl spun around, claws extended, but Vin was already moving. 

Her every step a calculated move, like a grandmaster Go player maneuvering her pieces. She baited the cat girl into a reckless dash, then threw a series of small, enchanted shuriken that exploded into blinding flashes of light and smoke.

The cat girl stumbled, momentarily disoriented. Vin seized her chance. She darted forward, closing the distance in seconds. With a deft flick, she sent a shuriken bouncing off her opponent’s ear, then followed up with a well-placed kick that knocked her off balance.

The fight was a blur—Vin's strikes were precise, her movements a dance of patience and cunning. She used the environment to her advantage, setting traps with smoke bombs, flickering in and out of sight, always keeping her opponent guessing. It was a game of chess, and Vin was a master strategist.

Finally, with a quick feint to the left, Vin drew the cat girl into a trap. As she leapt into the air, Vin threw a final set of shuriken, pinning her opponent’s clothing to the ground and leaving her exposed. Vin then moved swiftly, delivering a decisive, calculated strike—her ninja tool landing softly against her opponent’s neck, signaling her victory.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Vin bowed gracefully, a sly smile on her face. The Elara admitting defeat, "Nyah, you are too deceptive. I thought I could overwhelm you but for naught."

Vin replied, "There was only one that overwhelmed my strategic combat, and he captured my heart. Good match, it was a pleasure!" 

Then Vin jogged over to the others in the stands, who was already watching intently, proud and impressed.

“Not bad, huh?” Vin teased, tossing a kunai into her hand. “Thought I’d give you a show.”

Terran grinned widely. “You’re incredible. I knew you’d pull something clever.”

Uriko clapped softly, a rare smile touching her lips. “Your strategy was perfect, Vin. You fought like a true master.” yet she felt jealous that Vin was so capable and latched on to Terran. The princess expects to put her in her place next round. 

Vin winked, then turned to the crowd, her eyes shining with confidence.  Tonight, she wasn’t just Vin—a little sister to great elder brothers, like Ham and Terran. 

She was capable prodigy in her own right. 

Now the stage was set, and the semifinals were going to happen with trio of our party.

The next draw that our party saw was Uriko vs Vin. Which brought a gasp to the trio. Princess Uriko was not hiding her disguise but also did not add her title into the selection. Many of the locals recognized her and cried out in support for the Princess. 

However, there was a growing fan base for the strategist Vin as well. As the chats for the shadow warrior grew just as loud for her. 

I was stuck in the middle; I was not going to be able to pick a side today. That was when my selection came up. 

The announcement came in Terran vs new opponent. The previous competitor had dropped out and picked a replacement. Citing injuries as the reason for stopping. 

The new mystery opponent was to keep the semifinals fair to give everyone same number of battles for the finals. 

However, the rumormonger began. The opponents do not want to fight the bratty son of the hero. It did not matter to me. I was going to watch my friends fight first so that mattered more to me. 

Enuma said "It is almost as if they are going to fight for you." which hit me in the sore spot.