In Game: Survive or Be Killed

9: YUKIMI

"I want to fight the princess, let's see how far she has grown," the girl said and position her Katana while still staring coldly at Ashtria's eyes. 

The girl named Yukimi is an orphan that is the same age as Ashtria. She was raised by Ashtria's father for her to become one of the strongest warriors in Archains Countrial. But, after she knew that the late King of the Creshtian Kingdom was killed, she move to the current King and pledge her loyalty to him. 

"How can you be so calm and felt like nothing happened after hearing that your former master was dead?" Ashtria ask her coldly but Yukimi didn't respond and hold her Katana tightly. She quickly runs toward Ashtria holding her Katana. 

Ashtria quickly takes an action and defends herself with her one sword. Yukimi trying push Ashtria away from Lucas and Sanya by attacking her continuously. Ashtria focuses on Yukimi's movement and when she finds an opening, she quickly kicks Yukimi's hand and turns around to kick Yukimi's stomach making her vomit blood because of the kick's impact. 

Before could Ashtria take an action to slice her neck, Yukimi jumped backward and hold her Katana tightly. Ashtria smirks and moves her eyes when the guy with poison daggers tries to stab Sanya's back. She run and kick the stone in front of her toward the guy and hit his face which made him furious. 

"We just need to escape from them, there's no time to waste. If we fight them–" Lucas stop what he was about to say when Ashtria interjected. 

"No, let me k*ll her first," she coldly said while staring at Yukimi. She move her feet backward and positioned her two swords. She quickly ran toward Yukimi and attack her with her speed and two swords. 

"Ashtria, wait!" Lucas shouted and wanted to go toward Ashtria but suddenly two guys attack Lucas and Sanya. He kicks his sister out of the battle and fight the two guy with his one big sword and pushes the two guy. "Tsk, d*mn it!" Lucas cussed.

On the other hand, Yukimi quickly defend herself with her Katana and was pushed back by Ashtria. Ashtria continues to attack Yukimi staring at her coldly, Yukimi's face was seen that she was starting to get frustrated. She was about to take an action when Ashtria quickly cut her left arm and then slid her blue rose sword at the bottom to cut Yukimi's stomach which made her scream in pain.

"Yukimi!" the guy with poison daggers look at where Yukimi was now kneeling on the ground. He wanted to go toward her but Lucas didn't let him and just slid his sword to cut the guy's body. Lucas stand steadily and looks at the two guys who was now laying on the ground with their dead body. 

Ashtria didn't give Yukimi another chance to get up and quickly point her sword at Yukimi's neck. Yukimi slowly moves her eyes and head to look at Ashtria. 

"The strongest warrior, huh? I guess I am still stronger than you, Yukimi. Remembering the past, you always lose in our practice game," Ashtria said still pointing the sword at her. 

Yukimi and Ashtria began to remember what they did when they were in the past. Ashtria and Yukimi were both twelve years old at that time and were having their 55th practice game where Ashtria have 50 wins and 5 losses while Yukimi has 5 wins and 50 losses. Ever since Yukimi's inspiration to get stronger was Ashtria. If she will win many times while battling against her princess, it is a dream come true for her but after the tragedy happens to Ashtria's family, her world becomes crumbled. 

She followed the orders of the new king and pretended to be his new loyal guard. She wanted to serve Ashtria and her family once more. After so many years, the news she heard that they finally found the princess, Yukimi was overjoyed after knowing that and quickly ask the new king that she want to be the one who will capture Ashtria. But, all she wanted was to see her once more and talk to her. 

Yukimi just smiles slightly but she still can't hide it in Ashtria's eyes. She lay down her katana and hold Ashtria's swords which made her hands cut and bleed. Ashtria's eyes widened after seeing what Yukimi has done, she also saw her looking at her smiling faintly. "It's really nice to see you again, hime," Yukimi said and pull toward the sword from her neck which made her eyes widen and slowly closing her eyes. 

What happened made Ashtria surprised, she didn't expect that to happen. Yukimi was now lying on the ground covered in blood, warm tears dropped from Yukimi's eyes but were smiling widely until she's running out of breath. She died from Ashtria's sword. 

"Yukimi," Ashtria muttered looking at Yukimi's face. An old friend of hers has died with her sword, she doesn't know why Yukimi suddenly acts like that but Ashtria knows for sure that Yukimi's tears and smile are real. 

She moves her eyes at her back when she senses horses galloping towards their location. "Let's get out of here quickly," Lucas said and Ashtria nodded. She put her two swords at her back and take a glimpse at Yukimi for the last moment and followed Lucas and Sanya. 

While the three of them were running, Ashtria can still hear the people shouting and the horses that were galloping faster and faster. They were now nearly at the end of the forest, after that they needed to pass the running river and run again for them to arrive at the big wall where the Xenthral Kingdom was. 

Unfortunately, another hindrance was blocking their way again before they could pass the running river. They found ten skilled robots that have a structure of a real human, it will be harder for them to beat them as the skilled robots also have the same strength as the professional swordsman. 

"We can't beat them, Ashtria. Refrain from attacking," Lucas warned Ashtria but she didn't listen to what he said and just quickly take her two swords from her back and dash towards the skilled robots who were holding their swords as well. 

"If I can't beat them here, I don't have a reason to continue my journey," she said and Lucas clearly heard it. Ashtria now attacks the skilled robots and breaks one. "This is just the beginning," she added.