《The Splintered Luck》


 Prologue: Neon Tower

    The loud screech of an alarm blended with the howl of the midnight wind.


    The sound of alarms faded into the distance, a troubled figure stood atop the point closest to the moon.


    Standing tall enough that it almost touched the clouds, a tower that towered over its surroundings. Figures filled with hostility surrounded the troubled figure at the top of the tower of towers.


    ¡°H-hey, how about I just give everything back, and we can let bygones be bygones, that way everyone can just walk away harmlessly, right?¡±


    The troubled figure spoke nervously. A passing cloud let a ray of moonlight through the roof of dark clouds, briefly illuminating the surroundings.


    The troubled figure wore fully covering dark clothing, pointing a small household dagger towards the figures surrounding him.


    Entering the moonlight, the figures surrounding the dark clothed man were all wearing neat suits, and were well outfitted with varying types of guns. Not taking notice of the mans words, the armed men slowly pointed their weapons towards the center of his head.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°I¡­.am not going to get out of this one, am I..?¡± Smiling awkwardly, the dark clothed man wore a bitter smile.


    ¡°Fine then~If I¡¯m going out, then I¡¯m going out in style!


    Slowly backing up towards the edge, he raised the small ornamental household knife in front of him and prepared to rush forward.


    Taking a deep breath and preparing to rush forward to his demise. The breath he was holding was prematurely released, while the men surrounding him took a deep breath in surprise.


    The sky let out a loud roar which resonated in everyone¡¯s chest. Something in the sky shone bright, before it quickly moved down from heaven, tumbling down in a bright zigzag pattern.


    The knife that the man held was struck by a gigantic bolt of lightning. Sending through him enough electricity to make the light of the tower flicker uncertainly.


    The mans muscles suddenly tensed up faster than humanely possible, resulting in him being thrown backwards, and off the ledge.


    The suited men stood with open mouths and wide eyes. As their target briefly floated in mid air, before gravity finally took hold of his body.


    As the man was falling downward towards the rapidly growing ground. A single thought ran through his head.


    (So this is how the legendary Yuri loses his life¡­such rotten luck¡­well at least the people down below will get a nice surprise..haha..too bad I cant be there to see their shocked faces..)


    The mans consciousness gradually went blank as he fell further into the darkness below.

 Chapter 1: Just like that one novel!?!

    Slowly opening his eyes, Yuri found only darkness surrounding him.


    It was very either dark or he had become blind. Which wouldn¡¯t be surprising considering he got hit by a lightning strike at point blank range.


    Whether he was blind or not wasn¡¯t the most concerning factor however. It was the fact that he was alive in the first place, after both getting hit by lightning and falling down from an unimaginable height.


    He did not question his luck however, as it was one of the few things he learned to trust during his life.


    His body felt extremely sluggish as he attempted to check his injuries, other than that however, he seemed largely uninjured. He felt incredibly weakened, but that was to be expected after being hit by a few million volts, and dropping down one the tallest buildings in existence.


    Noticing a small sliver of light whilst looking around, he slowly and and with great difficulty got up and moved towards it.


    It was incredibly difficult to keep his balance, which was presumably due to the lightning. Approaching the small source of light, which appeared to be coming from underneath a door, he noted the larger than usual design of the door.


    ¡°Such a peculiar building style¡­Where the hell am I?¡±


    He was forced to close his eyes due to the pain that came when opening the door. His eyes seemingly unused to the light.


    Slowly opening his eyes, he marveled at a most unusual sight. Various statues, all of different sizes and shapes, and all depicting the same woman, were scattered all over the large room.


    The statues were posed in the common poses of Buddha, although fortunately none of them appeared fat or had any long plump ears.


    The lighting in the room flickered slightly, the torches in the room burning uncertainly.


    ¡°A monks temple¡­? but the statues¡­never seen anything like them before..a cult maybe..?¡±


    Concluding his admiration of the statues. He finally took a moment to look at himself. He had tried to not think of it too much as he didst favour seeing his most likely horribly scarred and mangled body.


    What he saw however, greatly shocked him. Instead of his own hands, he found himself staring at a pair of small petite white hands. Looking further down, he noticed that there were two unnatural looking bumps on his chest.


    ¡°Oh god¡­i hope I don¡¯t have some weird swelling because of the lightning..that would be..gross.¡±


    Reluctantly giving his own chest a soft touch, he found that he felt no pain or discomfort, but an odd slight tingling sensation he had never experienced.


    ¡°Wait¡­wait wait wait. This turn of events..is eerily similar to some light novel I once read..don¡¯t tell me..!?¡±


    He froze as soon as his hand reached his crotch region.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s gone¡­he¡¯s fucking gone, my little man is gone!?!?¡±


    The shock finally made him, or rather her. Fully wake up from her drowsy state. Finally noticing that she wasn¡¯t wearing the same black belted outfit she remembered.


    Instead she was wearing a cute white blouse and a skirt similarly colored skirt, with a pair of very short heeled shoes. How she didn¡¯t notice this until now, was a complete mystery.


    Now panicking, and quickly making her way to one of the statues, which appeared to be made out of silvery, highly reflective material. Looking onto the reflection caused her mouth to hang open in disbelief.


    Instead of a 28 year old, slightly rugged large man, the reflection instead showed a young 14 year old girl. Her eyes were golden brown, and her brunette hair reached just past her shoulders. She was clad in a very cute but tight fitting white blouse and skirt that reached just past her knees.


    Seeing her new reflection, Yuri was befuddled enough that she fainted again. Collapsing onto the hard stone floor.


    ¨C


    Once Yuri finally awoke again, an unfamiliar figure was looming over her. The figure stepped back slightly, allowing Yuri to observe her more thoroughly. It was a young black haired woman, wearing an outfit that appeared to be a mix between a Japanese miko and catholic nun uniform.


    ¡°Oh good..you¡¯re finally awake¡± Her voice was soothing and calm ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I wasn¡¯t here when you woke up before dear, I had to go run an errand really quick, and didn¡¯t expect you to wake up so soon¡±


    The woman furrowed her brow slightly, seemingly worried about Yuri¡¯s well being.


    ¡°Ah..um, its okay, really, it was my fault I fainted¡±


    Yuri felt unwillingly more relaxed after her hearing the woman¡¯s soothing tone.


    (Okay..i have to be calm and try to find out what happened..this must be a dream, or a misunderstanding, or I¡¯m hallucinating, it can¡¯t be like that night novel¡­ I can¡¯t have just suddenly become a girl..that¡¯s impossible.)


    Taking a deep breath in order to calm down, Yuri attempted to calm her heart.


    The woman patiently waited for Yuri to finish gathering her thoughts, wearing a kind expression.


    ¡°So¡­i have a lot of questions¡­but I¡¯m just going to start with a simple one, what the hell is going on!?¡±


    The nuns expression quickly changed to a worried and apologetic one as she looked down.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry..we couldn¡¯t really..sustain your life with how damaged your body was, your body was so badly burnt that no healing spell would work..so we started praying to Freiya¡­and then something in your pocket started glowing. After which you seemed to be completely healed¡±


    She gave Yuri an apologetic look.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t really dare to touch you after witnessing magic that powerful..so we just let you be where you were..please let me apologize on behalf of everyone, I wanted to move you to a bed but it was uncertain-¡±


    The nun spoke quickly and her eyes appeared to tear up slightly, completely different from the calming aura she radiated earlier.


    ¡°Wait, wait stop!¡± Yuri interrupted her, barely able to keep up.


    ¡°Magic¡­? this isn¡¯t some kind of prank show is it¡­did you give me plastic surgery¡­?¡±


    She gave the woman a suspicious stare while holding her hands up to her cheeks, in order to check if they were real.


    ¡°Hm..? if its the healing spells we used, it was the second advanced version of the priest series¡­this one see?¡±


    Finishing her sentence, she softly placed her palm on Yuri¡¯s head. Which was also when Yuri noticed that she was significantly shorter than before, especially now that she had a person taller than her to compare to.


    The woman mumbled something, her palm giving off a gently green light. Yuri¡¯s body felt like she had just awoken from the best sleep of her life.


    ¡°Magic¡­magic¡­real magic¡­that can¡¯t be¡­but then¡­quick tell me the name of this place, no actually, tell me the name of this world!¡± Yuri demanded.


    ¡°Hm¡­? we are in the temple of Freiya, in Magnadum¡­the name of the world..? did you lose your memories¡­oh dear, its Edos of course!¡± She exclaimed cheerfully while patting Yuri on the head.


    Yuris eyes lost their light and grew blank.


    ¡°What is this¡­this is so impossible¡­¡±


    She mumbled to herself.


    ¡°THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE IN THAT DAMN LIGHT NOVEEEEEEEEEEEL!!!¡±

 Chapter 2: History lesson

    Yuri¡¯s hair moved from side to side while she paced back and forth along the corridor that was filled with statues.


    The nun calmly observed the short girl with some curiosity, waiting for her to calm down.


    Finally stopping and giving the nun an inquisitive look, Yuri spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Alright¡­fine. Even if this this too surreal to be true..I¡¯ll accept it for now..¡± She sighed ¡°And why are you smiling..?¡±


    ¡°Oh it was just amusing seeing you make so many different expressions when you were pacing around¡±


    Gleefully answering with an amused expression, the nun continued to smile.


    ¡°Well¡­whatever I guess.¡± Yuri shrugged ¡°You said this place is Edos..? I cant really accept this without more proof you know..that green thing you did before, that was magic right..? can you show me anything else..?¡±


    Yuri was a modern person who didn¡¯t believe in the occult or anything similar, it was simply something that existed for entertainment in literature.


    ¡°Sure~ but don¡¯t expect anything fancy, okay? Us nuns only learn the basics of anything other than healing¡±


    Whilst saying that, the clapped her hands together while muttering under her breath. Immediately afterwards, a ball of floating fire came into existence above her.


    ¡°Wha, what the hell!?¡± Yuri jumped back whilst covering her eyes.


    ¡°Hm..for you to be so surprised by a simple fire spell..you really are from a different world.¡± The nun nodded seriously ¡°Well either that or you¡¯re some farmers daughter who has never seen magic before¡±


    The second part was said in a nonchalant manner, as she grabbed the floating mass of flames, which fit neatly into her hand. Showing it off to Yuri.


    ¡°See, it won¡¯t harm those I don¡¯t see as enemies, so there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, miss farmers daughter~¡±


    ¡°Stop joking around. I¡¯m a man dammit.¡± Yuri snapped at the grinning nun¡°¡­or at least I was..but I¡¯m still one at heart!¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry, I didn¡¯t know that you were a man, your body was so burnt that the only difference we could tell was that you had shrunk a bit after you healed.¡± She gave Yuri an awkward smile ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be gloomy, at-least you¡¯re really cute!¡±


    The nun patted Yuri¡¯s head with a smile. Yuri, being too tired and gloomy, did not even bother to object the nuns action. while she was patted she suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Wait..didn¡¯t you say that you failed to heal me..? Then how am I alive..and in this kind of body..?¡±


    ¡°Weeeeell. Remember I told you about something in your pocket glowing? Maybe you had some sort of healing rune that activated? Oh wait, you said your world didn¡¯t have magic¡­then I don¡¯t really know, teehee..¡±


    The nun smiled awkwardly, while Yuri sighed.


    Looking over her new clothes, Yuri discovered that her skirt had a very small pocket on the side. When she tried to take out whatever was inside, she accidentally ripped her skirt because the item was too large to fit through the pocket hole.


    Finally managing to get the item out of her now ripped skirt, the nun let out a yell in surprise.


    ¡°That! Where did you get that!?¡±


    ¡°Hm..?¡±


    Looking at the item she was holding. Yuri realised it was the very same ornamental knife that she had stolen before she fell off that building. Now that she was not running for her life and had a chance to observe it closely, she realised that the it was covered in many small symbols that seemed to portray the image of the of same woman the statues were depicting.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°I think I had this with me when I was hit by lightning..?¡± Yuri tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°You really have no idea how valuable the item you are holding right now is, do you?¡±


    Sighing loudly, the nun continued.


    ¡°Handling it like some common kitchen knife¡­kids these days..no respect at all¡­¡± She continued to mutter to herself in a low tone.


    ¡°Miss nun? Miss nun? Hey, IDIOT NUN!¡±


    Yuri was forced to yell, before finally catching the attention of muttering nun.


    ¡°So what is this fruit knife that seems so important to you?¡± Yuri held the knife as if it was some sort of unknown insect.


    ¡°Show some respect will you! What you¡¯re holding right now is the knife used by Freiya herself during the last supper of the gods!¡± She huffed.


    ¡°It was thought to be destroyed or stolen by one of the other gods¡­but for it to be in your possession who has now appeared at our humble temple, it cannot be anything other than fate!¡±


    Whilst she rambled, the nun quickly moved some of the statues out of the way, revealing a giant painting that seemed oddly similar to the last supper by Leonardo da vinci, except instead of Jesus and his gang. It depicted a bunch of unknown people. One of whom was the supposed goddess Freiya.


    Yuri had never much cared for art of any kind, but she has had to ¡°borrow¡± many paintings during her (previously ¡®his¡¯) life. Some of them were worth unimaginable amounts of pennies, as such one of them happened to be the last supper supper mural, with the wall and everything (The painting version having been lost to time).


    ¡°-And here you can see Freiya using the fabled knife to cut through the apple made of breathing gold, it is told that this apple was the item that granted the gods their immortality-¡±


    Yuri had at this point began to tune out what the nun was saying, curiously looking at the depiction of Freiya.


    She appeared to be a very beautiful woman, wearing clothes similar to the ones Yuri was currently wearing. A blouse and a short skit. Those clothes fit Yuri¡¯s now petite body well and were quite modest, which Yuri was thankful for. However when worn by a goddess with two mountains where her breasts should be, the outfit was instantly transformed into something very provocative.


    The depiction of the goddess seemed to be using the very same knife Yuri now had in order to cut up the small golden coloured apple.


    ¡°So it really was just a fruit knife¡­¡± Yuri sighed wearily after the nuns bragging.


    ¡°A godly fruit knife¡± The nun gleefully added, before continuing to ramble about the various history of the gods.


    ¡°Alright alright, enough with the history lesson! You said you were going to tell me about the knife and my situation!¡±


    Yuri interrupted in an annoyed tone.


    ¡°Ah, oh right!¡± The nun tapped her head awkwardly.


    (What an airhead¡­)


    Sighing lightly, Yuri muttered ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Hm..so from what you tell me¡­you had the knife..then you were hit by lightning..and if what you say is true and you cant use magic..seems improbable that you activated the knife..so my conclusion is..that lightning channeled enough nature mana when it hit you, that the dagger had enough mana to return itself to its rightful place!¡± She smiled whilst nodding proudly ¡°And accidentally bringing you with it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Alright..fine¡­sure. But what about my body!?¡± Although Yuri was from a world where science ruled and magic was naught but a fairy tale. She had still read enough books to understand the concept of magic.


    ¡°Well¡­I think..Freiya probably felt sorry for you, because you were dying because of the knife..? and so she healed you?¡± She concluded ¡°Freiya really is a wonderful and merciful god, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    The nun smiled like a child filled with pride over the accomplishment of her parents.


    ¡°Riiiight..still doesn¡¯t explain why I¡¯m a goddamn little girl!?¡±


    ¡°Oh that. Freiya only likes pretty and cute things. So she probably changed your body to fit her tastes?¡±


    Nonchalantly answering Yuri¡¯s question, the nun attempted to get a better look at the knife Yuri was holding. Like a puppy attempting to snatch some food.


    ¡°That fucking goddess¡­change me back dammit!¡± Yuri cried out while holding out the tiny knife threateningly.


    ¡°I..don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen anytime soon. Everybody knows that Freiya is the most stubborn of all the gods, so it¡¯s best if you start getting used to your new body and..¡±


    Whilst the nun was saying this, Yuri¡¯s eyes had began to tear up, as if all she strength was sapped out of her.


    ¡°Now now¡­It will all be fine¡±


    Lightly hugging Yuri¡¯s small body, she softly patted her head.


    Being hugged by the nun, Yuri¡¯s head was enveloped in a surprising softness. Filled with a comforting smell that made her unwillingly relax.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m lucky or unlucky right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Well now..you¡¯re probably just hungry..let¡¯s go eat, shall we?¡±


    The nun said when Yuri had finally started to calm down.


    ¡°After that we can find you some new clothes and maybe replace that torn skirt of yours..¡±


    Nodding gloomily, Yuri slowly followed the nun unwillingly. What she didn¡¯t notice was that her eyes were shining in a dangerous manner. Her breathing was slightly rough as she thought to herself, whilst leading Yuri out of the statue hall.


    (This kid is so cute..I¡¯m going to have so much fun~)

 Chapter 3: A sight beyond dreams

    An intense stare that could almost be felt was hitting Yuri whilst she dined on a large stone table.


    ¡°¡­.Do I have something between my teeth?¡± Asking with an annoyed tone, Yuri glanced at the nun watching her carefully.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you look so cute when you¡¯re eating, like a small hamster¡±


    The nun continued to stare while Yuri finished her plain meal of dried fruits and vegetables.


    ¡°Now that I think about it¡­we haven¡¯t even introduced ourselves..I¡¯ll start, my name is Yuri, and despite my current appearance, I¡¯m a 28 year old man, so please address me with some respect as I am older than you¡±


    Tiredly resting her head on her palm, Yuri waited for the nun to speak up.


    ¡°Ah, right, my turn!¡±


    Realising Yuri was waiting for her, she continued ¡°Ehm¡­let¡¯s see..my name is Mako. I¡¯m in charge of this church, and all the other churches that follow Freiya, my position is¡­what is it again¡­I guess it would be called..oh right, the Archbishop of Freiya!¡±


    ¡°Right..And I¡¯m the queen of England. Seriously, what¡¯s your real position, probably an apprentice nun or something¡­right?¡±


    Making an amused expression, Yuri raised on of her eyebrows at the nun named Mako.


    ¡°Ehhhhh, of course I¡¯m the bishop of this place, isn¡¯t it obvious!¡±


    Flailing her arms in slight frustration, Mako protested loudly.


    ¡°Well whatever..call yourself whatever you want¡± Yuri shrugged ¡°You said I couldn¡¯t get my original body back, so can you send me back to my world now? I can probably get a sex change and some plastic surgery or something when I get home, it¡¯s not like I have any shortage of money.¡±


    Already planning which clinic she would visit to get her sex change, Yuri was slightly deep in thought.


    ¡°Eh? Go back to your world? Sorry that¡¯s impossible.¡± Mako smiled politely.


    ¡°¡­Haaaaah!?¡± Exclaiming in surprise while standing up, Yuri blinked a few times before continuing. ¡°What do you mean impossible? I got here didn¡¯t I, so you can just teleport me back with magic or something, if it¡¯s about money then I¡¯ll gladly pay you when I get back home-¡±


    Mako raised her hand up, interrupting the panicking Yuri.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I wont do it, as I said, its impossible.¡± Mako motioned for Yuri sit back down.


    ¡°The magic that brought you here is most likely a form of displacement magic. A kind of high class magic that is used when you lose something important, and it teleports the desired object back to it¡¯s rightful place. Like for example a cut off hand will obviously appear back on the owners body since that is where it belongs¡± Mako made a cutting motion on her arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s a risky spell too, if the object is not obvious like a body part it might end up anywhere. So it¡¯s most commonly used by healers to reattach limbs and the such.¡± Pointing at the ornamental knife in Yuri¡¯s pocket she continued.


    ¡°The knife however, is a godly item, so it belongs to the god of its choice, in this case, Freiya, it got placed back here by the magic because all the churches of Freiya count as parts of her body. Why you got brought along with the knife however, that¡¯s something for spell theorists to figure out¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Makos behaviour while explaining was back to its patient and calming manner, like when Yuri first saw her. She had a comforting aura.


    ¡°But..if its magic that brings things to their rightful place..couldn¡¯t it just place me back home, in my world, since that is where I belong?¡±


    Biting her lip in concentration, Yuri was attempting to figure out a loophole in a system defying common sense and the laws of physics she commonly knew.


    ¡°Well¡­as I said..it difficult unless its painfully obvious where it belongs, and since your body was changed in this world..which can count as a rebirth..it¡±s a bit of a grey area as to where you belong. And even if it works, or we find another way. it¡¯s still another world..travel between different worlds is fairly..well extremely difficult. There is an endless amount of worlds out there, and there is no way to tell which is which. It also takes an unimaginable amount of mana to transfer something between worlds, since you have to quite literally rip apart the void to do so.¡±


    Mako spoke with a serious yet controlled tone while looking at Yuri.


    ¡°The only entity capable of doing something like that would be one of the gods, and even they would have a hard time transferring a living creature, and that is only if they combine their mana together. Which is fairly..unlikely to happen. They all hate each other now, don¡¯t ask. Besides they still haven¡¯t recovered from the last god war. Since if they did we would be seeing mountains fly by on a daily basis.¡± She smiled awkwardly ¡°At least now its only once every few years..¡±


    Finally finished with her explanation, Mako looked back at Yuri and found her crouching in the corner of the room with an expression filled with doom and gloom.


    ¡°Ah¡­so it¡¯s all pointless¡­i can¡¯t go back..all my riches..my money..my reputation that I worked so hard for¡­all pointless..¡±


    Muttering slowly to herself, Yuri quickly sank deeper and deeper into the gloom of her heart.


    ¡°Erm..how are you feeling, Yuri-chan..?¡±


    Carefully approaching, Mako lightly patted the little girls head.


    Yuri continued to mumble things under her breath while drawing small circles on the ground with her fingers.


    ¡°Aw come on..this world isn¡¯t so bad, we have magic, your world didn¡¯t have that right?¡± She attempted to cheer Yuri up ¡°So cheer up, lets go explore the temple and I¡¯ll show you some magic spells on the way!¡± Saying this she lifted up Yuri like a child and patted her back.


    Depressed enough to not even have the strength to lift a single finger, Yuri simply lay limp in her arms as she was carried away by the self proclaimed Bishop.


    Nearly every available space of each room she was carried through contained some manner of statue. Usually of Freiya, but also of various shapes covered with runes that reminded Yuri of the time she stole a viking rune stone that weighed over 2 tons.


    This memory almost made Yuri smile, but her mood was brought down again by the fact that none of her previous achievements mattered anymore.


    ¡°Here we are, the outside!¡±


    A pair of heavy iron doors slowly split open in front of the, slowly revealing the bright outside.


    Yuri¡¯s jaw was left hanging upon witnessing the scene in front of her, all of her previous depressing thoughts seemingly blown away by the soft wind that was now showering over her.


    An azure sky made out of the softest looking blue fabric. With clouds as white as the freshest milk scattered across it, fluffier than cotton candy, floating through the sky in a fashion similar to when one pours milk into tea.


    Underneath the bright blue sky. Deep canyons, covered in radiant waterfalls that stretched deep down into the dark below. There were so many canyons, that one would wonder how anyone could get around without any bridges.


    That question was quickly answered by the many fragile looking objects floating through the sky. Boats, supported by paper balloons, flowed out of each corner, flowing just past each other harmoniously.


    Scattered around and across the canyons were churches and castles, each one more beautiful than anything in any painting Yuri remembered. Several of the floating boats passing by, paused briefly while Yuri was taking in the unimaginable view. The people aboard bowed respectfully, saying things such as ¡°Good day, master bishop¡± or ¡°Thank you for your hard work, miss bishop¡±.


    ¡°¡­..You actually were a bishop huh.¡± Yuri gave the supposed Bishop Mako a doubtful glance ¡°i always thought they were supposed to be wrinkly old men..and a bishop of such a place too..if it weren¡¯t for the people just now, I would have thought you drunk.¡±


    Still looking doubtful, Yuri looked around while ignoring the gazes of the people who passed by on their balloon boats.


    ¡°Well anyway, let¡¯s get going?¡±


    A floating boat appeared just as Mako finished her sentence, this one seemingly without a driver.


    ¡°Ladies first~¡±


    Motioning towards the boat while smiling mischievously, Mako edged Yuri to get on.

 Chapter 4: Shopping

    Observing the carefree nun with slight wonder, Yuri felt shocked that the Archbishop of such an amazing place was this air headed woman barely in her early twenties.


    ¡°I guess I should call you Bishop now..?¡±


    ¡°Just Mako is fine, we¡¯re friends now after all, girlfriends ehehe~¡±


    Giggling slightly, Mako picked up Yuri and sat her on her Knee like a small child.


    ¡°Hey stop that damnit! I¡¯m not your girlfriend, I¡¯m a man! Did you forget!? A man!¡±


    Yuri upset yelling caused several of the nearby people in adjacent Floating boats to turn their attention towards their boat.


    Once they saw that it was the Archbishops boat however, all of them made a slightly awkward expression of recognition. As if to say ¡°oh it¡¯s her again, as usual¡±.


    ¡°-And why the hell are you treating me like a child!?¡±


    Yuri struggled against Mako¡¯s grasp while she continued to snuggle the petite girl on her lap.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re so cute, of course!¡±


    Continuing to enjoy herself, Mako began to nonchalantly pinch Yuri¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°I said no!!¡± Yuri leapt away from Mako¡¯s embrace, almost falling off the edge of the boat.


    ¡°I would be more careful if I were you, even if you survive the fall, your body will be lost in the current¡±


    Smiling mischievously at the frightened looking Yuri, Mako looked up as the boat slowly came to a stop.


    ¡°Ah this is our stop, time sure flows quickly when you¡¯re having fun~¡±


    Lightly jumping off onto the ground below, she urged Yuri to follow her.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one having fun though¡­¡±


    Sighing, Yuri nimbly jumped off the boat as well. Landing on the ground barely a meter below.


    ¡°Welcome! To the shopping district of Magnadum!¡±


    Announcing loudly, Mako struck a dramatic presenting pose.


    The so called shopping district as Mako declared it. Was nothing more than a few stalls gathered in a small corner of the street.


    ¡°¡­.Yes¡­.it¡¯s nice¡­..?¡± Yuri strained a smile at the pitiful sight.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go replace those ripped clothes of yours!¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Mako unceremoniously dragged Yuri towards a stall containing all manner of colorful clothing.


    ¡°Hey bob, have anything cute for my new friend here?¡± She asked the merchant at the stall.


    ¡°Ah, Master Bishop, welcome again, yes yes I have many things that would fit a young miss like her, anything specific?¡±


    The merchant speaking to Mako had every inch of his body, except for his eyes, covered in several layers of clothing, that made one wonder how he did not suffocate underneath all that.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­how about something pink¡­with a skirt..maybe a short one?¡±


    The cloth covered merchant rummaged through the mountains of clothes behind him while Mako spoke thoughtfully.


    ¡°Hah? Pink? Skirt? What the hell!? Why would I wear something like that? I¡¯m a man dammit I would rather have a black suit!¡±


    Snapping at Mako, Yuri stomped her little foot on the ground angrily.


    ¡°Yuri¡­dear..you can either wear what I tell you to..or you can be escorted out of the city..naked.¡±


    Mako¡¯s eyes stared through Yuri¡¯s entire being as she spoke in a dangerously low tone, causing Yuri¡¯s new small body to shiver with fear.


    ¡°Ah- no- it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not that picky with my clothes¡­ahaha¡­¡± Yuri worriedly resigned herself to her fate.


    ¡°Ah, here we go, yes yes, these will fit the young miss nicely!¡±


    An outfit that could only be described as something a twin tailed magical girl would wear was handed to Mako by the merchant.


    ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ll take it, you already altered it to fit anyone who wears it, right?¡±


    Observing the clothes with a smile, Mako asked a question that was more of a statement than a real question.


    ¡°Of course! It saddens me that you still doubt me!¡±


    The merchant exclaimed in an obviously fake hurt tone. ¡°Forward the bill to the priests tab, right?¡±


    ¡°The usual¡± Mako waved her hand nonchalantly, busy with observing the clothes.


    ¡°Yes yes, the priests tab it is then, they¡¯re going to be furious with you again, heh¡± The merchant began sorting through the massive pile of clothes.


    ¡°Alright, now stay really still, or this will hurt¡±


    Turning towards Yuri with the clothes ready in her hands, Mako slowly warned Yuri


    A mere moment later the clothes in her hands vanished and appeared on Yuri.


    ¡°Woah!? Is this also magic!?¡±


    Looking over her new clothes with amazement, Yuri exclaimed with surprise, while still managing to look as displeased as possible due to the fact that she was forced to wear such frilly clothes.


    ¡°Oh no, this is just from my many years of experience, nothing to do with magic at all~¡±


    She spoke as if the fact that her hands moved faster than the human eye could perceive was not a big deal at all.


    ¡°And you should probably hide the knife underneath your clothes, after all its a godly item, people have gone to wars over those¡± She dragged Yuri along the street.


    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you going to take it? I thought it was one of the holy relics of whatever that your god possessed?¡±


    Yuri appeared confused as she was dragged by Mako.


    ¡°Well¡­yes it is. But I have a feeling.. gut feeling that it¡¯s better to leave it with you..¡±


    Makos expression briefly flickered to a serious one, before quickly reverting to her usual carefree smile.


    ¡°Sure..i won¡¯t say no to something valuable I guess..but where are we going..?


    Looking around at the sights while being dragged by the collar along the ground, Yuri asked with some interest.


    ¡°To the main church building of course, where I live, you will also be living there from now on. It¡¯s the least I could do to make up for your situation on behalf of our goddess, since it is my job to do that after all¡±


    Yuri thought that the young nun looked very reliable when she said that.


    ¡°-And I will have a cute little toy to play with of course¡­mnn~¡±


    Aaaand, the reliable impression that Yuri briefly saw was shattered into small pieces, leaving only the impression of an air headed big breasted monster.

 Chapter 5: Godly relics

    A large gate blocked Yuri¡¯s path. Attached to the gate was the largest church Yuri has ever seen. It was closer to a castle than a church, or at least some bizarre combination of the two.


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t gotten inside and you¡¯re already amazed by something as insignificant as the gates¡±


    Sighing dramatically she continued ¡°You sure you aren¡¯t just some farmers daughter?¡± Mako smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Hah..that joke again..I¡¯m a man damnit..¡±


    Yuri slowly climbed the stairs towards the giant gates with a long sigh.


    They were greeted by two guards with the now to Yuri familiar phrase ¡°Welcome Master Bishop¡±. The gates opened faster than what one would believe possible for something of that size.


    The gates, now fully open. Revealed the almost barren inside of the church. The walls were decorated with paintings of their goddess. The rest of the place however was filled with enough free space that their footsteps echoed in the large expanse of the hall.


    The over sized church appeared to be devoid from both servants, priests or any kind of living being. The halls were not even lit up, Mako was forced to resort to summoning her floating fireball in order to light their way.


    ¡°Hm¡­Mako..? Is it normal for churches to be this creepy..?¡±


    Glancing at the cobweb covered hallway there walking through, Yuri kept looking around due to the occasional squeaks of rats.


    ¡°Not really, all the servants quit, so now there¡¯s no one to clean up the place, most of the guards have quite too, we only have four left. So we can¡¯t really spare any of them on lighting the place up everyday¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­why did they all quit..? ¡° Yuri paused for a moment ¡°Wait. Does that mean those two guards outside the church were half of your entire soldiers!?¡±


    Yuri looked at the nonchalant Mako with a shocked expression.


    ¡°Well¡­.our budget has been kind of low lately¡­hehe..¡±


    Mako dropped the subject and started playing with her fireball as if it were a softball, causing the shadows in the hallway to grow and change randomly.


    ¡°So you¡¯re in a state of financial trouble huh. That explains the sorry state of your shopping district which only consists of four stalls that sold junk¡­¡±


    Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Yuri began to fit everything together.


    ¡°But that¡¯s weird¡­then how come your city is so large and full of castles and of the impressive looking things..if you can¡¯t even pay your servants?¡±


    Scratching her head, Yuri found herself at a loss as to possible reasons for this city¡¯s strange situation.


    ¡°Ahhh..well you see. All those impressive things and buildings..well that¡¯s the reason why we are so broke right now~¡±


    Gingerly doing a small twirl, Mako hugged Yuri and started dragging her along the hall.


    ¡°But who cares about that, we still haven¡¯t gotten to the cool bits of the church~!¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t change the subject. Why the hell would you spend so much money on useless architecture?¡±


    Staring at Mako, Yuri waited for an answer while tapping her foot.


    ¡°Ehm¡­well¡­you see..since Freiya is the goddess of all things pretty¡­i thought the city should look worthy¡­and stuff..so I kind of used up all the city¡¯s funds¡­which made it so we weren¡¯t able to pay most of the people working for us..and most people started moving out of the city..Teehee~¡±


    Mako tapped her head with her fist, whilst making an amusing face.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Yuri could only be amazed by the sheer amount of stupidity radiating from the supposed Arch Bishop, so thick Yuri could almost see it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not contagious is it..?¡±


    Yuri slowly backed away from Mako.


    ¡°Ehhhhhhh, you¡¯re so mean¡­you¡¯re talking about me being stupid aren¡¯t you!?¡± Mako cried out. ¡°I know it¡¯s my fault..but I have been trying to make things better for those that still live here..so¡­so¡­¡±


    Her eyes began to tear up while she looked down on the ground.


    Thinking about it, Yuri realised that all the people she saw on her little tour through the city, were extremely friendly to Mako.


    It wasn¡¯t the sort of friendliness that you show to someone of a higher position. It was a more honest sort of friendliness. Similiar to how one could not get angry at their own daughter for breaking a vase, when she felt sorry enough to give you all her measly pocket money for it.


    ¡°I see¡­I¡¯m sorry for calling you stupid¡­you¡¯re trying your best aren¡¯t you..¡±


    Tip toeing in order to reach, Yuri patted her on the head with an apologetic expression.


    ¡°Tch..now it¡¯s like I¡¯m the child here..¡±


    Clearing the tears out of her eyes, Mako quickly straightened her clothes.


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s okay, let¡¯s keep going, there is still something amazing I have to show you on this tour~¡±


    Back to her usual air headed and cheerful self, Mako continued to drag Yuri along the dreary halls of the giant church.


    ¨C


    Finally arriving at the center of the building, they stood in a huge room larger than any warehouse.


    The roof was made purely out of coloured glass, depicting the familiar goddess in a serene posture.


    The walls were a golden white colour, that seemed to glow in the dark with the faint glow of the setting sun.


    A lone plain white altar stood in the middle of the room. What drew Yuri¡¯s gaze however wasn¡¯t the altar, but rather what was on it.


    The altars surface was filled with a collection of various rings and bracelets that rests atop a red piece of cloth. In the middle of the small accessories, lay a large golden orb, covered in familiar Viking looking runes.


    Yuri had seen many amazing items during her adventures in her original world. She had stolen many thing that would make this orb pale in comparison. But the fact was, none of the items she had encountered before had ever given off such an amazing feeling upon being observed.


    The orb seemed to have some kind of aura enveloping it that drew everyone¡¯s gaze towards it.


    ¡°hmmm~ I see you¡¯re impressed~¡±


    Mako commented on Yuri¡¯s obvious reaction of awe. It was only when Mako had spoken, that Yuri realised her body was shaking slightly, her knees almost giving out. Causing her to stand in an awkward position with her knees almost touching each other.


    ¡°What is that¡­that aura.¡±


    Muttering to herself, which Mako overheard due to her closely observing Yuri, She quickly answered Yuri¡¯s question.


    ¡°That. Is the Globus Cruciger, every church has an item given to them by their respective god. It¡¯s used to determine who the next bishop will be, it¡¯s said it can do other things..but no one uses them for anything but choosing the next leader of the church.¡±


    Mako glanced at the orb.


    ¡°The church and the people consider them holy objects that must be protected at all costs. It¡¯s said that the gods gave these away in order to stop the humans from fighting each other over the who the leader would be, and now this is how the next leader is chosen~¡±


    Mako entered her History mode, and began babbling on about the history of the relics. Yuri, however, had much more important things on her mind than to listen to her History lesson.


    Biting her lip so hard that it bled, Yuri thought to herself determinedly (This will be the starting point of my new reputation as master thief in this world¡­) She clenched her small fist tightly (I will steal¡­the relics of the gods.)

 Chapter 6: Rune magic, best magic?

    (Although I¡¯ve decided to steal all the relics¡­i still need a plan. My body right now is weak¡­and I have neither tools nor connections..guess I¡¯ll stay low and gather information first..)


    Thinking this, Yuri completely ignored Mako¡¯s lesson about the gods history. Eventually deciding to interrupt her.


    ¡°So¡­.this orb is one of the most important objects in this world..?¡±


    Mako flinched as she accidentally bit her tongue due to being interrupted.


    ¡°Owch¡­yesh thatsh cowwect¡±


    She cast a low level healing spell on herself while she lisped.


    ¡°The only things more valuable would be¡­a gods body part?¡± She tilted her head slightly ¡°Since the flesh of gods grant immortality when eaten, but well you don¡¯t find the body parts of the most powerful creatures in existence lying about..but who wouldn¡¯t want a part of their chosen god~¡±


    Yuri ignored Makos slightly creepy smile while thinking through what she learned.


    ¡°Hm..okay..so is it really that wise to only have it in a big unprotected room that is guarded by two people..?¡±


    Yuri asked while attempting to not so stealthily guide the conversation to talks of security measures.


    ¡°Not really¡± Shrugging dismissively, Mako tried to continue her talk about the history of all the gods and every single god damned rumour about them. Which Yuri hurriedly stopped by throwing a few more questions her way.


    ¡°Well..wouldn¡¯t it be better to hide it then, or something, it seems like it would have gotten stolen a long time ago like this..?¡± A confused looking Yuri inquired.


    ¡°Well, you see, the relics are chosen by the gods themselves. So naturally if someone steals them, they will be struck by the fury of the god. So far no one has ever tried to steal one before¡±


    Answering as if talking to a child who asked a silly question, Mako smiled kindly at Yuri.


    ¡°Alright¡­.but wouldn¡¯t the followers of other gods find it profitable to steal them..? I mean if you can¡¯t decide the next bishop, then the whole church is left without a leader, right..?¡±


    Still thinking that it was peculiar that no one had already stolen this orb, even with when considering the supposed wrath of the gods, She tilted her head at Mako.


    ¡°Hmm? Kind of? The gods can¡¯t use their real bodies in our realm, as that would cause a ton of problems. Which is why they use magic. Hmm¡­but it¡¯s not like..normal magic, its ancient magic, that¡¯s mostly been forgotten by the world. The only remnants of it today, is rune magic. Since runes can be written on almost anything there have been many rocks and stone tablet that contained the runic language¡±


    A rough plan began to outline itself in Yuri¡¯s mind as Mako answered her question.


    ¡°That¡¯s really interesting, say, since my world didn¡¯t have magic, could I learn it from you? Something like that rune magic seems fascinating. I mean since I was abandoned here by your god with nothing at all, I think it would count like cleaning up after your gods mistakes, no?¡±


    Attempting to flutter her eyes in the manner she had seen young girls do it when they wanted something from their parents, she was sure it only looked like she was having a seizure.


    ¡°I guess I can do that if you want? We can start right now by checking your affinities and the like, so let¡¯s go to the training room¡±


    Mako led Yuri out of the giant room and into another dark corridor.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¨C


    Around half an hour later, according to Yuri¡¯s growling stomach, they finally arrived at the training room.


    ¡°Ugh¡­how bug is this place..so impractical..if this was¡­. my old body¡­.. I¡¯d be fine with¡­. walking all day..¡±


    Speaking in between breaths, Yuri slayed down on the floor tiredly.


    ¡°You¡¯re so weak¡­so cuuuute~¡±


    Mako attempted to hug Yuri, who nimbly rolled away while still laying on the floor.


    ¡°Well anyway, this is the training room, where most nuns practice their magic, since nuns only train healing magic, its a bit basic, but should be fine for a beginner like you¡±


    Looking around the room, she quickly found what she was looking for and grabbed it ¡°Found it!¡± Walking back towards Yuri, Mako held out a green scratched up and dented crystal orb, as if expecting Yuri to do something with it.


    ¡°Uhhh..what is that..?¡±


    Observing the strange orb from various angles, Yuri kept looking at it with confusion.


    ¡°Oh. Right. Never seen magic before today. Forgot. So you don¡¯t know what this is¡± She clutched the orb with both hands.


    ¡°This is a magic absorption orb, it¡¯s used as protection against basic magical attacks, since it can suck in mana, but it¡¯s mostly used for checking peoples mana capacity¡±


    A faint blue aura crawled along Makos hands and into the orb, which began to shine brightly, displaying a faint number with three digits.


    ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s your turn~¡±


    Throwing the orb over to Yuri who almost dropped, she looked at her expectantly.


    ¡°So..how do I do this¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean? Just pour your mana into it¡±


    Answering as if it were obvious, she looked at Yuri as if she was slow.


    ¡°Like I said, how the hell am I¡­¡± Yuri sighed slightly.


    ¡°Even young children know how to do that¡­but since you¡¯re from a world without magic..i guess it¡¯s inevitable. Your blood should work, since it transfers mana around your body so a few drops will do just fine¡±


    Pointing towards the knife in Yuri¡¯s pocket, she waited for Yuri.


    Drawing out the knife, Yuri made a tiny cut on her small white finger, squeezing out a few drops of glimmering crimson blood. Splattering across the scratched surface of the orb.


    The orb began to shine slightly as it did with Mako. And stopped abruptly, displaying a number hidden behind the drops of blood that rested on the surface.


    ¡°Hmm.. let¡¯s see here..¡±


    Wiping away the blood with her sleeve, Mako looked at the number inside the orb. Instead of where several digits were supposed to be. There was only one.


    Swirling around inside the green orbs inside¡­.was the number 1.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bad isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Yuri finally asked after a few minutes of silence.


    ¡°Well¡­you can give up on magic¡­you couldn¡¯t even make a pebble levitate with that amount¡­but a 1 huh¡­i don¡¯t think anyone has ever had a mana capacity that low..that¡¯s incredibly impressive in it¡¯s own way..¡±


    Giving Yuri a pitying look, Mako patted her head gently.


    ¡°¡­.DAAAMMMNNN ITTTTT!¡±


    Suddenly screaming out Yuri looked up.


    ¡°The only cool thing about this damn would and I don¡¯t have access to it! SCREW YOU, YOU DAMN BOOGER LOOKING BALL!¡±


    Teary eyed and upset, Yuri lifted up the knife she was still holding, an item supposedly used by a god in the past. And swung it down onto the orb.


    The knife somehow made a deep scratch on the surface of the orb, which immediately began to glow. The glowing continued to intensify until they couldn¡¯t keep their eyes open.


    Slowly the glowing subsided, and they were finally able to open their eyes again.


    Looking at the orb, they noticed that it was cracked in half, a small number floating on one half of the orb.


    ¡°An¡­..eight?¡±


    ¡°No¡­that¡¯s not an eight¡­it¡¯s on it¡¯s side¡­that¡¯s¡ªinfinity!¡±


    Realising what this meant, Mako¡¯s eyes went wide as she looked over at the knife casually resting in Yuris small hands.


    ¡°You might still be able to use magic after all¡­magic more powerful than you could ever have hoped for.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I thought my magic was a 1¡­???¡±


    Looking over at Mako, Yuri was still somewhat shocked by what just happened.


    ¡°That¡¯s still true, the knife you¡¯re holding in your hand however, seems to have a seemingly unlimited capacity of mana, or at least high enough to crack the orb. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s due to cutting up the legendary godly fruit during the last supper I told you about, or what. But this at least means you can use rune magic!¡±


    ¡°Woaaaahhh, really!?!¡±


    Exclaiming happily, Yuri looked at the small knife in astonishment ¡°So you weren¡¯t an ordinary fruit knife after all!¡±


    ¡°I said that it wasn¡¯t ordinary before though, didn¡¯t I¡­¡±


    Sighing slightly, Mako prepared herself to demonstrate Runic magic to Yuri.

 Chapter 7: The bouncing sun

    ¡°Alright, the first step of runic magic is this!¡±


    A rough old looking book without a cover was dropped in front of Yuri, and then another, and another. Until the pile of books had grown so large it would pose a significant threat of it toppled over on Yuri.


    ¡°¡­..So much.¡±


    Shocked by the amount of books on display, which were only the ¡®first step¡¯, Yuri began to feel discouraged. Luckily Mako spoke up before Yuri felt like complaining.


    ¡°Before you start reading all of this, I should probably give you a demonstration of how it all actually works, hmm that would be best I think¡±


    Taking out a small sharp looking hairpin from inside her hair, she held it in front of her face.


    ¡°Like I said before, Runic magic can be written on almost anything, as long as you follow two simple steps. Make sure the symbols are in the correct order and that you have enough mana to siphon into your runes. Since rune magic is slow and tedious, there¡¯s almost no chance of you running out of mana, as it would replenish enough in the times it takes you to write it. But it¡¯s still nice to not worry about mana consumption, since your knife has seemingly unlimited mana, lucky you~¡±


    She gave Yuri a wink and put the pin between her lips.


    ¡°If I was really lucky, I wouldn¡¯t have had less mana capacity than a rock now would I¡­¡± Yuri sighed slightly.


    ¡°Seems there is fortune in my misfortune¡­seems my luck is just a splinter of what it used to be..probably used it all up when I survived that fall..¡±


    Mako continued the lesson while Yuri muttered quietly to herself.


    ¡°Since it takes a while to write a runic spell, most people just write them in advance on some portable item for later use, in an emergency. Like a healing spell when you¡¯re bleeding out or something. But it¡¯s still rare..since the amount of people who bother with rune magic is quite low..due to it¡¯s tedious nature, so the items inscribed with runic spells can be sold for a fair bit of coin..¡±


    A pair of glittering eyes smiled at Yuri, which greatly unnerved her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to become a rune magic producing machine in order to pay off your debts¡­.¡±


    Accurately guessing Mako¡¯s thoughts, Yuri smiled awkwardly as Mako¡¯s face grew flustered.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking that at all!¡±


    Denying the claim while shaking her head, Mako pouted slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Head Bishop, I can solve the problems I¡¯ve caused myself!¡±


    Mako continued to pout, seemingly upset over being accused.


