Ash (Peppel)

Title: Steal the Princess

Heroes:

Ash ("Peppel"): A legendary thief with ash-blond hair and predatory yellow eyes. Leader of the Ghost Quarter gang. Not only a master of stealth and marksmanship, but also a virtuoso swordsman, wielding a katana with the same grace as a pistol. The palace offered him the position of chief security strategist, seeing in him a tactical genius, but he prefers the freedom and adrenaline of thievery. Princess Lyra: The crown princess has trained with two katanas since childhood. Her parents encouraged this as an unusual yet disciplined hobby. She dreams of a world beyond the palace walls and often explores the city alone, wearing a mask and cloak, introducing herself simply as Lyra.

Story: They met while accidentally protecting the townspeople from bandits and were amazed by each other's skill. To explain their skills, he introduced himself as Kai, a hired guard, and she as Li, the daughter of a fencing master. Becoming secret allies, they patrolled the city.

Ash, worried for her safety, casually warned "Li" that things would soon get heated in the city—"some thieves were planning to steal an old relic from the palace archives." He wasn't planning to steal treasures, but a specific artifact—an ancient key belonging to the Izumi clan. Upon hearing this, Lyra realized he was talking about her family's sacred treasure. Without revealing her identity, she decided to protect it.

Climax: On the night of the theft, Ash entered the archives. A single obstacle awaited him in complete silence—a masked figure wielding two katanas. Everything was prepared for an ambush, but the guards remained motionless, held back by the princess's orders. They dueled. With a furious swing of his blade, he knocked her mask from her face. Their gazes met. He saw not "Li," but Princess Lyra. She saw not "Kai," but the thief Peppel. His target was the relic protected by her ancestors. Her duty was to stop him. Their friendship had been a lie built on half-truths. Now their blades spoke louder than any words.