The market was alive with noise and color, every stall bursting with trinkets, food, and shouting goblin vendors. Aiden strolled at the center of it all, Aiden walked with Leona cradled in his arms, the little dragonkin clinging lazily to his shirt, her red eyes blinking at every colorful stand.
"Sir Aiden! Hero of Grimclaw!" a goblin merchant bellowed, waving a rack of daggers. "Finest steel for half the price, just for you!"
Another goblin woman bustled forward, holding up bolts of silk. "Hero! Matching scarves for your wive! Green silk, woven with blessing threads!"
Aiden’s brow arched slightly.
Luna, glued to his side, puffed her chest in smug delight, practically glowing. She clung to his arm like a vine, her smile radiant in a way that left little doubt as to why. "See, Master? Everyone knows you’re the greatest~ Maybe buy me one?" Her tail swayed smugly, voice dripping satisfaction only a well-sated wife could carry.
Aiden chuckled, shaking his head. "They’re just being nice."
"They’re not just being nice," Ivy sang as she skipped ahead, her smile bright and mischievous. "They love you! Everyone knows you and Luna Onee-Chan are married! And maybe..." She turned, eyes narrowing playfully at Lysandra. "...maybe Lysandra Onee-Chan too?"
Lysandra froze, crimson eyes widening. Heat flared in her cheeks before she quickly turned her face away, crossing her arms over her chest. "...That is not for them to know." Her voice carried that sharp edge of aristocratic authority, but her poise cracked with every twitch of her lips.
Luna smirked even harder, leaning against Aiden. "Ehehe~ That’s right. Everyone knows I’m the wife. Isn’t that right, Master?"
Aiden gave her an indulgent pat on the head. "If you say so."
"Daddy... warm..." Leona mumbled, hugging his neck tighter, half-asleep again.
Aiden softened, brushing her cheek. "Yeah, kiddo. Daddy’s here."
Fluffynugget squeaked proudly, fluttering above them. "Mii-Mii!"
The moment of warmth broke with a roar down the road.
---
A crowd of goblins circled the centre of the road, voices rising in a chant.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
In the center, a hulking goblin flexed his green muscles, teeth flashing in a predator’s grin. A battered opponent lay at his feet.
"Fifty gold coins to any fool brave enough to beat our champion!" the announcer crowed. "Or are you all cowards?!"
Luna tugged at Aiden’s arm, bouncing with excitement. "Master! Master! Go beat him! Show everyone how amazing you are!"
Aiden smirked faintly, shaking his head. "Not interested."
Lysandra’s arms crossed, her voice cool and sharp. "He does not need to waste time proving himself. He is already—"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
A slim figure had raised her hand.
---
She stepped into the pit, small and hooded, her body wrapped in fitted black yet tight enough to press against her curves, that hid her entirely.
The crowd jeered.
"A woman?!"
"She’ll be dead in seconds!"
"Maybe she just wants money for makeup!"
The announcer cackled. "This’ll be funny. Try not to break a nail, sweetheart."
The hooded figure said nothing, only strode forward with steady, confident steps.
"Eh?" Luna tilted her head. "She’s tiny... She’ll lose."
Aiden’s eyes narrowed with amusement. "Not sure about that."
Lysandra’s crimson gaze sharpened. She studied every step, every shift of weight. A faint frown touched her lips. "...Those movements... I’ve seen them before."
---
The fight began.
The champion charged, fists swinging wide. She slid beneath him, striking his ribs with a precise elbow.
A roar of surprise echoed.
He staggered, snarling, and swung again. She danced aside, pivoted, and drove her knee into his gut.
The announcer shouted, panicked. "Fight back, idiot!"
But the goblin only grew more desperate. He lunged, reaching for her cloak.
She twisted away, leapt high, and spun—her heel cracked against his jaw.
The champion toppled into the dirt, unconscious.
Silence. Then chaos.
"She won?!"
"That was insane!"
"What even was that?!"
The hooded woman plucked the coin pouch from the announcer’s hand without a word and vaulted effortlessly onto the nearest roof. The crowd erupted.
Luna gaped, cheeks puffing angrily. "M-Master! She didn’t even let you fight!"
Aiden smirked faintly. "Guess she wanted the coins more than me."
"...No," Lysandra murmured, eyes narrowed. "That style... it can’t be..."
---
They walked again.
Leona stirred, tugging Aiden’s hair. "Daddy... who was that?"
"Not sure yet, kiddo."
"I think she’s following us," Luna said, squinting at the roofs.
Fluffynugget squeaked rapidly, wings beating.