    ¡°¡­.Well anyway¡±


    Quickly composing herself again, Mako scratched a few Runic looking symbols with her sharp hairpin. After a few minutes of tedious looking work, she finally stood up and admired her work.


    It was sloppy work at best, even Yuri who has never seen a rune spell before realised this. As it looked like something a child would draw.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Hehe~ impressed are we? Well you should be! This is a runic spell drawn and infused with the mana of the archbishop herself! Be amazed!¡±


    Quickly swiping her hand across the runic writing, she caused the writing to glow, quickly disappearing. Leaving in its place something far from amazing.


    A fireball similar to the one Mako created earlier had appeared out of the surface where the runes were etched.


    Yuri deduced that it was the rune magic equivalent of the fireball spell. There was one major difference between the two fireballs however. This one was barely half the size of the previous one, and it seemed to struggle in order not to disappear, flickering slightly and wobbling in a funny manner.


    ¡°Pffft. Yes it¡¯s indeed amazing, as expected of the Master Bishop..¡±


    Barely managing to say this without breaking out into a full laugh, Yuri snickering quietly while covering her mouth.


    ¡°Uuuuuuu¡­it was supposed to be bigger since I poured more mana into it¡­¡±


    Puffing up her cheeks, Mako looked down in shame and pouted slightly.


    ¡°Well at least it¡¯s cute right?¡±


    Not being able to resist saying the same thing said to her, Yuri teased Mako slightly.


    ¡°Uuuuu¡­mocking me¡­fine then! Show me how you can do it so much better than me then!¡±


    Raising her voice, Mako quickly replaced the atmosphere of a lesson with that of a children¡¯s argument.


    (How am I supposed to do that when I have never done anything like that before¡­)


    Thinking to herself, Yuri tried to think of what to say in order to calm Mako down.


    Yuri glanced over at Mako while thinking. Who was staring at her with a teary eyed expression while making a face like she would cry at any moment.


    (Geez..and you¡¯re supposed to be the adult here..no wait. Aren¡¯t I the adult, I¡¯m older than her, or is it my appearance that counts..? Well whatever I just need to draw the spell and fail to make her feel better)


    Making her way towards the wall, Yuri began to draw the runes with her knife, attempting to copy the ones Mako drew to the best of her ability. Stepping back after finishing and looking satisfied, her work was vaguely similar to Makos, although it was obviously incorrect. Which Yuri figured meant it wouldn¡¯t work. Finally finished with the writing, she swiped her hand across the runes, copying Mako from earlier.


    As expected, nothing happened. A smug smile creeping onto Makos face, Which Yuri responded to with a sighing smile, that seemed to say. ¡°Well what else did you expect¡±.


    Just as Mako was about to declare her obvious superiority, the runes began to flicker with a reddish glow.


    The runes suddenly disappeared. A giant red ball of fire slowly and menacingly flowing out of the wall in front of them.


    The ball was slightly squirming in a disconcerting fashion. It looked like a mix between between a melting globe and a water balloon that was being squeezed over and over.


    Worst of all the heat it gave off seemed to almost burn Yuri¡¯s eyebrows off, and the pair were frozen in place due to their shock and fear.


    The giant fireball loomed over them, before suddenly flying off in a random direction, with the speed of a long bow arrow. Bouncing off the walls of the room while leaving burning dents wherever it slammed itself.


    Yuri attempted to run over to the door and escape, but the ball concentrated its bouncing around that part of the room, as if it somehow knew that was their only escape.


    Meanwhile Mako was trying to fight off the rampaging ball of fiery death with some water spells, but all the water simply evaporated before even touching the ball.


    While the pair were running around in panic, they accidentally tripped over each other. The red fireball¡¯s bounce seemed much more powerful than the previous one, as if it actually knew this was the finishing blow.


    Just as it was about to hit him, it¡¯s heat causing their skin to prickle, and them having resigned themselves to their fate of being turned to fried burgers.


    The fireballs body split into two right before hitting them. Flying on each side of the pair and crashing into the wall behind them, with a loud bang which forced them to cover their ears.


    In place of the fireball that was about to incinerate them, stood a man with raven black hair and a drawn long sword in his right hand.


    ¡°What have you done this time, Mako?¡±


    The man sighed at the pair and offered Yuri a hand.

 Chapter 8: The Knight, The Romance... and The Runic magic?

    Standing before Yuri, clad in practical red and black leather armor, was a young man with ruffled raven black hair and a sword at his side.


    The man wore the expression of a an old man who caught his granddaughter stealing a cookie, a sort of amused but sighing smile.


    Yuri gratefully took the hand that the man was offering her, and was pulled up from the ground after having fallen right on her butt earlier.


    ¡°Buuuu¡­why does only Yuri get helped up..¡±


    Complaining while getting up, Mako slowly straightened out her nuns outfit while pouting.


    ¡°Bad children shouldn¡¯t be so cheeky.¡±


    Walking over to Mako, the Raven haired man pinched her cheeks hard enough that they turned red.


    ¡°Awa awa awa shtap!¡± Mako attempted to resist the pinching while crying ¡°It wasn¡¯t me this time, I swear! It was Yuri! Just ask herrr!¡±


    Mako immediately pointed her finger towards Yuri without any hesitation, attempting to shift the blame away.


    ¡°Yuri¡­? You mean this cute young girl over here? Somehow I have a hard time believing that¡­so stop trying to shift the blame again, you will receive even more punishment if you don¡¯t tell me the truth!¡±


    Sternly directing his words to Mako, he began to pinch her cheeks twice as hard, causing her to spasm in pain amusingly.


    ¡°Um¡­actually..it was my fault..the rampaging fireball..i made it..¡±


    Yuri braced herself to be yelled at, or worse, get her cheeks pinched like Mako. Instead all she felt was a pat on her head, looking up she saw the raven haired man smiling warmly at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for young girls to be honest, unlike this big girl over here, you at least seem to show some promise..¡±


    Yuri tilted her head slightly in confusion while the man continued to pat her head.


    ¡°Uhm¡­aren¡¯t you mad? I mean the room got completely destroyed because of me..you seemed so mad when you thought it was Mako..?¡±


    Glancing over at the mans sword, Yuri was worried that this unfamiliar mans kindness was only the calm before the storm, and that the man would start running after her at any moment now.


    ¡°Well you admitted it was your fault, didn¡¯t you? And besides, I¡¯m sure that it was mostly Mako¡¯s fault, as she probably didn¡¯t even explain things properly right?¡±


    Throwing an accusing look at Mako, the man smiled slightly at Yuri, while Mako shifted around worriedly, his statement obviously hitting the mark.


    Surprised that someone rational had actually appeared, Yuri had began to suspect that all the citizens of this world were complete airheads like Mako. It was also the first time Yuri had seen a real swordsman before, as those had long since ceased to exist in Yuri¡¯s world. Like most boys and men, Yuri admired the stories of knights and swords.


    Eyeing the swordsman with admiring eyes, Yuri¡¯s daydreaming was cut short by Mako¡¯s interruption.


    ¡°Hey hey~ Hiki¡­stop showing off so much, you just made another girl fall for you~¡±


    Mako grinned at Yuri mischievously.


    Yuri¡¯s face turned a dark shade of pink once she realised what she looked like. Being patted on the head by a tall fairly handsome young man, whilst she, who now had the body of a young girl, was looking up at him with an easily misunderstood gaze of admiration.


    ¡°Y-you..S-stop it with the jokes, I¡¯m a m-man, damnit!¡±


    Stammering while backing away from the man, Yuri didn¡¯t understand why she was reacting this way because of a small joke, she cursed her new female hormones.


    ¡°Hey, Mako. You should really stop teasing the new nun disciples, or I will punish you again..¡± The man sighed.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s not a nun¡± Mako smiled.


    ¡°No..? Well then I shall start by introducing myself, I am Hikaru, knight and personal guard¡­or more like babysitter¡­.of Mako¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Yuri, the only human to ever posses only a single mana, please to meet you¡±


    Smiling awkwardly, Yuri added in a joke to her introduction to break the awkward atmosphere, mostly for her own sake.


    ¡°One mana¡­? Mako is this true..?¡±


    Speaking with a serious tone, the swordsman named Hikaru glanced over at Mako.


    ¡°Ah yes, we just checked earlier, because she wanted to learn some magic,, how unfortunate..i think it must have something to do with her being from another world..who knows¡±


    Mako muttered while observing Yuri like some sort of rare animal.


    ¡°¡­Another world? What are you talking about? And how could someone with only a single mana be able to create such a fireball, although unstable, it had more power than what ever the strongest mages could muster up without any mana amplifiers..¡±


    Hikaru looked at Yuri.


    ¡°Who the hell are you, miss Yuri, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me miss¡­i used to be a man you know..¡±


    Pouting slightly, Yuri was sure she would never get used to being seen as a little girl.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    Hikaru watched Yuri with a confused expression while she continued to pout.


    ¡°Perhaps I should explain Yuri¡¯s situation to you Hiki, so sit down, it¡¯s quite a tale!¡±


    Plopping down on the floor, Mako patted the spot next to her, motioning for Hikaru and Yuri to sit down.


    ¨C


    ¡°Such an unbelievable story..¡±


    Muttering to himself, it was not Yuri¡¯s arrival to this world that baffled him, but the fact that the petite young girl in front of him used to be a 28 year old man.


    ¡°Sure is!¡± Mako smiled brightly.


    ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t explain how that giant fireball was created?¡±


    Although Yuri¡¯s story was amazing, it was certainly not unbelievable. Everything they had explained made perfect sense, considering that magic existed, besides Mako wasn¡¯t the type to be a good liar.


    ¡°Well, you know the knife I told Yuri to keep? It seems to have a very biiiig amount of mana, so much so that it broke the ball¡± Mako pointed at Yuris knife.


    ¡°I see..once again you give away something valuable without a second thought¡­be prepared for extra punishment later..¡±


    Hikaru¡¯s face was a perfect poker face as he said that, which was slightly scary considering his words.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Widening her eyes at his statement, Mako¡¯s face paled as she muttered.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Hikaru raised an eyebrow, pretending not to hear what she said.


    ¡°I¡¯M SORRY, PLEASE, not the extra punishment, I¡¯ll be good, I swear!¡±


    Maku clung to Hikaru whilst begging desperately.


    The sight of Mako clinging to Hikaru while crying only made her even more skeptical of the fact that she was actually the real Bishop.


    ¡°Hey, Hikaru, is she really the master Bishop? I mean if all she does is waste money..how hasn¡¯t she been removed from her position?¡±


    Asking Hikaru, Yuri tried to make it sound as a joke, although she was genuinely curious.


    ¡°Well..she was chosen by the Orb, I believe Mako should have told you about it?¡±


    Yuri nodded, while Hikaru attempted to push Mako off of himself.


    ¡°The orbs decision is final, and we have to wait until the orb appoints a new one, so until then¡­we are stuck with this..¡±


    Finishing his sentence, Hikaru looked at Mako with fish like eyes devoid of sympathy.


    ¡°Ah..i see now, it¡¯s not like you chose to have her..¡±


    Yuri nodded now that everything made sense.


    ¡°One more thing, Yuri. I assume the only time you had seen a runic spell was when Mako showed you, correct?¡±


    Yuri nodded at Hikarus question.


    ¡°Due to the nature of runic magic, it should be impossible to create a working spell without at least days of practice and memorisation, for your first time, that fireball was incredibly stable, not to mention powerful¡­¡±


    Hikaru squinted his eyes at Yuri who tilted her head in confusion slightly.


    (That was incredibly stable¡­?)


    Yuri thought to herself, not daring to say anything after wrecking the room other than tilt her head slightly.


    ¡°Did you do anything special when you drew the symbols..?¡±


    Hikaru eyed Yuri with curiousity while she was thinking to herself.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­well¡­i couldn¡¯t really remember a lot of the symbols that Mako drew¡­so I just added a bunch of similar looking ones that I remembered from my world..?¡±


    Yuri had reused the runic symbols that were still etched in her mind after that incredibly successful giant rune stone heist. Not because she thought it would do anything, but simply in order to make her spell not look completely horrible, since she thought it wasn¡¯t going to work either way.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Hikaru stood up and slowly drew his sword. Which caused Yuri to jump back in fear, before she realised she wasn¡¯t going to get killed.


    Hikaru drew some runes on the wall by etching with his sword.


    ¡°This is the runic spell for water stream, it¡¯s a very weak spell, not intended for combat, it¡¯s something a lot of the more magical endowed knight learn, in case they run out of fresh water. It¡¯s also one of the only spells I know so don¡¯t get your hopes up¡±


    Hikaru smiled at Yuri, causing her to feel a slightly uncomfortable feeling in her chest.


    ¡°Now you try to copy this spell, but replace some of runes with similar ones from your world¡±


    Yuri did as she was told, and slowly etched the modified runic spell with her knife, replacing some symbols with the ones she remembered from her world.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t activate it yet, Mako, can you copy the spell Yuri just drew, exactly as she drew it?¡±


    ¡°Sure sure~¡±


    Mako quickly got to work and copied Yuri¡¯s spell next to the other two spells, quicker than both of them.


    ¡°Alright now let¡¯s see..¡±


    Hikaru traced his fingers over his spell and activated it, a small stream of water began to flow down the wall and collected into a small puddle on the floor.


    ¡°This is what the water stream spell looks like, now let¡¯s try yours Yuri¡±


    Yuri swiped her fingers across the her runes and activated the spell. Instead of instantly activating however, it took a few moments before it began to flicker in a familiar red glow, which slowly subsided.


    As soon as the last flicker of red disappeared, a giant pillar of water shot out from the wall in a straight line, seemingly defying the laws of gravity. It flew towards the opposite wall and smashed into it. A moment later and the pillar of water slowly began to subside, the place where it hit the wall, had a hole where there once was a wall. The distant chirping of birds could be heard from the distance while the trio stared at the giant hole in the wall.


    ¡°¡­..right¡­..now Mako activate your copy of Yuri¡¯s spell¡±


    Attempting now to think about what would happen if one of them had stood in front of the spell, Hikaru motioned for Mako to activate her spell.


    Mako activated her spell, but instead of a giant burst of water, the spell simply disappeared, leaving a single water droplet on the wall.


    ¡°Pfft-¡±


    Yuri held her hands over her mouth while suppressing her laughter, while Mako pouted and looked away.


    ¡°Well that explains it¡­mostly I suppose..¡±


    Hikaru nodded as if he figured something out.


    ¡°So..what does this explain exactly..?¡±


    Yuri couldn¡¯t really see what conclusion they could get from this demonstration other than that her spells were unstable and that Mako sucked at magic.


    ¡°Well I have a theory..but it is only a theory..¡±


    ¡°I believe that the reason why Mako¡¯s spell didn¡¯t work, is due to the fact that you are able to invoke an incredible amount of mana from your knife, while with Mako, her body wont let her use more mana than she possesses¡±


    He glanced over at Mako.


    ¡°So it¡¯s not that you are terrible at magic, but simply due to the fact that spell required more mana than you had access to¡±


    He lightly patted Makos head to comfort her, which slightly irritated Yuri for some reason.


    ¡°Now as to why Yuri¡¯s spells are more powerful¡­there¡¯s a high chance that the runes from Yuris world are part of the original runic spells..they were more powerful but also a lot more risky to use..now as to why those exist in your magic-less world..that¡¯s something only the gods know¡­and the fact that it took more mana than Mako had..is a bit terrifying..as Mako¡¯s mana capacity is one of the highest in all the lands¡­¡±


    Lightly furrowing his brow, he continued.


    ¡°Well..i had one time heard that when you incorrectly draw a runic spell..it causes it to draw more mana..which is why it doesn¡¯t work..so while the runes you used were powerful..they were used randomly..causing the mana cost to skyrocket¡­but since the knife possesses an indeterminably high amount of mana..it doesn¡¯t seem to matter¡­so you and only you are able of using magic of this kind..¡±


    ¡°¡­.I really am awesome aren¡¯t I~¡§ ¡°


    Yuri grinned while admiring her knife, carefully cleaning it on her skirt.

 Chapter 9: Sudden allies and Sudden farewells.

    Several days had passed since the incident of the giant fireball and the pillar of water.


    Hikaru had since forbidden Yuri from practicing runic spells inside the church, as that would cause even more bills that they can¡¯t afford. In fact, all the damage in the training room has yet to be repaired, so there was still a gaping hole in the wall covered by a thin cloth to mask it.


    Yuri had made full use of her time, spending several days cooped up in the room given to her by Mako. She only left her lair to use the bathroom or for dinner with Mako and Hikaru, her other meals consisting of dried rations she received from Hikaru who was worried about her diet.


    The time she spent in her room was spent researching as much about this world as possible, but also learning as many runic spells as possible.


    Inside her room, Yuri was finishing up with yet another book related to the nature of runic symbols, just as she was about to pick up another one, she was interrupted by someone bursting through the door.


    ¡°Ahhhh¡­Yuriii i¡¯m so booored, all you¡¯ve been doing is reading and reading and reading and reading, let¡¯s go play~!¡±


    Grabbing a hold of Yuri, Mako attempted to drag Yuri away from the mountain of books that covered every corner of the room.


    ¡°Nooo¡­i still have many things to read¡­to learn¡­for my goal..¡±


    Yuri tried to resist, but she was weakened from sitting still for almost a weak. Not to mention that her current body wasn¡¯t that strong originally, but now it barely had the strength of a puppy.


    ¡°She is right, Yuri, what you are doing is not healthy¡±


    Hikaru appeared from behind Mako while speaking with a concerned voice.


    ¡°Listen here Yuri, a young girl should be outside, playing and enjoying the sun.¡±


    Yuri was about to interrupt him to say something about her being a man, but Hikaru continued.


    ¡°Who do you think is allowing you to read these books in the first place, giving you free shelter and food, while asking nothing in return. What I am asking of you is simple, just keep Mako some company, it is beneficial for both of you¡±


    Hikaru gave Yuri a kind smile, which caused her to avert her eyes as she felt a small blush developing.


    ¡°F-fine¡­not like I can refuse since I¡¯m a freeloader and all¡­¡±


    Yuri fell on her behind as she attempted to stand up, having barely used her legs, they now couldn¡¯t support her own body.


    ¡°Ahaha¡­seems I¡¯m unable to move..¡±


    ¡°No more excuses!¡±


    Yuri was lifted up into a princess carry by Hikaru and moved towards the exit with Mako.


    ¡°Eeeeehhhhh I wanna be carried too, buuu~¡±


    Mako pouted and complained while being dragged out by Hikaru.


    The complaining Yuri was released her embarrassing princess carry once they arrived at the exit of the church.


    ¡°Hmmm..what first¡­oh! Let¡¯s get Yuri some more cute clothes, since today is the harvest day so everything is cheaper and there¡¯s more people selling stuff!¡±


    Yuri was off by Mako towards some bright pink stalls, Hikaru following behind while giving Yuri an apologetic smile.


    ¨C


    The three finally headed back to the church once the sun began setting.


    Yuri was forced to try out countless embarrassing outfits. Most of embarrassing of all, Hikaru, the only male in their group, since Yuri technically wasn¡¯t one anymore, was there to see it happen. Which caused Yuri to feel a strange form of shame for a reason unknown to her.


    This time, Mako had forced her to wear something that Yuri thought was a Lolita Gothic style dress, or this worlds equivalent at least, except that this one, was unnaturally pink.


    Finally arriving inside the church, Hikaru led the girls to their respective rooms. Their rooms were all in the same corridor, their rooms being the servants rooms that were placed there in order not to be too far away from the bishop. Since there were no servants anymore, those rooms were used by Yuri and Hikaru.


    Slowly moving in the dark corridor, Yuri made sure that the two were asleep while she snuck along the corridor carrying a bag of things she had prepared before hand, which were of course stolen form around the church.


    She slowly made her way through the dark unlit corridors, which took considerably longer since she kept getting lost in the maze of corridors, that didn¡¯t have a single window to light up the complete darkness.


    Eventually however, after many jump scares which turned out to be rats, she arrived where she wanted.


    A giant room stretched before her, the ceiling made of coloured glass cast a stream of colourful moonlight upon the item she came for.


    The Orb lay in the exact same place it was last time she was here a few days ago. There were no guards anywhere, which was expected.


    Slowly making her way towards the altar in the middle of the room, she saw the items littered on it. Around the orb were smaller miscellaneous accessories of various kinds.


    She took a step back in order to admire the Orb in all of its glory, a simple looking object, but with an aura worthy of representing a god.


    She held out the ornamental knife from underneath her pink dress, and took put a piece of parchment from her bag. The parchment was filled with many different kinds of Runes and similar symbols, which she began to slowly etch onto the altar, the runes focusing around the Orb as the center.


    It took several hours to finish etching the massive amount of runes on the altar, but when it was finished it truly looked impressive.


    Yuri took a step back in order to admire her work in its full glory. The entire altar was filled with spiraling lines of runes of various geometric shapes, it looked like an obscure art piece.


    ¡°Heh, Those days of reading are paying off nicely..¡±


    Spending the last few days locked away in her room while studying about this world, she had in reality been busy trying to find runic spells that could be used in order to stop the curse of the relic from being applied to her.


    She had discovered a mass of various protection spells, none of which seemed to be at the level to stop the wrath of a god. Which is when she had an idea, if there weren¡¯t any spells that could do what she wanted, she would just create her own.


    She already knew that adding runes from her world would multiply the spells effect, but only that wouldn¡¯t be enough. She created a runic circuit out of seven different spells, that when combined, would hopefully have enough power to block the curse.


    This magic circuit was something that would have taken years if not decades to create, due to the extreme precision and skill required when drawing the runes. Not to mention the need to figure out a pattern for it to have a realistic mana cost.


    Since Yuri had the dagger that could supply an insane amount of mana into her runes, she didn¡¯t need to worry about the details, and only needed to create a rough template of the spell she needed to use.


    ¡°Fingers crossed¡­¡±


    Having obviously never used it before, she had no idea if it would work or not.


    ¡°It¡¯s now or never¡­¡±


    Quickly swiping her hand across a large rune that was connected to all other runes by small lines of incredibly small runes, the rune lit up with a dim red.


    The light slowly began to travel along the smaller runes, activating the rest of the runes on the altar and causing the altar to light up with an ominous red from the mass of runes.


    The runes gave off a low humming noise, slowly increasing in brightness, almost blinding Yuri. They eventually disappeared and ceased glowing, leaving behind them trails of purple smoke.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Did it fail¡­?¡±


    Unsure of what this sort of reaction actually entailed, Yuri observed the altar with suspense. Her question was answered as soon as she saw the orb through the trails of smoke.


    It no longer possessed that distinct aura which seemed too holy to touch. Yuri was unsure of how long this effect would last, so she quickly took out a piece of cloth riddled with runes of various forms and sizes and wrapped it around the orb.


    The cloth was something she had prepared before hand to seal the orb for an indefinite amount of time. Since using the same giant spell every time she needed to move it would be a slight annoyance.


    ¡°Hehe¡­first godly item¡­GET!¡±


    Swiftly putting the cloth covered orb into her bag, she began to collect some of the smaller items that lay on the orb, jewelry and ritualistic items, all made from gold.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need some money for traveling..¡±


    Busy stuffing her bag with goods, she didn¡¯t notice the figure approaching her from behind.


    ¡°Impressive work Yuri, as I thought you are no ordinary person¡­.¡±


    A calm voice from behind her caused Yuri to jump onto the altar in fear.


    ¡°W-what, who¡¯s there!¡±


    She held out her knife in a threatening manner while standing on the altar.


    ¡°Hikaru¡­? how..?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t honestly think I was unaware of what you were planning right¡­?¡± Hikaru sighed ¡°And here I thought you were a bit smarted than Mako¡­¡±


    ¡°H-huh? What do you mean! You knew!? Since when!?¡±


    Yuri was completely shocked by that fact, she was sure to have hidden all the papers containing any spells pertaining to the capture of the orb, and she made sure no one saw her acquiring the items from around the church.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate me¡­once upon a time I used to be one the strongest knights in the realm you know.¡±


    Hikaru sighed and looked up at the moon through the glass ceiling above.


    ¡°Before we were disbanded and I was forced to be a bodyguard of course, but that doesn¡¯t mean my skills have become rusty.¡±


    Looking into Yuri¡¯s eyes while saying this, Yuri shivered slightly in fear.


    ¡°¡­So¡­.are you going to kill me now¡­.¡±


    Her legs gave out and she ended up kneeling on the altar.


    ¡°F-fine then¡­i know I can¡¯t escape anyway..i saw you cut that giant fireball¡­well whatever¡­ at least I managed to steal one relic¡­that should be worth a tale at least¡­hah¡­¡±


    Swiping her hair away, she exposed her pale slender neck with a low sigh.


    ¡°At least make it painless, I don¡¯t want to feel the pain of dying¡­it wasn¡¯t pleasant the first time..and won¡¯t be the second time either I reckon¡­¡±


    Closing her eyes and clenching her small fists, she waited for the sound of a sword being drawn. But that sound never came. Instead she heard the sound of loud laughter, making her open her eyes in fear.


    Hikaru was laughing with a heartwarming smile that almost made her forget the situation she was currently in.


    ¡°W-why are you laughing¡­¡± Yuri timidly asked while glancing at him.


    ¡°Because of how cute you looked when you resigned yourself, it would only have been funnier if you still had the body of a 28 year old man!¡± He continued Laughing.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Unsure of how to respond to that, she braced herself to be stabbed or worse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t come here to arrest or kill you. If I wanted to do that I would have done it before you had the chance to even come near the orb¡±


    He slowly patted her confused tilted head.


    ¡°So then why are you here..if not to stop me..?¡±


    Realising she wasn¡¯t going to die, Yuri finally began to calm down.


    ¡°To join you of course. You are stealing a relic of the gods, if you¡¯re stealing one then you must have the resolution to steal the rest of them, and I plan to help with that¡±


    Calmly proclaiming this to Yuri, he slowly stepped forward towards her.


    ¡°¡­.Is that so¡­i never really took you for someone like that¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand why someone would want to steal the relics of the gods, who would want to risk the gods wrath. Yuri was an exception as she was from another world, the gods meant nothing to her. She also didn¡¯t consider herself as normal.


    (But why would an honourable knight like Hikaru want to do something like this¡­?)


    ¡°You are probably wondering why I would want to do something like that. I don¡¯t approve of thievery and I despise criminals.¡±


    A flame filled with righteous honour flickered in his eyes.


    ¡°But you see¡­long story short, I just don¡¯t approve of the way things are handled right now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? That is pretty short. Vague too.¡± Yuri squinted at him with a thoughtful look.


    ¡°Simply said. I think the gods have too much influence on mortals. Their petty arguments tend to develop into full on wars that end up in the mortal realm.¡±


    Hikaru looked at the sky with disdain.


    ¡°Many die and suffer because of their incompetence, the world even ended once thanks to them. So ridding the world of their influence¡­is the only way to make mortals independent and able to rule themselves. Without having to go to holy wars and crusades because of the gods, the world would finally be at peace.¡±


    Tightening his grip on his sword handle, Hikaru wore a very serious and longing expression on his face.


    (Ah¡­Hikaru¡­my world mostly consists of non-believers and we still have wars..if not more wars than here¡­ahahaha¡­.)


    Yuri kept that thought to herself.


    ¡°So you are trying to rid the world of the relics..¡±


    ¡°Exactly, the relics are the way the gods communicate with their respective churches, giving out prophecies, choosing leader, giving out indirect commands. Without their control, the churches wouldn¡¯t have to go to random wars.¡±


    Lightly shaking his head, Hikaru sighed at the thought of the gods aloofness and inconsideration of lives.


    ¡°I see¡­trying to bring peace to the world..¡±


    Muttering slightly to herself, she looked down. She did not wish to say anything about the fact that it is in human nature to wage wars, as evidenced by her world. And she didn¡¯t as she couldn¡¯t afford to miss the chance to earn a reliable travel companion.


    ¡°So you want to team up with me to steal all the relics?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I hoped you would accept me as your companion, if you do so then I shall pledge to protect you with my life, no matter what!¡±


    Sincerely Proclaiming this to her, Yuri felt herself blush slightly. She cursed her new hormones.


    ¡°Yeah¡­in that cause¡­i shall accept you as my companion¡±


    She proclaimed in what sounded to her as an official sounding statement.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­whats going on¡­?¡±


    Yawning loudly, Mako suddenly appeared at the entrance of the room, clutching a giant plushie oddly similar to Yuri.


    ¡°I heard noises¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah crap¡­.this is your fault, she heard us!¡±


    Yuri loudly whispered to Hikaru.


    ¡°What do we do now!?¡±


    Hoping he had a brilliant plan of escape as this has been his goal longer than her. Yuri placed her hope on Hikaru. What she heard next caused her jaw to drop with shock.


    ¡°Tell the truth, obviously.¡±


    Answering as if that was the natural answer, Hikaru raised an eyebrow at Yuri.


    ¡°Wait, what do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡±


    Attempting to pull on his arm in order to stop him, Yuri ended up being dragged along as Hikaru walked over to Mako.


    ¡°Mako, I have served you for many years now and believe that you deserve the truth.¡±


    He knelt down on one knee in front of Mako in a knightly manner.


    ¡°Mnn¡­? what¡¯s going on¡­?¡±


    Wobbling slightly due to her sleepiness, Mako slowly sobered up once she heard the seriousness of Hikaru¡¯s tone.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t commit adultery with Yuri..did you¡­¡±


    Her gaze shifted between the two and examined them seriously.


    ¡°W-w-what NO! I would never do something like that! I was a man dammnit!¡±


    Blushing heavily, Yuri denied the accusation with a heavy stutter.


    ¡°Tch¡­well that¡¯s boring..¡±


    Mako clicked her tongue, noticeably disappointed.


    ¡°No Mako. The truth is¡­ we stole the relic of Freiya and are planning to steal the rest of the godly relics, I hoped we could receive your blessing.¡±


    Hikaru bowed slightly deeper than before.


    ¡°He said iiiiiiiiiiit-¡±


    Yuri was unsure of what to do as her eyes turned into spirals of confusion.


    ¡°You. Idiot. Why would you say that, now we are doomed! Do you really think she would just accept you steal the GOD damned relic of her GOD that she follows, she¡¯s going to send the guards after us and we will be hanged and¡­¡±


    She clutched her head and let out a worried ¡®awawawawa¡¯ sound.


    ¡°Sure, you have my blessing¡±


    Mako gently patted Hikaru¡¯s head and mumbled a blessing of some sort.


    ¡°Wait¡­hueh¡­?¡± Yuri tilted her head, her eyes still spinning and slightly teary.


    ¡°Calm down Yuri, even if I were to send the g guards after you, there are only 3 of them if i don¡¯t include Hiki¡­¡±


    She calmly spoke to Yuri, causing her to relax.


    ¡°Besides, I wouldn¡¯t do that even if I had a whole army at hand¡± She glanced at Hikaru. ¡° So you have my blessing¡±


    She rubbed Yuri¡¯s head gently with a faint smile.


    ¡°What..no that¡¯s too easy..there¡¯s a trap right..why would the master Bishop just excuse the theft of the most valuable item belonging to the church..!?¡±


    ¡°Geez Yuri¡­first of all the master Bishop is supposed to be understanding..besides, it¡¯s not like I chose to be the Bishop or anything, I was simply forced to because the orb chose me. I also doubt Freiya cares about this, she trusts in her believers, otherwise why would she consent to me giving you her beloved knife¡±


    Mako¡¯s smiled radiated warmth and comfort that could calm a mob.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Yuri was unsure whether Mako was incredibly wise, or if she was just an airhead. She simply accepted her good luck that she had learned to trust in the past.


    ¡°Well we should prepare for your escape then, even I may be understanding. The other citizens won¡¯t be and will try to burn you on the stake when they find out¡­¡±


    Mako led them towards a back exit.


    ¡°I see..¡±


    Paling at the thought of being chased by hundreds of angry pitchfork carrying people, Yuri was incredibly thankful for not having to go through that.


    ¡°Thank you Mako..¡±


    ¡°Ehehe, so do you now realise how amazing I am in reality, huhuhu~¡±


    Somewhere along the way, Mako had reverted to her usual air headed self.


    ¡°Yeah¡­sure..¡± Yuri gave her an awkward smile.


    ¡°Okay..this is as far as I can take you¡±


    She stopped once they reached the exit.


    ¡°I need to go prepare for the oncoming crisis that will happen when word gets around about the relic, follow this path and you will find a balloon boat docked at the end¡±


    Mako smiled gently at Yuri before she headed back inside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hikaru will protect you for sure. I trust him. Come back and visit me soon okay?¡±


    She disappeared inside the dark church before finishing her sentence, unable to bring herself to say goodbye to the two.

 Chapter 10: City of Warriors and Perverts

    A spotless dark sky stretched above forests that reached the horizon.


    The calm sky had a single dot traveling across the full moon. A small boat hanging from a paper balloon, breaking the serenity of the scene with the loud voice of a young girl.


    ¡°HAAAH?? What do you mean you don¡¯t know where the other relics are!?¡±


    The young girl pointed an accusing finger at a raven haired man.


    ¡°You said you were on this damn quest for world peace of whatever the hell for YEARS! How could you not have looked that up!?¡±


    ¡°Please calm down Yuri¡­¡±


    Hikaru attempted to pat her head, but his hand was swatted away by Yuri¡¯s small hand.


    ¡°I.Will.Not.Calm.Down!¡±


    Gritting her teeth, she stared him down and folded her arms. Hikaru used this chance to get past her defenses and patted her head, her anger seemingly instantly dissipating while being patted.


    ¡°Calmed down now? Can I continue with what I was about to say before you interrupted me?¡±


    ¡°¡­yes¡­¡±


    She answered with a small voice and looked down while being patted.


    Harboring complicated feelings over being treated as a child, she decided to let it go just this once, since she felt she was being slightly unreasonable.


    ¡°The locations of the relics, is usually kept secret by the churches. While no human would dare touch them without consent of the god, something else might.¡±


    At this point he had stopped patting Yuri and concentrated on a small map he had taken out.


    ¡°Other than human..? So there really are elves and dwarves and other races!?¡±


    Visibly excited, Yuri was not too surprised as magic existed in this world, so the chances of something else fantasy-like existing was not unexpected.


    ¡°Elves and dwaruvus? What are those?¡±


    Not recognising those terms, He gave her a curious look.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re called something else here..you know, beings that look like humans but live much longer and have longer ears or are much shorter and more powerful-¡±


    She began explaining those terms in more detail before being cut off by Hikaru.


    ¡°If it¡¯s humans with longer ears and life spans, we have those. But they¡¯re not some other race. They are just humans that had been infused with nature mana from living in mana rich forests for hundreds of years. Same thing for the shorter more powerful dwaruvus, as you called them. Those exist but they¡¯re just humans who are slightly shorter since living in a mining town, it¡¯s more beneficial to fit trough smaller tunnels.¡±


    While explaining this, Hikaru wondered what sort of horrible world Yuri was from where humans were classified as different races simply by looking different.


    ¡°I see¡­that makes sense I guess¡±


    Feeling slightly disappointed, She wasn¡¯t disheartened however. As the figures she admired in her childhood did exist, just slightly different.


    ¡°Either way, that¡¯s not what I meant when I said something other than humans. There is..a theory that the relics have a connection to the realm the gods reside in. ungodly creatures aren¡¯t able to enter there, but if something that used to live there were to acquire a relic¡­well who knows..¡±


    ¡°Like a fallen god¡­`?¡±


    Her thoughts drifted to a certain angel that fell from heaven.


    ¡°No, gods don¡¯t just fall from the heavens, they are banished for reasons unknown and forced to wander the mortal realm, robbed of their former power for eternity.¡±


    Hikaru wore a solemn look while explaining that.


    ¡°Okay fine, banished gods, whatever, but how do we find the relics of they¡¯re so hidden?¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect anything from Hikaru by now, but she at least needed a clue of where to start.


    ¡°Well¡­I don¡¯t know their precise location,but they are most likely to be in places like royal castles, churches of said god, or any other important location¡±


    He flipped the map and pointed at a large blob in the middle of it.


    ¡°One of them is likely to be here, in the capital city Urnan. The people there follow the god Tyr, the warrior god, so they are all slightly fixated on the idea of duels. It¡¯s where I earned a lot of my reputation as a knight and acquired the job as Mako¡¯s bodyguard. They should have the relic of Tyr somewhere inside the city.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Mnn..well it¡¯s a start I guess, once we are there I guess we can buy some information with these trinkets I brought along, but first we need to trade them for some coin..¡±


    The sun slowly rose while Yur¡¯s thoughts drifted to making plans of what they would once they arrived.


    ¡ª


    The pair finally arrived at their destination several days later. Yuri gratefully fully stretching her body.


    ¡°Finally, now I can get proper sleep and a shower that doesn¡¯t include washing myself with a damp cloth¡­¡±


    She was sad to admit, but she did feel some shame when she washed herself with Hikaru next to her.


    So she had tried to get them to land somewhere so she could hide behind a tree. Hikaru refused however, as he believed it to be too dangerous to do so around these parts. As such Yuri was forced to go along her business as a girl while making sure that Hikaru wasn¡¯t looking. Which was quite stressful.


    ¡°Indeed. Don¡¯t go running off on your own however, and stay close to me¡±


    He warned her while scanning the area with a serious gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a small child, even if I may look smaller than I used to be.¡±


    She hmphed and walked off without Hikaru, before being grabbed by him from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying this because you look young. You currently have the body of a pretty young girl, so it would be dangerous to wander about on your own. Although these people value honour, they do not value women as much, so just stay close to me since I¡¯m worried about your safety!¡±


    Saying that in a slightly forceful manner, Hikaru had an obviously concerned expression.


    ¡°Alright¡­geez..calling me pretty¡­I¡¯m a man damnit..i can take care of myself..but I guess I can stay wit you if it makes you feel better..geez, worse than my mother..¡±


    She complained while blushing slightly, annoyed with her own reaction and slowly walked alongside Hikaru.


    ¡°Now first off¡­i do have some money..but we should start by going to the market and selling those trinkets¡±


    Hikaru bought a small map from a salesman and started searching for the location of the market place on it.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s probably the place where all the wagons with boxes are going, so let¡¯s follow their lead¡±


    She dragged Hikaru along, who was still busy concentrating on the map he bought.


    They eventually arrived at the marketplace. A large wide area where merchants sold directly out of small tents and stalls, which displayed various wares. Others simply chose to display their items on dirty blankets laid out on the ground.


    The place was bustling with people and it was safe to say that this was indeed a city of a warrior god. All the men had some kind of weapon strapped to them, even the few women that could be seen were displaying small daggers on their waists.


    Yuri looked incredibly out of place with her bright pink dress and cute appearance, which drew many of the men¡¯s gazes. Making Yuri very uncomfortable. They all looked disappointed and minded their own business once they noticed that Hikaru was escorting Yuri. Making her very thankful for his presence.


    ¡°I see a small gold sellers stall over there..¡±


    Hikaru pointed at a stall full of glittering items, while slowly heading towards it.


    ¡°Ah welcome, what can I interest you with, sir and madame? Mayhaps a wedding ring or a golden tiara for the young lady?¡±


    The merchant began to show his wares, making Yuri slightly annoyed with his misunderstanding.


    ¡°No, we are here to sell, honorable merchant.¡±


    Taking out several rings from Yuri¡¯s bag, Hikaru showed the merchant.


    ¡°Ah excellent quality, it is a sad day indeed when a noblewoman is forced to sell her trinkets¡­but it is a lovely day for me!¡± The merchant grinned while examining the rings ¡°Ah yes, highest of quality, these will fetch a nice price, how about 10 gold coins for the lot?¡±


    Yuri¡¯s eyes filled with a small glint. She had seen the currency of this world, and just the gold in the rings was worth far more than ten golden coins. So she took a risk in being slightly direct.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite funny, but we are in a hurry, so could we get the real price, we have no time to spend on jokes.¡±


    Yuri attempted to smile in the same manner she had seen all shrewd women do in various TV shows.


    ¡°Ah of course, of course, forgive me madame, I had to see if you were actually the legitimate owner of these rings, we do get quite a lot of thief and actors trying to sell things like these on the market. Is 50 gold coins a reasonable price?¡±


    The merchant began to count out the coins without waiting for an answer.


    ¡°Yes that will be sufficient¡± She said while sighing mentally.


    ¡°Phew dodged a bullet there¡± She breathed out after they were a bit away from the stall.


    ¡°What is a ¡®bullet¡¯, if I may ask?¡± Hikaru asked while they wandered the market.


    ¡°Never mind that, just something from my world, we need to find some new clothes for me, I can¡¯t walk around in this frilly thing. I look like a sheep among a pack of wolves.¡±


    She looked around for a stall that sold modest clothing.


    ¡°Quite the analogy, yes it would indeed settle my nerves a bit if you were walking around in something less conspicuous¡±


    Patting Yuri¡¯s head, his hand was slapped away in the usual manner.


    They soon found a merchant that sold simple clothes. Yuri bought a simple white dress with a few spares, after Hikaru struggled with convincing her to buy those. He had told her of how the women in this world did not wear men¡¯s pants, and Yuri would probably bring more attention to herself if she wore pants rather than a pink dress. Which was incidentally sold to the merchant for a single copper piece.


    After they were done with the market they headed towards the center of the city in order to find an inn they could stay at, a couple of questions and bribes later, they found an inn that asked no questions, could be used to buy some limited information and furthermore served reasonable breakfast and dinner for a meager cost.


    They arrived at the ¡°leaky tit¡±, an inn presumably run by a pervert or a large bosomed woman. They succeeded in ordering a room to share, but that was only after Yuri had complained about wanting separate rooms, before being silenced by Hikaru, who simply said. ¡°It¡¯s cheaper and safer, what would be the problem?¡± .


    After an early dinner of hard bread and stew from questionable meat, they headed to their room in order to sleep off the weariness of their travels.


    Hikaru made himself comfortable on the floor after Yuri complained about there being only a single bed, and trying to sleep on the floor herself, Which Hikaru couldn¡¯t allow.


    Thus ended their first day in the city of Urnan. With Hikaru falling asleep to Yuri¡¯s quiet snoring.

 Chapter 11: The Tales of a lecherous fat man

    Standing in a dark alley, Yuri and Hikaru waited for their contact that would lead them to an information broker. They had gotten in contact with them by paying the inn keeper a hefty penny.


    ¡°What the hell is taking so long..this worlds business side is really unprofessional.¡±


    Yuri complained in irritation after waiting for an hour. She was used to handling with the scum of society, as she had been one of them, when she was still a he. But she had never really had to deal with those lower on the food chain, she could usually bribe her way in with the more professional people, easily avoiding all the grunt work.


    ¡°Hmm..this might be some sort of test..in order to see if we are serious.¡±


    Reading a small book with no clear title, which he had acquired from somewhere without Yuri noticing. Hikaru began to read while waiting.


    ¡°Hah¡­i doubt it..they probably forgot our appointment or maybe there was no appointment and we were scammed..i will make that inn keeper pay if that¡¯s true..¡±


    Attempting to crack her fist in a threatening manner, she ended up hurting her fingers as they were quite weak compared to her original body.


    ¡°Awawawa¡­¡± She held her hand while letting out a weak whimper.


    ¡°Here, let me fix that..¡± Hikaru muttered while casting a small healing spell that dulled the pain.


    ¡°Thanks..¡± Her ears felt hot after embarrassing herself like that, not that Hikaru seemed to notice.


    A few minutes later, a small child, wearing nothing but rags appeared from a small hole in the ground, which appeared to be the cities sewers and motion for them to follow him while he ran around a corner.


    Confused over the contact being a small child, Yuri and Hikaru hurriedly followed anyway, soon finding themselves in front of a small wooden door that looked exactly like all the other doors scattered about everywhere. Their destination was confirmed by the child who pointed towards the door and quickly ran off without saying anything.


    ¡°Well this is probably it..?¡± Knocking on the door seven times as she was told to by the inn keeper, she waited for a response.


    The door opened and they were greeted by a tall broad man with a cloth around his head who motioned for them to come inside.


    Confidently walking down the hallway, Yuri made sure her stride was proud. Hikaru silently followed her with his hand on his sword the entire time.


    Arriving at a small room with a few sofas and a table with drinks and fruits on it, they noticed one of the sofas was occupied by a fat bearded man with golden teeth and colorful clothing, who greeted them as they came in.


    ¡°Ah, welcome welcome, you must be the pair who were asking around for an information broker, correct?¡± He continued before they had a chance to answer ¡°well you¡¯ve found one, the very best in fact!¡± He motioned for them to sit down ¡° So sit, sit, and let us discuss what you desire to know and how I can help you with it.¡±


    He made a broad smile that almost blinded Yuri, as the lightly reflected from his shiny mostly golden teeth was direct at Yuri¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Thank you¡± She sat down, while Hikaru chose to continue to stand near her, earning him a curious look from the golden toothed man.


    ¡°I prefer to stand, thank you.¡±


    Hikaru said while not bothering to take his hand away from his sword.


    ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s okay to be distrustful of someone you meet for the first time, but please enjoy the refreshments here, even a guard such as yourself would find it hard to not get thirsty in this heat.¡±


    The fat man suggested happily, but decided to move on to Yuri when Hikaru didn¡¯t even bother to move.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Ah I forgot to introduce myself, I am Delem Sharaw Mamon, but you can just call me Delem.¡±


    Introducing himself in a proud manner which looked almost comical due to his large body mass, Delem smiled a golden smile.


    ¡°Yuri¡± She nodded at him. ¡°Let¡¯s cut the chitchat, we are here for one thing, and that is information on the relic which we are sure is somewhere in this city, how much information do you have, and how much would that cost us?¡±


    Crossing her legs, Yuri looked at Delem in a serious manner.


    ¡°What sort of relic? You would have to a but more specific for me to know what you are talking about, as for the cost, well that fully depends on the difficulty of acquiring said information.¡± Delem slowly stroked his beard.


    ¡°You know. The relic, the godly one, used to choose the next bishop candidate.¡±


    She said nonchalantly as if talking about a fish on the market.


