Arise From Dark

Braun's POV

"Arielle Ravonna..."

"From what Elizabeth and Gabriel told me, your name is Braun Astern right?"

I stiffen slightly, hoping she's here for what happened in the tournament and doesn't recognize me from our first encounter.

"This isn't our first encounter." She confirms as I groan slightly.

I might actually be in some form of trouble here.

"Yes, it isn't." I say whilst her violet eyes scan over my figure.

"Then you know what I'm here for." Arielle says darkly before her violet aura slowly creeps out from her shadows.

Ah, how amusing.

I let out a chuckle as she sighs.

"Haven't you learned anything from our previous encounter, I'm stronger than you." I remind her but she confidently steps forward.

"I'm well aware, however you haven't seen me at full power have you?"

"Well I have to admit, from the mana I sensed from you, you're potentially one of the only rulers whose power can even be compared to mine."

Arielle hardens her gaze at my statement before I gracefully glide into the air.

"Allow me to show you, just how strong I really am." I say as the clouds above turn grey.

Fantabulous

Blue lightning crackles around me before thunder rumbles from the sky.

"Arielle Ravonna, witness true power." I say as my eyes glow blue causing the surrounding objects and rocks to slowly levitate into the air.

However, just as I'm about to deliver an epic strike, a flying milk carton hits my head.

Good grief.

"HEY TAKE IT EASY!!" A grumpy old man exclaims from all the way on the ground as my eye twitches from annoyance.

"You'll end up destroying my restaurant idiot, you're James' new worker aren't you, want me to tell him about your reckless behavior!!" The grumpy man continues before in a blink of an eye I appear inches away from him.

If this man thinks he can threaten me--

"Old man..." I say, my voice low as Arielle's eyes narrow, dreadfully anticipating what I'm about to do.

--Then he's absolutely right.

I fall to my knees and clap my hands together, surprising Arielle as her eyes widen in shock.

"Please sir, please spare me from the unbearable chores James will punish me with!" I plead sheepishly whilst rubbing my palms together.

There is no way I'll be assigned to toilet duty again.

The old man scoffs in response before furiously walking back inside his restaurant.

"Y-you...j-just..." Is all Arielle can utter, still dumbfounded by sudden shift of events.

Jeez, now I've lost the aura I've worked so hard to achieve.

"D-dont rub it in." I ask her sheepishly as she stares at me confused.

Arielle shakes her head lightly before finally forming a proper sentence.

"Let's have a discussion, not another attempt at a fight." She says, my cheeks burning from embarrassment.

Fast forward to a few minutes later and we're seated at a cafe, Arielle's presence immediately attracted an audience so we had to a pay for a special table on the roof.

The sunset casts a orange-red hue on Pazelia's expanse whilst Arielle's eyes scan my features, seemingly trying to decipher who I really am.

"Just ask what's on your mind." I tell her before she does something uncharacteristically surprising.

She chuckles.

Did Arielle Ravonna, the ruler with an attitude as cold as ice, just show anything other than a negative emotion.

"You know I have to admit, at first you intimidated me, which was a first, the sheer might of your power was quite breathtaking but after your interaction with that old restaurant owner, I realized, deep beneath that powerful exterior lies an innocent, poor little boy." She states with a smirk as I bury my face in my hands and groan.

I can't believe she saw right through me.

"Now, I only have a few questions for you Mr Astern, what were you doing in Jasmine city and where are you from?"

I sigh at the question and look into her unyielding violet eyes.

"I'm not from Esmeraldia Arielle." I say knowing full well that in this world, calling a ruler by their first name was taboo.

She scoffs after taking a sip of her coffee before looking at me seemingly...amused.

"You're quite bold aren't you, I'll let it slide this time." Arielle replies before her smirk fades as she continues, her tone now dark.

"If you're not from Esmeraldia then are you suggesting that you're from the outer world."

According to the reddit spoilers I viewed, in Tales Of Esmeraldia a great catastrophe had occured, mutating and/or wiping out every other location in the world except for Esmeraldia which survived thanks to a powerful figure named Sylvia who used her exponential mana to save the Kingdom.

The earth outside of Esmeraldia is called the outer world.

"Maybe, maybe not." I say smirking, clearly enjoying the information I hold over her.

"Trying to be mysterious I see, you still haven't answered my question about what you were doing in Jasmine city."

"That is for me to know and for you to find out." I respond smugly as I sip from my cup of coffee as well.

Truth is, I have no idea why Jasmine city was the location I found myself in after my "death" on Earth.

"You can be so childish, Astern." Arielle says before letting out a sigh of resignation.

"You're surprisingly perceptive." I compliment whilst she stands from the table.

"Thankfully, you don't seem like a threat to Esmeraldia."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Take it as you wish." Arielle says, her cold authoritative demeanor returning.

"Because of your little stunt with Gabriel Felix, the tournament has been postponed to tomorrow since they need time to repair the damage you caused, so I'm hoping to see you then." She reveals.

"That's it, you're not going to arrest me or something?"

"Fortunately for you we're in Pazalia not Jasmine city." She answers me, turning her head to look at me once more with a faint smirk.

"Farewell, little boy." She says with a challenge before leaving as I let out a sheepish chuckle.

She's catching onto me.

If she finds out I'm from another world who knows what she'll do or how she will react.

Quite the thrilling development, don't you think?

No matter what, I'll hold fast to the promise I made to myself and shape this world with my bare hands.

Whatever it takes...