Birthday Surprise

The festival reshaped into an erratic departure as five figures clad in bluish armor landed. Their bright hues reflected the sun, yet none in the crowd desired to witness the descending invaders from up close.

Stronger than the shouts of the people running past luxurious crimson decorations throughout the streets, a feminine voice called out:

“Hear me people; I swear on the name of Ashraha that those seeking ruination of princess Zayobi’s birthday celebrations will be exterminated!”

A girl with red skin only slightly brighter than blood exclaimed before fire climbed around her, transforming into armor and a rounded-dome helmet with curved cheek guards.

“Hedyla!” A girl ran up to her. “Support me from behind while keeping Zayobi safe, Sgura and I are enough.” Her reddish hair was longer than Hedyla’s, yet her armor was not topped with a helmet.

Without waiting for a reply, the long-haired girl unleashed a blazing greatsword out of thin air and dashed before slashing the back of one of the invaders.

“You can go all out Kamiko!” Shouted Hedyla. “I can’t sense any civilians, they finished fleeing!”

Kamiko’s blade burned brighter as a girl seemingly materialized next to her, with hair finer and even longer. “...Sorry for daydreaming sis.”

As the new face deeply bowed, so did the blue-armored assassin approaching behind her crash to the floor, as if gravity itself punished him.

Kamiko turned to her sister. “Can’t you two sense their leader? They showed no capabilities for Spiritual Arts, this could be some decoy play.”

To which Hedyla responded: “Last three coming at us from above!” This time her voice sounded directly inside the long-haired girls’ heads.

Kamiko did the same, speaking to the soul of her sister: “Sgura!”

Enough was discerned from just her name.

Sgura jumped to grab onto Kamiko in a hug, an instant later she dashed to the higher ground from which she came quicker than her own greatsword’s slash.

Kamiko’s blade reached the first assassin to touch the ground while Sgura rolled next to Hedyla. The numbers now were in the girls’ favor.

Though, that would’ve been correct only if you hadn’t counted the non-combatant who stayed behind Hedyla all this time.

The same height and red skin as the three, her hair possibly the second shortest. No armor clad her figure, which stood the closest to petite out of the four, instead a simple white and crimson dress.

“Zayobi, cover your core!” Shouted Hedyla as she intercepted a lance thrust with a broadsword she materialized.

She took a step forward and shoved the lance out of the enemy’s hands. A kick to their ankle was enough to lower the assassin to one knee, yet Hedyla couldn’t finish them off.

Before she even directed her blade, the assassin vanished.

“I can’t sense that one, Sgura?” Hedyla inquired no sooner.

“Me too, must not be in the castle town’s proximity anymore.”

“Wait...!” Shouted Hedyla. “What about the three we defeated?”

Sgura let out an “oh!” as she turned to find the lower plaza where her enemy crashed to the ground empty

“There’s no way they only had weapons with no use of Spiritual Energy if they got so deep…” The girl with the helmet conjectured. “But what about the last-”

She couldn’t finish her sentence, catching the last of the five invaders coming at them not from a roof but the alley behind her.

They leaped at the sides to get higher, away from their blades, and hurled knives emanating with blue lights at the two girls closest to them; Hedyla and Sgura.

Hedyla moved while deflecting them with ease while Sgura caught the first to reach her midair and did the same using it.

It would’ve been logical to say the next course of action would be a chase, yet for once, the helmeted girl acted before thinking.

“Zayobi!”

She shouted upon seeing the distance between them. The two girls almost entered the alley without noticing.

The assassin was already in the air above her, unsheathing a dagger covered in blue fire which would’ve lit the whole alley had it been dark.

His target barely took a step back as she realized the blade was aimed at her own chest. She was only fast enough to cross her arms in an X.

However…

CLANG!

The small blade was shoved to the ground by a greatsword radiating the colors of magma and moving in pulsations as if the sword on the border between solid and liquid was alive.

One wouldn’t care to look at the weapon even if they had the mental capacity at that moment, as the real astonishment lay in how a person jabbed such a greatsword and hit the dagger without harming the protectee.

The girl whose life that dagger nearly ended had gotten a clear glance at the blue-haired man’s face, before he vanished like a cloud into rain.

As the three warriors around her each let out a sigh in varying degrees, the girl’s gaze moved from her own chest to those of her protectors.

While her own didn’t heave nor jump, her attention wasn’t to her breathing nor heartbeats.

As their armors melted in the air to reveal festive attire, at the bosom openings she laid eyes to red gems attached between their breasts and slightly higher than their hearts.

Yet.

When Zayobi turned down to her own...

Her crystal was empty, transparent.

“Our enemies don’t need war or tongue plays to harm our people’s faith: Just take a look at this heir princess.”

Only then did princess Zayobi sigh.

“Not that I plan to go against it, but it’s clear that my three younger sisters are not interested in sitting on the throne for me.”

“An heir’s Divine Creation or lack thereof is not enough to alter the succession of our kingdom, Zayobi.” Hedyla responded, her shorter-than-neckline hair back in full-display. “Our Creations being this symbolic is pure proof of us not being your replacements, but parts of your throne itself.”

Zayobi sighed again no sooner and started pointing at her sisters, from the eldest to the youngest, Kamiko, Hedyla, then Sgura:

“Form, Hope, and Dream… Then what am I meant to represent? The concept of reflection? I doubt from all we were taught that exists a Creation for an idea of emptiness, and thus the user could fill it with whichever they decide.”

Kamiko put an arm on her shoulder: “If representation is the matter, do you really think I wouldn’t be representing the sword and shield of our people if my Creation was something like Love? For a real warrior, Divine Creations don’t have to be their weapon, but a metal glove to hold it better or use in case it breaks.”

To this metaphor Sgura added: “Sis, even someone as strong as you might prefer to hold the sword without a hand covered in heavy metal.”

“Who cares? Did you forget that the Hellhounds from Zevesh wear those weight chain-shackle things even to real battles? Whether that’s cultural or a never-ending training mindset, I am jealous nonetheless.”

“Kamiko.” Joined Hedyla. “I dare not to adore and revere our crown’s enemies at the heir’s birthday.”

“Alright, but let’s make sure the festivity didn’t evaporate first.” She replied.

Meanwhile, Zayobi thought: But what if I’m not interested in my own celebration? Or, what if I too will praise the culture of our enemies? I am not going to cancel the holiday, but shouldn’t the princess have some kind of legislation over her own festival?

“The celebrations throughout the kingdom or even the other side of the castle town haven’t slowed down. We would’ve known on the spot had there been a collateral attack beyond the five assassins.” Noted Hedyla. “And if we want to raise the spirits of those who did hear of an assassination attempt on the four princesses, the opening ceremony is the ideal chance.”

At her younger sister’s words, this time in her mind, Zayobi sighed, as they advanced to the castle.