    ¡°Aha, quote a funny customer you are-¡± Delem began but was shortly interrupted by Yuri.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke, we are serious, so either tell us what we want to know or we will leave.¡±


    Yuri put a strained expression on her face and shifted her legs as if about to get up.


    ¡°So you wish to get your hands on the relic of Tyr¡­I¡¯m sorry but I make it a habit to not do business with jokers and daydreamers, everyone knows it¡¯s impossible to steal a relic. You die if you merely try. So please leave and come back when you have the desire to make real business.¡±


    Delem¡¯s previous friendliness was gone like it was never there and instead replaced with annoyance.


    ¡°We are no jokers, and it certainly isn¡¯t impossible.¡±


    Yuri slowly took out a round object covered in a rune symbol Cloth. Show slowly moved a portion of the cloth to reveal what was underneath. A ray of the aura that Yuri had experienced when she saw the orb of Freiya struck Delem between his eyes, making him almost fall from his seat.


    ¡°W-what that is- it can¡¯t be..!?¡±


    He stammered while rooting his eyes on the object before him.


    ¡°It is more wondrous than what the ancient texts say..a relic of the gods..you actually have one..¡±


    Delem was completely mesmerized until Yuri covered up the orb again and placed it back into her bag.


    ¡°So..still unwilling to give us the information we need, or shall we leave?¡± Slowly rising from her seat, She glanced at the fat man who was still in shock.


    ¡°No, no, no of course I would never say no to such professional customers!¡±


    Delem stood up frantically.


    ¡°Alright..¡± She slowly sat back down, with the relieved Delem falling back into his large seat.


    ¡°Alright then¡­although I just saw it a second ago¡­it still seems so unreal..¡± Delem muttered.


    ¡°Anyway..information on the relic..huh..well it¡¯s going to take a while to get my hands on such information. It is something that no one would dare lay their hands upon..so I didn¡¯t even bother with it..Should probably take a few days at most¡­as for price..¡±


    Delems eyes lit up at the mention of money.


    ¡°Well..this is not something that can be paid with simple coin..¡±


    ¡°Hah? Then what do you want? You can¡¯t have the orb relic, that¡¯s off limits.¡±


    She put the bag behind her back while squinting her eyes.


    ¡°Oh no no no, I wouldn¡¯t even dream of having a gods relic, honestly I don¡¯t even know what I would do with it. I¡¯m not sure what method you used, but I¡¯m sure it was dangerous, besides I tend to avoid cursed items, thank you very much. No what I want is a service.¡±


    He began to comb his beard with a small comb made of gold.


    ¡°There is something that I desire, that I haven¡¯t been able to get my hands on..but if it¡¯s someone of your ability..who was even able to pull off a heist on a relic..then i¡¯m sure you can do it..yes that will be the price for my information. A mission!¡±


    He declared suddenly.


    ¡°Right¡­what kind of thing do you want us to ¡®acquire¡¯ then, that special thing which you supposedly desire..?¡±


    Yuri asked, she was quite happy that they could pay off the information with a task rather than money, she wasn¡¯t sure if the 50 gold they had would be enough.


    What I desire most¡­something that even I cannot acquire..the thing I want you to steal¡­are the queens PANTIES!¡±


    Delem declared as he pointed at a painting of what Yuri guessed was the queen he referred to.


    ¡°HAAAAHH??!¡±


    Yuri, and even Hikaru who had stayed silent and motionless until now, exclaimed loudly.


    This world¡­everyone really is a pervert¡­.Yuri thought as she stopped listening to Delem, who began to preach about something similar to ¡°Panties are justice¡± and ¡°Panties are every mans dream¡± Which Yuri didn¡¯t particularly understand. She didn¡¯t have any fascination with panties even when she was still a man. She sighed and exchanged a look with Hikaru, before trying to calm the overly excited, and overly fat, man.

 Chapter 12: The Queen of Hearts

    ¡°So..what you¡¯re saying is..you want us to steal the queens panties..?¡±


    Asking again to make sure, Yuri wanted to make certain this wasn¡¯t some sick joke made by the fat man called Delem seated in front of her.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Delem exclaimed ¡°And for that I will pay you with all the information you require about the relic, I will even throw in any equipment you will require to do so.¡±


    ¡°That IS a good deal for simply stealing a pair of women¡¯s underpants¡­¡±


    Yuri commented with a thoughtful look.


    ¡°It is only fair, as so far it has been impossible for me to acquire, even with my many connections¡­¡± Sighing solemnly, Delem looked down.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just because no one wanted to accept such a ridiculous silly job¡­?¡±


    Yuri looked sceptical.


    ¡°Well, that is part of it of course, but it also has to do with the queen burning all her underwear after a single use..not to mention how difficult it is to even enter the palace, but since you already stole something that no one could imagine being stolen. I¡¯m sure this will be a walk in the park for you. You are after all the legendary¡­what was your name again¡­Yuri! The legendary Yuri that stole a godly relic!¡±


    Showing off all his golden teeth, Delem attempted a smile to win Yuri over.


    ¡°Legendary Yuri, huh¡­i do like the sound of that..I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    She was convinced with simple flattery.


    ¡°So..for starters i need information about the palace, guard shifts and-¡°


    She and Delem began discussing carious information about the palace while Hikaru was slowly forgotten in a corner of the room, waiting patiently for Yuri to finish.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Are you certain about this?¡±


    Hikaru asked for the fifteenth time, as he and Yuri made their way through a small hole in the palace wall, conveniently set up by Delem¡¯s men beforehand to give them a quick entrance.


    ¡°For the love of whatever god you believe in, yes I am sure. I mean it is just a pair of panties, how hard can it be?¡±


    her voice echoed slightly as she snapped at Hikaru while they were sneaking through the cold hallways of the palace.


    ¡°Alright, but if something goes wrong, then i will not hesitate to grab you and run.¡±


    Focusing his attention on his surroundings, he made sure no palace guards were around.


    ¡°Alright, i think it¡¯s this way.¡±


    Following the directions they received from Delem, they made their way through a complex maze of hallways that were all decorated with all manner of golden and silken things.


    A while later, after having dodged several passing guards and servants, they arrived at their destination. A big door made of exotic looking wood, carved with a complicated set of runes that stood in the way of their prize.


    ¡°Damn..they really don¡¯t skimp on the security¡­I suppose that is to be expected of a queen..but this much is child¡¯s play~¡±


    Taking out her small intricate dagger, Yuri began to draw small runes ont he door, which connected the other lumps of runes together, making the magic to fail and shut down, like a faulty circuit.


    ¡°Hah, this really is no different than hacking digital locks back home..lucky me~¡±


    She made quick work of the protection magic on the door, and stood back in order for Hikaru to do his part.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Slowly walking up to the door, Hikaru cut it open with a single swipe of his sword. The drawing, cutting and sheathing of the sword was done in one smooth motion, reminding Yuri of certain eastern swordsmen from her world.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± He walked in with Yuri following after him.


    ¡°Okay, get searching then, we need to be gone before anyone notices that a door has been sliced open.¡±


    She began to search the simple but well decorated room.


    A few minutes later, they found what they were looking for, Yuri held up a pair of red panties above her head and sang a short tune, before quickly stuffing the panties into her bag when she realised Hikaru was looking at her with a pitying gaze.


    ¡°¡­That was just¡­a reference..from my world, item get..you wouldn¡¯t get it..¡± She muttered while feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    Hikaru simply walked through the door with Yuri behind him without making an issue of her strange behaviour, before suddenly stopping.


    ¡°Hikaru? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry Yuri..it appears i have failed as your bodyguard..¡±


    He said in regretful voice.


    ¡°Hah? What are you on about?¡±


    She leaned around Hikaru to see what was going on and was greeted with a glowing spear held towards her throat, and the glare of a small army. Which quickly made her understand why Hikaru was unable to move further.


    A woman in a red dress and a white crown appeared from behind the army of guards. Sighing softly.


    ¡°Delem..how low have you fallen..to send a child and a boy pretending to be a knight. What are you thinking.¡±


    The woman sighed again, before shifting her gaze at the pair before her.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the shocked look? Surely you didn¡¯t think that breaking into the palace would be that easy. The only reason you even got this far is because i was bored and ordered the guards to avoid you. Besides the door you sliced up had several alarm spells on it, so you would have been caught anyway..Geez that Delem..¡±


    ¡°Of course..an alarm..why didn¡¯t I think of that..most security systems back home also had alarms activate when the lock was broken..I got careless..¡± Yuri muttered to herself.


    ¡°What are you muttering about, little girl, don¡¯t worry i wont hang you, but i will do something far worse..now introduce yourself to your Queen!¡±


    The queen proclaimed as one of the guards thrust his spear slightly, poking it against Yuri¡¯s throat slightly.


    ¡°ah um. I¡¯m Yuri, and this is Hikaru, my personal guard, we were um, hired by as you guessed, Delem to steal your panties for some reason..i have no idea why, but he paid well, that¡¯s all I know!¡±


    Yuri frantically spilled everything in an attempt to not get beheaded as she didn¡¯t trust the queen previous reassuring words.


    ¡°I knew all of that already.¡± The queen added coolly ¡± What I am interested in is that you could destroy a magic rune circle drawn by the first king of Urnan..so for now you will belong to me..¡±


    As the queen said this, Yuri¡¯s vision went black, and she realised that she was hit on the back of her head and fainted before hitting the ground.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Nnn¡­¡± Yuri groaned while opening her eyes. She found herself in a big royal, lavish looking room.


    Looking around, she realised she wasn¡¯t wearing the simple white dress she had bought with Hikaru before, instead she was wearing a black and pink maids uniform.


    ¡°What the hell..?¡±


    She tried to get up but something around her neck pushed her backwards. She realised she had a collar on her neck that had a long small chain.


    Holding the chain, whilst sitting on a big throne that looked every part as royal as t he room, was the queen.


    ¡°Finally awake are we?¡± She tugged the chain lightly.


    ¡°Where am i and what have you done with Hikaru!?¡±


    Yuri exclaimed while trying to stand up, before being dragged down to the floor by the queen pulling on the chain connected to Yuri¡¯s collar.


    ¡°The swordsman..? He wasn¡¯t interesting so I just left him in a jail cell. Don¡¯t worry he won¡¯t die¡­for now..¡±


    She grinned. Making as shiver go down Yuri¡¯s spine. She recognised that grin. It was a grin she all too often wore when she was about to grab a valuable item, it was the grin of a predator looking at its prey.


    ¡°¡­What do you want from me..I told you everything before..so let bygones be bygones..?¡± Yuri smiled awkwardly ¡°Not like we actually succeeded and you seem to know the fat man named Delem, pathetic isn¡¯t he? Haha i don¡¯t even know how scum like that got a hold of so much wealth..¡±


    Yuri attempted to persuade the queen while laughing nervously.


    ¡°His wealth..he stole it when he divorced me..and left me to take care of this shithole city by myself..¡± The queen spat out.


    (oooh not good, i hit a landmine. Who would have guessed that fat man with the golden teeth was the king. It simply didn¡¯t fit)


    Yuri thought while regretting her choice of subject.


    ¡°Im..sorry..?¡± Not sure what to do. Yuri awkwardly apologised.


    ¡°Well..that¡¯s not important right now. What¡¯s important is that he has actually supplied me with a fun toy this time..¡±


    The queen gazed at Yuri, making fear run through her very core.


    ¡°Ehm..toy..what does that imply..want me to be your maid..?¡±


    She glanced down at her maidly clothes.


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s funny. No.¡± She laughed sarcastically.¡± Maids have rights and get paid. You however, have no rights. You are lower than a dog. You are my slave until i get bored of you!¡±


    The queen smiled sadistically.


    ¡°¡­Just my luck..¡± Yuri gulped and smiled awkwardly at the villainous queen before her.

 Chapter 13: Jail break and Flying maidens

    ¡°So..um..being a slave huh..what do you want from me though, really¡­?¡±


    Sitting on the ground in front of a huge throne in which the queen lazed around in. Yuri asked tentatively.


    ¡°Hmmm..well for now, how about you do me a little dance.¡±


    The queen said leisurely while messing with her long red hair.


    ¡°Eh. No way¡­¡±


    Yuri¡¯s sceptical gaze met with the queen¡¯s curious one.


    ¡°Do it or I shall have you and that sword kid executed..NOW!¡±


    The queen pulled on Yuri¡¯s collar chain and forced her to stand up.


    ¡°Tch..damn you¡­¡±


    Yuri began to move her body in a half hearted manner that barely qualified as dancing.


    ¡°Hahaha, what the hell is that, do you need to go to the toilet or something?¡±


    Laughing loudly at Yuri¡¯s stale movements and her red face.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s fine, now come here.¡±


    She patted her lap.


    Yuri reluctantly walked over and was grabbed by the queen who began hugging and stroking her head.


    ¡°You are so cute my little slave¡­I¡¯m going to have so much fun with you today..¡±


    Yuri barely hid her disgust at the queens words and quietly submitted herself to be the queens plaything until she could figure out a proper plan.


    ¡ª


    The rest of the day went by with Yuri being forced into many humiliating situations, such as having to try out various frilly dresses, and dresses that barely qualified as clothing.


    She was also forced to obey the queens embarrassing commands, who included but were not limited to, lifting her skirt and similar actions. Luckily the situation never developed to the point where Yuri worried about losing her newfound maidenhood, which made her sigh in relief at the end of the day.


    The queen slept soundly on a large fluffy bed which occupied most of the room with Yuri serving as her body pillow.


    After Yuri made sure the queen had fallen into a deep enough sleep, she began her attempt at escaping.


    ¡°I would rather die than live like this even a single day longer..¡± She muttered quietly so as to not wake the queen.


    She began to slowly loosen the queens grip around her, taking just over an hour of careful moving and struggling as her grip was that of a bear.


    After freeing herself of her captors embrace, she began to work on the lock that hanged on her collar. She had borrowed a few small hairpins from the queens head to unlock the lock. It didn¡¯t take her very long to open the lock as this worlds locks were quite primitive compared to her worlds.


    Finally free from the chain that bound her, Yuri began to look around the room for any items she could use. She felt quite defenceless without her dagger, until she saw a familiar sparkle in the fruit bowl nearby. It was her dagger which the queen had mistaken for an actual fruit knife and had put it aside.


    ¡°Thank you goddess of luck if you do exist in this world.¡±


    Muttering quietly, she quickly pocketed the knife and hid it underneath her very revealing pink lingerie that the queen had provided for her. It was more of forcing her into it though.


    It was a full on girls battle outfit for the bedroom, that revealed a lot of the body and even came with knee socks. Although she hated wearing it, she had to admit that the queen had good taste in that regard.


    ¡°No no no, can¡¯t get distracted..¡±


    She pinched herself and kept looking around for anything useful. All she could find however was the knife she already pocketed and a key that hung from the queens neck. Thinking it was important, she carefully extracted from the queen who was in a deep sleep and put it around her own neck.


    Moving towards the door, she stopped and briefly considered slitting the queens throat before escaping, but decided against it as it would cause more trouble in the long run.


    She put her ear against the door and listened carefully. She could hear the low mumbling of two people, presumably guard, that were directly outside the door.


    Yuri could take care of them if she drew a few runic spells, but that would not only wake the queen but every other occupant in the castle. So she wisely decided against it.


    ¡°Situations like this demand a stealthy approach..¡±


    She tried to remember the map that Delem had shown her when they were discussing the plan, she could roughly remember the location of the jail cell that Hikaru was presumably kept in.


    Before she could do anything else, she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and drew a few runes on it, slowly putting it next to the queen. The runes on the fruit flickered and grew into a full sized image of Yuri, instead of like a hologram, it looked like an exact copy of Yuri, other than the fact that it didn¡¯t move and just laid there looking asleep.


    ¡°Hehe..usually this spell only lasts a few minutes..but with a the addition of my new runes, it should last until the queen wakes up..should buy me some time just in case..¡±


    She began to draw runes underneath the queens bed.


    ¡°Hmm this will hide my escape route for a while, hopefully. Good thing i bothered to learn all these random spells..¡±


    She activated the runes once she was done. They gave off the typical red flickering glow that seemed to be associated with a broken spell. But which to Yuri meant, her spells had gone exactly as they should. A small hole appeared on the floor where the runes used to be.


    ¡°Perfect. Just big enough.¡±


    Crawling into the hole, she found herself inside a small tunnel like area.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°This must be something like air vents..¡±


    She began to crawl through the passage that even she with her small body frame barely fit through.


    Crawling around in the dark, she passed by several small holes as big as her fist. From which air seemed to flow into the tunnel. All the rooms on the other side were dark, so she kept crawling instead of taking an unnecessary risk.


    She was finally met with a light at the end of the tunnel. Quickly crawling towards it, she jumped out the tunnel and into the light. When she quickly realised she was in a not so desirable situation.


    Yuri was so happy to finally be out of the dark cramped horror movie like tunnel that she hadn¡¯t bothered to look what was actually on the other side. The other side in fact contained..nothing.


    To be more precise, it was where the fresh air was supposed to come from, the outside. But there nothing underneath Yuri, as she quickly realised that she was very far away from the ground.


    As panic filled Yuri¡¯s head for a moment before gravity began to pull her down, she realised she didn¡¯t have anything to draw a rune on. Usually there was always a wall or the ground. This time there was nothing, she hadn¡¯t even bothered to grab an extra fruit.


    Quickly getting closer to the ground, her thoughts turned frantic and she realised that she did have one thing other than air. Her own body.


    She began to frantically carve out runes on her left arm, spraying blood through the air. Just mere moments before she hit the ground. She swiped the blood covered runes and froze only a few centimetres above the ground. Then immediately falling on the ground face first, where she lay for a few very long minutes.


    ¡°¡­.Never again¡­¡±


    She muttered and got up from the bloody ground.


    ¡°From now on i will always carry some spells i make beforehand..never again..ah i better stop the bleeding..¡±


    Drawing a simple healing spell on the ground, she completely healed her wound which wasn¡¯t more than slightly deep scratches.


    ¡°Aaah..I¡¯m all bloody now..¡±


    She drew a water spell that Hikaru had used before. Which had ended up in a big hole in the wall when Yuri tried it. This time she made sure to not use any special runes and made a small stream for her to wash up.


    Finally done washing up, she moved towards Hikaru¡¯s location. Realising she was in the royal garden in front of the palace. She was lucky no guards had passed by when she was laying down. But they likely didn¡¯t see her as it was so dark.


    The jail cells in the palace were in the underground level at the back of the palace if she remembered correctly.


    This time, instead of walking through the palace. Yuri simply snuck on the outside of the palace and walked around it untl she was at the back wall of the palace that led to the backside of the palace. Which wasn¡¯t a particular hindrance as Yuri simply used the same spell as when she escaped the queen and made a small hole in the weak wall which crawled in through.


    She saw a few guards patrolling in the distance.


    Taking two fist sized stones from the ground. She drew some runes on them and threw one towards the guards after activating it.


    It made a loud noise as it hit the ground, making the guards patrolling approach towards the source of the noise. The stone gave off a bright red glow and exploded into a mass of small lightning bolts that struck the two guard, making them faint, or die, Yuri didn¡¯t particularly care which.


    All she cared about was the noise the spell would make. Fortunately it was no more than the sound of a loud taser, which wouldn¡¯t draw too much attention.


    Running by the guards and grabbing one of their swords on the way. She made her way towards an iron door that was at the end of a small staircase leading deep underground. Yuri opened the door and threw in the remaining stone inside. The familiar sound of a taser echoed inside, accompanied by the sound of something heavy falling over.


    Yuri walked in and found two guard laying limply, one still sitting on a chair while the other was collapsed on the ground.


    Inside were a few very cramped cells, all of which were empty except the last one. In which a familiar raven haired man resided. Meditating quietly.


    ¡°Hey! Hikaru! Wake up damnit, i¡¯m here to save you!¡±


    She whispered loudly.


    Hikaru slowly opened his eyes, which went wide as he saw Yuri in front of him.


    ¡°Yuri..how did you get here?!¡±


    He appeared genuinely surprised that Yuri had managed to get to him.


    ¡°You better be thankful..i almost died you know. And i had to endure the perverted habits of the damn queen for a whole day..¡±


    Sounding annoyed, she complained angrily.


    ¡°Yuri, you should have continued to wait with the queen. I was going to come rescue you as soon as i had meditated and gathered enough strength to break out of here!¡±


    Hikaru sounded concerned about her as he said that. Yuri was however too busy trying to open the door with various runes to notice.


    ¡°Ugh..what the hell..none of my spells are working..?¡±


    Her attempts at activating the spell she drew on the door seemed useless as the spell wouldn¡¯t even activate.


    ¡°Ah yes..that¡¯s because it¡¯s made out of magic absorption stone.¡±


    Hikaru stood up.


    ¡°Pass me a sword through the small hole in the door used for giving prisoners food.¡±


    She quickly slide in a sword through the small hole, a second later the door was cleanly cut into four pieces from the inside. Hikaru stood with a bent sword in his hand, wearing the same clothes he had when he was captured.


    ¡°Hmm..these swords are no good..too weak..¡±


    He threw away the bent sword while muttering.


    ¡°Yuri..i couldn¡¯t tell because it was dark but¡­what the hell are you wearing..?¡±


    As soon as Hikaru said that, Yuri realised that she was still wearing the revealing lingerie. She quickly moved her hands in order to cover herself while crying out in shame.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look damnit! It¡¯s embarrassing! A man shouldn¡¯t be wearing these things..¡±


    Yuri stepped back slightly while blushing.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter right now i suppose. Since it suits you anyway.¡±


    Yuri turned red at his words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get my sword back and we can leave this place..¡±


    Hikaru approached a small chest in the corner of the room while kept blushing in confusion at his words.


    ¡°Ah there it is..¡± He took out a simple longsword, the same one he always had with him, and quickly tied the heath to his hip. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go?¡±


    ¡ª


    Yuri and Hikaru stood in front of a fat, heavily sweating, fat man. Did i say fat twice? Who they knew by the name of Delem.


    ¡°Well then, previous king..I hope that our deal is still on?¡±


    Yuri took out a pair of red panties and put them on the table in front of him.


    Delems eyes went wide in disbelief when he saw the panties.


    ¡°You..actually did it!?¡± He exclaimed loudly.


    ¡°Well of course, wasn¡¯t that our deal?¡± She raised an eyebrow ¡°So now for your end of the bargain. Our information?¡± She held out her hand.


    ¡°Ah yes yes. Here it is.¡±


    Delem took out a big stack of papers and handed them to Yuri, before quickly grabbing the red panties and giving them a deep inhale.


    ¡°Well then we shall take our leave..¡±


    Slightly disgusted by the sight before her, Yuri wished to get as far away from the creature in front of her.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t you want any of the items you didn¡¯t use? It was an agreed upon bonus after all?¡±


    The fat man asked with panties covering most of his face.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary..well then..nice doing business with you..¡±


    They quickly left, with Yuri walking slightly ahead of Hikaru.


    After they were a fair bit away from the fat man¡¯s lair, Hikaru began to praise Yuri on their way back to the inn.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually got the panties while you were escaping, that is something that takes a great amount of nerves!¡±


    ¡°Ah, i didn¡¯t actually get the panties..¡± She winked with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°What do you mean, i just saw you hand the queens underwear over to Delem?¡±


    ¡°Ah that..¡± Yuri picked up a small stone and drew some runes on it. The stone grew and stretched until it became a pair of red panties, identical to the ones she had handed over to Delem.


    ¡°What, how..?¡± Hikaru exclaimed while poking the fabric ¡°It feels real..?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well you know that illusion spell in runic magic? Well apparently if amplified enough, it can temporarily make the illusion gain physical form , but even with my magic and runes it¡¯s something that lasts around a few minutes at best¡±


    Yuri smiled sadistically as she heard the cries of a certain overweight man, echo in the distance.

 Chapter 14: Heist plans and Evil Smiles

    Yuri sat at a small coffee shop, reading the stack of papers they had previously acquired from Delem.


    She was drinking something she mixed up herself by ordering coffee, milk and sugar, mixing it all into something that made the coffee shop owner frown.


    Hikaru on the other hand was sitting opposite Yuri, sipping on a small cup of a strong tea like drink that tasted bitter to Yuri. Hikaru was savouring the taste with every sip which Yuri, who even in her previous body had a sweet tooth, could not understand.


    ¡°Haaah..¡±


    Sighing loudly and gulping down the rest of her drink, she looked up at Hikaru.


    ¡°This is going to be very hard¡­¡±


    She half heartedly flipped thrones the notes and papers.


    ¡°It appears the thing we are looking for is kept in the same place all of the cities money is kept..so security is over the top..¡±


    ¡°I see..¡±


    Hikaru swirled the liquid inside his cup while observing its motion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we would be able to pull this off. Even with our..Unique..abilities.¡± Scratching her head she looked at Hikaru. ¡°At least if we do it alone that is..¡±


    ¡°Are you proposing we hire someone to work for us..?¡± Hikaru curiously asked.


    ¡°I do not think that gathering up a bandit army is quite wise..the security for these types of things are usually built to withstand an army or two..especially in a city filled with warriors. Their vault is likely more secure than a fortress..¡±


    He sipped his tea.


    ¡°No no no..we won¡¯t blindly attack it. Besides we wont even have to pay anyone, people will come begging at the chance to get into a room with that much wealth. No. I¡¯m thinking of doing it without raising any alarms..¡± She smiled. ¡°Well i suppose we have to pay Delem another visit, I¡¯m sure he¡¯l be happy to see us.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°YOU!¡± Delem screamed when he saw the pair make their way into his office ¡°HOW DARE YOU PLAY WITH A PURE MANS HEART!?¡±


    Delems face looked like a tomato about to burst.


    ¡°How the hell are you pure..?¡± Yuri asked while sitting down at the sofa with Hikaru keeping his trademark stand behind her.


    ¡°GET OUT!¡± He yelled loud enough that he shook. ¡°You aren¡¯t getting any of the bonuses we agreed upon, in fact you should be paying ME for the information I gave you earlier!¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    He took out a small rock from his pocket.


    ¡°Such a horrible trick, to make fun of a pure man¡¯s dream of acquiring his beloveds panties, how dare you use such a cheap trick on me!¡±


    ¡°Again..how the hell can you be considered pure..besides, what¡¯s with that unusual dream of yours..?¡± She sighed ¡°Anyway, we are here to give you a deal taht will bring you more money than you could ever dream off, more than enough to pay off the information we got from you.¡±


    She crossed her legs while smiling.


    ¡°HAH!? What the hell are you talking about, i told you to pay up and leave, or i will have my men escort you..IN PIECES!¡± He added with spit flying from his mouth.


    ¡°Hey there..cool it with the sprinklers..¡±


    She wiped away some of the spit the spit that landed on her disgusted face.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal see, if you aid us, you get fifty percent of everything we get from the vault of this city, Kapish?¡±


    Yuri tried to imitate the old school gangsters speech but was sure no one understood the joke.


    At the sound of that deal, Delem seemed to calm down considerably and slowly sat down while staring at Yuri.


    ¡°Fifty percent you say..that¡¯s no low amount..even when I escaped the throne I could barely get a single percent out with me..¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very good deal indeed, and the rest of the money can go to the people who are going to help us, as we are only interested in getting one thing, I¡¯m sure you know what.¡±


    She gave a small smile that every bit as villainous as she hoped it would be.


    ¡°Ah yes..the relic..what kind of people are going to help you with such a ridiculous goal..?¡±


    He wondered what kind of madmen they had found.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s your job.¡± She said while beginning to formulate a plan in her head.


    ¡°Of course it is..¡± Sighing he stroked his beard ¡°So i assume you have some sort of plan..?¡±


    ¡°One that won¡¯t end as badly as the last one?¡± He sighed while remembering their failure to acquire a single pair of underwear.


    ¡°To be fair, that was mostly your fault. You leaked information somehow. ¡°She commented bitterly ¡°But yes i do have a rough plan in mind, but first i have a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Ask away..¡±


    ¡°Teleportation magic..does it exist?¡± Yuri stroked her smooth chin.


    ¡°Teleportation music..why yes it exists..but it¡¯s only used for sending small letters, anything bigger than that craves a large amount of mana, and anything alive is something only gods can accomplish..there have been madmen who attempted teleporting themselves..but..they were never seen again..it¡¯s assumed they were lost in the void..or disintegrated..¡±


    Delem seemed to have a pained look on his face for a moment before regaining his composure ¡°Why do you ask?¡± he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Why do i ask?¡± She smirked ¡°Well because that¡¯s how i¡¯m going to get in the vault of course!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Both Hikaru and Delem had shocked blank looks on their faces, which Hikaru followed up with a worried expression while looking at Yuri.


    ¡°Did you not hear what i just said..?¡± Delem repeated ¡°Anything living gets lost in the void or worse!¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah. Just get me all the copies of teleportation spells and let me work the rest out.¡±


    She dismissed his warning confidently.


    ¡°And the people you¡¯re hiring, make it one or two people rich enough to keep personal items in the vault for safekeeping, preferably nobles..those are greedy and easy to hire..¡±


    She glanced at Delem expectantly, who simply sat there looking bewildered.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡±


    She snapped at him.


    ¡°Get on with it!¡±

 Chapter 15: The Perfect Heist, with a Spice of Misery

    A dark room filled with glittering gold. Inside, a covered painting began to glow, obstructed by the cloth covering it. A soft red glowing, that steadily increased, until it filled the entire room with light, scattering long eery shadows from the items scattered about.


    Suddenly, the cloth was thrown off, and a young girl wearing a tight fitting black outfit that would have been frowned by any respectable woman from this world.


    The girl looked around and smiled at the sight before her, an ominous smile that no one would think a girl that young would have been capable of.


    ¡°Everything is going just according to my plan..Hehe~¡±


    Muttering to herself, Yuri set about searching the very large room for the item she came to find. Quickly finding the item standing in the centre.


    Encased in a large glass container riddled with Runes, stood a golden staff, simple in design other than for an unfamiliar crest on its top.


    It was riddled with dents and scratched and looked well worn. It¡¯s aura, despite its shabby appearance, was unmistakeably that of a godly relic.


    ¡°Hmmm..These runes appear to be a bit more advanced than usual..¡± She mumbled ¡°Not to worry, i have my trusty partner with me!¡± She drew a small dagger out her pocket in a dramatic fashion and set to work on disabling the runes on the glass.


    After trying to disable the many runic spells on the glass for what seemed like an eternity, she finally decided it was impossible to disable the sheer amount of runes.


    Since they were no match for Yuris runes and near limitless energy encased in one tiny dagger. She figured she would simply smash the glass and brace herself for any alarms, as she figured it would take too long to be productive otherwise.


    Giving the glass case one last look, she found a small key hole in its side. It was made out of glass which had made it hard to notice in the dark. The fact that the lock was made from glass made Yuri scratch her head, but then she figured that they probably used magic.


    The small, almost invisible emblem on the keyhole seemed familiar to Yuri.


    ¡°Wait a second..¡±


    She took off her necklace that she had recently acquired, which contained a key kept by the queen. That she had nicked along during her escape.


    She slowly tried out the key in the keyhole while being extremely cautious.


    The glass container began to shake, making Yuri jump back and prepare for the worst. After the shaking stopped, much to Yuri¡¯s surprise, she discovered that were there was once glass, was now nothing.


    ¡°Magical glass¡­?¡± Slightly shaken, she muttered. ¡°Well, doesn¡¯t matter i guess..¡± She walked up to the staff and threw a rune covered blanket over it, before strapping it onto her back like some kind of battle monk with his combat staff.


    ¡°And now for the bonus!¡±


    The entire rooms floor soon filled with a giant magic circle comprising of thousands of magic runes drawn by Yuri. The room was by no means small, it easily covered what Yuri figured was the equivalent of a football field.


    ¡°They are going to be so shocked when they find out that the room previously filled with mountains of gold was now empty..I¡¯m getting shivers just from imagining it..¡±


    Most men would cry over such a creepy smile defiling the young girls pure innocent face.


    ¡°Ah, but this wouldn¡¯t be possible without the near infinite mana, thank you, dagger of fruitiness~¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Yuri sang her sentence while drawing the runes with great vigour.


    She had previously asked Delem for all the teleport spells available. From the spells she could get her hands on, she opted for putting together the best parts of every runic spell while adding a bit of conventional magic here and there. Even with the giant magic circle and almost infinite mana, the teleportation magic Yuri had comprised, still required the aid of several talented magicians, who were highly versed in teleportation magics.


    The magicians were all of course provided by Delem, as was the noble who contributed with an expensive painting that held a magic rune circle inside, from which Yuri had managed to teleport inside this locked vault.


    So far everything was going according to plan. She would teleport in, grab the relic, draw a giant magic circle, teleport all the goods through the magic circle, and then exiting through the magic circle in the painting.


    The reason Yuri chose to use a personal magic circle for herself was because teleportation magic circles didn¡¯t support living beings. As such, most of her time was spent on improving the smaller circle in the painting so she could safely use it.


    Yuri had created a new type of magic that could revolutionise this entire world through the wide spread use of instant transportation.


    ¡°Luckily only I can use it because of my dagger ~¡±


    She had said the exact same thing to Hikaru when he warned her about the potential uses of teleportation magics, which seemed to calm his nerves.


    ¡°Okay..almost thereeee..done!¡±


    Straightening herself, she cracked her back in the process, like an old man waking up from a long nap.


    The process of drawing the circle had taken her several hours, she had stopped counting after the fifth one. Luckily no one had bothered to check inside the vault as all the security was on the outside.


    She stepped outside the circle, and activated it. The giant mass of runes that covered the entire floor began to glow in a menacing manner, slowly swallowing up everything inside the circle.


    The mountain or expensive rubbish and gold slowly got shorter and shorter until only a sliver remained, which used to be the tip.


    The runes shone brightly as they were about to finish their task. The last little bit of gold simply vanished, not bothering with properly sinking like the rest.


    ¡°Well that was weird, but at least it worked..?¡±


    Muttering she turned and made her back to the painting, which she couldn¡¯t find for some reason.


    Looking around many times, and even running a few laps around the now empty giant room. She suddenly stopped, out of breath and crouched down while holding her head in anguish.


    ¡°I FUCKING FORGOT TO TAKE THE PAINTING OUT OF THE CIRCLE!¡±


    Yelling loudly, she instantly covered her mouth, afraid somebody outside might hear her voice which was now echoing against the bare walls.


    ¡°Okay..okay..i can¡¯t panic yet..the teleportation spell is still active..since the mages on the other side are still supporting it while waiting for my arrival..i don¡¯t have much time..need to do this before they give up on me and stop their magic..¡±


    She frantically scratched out different runes on the ground. The pattern was by far more complicated than any other spell previously seen. Yet Yuri drew it from memory alone, fear and desperation strengthening her memory.


    ¡°Okay..okay¡­this is probably as close as i can get it..¡±


    She gave the spell a quick glance and activated it without a second thought, her fear of being trapped here when the guards discovered everything was gone, made her irrational.


    Yuri had been tortured before, when she had failed to escape during a heist in her original world. It resulted in her, who still a man at that point, to spill the beans almost instantly, even if she did like to play it tough.


    She was no good with pain and torture and she knew it. She desperately wanted to avoid being captured by people who were still in the mindset of people in the middle ages. If she was caught there would be heavy torture to pay with no escape in sight.


    The spell began to glow with a dim light. Unlike the giant circle, this one began to flicker wildly. It made noises similar to electric circuitry bursting. Something not commonly heard unless one worked jobs that required the abuse and theft of computers to acquire the valuable data within.


    ¡°Come on¡­come on..work..¡±


    She begged the circle to activate. But it continued to flicker uncertainly, as if asking ¡°Are you sure?¡±. After a few minutes of Yuri begging and praying, the glow finally stopped flickering.


    She sighed in relief. However instead of her slowly sinking into the circle like she was supposed to. The opposite happened. Something came out of the circle. Something black and shadowy.


    It oozed out from the circle. Yuri attempted to move away from this unknown phenomenon, but realised her legs were stuck in the shadowy goo emerging from the circle.


    The shadows slowly began to climb up Yuri¡¯s body. She squirmed uncontrollably, as they flowed past the sensitive parts of her body.


    Lucky for her, the shadows didn¡¯t seem to be interested in that sort of thing and simply kept covering her body until all of it was covered by liquid like shadows.


    Yuri felt her body slowly sink into the ground while immobilised. She knew she wasn¡¯t going to appear back at the other end where Delem and Hikaru waited for her.


    She felt despair creep through her heart.


    ¡°Help¡­Hikaru¡­¡±


    She wept as her mind turned dark and she lost her consciousness.

 Chapter 16: Empty fields and Dreamless Dreams

    A large field stretched itself over Hikaru¡¯s vision. In front of him was a scene most men could only dream of, even most kings.


    A pile of gold that stood several meters high was materialising itself from the ground as if rising up from hell itself.


    He knew of course, that this was due to being teleported here by magic only possible by Yuri and her incredibly valuable small dagger. Yet it still awed him to see this much wealth appear from seemingly thin air.


    Delem on the other hand. Was jumping around like a kid in a candy store, bustling with excitement, his large body almost knocking into some of the magicians who were still concentrating on keeping the teleport circle stable. They frowned at Delem¡¯s distracting behaviour.


    They were magicians hired by Delem at Yuri¡¯s request, and were generously paid to keep their mouths shut and do their work.


    ¡°It seems Yuri was successful.¡±


    Looking over at the pile of gold that materialised its last part of itself with a sudden pop, making Delem jump back in surprise. Hikaru squinted slightly.


    ¡°Huhuhu! With this, I have now reacquired all of the city¡¯s treasures..hah, take that, queen!¡±


    Delem yelled at the top of his lungs while taking a big dive into the pile of gold before him, Which would have earned him a comment about a certain duck had Yuri been there.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s taking this long..¡±


    Starting to get anxious, Hikaru tapped his foot. They had previously discussed the plan, where as soon as the gold was teleported over, Yuri would jump back through the more stable smaller portal.


    It has now been several minutes, making him worry.


    ¡°Delem. Check if the mages are keeping the portal active and aren¡¯t slacking off.¡±


    He ordered the fat blob jumping around in the gold.


    ¡°Ah geez, I¡¯m rich why should I do such a thing..¡±


    He still did as he was told, despite complaining loudly.


    ¡°Yep, the portal seems active, maybe Miss Yuri is stuck trying to find the relic perhaps..?¡±


    ¡°No. We agreed upon Yuri¡¯s immediate return. Even if the relic was right in front of her. I made sure of that¡­¡±


    He was getting really worried. What if she had been caught right after making the magic circle, or maybe she got injured and couldn¡¯t make her way back to the circle. Many such thoughts filled Hikaru¡¯s head. He was so busy fretting that an hour had passed.


    ¡°Maybe we should stop for today, the mages are exhausted and if Miss Yuri still hasn¡¯t gotten back by now..I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s too late for her now..¡±


    Delem said solemnly. Although he was greedy and perverted and generally a horrible human being. He still felt some sadness as he said this.


    ¡°NO!¡± Hikaru yelled.


    ¡°Keep that portal up until the mages faint for all I care!¡±


    He was furious about Delem even suggesting something like that. After all Yuri could still be in the vault, and if she was just about to go through the portal when it suddenly disappears in front of her.


    That was something Hikaru dreaded. So he kept true to his words and kept the mages working until they fainted one by one. Making the teleport circle slowly disappear.


    ¡°God damnit¡­GOD DAMNIT!¡±


    Hikaru yelled out in frustration. Delem stumbled back in fear and fell over a familiar painting which caught his eye.


    ¡°That painting..¡±


    Hikaru ripped paper off and found that the back of the painting contained the teleport circle that Yuri was supposed to use in order to get back.


    ¡°At least now we know what happened..¡±


    Delem looked at the torn painting with the now lifeless magic circle.


    ¡°I need to go save Yuri¡­Delem!¡± Hikaru snapped at the fat man.


    ¡°Y-yes?¡±


    Slightly shaken and taken aback by the aggressive attitude of the Hikaru who always seemed to composed, Delem stuttered slightly.


    ¡°I need information on whether Yuri was caught or not. If so I need to know where they are keeping her, I need to know who captured her, when the vault opens or has been opened. Just get me everything.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°I have done all I could, but there is simply no information about anyone that matches Yuri¡¯s description!¡±


    A large stack of papers containing reports of eye witnesses, bribed guards, and information about the mysterious ghostly disappearance of all the wealth in the city, was sitting on a table in front of Delem.


    Some believed the disappearance had to do with the god Tyrs reckoning, as they were too blinded with gold instead of honour. Others believed demons of fallen gods. Yet nothing even mentioned anything remotely close to Yuri.


    ¡°What does this mean!?¡±


    Hikaru slammed his hands against the table in frustration. It has been several days since they had done the heist on the city¡¯s vault and in that time it seems that Yuri had just vanished from existence.


    ¡°Well, considering the magnitude of what was stolen..it¡¯s unlikely that they would keep it a secret, not to mention the news of someone stealing a godly relic. It¡¯s always better to have a scapegoat, but they haven¡¯t said anything, which means they are completely clueless, even more than us.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Delem strokes his oily beard.


    ¡°But at the same time..if Yuri managed to escape, she would have made it back by now..and the fact that I can¡¯t find any information even though I used a part of the wealth from the vault to pay off almost everyone in the city..is even more mysterious..¡±


    He was stumped, it was the first time that he wasn¡¯t able to use his wealth to acquire what he wanted, other than the queens panties of course.


    ¡°This is all my fault..if I hadn¡¯t let Yuri here in the first place, we could have started off somewhere else with a simpler to acquire relic..¡±


    Wearing a painful expression, Hikaru muttered to himself.


    ¡°The only information I could get that was of any use was the guards reports..but they don¡¯t really mention anything other than some scratching on the floor..which was probably the remains of the giant teleport circle..¡±


    Delem held onto two papers, One of which contained a summarised report of every guard, while the other had a drawing of the scratched covering the inside of the vault.


    Yet no one had come to the conclusion that it was a teleport circle, as it was something unimaginable.


    ¡°Hmm..that¡¯s weird..¡± Delem muttered.


    ¡°What is it. More confusion over not being able to spend your new wealth.¡±


    Hikaru said in a bitter manner that was very unbecoming of him.


    ¡°No..it¡¯s just this drawing..look.¡±


    He put the drawing on the table in front of him.


    ¡°See these scratches here and there?¡± He pointed at some of the drawings of scratches that had a very large in between each of them.


    ¡°What about it..that¡¯s Yuri¡¯s teleport circle..¡±


    ¡°Correct, but look at these scratches..¡±


    Delem pointed out a collection of scratches that were in very close proximity to each other and were outside the area of the other scratches.


    ¡°Hm..that¡¯s weird..there should only be one magic circle..and this smaller one looks sloppy..¡±


    Hikaru observed the sloppy almost random scratches.


    ¡°Exactly, why would Miss Yuri draw two magic circles.. wait let¡¯s see..¡±


    Delem fumbled around the pile of papers scattered around the room.


    ¡°Here it is, this is a more detailed drawing of the scratches, this one by an investigator rather than simple guards.¡±


    He handed it to Hikaru.


    ¡°These ones are similar to the scratches of the big teleport circle..¡±


    Things began to click in Hikarus head.


    ¡°This means..Yuri did teleport out. Because of her air headedness she forgot to take the painting out of the pile. Which got teleport back with the gold. Then Yuri having no way to teleport out. Was forced to try and draw a new magic circle. But doing something like that..she should know better than anybody that a teleport circle needs a connection to another circle..otherwise..who knows..that¡¯s why they make all the letter teleport circles in the same place..so they are all connected to each other..but Yuri..if you didn¡¯t teleport back to us..where the hell did you end up..¡±


    ¨C


    Yuri slowly opened her eyes, and was met with a starry sky endowed with a large moon looking over her.


    She slowly got up, rubbing her head and trying to remember what happened.


    ¡°Um¡­where am I¡­¡±


    Looking around, she found out that she could see fairly well due to the light given off from the moon and the stars hanging above her.


    She had a full view of the area around her. A plain field of long grass stretched around her without end. Near her was an old structure that looked like a stone door frame, covered in moss.


    The middle of the stone frames had a small tree, that looked similar to an olive tree, although it bore golden fruits that Yuri recognised but couldn¡¯t quite remember where she had seen.


    ¡°Hm..i am pretty hungry..i could try one of those..they seem tasty enough..¡±


    She slowly made her way to the tree in a daze. Reaching out to grab one of the fruits.


    Her hand was stopped by someone grabbing her shoulder.


    Looking back she found Mako looking at her with a scary face.


    ¡°Yuri. Those fruits are for gods only..¡± She warned in a low voice.


    ¡°¡­Mako..?¡± Yuri recognised the woman before her, but other than her name, she couldn¡¯t recall anything about her.


    ¡°Ooooh, you can recall my name. Impressive most people can¡¯t even remember their own names, yet you remember mine. I¡¯m so honoured ~¡±


    Yuri was hugged by Mako in a way that felt familiar, although she couldn¡¯t put her finger on why.


    ¡°Um..Mako..? where am I? And who are you..? no actually..who am I..?¡±


    Yuri¡¯s head was filled with confusion, she couldn¡¯t remember anything. Not even herself.


    ¡°Homu~¡± Mako nodded.


    ¡°First of all, you are in..most people call it the god realm. We just call it the roots of Yggdrasil.¡±


    She nodded towards the small tree behind her.


    ¡°Who I am? Well I¡¯m Mako of course, your friend!¡± She softly patted Yuri on her head.


    ¡°And as for who You are..well that¡¯s something you should answer yourself~¡±


    She lightly pinched Yuri¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°¡­So cryptic..ah it¡¯s so hard to think¡­¡±


    She found it hard to form coherent thoughts ever since she woke up. She felt sleepy enough that she could close her eyes at any moment.


    ¡°Yes, well mortals do find it hard to exist here..hey don¡¯t fall asleep!¡±


    She smacked Yuri on the head, making her open her eyes again.


    ¡°If you fall asleep here, I can guarantee that you will never ever find your way back.¡±


    She smiled.


    ¡°Unless if course, you want to stay here with me forever~¡±


    She giggled in a manner that made Yuri instinctively want to smack her on the head. Since she was taller than him, she resolved to smacking her on her large breasts.


