Meant To Be?

Somewhere at the palace, a party was being held by the King because of a certain someone finally turned 12. Then, a young man who seemed to be around this age, walked up front.

In front of him was a slender girl...? That he was taking a liking.

He was looking at the girl with overconfident, not even paying attention to the people who was looking at their direction in his surroundings.

"Are you alone, Young Miss?" The boy asked, smiling as he continued to stare at her back.

The girl noticed his presence as she began surveying her surroundings. "Are you perhaps talking to me?" She tilted her head in confusion.

Looking at the girl with a smug expression, the boy replied, "Who else could I talk to instead of a pretty girl like you?" As he reached his hand to the girl's chin.

But....

Frowning, the girl smacked his hands off, as she stared at the young man in annoyance.

"I'm a guy."

Silence....

After saying that, the boy became silent.

Letting out a fake cough, he forced a smile on his face. "Oh, you jest. There is no way you could become a guy with that kind of beauty."

"...." Cracking his fingers, the young lady-boy walked towards him with a smile, that didn't reached his eyes.

"I see... It seems like you really want to die so badly, huh."

Right where his fist was about to reach the other boy's face, an aurburn hair young man stopped him by holding his back, and pulling him away from the guy.

"Let go, Your Highness." He said, struggling to move his body from the aurburn hair boy. "I'm just giving this guy the punishment he deserves."

"That's the thing! You may accidentally kill him in process, Athan!!"

Yes. The boy who had a girl-like appearance was in fact Athan himself.

"Don't worry, I'll hold my strength back."

"No means NO!!" Persia suddenly appeared behind them, as they both said it in unison.

.....

"...Why are you here anyways, Persia?" I asked Persia out of curiosity. "I thought you came home after they kidnapped me."

Turning her head to the side, Persia muttered, "Because William is my fiance...."

"....."

After hearing this, William's expression brightened, as he gently patted her head with a smile. "That's my Persia!" He proudly announced.

Seeing these two's usual antics, I could help but sigh in contempt. These two are back with it again... I inwardly thought.

"Couples should just die."

Not long after I said that, Persia coughed, making me turn my attention back to her.

"Anyways, how did your training go?" She asked.

"To say the least, I think his Majesty's decision about throwing me alone in that mountain full of traps and monsters was indeed correct. If he didn't, I would have for sure destroyed this Kingdom if my powers went out of control."

"...Seriously?" William looked at me, disbelieving from what I said. Though, I didn't pay much attention to this, as I merely gave him a shrug for an answer.

"But hey, William. Where's your idiot brother at? I didn't see him after I got back at the palace since yesterday. Is he perhaps training?"

"Uh, no. He's currently-" Ryan started to continue William's train of thought, nodding slightly. "Here. So what do you want from me, bitch?"

"Oh, speak of the devil. Here comes the grand idiot brother of yours, William."

"You, bitch!" He readied his stance before rushing forward, aiming his fist towards my head.

This guy.... Both attacks passed by my right and left side missing me a hairbreadth. Then, clenching my fist tightly, I immediately punched him right in his chest after dodging his attacks.

Although I held back a lot, my punch seemed to have knocked all of his air out, as he continued to struggle from breathing.

"You're a hundred years too early to face me, bitch." I said, turning my head and waving my hand in goodbye.

After that, I left the room and went on to explore the palace alone.

Since it had been three years after I had came here, I had forgotten some of the interior of this place. Though, it didn't take long for me to memorize every area of the palace.

A few hours of surveying the palace, I heard a loud bell coming from outside.

"Guess that's my cue." After making sure that no one was currently around me, I opened the window and hopped down.

Before my feet could even touch the ground, I summoned a floating barrier below that caught my body mid-air. Then, sitting cross-legged, I flicked my finger at the same time the barrier flew forward to the sky.

Although I could have escaped the forest three years ago, I chose not to because like what Adam said in the letter, the power I obtained there was without a doubt dangerous if it went berserk.

"Anyways, there's no use thinking about that now..." I said to myself.

Since I'm now officially 12, I can finally enroll myself to the Aspirant Academy.

"But before that.... I really have to cut my hair short. It seems like because of this, I've been mistaken as a girl."

Yesterday after I got back, William had also mistaken me for a girl. If it wasn't for the fact that I've told him the time I saw him doing some deeds alone in his room after I accidentally walked in a couple of years ago before I was kidnapped by them, I would have to wait for King Adam himself to confirm it.

"Well, that's done... I can easily take advantage of him because of it. Now, I only need to face my new problems ahead." I smiled. "I'm sure it'll be a blast."

***

Somewhere around the forest where Athan and Alicia first saw the Onyx, there was a young blonde boy, with golden eyes, stared at the monuments up ahead.

"Is this it, Orvil?" The young boy asked.

Nodding his head slightly, the Onyx answered, "Yes.... That is....where...your....sword....is currently hidden...."

With a slight pause, the boy stopped walking and stared at the Onyx back, with a doubtful expression.

"How can I assume that you are telling the truth? Do you have something that can solidify what you said?"

A beautiful girl, whose life force us connected to a tree, was the one to appeared to answer his question. She was one of the mystic creature that appeared in some fairytale stories who was called 'Dryad'.

"Yes. We can assure you that we are telling the truth. The Goddess Of Creation, Thesis, wanted us to give you this key." She handed the key to him, before continuing. "She said that it is your duty as a hero to give it to a certain person that has the ability to change the never ending outcome."

"A certain person who had the ability to change the never ending outcome...? I see, there's no doubt that she is talking about him."

[A person who was bound to destroy everything, will have no choice but to save everything.... How amusing.]

The voice of the system rang inside his head.

Sighing, the boy had no choice but to continue walking after he confirmed that the two who was walking beside him was telling the truth.

'He's a person who was never meant to be born, yet he was born. A guy who was created with the [Authority], but chose to become the [Authority]. He even exceeds your influence, System.'

[Hmph! That person was a 'former'. He doesn't even know my existence.]

'Doesn't know? You know, even though he knew everything about your existence, he didn't even acknowledge you as a part of this world. He sees you as a bug.'

[....]

After hearing his reply inside his mind, the system became speechless, as if it didn't have a room to response because everything he said was indeed true. But, after a few minutes of silence, the system's voice once again rang inside his mind.

[But still... Do you think that this world can even be saved? Even with him being part of this, you know for the fact that no matter what choice he makes, and since he can't unleash his [Authority], the world will always revolves around in 'their' hand.]

This time, the blonde boy became silent after hearing the System's reply.

'...This world doesn't need to be saved, it's the people. No matter what choice he makes, he will have to face HIMSELF alone. Besides, who do you think he is anyway? He's the person who had destroyed this world and eliminated almost half of the multiverse many times, it would be really great if he became an ally this time.'

[Che! Fine, I guess that I'll have to pray that nothing bad will happen to him this time.]

'Can that even happen? Anyways, who's gods are you praying for, anyway? Systematic God?' He spoke to the system in a teasing manner.

[....I really like it when you're depressed similar to your past life.]

'Don't worry, I also liked the past System, who can't even communicate from my past life.'

[You're a jerk.]

'Similar to the person I am speaking with.'

[I'm not a person, I am System.]

"Yes, yes. I don't care..." He accidentally spoke aloud.

"Did you say something, Hero?" The two mystical creature looked at him at the same time.

"Sorry.... It's nothing."

[Hmph! Karma!!]