Aiden stopped, handing Leona to Ivy. "Take her."
"Okay!" Ivy clutched her close.
"Daddy..." Leona’s small voice pouted. "Careful..."
Luna’s ears flicked, tail bristling as she stepped protectively at Aiden’s side. "Master... she’s here."
They turned around a corner, inside an ally away from public eyes.
---
Without a word, she lunged.
Aiden’s brows lifted in faint surprise as her heel cut through the air. He caught the kick with a palm, the impact sharp against his skin.
"Oh?" His lips curved. "Straight to business."
The woman twisted, flipping away from his grip and spinning into another strike. Aiden leaned aside, her boot grazing the front of his shirt, wind whipping past his cheek.
"Master!" Luna bared her fangs, stepping forward with her tail whipping wildly. "So you want to fight my Master?!"
Aiden smirked at the woman, ignoring Luna’s outburst. "Alright then. Let’s see what you’ve got."
The fight began in earnest.
Her attacks came fast—jabs to his ribs, a sweeping kick at his knee, a sudden upward strike aimed for his chin. Aiden blocked each one with effortless precision, his forearms a blur as he parried, deflected, and sidestepped.
"Not bad," he said lightly, ducking under her punch. "But you’re not trying to win." His eyes glinted with amusement as he caught her wrist and pushed it aside. "You’re checking me out."
The hooded woman tilted her head, as if acknowledging the comment without denying it. She said nothing, only pressed harder.
She moved like liquid shadow—ducking under his guard, spinning, striking with a dancer’s precision. Her kicks slammed into the dirt, each impact sending up small clouds of dust. Her punches came sharp and fast, one-two, one-two, aiming for his chest, his throat, his temple.
Aiden flowed with it, his grin never fading. Every time she came close, he shifted just enough to let the strike pass, his body calm as if he were sparring instead of fighting.
"Master!!" Luna’s voice rose higher as her patience snapped. She lunged, tail whipping as she swung at the hooded woman’s side.
The stranger didn’t even look at her. She pivoted, spun past the strike, and used Luna’s own momentum to make her stumble forward awkwardly. Then she was right back in front of Aiden, fists raised.
"Stop ignoring me!!" Luna screeched, stamping her foot like a furious child.
The hooded woman’s silence was louder than words.
Aiden chuckled, catching her kick at the shin. "Focused, aren’t you?" He pushed her back, only for her to flip midair, land smoothly, and launch herself again.
Steel against steel wasn’t needed—her fists and feet hit like weapons, and Aiden’s blocks cracked with force. At one point, she aimed a kick for his head. Aiden ducked, grabbed her ankle, and tried to sweep her balance—only for her to twist midair and land behind him.
He turned, smirking wider. "Heh. Slippery."
Another flurry of strikes. She went high, low, high again—testing him, never letting him rest. Aiden caught her wrist, only for her to wrench free with a spin and slam her elbow near his jaw. He shifted just in time, her blow grazing instead of landing.
"Persistent," he murmured, brushing his cheek with the back of his hand. "I like that."
Her silence continued, but there was a certain sharpness in the way her hood dipped, almost as if she smirked back at him.
Then—
"STOP!!"
Lysandra’s voice rang out, breaking the rhythm of the fight.
Her crimson eyes widened, her composure cracking as she stepped forward. She stared at the hooded figure, shock written on her face. "I know those movements! That style—it can’t be...!"
Her voice broke, trembling between disbelief and certainty.
"Thristle!!"
The hooded woman froze.
Violet hair spilled free, glowing under the sun like strands of silk. Her eyes lit up brilliant purple, fierce and playful all at once. Twin horn on her head, Her grin was sharp, cocky, unmistakably tomboyish.
"Lyse!!" she shouted, her voice ringing like a bell. "You really recognized me, huh?!"
Without hesitation, she darted past Aiden, straight to Lysandra, and practically tackled her into a hug.
Lysandra flushed scarlet, stiffening as her friend smothered her against her chest. "Y-you reckless fool! What are you even doing here?!"
Thristle laughed, cheek pressed against hers. "What do you think? I came to see my best friend!"
Luna stomped her foot, pointing dramatically with both hands. "Whaaaat?! Master!! Why is she so close to her?! Why is she so close to YOU?!"
Aiden only crossed his arms, smirk tugging at his lips as though the fight hadn’t even rattled him. "Looks like things just got interesting."
Leona, perched in Ivy’s arms, tilted her little dragon head curiously. "Another mommy?"
Ivy snorted, barely holding back laughter.
---
END OF Chapter : 57 : THE HOODED CHALLENEGER!
---