    ¡°Hyaa~¡± She yelled out when Yuri smacked her ¡°Geez such a naughty kid¡­¡±


    She lifted up Yuri as if she was a child.


    ¡°Naughty children, are punished!¡±


    She put Yuri¡¯s petite body over her knee and gave her some punishment, which made Yuri apologise at the end.


    ¡°Hm. I hope you learned your lesson, young lady. ¡° Mako puffed up her cheeks.


    ¡°Yes..I¡¯m not a lady though¡­i think..?¡± Yuri rubbed her pained behind.


    ¡°Now¡­for your way back..just walk through the stone frame over there..¡±


    Mako pointed at a stone frame that was less mossy than the rest.


    Making her way towards the stone frame, another one caught her eyes. In it were familiar floating images that Yuri recognised. A neon tower, a city bustling with night life, flashing lights and images.


    She could not remember what any of them were, but she could knew they were familiar and that she was drawn to that stone frame.


    As she was about to walk through the door frame with bustling light, that had more moss on its frame than the rest. She glanced over the one Mako had had showed her.


    In it floated only a few images. A lot less than the bustling light one. But they were images she recognised, some were of Mako, some of some treasures, a few were about a funny looking fat man and a sadistic looking woman. And a lot of images of a raven haired man, that made her head hurt and throb.


    ¡°..H..Hikaru..?¡±


    Yuri turned away from the frame that contained hundreds or even thousands of bright images, and turned towards the one that contained less images.


    Although there were less images, each and every one was more detailed and colourful than all of the thousands bright ones combined that floated in the frame behind her.


    She made her way to the frame that contained the image of the Raven haired man, and with uncertain steps walked through it. Feeling as though she as falling through liquid like shadows.


    The last thing she heard was the voice of Mako screaming after her.


    ¡°Have fun! And take care of my knife~!¡±

 Chapter 17: Of Dwarves and Men

    ¡°Ugh..¡± Yuri awoke, a throbbing headache threatening to take her back to sleep.


    ¡°Eh..hangover¡­I don¡¯t remember drinking..?¡±


    Rubbing her eyes, she slowly got up.


    She found herself standing in front of a large gate that seemed to be the entrance to a large city. The gates were easily several meters high and made from solid obsidian black iron.


    ¡°How the hell did I end up here..I don¡¯t think this is Urnan..oh yeah..¡± She slowly remembered.


    ¡°I got stuck in the vault and drew a teleport circle..must have malfunctioned..I¡¯m lucky to still be in one piece.¡±


    She briefly made sure her statement was correct .


    ¡°Now where the hell did I get teleported to..at least I have my relic..¡±


    She patted the relic still wrapped to her back and marched towards the gate.


    Knocking on the large gate made her hand hurt, as it was made of thick metal. A small opening opened up slightly above Yuri¡¯s eye level.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there, identify yourself!¡±


    A deep voice demanded from behind the gate.


    ¡°Ehm..I¡¯m Yuri, I kind of got lost, can I come inside?¡±


    She tiptoed in order to see inside the small opening.


    ¡°No. Now leave.¡±


    The opening closed with a loud thud.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude..¡± She knocked again.


    The opening slid open again.


    ¡°What do you want. I told you to leave, so leave!¡±


    The voice seemed irritated.


    ¡°No! Now listen here. Either you let me in. Tell me why you refuse to let me in. Or I break this whole damn gate down, you hear me?!¡±


    Yelling loudly, she was jumping slightly in order to look into the opening, making for a comical and cute sight.


    A pair of dark eyes squinted in the opening.


    ¡°..Listen here little miss..i don¡¯t know if you are just fearless or stupid..but there is a goddamn rebellion going on here. Can¡¯t let anyone in or out.¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°Now if you understand, please take your leave, this is no place for children.


    ¡°No, wait!¡± Yuri put her hand in the opening to keep it from closing. ¡°What is this city¡¯s name, and how do I get to the city of Tyr?¡±


    ¡°You were just stupid huh..¡± Another sigh ¡°This is the city of Brokkr the god of blacksmithing. The city of the warrior god Tyr..well I think that¡¯s on the other side of the dark sea. I recommend going back to your caravan or whatever and stop bothering me. There should be a city a few months away from here if you follow the road.¡±


    The eyes in the opening looked behind Yuri at a large almost looking road that stretched faraway.


    ¡°But I have no god damn caravan. I¡¯m alone damnit, I have no supplies, how am I supposed to make it there..¡±


    Speaking in a low that Yuri used when she was planning, she looked down in concentration.


    To the person behind the gate however, it looked like the young girl was on the verge of tears, while saying she was all alone. This was due to her holding her head downwards and it being fairly dark by now.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°¡­Fine I will let you inside..¡± The person inside said with a sigh.


    ¡°What kind of man would I be if I just let a young girl out in the wilderness by herself..¡±


    The small opening closed and a small door in wall next to the gate opened up. It looked like something out of the Ninja movies Yuri used to watch.


    ¡°Wow, thanks a lot!¡±


    Yuri smiled brightly while entering through the door.


    Inside was a bearded looking, square shaped, flat nosed man that was slightly shorter than Yuri.


    Looking at the gate from the inside, she noticed a small stool where the opening to look outside was.


    ¡°A dwarf¡­¡± She stared with a bewildered face.


    ¡°What is it young girl, never seen a short man before!?¡±


    He seemed offended by her stare.


    ¡°Eh? No it¡¯s not that! I just¡­¡±


    She was unsure of what to say as it was actually the first time she had seen a dwarf before.


    (No no, they are just humans who are slightly similar to dwarves¡­Hikaru told me this before..)


    ¡°Well girl, you have someone you can contact?¡± The dwarf looking guard asked.


    ¡°Well yes, he should be in Urnan right now..probably.¡±


    She tried to think of the Teleportation would have taken longer time than it seemed.


    ¡°I need to find some place that teleports letters..?¡±


    She was sure Hikaru had said that every city had a post office service, or something similar.


    ¡°Ah yes, the instant department, its in that big tower over there.¡± He pointed out a large green tower that looked almost identical to the one in Urnan.


    ¡°That¡¯s the tower they use to send off the letters.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for help!¡± She thanked the dwarvish man and ran off towards the tower.


    ¨C


    ¡°What do you mean, you can¡¯t let me send any letters!?¡±


    Yuri slammed her fists against the desk in front of her. Which made a pitiful sound as her petite arms were anything but strong.


    ¡°As I said. Due to the chance that the rebels are able to contact outside support groups, we have been ordered to block off all communications to the outside.¡±


    The professional looking woman spoke with an attitude that showed she was used to this kind of behaviour with customers.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it, I¡¯m just a secretary, you should go complain to the higher ups, not me.¡± She went back to shuffling her papers around.


    ¡°Grrr¡­this is so annoying..¡±


    Yuri muttered while walking out of the tower.


    ¡°What the hell am I supposed to do. Can¡¯t contact Hikaru or Delem. Have no money. All I have is a useless relic and my dagger.¡±


    She sighed but smiled slightly.


    ¡°At least money isn¡¯t going to be a problem..¡±


    She went into an alley where she began to prepare a few things.


    Drawing a few runes on some stones, which she hid in her pockets. She was glad she was still wearing the tight black outfit that was had many pockets, although the fact she wore pants did earn her a lot of stares.


    ¡°Oh yeah..Hikaru did say that women don¡¯t wear pants here..guess I should buy a dress..¡±


    She sighed at the idea of having to willingly put on women¡¯s clothing.


    She found a perfect target.


    A stall specialising in accessories and gold items.


    Walking past the stall, she activated and dropped one of the stones beneath it.


    Then she threw another stone towards a crowded corner of the marketplace.


    The stone she threw exploded with a loud bang, making a few people close to it fly a bit an hit the wall before sliding down in a comical fashion.


    With everyone concentrating on the source of the explosion, no one noticed the sound of lightning and a merchant falling over.


    ¡°Too easy..¡±


    She pocketed all the coins and took a few gold rings before using the last stone. Which took the form of the incapacitated man.


    She slowly walked away, before anyone figured to question the strangely clothed girl.


    ¡°Hmm, so this is the city of Brokkr..good thing Hikaru isn¡¯t here, I can have as much fun as I want. Hehe~¡±


    Giggling to herself, she made her way to an inn and paid for an inn.


    The one matched the previous ¡°Leaky tit¡± inn, but instead it was called the ¡°Leaky dick¡±.


    ¡°What the hell is up with the naming sense of the people in this world¡­is there a theme I¡¯m missing..?¡±


    She laid down on the bed, while dropping a bag that contained a dress she had bought by the bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like wearing a skirt..today I will just..think things through inside..¡±


    She took off the heavy relic staff and hid it underneath the bed, finally able to relax her back.


    ¡°Well..since I can¡¯t contact Hikaru..what should I do..wait..this is the city of Brokkr..so it must have a relic connected to that god..¡± Yuri sighed.


    ¡°But If I hadn¡¯t stolen that key from the queen..i wonder how I would have gotten the staff relic..there glass must as no ordinary rune seal..maybe it was powered by the relic itself..¡±


    ¡°I need to look for another fat information broker and find some info on this city¡¯s relic..but for now..i nap¡­¡±


    Yuri fell into a deep sleep and dreamt of a large endless field with a certain raven haired man getting further and further away.


    ¡°No..come back..¡± Yuri kept muttering throughout the night.

 Chapter 18: New recruit in Hot Pursuit

    Greeted with the sound of metal clanking against metal, Yuri awoke in panic.


    Running up to the window, she saw full blown knights with dwarf like appearances clash against men that looked more traditionally human and wore leather armour rather than the plate the knights wore.


    She quickly put on her dress which she bought yesterday in order to not draw attention and made sure the relic was well hidden.


    Yuri ran down to the eating area of the inn and was greeted with the dull scene of people looking bored and more annoyed than frightened at having been awoken at such an hour.


    Amidst the people was the guard that let Yuri into the city the day before. He was busy gulping down mead with his breakfast.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s you, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    She sat across the familiar dwarf-like man. Who had a full set of bed hair and a ruffled beard.


    ¡°Ah it¡¯s you again, little girl..¡±


    He slowly answered while sleepily chewing his food.


    ¡°I told you..there was a rebellion.¡± He kept chewing his soggy bacon.


    ¡°Its Yuri and I get that..but why doesn¡¯t anyone look worried..?¡±


    She looked over at the relaxed atmosphere of the inn despite the noise outside.


    ¡°Ah that.¡±


    ¡°Well, you get used to it after a while, and neither side is dangerous to civilians, they both think they have the civilians best interest in mind after all.¡±


    He took a large swig of his mug.


    ¡°Sounds weird..mind telling me about the rebellion. Since you let me in without explaining anything its your responsibility right¡±


    She tried to guilt trip the guard while stealing a piece of bacon from his plate.


    ¡°Hey. That¡¯s mine!¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Well, whatever, basically, the rebels want to make the city more profitable through closing down the mines and blacksmithing parts, and investing into other areas. While the royal family thinks it¡¯s best to continue the tradition of honouring their god through smithing.¡±


    He ate his bacon before Yuri could steal it.


    ¡°Is that really worth starting a war over?¡±


    She was never good with politics back home, and she wasn¡¯t any better in this world.


    ¡°Well no. This feud has been going on for years now. They¡¯ve been throwing small stones at each other for a long time. Now it developed into this. Sure is annoying..can¡¯t even get any sleep before my next shift..¡±


    ¡°I see..that reminds me, I never got your name?¡±


    She disliked the idea of someone knowing her name without her knowing theirs.


    ¡°oh, I¡¯m Galin, nice to meet you miss..Yuri was it.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, about, couldn¡¯t the royal family just use Brokkr¡¯s relic and end the war. I heard the relics are quite powerful in their own ways.¡±


    She attempted leading the conversation to somewhere more interesting.


    ¡°The relic huh.. I don¡¯t think they would use the relic for something so minor, lest they anger Brokkr. Either way, they don¡¯t have it any more. So they do it the good old fashioned way, a noisy but effective way¡­¡± He muttered out the last part.


    ¡°What do you mean they don¡¯t have it, was it stolen..?¡±


    She felt disappointed someone had beaten her to the prize.


    ¡°Hah! That¡¯s quote funny! No one in their right mind would do something like that. No it was kept in the banks possession. But when the rebels took over, the took control of the area the bank was located in, so it¡¯s technically theirs right now..?¡±


    ¡°I see..¡±


    Yuri was sure this would be easy. All she had to do was join the rebels, sneak in a grab the relic. No one would suspect a thing.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°hehehe¡­¡± Laughing silently at her own plans. Galin wondered if he really should have let this young girl into the city. His senses were going off. But he dismissed it as him going senile.


    ¨C


    Yuri snuck behind a few rebels who had escape the earlier battle.


    She followed them until they finally arrived at a small building. They entered quickly after looking around suspiciously, which made it pretty clear this was one of their bases.


    Yuri picked up a few stones and prepared them with runes, some familiar while others were new, and set off towards the small house.


    She knocked lightly while trying to appear as professional as she could. Which was proving difficult as she had the body of a young girl.


    The door opened, revealing a young looking kid, peering out from inside.


    ¡°A new recruit? I don¡¯t recognise you?¡± He squinted at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a new recruit yet, although I want to be, where do I sign up?¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not a new recruit? How the hell did you find this place then..?¡±


    ¡°Oh I just followed the to guys who came by earlier, they looked scary so I didn¡¯t want to ask them¡±


    She said, earning her a raised eyebrow from the young rebel.


    ¡°Listen miss, this is not where we take in new recruits. But since you already know about this place, I suppose I have to make sure you don¡¯t run off and tell everything about this place, so you can come inside..I guess.¡±


    He moved out of the doorway and gestured for Yuri to come inside.


    She was led down a long staircase leading to a series of large rooms. Each room filled with a different kind of weapon sort.


    She felt uncomfortable as the gazes of everyone in the room rested on her for some reason.


    Soon they arrived at a small door, which the young rebel knocked on, before shortly receiving an answer from within.


    ¡°Yes come in..¡±


    The voice inside said.


    Yuri was pushed in as the young rebel made a strange salute that involved waving your hands like a bird, Making Yuri almost snicker.


    ¡°Captain, this young lady came and asked to join us, she followed a few soldiers here. What should I do?¡±


    A man sitting behind a large desk looked up.


    ¡°Punish the soldiers for being followed by a simple girl. Do that while I see what I can do about this girl.¡±


    The young rebel jumped when the captain met his eyes.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± He nearly ran out the room.


    ¡°So¡­you want to join us. But what can you do to aid us. You don¡¯t seem to be a good fighter. Depending on how you answer I can let you join or lock you up until this war is won.¡±


    The captain said this with arrogant certainty. Looking closer she realised the man was at least over 60 years old. From his demeanour he seemed to be used to this kind of position.


    ¡°I may not be good at direct fights, but I¡¯m sure I can incapacitate the entire room of soldiers I passed by. Is that good enough?¡±


    Yuri confidently raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is that so? Well I give you permission to do so. Come back when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Just like that, he was back to read his documents.


    ¡°Okay..?¡±


    She walked out into the large room where everyone¡¯s gaze was concentrated on Yuri.


    ¡°That guy seemed suspicious, but it¡¯s alright as long as I get what I want~¡±


    She peeked inside the room.


    It was filled with mostly younger men, sharpening their weapons or drinking while chatting.


    ¡°Should be easy..¡±


    She picked out one of the stone with some runes drawn on it and threw it inside after activating it.


    ¡°The rune began to glow, catching curious gazes, before it it exploded into a huge mass of steam that covered the entire room.


    ¡°Mixing fire and water spells seems to have the right effect..¡±


    She ran inside the room, hidden by her mist, and took out two other stones which she threw. They exploded into a lightning arc while making a taser noise. Easily incapacitating half of the people in the room.


    ¡°Now for the special one..¡±


    She took out a smaller stone that she kept in her fist after activating.


    It began to release a torrent of electricity that arced from Yuri¡¯s hand.


    Yuri ran around the confused mass of people and hit them with the stone, making them faint of shock.


    One by one the remaining rebels fell over unconscious, while a small dark figure kept frantically running around.


    The mist soon settled and revealed Yuri standing in the middle of the room while breathing heavily. Almost every inch of the floor was was covered with unconscious people, still twitching slightly.


    She threw away her used stone and walked back into the captains room. She entered without knocking.


    ¡°Well? Did you get lost, go ask someone else for directions!¡±


    She received an annoyed look from the captain.


    ¡°But i¡¯m already done?¡±


    She said.


    ¡°¡­.Show me then..?¡±


    The captain slowly stood up and revealed a large body that looked like a human sized dwarf.


    She led him back and showed him the aftermath of her work.


    ¡°You¡¯re in.¡±


    He finally said after looking at the people still unconscious.


    ¡°Great I look forward to working with you , captain!¡±


    She smiled while evil thoughts filled her head.

 Chapter 19: Sparks and Bracelets

    ¡°You want me to work as an assassin?¡±


    Yuri asked.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose you could call it that as well. Your job would be to take care of the leading roles before a battle. You have shown yourself capable by taking care of a room filled with soldiers. This wont be as easy, the enemy never lets their guard down. It will be different on a real battlefield. Whether you survive or not¡­That is hat can be considered the real test for joining our cause.¡±


    The captain bent down and took out something from a chest behind him.


    ¡°Here, take this bracelet, wearing this will ensure no one from our side attacks you. It¡¯s made from new-type smithing methods. More efficient than the traditional ones, a sort of message of ours.¡±


    He gave her the bracelet that looked to be made from plastic like material.


    (So this is what they mean with newtype¡­they discovered how to make plastic, which was frowned at by the noblemen since plastic is cheaper to make..?)


    She thought while putting the bracelet on her arm.


    (This bracelet..doesn¡¯t fit..too damn big. What kind of muscle men are these made for..the only place it would fit is my neck..guess it can be a necklace..)


    Putting the bracelet around her neck made the captain frown slightly. Although Yuri didn¡¯t notice it, wearing the bracelet on her neck made it look like she was wearing a collar. She was too busy thinking about the potential of plastic in this world to notice though.


    ¡°Well anyway..There are no battles right now. There was one today, which we splendidly had to retreat from. So for now go and help the soldiers you knocked down.¡±


    The captain went back to playing around with small figures situated atop a map.


    ¡°Alright captain, I¡¯m off!¡±


    She ran out of the room, making a slight breeze which hit the captain in the face, moving his hair slightly.


    ¡°Peculiar girl..good thing she¡¯s working with us though..but wearing that as a collar¡­¡± He grumbled.


    ¨C


    Entering the room, Yuri found the soldiers being helped by healers. They were slowly waking up while letting out groggy noises as they were awoken by healing magic.


    Walking up to one of the healers, she tapped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna help out so could you gather up all these soldiers into one big pile for me, please?¡±


    Yuri asked politely while drawing a large circle of runes on the ground.


    ¡°Hah? Who are you, a new recruit? Don¡¯t interrupt me!¡±


    The healer responded in an annoyed manner and went back to healing the soldier in front of him.


    ¡°Geez..what¡¯s up with the captain suddenly throwing this weird test..as if I don¡¯t have enough work..¡±


    Meanwhile, Yuri had finished drawing the basic healing circle, which was improved with her own runes of course. She began to drag the soldiers bodies onto the circle.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Hey, girl, stop that! A wonky basic healing circle wont even heal their scratches, just go get some wet towels or something!¡±


    One of the healers yelled at Yuri with a similar expression to the previous healer.


    She finished amassing as many bodies as could fit onto the circle and activated it. It glowed in a bight red light that had some green shining through it.


    The green light was slowly absorbed into the soldiers bodies while the red disappeared.


    All the soldiers suddenly woke up. Stretching while yawning.


    ¡°Ah, I feel so refreshed, did I doze off?¡±


    Making similar comments, all of them appeared to be in more perfect shape than before Yuri had incapacitated earlier. The healers stood with open mouths.


    Afterwards, Yuri was silently helped by the healers who assisted with carrying the soldiers while looking at Yuri with respectful eyes.


    Finally finished with healing, she ended up just sitting around with nothing to do, while the healers next to her asked her about her magic. Surprised to hear that the spell she had used was only a basic healing spell, making their respect deepen.


    This ended Yuri¡¯s first day at the rebellion army, and she went back to her inn.


    Inside, she found Galin, the dwarf-ish man on his way out.


    ¡°Hey, heading somewhere Galin?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, work. I¡¯m a night guard, remember?¡±


    Lightly pushing Yuri out of the way, he mumbled in a tired voice.


    ¡°Well good luck, and don¡¯t let any more children into the big scary rebellion infested city~¡±


    She teased the dwarf as he walked past, making him mumble with a sigh.


    Yuri laid down on her bed without sleeping, just waiting for the time to pass, until it was late enough that even the bats were asleep.


    She crawled out of the inn and made her way towards the bank of the city.


    Yuri wasn¡¯t going to wait for a chance to appear while working for the rebellion. If she could get the relic now, she might as well do it.


    But if she fails. The rebellion can serve as a good backup plan.


    Finally arriving at a large obsidian black building that appeared more solidly built than a fort, she muttered to herself while deep in thought.


    ¡°¡­This is the bank huh..can¡¯t go in with brute force..not that I as going to do that anyway..¡±


    Making a quick check around the building, she found that the only entrance was the big gate at the front. There weren¡¯t even any windows to be seen.


    ¡°I guess windows are a structural integrity..but are all banks built like this here..?¡±


    ¡°Sure am glad I came up with the painting thing in Urnan..no way to break into something like this without an inside job..¡±


    She had never bothered to take a look at where the vault was kept in Urnan, so the only part of it she saw was the inside. As such she was shocked at the sight before her.


    ¡°Well..i guess I will get a few hours of sleep..before the rebellion thing..¡±


    Yawning, she began to make her way back. She stopped at the feel of some ones hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Girl. What are you doing outside at this hour?¡±


    Turning around, she found Galin slowly sheathing his large sword back onto his back.


    ¡°Eh? What are you doing here yourself!¡±


    ¡°..I told you didn¡¯t I..I¡¯m a night guard.¡± He sighed. ¡°How airheaded are you, girl?¡±


    Galin gave her a sympathetic look.


    ¡°I¡¯m not airheaded!¡± She pouted ¡°And don¡¯t call me girl, I have a name goddamnit.¡±


    Folding her arms, she gave the dwarf-ish man a mean look.


    ¡°Al alright then, Yuri, why were you out so late at night?¡±


    ¡°Ah..i was..having trouble sleeping so I needed some fresh air!¡±


    She lied through her teeth. The truth as that she was tired enough to faint. Although she was expertly not showing it.


    ¡°Ah, well you look like a maid after a long night if you know what I mean. So get some sleep.¡±


    Galin said as Yuri¡¯s confidence in her being able to hide her state of mind was instantly crushed.


    ¡°And don¡¯t wander around at night, its dangerous for a young girl.¡±


    He said as he walked off, pretending to work.


    ¡°Phew that was close..although I haven¡¯t even done anything so i¡¯m fine..?¡±


    ¡°But with the bank being like it is..and me not being able to get a teleport going without the help of Delem or Hikaru¡­i really need to get some sparks going in this city..and then an opportunity will arise..¡±


    Her smile was ominous. Looking quite haunting in the dark. This would later create legends of a certain wandering demon that took the shape of a young girl. Wandering the dark streets at the latest of hours on moonless nights. Searching for those foolish enough to be near it.


    But that, is a story for another time.

 Chapter 20: Flight and Fight

    Awoken by her inner clock, Yuri felt deathly tired after her nightly escapades. She made her way to the rebellion hideout, making sure to casually steal a few tomes on rune magic from the library nearby.


    She suddenly tripped while reading one of the tomes, making her fly forward in a comical manner.


    Painfully getting up, she found the object she had tripped over was in fact the body of Galin, that laid on the ground like a rag.


    Worry filled her heart, but was quickly replaced with irritation as she noticed the dwarfish man drooling and muttering to herself.


    She gave the passed out man a quick kick, making him jump up in pain and confusion.


    ¡°AAH! What, where am I, who did that!¡±


    ¡°Sleeping on the job are we..pft..¡±


    Yuri smirked slightly.


    Galin finally notice Yuri standing next to him and slowly calmed down.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s your excuse for falling asleep in the middle of your job?¡±


    ¡°Well..it was cold, and I was sleepy, so I drank some mead that I keep on me. It was kind of boring, so I drank some more. Then other guards joined in, and we drank a bit more. That¡¯s all I can remember..¡± He deduced he more than slightly drunk at the time.


    ¡°Ohoho~drinking on the job, I wonder if this kind of stuff should be reported?¡±


    Her smile widened.


    ¡°Listen girl, you owe me, I let you in here, so don¡¯t gimme trouble!¡±


    Galin snapped back while sweating slightly, which Yuri didn¡¯t miss.


    ¡°Oh~you seem nervous. I was only joking but seems I hit the jackpot. Reckon you can¡¯t afford being caught drinking again or you get fired, correct?¡±


    Her guess hit right on the mark, as Galin began to sweat even more.


    ¡°Now listen here, I only have some copper coins left..the rest I need to pay my rent at the inn.. I can¡¯t spare any money if that¡¯s what you want..¡±


    He answered in a reluctant manner, marking his loss in the battle of wills between him and Yuri.


    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t want anything like that, what I want is something along the lines of the guards shifts, of course I¡¯m willing to pay you as well~¡± Her smile turned devious.


    ¡°¡­what would a young lady like yourself want with something like that..?¡± The dwarf-like man asked suspiciously.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter now does it. You get paid and I don¡¯t tell anyone about your nightly fun during work hours. You don¡¯t even seem to care about your job so what does it matter?¡±


    She took out a few gold coins she had nicked from a passer-by at some point.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong..i only do it cause I have to..heck I could use the extra money..that will really help this month¡­Fine. But don¡¯t tell anyone about my drinks.¡±


    Galin quickly gave in to the temptation of immediate gain from the gold coins clanking in Yuri¡¯s small fists.


    ¡°Excellent¡± She handed over the coins and shook his hand.


    ¨C


    Picking up a few more stones, Yuri dropped by the local blacksmith. Where she bought a pair of small gauntlets, to use for when she had nothing to draw runes on except her body. The image of her almost getting squashed from falling off a building made her shudder. She put on the gauntlets and drew a rune for soft landing on them, before restocking her supply of spell stones.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Yuri entered the hideout and was respectfully greeted by the healers.


    ¡°Miss Yuri, the captain is expecting you in his quarters.¡± One of the healers said.


    Yuri walked in the captains room while greeting him cheerfully with a wave.


    ¡°Yes..hello..¡± The captain greeted quietly.


    ¡°I have a job for you.¡±


    ¡°Great, if I do it, I will be considered an official member right?¡±


    She asked hopefully.


    ¡°Yes..if you are able to complete this you will be an official member, not just any member however. If you complete this, you will be considered top brass. If you are able to complete it that is.¡±


    He took out some papers from beneath his desk.


    ¡°You should know I can do it or not, you saw me in action¡±


    ¡°Yes, you were able to take down my soldiers, and I see you are powerful, but this will be more difficult than just a few half drunk idiots.¡±


    He handed over the papers.


    On the papers were a few drawings of several people and a brief description.


    ¡°You want me to¡­kill them or something..?¡±


    ¡°Correct, your job is to take them out in the next few days. They are various nobles and soldiers that are big supporters of the opposition. Disposing of them would greatly help our cause. Do this and you will be greatly rewarded..within reason.¡±


    The captain explained while taking out a few items from his desk.


    ¡°So I can choose my reward? There is one thing I want to do in this city.. I want to see the relic of the god. If that¡¯s possible?¡± She asked carefully.


    ¡°The relic? Afraid I can¡¯t..even if it¡¯s just for a quick visit..the bank is too important to the enemy so it¡¯s guarded against any ones entry, even mine. Sadly I can¡¯t allow the visit.¡±


    He made a slightly apologetic face.


    ¡°I see..well we can talk about that when I finish the mission I guess..¡±


    Yuri felt disheartened, seems it wasn¡¯t going to be that easy.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going empty handed of course. I have some letters to be used as easy access to the nobles homes. Falsified letters of recommendation. You can enter their homes that way if you want to.¡±


    He handed Yuri a few official looking letters.


    ¡°I see..well then, I¡¯m off, wish me luck!¡±


    She rushed out quickly, with the familiar gust of wind hitting the captain in the face.


    ¨C


    ¡°Hmmm¡­let¡¯s see here..¡±


    Yuri sat in the rebels hideout and the tomes she stole earlier. This was a better place as she needed to study her spells and test them. The hideout has plenty of living targets after all.


    Yuri drew some runes on her new gauntlets, which were made of steel and mithril. Although they were small they had cost Yuri most of her coins. But it was a good purchase.


    ¡°Hmm..finished..should work probably..¡±


    Yuri mumbled as she finished working on her gauntlets.


    The gauntlets now held six spells on each gauntlet. The spells were drawn on the forearm parts of the gauntlets. The spells located on the forearms were all connected through a series of small and barely visible runes that looked like wires and connected to a big magic rune circle located on the palm of the gauntlet.


    Yuri put the gauntlets back on and activated one of the spells on the her gauntlet. A familiar lightning spell, instead of lightning shooting out from the spot the spell was drawn on, it instead shot out the big rune circle on her palm.


    ¡°It works..I¡¯m awesome for thinking of this..¡±


    She giggled and admired the writhing mass of electricity in her palm.


    What Yuri had done was fairly simple. She connected the spells on the forearms with a transmitting circle which is generally used for increasing the range of other spells.


    So all the spells on her forearms can be used on her palms without having to redraw them on her palm over and over again.


    She could use up to twelve spells in total with her two gauntlets without having to worry about drawing them. Something necessary if she was going to fight in the future, as timing was everything.


    ¡°Okay let¡¯s test this new spell¡­¡±


    She activated a spell she recently learned and pointed her palm forward.


    A giant gust of wind blew out of Yuri¡¯s palm and made her fly into the wall behind her.


    A few healers rushed over and quickly healed her. A few minutes later she was back on her feet, although her head was still spinning.


    ¡°I think I made the spell too powerful..i flew at least several meters..¡±


    She muttered. ¡°Wait..flew..?¡±


    She quickly redrew the spell on both her gauntlets and activated them. Except this time, she pointed her palms behind her.


    Two giant gusts of wind made Yuri fly forwards at an incredible speed. She was about to get splattered against the wall in front of her. She was prepared however, and activated the soft falling spell she prepared earlier, which slowed her flight and made her slowly sink down on the floor.


    ¡°This is awesome¡­just like that superhero with the metal suit..or that mafia boss kid with the flames!¡±


    She excitedly blurted out references that no one in this world except her would understand.


    ¡°This was supposed to be a spell for making a soft breeze that cools you in the summer..but I seem to be able to power it up with my special runes..this will be fun~ ¡°


    She admired her new black gauntlets that had runes drawn on them. A few of the runes gave off a soft red glow and slowly disappeared.

 Chapter 21: Falling Stars

    Walking out the rebels hideout while feeling quite satisfied with her new spell gauntlets, Yuri wondered if she could try drawing runes on her shoes.


    It was quite difficult however as they were made of cloth, and activating runes on your feet is no easy feat. Wearing metal boots is also undesirable. Running was her most valued skill, and has served her well so far.


    ¡°Hm..am I really going to kill these people..I dislike dirtying my hands unless I have to..¡±


    Placing her hand on her chest pocket where she kept the letters from the captain, Yuri sighed.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s at least try to finish one off, and see how it goes.¡±


    Yuri took a laid back attitude towards her whole situation.


    She took one of the letters out and opened it. Inside was a copy of the persons details. The person in question was an old man who was almost a hundred years old. His portrait looked more like a potato than a human.


    Inside was also a letter of introduction into the old man¡¯s household.


    ¡°Well..I wont be using this letter of introduction.¡±


    She quickly tore the paper and threw it away.


    ¡°Would probably end up with me in a maids outfit or something silly like that..judging by my luck..¡±


    She muttered while remembering the sadistic queen back in Urnan, s small shiver travelling up her spine.


    ¡°How hard can it really be to get inside anyway~¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°This is going to be harder than I thought¡­¡±


    Standing in front of a large building that seemed similar to a mansion. She muttered softly.


    ¡°This looks more like a fortress than a mansion, damnit!¡±


    Yuri swore at the letter which contained the information.


    The building that was described as a mansion, stood fairly fairly low compared to the other buildings around it. It was however, surrounded by several giant watchtowers that contained archers and presumably magicians there, serving as guards.


    The building itself was made up of mostly the same material as the bank, which meant it was going to be hard to break in by force. Both the outside and inside was presumably riddled with guards.


    ¡°What kind of security is this!?¡± Frustrated she stomped her foot. ¡°Not even that damn queen had this much security!¡±


    Her yelling made several people around her to turn and look at her.


    ¡°But this is really strange..¡± She quickly read through the targets file again. She looked through the letter more properly.


    The person in question was from a long standing noble family that has been one of the leading families in this city for thousands of years. You could even say they were the very symbol of the traditional ways that the rebels were trying to fight against.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°This explains the security..but that captain..what the hell does he expect me to do..i¡¯m just a new recruit..this is impossible..¡±


    She muttered quietly in order to not arouse any more suspicion. She suddenly remembered the letter she had torn and thrown away.


    ¡°¡­.Damn¡­¡± She sighed ¡°Well I guess I have to go back and ask the captain for a new one¡­LIKE HELL I AM!¡±


    Yuri retorted herself, making the passer bys avoid the strange peculiar girl that was talking to herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to go back and ask for another one. That¡¯s too embarrassing. No I will just finish the job without a letter of introduction..and prove I don¡¯t need silly things like that. Yes, a perfect plan!¡±


    She laughed while making up her mind.


    ¡°The question is..how the hell will I get in..¡±


    She puzzled over her next course of action.


    ¨C


    Yuri stood at the top of the giant green tower that responsible for teleporting letters. She had climbed up the tower with the help of a few air spells that boosted her up.


    She had a small telescope she bought earlier, and was using it to spy on the mansion she was going to infiltrate.


    It was well past midnight, yet the mansion was mostly lit up. Making it easy to spy on.


    Yuri now had a rough plan in mind. She had through her many spying sessions discovered that the mansion had a large chimney connected to the heart of the mansion. Luckily this mansion was old and built before simple heating magics were made available, so the chimney had been sitting unused for many years..until now.


    As for how she was going to access the roof and the chimney. If she couldn¡¯t access it from the normal entrances then she was going to take the only unguarded route. The sky.


    Yuri held both of her palms behind her back and leaned forward like a strange runner preparing to sprint. She activated the runes on both her gauntlets and prepared herself.


    A giant gust of wind blew through the city, making many go chasing after their hats, and forcing most women to hold down their skirts die to the strong breeze that appeared from seemingly nowhere.


    During this, no on had thought to look up. If they had, they would have seen a bright red flickering star travelling across the night sky.


    Yuri was trying her hardest not to panic. She had once again made her spells too powerful. She thought since the distance was greater this time, she would need a bit more power. Her spells were as unpredictable as ever however, and were so powerful they almost tore her arms off. As proven by the bright red flickering form the gauntlets. Almost blinding Yuri with the red glow.


    As Yuri flew through the sky with seemingly unending acceleration. She realised she was about to fly the mansion, and her acceleration had yet to begin to slow.


    Yuri haphazardly rearranged her arms so her palms pointed towards the opposite of the mansion, and activated another set of air spells.


    These ones blew her towards the mansion, making her look like a falling star due to the red glow of the spells.


    As she was about to activate her feather falling spell to slow herself down. She realised the spell was no longer there.


    It seems that because of the large amount of power in her air spells, some of the other spells accidentally activated. Mainly her feather falling spells.


    She had read about this phenomena in one of the tomes she stole. If you have a powerful spell and a weak spell next to each other, the mana from the stronger one ends up activating the weaker one.


    (Wait..so I had the feather falling spells on and I STILL flew like a bullet. Somehow I have a feeling I would have died if those feather falling spells didn¡¯t slow me down a bit..)


    Yuri thought as she zipped towards the mansion at a speed that rivalled a bullets.


    ¡°Oh right!¡±


    Suddenly remembering the situation she was in. She started to draw another spell on her gauntlets.


    The spell she was drawing wasn¡¯t a feather fall one however. She realised the feather fall spells were too weak to stop her acceleration. Instead of drawing a spell to suck away her momentum, she tried to draw a new spell she learned that protected the users body against all harm for a few split seconds.


    She made sure to jam as many of her special runes as possible, to strengthen the spell.


    ¡°Here goes nothing!¡±


    She activated the spell while screaming at the top of her lungs. Her body was enveloped in a half transparent diamond shaped aura. Just a moment after the shield appeared around Yuri, a loud crash echoed throughout the entire city.

 Chapter 22: Clues and Blues

    Yuri slowly got up on her feet while shaking off bits of stone and woods.


    Looking up, should could see the starry sky through the hole in the ceiling that was shaped like a girl doing a funny pose. A pose she did not remember doing.


    Alarms started to sounds all around Yuri and she heard the shouts of guards coming closer.


    ¡°Better finish this quickly..¡±


    She looked around to see what part of the house she crashed into.


    A large fairly simple looking rocking chair sat at the opposite end of the room. In it sat the old man supposed to be Yuri¡¯s target.


    Making her way towards him, she noticed that his eyes were closed while he sat still.


    ¡°Who the hell could sleep through this mess..he must be REALLY old..¡±


    Looking close, she noticed the old man wasn¡¯t breathing, although the old man certainly looked asleep with drool still dripping from his mouth.


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t even have to do anything¡­he was already dead..¡±


    She sighed at her wasted effort and time.


    ¡°That fall must have taken years off my lifespan.¡±


    Yuri slowly calmed her heart that was still beating furiously at almost dying.


    ¡°Okay..that¡¯s better..¡± Her heart rate slowly calmed down to a normal speed.


    ¡°Now..how do I get out of-¡±


    She was interrupted by the door of the room flying against the wall while guards slowly filled the room.


    ¡°I guess I have to do this again.¡±


    Yuri quickly drew a few spells on her gauntlets while the guards were shouting at her to get down and took a large jump.


    She managed to reach one of the guards head and used it as a support to jump towards the hole she made earlier.


    ¡°See you la-¡±


    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence before she was flung up through the hole by her air spell at an incredible speed.


    ¨C


    A loud crash made the ground shake outside the inn. Galin almost spat out his drink in surprise.


    ¡°What the hell..rebels again?¡±


    He shook his head while not moving an inch out of his seat.


    The inns door slowly opened and through it entered Yuri, looking like she had just woken up and not cleaned herself up, several weeks in a row.


    ¡°Was that you making all that noise? Tone it down a bit will you.¡±


    Galin asked the weary looking Yuri who slowly made her way towards the stairs.


    Yuri didn¡¯t bother answering and kept slowly walking towards her room. Muttering to herself.


    ¡°Never again¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a peculiar girl..wonder what the hell she was doing¡­she looks like a maid after a long night of working! Hah!¡±


    Galin laughed so hard at his own terrible joke that he almost choked on his drink.


    ¡°¡­.¡± He took a quick glance in the direction Yuri disappeared to.


    ¨C


    Upon waking up, Yuri felt like she had just rested from running a marathon. Quite refreshed and sore.


    ¡°Guess almost dying two times counts as good exercise!¡±


    She stretched her body like a cat.


    When she entered the dining area of the inn, she found Galin drinking something while wearing a tired expression as usual.


    She took a seat opposite Galin and ordered some generic breakfast of hard bread and gruel.


    ¡°So¡­about that information we talked about..¡±


    Yuri spoke in a hushed voice, slowly rousing Galin out of whatever daydream he was currently having.


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s you girl..¡±


    He eventually noticed Yuri¡¯s existence.


    ¡°Right. Well basically..my positions as part of the night watch has some particular limitations in this area..¡±


    Galin chose his words carefully.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Which means?¡± Asked Yuri impatiently.


    ¡°It means I haven¡¯t a goddamn clue.¡±


    He took a large swig from his mug.


    ¡°The guards movements are random. There isn¡¯t any particular system or anything. We just walk around the city randomly while hoping for the best.


    ¡°¡­Worthless midget¡­¡±


    Yuri muttered under her breath.


    ¡°What was that!¡± Galin frowned and raised his voice.


    ¡°I said you were a worthless midget!!¡± Yuri raised her voice even louder and yelled at him.


    ¡°Aye, you might be right. Well I did what I could. I don¡¯t expect to be paid. But do try to not spread the thing about my drinking too much..¡± He looked hopefully at Yuri.


    ¡°Fine, but you still owe me, especially since I paid you already. Be prepared, I might have another job for you.¡±


    Yuri gave Galin her staple villainous smile, making him shiver slightly.


    ¡°Aye¡­just please don¡¯t smile like that..it gives me shivers..¡±


    ¨C


    Yuri waited until Galin was done and left her table before opening the rest of the letter she had received from the captain.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this assassin thing if all of them are going to be as fortified as the last one..so let¡¯s see if there is anyone useful among the targets..¡±


    She read through the files on all her targets.


    Most of them were generic noble families that provided funds to the rebels opposition, or important captains and high ranking officers which were of no interest to Yuri.


    One of them however, caught Yuri¡¯s eye as she was rifling through the list. It was a young newly appointed family head who seemed to be one of the big funders.


    That wasn¡¯t what caught Yuri¡¯s eye however. It was the fact that he was part of the family which owned and managed the bank. Rather, the family that used to own the bank before the rebels captured it and locked themselves in there.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t get any clues on how to get in there from the rebels, then maybe I can get some clues from this guy..¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°Okay..this should be the right place.¡±


    She glanced over the very grandiose looking mansion, which looked the opposite of the heavily defend able fortress from before.


    ¡°This time..instead of breaking in.. I will do things the official way.¡±


    Images of her falling through the sky at the speed of a meteor rushed through her mind, which she quickly shook away and walked up to the entrance, knocking on the door.


    The door was pushed open slightly and a tall butler greeted Yuri with a small bow.


    ¡°How may I help you.¡±


    He not so much asked as much as he simply stated in a condescending tone which irked Yuri. She tried to ignore her irritation.


    ¡°Yes. Can I meet the owner of this mansion please?¡±


    ¡°¡­And why would the master meet someone such as yourself..?¡±


    The butler looked over Yuri up and down, clearly not looking impressed and not bothering to hide his disdain.


    She realised that the butler wasn¡¯t going to let in the way she was looking. Wearing a simple dress with a pair of peculiar gauntlets.


    ¡°Ah..well. You see..i am here to bring him a message!¡± She quickly said the first thing that came to mind.


    ¡°In that case you can leave the message with me and I will make sure it makes its way to the master..¡±


    ¡°Uhm well you see..i was told to bring the message directly..so¡­¡±


    Yuri began to panic and large drops of sweat began to form on the back of her neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you will either have to give the message to me or send it by proper means¡­¡± The butler began to close the door.


    ¡°Ah wait!¡± Yuri took out a random paper out of her pocket and handed it to the butler. ¡°Here!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The butler took the paper with a careful pinching motion.


    ¡°Please wait here. I will be back shortly after the master reads through your message.¡±


    He gazed suspiciously at Yuri before closing the door.


    ¡°Phew..that was close..¡± Yuri sighed with relief. ¡°Wait what the hell did I give him..?¡±


    Yuri quickly checked through all the papers in her pockets and realised that the only one missing was a paper describing one of her targets. Namely the man I question himself.


    ¡°I just gave him his own assassination orders..maybe I should leave..?¡±


    She turned around on the spot and lifted her leg to walk to away.


    ¡°Wait..i can just say I stole it from the assassin or that this was a warning of him being assassinated¡­yeah that will work!¡±


    She turned back on the spot again towards the door and lowered her leg.


    Some time later, the butler eventually returned and ushered for Yuri to follow him. She silently followed the butler as she was led through the giant mansion seemingly covered with all sorts of gold and precious materials that made Yuri¡¯s thief eyes shine with eventual plans.


    She was led to a large room and told to sit down. The room was filled out with several bookcases that made the room seem smaller than it was and the back of the room contained a desk and some writing utensils.


    Yuri sat sat on the small sofa in the corner and patiently waited.


    The door opened with some force and a young man of about 20, wearing a dark suit, entered the room.


    ¡°So what is this about¡­?¡± He waved around the assassination papers. ¡°A joke? A throat? Who sent you!¡±


    He snapped at Yuri with an impatient and annoyed attitude.


    His whole arrogant demeanour irritated Yuri. She had thought she might want to try and befriend this noble by giving him some info on the rebels or some such. She quickly decided against that however. Instead choosing to take more drastic measures, as she knew from past experience those are the most effective against this type.


    ¡°¡­This is no joke. And it is no mere threat.¡±


    Yuri slowly stood up.


    ¡°It is simply what will happen to you if you do not cooperate with me.¡±


    Yuri tried her best to sound imposing, but was sure she simply sounded like a growling puppy.


    ¡°That is amusing, wench, but I highly doubt you, or whoever sent you, can do a single thing to me, Jac, who is the master of both defence and offence spells.!¡±


    He quickly muttered out something and his whole body was covered in a transparent jelly like second skin. He then muttered something else and made a large ball of blue fire to materialise in front of himself.


    ¡°Fire huh¡­¡± Yuri raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Afraid now?¡± He smiled ¡°I would have liked to send a message to whoever sent you, but I think just burning you to ashes will be enough!¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the blue ball of fire flew towards Yuri.


    Making an amused face and without taking a single step. Yuri slowly touched her gauntlet, activating a spell and pointed her palm at the fireball.


    A giant beam of water appeared out of Yuri¡¯s palm, swallowing the fireball and making its way through the mansion, through the inner walls, the outer walls, before eventually flying out into the sky in a seemingly endless manner.


    The mean of water continued for a few more seconds before stopping. A giant hole stretched its way throughout the entire mansion. Giving a nice view of the blue sky that had appeared where before stood a bookshelf.


    The nobleman by the name of Jac slowly fell on his behind, a small puddle of liquid appearing beneath him.


    Yuri gave him a little smile. ¡°Now then..shall we discuss our arrangements?¡±

 Chapter 23: Allies and Traitors

    The chirping of beards reached inside the room through a giant hole in the wall. Yuri sat on a sofa while listening to the distant bird song, waiting for Jac who had presumably run off to get a change of pants.


    She was sure what she did was stupid. Intimidation was never Yuri¡¯s area of expertise. It would have been less risky to just steal the information from him.


    ¡°No, I refuse to play nice with someone like that. Pissing me off with his flippant attitude¡­that look on his face when I made a hole in the wall was just perfect!¡±


    She laughed to herself while listening the servants bickering about cleaning up the mess.


    The door opened a few minutes later, and a much more respectful Jac entered the room. He was trying his best at pretending to be casual. It was obvious he was nervous however as his smile was stiff and he had large drops of sweat threatening to fall down his nose.


    ¡°Forgive me attitude earlier..i was uh..drunk..now I have had some water and medicine so I¡¯m alright now..yes..¡±


    He stood awkwardly in front of Yuri while bowing his head slightly.


    ¡°Now..what was it you wished to discuss..?¡± He smiled nervously at Yuri.


    ¡°Right, now that you are actually willing to listen..¡± She coughed ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. I have been hired to kill you, sort of.¡±


    She said casually. Jac¡¯s face paled to a sheet white, his eyes shifting to the giant hole behind him.


    ¡°Calm down. If I wanted to kill you, you would have a giant hole in your chest~¡±


    Yuri winked at him.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not heartless you know, so I¡¯m willing to let you live in exchange for a simple trade.¡±


    Her smile widened.


    ¡°¡­What manner of trade?¡± Jac asked carefully while squinting.


    ¡°Your life for some information on your previously owned bank.¡±


    Stating her demands, her honest smile was reflected in Jac¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t accept that trade offer¡­¡±


    He paled further with each word.


    ¡°¡­.It¡¯s your life you¡¯re refusing you know?¡±


    She was amazed that this kind of bratty man would be willing to risk his life for anything.


    ¡°That bank..is our family¡¯s treasure and pride..it¡¯s been passed down in ownership throughout the family ever since the city first began its existence..it is not something I am ever willing to betray..¡±


    His voice filled with pride.


    ¡°Even though the bank belongs to the rebels now..?¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°The bank will always belong to the Jacston family!¡±


    He proclaimed with pride audible in his voice.


    ¡°It is only a matter of time before it is reclaimed once again by our family!¡±


    He stated as if it were fact.


    ¡°Hah¡­.¡±Yuri sighed. ¡°Fine..how about..i help you get your stupid bank back..and you give me one item from inside it..Just one.¡±


    ¡°Something from the bank¡­even if it is one item..¡±


    Jac seemed troubled by her request, although he was tempted by her offer.


    ¡°If we had someone of your strength, then taking back the building would be possible..although we lack information about the rebels formations and security inside the bank..that would still make it difficult despite your help..¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s information about the rebels, I can probably get you what you need~¡±


    She smiled knowingly.


    ¡°Oh¡­in that case. Even if I have to give away something from the bank, I¡¯m sure my ancestors will forgive me. Since reclaiming the bank is more important. I, Jac of the Jacston family, accept your offer and temporary partnership!¡±


    He took her hand and firmly shook it in a businessman like fashion.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, I don¡¯t have to kill you after all.¡± She said as Jacs hand froze midway through the handshake.


    ¨C


    ¡°That went better than expected..¡±


    Yuri finally walked out of the mansion after finishing discussing things with Jac.


    ¡°Not only am I going to get information on the bank, i¡¯m also going to get help from a high standing nobleman and his forces..i can feel my luck returning to me!¡±


    Laughing and stretching dramatically, she pretended she could feel power running through her body. Which she knew was simply her imagination as despite her efforts, she still had only one mana.


    ¡°Alright, enough messing around.. I should start thinking on how to get the information from the rebels..¡±


    She walked towards the rebels hideout while thinking.


    ¡°Hmm..well the captain looks strong, so I don¡¯t think I could intimidate him even if I blew several holes in the hideout..¡±


    The brick like man of a captain had the air of someone who had survived many battles.


    ¡°Guess I will have to try and be sneaky about it.¡±


    Arriving at the hideout, she made her way towards the captains quarters and entered without permission as that had now become the norm. The captain didn¡¯t bother looking up and just sighed when he heard Yuri come in.


    ¡°That thing about a meteor falling inside old man bobs house and scaring him to death..i assume that was you?


    He put away a document he was working on.


    ¡°Yup.¡± She nodded happily.


    ¡°I know i didn¡¯t specify how you had to do it, but please do the remaining ones more discretely if possible¡­¡± He sighed again.


    ¡°So, what is it you want, i hope you didn¡¯t come here to just brah about your first target, if you want to do that, do it to the soldiers outside, i¡¯m sure they would be happy to listen to your tales..i¡¯ve had enough of those..¡±


    Waving his hand, he motioned for her to leave.


    ¡°Well actually, i had some business with you..¡±


    Yuri activated a spell on her gauntlet behind her back and walked closer towards the captain.


    ¡°Like i said..go bother the soldiers if you are looking for something like that. I¡¯m not into little girls..¡±


    The captain raised an eyebrow, clearly misunderstanding Yuri¡¯s intentions as she looked very peculiar trying to sneak next to him in an overly obvious manner.


    ¡°-what?!¡±


    Yuri blushed slightly and got annoyed for some reason.


    Fuelled by this peculiar irritation, she gave the captain an upwards hit with her palm, that now had crackling lightning swirling in it, and landed a sold hit on the captains chin.


    The captain did not expect any sudden attacks. He briefly widened his eyes, before quickly losing consciousness, his pupils floating to the back of his head and revealing the whites of his eyes.


    ¡°A hit to the head with a taser works against everyone, even people like you captain..¡±


    She smirked as the captain collapsed in his seat, his muscles no longer supporting him.


    ¡°Now. Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything useful among all theses documents..¡±


    She began riffling through the piles of documents, trying to look through as much as possible before the captain wakes up and realises what had happened.

 Chapter 24: Deals and Golden grills

    Yuri puffed her cheeks while walking out the hideout holding only a small piece of paper.


    ¡°All those documents and no information other than this..¡±


    Sighing, she looked around for a certain short man at the inn.


    ¡°Ah there you are!¡±


    Finding her target who met her gaze and finished his gaze with a sigh, she called out.


    ¡°What can I help you with today, girl?¡±


    Galin asked with a bored expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m here about cashing in that request you ow me!¡±


    Smiling, Yuri took out a small piece of paper from her pocket.


    ¡°Alright..but I¡¯m going to need an advance payment, as this months rent is today and I¡¯m all out of coin.¡±


    He looked down sadly into his now empty mug.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I need you to find these people for me, you can do it right?¡±


    Handing over the paper to Galin who glanced over it. Galins face froze with shock.


    ¡°Sorry, girl. I think I¡¯m going to decline this job..¡±


    He handed back the paper.


    ¡°What, why?¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in dire need of money. It¡¯s just finding some people, can¡¯t be that hard, right?¡±


    ¡°Girl, you seem to not know..but..the people you are looking for are a dangerous bunch that specialise in smuggling weapon and incredibly illegal magical weapons. They¡¯re suspected to be the ones supplying the rebels with all their equipment. No one knows much other than the rumours, i¡¯m sure they want to keep it that way. I won¡¯t go digging my own grave, no matter how desperate for coin I am..¡±


    His expression serious, and his arms folded, Galins tone was resolved in his cowardice.


    ¡°I see..so they were that dangerous..¡±


    ¡°And why would a young girl like you want to find this scary gang anyway?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me girl..and the reason I want to know more about them is because of the fact they provide the rebels with all their things..¡± She muttered while thinking.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a rumour you know. You can¡¯t take those too seriously..¡±


    Galin said with a small frown.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s no rumour¡­the paper I gave you? It came directly from the captain of the rebels..¡±


    The paper was waved around like a small flag.


    ¡°¡­.Is that so¡­¡± Galin slowly let each word out. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask you how you got that, but I want nothing to do with that group..¡±


    He began to stand up.


    ¡°Wait wait!¡± She forced the short man to sit down.


    ¡°How about..i offer you a new job as a high ranking soldier, or even officer in the army?¡±


    ¡°A new job..? and a high ranking one at that..?¡± He grumbled ¡°You can get something like that for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, although i don¡¯t know if you would get to keep the job after they are done, but surely the fame and honour from accomplishing that would be plenty, not to mention it looks good on a resume!¡±


    She hoped to sweeten the deal.


    ¡°True..wait accomplish what exactly?¡±


    ¡°Recapturing the bank from the rebels of course!¡±


    Yuri announced with a smile that made Galins frown turn wider and change to surprise.


    ¡°That..would be a big achievement aye..and you can guarantee i get some of that fame?¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you can find the people i¡¯m looking for of course!¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She slid the paper over the table. There were many notes and scribbles on the paper, about money management and weapons distributions amongst other things. Two words stood out the most and were written with a seemingly more generous amount of ink.


    The words read ¡°Golden claw¡±.


    ¡ª


    The next day, while Yuri was busy lazing around at the inn, a red faced Galin ran up while out of breath.


    ¡°So¡­got any clues?¡±


    She asked after waiting for the dwarfish man to catch his breath.


    ¡°Better, I found out where to find one of the members!¡±


    Galin smiled proudly while pushing out his chest triumphantly.


    ¡°Impressive, how did you manage that in a day? I thought they were supposed to be all mysterious and secretive.¡±


    She was suspicious of the dwarf being able to accomplish anything this quickly without being persuaded by ale.


    ¡°Well they are, but only because the people who talk about them too much suddenly disappear. Other than that they operate as a fairly normal illegal underground group.¡±


    ¡°And you would know those things, like what is considered normal for smuggling business?¡±


    Yuri asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Aye, well not me personally. But I have all manner of drinking buddies, and you wouldn¡¯t believe the stuff they would tell you after a few beers!¡±


    Galin laughed while holding his stomach.


    ¡°I see..so basically..instead of doing the job I gave you. You went out to drink..¡±


    She gave him a pitying look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, girl! That¡¯s just how I operate, I got the information didn¡¯t I!¡±


    Galin argued while swaying slightly, the effects of last nights alcohol lingering on him.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s fine I guess..so tell me what you heard..¡±


    ¨C


    Yuri sat in a small bar that seemed to scream ¡®Shady activities are being handled here!¡¯. As everyone seemed to either be twitchy and nervous or overconfident and plastered with valuables.


    A few hours of quietly sipping on the same beer later, which the barkeep didn¡¯t seem to mind as most people seemed to do that, she began getting bored and wondered if Galins information was just a drunken hallucination.


    Right as she was about to leave, the man she was looking for entered the bar.


    He was just as Galin had described, wearing brightly coloured clothes, a few golden teeth and a creepy smile that made him look like he had just won the lottery. He moved like a penguin due to his large round body and seemed to have an uncanny resemblance to another fat jolly golden toothed man. This one however didn¡¯t have the characteristic greasy beard and looked a fair bit younger.


    She shook off her surprise at the resemblance and approached the man, signalling that she wanted to have a word.


    ¡°Ah yes, if you would like to discuss business let us go to a more private room, barkeep?¡±


    The man turned to the barkeep, who nodded towards a door at the back.


    ¡°So what would you like to purchase, miss?¡±


    The main asked directly after they sat down in the small room that seemed to contain nothing more than a poker table with a few chairs.


    ¡°Information.¡± Yuri stated simply.


    ¡°Ah yes, we don¡¯t many people asking for that nowadays. The price may vary depending on the type of information, but I¡¯m sure you could guess that.¡±


    He smiled at her.


    ¡°Yes figured, anyway I want information on the rebels, more specifically information on the rebels inside the bank.¡±


    Yuri upheld her poker face.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have any information regarding that. But if it¡¯s anything else, we can surely-¡±


    The man was interrupted mid sentence by Yuri.


    ¡°Cut the crap, how much will it cost, I know you have been dealing with the rebels, the cost isn¡¯t an issue.¡±


    She frowned.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry but we have a strict policy against selling information about our customers.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this..are you going to sell me the information or am I going to have to threaten you?¡±


    She was becoming slightly irritated, mostly due to the fact that this man reminded her of Delem and made her think of Hikaru.


    ¡°Miss I don¡¯t believe that you can threaten me without threatening the entirety of the golden claw. I am sure you have heard about our achievements. Such as the great spiriting away of the treasures in Urnan. I doubt there is anything you can do that will be enough to threaten me miss..¡±


    The man sighed with a sarcastic smile, which went completely ignored by Yuri.


    ¡°Did you just say that the golden claw was responsible for the robbery In Urnan¡­?¡±


    Yuri asked again just to be sure.


    ¡°I see you finally understand our greatness..¡±


    The man smiled wider, his few golden teeth shining brightly against the light of the lamp.


    ¡°Your group..the golden claw..wouldn¡¯t happen to have someone called Delem in it would it..?¡± She squinted.


    ¡°How do you know the name of our leader!?¡±


    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s how it was..he took all the credit for that..¡±


    A small vein pulsated on Yuri¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°I will show you when I see you again.. a world of pain..¡±


    Muttering to herself, she noticed the younger looking version of Delem trying to catch her attention.


    ¡°Yes, that reminds me, how were you able to find out about what had happened In Urnan. I thought the city had a complete ban on teleporting letters?¡±


    A feminine eyebrow was raised at the man that looked like Delem.


    ¡°Ah well, the best merchants always have their own teleportation circles for private letters, but you didn¡¯t answer my question?¡±


    ¡°Well if you have your own teleport circle. Send a letter to Delem and tell him that Yuri is here and that I am very irritated, he should understand..if he knows what¡¯s good for him..¡±


    The man shivered upon witnessing Yuri¡¯s bloodthirsty smile.


    ¡°S-sure. Come back here tomorrow..I¡¯m sure I will have a reply by then..¡±


    The man began to shuffle away as fast as his round body would let him.


    ¡°Excellent..¡±


    A wide smile adorned Yuri¡¯s face, the lamp casting eery shadows on her, making her seem more ominous. This made another spread of rumours about an evil spirits in the form of a little girl to spread around the city.

 Chapter 25: Planning, Slapping and Drinking

    The next morning went by with Yuri sitting in the same bar while waiting for the Golden claw member.


    She had nothing particular to do now that she had betrayed the rebels, and Galin was asleep due to drinking while celebrating his new job.


    Yuri had yet to talk to Jac about Galins new position, but she was sure he would go along with her suggestion.


    With nothing to do, she idly waited for the Delem lookalike to arrive.


    A few long hours and beers later, as Yuri was beginning to get slightly tipsy, the man that looked like Delem showed while shuffling like a penguin.


    Yuri giggled at his peculiar way of walking.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re finally here Delem..¡±She smiled at him.


    ¡°You piece of shit, taking all the credit for my achievement!¡±


    ¡°Miss Yuri, I am not Delem. I have however a letter from him that I received an hour ago. These teleport circles are quite fiddly..so they can take a bit longer than expected..¡±


    He handed over the letter, which Yuri grabbed and began to read.


    The letter read:


    Dear Yuri


    I am extremely glad to find out you are alright, when you suddenly disappeared we feared the worst-


    (Bla bla bla) Yuri skipped a few lines.


    Forgive me for taking credit of the mission, but you didn¡¯t specify that you wished for it to be known that you were the one who did it.


    (That cheeky bastard..)


    Please, as an apology, I will have my nephew Jarvis, the one who inherited my good looks, help you in whichever way you need, I have already sent him a separate letter in which I specified to assist you however he can.


    (Pfft¡­Jarvis, I look forward to working with you..pft..good looks..)


    I am sure that Hikaru would have been happy to find out that you are safe. He has however departed on a journey to search for your whereabouts, roughly a week after your disappearance. I have not heard from him since.


    (¡­.Hikaru¡­.) The light headedness from the alcohol was gone like it was never there and replaced with deep worry that slightly shook her (I hope he¡¯s okay..since he¡¯s a valuable asset and companion after all..)


    The fact that you were transported so far away is something I am only willing to believe because I have seen what you are capable of. A mountain of gold is every man¡¯s dream.


    Also do not worry about the Orb relic you had left behind, Hikaru has taken care of it when he left. I will be sure to send further letters through Jarvis when I acquire any useful information or am able to contact Hikaru.


    -With love, Delem.


    Yuri felt sickened at the presence of a suspicious mark of red lips at the end of the letters which seemed to be slightly too large to be a females.


    ¡°Ah that is the signature of the boss, that way we can tell the real letters from fakes easier¡±


    Jarvis said when noticed Yuri¡¯s disgusted expression.


    ¡°So it¡¯s like a fingerprint..but more disgusting..¡±


    Yuri closed the letter to evade having to look at the red mess a moment longer.


    ¡°Ah miss Yuri, would you mind if I ask a few questions? Since I have been instructed to aid you by the boss, I wish to clear some things that are bothering me?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Sure I guess..? what would you like to know?¡±


    Yuri raised an eyebrow, curious over his questions.


    ¡°I heard from the boss that you successfully created a portal that transported a living creature, namely you. Why don¡¯t you just make a portal back to Urnan if you being here is truly unintentional..?¡±


    ¡°Well..to be honest, I don¡¯t really know all the restrictions of teleportation magic. Besides the portals need to be linked and although your teleportation circle is linked to one there, it¡¯s probably a little small¡­¡±


    She explained as best she could, but she only knew the basics and got by with her dagger and special runes, so there wasn¡¯t much to explain beyond the obvious.


    ¡°I see..then if I send a folded portal through my smaller portal, you could use it?¡±


    ¡°Well..no..even if you send it through..t would probably mess up the mana of both circles..because of the interference?¡±


    Yuri remembered accidental activating the feather fall spell because of the influence of the more powerful wind gust spell.


    ¡°I see..¡±


    Jarvis sounded slightly disappointed that Yuri was staying.


    ¡°So what information did you need again?¡±


    He hoped to finish this as quickly as possible so he could get back to work.


    ¨C


    Yuri left the bar feeling satisfied with squeezing as much information as was possible out of Jarvis and headed towards Jacs mansion.


    On the way there, she made sure to grab Galin, who she found passed put on the floor from drinking too much.


    A few slaps and kicks later, Galin was awake enough to comprehend basic human language.


    ¡°Are you listening?¡±


    She asked him while he was close to falling over again.


    ¡°We are going to meet your new employer, so sober up!¡±


    She yelled at him. When he barely responded, she punched him in his large dwarf nose and made his open wide with pain.


    ¡°Much better, let¡¯s go.¡±


    A while later, which took longer than it should have due to Galin falling over repeatedly while walking, they finally arrived at Jacs mansions.


    They were greeted by the butler with a rude ¡°Hmph.¡± Who held his nose high.


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t like you too anyway..¡±


    She scoffed at the butler as she was led towards Jacs room.


    The butler knocked on the door and opened it after receiving permission from inside. He let Yuri and the still swaying Galin inside whole giving them the evil eye.


    ¡°Ah welcome!¡±


    Jac stood up from his desk when he noticed it was Yuri that had come to visit.


    ¡°I have the information, but before that, I promised this really convincing dwarf look alike a high standing job and making him part of the mission in some way in return for his help.¡±


    Yuri kicked Galin¡¯s shin and made him wake up from his daze.


    ¡°Ah! What? Hello..¡±


    He nodded at Jac, who just tilted his head.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure..?¡±


    Jac gave Yuri a complicated look while glancing at the swaying short figure.


    ¡°¡­Well, he¡¯s usually more presentable than this. Without him I wouldn¡¯t have gotten the information I needed..¡±


    She sighed at her own words when she looked over at Galin, who seemed to swaying in non-existent wind while looking like something the cat dragged in. Which had been left to rot under the bed for a few weeks.


    ¡°I see..well if you say so..¡±


    Straightening his face, Jac gave a professional nod.


    ¡°You seem very different from when I first met you..were you actually drunk back then..?¡±


    remembering the arrogant and childish behaviour of Jac, was a complete contrast to the polite and calm Jac in front of her.


    ¡°Truth be told, I never drink anything that would impede my thinking capability..¡± He glanced over at Galin,


    ¡°And it is so that I tend to keep private and professional matters separate.¡±


    (So him from the first encounter is his real personality, so to speak..)


    She conveyed all the information acquired from Jarvis to Jac.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s amazing..with this much information we actually have a chance at getting into the impenetrable bank. With you on your side it should be even easier!¡±


    Jack happily walked to his desk and started working. Drawing the different positions of the soldiers and planning strategies. Things that Yuri had no interest in.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, when can you get everything ready for the siege..?¡±


    Yuri asked as she was walking out the room.


    ¡°¡­Probably..tomorrow.. have to act while the information is fresh¡­come back in the morning so we have some time to discuss things through..¡±


    Jacs muttering was barely audible through the loud consistent noise of quill on paper.


    ¡°Alright, see you then¡­¡±


    Yuri walked back to the inn to prepare for the oncoming battle.


    Galin had collapsed on the floor in Jacs room earlier, and was forgotten as Jac was too immersed in his scribbling, and Yuri simply didn¡¯t care.

 Chapter 26: I need a Hero

    Yuri ended up staying up thinking of possible items or preparations she would need before the bank siege.


    She ended up buying a few pieces of hard leather which she drew some runes. The leather bits were fairly heavy so she ended up having to wear a small bag to hold them and her dagger.


    She awoke early in the morning, barely getting any sleep and ran over to Jac¡¯s mansion.


    She was greeted by the butler, that was expecting her. He looked as tidy as ever, despite it being so early in the morning.


    Yuri entered Jac¡¯s room, and found both Jac and Galin laying on the floor.


    They each had an arm over each others shoulders and a had a few bottles of some potent smelling alcohol strewn between them.


    Sighing slightly, she picked up a glass of water that was conveniently placed nearby, presumably for when Jac woke up.


    Ignoring the raised eyebrow from the butler behind her, she splashed the water across Jac¡¯s and Galin¡¯s faces.


    The duo woke up with confused screams. Yuri could almost swear she saw a small smile on the butlers face he disappeared.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    They were greeted by the impatient Yuri.


    ¡°Ha-ah, miss Yuri!¡±


    Jac attempted to stand up but almost fell over in the process, accidentally knocking Galin back down on the floor.


    ¡°So, how did the strategy making and all that go?¡±


    Folding her arms in a displeased manner, Yuri tapped her foot.


    ¡°Ah, hm. Well after I finished drawing up the plans yesterday. I discovered that you had forgotten your friend here when I tripped over him.¡±


    Jac nodded at Galin.


    ¡°One thing led to another and we ended up having a drink together. Who knew a commoner could be such a great drinking buddy. I think I now know why you chose to trust someone like him. He makes bonds like a man should.¡±


    Jac answered with a refreshed smile that made Yuri more than a little surprised.


    ¡°¡­Really? What the hell kind of bonding is that..?¡±


    She in slight disbelief that the dwarf look alike actually saying the truth about being great at drinking with others seemed to be true.


    ¡°¡­I never did anything like that when I was still a man in my previous world¡­¡±


    Yuri mumbled to herself enviously.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Jac looked at her.


    ¡°Nothing. She replied quickly. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s our move?¡±


    ¡°Hm, According to your information. They are most active at night, since they receive supplies from the golden claw at that time, and people are less likely to detect them.¡±


    He riffled through the papers on his desk.


    ¡°Thus. It would be best to attack during the day when most of them are resting or sleeping. They would never see it coming..¡±


    ¡°Right, but how do we actually get in there?¡±


    Yuri asked impatiently.


    ¡°That. Is where you come in.¡±


    Picking up a blueprint of the bank, Jac pointed at various parts of it.


    ¡°Now, this was confusing me at first, since there is only one entrance to the bank, and they are not using it. I wondered how they got in and out, but since in the information you acquired it said that they were using a secret tunnel. I have been able to deduce that the only thing they could be using.,is the sewer system.¡±


    He pointed at a small line that went from the bank and into the ground.


    ¡°So..we come in through the sewers and ambush them?¡±


    ¡°No, no, even if they made the hole larger, it can¡¯t be that large. Fitting many soldiers through there would be impossible. What I need, is for you to sneak through that tunnel and create an entrance for us from inside, by opening the gate from inside..or by other means..¡±


    Jac glanced over at the hole in the wall that had yet to be fixed.


    ¡°I see..well I guess that¡¯s fine..


    Yuri had hoped she would get an easier role, like standing back and occasionally shooting some fancy spells, while the soldiers did all the work. Her hopes were crushed however, as she was forced to do actual work.


    ¡°It should be fairly easy to slip by them, since we now know their movements and when they change shifts. We also have the locations of all the traps their mages set up, so as long as you follow this map I made..¡±


    Yuri was handed an incredibly detailed map full of scribbles and markings of how and when she should move through the bank.


    ¡°..It should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so when do we start?¡±


    She skimmed through the notes on the map.


    ¡°Right now¡±


    He patted the dust off his clothes that got dirty from sleeping on the floor.


    ¡°Now? You¡¯re not even prepared, not to mention you and Galin are still drunk..¡±


    She noted Jacs and Galins odd movements.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Nothing a bit of healing magic won¡¯t fix, besides I can prepare while you make an entrance for us. It would be suspicious if there was suddenly at their front door. I will wait until you are done.¡±


    He began to leave with Galin following after him.


    ¡°Alright then, but don¡¯t be late.¡±


    ¡°Aye, good luck girl.¡± Galin muttered while almost stumbling into the doorway.


    ¨C


    A big metal plate located in a dark alley that stank more than a drunk dwarf was all that stood between Yuri and the supposed tunnel to the bank.


    ¡°This seems a bit heavy to lift alone..¡±


    Yuri shrugged and drew some runes on the plate.


    The plate disappeared, at least the part covered in runes and Yuri was able to easily climb in.


    The inside of the tunnel was dark, and stank so much that Yuri had to cover her nose with a cloth.


    She found a few lanterns laying about, presumably from the rebels or the Golden claw, and lit one before covering it with a cloth, keeping its light to a minimum.


    She followed the map through the sewers and kept panicking whenever she heard the smallest sound, although it was always a rat or some other small creatures whose home she was intruding upon.


    Soon enough, she reached her destination. A small barely noticeable hole in the ceiling, large enough to almost fit an adult man through. It looked quite crudely dug out as it gaped open above Yuri. A small stream of light hit her eyes from above.


    A small rope ladder connected the hole to the ground, which Yuri gratefully climbed up, thankful to escape the stench.


    A small trap door was blocking the way, which Yuri immediately opened, the smell almost suffocating her.


    The light temporarily blinded her. When she regained her sight, she found that the room she was in was a bathroom.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a bathroom, what else would have a hole connected to the sewers..¡±


    As she was climbing out the hole, she noticed she wasn¡¯t alone in the bathroom.


    On the opposite side of the bathroom, stood a small crude toilet. On it sat a young rebel, with his pants down of course, presumably In the middle of something important. His face was red and his eyes shut closed, as if he was concentrating really hard on something, which made him not notice Yuri.


    Resisting the urge to laugh, she activated a rune on her gauntlet and sneaked up toe the red faced rebel, punching him in the stomach.


    The low buzz of electricity intensified for a second.


    The rebel collapsed in his seat, and almost immediately after, a horrible stench filled Yuri¡¯s nose.


    ¡°I suppose I did him a favour there..¡±


    She muttered and quickly moved away from the stench.


    ¡°Now¡­let¡¯s see here..¡±


    Unfolding her map and looking over some of the notes, she found out that no one patrolled near the bathroom, even though it was an entrance point and most of the forces and patrols were concentrated near the front entrance.


    ¡°This should be easy..¡±


    Yuri put the map back in the bag and made her way out of the bathroom.


    Sneaking down the small corridor leading away form the bathroom, she found herself in a room full of sleeping rebels.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡±


    She cursed loudly before quickly putting her hands over her mouth. A nearby rebel grunted in his sleep.


    She slowly tread carefully on her toes, stepping over peoples limbs one by one.


    After what seemed like forever, Yuri finally managed to get to the other side of the room.


    Sighing in relief, she began to walk towards the entrance when her foot was caught on a sword that was laying on the floor. Her arms flailed wildly while she flew face first into the ground, her gauntlets and sword making loud metallic clanks that accompanied her painful grunt.


    Slowly standing up and holding her head in pain, she looked around to see if anyone had noticed.


    All of the rebels were wide awake and holding their various weapons, ranging from swords to axes and spears.


    ¡°Awh¡­crap¡­¡±


    The runes on her gauntlets were instantly activated when she found herself surrounded.


    The left gauntlet began to spew out smoke that filled the room and made the rebels cough, while the right gauntlet buzzed with a familiar electric sound.


    Yuri began running around the room, hitting everyone with the palm of her hand where a small ball of lightning was formed, knocking the rebels unconscious.


    The rebels were screaming in confusion and desperately tried to find their small enemy, but the fog was too thick and Yuri was too quick on her feet.


    Half of the rebels had already fallen to Yuri when the fog was sucked in towards a single point before vanishing.


    A strong gust of wind pushed Yuri against the wall and made she couldn¡¯t move.


    Her limbs were held against the wall and she couldn¡¯t activate her runes, much less move her head around.


    ¡°You have done enough damage as it is, so cease resisting.¡±


    A voice called out from her side. Although she couldn¡¯t turn her head to see who it was, her entire body was immobile.


    She felt someone¡¯s hands quickly search her. Her gauntlets and her bag which contained her runic leather bits and her most important knife were confiscated.


    ¡°Runic magic¡­impressive¡­but not good enough..¡±


    The voice mumbled something incomprehensible.


    The force against Yuri¡¯s body disappeared and she fell to the floor.


    Her body ached from the force it was subjected to. Slowly turning her head while still on her knees, she found that she was still surrounded by the rebels, unsurprisingly enough.


    Right in the middle of the soldiers, stood a few individuals that distinguished themselves from the other soldiers with their long flowing robes that they wore beneath their leather armour, instead of swords they held books and small sceptres.


    She tried to escape, but she was surrounded with her back against the wall, which she was thrown back against by the closest soldier.


    ¡°Damn it..¡±


    Her lungs emptied of air as her body hit the wall again.


    ¡°How did you get in here.¡±


    One of the robed men asked and took a step towards her.


    ¡°By following your stench..¡± She smiled at him despite being in pain.


    ¡°A rebellious one¡­ironic.¡±


    The robed man grinned.


    ¡°We will see how rebellious you are after we are done with you¡­¡± He gave her a crooked smile.


    ¡°You know, the men here have been locked up inside for a very long time, and things can get a bit boring. I think we should let them have some fun every now and again right?¡±


    Several other soldiers smirked at what he implied.


    ¡°Torture won¡¯t work on me you know..¡±


    Yuri shook her head at their amateurish threats.


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m not talking about torture..quite the opposite really..well you will soon find out. I will be back later¡­then we will see if you are more talkative..¡±


    The robed man and walked away into the crowd of soldiers.


    Yuri was confused.


    Her expression slowly changed from confusion to horror as she realised what was happening.


    The soldiers were slowly moving towards her, their expressions were filled with a familiar taint that she also used to wear when she was still a man.


    She tried to fight her way out, but was tightly held by her by one of the soldiers.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since any of us had a pure young girl..¡± One of them grinned.


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t!¡± Her eyes were beginning to water. ¡°Not like this¡­¡±


    Her protests were completely ignored, as the soldiers began to slowly pull on her clothes.


    Just as a small tear flowed down Yuris chin, the man holding onto her suddenly collapsed on the floor.


    Yuri fell backwards as the force holding her up was gone.


    From behind the now dead man, a familiar figure stood before Yuri.


    Holding a plain longsword in his right hand, the figure threw off the generic metal helm from his face and reached out a hand to help Yuri stand up.


    Tears began running down Yuri¡¯s face, as she started to sob.


    ¡°Sorry I took so long..¡±


    Hikaru said as he took Yuri¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 27: Empty Case of Sweets

    ¡°I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO RESCUE ME DAMNIIIIIT!¡±


    Yuri yelled while being carried by Hikaru in an embarrassing princess carry while he ran around, attempting to avoid the oncoming barrage of attacks coming from all around them.


    ¡°Sorry Yuri, I can¡¯t really attack while holding you, I couldn¡¯t stand you getting hurt.¡±


    Hikaru said calmly, jumping around to avoid the attacks while making peculiar poses to barely avoid the arrows whizzing past them. Making the whole scene look both impressive and comical.


    ¡°I-i see..well in that case..¡±


    She felt her face redden slightly for reasons unknown to her.


    ¡°So you can fight if you don¡¯t have to carry me..?¡±


    Shaking her head to dispel her odd emotions, she asked him.


    ¡°Do you have some sort of plan?¡±


    Hikaru asked while doing a backwards flip to avoid both swords and fireballs, making Yuri light headed and changing her eyes to spirals.


    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    She called upon all her willpower to not puke.


    ¡°If you can take me to the tunnel..i can go get the forces outside and start the siege..while you fight your way to the entrance and open the gate.¡±


    Nodding at her own brilliant plan, she felt satisfied with her role of not having to do anything special.


    Hikaru nodded simply and made his way towards the toilet area while dodging the attackers with inhumane precision.


    Finally dodging his way over to the entrance to the tunnel, he slowly put Yuri down from her embarrassing princess carry.


    Hikaru softly patted her head, making her get a familiar uncomfortable feeling in her chest, before drawing his sword and heading back into the main room.


    Yuri shook away the feelings of worry and whatever other feelings lingered in her chest and climbed down into the sewers. She ran back towards the area Jac had told her about earlier, the sounds of metal clashing against metal and flesh slowly fading away into a soft echo in the dark tunnel.


    ¨C


    Yuri finally found Jac, after spotting the army of around a hundred men who were unsuccessfully trying to stealthily get close to the bank.


    She found both Jac and Galin standing at the front, holding binoculars and looking out towards the bank.


    She tapped them both on the shoulder.


    ¡°Not now soldier, can¡¯t you see we¡¯re busy?¡±


    Galin grumbled while turning around.


    ¡°Girl..? What are you doing here, weren¡¯t you supposed to be getting the gate open?¡±


    ¡°What..? Miss Yuri, what are you doing here?¡±


    Jac turned once he noticed it was Yuri.


    ¡°Well, I got into some trouble inside, but it¡¯s fine, I have someone who will open the gate for us soon¡±


    She smiled confidently.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t part of our plan¡­i hope you are right. Otherwise all the information you got for us will be worthless..¡±


    Jac and Galin turned their attention back towards the bank.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m right too.¡±


    Yuri clutched her chest while trying not to think of what it implied if Hikaru failed to get the gate open.


    ¨C


    A few long minutes later, the gates slowly began to open.


    It was unnaturally quiet. Everyone expected the sounds of yelling and fighting to fill the air, while whoever was inside made their way out to avoid getting killed.


    Instead of that, a single figure appeared out of the gate, holding nothing but a simple blade in their right hand.


    The figure slowly walked over towards the small army waiting outside the gates, making the soldiers unsheathe their weapons, wary of this strange appearance.


    Yuri rushed towards the figure once she realised who it was.


    ¡°How did it go, are you hurt?¡±


    She asked with worry, looking all over his to make sure he wasn¡¯t missing a limb.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, although I should be the one asking you that¡±


    Hikaru slowly sheathed his sword.


    Once Jac and Galin realised the figure wasn¡¯t hostile, they quickly gathered up the army and rushed inside the bank.


    Instead of a loud battle, what followed next were the confused and surprised voices of the soldiers.


    ¡°Everyone is dead..?¡±


    Jac asked once he and Galin made their way back towards Yuri, who was tending to Hikarus non-existent wounds.


    ¡°Yes, it was my fault..I couldn¡¯t get the gate opened. They were desperate to stop me from doing so, so I had to keep disposing of those that got in my way..¡±


    Hikaru scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°Besides..they harmed Yuri..i feel no remorse.¡±


    Hikarus eyes were hard and unwavering, making Jac and Galin to unconsciously take a step back.


    ¡°Well..anyway..¡±


    Yuri coughed nervously, unsure of whether to be happy or scared about Hikarus response.


    ¡°About the reward..?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, I did promise you a single item from the vault. We can finish that now, since we also have to check that everything inside the vault is in order.¡±


    Jac quickly regained his composure and answered politely.


    They slowly made their way through the bank, walking through the room full of dead cut up rebels that they had to step over.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Yuri felt sick at the sight before her. Yet she still searched through the belongings of the dead mages, slowly getting more flustered as she searched.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not here¡­¡±


    She muttered.


    ¡°My dagger¡­and my gauntlets¡­they¡¯re not here..¡± She whimpered.


    ¡°¡­.About that..i might have seen a few figures escaping towards the tunnels while I was fighting..I¡¯m sorry Yuri..i let them escape..¡±


    Hikaru replied solemnly.


    ¡°You idiot!¡±


    (Apologising after saving me, is he serious!?)


    Yuri wiped away her forming tears and gave Hikaru a punch in his stomach. It ended up with Yuri rolling around on the floor while holding her hand in pain.


    ¡°Yuri!¡±


    Kneeling down at the sight of Yuri in pain, Hikaru attempted to cast a simple healing spell to lessen Yuri¡¯s pain.


    ¡°Well¡­we can talk about this later..¡±


    Standing up as if nothing had happened, she began walking towards the vault.


    ¡°Young ones are always unreasonable, don¡¯t you worry, your lover will forgive you soon enough.¡±


    Hikaru received a pat on the back by Galin.


    ¡°Oh we are not lovers.¡±


    ¡°Sure sure.¡±


    Galin smiled and walked off, making Hikaru raise an eyebrow at the peculiar short man.


    ¡°Well, here we are.¡±


    Jac stood near the giant vault door that was filled with runes and cogs.


    ¡°The city¡¯s treasury.¡±


    ¡°So this Is what it looks like from the outside..¡±


    Yuri wondered at the sight of the vault door.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Jac turned his head.


    ¡°Nothing nothing.¡±


    ¡°Alright then..?¡±


    Jac began to turn the various cogs in a certain order while muttering passwords under he breath.


    A while later, the cogs started moving on their own and the giant vault door swung open.


    A giant room stretched out further than the light from their lanterns could reach. Filled with all sorts of wondrous objects.


    Unlike the previous vault that Yuri had been in, this one was filled primarily with different objects made of clay and different armours and weapons.


    None of that interested Yuri, her eyes being naturally drawn to the the large golden pedestal in the middle of the room. On it lay a single box made of green metal.


    ¡°That, I want that!¡±


    She pointed at the box like an excited child in a toy store.


    ¡°But..that is the holy relic of this city, we can¡¯t just give it away!¡±


    Jac protested.


    ¡°Aye I knew it, you wanted the relic after all..¡±


    Galin nodded his head while rubbing his chin.


    ¡°You promised me a single item from this vault if I helped get the bank back, a deal is a deal Jac.¡±


    Jac received a menacing glare from Yuri, making him step back worriedly.


    ¡°Okay okay! A promise is a promise after all.¡±


    He answered nervously


    Yuri smiled in delight that her intimidation was still working.


    What Yuri didn¡¯t notice however was Hikaru standing behind her, holding his hand on his sword while glaring at Jac.


    Jac quickly walked over to the box and mumbled a few things, making runes appear and disappear on it. Runes Yuri had yet to see, the box opened slowly, and instead of a wondrous item, inside, lay a small piece of paper.


    ¡°What the- where is the relic, Jac, don¡¯t dare try and hide it!¡±


    She snapped at the shocked looking man.


    ¡°No..it should be here..¡±


    Muttering, he slowly picked up the paper and looked at it. All it contained was a symbol of the sun.


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    She looked at the symbol curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but one thing is for sure¡­someone has already beaten us to this once¡­¡±


    Hikaru answered while looking at the symbol, his expression hard, and darker than usual.


    ¡°H-hikaru, are you alright..?¡±


    Yuri asked timidly, slightly frightened by his expression.


    ¡°What? Oh yes, i¡¯m perfectly fine, Yuri we should probably get some rest now, since we are done here..¡±


    He answered quickly, his expression changing back to his usual kind one.


    ¡°Right..well not before I get what I deserve..i was promised an item and I will take an item!¡±


    She looked around the vault.


    ¡°This!¡±


    Yuri pointed at a suit of armour too large to fit her small body. It was glowing slightly, faintly, and Yuris keen eyes had picked up on that.


    ¡°Then I grant you permission to take the suit of armour¡±


    Jac announced to no one in particular.


    ¡°I always wanted some proper armour that wasn¡¯t a dress..¡±


    The empty shell of the armour now contained a muttering Yuri.


    The suit began to slowly shrink until it fit her body very snuggly.


    ¡°I knew it, it was a magical armour after all~¡±


    She laughed and showed off her new armour to Hikaru.


    A few seconds later, the armour began to glow.


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    It began to reform itself, the light blinding everyone in the room, Yuri included.


    The light slowly subsided, and instead of an armour, Yuri was now wearing a cute small white dress, that barely reached past her knees.


    ¡°Wha-what the hell is this!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, all the items here are highly magical, they usually change their shape to what they think fits the owner more. I guess it thinks this shape is the best one that would fit you?¡±


    Jac explained.


    ¡°Hah¡­well atleast it¡¯s magical..so it should give me some protection..right?¡±


    Yuri asked desperately.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Well..good enough..let¡¯s get out of here Hikaru..¡±


    She sighed and walked out with Hikaru following after her.


    ¨C


    ¡°So what were you even doing inside the bank?¡±


    Yuri asked Hikaru once they arrived at the Inn she was staying at.


    ¡°Well..once you disappeared, I naturally went out to search for you. I thought that since it¡¯s you. You would end up in a city looking for a relic sooner or later, so I began to search through all the cities that had a relic.¡±


    ¡°I see..¡±


    She nodded her head in understanding. It was indeed what she had done.


    ¡°At some point I ran out of money. I had searched all the cities containing relics near Urnan, I bought as much information as I could and made my way across the sea. So I needed money, and I had heard there were rebels who were hiring in this city, and they conveniently had a relic. It seemed more efficient if I earned money while being somewhere you might show. And I was correct.¡±


    He smiled softly at Yuri as he his journey.


    ¡°So you were working for the rebels..that makes sense..¡± She nodded, ¡°But wait..how the hell did you get all the way here from Urnan this quickly.. I thought it was supposed to take ages to travel across the sea?¡±


    She asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Well, I have my ways..¡±


    He said cryptically.


    ¡°So even you have secrets huh..¡±


    She sighed.


    ¡°Fine, but we are still not done..¡±


    She looked at Hikaru and gave him a villainous smile.


    ¡°You still have to be punished for losing my dagger.¡±


    ¡°Yes..it should be our next step to try and get it back, it¡¯s a great asset in retrieving the relics.¡±


    ¡°I agree, but you still have to pay for losing them..¡± She pouted slightly.


    ¡°Ah I have just the thing.¡±


    Hikaru took out a small bag filled with something sweet smelling.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    She asked curiously, her nose drawing her closer.


    ¡°It was a gift I had bought for you when I travelled through a city that specialised in sweets production. This is their best product, so it never goes bad.¡±


    He handed her the bag.


    Yuri reluctantly tried one of the sweets, her eyes gave off a bright glint and she began to quickly eat all the sweets.


    ¡°Shish ish sho guud¡±


    She said happily while munching.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    Smiling kindly, Hikaru slowly patted her head, making her blush slightly.


    ¡°Buh..¡± She pouted slightly.


    ¡°I will make you pay someday..¡±


    She complained while being patted, but didn¡¯t try to resist.

 Chapter 28: Sunny Dresses

    Yuri awoke the next day feeling incredibly groggy, her head throbbing in pain.


    ¡°Awawa¡­i feel horrible¡­¡±


    She slowly got up from bed while holding her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally away, Yuri.¡±


    Hikaru was sitting in the corner, cleaning his sword.


    ¡°Why do I feel so¡­shitty¡­¡±


    She slowly massaged her temples.


    ¡°It was probably the candy I gave, it had concentrated alcohol inside it.¡±


    A glass of water was slowly poured and offered to Yuri, which she gratefully accepted.


    ¡°Alcoholic candy..? But I remember drinking without trouble before. Why would I get affected by candy..?¡±


    She frowned after finishing her water.


    ¡°Well, the city I got this from specialises in all sorts of peculiar candy, I guess this was an extra powerful variant.¡±


    He went back to cleaning his sword.


    ¡°Right..¡±


    Nodding, she noticed that she wasn¡¯t wearing the dress that she got from the vault, but instead one other plain ones.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember changing my clothes..¡±


    She looked at her clothes curiously, before tilting her head at Hikaru.


    ¡°I had no choice¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t look her in the eyes.


    ¡°When you passed out from the candy., I put you to bed, and you ended up having..an accident..in your sleep. I couldn¡¯t wake you up so I was forced to do it for you.¡±


    ¡°So you¡­¡±


    Yuri¡¯s face became fire red.


    She grabbed her while dress which seemed to have been cleaned, presumably by Hikaru, and stormed out of the inn, not bothering to listen to anything Hikaru was shouting after her.


    Once She had gotten a fair bit away from the inn, she changed her dress in empty alleyway to her magical white dress.


    ¡°Much better, at least this one is magical..¡±


    She sighed softly.


    ¡°I hope Hikaru dies while looking for me. Has he no shame¡­even though I¡¯m still a guy inside¡­but still..has he no shame!?¡±


    She grumbled angrily, her face still red while walking down the main street.


    While walking towards the marketplace, she tried taking a shortcut through a small alley, figuring she might as well explore while she¡¯s out.


    She felt something small touch the back of her neck, which she casually slapped away, thinking it was an insect.


    What instead fell down was a small dart with an obviously green shade in its tip.


    Checking her neck for wound, she was relieved to feel soft cloth instead of blood. Her dress seemed to have enveloped the back of her neck right before the dart hit, as protection.


    ¡°That was close¡­i should probably-¡±


    Her eyes narrowed in a dangerous manner.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°-Run away now!¡±


    She ran through the alley, trying to get to a more populated place, but was met with a big wall that wasn¡¯t there before.


    Upon closer inspection, she realised it wasn¡¯t a wall blocking her escape, but a giant bear of a man, wearing a long white hooded robe that covered his face.


    ¡°Huh. Doesn¡¯t seem the dart has taken any effect, little miss is tougher than she looks~¡±


    A voice behind her.


    Turning around, she found a figure smaller than the one in front of her, who wore the same hooded white robes, blocking her escape.


    ¡°Uh¡­what¡¯s up?¡±


    Her eyes darted all over, looking for a way to escape.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little miss. We mean you no harm. We just want to talk..isn¡¯t that right Hugo?¡±


    The smaller man approached Yuri, while the large man in front of her stayed completely still and unmoving. So much that she could almost swear he was a statue, if not for that his robes swayed slightly in the wind.


    Her hands moved to where her dagger usually was, before remembering that she didn¡¯t have it.


    Instead, she held up her fists, in what she thought was a threatening stance.


    ¡°How cute.¡±


    Despite him wearing a hood, she was fairly sure the smaller man was laughing silently.


    She attempted to throw a quick punch towards the smaller man¡¯s face. Her fist was lazily caught, and then pulled into a close embrace with her.


    She tried to hit and bite her opponent, but either his robes were also magical, or her attacks were not very effective as he didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Hmmm..seems sharp things won¡¯t work on you..¡±


    A small needle covered in green liquid seemed to be trying to stab Yuri in any possible place.


    It was brilliantly blocked by the white dress that stretched around Yuri¡¯s body while blocking each attempt.


    ¡°Guess, we will just have to break your legs..Hugo, your turn.¡±


    Yuri was thrown against the wall, making her fall on her backside.


    The large man that she assumed was called Hugo, took out a small bronze hammer and held it up at the sky.


    Yuri could see the muscles in his arm growing and flexing as the hammer slowly increased in mass until it was the size of her.


    She tried to run away, alas her legs wouldn¡¯t move. A small amount of whatever covered the needle had gotten into the cloth of her dress and touched her skin, robbing her of some of her basic motor functions.


    Yuri looked up at the hammer that cast a shadow over her eyes and prepared herself for the pain of getting her legs crushed.


    Right as she braced herself, the hammerhead seemed to detach itself from its handle and fell on the smaller man¡¯s head, knocking him out.


    The large man named Hugo looked at the handle curiously, and Yuri could see that the hammer didn¡¯t just unscrew but was cleanly cut off at the handle.


    The figure of Hikaru appeared in front of her as if he teleported there. She couldn¡¯t tell how he had suddenly appeared there, she assumed it was due to the venom that messed with her vision.


    Hikaru did a quick slash towards the big target of an opponent, but was blocked with a speed that seemed unusual for his large build with the the small handle Hugo still held in his hand.


    The large man quickly picked up his fallen comrade over his shoulder and jumped up on the roof of a nearby building with a single jump, before disappearing from their vision.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Yuri was helped up by Hikaru after he sheathed his sword.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine..¡±


    She sighed, her anger at Hikaru was replaced with an irritation at not being able to protect herself.


    ¡°Are you sure, are you hurt, what happened?¡±


    Yuri was bombarded with questions. She shortly explained what had happened to Hikaru.


    ¡°I see..those didn¡¯t seem like simple muggers or kidnappers¡­too skilful¡­mostly..¡±


    He looked over the hammer head that was the only thing left from the two attackers.


    ¡°Hey isn¡¯t that..¡±


    Yuri pointed out a familiar symbol on the hammer.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same symbol we saw on that piece of paper, when we tried to find the relic!¡±


    ¡°¡­.It is¡­¡±


    Hikaru¡¯s face became dark and a shadow covered his face. His eyes filling with hatred.


    ¡°Hikaru..you seem to know what this means..?¡±


    She asked timidly. She was still not used to seeing that kind of expression on Hikaru¡¯s usually calm face.


    ¡°Yes..i do..¡±


    His hand went to his swords handle for a moment, gripping it tightly before letting go.


    ¡°So..shall we go now. We should look into this and try and find out where your dagger went, maybe we should contact Delem?¡±


    His expression went back to normal as he suggested casually while walking down the alley.


    ¡°O-oh sure!¡±


    She relaxed almost immediately when Hikaru was back to normal and quickly ran up to him, while they walked together towards the busy streets and away from the dark alley.


    Behind Yuri, as she was walking away with Hikaru, the hammerhead fell apart into several neatly sliced piece, with the symbol of the sun laying on top of the rest in the middle. Uncut among the other pieces of bronze metal.

 Chapter 29: School girl Blossom

    ¡°So Jarvis, what did Delem say?¡±


    Yuri sat at the back of a small bar with Hikaru standing behind her in his usual vigilant stance.


    ¡°Well,,¡±


    Jarvis unfolded a small letter.


    ¡°This sun symbol seems to have appeared at several locations where relics have gone missing..¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°It has caused quite a lot of panic everywhere, among the higher standing people at least. This information is kept secret from the common public, for obvious reasons..¡±


    ¡°So we finally have ourselves a rival..is that why they attacked me? To take care of competition?¡±


    ¡°Possibly..¡±


    Jarvis shrugged.


    ¡°Or perhaps they wished to get their hands on the relics you acquired..which reminds me..The boss was curious if you needed help hiding them somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I have them in a secure place.¡±


    Hikaru chimed in.


    ¡°That is all you need to know.¡±


    ¡°Right..well you heard him..but why would anyone even want the relics, other than me. I thought they were useless unless you were choosing the next bishop?¡±


    ¡°Well. I have no answer to that. That¡¯s partly why there is a great panic among the bishops and nobles. There is little to no information to go on. This time however it¡¯s most likely they had someone inside the rebels do the work for them. It¡¯s the most likely scenario.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, not like it¡¯s even that hard to join them. Any clues on my dagger?¡±


    Yuri didn¡¯t like being so defenceless, having to rely on being protected by Hikaru whenever something happened.


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s the good news, we have information on where your dagger is right now!¡±


    Jarvis announced with a proud leer.


    ¡°Really!?¡±


    Yuri beamed.


    ¡°I would hug you if you didn¡¯t remind me of Delem so much!¡±


    ¡°I will take that as a compliment¡±


    He rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Anyway, it seems one of the mages that ran off with your dagger and a pair of odd gauntlets, immediately sold them to a private customer.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    A few transaction listings were placed on the table.


    ¡°Luckily for us, the middleman they sold it through keeps meticulous records of their sales, which we managed to acquire by certain means. It was sold at a very high price, since it was deemed an item of high magical properties.¡±


    ¡°Right right, but who actually bought it?¡±


    Yuri asked impatiently.


    ¡°Well it was actually bought by the headmaster of Blossom Academy,¡±


    ¡°Right, so we can just go and get it, tell me about this Academy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the peculiar part, it¡¯s not just any old Academy. It¡¯s an old Academy for raising young noble girls. The magic research department facilities on this Academy are very limited. Most of it is centred around business management and etiquette. The fact he paid so much is strange..very strange..¡±


    Jarvis stroked his chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Who cares, he probably collects them, the reason doesn¡¯t matter, I just need information on this Academy so I can get it back!¡±


    Yuri nodded impatiently and tried to move the topic along.


    ¡°Honestly speaking, getting it will be hard¡±


    He scratched his head.


    ¡°The security for the Academy is incredibly high, other than the teachers and students, no is permitted to enter, not that they can anyway. They have all manner if magical protections. It¡¯s the Academy of the future noble women of the world after all..¡±


    ¡°I see..and without my dagger I can¡¯t easily bypass all that magic..can¡¯t you get us a guest tour of the Academy or something..?¡±


    She was grasping at any straws she could get.


    ¡°Sadly no such thing exists. The magic permits only students and teachers.¡±


    Jarvis scratched his chin.


    ¡°However¡­there might be an easier way to get in..i just have to send a few letters to the Boss..i will be right back.¡±


    ¡°An easier way..?¡±


    Yuri raised an eyebrow.


    ¨C


    ¡°What the hell is this!¡±


    Cried out Yuri while looking in the mirror.


    She was wearing a short plaid skirt with a pink blouse and some short heeled black shoes. The blouse held a small emblem of a blossom on a shield.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way, even Delem agreed..¡±


    Hikaru reminded her and gently patted her on the head to comfort her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it fits you, no one would think that you aren¡¯t a young noble lady¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem! Besides I don¡¯t even want to be a noble, much less a lady!¡±


    She complained loudly.


    ¡°That damn Delem..i swear he only said there was no other way to have me suffer..that fat pervert..¡±


    She pouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m a man damnit..why should I be the one doing this..¡±


    ¡°You are the only one with the correct age and gender, besides, i¡¯m sure it will be easy for you to fool everyone there. Since your aim is to be the greatest thief, isn¡¯t it natural to practice acting?¡±


    Hikaru was attempting to convince her.


    ¡°Well..you¡¯re right I suppose..it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to fool everyone there, since I am the great Yuri after all!¡±


    Her chest was puffed up in confidence, and she was patted again by Hikaru who smile in a sort of ¡®that¡¯s much more like the usual Yuri¡¯ sort of way.


    ¡°Your carriage is ready to depart¡±


    Jarvis poked his head into the dressing room before disappearing again.


    ¡°Well..I¡¯m off then..¡±


    ¡°Good luck Yuri, don¡¯t worry too much about it, I will come if anything happens.¡±


    He smiled at her.


    ¡°Thanks I guess..¡±


    Yuri felt butterflies in her stomach for the first time since she first went to school as a child in her previous world.


    She opened the door and stepped out into the light.

 Chapter 30: The Academy of Secrets

    Fidgeting around slightly, Yuri shook slightly, matching the slight shaking of the carriage she was in.


    It soon halted to a stop and the carriage door was opened by a butler, who also served as the driver of the carriage.


    In front of Yuri, where an Academy was supposed to stand, stood a giant castle.


    The city of Brokkr could barely be seen in the distance.


    Entry in and out of the city wasn¡¯t prohibited to nobles or those of high blood. Jarvis seemed to have somehow made his way into one of those categories, and declared Yuri his relative. On paper at least. Thus Yuri was technically considered a noble and was granted entry to the Academy.


    ¡°Do you wish to be led to your room, Miss?¡±


    The butler asked while still holding the door open. Yuri broke through out of her daze and returned to reality.


    ¡°Ah, sure. I mean, please do so.¡±


    She had almost forgotten that she was supposed to act like a young noble maiden. Her words fumbled a bit, but the butler didn¡¯t seem to notice, or perhaps he was trained to be thoughtful of young ladies.


    Yuri was led through large luxurious corridors and gardens which were set up inside of the actual castle.


    All the hallways seemed to be empty, which the butler explained was due to all the students having classes.


    After reaching the room she would be staying, the butler asked Yuri if she had any questions.


    ¡°Hm, when do my lessons start?¡±


    ¡°Your lessons will begin tomorrow morning, a fellow classmate will come and retrieve you. They will explain things in detail to you, until then you should be free to do as you wish. Please press your thumb here..¡±


    The butler gestured towards a plate on t he door.


    ¡°Okay..?¡±


    She pressed her thumb against it, making it glow a slight green colour. A few runes coming into existence for a single moment before vanishing.


    ¡°The room is now appointed to you, and can only be accessed by putting your thumb on this plate. Mundane things such as keys are not necessary and will not burden you. Well then I shall take my leave.¡±


    The butler bowed and disappeared down the hallway.


    ¡°Just like a finger scanner¡­¡±


    A small sigh echoed in the hallway.


    ¡°If they use magic instead of keys, it means this is going to be a lot harder than I thought..¡±


    Sighing again, she entered her now unlocked room.


    The room was incredibly large, comparable to a suite back in her world. It was coloured in various shades of pink and blue.


    A large soft looking bed was taking up a large chunk of the rooms space, the room also contained a wide wardrobe, with a table and a mirror, presumably for the students to study and apply their numerous cosmetics.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Hah..¡±


    Jumping onto the bed, she sank a few inches into it. Without even taking off her shoes, she just laid there a while, thinking about what she had gotten herself into.


    ¨C


    Eventually getting bored of sitting in her room, she figured she could seize the chance while the students were busy with classes and explore the castle.


    All Yuri was provided with for self protection was a very small concealable knife, hidden inside a strap on the top of her thigh. She doubted it would do much help, but it was better than nothing.


    She headed out into the hallway and visibly relaxed when she saw that the students were all still busy with their classes.


    A lot of the rooms in the castle were students room, while most of the rest were just classrooms. As she couldn¡¯t peek into either of those, she chose to sit down underneath a tree in the garden and relax for a while.


    Walking through the infinite maze that was the castle had made her tired. She chose to rest for a few minutes before continuing.


    Opening her eyes, Yuri found the sun already setting. The mumbling of students was obvious in the background.


    Yuri quickly got up and cleaned the drool from her face.


    Seems she had fallen asleep under the tree. A few students giggled nearby, presumably at her.


    ¡°Are you perchance the new student arriving today?¡±


    A girls voice reached Yuri¡¯s sharp ears.


    ¡°Huh? Ah yes I am.¡±


    Turning around while dusting off her skirt, she found a girl wearing the same uniform standing behind her.


    She was taller than Yuri, her blonde hair was done in a professional pony tail behind her head.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Alice, the one who is supposed to be responsible for you until you get used to life around here, I¡¯m also your classmate¡±


    She smiled while shaking Yuri¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too..?¡±


    Yuri was still slightly confused due to her nap.


    ¡°How did you know I was the new student..?¡±


    ¡°Well, you were sleeping in the garden, it¡¯s hard to miss someone like that in this school. The students here collect around anything vaguely interesting. Don¡¯t worry though, I will make sure you get used to life here at Blossom academy, since I¡¯m the one responsible for you, let¡¯s get along!¡±


    Giving Yuri a smile that could charm any man, Yuri ended up getting caught in the charm as well, as she was still a man at heart.


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    Yuri blushed slightly while she was dragged off by Alice, who began explaining things about the Academy.


    Her head filled with important details that could be useful later on, straining to focus.


    ¨C


    At another corner of Blossom Academy. In a large office at the very centre of a a large tower.


    A man with greying hair sat in a large chair at his desk. Covered by the complete darkness of the room, he was twirling something in his hand.


    A small black ring rested on the desk in front of him. He seemed to be observing it very closely.


    The ring slowly lit up. Through the centre of the ring, something other than the top of the desk became visible.


    A large yellow eye moved around inside the ring. A voice flowed from inside the ring.


    ¡°Have you confirmed it?¡±


    A slightly raspy, yet incredibly deep and powerful voice shook the table the ring was on.


    ¡°Yes, I have confirmed it myself, I believe this will save us a lot of effort in the end-¡±


    The man began to speak, but held his tongue when the voice interrupted him.


    ¡°US?¡±


    The voice increased in volume so much that the ring was jumping around a bit, making the view in the ring to shift from the yellow eye to white fur and sharp teeth. Before quickly changing back to the eye.


    ¡°Nonono! I meant it would save YOU a lot of trouble and effort, sorry it was a slip of the tongue!¡±


    Drying sweat from his brow, the man desperately denied his previous rude comment.


    ¡°No matter. Keep it safe for now. I will personally come to see if what you say is true or not.¡±


    The voice from the ring slowly began to fade away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like being made disappointed.¡±


    The voices last words faded and the image disappeared completely, making the man sigh in relief.


    ¡°Oh you won¡¯t be disappointed..¡±


    The black ring was put back on his thumb as he placed the item he was twirling around on the desk.


    A small ray of light from a crack in the closed window landed on the item.


    A small dagger, filled with intricate small runes forming the image of a certain goddess lay on the table.

 Chapter 31: Happy Tea Time

    ¡°This is the classroom where-¡±


    Alice kept on explaining things to Yuri, who had at this point completely stopped paying attention.


    The amount of useless information filling her head quickly overflowed.


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s all very interesting, but I heard this Academy had its own magical research department?¡±


    Yuri had inquired while hoping to gain a piece of actually useful information.


    ¡°That department is fairly small, but we do have one, I can show it to you if you¡¯re interested in that?¡±


    Smiling politely, Alice offered to show her. Yuri nodded quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s this way¡±


    She guided them through the maze that was the Academy, too complex for Yuri to be able to remember the layout of with her already strained brain filled with Alice¡¯s useless information.


    ¡°Well this is it¡±


    The sight shocked Yuri when she entered the room for magical research. It wasn¡¯t because the room was filled with all manner of magical items and treasures.


    It was because it held none of those things. What had greeted Yuri was a small pink room, inside of which resided a furnished table upon which lay tea cups along with other tea accessories.


    She was at a loss for word.


    ¡°I think we got the wrong room?¡±


    ¡°Oh not at all. This is the room. This is the room for researching and developing magical items. If you just look around you will find all manner of magical items¡±


    No matter how much Yuri looked around, she couldn¡¯t find a trace of anything even vaguel magical.


    ¡°I give up, is this some kind of joke..?¡±


    She was about to sigh.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    sitting down in front of the table, Alice tapped the table, making a cup move towards her.


    After flicking her finger at the cup, it began to fill with hot liquid. Presumably tea, which she began drinking.


    ¡°I..of course¡­what did I expected¡­¡±


    (An Academy for maidens would only have these kind of items huh¡­)


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have..say, magical swords, or even¡­daggers?¡±


    Yuri sat down and copied Alice¡¯s actions and was rewarded with a cup of hot tea, which she slowly sipped.


    ¡°Weapons..what would a young pretty maiden such as you want to do with such vulgar things?¡±


    ¡°I- uh, no I meant-¡±


    Yuri¡¯s words fumbled and stumbled when she noticed Alice¡¯s sceptic gaze.


    ¡°Pffft¡± Alice giggled while covering her mouth in a polite manner.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t being serious, you don¡¯t have to get that nervous¡±


    She took out a small candy from one of the pockets of her skirts and gave to Yuri.


    ¡°Oh¡­of course, I was just, ahahaha¡­¡±


    Laughing nervously, Yuri accepted the candy and nibbled on it in order to shut herself up.


    ¡°Well I think we should retire to our quarters, we have early classes tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry I will come by and wake you up tomorrow, and help you prepare too, since you¡¯re still new¡±


    Getting up, she knocked on the table which gave off a slight glow as things began moving on it, cleaning themselves up and being put neatly away.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Well then, good night Yuri, don¡¯t stay up too late¡±


    Alice said after she had escorted Yuri back to her room.


    ¨C


    Knocking on her door awoke Yuri from her restless slumber.


    She slowly got up and opened the door, through it a flustered Alice rushed in.


    ¡°I have been knocking on your door for half an hour already!¡±


    A small bag was put down on the floor.


    ¡°This bag arrived for you today, now let¡¯s get ready before classes start, you look like a mess!¡±


    Yuri¡¯s hair began to get brushed and combed, while she stood there, half asleep.


    A while later, Alice had managed to get Yuri into a presentable state.


    ¡°Now do you have any accessories that you usually like to wear? Being too plainly dressed is no good¡±


    The bag she had brought in was opened and rummaged through.


    You don¡¯t seem to have anything but your white dress is pretty, you should wear it after class¡±


    A familiar white dress was held up by Alice.


    ¡°Ah that¡¯s the..¡±


    The magical item she took from the vault passed her mind.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hurry since we were going to be late?¡±


    Yuri attempted to put the dress back into the bag, in order to hide the fact that it was magical.


    Upon Yuri¡¯s touch, the dress began to glow, and to her dismay, changed shape into a small white ribbon that fastened itself on top of her head.


    ¡°Ah..this is..¡±


    Yuri stuttered.


    ¡°So you did having something. Shape changing items are rare, but so very convenient when travelling, I should ask my father for one. It looks cute on you, so let¡¯s go!¡±


    Yuri was dragged out of her room.


    What followed next was a day that made Yuri remember the horrors of her school days.


    Long tedious lessons about things she couldn¡¯t care less about. They consisted of things like history and mathematics, but also linguistics and manners.


    After a full day of confusing things that Yuri couldn¡¯t understand, she walked like a drunk while supported by Alice. Yuri¡¯s eyes were spinning spirals.


    ¡°We should relax and get some tea perhaps¡±


    Yuri was dragged towards the magical research room, i.e. the fancy tea room.


    Yuri was too tired to even complain.


    Inside, the room looked identical to before except this time a par of girls that looked older than Alice were already sitting down inside.


    What followed next was conversations enveloped in pink aura, which Yuri neither card nor dared to join in about. She sat quietly and sipped her tea while occasionally getting complimented on looking so cute or getting her cheeks pinched by the older students.


    A while later, the topic shifted to politics and the Academies finances.


    (As expected of young nobles, they sure do know a lot about this stuff)


    Yuri thought while chewing on a small pastry that appeared in front of her.


    ¡°-Did you hear about the bank in the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes, I heard it was finally taken back from the rebels, horrible bunch.¡±


    ¡°Not that, I heard the Relic had mysteriously disappeared¡­¡±


    ¡°Which relic, there¡¯s so many.:¡±


    ¡°THE Relic, the godly relic.¡± The girl hushed slightly.


    ¡°What, that¡¯s impossible. The rebels wouldn¡¯t do that, even they know the consequences-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, there is a rumour it wasn¡¯t the rebels. But someone else, and there¡¯s talk of other relics disappearing..¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think..that a fallen god has finally appeared?¡±


    One of the girls looked worried.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s only rumours, so don¡¯t look so nervous¡±


    The conversation eventually shifted to random things, while Yuri still wore a stern expression while thinking to herself.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Yuri, feel sick?¡±


    Alice put her hand against Yuri¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Wha, no I¡¯m fine. I uh..just need to use the toilet.¡±


    An excuse was made up on the spot.


    ¡°Oh I see. The bathroom is over there¡±


    She pointed at a small door nearby.


    Yuri entered the bathroom and washed her face to straighten her thoughts.


    ¡°A fallen god..i don¡¯t like the sound of that..and Hikaru has been heaving weirdly..could it be because he had guessed that too..?¡±


    She went back to her seat.


    (I will have to ask him when I see him)


    ¡°Oh I heard that we are getting a new teacher tomorrow!¡±


    One of the girls said.


    ¡°Hmm is that so. I hope she is good at teaching..¡± Alice commented casually.


    ¡°No no, it¡¯s not a she, but a HE¡±


    The girls smiled.


    ¡°I also heard he¡¯s young and handsome!¡±


    ¡°Those rumours tend to get exaggerated, it¡¯s probably an old man like always¡±


    Alice shrugged.


    ¡°Awww, one can always hope!¡±


    The girls laughed and kept talking about the rumours while occasionally going ¡°Kyaa¡± or making other noises which Yuri uncomfortable.


    Thus ended Yuri¡¯s first day at the Academy.

 Chapter 32: The White Wolf

    Yuri¡¯s second day at the Academy was the start of the weekend, which meant no classes were being held and Yuri had more time to investigate.


    At least that was her original plan, until she got dragged around by Alice and her other classmates.


    They were sitting on the roof of one of the Academies towers while having a nice relaxing picnic.


    The sounds of chatter and the birds song was washed away by the soft summer breeze.


    Everyone was wearing a relaxed and joyful expression, everyone except Yuri.


    Whilst the rest were happy drinking tea and chatting, Yuri was busy trying to think of an excuse to escape and resume her search for the whereabouts of her dagger.


    Unfortunately no matter what she tried, she just couldn¡¯t get away form them as they somehow managed to talk her in sitting back down, every single time.


    ¡°Hmmm Yuri..you seem to want to leave rather badly..¡±


    Alice began saying, which made Yuri stiffen up.


    ¡°Could it be..you¡¯re afraid of heights?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡±


    Yuri wiped away some sweat from her brow.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a bit afraid of heights..so that¡¯s why..¡±


    She played along with an awkward smile.


    ¡°Of course..forgive me for not noticing earlier. It must have been scary..¡±


    Alice¡¯s rubbed Yuri¡¯s head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pack up and climb down to ground level then¡±


    The other girls began to pack up once Alice said that.


    Attempting to quicken their speed up by helping up with folding the large blanket they used to sit on, Yuri struggled with the large piece of cloth.


    As she was trying to fold it up, she noticed something white flash past the corner of her eye.


    Something much larger than a bird, and much faster than one too.


    Her head turned to see what it was just as a powerful gust of wind blew from the direction of the white thing that Yuri had noticed.


    The wind knocked some of the girls down and before Yuri could notice, it had blown up the blanket like it was a parachute, making it fly over the edge of the tower, with Yuri still holding it.


    Quickly trying to let go, she realised it was too late. She was already over the edge.


    As she began to fall down the large tower, she saw Alice desperately running toward the edge while reaching her arm out.


    She tried to grab her hand, but she missed it by just a hairs breadth, and kept plummeting down towards the ground.


    Yuri¡¯s hand had reflexively gone to where her dagger usually was. She was disappointed as the only thing there was just a normal dagger.


    She tried jamming the dagger into the side of the tower to slow her fall down. All it did was cause a few sparks as the daggers blade broke off and flew past her face, lightly grazing her cheek.


    Her last hope was the dress ribbon she wore, yet no matter how much she tugged on it, it refused to move or help in any way.


    Having resigned herself to become a human pancake for the second time in her life. She cursed her splintered luck when she felt someone¡¯s arms grab hold of her. The sound of someone softly landing on their feet filled her head, which was shocking when you expected to hear the sound of your own brains splattering across the pavement.


    Opening her eyes while sighing in relief, the person holding her slowly put her down.


    Soon enough the quick footsteps of the girls was heard from inside the tower as they emerged almost immediately while wearing horrified and worried expressions.


    Their expressions changed into relief when they found Yuri to be unharmed. Alice have Yuri a tight hug while made her blush slightly due to feeling a certain softness touching her chest.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Are you okay. Are you hurt. How are you feeling?¡±


    Alice threw worried questions at her faster than a machine gun.


    ¡°I¡¯m completely fine¡±


    Yuri smiled stiffly, the fear still not having completely left her body.


    ¡°That¡¯s good..¡±


    Alice relaxed and turned towards the person who had caught Yuri.


    ¡°Thank you for saving her sir, that was amazing, may I ask who you are so I can thank you properly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the new teacher, here at this Academy, Here to teach History.¡±


    Hikaru answered while standing behind Yuri and patting her head.


    ¡°Hey stop it!¡±


    His hand was slapped away by a flustered Yuri, who felt uncomfortable being patted in front of other people.


    ¡°Anyway if you will excuse us..i need to ask a few questions regarding..History..¡±


    Hikaru¡¯s was dragged away by his arm.


    ¡°Hmm..do they know each other..?¡±


    Alice wondered as the two disappeared in the distance.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a confession!¡± One of the girls suggested.


    ¡°Or maybe he is already her boyfriend!¡± Another one said, as the topic of Yuri and the new teacher became popular.


    ¡°Hmmm..¡± Alice was left scratching her head thoughtfully.


    ¨C


    ¡°Well¡­?¡±


    Yuri looked at Hikaru after dragging him into an empty part of the castle.


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t tell you, but they only managed to get me this job yesterday, so I had no time to inform you¡±


    ¡°Not that!¡± She snapped ¡°That much is obvious, I mean the whole fallen god thing.¡± She crossed her arms.


    ¡°So..you ended up finding out..¡±


    His eyes darkened slightly.


    ¡°You see. I¡¯m fairly sure, that the ones responsible for the disappearances of other relics, are led by a fallen god.¡±


    ¡°But why would it want the relics. What is a fallen god anyway, and how do you know that for certain!?¡±


    He was bombarded with questions.


    ¡°I think I mentioned it before. Fallen gods are gods who were banished into this realm by the other gods. As for why they would want the relics..I suppose they wish to go back to the upper realm and re-obtain their immortality.¡±


    ¡°But how do you even know it¡¯s one of those fallen gods?¡±


    She asked again, with slightly more irritation.


    ¡°Because I will never forget that symbol. The symbol portraying the sun. It¡¯s her symbol.¡±


    He gritted his teeth. Hikaru¡¯s eyes filled with a mad fury that made Yuri shiver in fear.


    ¡°Ah, forgive me Yuri..I didn¡¯t mean to startle you..¡±


    His face changed from dark hatred to worry, when he realised Yuri had taken a small step back in fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine..¡±She smiled softly and nervously.¡±I won¡¯t ask about it..¡±


    her chest filled with uncertainty and worry before clapping her hands together.


    ¡°How about you make yourself useful and help me search. I have no clue where my dagger could be.¡±


    She dispelled her worry with a light comment and clapped her hands again.


    ¡°Chop chop, off to work!¡±


    She commanded while they began to work.


    ¨C


    A man with greying hair sat at his desk while nervously watching the black ring on his thumb.


    A window behind the man burst open just as a strong gust of wind blew through his office. Making all manner of books and other items fall down in disarray.


    ¡°Oh dear..¡±


    Sighing, the man picked up the items that had fallen down, but quickly stopped when he noticed a figure standing in the middle of his office.


    ¡°Oh you have arrived, forgive me for not noticing!¡±


    The man gave a deep standing bow to the figure that was wearing nothing but a white mantle made of white fur. A large hood covered their head, made of the head of a white wolf.


    ¡°Show me the item.¡±


    Came a distinctly feminine but commanding voice.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    The man swiftly opened up a drawer in his desk and took out a small dagger.


    He offered it to the woman while holding himself as far away as possible.


    The woman accepted the dagger and held it in front of her eyes, before slowly sliding her finger down the daggers edge, cutting slightly.


    ¡°Indeed..this appears to be what you claimed It was.¡±


    The woman spoke after slowly smelling the dagger, making her eyes go wide.


    ¡°This smell¡­a very familiar smell¡­¡±


    Looking around, she held her nose high while taking a deep breath.


    ¡°No mistake about it..It¡¯s him..¡±


    The woman¡¯s smile could be seen even from behind her large white hood.


    The air shifted around the woman in a most unnatural way. Causing random gusts of wind to appear from nowhere.


    The man was forced to close his eyes because of the wind, and upon opening them, discovered that the woman was gone.


    ¡°What about my reward..¡±


    Sighing, the man continued to pick up the fallen items in his office.

 Chapter 33: A Bored Wolf

    Hikaru and Yuri were busy searching through random rooms inside the Academy. Looking for any clues, when Hikaru stopped moving.


    He drew his sword and entered a defensive stance, whilst Yuri looked at him with confusion.


    ¡°Hikaru what are you doing, get back to work-¡±


    Yuri was cut off by Hikaru calling out suddenly.


    ¡°I can sense your presence. Show yourself, fiend.¡±


    Calmly calling out, his eyes betrayed his slight anxiety as they jumped around, looking for whoever he was addressing.


    ¡°My¡­how your senses have dulled. I suppose it can¡¯t be helped, considering how you look right now..¡±


    A feminine voice rang out from nowhere.


    A small torrent of wind shook the room, giving form to a female figure wearing a white mantle and a white wolf hood, covering her face.


    Hikarus expression froze. His wide red eyes the only moving part of his face


    The muscles in his entire body tightened, he was just about to chop the head off the figure in front of him, when he stopped mid-motion.


    The hooded woman had somehow appeared behind Yuri, and was holding a small familiar dagger to her throat, a small gust of wind swayed Yuri¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Hooo¡­¡± She mused.


    ¡°So this little girl is someone you actually care for?¡± She smiled sweetly.


    ¡°You¡­let Yuri go. This is between you and me.¡±


    Hikaru growled at her, making Yuri flinch slightly by reflex.


    ¡°See, you¡¯re scaring her, so sheathe that metal fang and calm down.¡±


    The woman¡¯s mouth was still forming a crescent.


    Sheathing his sword slowly, Hikaru didn¡¯t break eye contact with the woman for a single moment.


    ¡°There. Now release Yuri..¡±


    His gaze turned even more murderous than before.


    ¡°Hmmm. How about you throw down the sword as well?¡±


    He did as he was told, and threw the sheathed sword on the ground. A loud clanking noise choed through the empty room they were in.


    ¡°Now.¡± He said, seemingly having difficulty forming words, either due to anger or something else.


    ¡°Hmmm..let¡¯s see..alright..¡±


    She slowly moved the dagger away from Yuri¡¯s throat.


    Before swiftly jabbing it straight into her throat. Yuri collapsed on the ground, her body limp.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The moment Yuri hit the floor, a growl shook the room they were in.


    Hikaru launched himself at the woman, grabbing and unsheathing his longsword mid flight.


    The sound of metal striking metal filled the room. Except the woman wasn¡¯t using any weapon, she had blocked Hikarus stroke with her bare hand, by grabbing the blade with her slender fingers that seemed to be as strong as steel.


    Another inhuman roar shook the room, echoing through out the entire castle as Hikaru kept relentlessly striking at the hooded woman at a speed that far surpassed what a human should be able to accomplish, it even surpassed what a human could perceive with their eyes.


    The woman seemed to have no trouble blocking the endless stream of slashes and thrusts with her bare hands, and yawned audibly as she did so.


    ¡°Ahh..that¡¯s it, that¡¯s the look you should have¡­¡±


    Giggling, she admired his red eyes and face that was contorted with rage, all the while moving her hand to block each sword strokes mere moments before it hit.


    ¡°And yet you are still this weak..you disappoint me brother.¡±


    Her smile changed to a deep frown.


    The woman took his sword into her hand and broke it in half with her fingers.


    ¡°Use your real fangs instead of these..human ones..¡±


    Hikaru however, continued to attack her despite his sword breaking, slashing at her with the half half still attached to the handle, entirely unaffected by the fact that his weapon was easily broken just a second ago.


    ¡°You disappoint me.¡±


    She sighed.


    ¡°Let this be a reminder to you. You can¡¯t survive like this. You belong with us, you don¡¯t belong with these¡­inferior creatures..and you never will, no matter how much you try..¡±


    His sword was pushed away so it got jammed in the wall.


    She swiftly wrapped her mantle around herself, as she did, instead of a young woman, what appeared was the figure of a large white wolf with glowing yellow eyes.


    The wolf beat took a last look at Hikaru before disappearing into a whirlwind of wind.


    ¡°SK???????LL!¡±


    Hikaru screamed, releasing all the air in his lungs.


    He fell to his knees, slowly making his way towards the fallen Yuri.


    He took her small body and held her close to himself in a deep and sad embrace.


    ¡°Ow¡­too..tight..¡±


    A wheezing sound came from Yuri, which startled Hikaru as he quickly loosened his grip on her body.


    ¡°Yuri¡­You¡¯re alive!¡±


    He exclaimed in shock relief and happiness.


    ¡°Of course I am. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m not bleeding-¡±


    She didn¡¯t finished her sentence when she noticed the look on Hikaru¡¯s face.


    ¡°Um..why are you crying..?¡±


    She tore a bit of her skirt off and wiped his face with it.


    ¡°Just a bit..I thought you were..¡±


    Dead. He finished the last part in his head while he stroked Yuri¡¯s head.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± She blushed slightly at his strangely caring behaviour, even weirder than usual.


    ¡°Hey guess what?¡± She tried to change the subject awkwardly and took something out of her pocket.


    ¡°Tadaa~¡±


    She was holding a very small inscribed dagger, the dagger they had been searching for.


    ¡°What, how did you?¡±


    ¡°Well you see. When that weird woman showed up and threatened me, I noticed that the weapon she was holding against my throat, was actually my dagger. Then after she tried to jab it into my throat, I grabbed it out of her pocket as I was falling down. Oh and the dagger of course blocked because of my dress, Or should I say ribbon?¡±


    The ribbon was patted softly, while it gave off a faint glow, as if in delight.


    After seeing Yuri pat the ribbon, Hikaru gave off a deep laugh, which confused Yuri.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± She wondered.


    ¡°Oh nothing..¡±


    Yuri was patted gently.


    ¡°Oh and by the way..¡± She began.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°WHO IN THE HELL WAS THAT, and why did she or it call you brother and how did she turn into a wolf, is it some kind of transformation magic or what, and what was she talking about, it sounded weird and I want it explained. In fact I want everything explained!¡±


    Firing off an incredibly long sentence, Yuri breathed in, having expanded all the air in her lungs.


    ¡°Ah well the thing is¡­¡±He started.

 Chapter 34: Memories in a Present

    Yuri was led out of the room by Hikaru. The previous events were fairly noisy, most of the students were already starting to gather around the entrance to the room they were in.


    Upon seeing Yuri being led out by Hikaru with her her skirt slightly torn, the whispers among the students grew out of control.


    Hikaru paid them no heed and kept dragging Yuri until they were out of sight.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m still waiting for that explanation!¡±


    ¡°I will soon, is there any place we can talk, undisturbed?¡±


    A glance was cast towards the curious students all around them.


    ¡°Then my room should be fine¡±


    Yuri said while leading him to her dorm room.


    Once inside, Yuri sat onto the bed and crossed her arms.


    ¡°Sit down and start talking..¡±


    Hikaru sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall. He gave out a very tired sigh and slowly unsheathed his shattered sword and gazed at it.


    ¡°Well, who was that?¡±


    That..was my sister..¡±


    He began polishing the broken sword, mostly out of habit, as it couldn¡¯t be used any more.


    ¡°Right, well I had kind of guessed that from her calling you brother and all..¡±


    Yuri groaned at his unresponsiveness.


    ¡°Fine, how about her being so strong, or the wolf thing, and the whole not being human thing.¡±


    Yuri put one leg over the other.


    ¡°Well¡­like she said..she is not human¡­and neither am I..¡±


    He spoke with a pained expression.


    ¡°You look human enough to me..? at least more than your so called sister..¡±


    She thought back to the wolf transformation of his sister.


    ¡°She may have the appearance of a human at first glance, but her true form is that of the beast you saw..even her human shape has some distinct inhuman features, which is why she always wears that white mantle.¡±


    ¡°So..can you also turn into a wolf..?¡±


    Yuri raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°No, not any more. I have abandoned that for long ago..a long time ago..¡±


    Hikaru muttered, his eyes looked at a scene that took place back when the moon and the sun still needed guidance to get across the sky, a scene that had both the moon and the sun lighting the sky, together.


    ¨C


    ¡°Why do you refuse!¡±


    The voice of a young woman rang out while being carried across the tops of a forest of red and yellow, which seemed to shine in the combined light of both moon and sun.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I refuse because I must and because I can..¡±


    A familiar male voice was heard through the trees.


    ¡°What does that even mean!¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice rang out again, and a figure of a pale young woman could be seen through the leaves.


    ¡°It means that I refuse to help. Nothing you say will change that.¡±


    The figure of the man standing next to her was of a familiar raven haired man, although the hair was much longer, so long that it almost reached his waist.


    ¡°Why. And why do you always insist on taking these pathetic forms?¡±


    She snapped at him.


    ¡°This is the form I have decided to be my own. They are also far from pathetic, the things these creatures can create is amazing. They are born with no fangs or claws, so they forge them of fire and steel. They have no fur so they cover themselves in the furs of their slain prey. They are far from pathetic.¡±


    He replied with a fascinated expression.


    ¡°Fine, I see that curiosity has dulled your mind. So be it. But remember this, when I free our father, I will get your share. I will finally catch the sun and I will take the moon as well!¡±


    She cried out while pointing to the sky and disappearing into a whirlwind of leaves.


    ¡°You won¡¯t survive like this..Hati..¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice faded, as if she was already far away.


    The man sighed and muttered while making his way out of the forest.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the kind of moon I¡¯m chasing though..¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°-ikaru, Hikaru!¡±


    Yuri screamed at Hikaru to wake up from his daze.


    ¡°Ah yes..what is it?¡± He quickly replied.


    ¡°So if you¡¯re not human..what are you..?¡± She asked cautiously.


    ¡°I..i consider myself to be more human than anything else..¡±


    He didn¡¯t meet her gaze.


    ¡°Haaa..¡±


    Yuri sighed while leaning back on the bed.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, then that¡¯s fine..but how the hell did your supposed sister get hold of my dagger?¡±


    Holding out the dagger towards the light, Yuri admired its brilliant sparkle.


    ¡°Oh..of course.!¡±


    He stood up.


    ¡°Of course. The dagger would make it a lot easier for her..I don¡¯t know how she got it, but the fact that she came all the way here to get it..would mean..that once she finds out it¡¯s gone..¡±


    ¡°She will come back for it..¡±


    Yuri finished his sentence for him, quickly getting up and packing her meagre belongings.


    ¡°We should probably flee. Even if I had the capability to defend us, I don¡¯t anymore.¡±


    He gave his sword a quick glance before throwing it on the floor.


    ¡°We should hurry.¡±


    ¡°In a second. I¡¯m just leaving a little present¡­Okay all done.¡±


    Yuri exited the room while twirling her newly found dagger.


    ¨C


    A gust of wind blew the window in Yuri¡¯s room open. A feminine figure wearing a white mantle appeared.


    ¡°Hm..to think I would be so reckless..No matter I might as well finish her off this time..¡±


    Walking to the edge of the bed, she looked at the figure of Yuri sleeping soundly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The woman loomed over Yuri while casting a shadow. She raised her fist and gave Yuri a quick jab with her fingers.


    It went through the figure of Yuri and penetrated the bed.


    ¡°Huh..?¡±


    She frowned, confused at the lack of resistance and blood.


    Closely examining the figure of Yuri, she found it flickering slightly before it disappeared, the beds wooden parts lit up in a red light.


    Upon closer inspection she found the source of the peculiar light to be a massive selection of runes.


    ¡°A tra-¡±


    Before she could finish her words, the beds glow intensified and a loud explosion was heard somewhere in the castle.


    A while later the students had began to gather around the site of the explosion, one of them was Alice.


    ¡°What kind of goodbye present is this..What a peculiar girl..¡±


    She sighed.


    No reports could determine the source of the explosion, but many students claimed to have witnessed an angry lady wearing a torn mantle, cursing to herself while flying away.

 Chapter 35: Golden Metropolis

    ¡°We need to get you a new sword..¡±


    Yuri was saying while walking down a busy road that led away from the Academy and the potential threat that loomed there. The treat being Hikaru¡¯s supposed sister.


    Hikaru was busy buying supplies from a passing merchant and wasn¡¯t paying attention to what Yuri was saying.


    ¡°Hey are you even listening?¡±


    She tried to get his attention.


    ¡°Oh forgive me Yuri. I was busy choosing what supplies we might need for the journey ahead of us.¡±


    He was picking very dry looking rations from the merchants cargo.


    ¡°Yes..that¡¯s good and all. But we need to get you some kind of weapon, or you¡¯re useless, something that doesn¡¯t break as easily as the last one.¡±


    ¡°Miss, if you¡¯re looking for good smiths, it¡¯s best to visit the city of Brokkr, although I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s been in lock down recently¡±


    The merchant said while receiving some coin as payment.


    ¡°We know. Besides not like we can go back there..too close to that damn Academy..¡±


    She muttered.


    ¡°Well, if that is out of the question, you can always try the Golden forest¡±


    The merchant shrugged.


    ¡°The Golden forest is a myth, merchant, and quite a bad one at that.¡± Hikaru commented.


    ¡°What¡¯s this Golden forest?¡±


    Yuri wondered.


    ¡°The Golden forest..¡±


    The merchant began before Hikaru could say anything.


    ¡°Is a city that few men have seen, a city where the trees are made of gold, and the rivers flow with glimmering honey..¡±


    The merchant gulped.


    ¡°The city¡¯s people are peculiar, they believe in no god yet have created amazing creations, despite not being under the protection of any god. It is said that the majority of the rarest and most sought for magical items come from this city. Monopolised by a small number of merchants, only they know the city¡¯s location..¡±


    ¡°You had me at trees made of gold!¡±


    Yuri¡¯s eyes shone brightly, like a kid.


    ¡°Too bad no one except those few merchants know it¡¯s exact location. Besides that city is no more than a myth, a city without the protection of a god would not get successful.¡±


    Hikaru shrugged and dismissed it, not noticing that the merchant was already on his away, and Yuri was rolling up a piece of parchment.


    ¡°The merchant sold me map¡±


    Her eyes still glittered while she smiled gleefully.


    ¡°We are going to the Golden forest!¡±


    Proclaiming like it was already decided and heading down the road, Hikaru followed after her with a small sigh.


    ¨C


    Their journey last several days, during which they had bought a wagon without a steed to pull it.


    Through the clever use of air and water runes, Yuri managed to make it into a pseudo car, having enough propulsion to push the cart forward.


    They flew down the gravel road at as speed that shocked everyone they passed by.


    While sitting in the moving cart, Hikaru noticed something strange.


    ¡°Hey Yuri, aren¡¯t we off road now?¡±


    He observed the ground which moved past them so quickly it was only a blur.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Yuri wasn¡¯t even looking ahead of her, still busy looking at the map.


    ¡°Are you sure we are going the correct way?¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, I¡¯m following the map. It should be around here somewhere..¡±


    Holding the map, she was holding it upside down and sideways, trying to pinpoint where they were.


    They kept travelling in the moving cart for a while longer, the carts wheels getting worn down from travelling off road at such a great speed, making their ride significantly more bumpy.


    ¡°Hmmm..i think I might have taken a wrong turn somewhere..¡±


    Still looking at the map, she didn¡¯t notice what was ahead of them, or rather the lack of what was ahead.


    Approaching them at a great speed was a giant cliff side that led down to a very steep and deep fall.


    ¡°Yuri I think it would be wise to turn off the runes now.¡±


    Hikaru readied himself.


    ¡°Hm? Oh.¡± She finally noticed what lay ahead of them, and moved her hand over the runes to deactivate them.


    The spray of water and wind behind them slowly stopped, their propulsion however, did not disappear.


    Due to the power of the runes, the cart was going to take a while before to slowed to a halt.


    ¡°This is bad..¡±


    Standing up and taking Yuri into a princess carry. Hikaru jumped off the cart with Yuri in his arms, abandoning their bags, and landing gracefully down on the ground just before the cart plummeted down into nothingness.


    Instead of a loud crash into the ground below. They instead heart of something falling into water, as they saw a giant ripple go through the seemingly empty air in front of them.


    Jumping out of Hikaru¡¯s arms, Yuri stood up proudly.


    ¡°Guess I was right on track after all¡±


    She smiled while the ripple made an image to become clearer in front of them.


    Instead of a cliff dropping down into darkness, what instead appeared was a forest of tall golden buildings, each with wires coming out of them like branches. Giving them the illusion of being a golden forest that shined in the sun.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any time then.¡±


    Walking towards the buildings excitedly, Hikaru followed after, un-fazed by the sight in front of him, despite his disbelief in its existence.


    They entered through the water-like illusion barrier, and were met with the true sight of the city. Which shimmered by itself.


    Approaching the city, they were stopped by a thin man with a slightly elongated head, wearing clean by simple white robes.


    ¡°The entrance fee please.¡±


    He blocked their path.


    ¡°What entrance fee?¡±


    Yuri asked with some doubt.


    ¡°The entrance fee for any visitors that enter the city.¡± He answered dryly.


    ¡°Okay..how much will that be..?¡±


    She took out some coins.


    ¡°I believe you misunderstand, we have no need of something as primitive as currency. What interests us are magical items and other note worthy inventions.¡±


    He sad as if talking to a particularly dimwitted child.


    ¡°Right..well the only thing I have that I would be willing to part with is..¡±


    Yuri touched the ribbon on her head.


    ¡°Ah, that item would be more than enough to cover the entrance fee. It seems to emanate enough magic that I can feel it without touching it.¡±


    He looked at it curiously.


    ¡°You have served me well..you were a fine magic item..¡±


    She begrudgingly gave the ribbon to the man. While giving it to him however, she placed a tiny coin into one of the seams of the ribbon.


    ¡°Ah yes, wonderful.¡±


    He took it with a pleased tone.


    ¡°Ah wait!¡±


    He called out after them when they began moving towards the city.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    She sighed.


    ¡°This magic item, is of the highest quality, it is well above what is need as entrance fee. Have this to even out the value¡±


    The man snapped his fingers and a pen and paper appeared in front of him, upon which he quickly scribbled on.


    ¡°Show this to anyone in case you run into any trouble, although I hope you don¡¯t, for your own safety¡±


    He gave her the paper and waved at them to leave.


    ¡°Thanks I guess..?¡±


    Shrugging an pocketing the paper, they continued towards the city.


    (fool, I placed a coin with a tracking rune into the ribbon, I will be sure to get it back before I leave)


    Soon arriving at the city, the sight they were met was something that made even Hikaru stare with wide open eyes.


    The ground was covered in a smooth unknown metal that was etched with different symbols and markings.


    The buildings that looked like giant tree like structures were everywhere around them, both tall and small.


    The air all around was always filled with something or someone moving about.


    Be it a floating box, a floating letter, or many of the other white robed people that seemed to use any possible method of transportation other than their own legs.


    Some stood on small metal boards that had the ability to hover, others used many different variations of wheeled transport that was powered by either some sort of magic crystals or simply the drivers own magic.


    Others simply chose to use magic to fly about.


    Despite all the activity however, it wasn¡¯t nearly as chaotic as the other cities. There seemed to be some sort of system for when to move and when to let someone fly or drive by.


    It took Hikaru a while to get used to, Yuri however, who was used to the heavy traffic of her old world, felt like a fish in water.


    ¡°So¡­what do we do now?¡±


    Yuri asked after they were done looking around a bit.


    ¡°We came all the way here without a plan..?¡± Hikaru held back his sigh.


    ¡°Well, no..I have a plan..¡± She looked away.


    ¡°I see, mind to indulge me?¡± Hikaru asked curiously.


    ¡°Well..the plan is..uh..find the most valuable thing this has..and steal it!¡±


    She smiled while nodding, visibly proud with herself.


    ¡°Oh and to get you a new sword of course!¡± She added quickly.


    ¡°Right..well I guess let¡¯s start with finding an inn or some place to rest, and then we can see how we can go about doing that.¡±


    He began looking around.


    ¡°This is going to be so fun..they have a lot of things here..¡±


    She skipped happily after Hikaru.


    ¡°Things to steal that is~¡±

 Chapter 36: The Eye of Steiner

    ¡°What do you mean you can¡±t sell us anything!?¡±


    Yuri snapped at a white robed old man in front of her.


    ¡°I am terribly sorry, but we don¡¯t use currency here. I can¡¯t accept your small pieces of precious metals.¡±


    Yuri and Hikaru had finally found someone in the city who specialised in making various magical items, of which swords were included. Which was the main reason they were trying to negotiate with him.


    ¡°Fine then!¡± She huffed and stormed away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it another way..¡±


    Saying to herself while making her way outside the small office, she exited the building, with Hikaru behind her as always.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t get it by honest means. Then we will get you a weapon by the means I am most used to. I tried to play nice. Besides, it¡¯s more fun this way.¡±


    She grinned.


    They made their way towards a less crowded corner of the shiny metal street, and sat down while calmly watching the building they exited.


    It was a tall golden tower, not unlike the rest, except this one had more wires coming out of its top, creating the illusion of a lush tree.


    They waited until they could see the old man fly off out the building on his small floating disk.


    ¡°Now is our chance, let¡¯s go Hikaru!¡±


    She jumped up on Hikaru¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Is it really necessary for me to carry you this way, Yuri?¡±


    He asked with a wry smile.


    ¡°Yes. How else would I keep up with you when you do your ninja things.¡± Yuri didn¡¯t notice Hikaru frown when she said ¡®ninja¡¯.


    ¡°Now onwards mighty steed, for glory!¡±


    She called out while poking his side with her foot.


    Sighing but complying, he began to run towards the tower so quickly that Yuri had to grab onto his head in an awkward manner in order to not fall off.


    He didn¡¯t stop when they reached the tower, he kept running, however instead of running towards the building, he was now running on it, dashing vertically up the side of the building.


    This was only made possible by Yuri drawing temporary runes on the bottom of Hikaru¡¯s shoes. Making clever use of air runes, Yuri made it so the runes created a split second vacuum which made Hikaru¡¯s shoes momentarily stick to the side of the building each time they touched a sold surface.


    This feat was only possible due to Hikaru¡¯s speed and having the building made of a flat smooth surface which helped in creating a good vacuum.


    Yuri clung desperately to Hikaru¡¯s neck with her legs flailing in the air.


    Luckily for her, they soon made it to their destination, a small hole in the side of the building. Made for presumable ventilation purposes, which Hikaru had spotted earlier.


    ¡°Okay..now..whatever you do..don¡¯t let go of that..¡±


    Breathing heavily, it also seemed as if it was Yuri who had run up the tower.


    Hikaru however, was fairly calm while clinging to the side of the building, his only support being a small hole which he was grabbing onto with one hand.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Okay..I¡¯m going to start now..so keep still..¡±


    Climbing onto his shoulders again, she began to draw runes around the vent.


    ¡°Alright..this should do it..I think..¡±


    She finally said after carefully etching runes while trying to not slip off Hikaru¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°You still okay?¡±She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, please continue..¡±


    He spoke calmly, but being so close to him, Yuri could see the small sweat drops beginning to form on his forehead.


    ¡°Alright, I will make this quick. Once I activate these runes, you have to jump up or else your arms will melt off.¡±


    She activated the runes.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Straining every muscle on his body, Hikaru launched himself up the tower with his single arm, Yuri still clinging to him.


    They felt the heat from the runes below them. Hikaru began to use the runes on his shoes to run around in a circle so at to not fall down while they waited for the heat to cool off.


    ¡°Hmm..maybe I should have just used feather fall instead of having you run like this¡­¡±


    Yuri muttered.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Hikaru breathed out while running around on the side of a tall tower while trying to keep up the same pace.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± She looked away.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s been enough now, run down to the vent.¡±


    Hikaru ceased running and let gravity do the work for, grabbing onto the vent at the last second.


    The previously small vent, now with its insides melted out, was big enough to fit them. They quickly crawled in and began climbing in towards what they thought was the lab.


    ¨C


    ¡°Sure is dark here¡­¡±


    Yuri commented while being helped down from the vent by Hikaru.


    ¡°I can handle that..!¡±


    Hikaru said quickly when he noticed Yuri reaching for her dagger.


    Hikaru took out a small piece of paper with something drawn on it. After tearing it part, a small fireball the size of a ping pong ball appeared, floating above his outstretched hand.


    ¡°¡­.Cute.¡±


    Yuri patted the small ball of fire which didn¡¯t seem to give off any heat. It shook slightly, as if in delight over getting patted, although it was most likely just due to Yuri moving it by patting.


    Hikaru scratched his head while observing Yuri curiously.


    ¡°This should help us find something to light up the room at least¡±


    He began to search the room for any source of light with the help of his small fireball.


    Yuri however, remembering the resemblance this city had to cities of her world, began to search for the door.


    After locating it, she checked the walls near it. Her suspicions were confirmed when she found a small switch near the door, which she quickly pulled.


    The room became encased in light from crystals embedded into the walls and the ceiling.


    Hikaru entered a combat stance, but relaxed upon noticing that the sudden light was caused by Yuri.


    With the room now well lit, they began to properly look around.


    Around them were shelves of books vials and other small items, covering all of the walls in the room.


    The parts not covered in shelves were instead fitted with boards bearing all manner of designs and peculiar equations that did not resemble anything Yuri had seen before.


    The rest of the room was filled with white metal tables, various tools and crystals were thrown about them in a careless fashion.


    Some of the tables held containers filled with green liquid that was slowly bubbling.


    Moving closer to a container, Yuri tried to gaze in and saw something small inside.


    She looked at it intensely, her face only a hair breadth away from the glass.


    The object in the container stirred slightly, it was an eye, that was now open.


    Yuri tried to look at it from the side to get a better view. The eye kept eye contact with Yuri however, rotating towards the her, and making observing its side impossible.


    The eye suddenly moved and bumped against the glass in the direction of Yuri.


    Yuri yelped and fell back, hitting the table behind her.


    ¡°Yuri, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hikaru appeared at her side, helping her up.


    ¡°N-nothing..¡±


    She was obviously startled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just look for a sword, and anything else valuable we can get and get the hell out of here..¡±


    She cast nervous glances at the containers.


    As soon as they got to continuing their search. All of the lights around them turned red, the room quickly filling with green gas.


    They tried to get out, but their bodies weren¡¯t responding and their minds felt sluggish.


    They slumped on the ground, fainting slowly.


    The last thing Yuri saw the eye in the green container, staring at her.

 Chapter 37: The Ribbon the Job and the Magical energy form transfering device

    Yuri opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry while she got up and rubbed her eyes.


    ¡°Uh..Hikaru..?¡±


    Looking around, she found Hikaru laying next to her. They were still in the same room, except now, they were surrounded by several floating metal balls. With eyes growing on them, watching Yuri.


    ¡°Finally awake, good, I was growing impatient.¡±


    The old man they had talked to earlier walked out from behind a desk.


    ¡°Uh..we were just here to try and..have another talk with you..yeah..¡±


    Her eyes shifted between the old man, the floating balls of eyes and the still unconscious Hikaru.


    ¡°I know what you were here for, I saw it all with my own eyes.¡±


    He knocked on the green container which contained an eye.


    ¡°Well maybe not my own eyes, but you understand my point.¡±


    Hikaru was kicked at by Yuri, who was slightly worried when he wasn¡¯t giving a response.


    The old man noticed her expression and slowly reassured her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s just sleeping, he will wake up soon. I need him to be asleep for longer, so I could talk to you. I got some very interesting results when my little creations here gave him a scan.¡±


    He gave a small wave towards one of the floating balls filled with eyeballs.


    Yuri began to visibly sweat and began to kick Hikaru when even more force, making the old man frown.


    ¡°Again, don¡¯t worry. Here in this city, we might not have gods to force their petty rules onto us. But we do follow strict codes in order for everyone to be able to do their research in peace. Fair trade is part of that.¡±


    The old man offered her a seat while sitting down on one of the desk chairs.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me, I¡¯m not as young as I used to be..¡±


    ¡°Now..another thing is that is part of our code here. Theft is not taken kindly to, as I am sure it is in most places.¡±


    He observed Yuri¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Well..I figured..¡±


    She said quietly. Unsure of what to actually do. Usually after getting caught, she would quickly find herself restrained and brought to a cell, so this situation was unfamiliar to her.


    ¡°This is where the fair trade part comes in.¡±


    Snapping his fingers, he made some papers appear in front of him.


    ¡°Here is my offer to you, from the way you got inside here, I can assume you are fairly skilled at retrieving things.¡±


    Looking at her, he waited for Yuri to confirm his statement.


    ¡°Yes, well you would be quite right, in fact I am the best thief in the world, and soon enough in two!¡±


    She declared shamelessly.


    The old man coughed slightly.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you are..¡±


    He muttered while surprised by Yuri¡¯s bluntness.


    ¡°Here is my offer, I forget that this little incident ever happened, no on has to know, and trust me you don¡¯t want anyone here to know, no matter how good you are at whatever it is you do. It is best to not break laws around here.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    His gaze became stern.


    ¡°In return.. I want you to¡­retrieve..something for me.¡±


    He spoke slowly, as if unsure if he used the term correctly.


    ¡°No deal¡±


    She simply said.


    ¡°What. Do you realise what you are saying. I can simply turn you over to the guards and you might never see the light of day again. You might not understand how serious that really is?¡±


    He was shocked and in disbelief over her casual response.


    ¡°No, I understand, and I also understand that me and Hikaru can break out of anywhere, no matter how secure. Besides I¡¯ve been in much worse situations, I am the greatest thief that has ever lived after all.¡±


    She bragged again.


    ¡°Right..well you seem to wholeheartedly believe that. Even though your belief is incorrect. Well maybe can offer you something more. Maybe whatever it is you came here to retrieve?¡±


    The old man¡¯s head tilted slightly


    ¡°Oh yeah! Let¡¯s see..how about a magical sword for my friend and some info for me.¡±


    ¡°Well the sword I can easily acquire or even make one that suits your preferences. They are fairly simply creations. The information however..it would depend..¡±


    He spoke cautiously.


    ¡°Well..let¡¯s see..this is extremely magical right?¡±


    She continued when the old man nodded.


    ¡°So it must use up a lot of magical energy, which I highly doubt you could power with just human energy, even if you combined everyone¡¯s power. So there must be something else powering the city..¡±


    She inquired.


    ¡°You are correct, keenly observed. Seems you have some knowledge in magical power management. ¡°


    The old man seemed impressed.


    (It¡¯s just similar to electricity¡­.) She thought to herself.


    ¡°The magica that humans posses would never be enough to even power a quarter of the city¡¯s functions. That is why we use the energy that exists outside the human body. The so called elemental energy, or Nature mana.¡±


    He waved his hands around him slightly to imply that it was in the air.


    ¡°We collect it by using cables that are magically fabricated and have a high conductibility rate for magical energies. We place very small rare crystals on the outside, like a cover, that have the property of slowly absorbing the magical energy around them and storing it. The energy then travels along our custom cables and into a storage device until we use it as we choose fitting.¡±


    He kept explaining in a scholarly fashion.


    ¡°Waaaa, that seems amazing. Is there a difference between this nature mana and normal human mana? If so does that make it harder to use?¡±


    She acquired an interest in the subject once it became about nature mana, the very thing that had caused her to travel here when she was struck by lightning.


    ¡°Yes, it is a completely different type of energy, which is why we are forced to convert it into usable energy.¡± He kept talking when he noticed Yuri¡¯s amazed expression.


    ¡°All the elemental energy we collect is first buffered through a central hub before being led back to our own private storage devices.¡±


    ¡°Amazing, how do you actually convert one type of energy to another, is it another crystal based device?¡±


    She asked eagerly.


    ¡°Well..to be honest with you. I have lived here my whole life and I still do not know. It is a heavily guarded secret..all I know is that however they do it. They do it in the central hub area. Although I am sure it is something of great power if they choose to guard its secret so heavily..¡±


    He scratched his head.


    ¡°Object of great power..i see.¡±


    Yuri muttered.


    ¡°Anyway, back to the subject at hand, will you accept my offer?¡± He stopped scratching and looked at her intently.


    ¡°Fine, but you get me the sword now and once I¡¯m done I want full maps and schematics of the while city, or at least all you can get your hands on. Sound fair?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Wonderful, then I shall go fetch your sword, I have had one made very recently, today In fact. I am sure you will like it.¡±


    Searching through his lab, he finally found what he was looking for inside a big drawer.


    Showing Yuri the item he was holding, at first glance it looked like any normal longsword but with some runes inscribed on its side. Upon closer inspection however, the guard of the sword had a small white ribbon attached to it, which extended towards the handle and formed the handles cover from white soft cloth.


    ¡°This seems familiar..¡±


    Muttering, and before she could finish her thoughts, the ribbon wriggled slightly upon her touch as if in delight.


    ¡°Ribbon, it¡¯s you!¡±


    Softly patting the ribbon attached to the sword, she gladly exclaimed while the old man looked on in confusion.


    ¡°Right..well adding this ribbon that I received today to the sword allowed me to add in some very interesting tricks..I am sure you find them very useful¡±


    He handed the sword to Yuri, and as if on cue, Hikaru began to wake up. Hikaru quickly got into his feet, confused and on edge.


    ¡°Hikaru look, I got you a new sword AND Mr. ribbon is back on the team.¡±


    She beamed at the still groggy Hikaru.


    ¡°Oh and we have a job to do~!¡±

 Chapter 38: Wax looking bastard

    "So this is the home of our target huh?"


    Yuri spoke lightly to Hikaru while they looked over a building not unlike the rest, also displaying the crystal-decorated wires on its top.


    "If what he said was true. Then it would be in everyone''s best interests if the spread of such dangerous things was limited."


    Wearing a more knight like expression than usual, he seemed more proper after having received a brand new sword.


    Hanging at his side, the ribbon on the sword wiggled slightly, seemingly excited over being of help.


    "What was it the old man said..we were going to retrieve the stolen designs and destroy whatever prototype was built?"


    "Indeed, Yuri. He seemed troubled over the potential widespread of his creation. We should make sure no one has the need to feel threatened by such a creation, I will make sure of it with this sword."


    Saying this, Hikaru drew his new blade and swung it sharply, making the air snap as his blade broke the sound barrier.


    The ribbon flapped in the wind, its clutches on the blade''s handle tightening when the blade moved so suddenly.


    ¡°Yes yes, I swear all guys are the same when it comes to new toys..wait I''m a guy too..originally at least..¡±


    She shook her head slightly.


    ¡°I''m overthinking this..anyway! Let''s go inside and find these designs.¡±


    Yuri walked up to the door and began to brazenly draw a rune circle on the front door without even attempting to hide what she was doing.


    With a sudden burst of red, the door was no more and they had easy access inside. Apparently security in this city was fairly relaxed, which was surprising considering the potential of magical security mechanisms.


    The city had such strict laws that no citizens dared to break them, not only because of how easily it was to be caught after you successfully break the law. It was because it was a very socially looked down upon notion, so much so that most people when asked why they never break the law, simply answered ¡°Because it would take away from my research time¡±. They were a very single minded people.


    ¡°Hikaru...do you remember what we were even looking for..?¡±


    ¡°He even wrote it down for you.¡±


    He handed her a paper with a detailed scientific and an in depth description of what they were supposed to find.


    ¡°A...magical theoretical..mass collide.r.which uses Niktorinian laws in order to..accelerate and promote..changes in energy of the original magical...¡±


    The paper was ripped in half in irritation.


    ¡°Who the hell would understand this crap!?¡±


    ¡°Really..? I thought it was fairly simple. I don''t understand the details but I understand the basic concept?¡±


    He looked at her as if it was something obvious.


    ¡°....Enlighten me, smarty pants.¡±


    ¡°In essence..it''s a device that is supposedly capable of shaping mana into mass, so anyone would be able to create things purely out of mana. In theory at least.¡±


    Yuri looked at him in disbelief when he finished that.


    ¡°..I thought you were just muscle and honour without any brains..guess I was wrong about you huh..¡±


    She continued to look at him with newfound respect.


    ¡°Niktorinian theory problems is something most children learn in school so of course I know?¡±


    He smiled at her awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh. Right. I''m from a different world so my common knowledge is different from yours.¡±


    She scratched her head.


    ¡°What are some common theories in your world then, Yuri?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Well..I wasn''t much of a good student..but I remember that Energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. That one shows how that if you take any amount of mass and multiply it by the speed of light squared, you can get its energy equivalence.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    She explained one of the few theories she still remembered from her early days in school.


    ¡°Yuri..I''m not even an expert in magical studies..but I''m sure that formula actually makes several impossible theories possible..that could revolutionise the science of magical studies..¡±


    His eyes were glued at her in disbelief.


    ¡°It is..?¡±


    ¡°Yuri. You must not tell that to anyone. It''s potential is far too large. This world isn''t ready for such advancements yet.¡±


    Yuri received a stern serious gaze from Hikaru.


    ¡°Okay okay..I won''t tell anyone..geez it was just something random from my school days...¡±


    She said this to reassure him, but her mind was already figuring out who to sell the information to.


    (Whoever can make the most interesting things of course!)


    With such a light hearted decision, she saved this potential adventure for another day, as right now they were having a colourful discussion in the middle of someone''s home with their door broken down.


    ¡°Anyway Hikaru, let''s find the thing and get out of here before people notice.¡±


    They began searching through every nook and cranny of the house, turning everything upside down.


    Yet despite their best efforts, they failed to find much past boring everyday items.


    ¡°Hm...this is weird..there should at least be something..¡±


    Rubbing her head, she came to the conclusion that a house being this free of any clues was incredibly suspicious.


    ¡°There''s always at least something small..but to be this clean..¡±


    Forming a rough idea in her head, she sat down and began drawing runes on the ground.


    She drew several runes in a circle.


    Activating the circle of runes. All of them began to glow except one.


    ¡°What does that mean, Yuri?¡±


    Hikaru asked curiously while looking at the glowing runes.


    ¡°You know how these houses all have wires pulling mana into all their devices? I don''t see any cables, so if it''s the same as in my world. They should be hidden away in the walls. Which means all of the walls should give off very strong magical energy right? The runes I drew are just some very weak runes that easily react to strong magic. And that one of them didn''t light up means..?¡±


    She looked at Hikaru while waiting for an answer she already knew.


    ¡°Means one of the walls isn''t magical and thus has no wiring in it..Yuri you''re a genius.¡±


    He rubbed her head and patted her, much to her reluctant delight.


    ¡°Yeah..not like I did it for some silly pats though, so you don''t have to..mm..¡±


    Midway through protesting, Yuri quieted down and enjoyed being patted by Hikaru.


    ¡°A-anyway. It means that wall has a very high chance of being..¡±


    Shaking her head and standing up, she walked in the direction of the only non reactive rune and knocked on the wall.


    ¡°A hidden door.¡±


    ¡°Stand aside Yuri.¡±


    Hikaru drew his sword and slashed a perfect square in the wall, which slid out and fell in front of them, shattering into pieces, as it was obviously not made of metal like the rest of the house.


    A staircase led down below the house.


    ¡°Let''s go!¡±


    Quickly climbing down the staircase, they found exactly what they were looking for.


    Shelves upon shelves of designs and research. Most of it was, according to the old man, stolen or bought from various people. Seems like this guy never invented things for himself.


    Along the far ends on the walls stood various unfinished contraptions.


    As Yuri was unfamiliar with the designs they were looking for. She asked Hikaru to find them, since he seemed to be familiar with their concept.


    Meanwhile Yuri chose to have fun poking around the unfinished prototypes and contraptions.


    They were mostly generic box shaped mechanisms that didn''t seem to work without a proper energy source.


    One of them however looked like it was almost moving. A small almost round bumpy metal...thing. It had wires coming out of it, and was covered in various writing and inscribed with runes.


    The longer Yuri looked at it, the more she suspected the metal thing was in fact activated. It almost seemed to have a rhythm, like a heartbeat.


    Yuri slowly reached out and touched it out of curiosity.


    The metal contraption slowly started to move with more prominent actions.


    ¡°I found the designs, I''m taking them along, Yuri what are you doing..?¡±


    Hikaru walked over to where she stood while pocketing a stash of papers and documents inside his clothes.


    ¡°I found this thing, it seems to move every time I touch it...look.¡±


    She poked it a few times, and the metal contraption began to beat with much more prominent power. The wires sticking out of it began to pump out something that looked like electricity but also not at every beat.


    It looked just like a mechanical heart.


    Slowly, the mass that looked like a mix between electricity and golden liquid began to collect around the contraption.


    Yuri and Hikaru stepped back slightly. Yuri observing curiously while Hikaru had his hand on his sword.


    The mechanical heart continued to grow with the strange mass around it, until it reached a size comparable to Yuri.


    Four parts began to grow out of it.


    Two of them looked like legs while the other two looked like arms. But only vaguely. It looked like a children''s toy made of clay. No features, just a basic body shape.


    It looked like a cylinder made of slightly golden water with arms and legs.


    It moved. Taking a step towards Yuri, it extended one arm, like it wanted to shake hands.


    ¡°Aww it wants to say hi..¡±


    Yuri extended her hand, before Hikaru instantly pulled her back.


    The moment he did, the golden creature leaped at where Yuri was a moment ago, punching the ground hard enough it sent cracks through it.


    ¡°What are you trying to do you wax looking bastard!?¡±


    Yuri exclaimed at the creature that was still continuing to slowly grow in size.

 Chapter 39: V.R.C.M.E.

    ¡°Stay back!¡±


    Hikaru pushed Yuri back and took a step forward while drawing his sword.


    He slashed the golden creature in half with his drawing swing.


    The cut he inflicted upon it just grew back with the golden electricity-like substance.


    The golden creature took a few steps forward and leapt at Hikaru, its limbs flailed like it wasn''t quite in full control of them.


    Dodging the careless attack effortlessly , Hikaru slashed its limbs off.


    Instead of falling to the ground, the cut off limbs dissipated and grew back from the creature. As splendid and golden as ever.


    ¡°Hikaru, you need to break its heart, that''s where the substance keeps coming from!¡±


    Throwing a metal plate which she had drawn a rune on. It landed right under the golden creature.


    The rune activated and shot out a torrent of water straight into the creature that was now standing above it.


    The mechanical heart was exposed for a moment, the creature''s side completely obliterated by the cannon of water.


    Not missing his chance. Hikaru struck the metal heart, thrusting his sword through it.


    It cracked and crackled, the oozing of the strange substance slowly ceasing, until only the heart remained, still skewered on the sword.


    ¡°What the hell was that, it looked awesome. Can we get one of those, where do you buy them?¡±


    Yuri appeared beside Hikaru, looking at the crackling mechanical heart with excitement.


    ¡°I think..this is the result of the stolen designs..this device..I believe it converted mana into solid form..and used it to attack us. Actually manipulating mana to be able to move it while solid..that is both amazing and concerning..depending on how it''s used.¡±


    Removing the skewered heart which Yuri immediately swiped from him to observe closely, he looked around the room a second time.


    ¡°Yes yes, we got the designs and the prototype right, we are done here. Actually I want to figure out how this thing works..seems really cool..¡±


    Her eyes glittered hungrily while she tried to pull apart the mechanical heart.


    ¡°I doubt it is something easy to recreate. From what I saw, the magical circuits were made of a different system than rune magic. It also seemed to need a lot of crystals to channel the mana-¡±


    ¡°I did it!¡±


    Looking over at Yuri, Hikaru found her already having pulled apart the steel heart and thoroughly looked through its contents.


    ¡°It''s pretty easy. I just draw these runes, and place this random crystal here..and replace these parts of the magic circle with similar stuff but in rune form...and...done!¡±


    Having drawn a few complex rune magic circles on a nearby table. She placed a crystal she had taken out from a nearby drawer into the middle and activated the the runes.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Hikaru watched her do this. He did not expect her to succeed, after all, the theory and formula that he had learned were impossible to solve, having been solved is already impressing enough. Surely something that broke through the stigma of impossibility must be incredibly complex and not something that can easily be recreated in a few minutes. No matter how much he believed in Yuri''s skill.


    Yet once again. Yuri turned his expectations of what was possible upside down.


    The crystal slowly began to emit the same substance the golden creature was made of. A liquid-like electricity.


    First the relics, then accepting him despite himself not being human, and now this.


    (Is there nothing that can stand in her way..)


    He smiled to himself.


    (Of course not..that''s just how she is.. Without her stubborn nature that can achieve the impossible..I probably couldn''t accomplish my goal..)


    While he was lost in his own thoughts, Yuri was panicking slightly.


    ¡°Why wont it stop...umm....¡±


    She tried erasing the runes she created, but that accomplished nothing, the golden ooze continued to flow from the crystal. Dripping and enveloping the entire table.


    ¡°H-hikaru...


    Finally noticing something was wrong, Hikaru immediately stepped forward, looking at the golden ooze created from mana slowly consuming the room.


    ¡°Let''s depart, I will carry you and jump over the mana substance.¡±


    Just as Hikaru suggested this.


    They heard an audible crack coming from the table enveloped in gold.


    Suddenly all of the golden ooze that had almost filled this entire giant room disappeared. The only trace that it was ever there being the cracked crystal laying on the table.


    ¡°I guess..the crystal couldn''t handle the pressure..? good for us. Let''s just go before something else weird happens that takes out time!¡±


    She turned to leave with Hikaru behind her, pretending that she wasn''t the actual cause of the potential disaster that was at their hands.


    ¨C


    ¡°Wonderful. You got back my designs. What happened to this prototype, it looks ruined..¡±


    The old man commented suspiciously, making Yuri slightly worried.


    ¡°Well no matter, since you have acquired what I asked for. I owe you those schematics.¡±


    He slowly took out a metal plate with inscribed magic. Upon his touch, the metal plate lit up and created an image above itself.


    ¡°A hologram..!¡±


    Yuri exclaimed in surprise.


    They were looking at a transparent image of a map, floating above the metal plate.


    ¡°Holo..what? No, this is a visual representation created through magic emission. In short, a magical image, shortened to V.R.C.M.E.¡±


    The old man corrected her.


    ¡°This is a map of the whole city and most of its insides. I don''t know what you need this for, but be careful, no one escapes the law around here.¡±


    He handed her the metal plate.


    ¡°Sure sure, thank you, we will be going now, have fun with your designs old man~¡±


    Grabbing the plate, Yuri turned and left with Hikaru.


    ¡°Old man..? Guess I never told them my name huh..¡±


    The old man scratched his beard while looking at them exiting his house.


    ¡°Alright, Hikaru, we got you your sword. Now let''s just head for the main course, since I just can''t wait.¡±


    She turned on the metal plate and looked at the created map.


    ¡°Main course?¡±


    ¡°I want the heart of this city... I want it to be mine..¡±


    Her eyes glittered while she looked over the map.


    She pointed towards a black space in the middle of the city that wasn''t shown properly on the map.


    ¡°I want that energy conversion device. If there is no relic, then we take this instead. It''s the least we can do right, blessing this city with the greatest theft it will ever experience.¡±


    Closing the magical map, she smiled mischievously at Hikaru, who only smiled slightly awkwardly.


    ¡°Very well, this time I will make sure you''re completely safe. I swear upon my new blade.¡±

 Chapter 40: Blow the horns!

    ¡°Hikaru, look that''s where we need to get in.¡±


    Yuri pointed toward a door that led inside a giant globe shaped building. Instead of opening, the door seemed to just become vaguely transparent, which made it so solid things were able to pass through it.


    According to some research and asking around local folks, this kind of door was in place in order to make sure no contaminants got inside through the air, and it made for really great security. Once it became solid again, the door became as impenetrable as the building itself.


    The building was made so it was both highly resistant to physical and magical interference.


    Made from the best the city could create. Yuri doubted it would be impossible for her and Hikaru to break through the building. Doing so however, would guarantee they would get detected, besides breaking through something like that would take a while. By that point they would be surrounded by highly trained personnel wielding magical devices of the highest grade.


    ¡°The energy conversion device should be inside..but how to get through undetected...¡±


    Just as she was saying this, a floating metal plate that was carrying bags of some sort of trash, exited the building, the door growing slightly see-through to allow it to pass. On the front of the floating metal plate, was someone dressed in dull grey robes, wearing a small hat that had the symbol of a broom on it.


    ¨C


    ¡°Come on Hikaru, hurry up!¡±


    She urged him while putting on the grey robes.


    Hikaru carefully lifted up the unconscious janitor and put him inside a large metal trash canister, where he will no doubt wake up a few hours later, with a confused headache.


    ¡°There only appears to be one set of clothes..how will the both of us get in?¡±


    He asked.


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Yuri glanced at the floating metal plate.


    ¡°Either inside a trash bag or clinging underneath the plate.¡±


    Weighing his options, Hikaru sighed.


    A few seconds later, Yuri was driving the floating metal plate back towards the globed building. Hikaru clung tightly onto the underside of the metal plate, his fingers digging slightly into the softer than usual metal in order to keep from falling.


    Arriving at the entrance, she squinted at the door. There didn''t appear to be any security, which meant the doors should be automatic. Looking around, she found a small magic circle at the side of the door.


    Obviously not knowing the password or having the right credentials. She opted for drawing a few runes around it and short-circuiting it.


    The gate flickered, going in and out of its transparent mode.


    Yuri quickly got on the floating plate device and drove through the gate. Just as she was driving in, the gate flickered again. As a result, a part of the metal plate ended up being left outside, cut off by the gate materialising itself on it.


    Hikaru sighed in deep relief, an inch further and it would have cut off his toes.


    Yuri kept driving inside the tunnel leading deeper and deeper into the building. After a while it seemed weird that they hadn''t reached the other end of the building.


    That''s when she noticed, they were going deeper and deeper in, but not inside the building, but underneath it, down underground.


    The roof of the tunnel was filled with wires that pulsated in a light yellow, Giving the tunnel a soft yellow ambiance.


    ¡°Geez. Is it monkey Monday..everything is banana coloured.¡±


    She grumbled.


    Several minutes of Yuri grumbling later, they arrived at a station-like place.


    A few other similar floating plates were parked neatly against the wall, next to them was a door, secured with metal thick enough that the door itself was more like a cube than a plate.


    Unlike the entrance outside, this one seemed to just be pure steel. No magical protection present in anything except the floating plates that looked like wide scooters the size of a car.


    Getting out from underneath the floating plate, mostly because he feared it would suddenly drop on him at any moment, Hikaru walked up to Yuri, waiting for their next action.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Hikaru, your turn¡±


    The large steel door that was more like a cube was cut into several smaller cubes by Hikaru, which crumbled when he kicked it with some force.


    Walking inside, they were faced with three doors. None of which seemed to have any sort of sign to where they led.


    ¡°Is this some sort of trap...¡±


    Yuri muttered, a drop of sweat flowing down her face.


    ¡°This must be a security measure. If we choose the wrong door, we get trapped or locked out. Why else would a facility like not have clear signs to what the different signs are..then how would you know which door it is..you''re told by one of the other employees..dammit..we should have questioned that janitor...¡±


    ¡°Yuri. The wires on the ceiling lead to the door on the left.¡±


    Hikaru said simply, barely paying attention to her pointless worrying.


    ¡°Oh. Then what are the other doors for then?¡±


    Checking the other rooms, she found that one was the toilets, and the other was a small room with sofas and tables that contained some fruits. ¡°Toilets and a staff room..¡±


    Yuri laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Let''s just go inside then.¡±


    She changed back to her normal comfortable white dress in the staff room and swiped a banana looking fruit from there.


    Glad to be out of the baggy janitor clothes in which she could barely walk, she slowly munched on the banana-like fruit.


    ¡°Well, ladies first I guess.¡± She said sarcastically and opened the door.


    The entire room spanned almost an entire cubic kilometre.


    That something this big was underground wasn''t the most impressive part however, it was the fact that every bit of the walls, ceiling and floor, was covered in wires, all kinds of wires and cables of all kinds of colours.


    All the wires and cables ended in the middle of the room, where the wires formed a platform both on the floor and the ceiling. In the middle of the two platforms where all the wires ended up connecting to, was a white bone horn.


    The horn seemed to fill the entire length of the room with brilliant white light.


    ¡°That''s..that is no device. That''s a godly relic..!¡±


    Hikaru exclaimed in surprise.


    ¨C


    ¡°Wait I thought they didn''t rely on any gods?¡±


    Tilting her head, Yuri asked curiously.


    ¡°Seems like it is not as everyone believes it to be..¡±


    Squinting slightly, Hikaru slowly observed the floating horn.


    ¡°We''ve been had! And here I thought we were going to have something cool to steal-¡±


    She cut herself off.


    ¡°Wait, this is better than what we came here for! And there''s not even a single guard here. Easiest relic heist ever, let''s go and get it!¡±


    ¡°I don''t think this place is as unguarded as you think it is.¡±


    Keeping Yuri from rushing forward, Hikaru was holding Yuri by the collar of her dress.


    ¡°What are you on about Hikaru, there''s not even a single protection spell in the way, let''s go and get it!¡±


    ¡°Observe your surroundings. Relax your vision.¡±


    Still looking at the relic, Hikaru kept holding her.


    She sighed slightly and tried to relax.


    When she did, she noticed something unusual. The ground seemed to be moving.


    No it wasn''t the ground, it was just the wires and cables covering the ground that were moving slightly.


    She could almost see something beneath the jumble of wires. Something metal and round.


    Slowly, the small metallic shapes began to appear from beneath the cables.


    ¡°What are those. Bugs..?¡±


    Looking closer, she thought they looked kind of like really large beetles.


    ¡°Those are not insects..they are presumably what guards this place. Yuri stand behind me.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a true knight, but I can take care of myself. I have good old knifey here. I can take care of a few bugs.¡±


    Her dagger was spun slightly when she drew it from beneath her clothes.


    The metallic shapes vibrated simultaneously, while electric looking liquid oozed out of them.


    ¡°Don''t tell me, they''re like that thing we saw earlier.¡±


    Slowly backing away, Yuri made sure to stay behind Hikaru like she was told.


    He only responded by drawing his sword.


    The brilliant white light mixed with the lights of hundreds of yellow blobs all around them.


    Each blob slowly formed itself into a vaguely humanoid shape.


    ¡°What the hell...how many of them are there...¡±


    She was slightly frightened by the overpowering yellow light that was taking over the giant underground space.


    ¡°Judging by how large this place is..and how far apart they''re standing..at least half a thousand..if not more.¡±


    The golden liquid looking figures slowly began walking towards them, their movements completely In sync.


    ¡°Sure would have been nice if I had prepared some gauntlets...¡±


    She was unsure if there was anything she could draw any runes on except for her body.


    Suddenly one of the metallic hearts that the golden figures had as their core appeared in front of Yuri.


    Looking at Hikaru in surprise, she noticed his figure flickering slightly as the shimmering golden figure of one of their enemies disappeared from inside out almost as if its core had been ripped out.


    ¡°Use that to protect yourself, there are enough of them that some may slip through, I can''t take that risk¡±


    ¡°Show off.¡±


    She gratefully picked up the metal heart and took it apart. She made a mini buckler of its outside which she held with her left hand. She quickly drew a few runes on its surface and prepared herself with tiny shield in her left hand and a tiny dagger in her right.


    ¡°Let''s add that relic to our collection then¡±

 Chapter 41: Oh no! Its-...who was it now again..?

    Golden clay-man shaped figures were getting sliced apart left and right, falling one by one.


    Hikaru merely a blur that appeared and disappeared after delivering each slash.


    Each slash was precise and contained enough power to cut through the solid form of mana and cut through the metallic hearts that were pumping out the crackling electric liquid.


    Yuri was also going through a fair number of opponents, although her methods were less precise than those Hikaru used. She opted for activating the runes on her tiny shield and sending out powerful jets of water which would momentarily disable the solid mana creatures and reveal their cores.


    She would then try and stab at it like her depended on it until she hit with her dagger. It was a reckless but strangely effective strategy.


    She would then run around while evading her enemies, giving her time to redraw the runes on her tiny shield.


    They were quickly going through the seemingly infinite line of creatures. When something interrupted their extermination session.


    ¡°Who are you. Did that bastard Rendel send you!?¡±


    A furious voice came from behind them, where an average looking older man stood at the doorway.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Yuri asked while stabbing apart one of the metal hearts with loud clanking noises.


    ¡°Whoever sent you, I won''t let you get in the way of my plans.¡±


    The man held some sort of small device which he activated.


    ¡°You seem to forget that we are in the main point for where all of the cities magical energy passes through. Which means.¡±


    As he said that, the creatures of mana that were previously fairly slow, suddenly sped up as if they were moving on fast forwarded video.


    Yuri barely managed to dodge an attack and activated the runes on her shield, blowing away all the creatures surrounding her. Or that was her intention, but seems that none of the creatures were particularly affected by her attack when only a minute ago they would be gravely injured.


    ¡°W-what the hell!?¡±


    The creatures surrounded her, glowing ever brighter with lightning crackling across their surface.


    Hikaru appeared in front of her as if by teleportation.


    ¡°Yuri. They are absorbing the mana from the cables around them. They have grown quite powerful. I can''t guarantee your safety if I were to fight them.¡±


    ¡°I know that! It''s fairly obvious, I''m not an idiot, who is that guy anyway!?¡±


    She snapped, glaring at the stranger.


    ¡°Surely you jest. I am only the one who created the beauties you see in front of you. My own original creations. Some parts of the designs may be inspired but it is still my creation. Mine!¡±


    He spoke slightly frantically.


    ¡°Right right..yours...so you''re the guy who stole the old man''s designs huh..¡±


    ¡°I did not steal anything. I merely borrowed his idea in order to fulfil my creations! I am the great inventor Tane, behold my beautiful creations, be granted the honour of dying by their hands, dogs of Rendel!¡±


    ¡°Here I thought I was being kinda narcissistic...¡±


    Muttering slightly, Yuri looked up at all of the mana creatures jumping at them from every side.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Oh crap..¡±


    The awaited blows never came. Instead a soft wind brushed her face while the golden figures still in mid air disappeared one by one, their metallic hearts crumbling into pieces and showering the ground with sparkling bits of metal.


    ¡°Wow...that is...damn cool..I''m jealous...¡±


    She stared with big admiring at the figure of Hikaru before her.


    He stood with his sword drawn, having finished reducing the imminent threat to nothing in the blink of an eye.


    What Yuri was admiring however wasn''t Hikaru himself, although her eyes did shift slightly to his face, but his right arm.


    It was covered in completely black bandages.


    Even his wrist and hand were covered in them, connecting him to the sword he was holding.


    The black bandages even covered the sword and strangely enough the blade of the sword. Making it entirely black.


    It wriggled slightly, and that''s when Yuri realised.


    ¡°It''s Mr ribbon!?¡±


    The black bandages wriggled slightly again.


    ¡°Indeed. Seems this ribbon sensed the urgency of the situation and absorbed my mana in order to amplify both my arm strength and the sharpness of the blade itself. An amazing creation.¡±


    He admired the sword in his hand.


    ¡°W-what the! You won''t get away with that.!¡±


    The mad man named Tane yelled at them at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°They won''t, but it won''t be at your hands, but mine.¡±


    Another person entered through the doorway.


    ¡°Bastard Rendel...what is the meaning of this!¡±


    Tane stepped back, the mana creatures surrounding him.


    ¡°The meaning is I finally am able to get you for all of this. Stealing designs and then implementing them into dangerous creations. We may be open minded but we are not fools!¡±


    It was the old man they talked to earlier.


    Stepping into the room, he was followed by several people covered in plates and holding onto what looked like metal bottles.


    ¡°....bottles?¡±


    Yuri observed them curiously.


    ¡°Fuck you Rendel. Your city will soon be no more. And I will follow its rules no longer! I received help from people who actually understood me, unlike the scum in this city, and I will make sure not to disappoint them!¡±


    Tane took out two metallic hearts. These ones looked different than the normal ones, they looked like they were made of a strange green metal. One thing about them however got Yuri''s and Hikaru''s attention, on the hearts was a familiar white sun symbol.


    ¡°This is the culmination of my genius and their resources! With this I can continue my genius and repay them properly!¡±


    ¡°Who are they, what have you done Tane! Surrender yourself, I order you as mayor of this city!¡±


    The old man who was apparently called Rendel yelled at Tane.


    ¡°Never! I rather end your pathetic ignorant life than do so!¡±


    Tane clicked the device he had several times and then crushed it against the ground.


    The mana creatures rushed forward.


    ¡°Guards, apprehend this criminal!¡±


    Rendel ordered his men who ran forward while brandishing their strange bottles.


    An incredible battle began to play out between the mana creatures and the armoured guards.


    The mana creatures crackled with electricity, making it dangerous to even be near them. They moved strangely, like how when one would speed up the video of someone walking slowly.


    The guards were more grouped and had an impressive formation which would have surrounded the mana creatures had they not been so quick. Their metal bottles shot bolts of fire and water at their enemies. Some of them even had a water lance appear from the bottle, which they used to keep the creatures at bay.


    ¡°Give this up Tane, you will never surpass the discipline and combined efforts of our people!¡±


    ¡°Screw off Rendel, You will taste the depth of power my creations can accomplish!¡±


    As this amazing dramatic battle was going. Yuri and Hikaru were silently sneaking their way toward the Horn relic, hoping their enemies would be too distracted with each other to notice them.


    ¡°And what do you think you''re doing!?¡±¡± Tane and Rendel turned and shouted at then simultaneously.


    ¡°Whaaaaat..nothiiiing..just...stretching a bit..¡±


    laughing awkwardly, Yuri began to pretend to stretch her legs, while Hikaru attempted to copy her in confusion.


    ¡°That relic makes the city function, do not dare touch it!¡±


    Rendel shouted at them.


    ¡°The city should have learned to survive on its own by now don''t you think!?¡±


    Tane shouted while he made one of the mana creatures fling him at the relic.


    ¡°Be impressed Rendel, this is what true genius is like!¡±


    Tane threw both the special metallic hearts at the relic.


    Instead of colliding with it, the two hearts instead stopped just before reaching the relic and began to slowly levitate around it.


    The two metallic hearts slowly began to ooze electric liquid. Different from the mana creatures, this ooze was much more potent, looking almost like liquid gold.


    ¡°This can''t be good...¡±


    Said, Yuri, Hikaru and Rendel all at once.

 Chapter 42: A lizard blizzard

    The white light completely disappeared, the only thing left illuminating the underground space was the angry crackling yellow light coming from the mana creatures and most importantly coming from where the provider of the brilliant white light should have been.


    Two metallic hearts floated at the front of the painfully bright yellow mass of solid mana.


    It grew quickly, bigger and taller. Until it reached the top of the one kilometre high ceiling.


    It slowly began to gain some sort of shape. Unlike the other mana creatures, it didn''t form a humanoid shape.


    It instead took the shape of something much more reptilian and inhuman.


    It stood on four limbs. Each one ending on three pointed sharp ends. It''s body formed long and sturdy, yet still looking sleek and aerodynamic. Its head formed a long snout with an elongated mouth filled with jagged golden teeth. A face that looked like a crocodiles.


    Above its mouth floated the two hearts, forming the eyes on the creature.


    The back of the creature shook and boiled, the bubbles forming two expansive wings that almost covered up the entire ceiling. Behind swooshed a long tail, hitting the few remaining mana creatures behind it.


    ¡°No one will say I can''t create my inventions any more..I will show you all...you fucking smug bastards..you will finally witness my greatest creation..and you will regret badmouthing me. You will regret your life. I will make you all regret your entire existence.¡±


    Tane walked up to the dragon and patted its massive leg.


    ¡°I will make you witness my genius.¡±


    Saying this, his body was grabbed onto by the solid mana that made up the mana dragons body.


    When his body was completely inside the massive creature. It began to speak.


    ¡°Feel with your skin what I feel with my heart. Foolish idiots.¡±


    The dragon spoke and opened its jaw. A stream of energy burst out of its mouth toward where old man Rendel stood.


    ¡°Tane, you idiot, what have you created!¡±


    Were the last words of Rendel before the burst of energy hit. Vaporising both him, his guards, and the mana creatures.


    And with them also half of the underground space, making everything collapse from inside out.


    The Golden solid-mana dragon flapped its wings and slammed through the hundreds of meters of ground above it.


    It emerged through the globed building, shattering it into pieces.


    The dragon circled over the city, much to the great panic of the people below.


    ¡°This city has overstayed its welcome. All of you who criticised my works. I will obliterate you before I uphold my promise to gather the godly relics. With my genius and this immortal body, I should be able to accomplish it in mere days.¡±


    The mana dragon spoke with a deep tone, before shooting off another burst of golden energy towards the city. Demolishing a random building.


    ¡°We can''t have you doing that, that would put me out of a job!¡±


    A small voice reached the dragons non existing ears.


    ¡°Who is in my presence!?¡±


    One of its metal eyes floated along its surface and to the back of its head. Giving the dragon a vision of its back.


    On it stood a young raven haired man, and a petite young girl. They kept themselves on it by stabbing the man''s black sword which seemed to be bandaged to his arm into the solid mana the creature was comprised of.


    Yuri rushed forward and stabbed the metallic heart that was also the creature''s eye with her dagger.


    Surprisingly, her dagger that seemed to have no problem stabbing through the smaller mana creatures metal hearts, seemed to just bounce off the surface of the metal without as much as a spark or scratch.


    ¡°Fools. I have made sure the hearts are made of Admentatium, my designs are perfect and undefeatable!¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The dragon bragged.


    ¡°Lizard. These hearts of yours. Whose sun insignia do they bear?¡±


    Hikaru asked while drawing his sword from the creatures back.


    ¡°The sun? It is the insignia of those that understand that there are greater things in life than simply preserving everyone''s happiness and ascertaining their safety. They agree with that this world is for the taking of those who dream bigger! It is not for those with concern for anyone but their goals! I will aid them in their goal to gather these relics and they shall aid me in my creations.¡±


    The dragon seemed slightly happy at the opportunity of bragging about its benefactors.


    ¡°If you''re going after the relics, I guess it can only mean one thing...Sk?ll..¡± Hikaru sighed.


    ¡°You know, Tane or dragon, or whoever you are right now, I agree with you. It''s much more important to strive for your own dreams than worry about the people around you and their safety or thoughts. So..as followers of the same philosophy...no hard feelings, but my goal happens to also be collecting all the relics. So I''m going to have to take yours¡±


    Yuri spoke as if it had already been decided that she will get what she wants.


    ¡°Are you trying to make a fool of me!?¡±


    The dragon roared and did a dive in mid air to shake them off.


    Hikaru grabbed onto Yuri and jumped off the dragons back.


    ¡°I can''t cut through the dragons body. The mana its made of is too solid. I can''t find a way to remove the relic from inside its body.¡±


    ¡°Yeah..I can''t destroy its two hearts either..or are they eyes...whatever they are. But...would you be able to cut through it if you had more force?¡±


    Yuri asked. They were having this conversation while free falling through the sky.


    ¡°I could..but the force required to get through something created with the power of a godly relic..¡±


    He seemed doubtful.


    ¡°Hey. We have our own godly relic right here don''t we?¡±


    She twirled her dagger, almost dropping it, before quickly recovering from mid air while fumbling with it. ¡°Phew...¡±


    ¡°Anyway! I have a plan. But it only works if you can pinpoint the exact location of the relic in the dragons body.¡±


    ¡°Done. It''s where the crackling of lightning on its body is the strongest.¡±


    ¡°Eh..you can tell that easily..?¡±


    To her all the crackling on the dragons body looked identical and equally as barely noticeable.


    ¡°Good job, as expected of my partner. Now all you have to do now...is strike it in the right spot..¡±


    She said this while drawing runes on the back of his shoes.


    She swiped the runes on his body and pushed herself off of him so she flew further away.


    ¡°Good luck, you have five seconds to get your aim right, and I increased the power on the runes by like...a lot! So make sure your legs don''t break!¡±


    ¡°What...what?!¡±


    Hikaru looked at the bottom of his shoes and found them to be filled with some sort of wind spell.


    Panicking slightly for one of the few times in his life. The ribbon around his arm and sword sensed his worry and wriggled slightly.


    ¡°That''s right..ribbon. Do the same thing you did on my arm to my whole body.¡±


    The ribbon wriggled uncomfortably.


    ¡°It only needs to be for a few seconds.¡±


    The ribbon wriggled submissively and his whole body except for his eyes and above was covered in black bandages.


    He felt like he could suffocate at any moment.


    Before even managing to sigh at Yuri''s carelessness (Not that he could with the bandages around his mouth). The runes activated and sent him flying up into the air towards the dragon so fast that it broke the sound barrier.


    He held his sword in front of himself, so the point of his sword would be the first thing to make contact with the dragon.


    The dragon looked down and prepared to fire off another burst of energy when it suddenly convulsed.


    It spewed out golden liquid from two holes in its body. As if it had been shot with a giant bullet, it suddenly had a hole penetrating through its entire body.


    ¡°What¡ªis this!?¡±


    Looking up, it found a figure still flying further and further up.


    The figure was completely black except for a small white object, which the dragon could make out to be a small horn.


    ¡°No..!? How the-!? Without it I can''t sustain this body!¡±


    What Tane had done in order to make this giant body of mana a reality was the use of the mana in the air around him, which was nearly limitless. Of course it needed extensive manipulation before being made possible to use. Which was why he needed the Horn relic of Heimdallr. Which the city had kept a carefully hidden secret as it was the thing which made it possible to convert all of the city''s nature mana into usable energy.


    They had long since abandoned their god, but refused to give up the bonuses that came with having a god. Thus they were always doomed to fail, or so thought the woman who had come to him with the necessary designs in order to complete his biggest creations, asking only for that he retrieves the relics which he believed to be an outdated technology. He had no qualms in accepting those terms.


    Unfortunately, he too was forced to rely on such outdated technology, and that ended up being his end.


    The golden dragon, now not being able to contain all of the mana its body was made up of. Exploded into a million pieces of golden energy.


    That day the city truly became the city covered in gold. It would have been a day the city would remember fondly for ages, the day when it rained gold.


    Had it of course not been made impossible by the fact that the golden shower or rain, was actually chunks of solid mana which exploded upon contact with the ground. Destroying most of the city and dooming it to a hundred years of economic failure due to the rebuilding costs.


    Thus it was a day that was not remembered fondly at all. But with curses at the two people who detonated this giant flying bomb above their heads.


    The evil thief girl and her dark knight partner.

 Chapter 43: Escaping the blazing

    Yuri managed to get safely down from the sky by drawing a feather fall spell on her tiny makeshift shield, smoothly floating down and landing on the ground with a soft thud.


    When she finally landed in the chaos of people running for their lives from the solid mana raining down, Yuri noticed something black falling along with the drops of gold.


    ¡°Oh yeah..I didn''t give him any feather fall spells did I..¡±


    Casually saying this, she proceeded to draw another feather fall spell on her shield, and also drawing a water spell on the other side, all the while people were running and screaming all around her.


    ¡°Ugh..so noisy..can''t concentrate.¡±


    Finally finished drawing the spells, she activated the water spell and threw the shield in the air like a Frisbee.


    The spell activated in mid air and shot out a burst of water from the shield, propelling it towards the sky, in the general direction of the falling Hikaru.


    The burst also happened to hit an old man in the head, making him fall over. But Yuri paid that no mind, simply pretending it wasn''t her but one of the solid mana chunks that hit him.


    ¡°What do I do now. At this rate I will not survive!¡±


    Hikaru was in the middle of falling at a tremendous speed, while the ribbon on his sword had retreated back to its usual white appearance, now just covering the sword handle.


    It wiggled frantically, having a similar thought to Hikaru.


    ¡°What is that..?¡±


    He looked at the peculiar object that was growing bigger and bigger in the distance, no it wasn''t growing, it was getting closer at a high speed.


    Being too tired, and surprised, he didn''t manage to even react, the object hitting him in the head with a loud vibrating clang.


    It stuck to his face until he slowly dragged it off as it was almost glued to his face due to how strong it hit him.


    ¡°What is this..¡±


    He looked at the small shield while still falling through the sky.


    ¡°....Much obliged Yuri.¡±


    Activating the runes on the shield, he managed to slow his fall almost completely. eventually landing softly on the ground.


    ¡°Hey there, superman how was the flight?¡±


    Yuri appeared from behind him.


    ¡°Who..man..?¡±


    ¡°Never mind that, here cover that up will you, you''re drawing too much attention¡±


    She said. Although no one was even paying them the slightest bit of attention. Everyone being far too busy with running or flying for their lives.


    Those that had lost their travelling devices were an amusing sight to see, as they had long since forgot how to properly run, and were instead running in a way that made them seem like they had crapped their pants. Not to mention that they got winded after only a few steps so they were forced to rest all the time.


    She threw a blanket she had stolen over the horn that was hanging on Hikaru''s sword.


    The blanket had small coins glued to it which bore sealing runes.


    Hikaru glanced questioningly at the blanket.


    ¡°Look I had to improvise okay? There was no paint around, so I just etched the runes on coins and glued them on a blanket. If it works it works.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    With the horn sealed inside the blanket, she placed it into a bag she got from the rubble around them.


    ¡°We should probably leave too, as much as I fancy just looting this place-¡±


    A wagon exploded nearby when a piece of golden solid mana hit it.


    ¡°-I don''t think there''s going to be much of this place left to loot. Besides if people don''t know something was stolen, it''s pointless to steal.¡±


    ¡°I will carry you out of bounds of the rain of mana, my legs will carry us both quickly enough for us to avoid the chaos on the roads.¡±


    ¡°Yeah but what would we do once we are out of the city, walk for miles? Or what had you decided you would carry me like a princess all the way to the next city?¡±


    She sneered slightly.


    ¡°I don''t see why not. My body has far more stamina than a normal human body, I should be able to last for a day before I need rest.¡±


    Answering carelessly, Hikaru went up to Yuri and picked her up into the familiar princess carry.


    ¡°W-wait stop! I was joking! What the hell are you doing! Seriously! You want to carry me like this for a whole day!? Put me down! What''s wrong with you!¡±


    Blushing, she flailed her legs angrily until Hikaru put her down again.


    ¡°I don''t understand the problem..is it uncomfortable to be carried like that for long periods of time..?¡±


    ¡°No! Geez! It''s not that! I mean..it''s very comfortable..just..embarrassing..so..¡±


    Her words trailed off, and she ended up looking down with a slight blush on her face.


    A warm hand ruffled her hair gently.


    ¡°Alright. Let''s go find something to ride then¡±


    Saying this, he began to look around for any kind of usable wagon, but it seemed like most of the wagons and travelling machines had been used by the people to flee the city.


    ¡°Hmm....this doesn''t look promising.¡±


    Slowly recovering from her mumbling state. Yuri remembered something.


    ¡°Oh! I know where we can find something to ride!¡±


    A small piece of solid mana exploded the ground between them slightly, making them hurry towards the place Yuri suggested.


    ¡°Here look!¡±


    She pointed at a blue-ish plate sticking out of the rubble.


    ¡°Told you there would be one. Since it''s underground, people probably wouldn''t come here to get anything, they much rather just flee out the city, besides this place is kind of a mess now..¡±


    They were inside the underground space where the horn had been kept. Although now it was more like a giant hole filled with rubble.


    Hikaru pulled out the board and confirmed that it still floated.


    ¡°We are good to leave¡±


    The rain of golden death had not yet ceased, despite it having been almost an hour.


    They were unsure where all that extra solid mana was coming from, but it was likely some strange reaction of the solid mana with the high atmosphere weather containing a rich source of nature mana.


    They had (possibly) in a way, created a new natural phenomena.


    ¡°Alright, Yuri get on. Let''s leave before this gets any worse.¡±


    ¡°Wait, just let me see if..aha!¡±


    Crouching down, Yuri picked up a dirty looking metal heart and put it in her bag.


    ¡°This will come in handy later¡±


    A thunderous explosion filled the sky, and more fragments of solid golden mana began to rain down from the sky, these ones much larger than the ones before.


    ¡°Yuri! If you don''t get on I will be forced to carry you out of the city myself!¡±


    ¡°I-I''m coming! You don''t have to threaten me! Since when have you become so cruel!¡±


    Quickly hopping on the floating plate, Hikaru activated the spell on the scooter like plate and they headed off.


    ¡°I am strict when it comes to your safety. I have been far too lenient and allowed you to get into dangerous situations far too many times. From now on, I will make sure that you are either completely ready for anything or have me by your side.¡±


    ¡°You sure sound like a helicopter parent Hikaru..I''m not a kid you know, and you aren''t my parent, I''ve been in situations much more dangerous than this. Well...not flying rampaging made of magical energy dragon sort of dangerous..but still!¡±


    Retorting while pouting slightly. Yuri held on to the plate while they speeded through the rubble filled city.


    ¡°I know. I am however your bodyguard. Although I believe in your ability to accomplish anything you want. I rather not take any chances. For the sake of acquiring the relics.¡±


    He answered seriously.


    ¡°Ugh...fine..man you''re preachy today all of a sudden. What''s up with that?¡±


    She said as if the fact that they had destroyed an entire city, which was most likely the most advanced in this realm, only a mere hour ago, was just another everyday occurrence.


    ¡°Nothing..Just slightly cautious that''s all.¡±


    The image of the sun symbol on the two metal hearts of the dragon, floated in his head.


    (If she even got to something this powerful..and actually managed to infiltrate even this city..how many more..how many more potential enemies has she created for us..)

 Chapter 44: An oasis with a chest filled with sweets

    An endless desert stretched into the horizon, the only thing other than sand and dirt were the rocky brown mountains in the distance that covered the distance like a protective wall.


    The calm sands were disturbed by the wind that came from a floating metal plate whizzing over the untouched scenery.


    No matter how fast or far the floating plate moved, the mountains in the distance looked exactly the same, proving just how incredibly giant and far away they truly were.


    The sun was on its way down the sky, yet still shined strong enough to make the air twist like water due to the heat.


    ¡°Ugh......Those mountains look the saaaame..are we ever going to get to the next city..¡±


    Yuri lay sprawled out on the metal plate while Hikaru sat at the front, calmly watching the unchanging mountains.


    ¡°Eventually. It is a shame that none of the cities around the golden city possessed any relics. At least we managed to get some supplies before the refugees escaping the mana rain bought up everything.¡±


    He nodded at a few sacks of food that were quickly becoming empty.


    ¡°Hikaruuuuu, how are we going to get over the mountains..we are starting to run out of food..and I''m sick of dried jerky and dried tomatoes..I want sweets! I want pastries! I want juice! I need sugar! Hikaru my body needs it!!¡±


    She clung to his waist and complained loudly.


    ¡°We will make sure to get that in stock once we get to our stop then¡±


    Her rubbed her head while chewing on a piece of rubbery jerky.


    ¡°What stop! There''s nothing here! It''s just sand, and more sand and maybe a cactus and then some more sand!¡±


    Rolling around on the metal plate, she stood up and pointed at Hikaru.


    ¡°How do you even know there''s a stop here! You don''t even have a map! There is no sign that anything has ever lived here other than pointy cactuses that don''t even taste sweet!¡±


    She yelled, having tasted the meat of one of the cactuses and cursing her curiosity when they turned out to be more bitter than anything she ever tasted before.


    ¡°Calm down Yuri, I can''t tell you with certainty where our next stop is, but it should be somewhere in this desert.¡±


    ¡°Hikaruuuu....this desert is huge! We''ve been driving through it for days now! How the hell are we going to find this stop if we don''t even know where it is! Damnit, I''m starting to get a tan because of this sun! I''ve always prided myself on my pale white skin! I used to be called the metropolis ghost!¡±


    ¡°We won''t find it, if you give it some time however, it will find us¡±


    Just as Hikaru said this, they got over a large hill of sand.


    Since Yuri was standing up on the plate, she was the first to get a good look over the sands.


    Her eyes glittered happily. Whatever she saw, certainly made her excited.


    Eventually they managed to fully get the metal plate to the top of the sandy hill, where they floated in silence for a bit.


    It was more a mountain that a city, a giant wide mountain on which people had built hundreds of houses and roads.


    There was even a large church tower that was made from the rock of the mountain itself and stood high above everything in the desert, except the walls of mountains in the distance.


    Everything was made out of some sort of rock or clay, but was coloured with various bright colours to distinguish each house with special markings or house paints.


    The city made from a literal mountain even had trees and vegetation growing everywhere on it. It looked just like a paradise oasis in the middle of the hellish emptiness that was the desert.


    ¡°That''s it, the city of Asur. They should have some pretty good pastries and sweets, since they do a lot of trading¡±


    Hikaru said, despite the sands out of the city looking extremely untouched and pristine, with no one being outside the city. Which made his statement of it being a city that trades a lot fairly strange, since that would usually mean a lot of traders travelling in and out of it and through the desert.


    Of course Yuri wouldn''t notice such a small detail and her mind filled with potential conquests of thievery and the delicious pastries she would gorge herself on.


    Her belly rumbled slightly.


    ¡°Hungry? You should eat some jerky, it''s going to be a while before we reach it, it looks close, but that''s just because of its size¡±


    A piece of grey jerky was waved in front of Yuri''s face, making her nose wrinkle.


    ¡°No! No way am I eating this crap when there''s a buffet of stuff waiting for me over there! Screw this!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Kneeling down, she began to draw on the plate. After managing to draw a few runes in the middle of the plate, which was quite difficult since it was made from fairly scratch resistant material.


    Yuri activated the runes and grabbed the front of the plate, holding on for dear life.


    ¡°I recommend holding on, or else I will leave you behind!¡±


    The runes shone slightly, then the entire metal plate began to glow. It''s floating shifted slightly, and it rose a few meters before shooting out like a bullet across the sands.


    Hikaru had just barely managed to hold on to the plate at the last second before it flew off.


    Their sacks of jerky had fallen off at the top of the hill when they shot out of there like a rocket. Yuri didn''t mind however, there was a whole buffet of treasure and sweets waiting for her in the distance.


    ¨C


    The gates to the city of colourful stone and clay stood high in front of them.


    ¡°Hey, open up! We have come for your sweets, and your treats!¡±


    Yuri announced like a weird children''s story and stomped her foot on the metal plate that was stuck to the side of the stone gate.


    The floating metal plate, wasn''t floating so well any more, since it crashed into the gate like an arrow, becoming stuck in the stone like a diving board.


    Yuri kept jumping up and down on the end of the plate like a diving board.


    ¡°Hey! Open! The! Damn! Gate!¡±


    Hikaru stood below her, the sands surrounding him up to his knees.


    ¡°Who dares attack the great city of Asur. Scoundrels begone, this city is only for those of the noble tradesmen. No other outsiders are allowed!¡±


    Came a loud voice from above the gate. A row of bare chested men who wielded long bronze spears stood at the top of the gates.


    ¡°Uh. We''re traders! But you see, our...magic wagon broke down and we couldn''t stop it. So we ended up colliding with your very stony gate, losing all our merchandise. It was delicate metals that evaporate when moved too quickly so!¡±


    She made up a convenient lie to gain entry since it was the easiest way she could think of.


    ¡°Very well. These metals must have been truly valuable for you to travel at this season. You may enter and attempt to contact your contractors. We dislike leaving people out to dry in the desert.¡±


    The gates slowly began to open, pushed open by several of the same bare chested guards, while the rest stood still atop the gate as it moved.


    The sands were pushed to the sides of the entrance by the stone gate doors and Hikaru gratefully walked out of the sand sea, while Yuri jumped down from the plate still stuck to the gate.


    Inside was like an alien world compared to the dead sandy sea outside. Greenery filled a lot of houses and many of the roads.


    Men, women and children walked around on their way to their various destinations. There was even a fountain in the middle of the plaza ahead. A turtle that was shooting out water from its shell and showering the children that played with a pleasant, cooling drizzle.


    ¡°This place is just as I remember it, the heart of life in a place where no life is allowed...humans truly are brilliant..¡±


    Hikaru stood for a few moments, admiring the calming pleasant sight in front of him.


    Something about the scene changed as he blinked away a stray drop of water from his eyes.


    Now among the children who were mostly six years old, was now a slightly older girl, that was running around happily with a sweet looking bun in her mouth and her arms full of various colourful buns.


    ¡°....Yuri¡± Hikaru smiled awkwardly at the girl who munched on pastries while frolicking around in the soft water drizzle.


    ¡°DISH SHTUF ISH GUUD!¡±


    Noticing his gaze, Yuri happily spoke with cheeks full of cream and dough.


    The other children chased after the weird girl while trying to get the sweets from her.


    ¡°NUU DIS ISH MINE!¡±


    She kept running around in circles away from the children while quickly munching on her treats.


    Everyone in the plaza looked upon the slightly awkward scene, but couldn''t help but smile at the girl who was so whole heartedly enjoying herself.


    Hikaru suddenly snapped back to reality.


    ¡°Yuri.¡±


    He grabbed her out of the drizzle of the fountain, making her drop some of her pastries.


    She pouted at him as the children instantly reach for them.


    ¡°Awh, my sweets! What Hikaru.¡±


    ¡°Your clothes.¡±


    Looking down she found her white dress was quickly becoming transparent because of the water.


    ¡°Wha. Where are you looking!¡±


    She instinctively kicked him in the groin, but having forgotten he wore armoured clothes, crouched down in pain while holding her foot.


    She was blushing with an angry face. But it wasn''t due to people around them seeing her as much as just him.


    She wondered why she felt so embarrassed when it was Hikaru that pointed that out. She held her hands protectively around her body while glaring at him.


    Wanting to calm the glaring pouting girl in front of him, Hikaru took off his armoured jacket and put it over her shoulders.


    The sudden weight on her shoulders almost made her fall, but she gratefully wrapped it around herself. Although despite finally being covered up, she blushed even harder for an unknown reason.


    ¡°I suppose it is good most men around here walk around bare chested¡±


    Hikaru commented while glancing at most of the men around them, true to his words, they were mostly bare chested, like it was a popular fashion choice in this city.


    Yuri kept blushing while glancing at Hikaru. His body was not as large as many of the men around here, but his muscles were tight and efficient and she was sure that each small part of his muscles was as effective if not more than some of the other men''s largest muscles. She thought the water drops landing on his chest were kind of interesting to look at, how they so smoothly travelled down and-


    (W-what am I thinking!? What! No I have no interest in that! I just thought he was impressive! Yeah! Just like..admiring a really powerful warrior! I definitely wasn''t thinking that he looked good! Or enticing..or...)


    She ended up unwillingly glancing at his bare chest again.


    ¡°NO!NONONO!¡±


    Kneeling down, she hit her head against the ground until a small stream of blood began to travel down face.


    ¡°Yuri! What are you doing! Are you okay!?!¡±


    Hikaru stopped her and lifted her up to her feet while checking over her small wound.


    ¡°I''m..completely...normal!¡±


    She gave him a thumbs up before fainting, the last image in her mind was his bare chest awfully close to her face.


    ¡°Damn...this...stupid..body...¡±

 Chapter 45: The bronze age casino and the mad librarian

    "Ugh..my head...where am I.."


    Yuri awakened to a throbbing head and a blurry vision.


    ¡°You''re finally awake..I was really worried, even if your injury was just a minor cut..the doctor said it was just a minor concussion, so stay still and keep resting¡±


    She was pushed slowly back into bed when she tried to get up.


    ¡°Thanks Hikaru..but I''m fine..I want to go get more pastries..and..¡±


    ¡°I bought a sack of pastries for you, of all kinds, so there''s no need for you to get up from bed. Just rest. I have also bribed the doctor like you usually do, and asked him if he knew anything of importance. I have also gotten this inn room for us, so everything is done, just rest.¡±


    He placed a large sack filled of colourful pasties near the bed and handed one to Yuri, who began to quietly munch on it.


    ¡°Make sure you eat, and I will go bring dinner when it''s done. Also..what was that about, why did you suddenly injure yourself like that?¡±


    Hikaru asked, noticeably worried.


    ¡°W-well..uh..¡± Glancing at him and seeing that he was now wearing clothes over his upper body, she slowly relaxed. ¡°I was just..I had a heatstroke and got confused, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Even though you were cooling off in the water..?¡±


    ¡°Heat stroke! It was heat stroke okay!¡±


    ¡°Alright..? As long as you''re fine now.¡± A glass of local juice was poured for Yuri, which she gratefully chugged, not having anything to drink even since before she fainted had made her considerably thirsty.


    ¡°So..did you find out anything useful from the doctor..?¡±


    ¡°Well..this city doesn''t have any relics or any single item of great value, it''s a trading city so it mostly has wares of all kinds. I think we should take this as an opportunity to relax, especially since you are so worn out right now, we can rest for a few days and collect our strength before deciding on anything, does that sound good?¡±


    ¡°Well..I guess it has mostly been either travelling or trying to get a relic all the time...we deserve a break don''t we?¡± She nodded. ¡°Wait, what did you with the horn relic, and besides what did you do with the rest of the relics we got?¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, I have made sure to keep them in a place only I can access. There is no place more secure than where I am keeping them.¡±


    He sounded so confident in his statement that Yuri chose to simply not pursue the subject further and just trust him.


    ¡°So..what is there to do in this city?¡±


    She asked curiously, since Hikaru seemed to know about this city.


    ¡°Hm..this city is fairly well known for its great production of bronze equipment because of all the copper-filled mountains in the desert. They also have an extensive library, filled with books traded from all over the world..hmm..what else..they have regular auctions..regular plays..gambling..festivals...since this is the season where the trade kind of slows up, there are a lot of events to fill peoples time.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh ohhh! Gambling! Let''s do that! And let''s look up that bronze equipment, I need a new pair of gauntlets, preferably something that looks good!¡±


    She jumped excitedly.


    ¡°And festivals..festivals are kind of nostalgic..I remember when me and my friend used to go to those and just spend the time using all of our skills on petty games to win prizes not worth the entry money..those times were fun..I wonder what he''s doing now..¡±


    Her eyes filled with the memories of days that would never again come, and her eyes got slightly blurry.


    ¡°Yuri..are you okay..¡±


    Hikaru slowly placed his hand on her head.


    ¡°Huh..?¡± Wiping her eyes, she finally noticed they were slightly wet. ¡°Hah..I guess I do have some regrets after all...¡±


    ¡°Do you miss that friend..?¡±


    Her head was slowly caressed by a caring hand.


    ¡°I wouldn''t say I miss him..we were just..always there for each other..when one got into trouble they couldn''t get out of..the other would pull him up..and we did have fun. We were always prepared for the worst, that''s the nature of our jobs..but...I had at least hoped to thank him for being my friend..¡±


    Her eyes got slightly blurry again.


    ¡°If you were that good of friends, I''m sure that such words were unnecessary. Your feelings probably came through without even having to utter them.¡±


    ¡°You sure? I guess..would have been nice to at least have said good bye to him before I disappeared.¡±


    Shaking her head, she slapped her cheeks slightly.


    ¡°Anyway. Regretting things you can''t change is silly, let''s go gamble away all our money!¡±


    Hopping out of bed, she declared with gusto.


    ¡°Indeed, let''s do so.¡±


    Hikaru smiled softly and patted her head before they headed out.


    ¨C


    ¡°Ohhhh, this place is pretty cool!¡±


    Yuri walked in to one of the more prominent buildings in the city, with Hikaru following after her.


    All the tables inside the building were made of pure white marble, and each heavy stone seat had beautiful stitched cushions of dark colours. The walls were entirely lined with bronze that had various figures drawn on it, almost like they were coming out of the walls.


    Yuri''s expert eyes immediately noticed that these bronze walls were spectacular in value. They were incredibly old, perhaps even thousands of years old or more. Despite that, they looked pristine and shiny, betraying the fact that they had been meticulously cleaned for longer than people could remember.


    Most of the images depicted people drinking and chatting, but some were of the men were playing a strange dice and card based game. It was very similar to the game that most people inside the building were currently playing.


    ¡°A dice based game huh..¡±


    Her eyes glowed, while Hikaru looked around with disinterest, he had never had an interest in gambling, although he could appreciate the skill of experienced players.


    ¡°Hey, I''m joining, yeah hello, this seat is free right, I''m game.¡±


    She sat down at a random table and joined their dice game.


    ¡°Aren''t you a little too young to be gambling, young lady..?¡±


    One of the older men at the table squinted at her.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Aren''t you a little too old to be playing this? You know I heard that right before you die, the first thing you lose is your sight. Since you have to squint so hard to see me, maybe you should just retire before you fall face first on the table?¡±


    Yuri grinned at him, slightly ticked off that she was both called young and a lady.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The old man slapped his knee ¡°If you can make comments like that then you''re old enough! Just don''t cry when I take all your money¡±


    Laughing wholeheartedly, they began playing while the man calmed down.


    The dice game was fairly simple, there was almost no skill involved. You use both cards and dice. The player first throws the dice, if they get both of the dies to land on a six, you skip your turn. If you get any sum of numbers less than that, you draw cards from the card stack equal to the amount on the dice.


    The lose condition for each player, is drawing the black card. If you draw it you lose and are out of the game. However, the rest of the cards have various positive effects, such as skip your turn, or put the black card back into the pile at random, or make someone draw more.


    Once the black card is drawn and a player loses, the card is put back into the stack. This continues until only one player remains.


    It was a game that relied heavily on luck, since if you lose on the dies and have to draw, and the first card you draw is the black card. You automatically lose, since you have yet to draw any other cards you can use to save yourself.


    Yuri began playing while Hikaru watched from the sidelines, slowly sipping on a drink.


    She played, and had a fair amount of successes and losses, before they finally decided to bet money on the game. Yuri of course went all in. Seeing this, so did the rest. Her instincts weren''t wrong and the old man who had laughed earlier put in a sum greater than all of theirs combined.


    They kept playing with everyone trying to play their very best. She concentrated all her efforts on using up all her cards to make other players draw more.


    This resulted in most of the players drawing the black the card and losing. Soon enough it was just her and the man left.


    I became Yuri''s turn, and throwing the dice, she unluckily ended up on a 5 and 6. The most unlucky combination, which meant she had to draw a total of 11 cards.


    She quickly drew all of her cards one by one, looking at each one to confirm it wasn''t the black card before drawing the next.


    What the rest of the players did not know. Was that one of the cards Yuri had drawn was actually the black card. Once she began drawing one of the cards, she immediately noticed that the edge of the card underneath it had a black colour.


    Thus she chose to draw the black card while holding it underneath the card above it, to make it appear as one single card. This kind of move would have easily been noticed by the other players, But Yuri was quick, her years of having to quickly steal and replace items on her burglaries and heists had granted her superb finger control.


    Thus the game continued without anyone of the knowledge that the black card was not in the stack.


    They both kept throwing the dice and drawing from the stack which quickly dwindled. Everyone was tense at this intense battle. The man ended up using a lot of his cards to skip his turns and push them onto Yuri. While Yuri, armed with the knowledge that there was black card, simply kept drawing, the people at the table baffling at her courage.


    She continued to keep the black card hidden by swiftly moving it behind her other cards.


    Eventually, only one card remained. Yuri drew the card and pretended it was the black card.


    ¡°Ah! Damn! But I still have this card!¡±


    She threw down a card that allowed her to put the black card back into the stack, and put the black card which had been in her hand all along onto the table.


    ¡°Hmph. You survive this round, but not the next. I skip my turn.¡±


    Although he had used up a lot of cards, he still had a considerable sum. So he chose to skip his turn with one of his cards.


    ¡°Your turn..¡± He grinned at Yuri.


    Throwing the dice, both of them perfectly landed on a 6.


    ¡°Oh, look at that. I don''t have to draw. Your turn.¡±


    The man frowned and threw the dice, he wasn''t so lucky however, and was forced to draw. He used up another card and shifted his turn to Yuri, who calmly used a card to cancel her turn.


    Another turn, he has to draw. He skips and plays a card to make Yuri draw. She uses a card to cancel his card. Next turn, she throws the dice, perfect sixes again.


    This continues with Yuri getting perfect dice each turn, and countering the man''s dwindling cards, until finally. He is forced to draw, and the card he draws, is unsurprisingly..the black card.


    ¡°Damn! It''s my loss!¡±


    The black card was thrust against the table.


    The other players breathe out a sigh of relief, their tension disappearing.


    ¡°That was such an intense match..I''ve never seen one like that..¡± Such comments filled the table and the people around them.


    ¡°This...is mine then~¡±


    Yuri hugged the pile of money and dragged it towards her.


    ¡°Hikaru! Carry all this!¡±


    Yuri and Hikaru walked out while carrying a large sack of coin each.


    ¡°Yuri that was amazing. How did you manage to keep getting sixes at the end like that!¡±


    He asked with amazement.


    ¡°Well. Back in my world. I also liked to gamble. It was like a more relaxed form of thieving, which you do when you''re tired from your heists. So I developed this dice throwing technique that would always allow me to make it land on what I want, well most of it I learned from that one friend. That''s why I was always drawing so much throughout the game after the fact that everyone except one guy had lost. I wanted to draw the black card so I could use it later.¡±


    ¡°Ah I see..¡±


    Somehow, he figured he should have expected Yuri to cheat, but the way she cheated at a game she had never played before was still impressive. That match became a well known story at that gambling house for many years to come.


    ¨C


    "What do you mean you can only make stuff from bronze?"


    Yuri was standing in the middle of a loud hot workshop, where several people were busy either heating up metals in a large furnace, or hitting anvils with large hammers.


    ¡°Well missy, as much as I want to, we are in between trading seasons, which means we don''t have nearly the amount of other metals we need. All we got is copper and the stockpiles of tin. So bronze is all we got for a few more weeks.¡±


    A large muscled man spoke while shaping a bar of metal on an anvil.


    ¡°Well that''s annoying..bronze isn''t that durable..oh I know! Here''s your metal¡±


    She threw two bags that landed with a mass of small clangs at the ground in front of him.


    He opened the bags and found them full of all kinds of coins, from steel and silver to gold.


    ¡°No matter how much you pay me, I can''t make anything with metal I don''t have..¡±


    ¡°No you idiot. That''s the metal! Melt down those coins and use them.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Do you realise how much you can buy with all this coin and you want me to melt it down..?¡±


    The big man looked at her with disbelief.


    ¡°Yes. So make me my damn gauntlets already¡±


    ¡°Alright..but the main component will still be bronze..I can make it a bronze silver and steel mix..the gold is too soft so I will take that as payment. Also even though you are giving me these coins, there is only enough for one gauntlet¡±


    ¡°I see...then make a gauntlet for my left hand, I can use the right to hold something else I guess..¡±


    She patted where her dagger was hidden beneath her clothes.


    ¡°Well then, I shall get working then, it should be done in a few days, come by then.¡±


    With this Yuri left the workshop and walked up to Hikaru who was waiting outside.


    ¡°Alright! Let''s go to this library of theirs and see if they have any useful information on rune magic or the relics, they should right? It''s a library with books from all over the place after all¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they should have at least something of value for us¡±


    They walked through the lush green city and walked into a small building that extended far beneath the rocks, like a large basement, presumably done so in order to preserve the books better.


    ¡°Hey, we''re here to browse the library a bit, Is that alright?¡±


    She asked an old woman sitting at the counter that looked like she could either be asleep or dead.


    ¡°Why yes..the library is open for all..all you have to do is write your name before you come in..then you can browse and read as you want, it''s always nice to see young people interested in the fine arts of reading..¡±


    She handed them a small note book with a bunch of signatures, like a visiting book.


    Yuri wrote down her name in large letters, making sure hers were bigger than everyone else''s while Hikaru just wrote his name with a small signature in the corner of the page.


    ¡°Thank you my dears..¡± She took back the book and glanced at it ¡°Wait..Yuri..is that..you''re the thief who stole all the valuable books from our library!¡±


    The old woman stood up and took up a broom.


    ¡°Such shameless behaviour! What did you do with all the books! Sell them? You shameless girl! Guards! Guards!¡±


    The old woman yelled and began chasing Yuri around with a broom.


    ¡°W-what!? I didn''t steal anything! At least not from you or this library! H-hey! Stop that! OW!¡±


    Yuri ended up getting smacked on the head with the broom a few times before she managed to escape from the old woman with Hikaru.


    ¡°W-what was that about!?¡±


    She breathed out in relief once they were a fair distance away.


    ¡°Yuri. Perhaps it was not wise to write your own name if it was well known that you have stolen there?¡±


    ¡°No! That''s the thing! I didn''t steal from there! I''ve never been in there until today! You should know, you''ve been with me the whole time!¡±


    ¡°That''s true..then why did she recognise your name..besides her assumption about you being a thief was correct..¡±


    Hikaru lightly scratched the side of his head.


    ¡°I don''t know. That woman was probably crazy or something. Did you see how old she was. She was on death''s door, wouldn''t surprise me if she was delusional.¡±


    She huffed and folded her arms, slightly annoyed over not being able to get the info she needed.


    ¡°Well, we can just go back there tomorrow, after the festival, she will probably have forgotten you by then. For now let''s just go get some dinner and dessert.¡±


    Yuri lit up at the mention of festival and dessert and they headed off to find the best restaurant in the city, if they were resting, they might as well do it with the best food in their bellies.


    Although something still bothered Yuri about that incident with the old woman, she chose to dismiss it for now, instead focusing on the delights that would be her dinner.

 Chapter 46: The copycat....err...pigeon?

    ¡°Ohhh look at all these interesting sweets! This festival is awesome!¡±


    Yuri was running around excitedly while looking over the food at the stalls around her.


    ¡°The night is young, don''t try to eat too many things at once and just eat one thing-¡±


    Hikaru spoke while glancing at an interesting food item. Looking back at Yuri, he found her already stuffing her mouth with various fried sweet treats and snacks on sticks.


    ¡°-at a time...¡±


    He gave up trying to convince Yuri and just concentrated on making sure she wouldn''t choke.


    ¡°Ohhh they have a tournament for ball throwing!¡±


    She said after swallowing the last bite of her food.


    ¡°Perhaps we can compete and see who wins the most prizes?¡±


    Hikaru suggested while walking up to the stall with Yuri.


    ¡°Heh..a challenge..you finally show your true colours..you''re on sword-boy!¡±


    Rubbing her nose slightly in confidence, she went up to the stall that was fairly long compared to the others and slammed some coins on the table, buying herself a ticket in a dramatic manner. While Hikaru carefully opened his wallet and counted out his change before handing it to the stall owner.


    It was finally their turn. The goal was to throw as many of the balls as possible inside the baskets, the further they were, the more points they would earn.


    Hikaru threw the balls with casual throws, hitting all of them in the next best basket.


    Yuri was trying her absolute best, yet despite putting all her strength into her throws, they wouldn''t even reach the furthest baskets.


    ¡°What the hell is this! Why can''t I. Throw. These damn. Balls!¡±


    Getting frustrated with her failed attempts, she threw the last ball with all of her strength and to her delight it actually managed to reach the furthest basket. But instead of going in, the ball hit the edge of the basket and flew back towards Yuri, smacking her right between her eyes. ¡°UGU!¡± She cried out pathetically when the ball hit her.


    ¡°I demand a retry..¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry miss but you only get one try per person-¡±


    ¡°I DEMAND A RETRY THIS IS RIGGED!¡±


    She threw a tantrum until the stall owner reluctantly allowed her to have another go, if only so she would stop driving the other customers away.


    This time, Yuri was not willing to lose, she drew a rune on the ground without anyone noticing. And before she threw every ball, she would activate the rune with her foot, making an unnoticeable gust of wind flow upward from it, lifting the ball she was throwing so it would easily reach the furthest basket with little effort on her part.


    It took a little to get used to, but after she did, she hit almost every ball into the furthest basket.


    ¡°Hah! Look at that, The great Yuri wins again! I used to be a master of festival games! Seems I still am too! Haha!¡±


    She boasted to Hikaru who pretended to not notice her obvious cheating.


    ¡°That''s great Yuri, you might get first prize with that score¡±


    He praised her.


    ¡°Might? There is no one who can beat my score, I remember when I used to visit these kinds of festivals with my friend, we would always compete and I would always win, every time it was my victory, he always got so upset! It was hilarious!¡±


    She kept boasting while the stall owner announced the winners.


    ¡°Uh..third place..we got the mister with the sword over there¡±


    He beckoned Hikaru forward and handed him some pretty badge.


    ¡°Third place? Come on Hikaru, I would have expected you to get at least second place, with me in first of course! Guess we can''t all be winners huh¡±


    Hikaru was patted on the back by Yuri.


    ¡°Right, well maybe I will have more luck next time¡±


    Smiling at her, he was glad Yuri was having fun and relaxing.


    ¡°Second place..we have the young pretty lady in white¡±


    He waved Yuri over.


    ¡°Huh? Pretty lady in white?¡±


    Yuri looked behind her and couldn''t find anyone that matched that description.


    ¡°No miss, I mean you¡±


    He pointed at Yuri.


    ¡°Wait wait, first of all, I''m not a lady or pretty. Most important of all..what do you mean second place. Don''t tell me you mixed up the scores, how embarrassing!¡±


    ¡°No..? It''s all correct¡±


    He handed her an ornate pin as her prize.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.¡°First place belongs to this guy. He got every single ball into the furthest basket without fail. It was amazing!¡±


    He pointed at a nearby man who wore nondescript clothes. The only thing that made him stand out was the strange mask he was wearing which covered his whole head. It was a white pigeon mask, it also looked strange because the eyes looked so stale and lifeless.


    The man walked up and collected his prize, before giving Yuri a peace sign while walking past her.


    ¡°That...smug little pigeon bastard..I''m sure he cheated! That''s the only way!¡±


    Small sparks flew out of Yuri''s eyes while she glared at the disappearing back of the pigeon masked man.


    (But you cheated too..did you forget..)


    Hikaru thought. But didn''t say anything in order to not ruin her mood further.


    ¡°Come on, let''s find another stall, we were just unlucky with this one¡±


    Pulling her away from her glaring, he took her to another stall where she could win first prize and get in a good mood again.


    However..


    ¡°First prize goes to the man over there with the pigeon mask!¡±


    Another prize handed over to the mysterious weirdo.


    ¡°I''m sure you will win the next one Yuri..¡±


    Rubbing the head of the angry steaming Yuri, Hikaru pulled her away to another stall.


    Yet no matter where they tried.


    ¡°First prize goes to the masked man!¡±


    ¡°The winner is the mystery pigeon mask!¡±


    ¡°Pigeon mask!¡± ¡°Masked man! ¡°Weird mask man!¡±


    Each and every stall where a prize could be won was won by that strange nameless man.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!? WHO IS THIS!? WHY DOES HE KEEP CHEATING!? HIKARU STAB HIM! SLASH HIM! SLICE HIM UP!¡±


    Yuri was struggling against Hikaru''s hold, which was the only thing keeping her from going on a murderous rampage.


    ¡°Calm down Yuri..I''m sure he was cheating like you said..¡±


    He tried to comfort her but ended up only making the fire stronger.


    ¡°DAMN RIGHT HE CHEATED!!! I WILL SLICE HIM UP FOR IT! CHEATING AGAINST ME THAT FUCKING BASTARD!¡±


    She continued to thrash against Hikaru''s grip, her hands going for the dagger hidden beneath her clothes.


    ¡°Excuse me, Since you were first, I need to put in a name since you are the one who has the highest score¡±


    A stall owner took down a wooden sign and erased the name on it before handing it to the pigeon masked man.


    ¡°.......¡±


    The pigeon masked man, who had not spoken a single word so far, continued his silence. Taking out a pen, he wrote something on the wooden sign and handed it back.


    The stall owner looked it over and nodded, slowly hanging it up on the top of the stall.


    The single word written on the sign was...¡±Yuri¡±


    ¡°.....WHAT.¡±


    Yuri blinked several times.


    The pigeon masked man looked at the sign with obvious pride before nodding and slowly walking away.


    ¡°Ohhhh..so that mysterious champion is called Yuri..¡±


    People murmured.


    ¡°I see...Yuri huh..he''s so cool. So mysterious.¡±


    Murmur murmur.


    ¡°I''m sure he''s handsome beneath that mask too! Like a prince!¡±


    There wasn''t anyone in the festival who hadn''t heard about the mysterious masked man taking all the high scores in all the stalls. So when they finally found out something about him, everyone began spreading rumours about the mysterious pigeon masked man that was supposedly called ''Yuri''.


    ¡°.....How are you feeling..?¡±


    Hikaru asked carefully, extremely worried since Yuri hadn''t said anything ever since the masked man put up that sign.


    ¡°....I''m fine...¡± She was shaking slightly.


    ¡°Yuri...are you okay..¡±


    Reaching out towards her to make sure she wasn''t crying, before-


    ¡°OF COURSE I''M NOT FINE DAMNIT!¡±


    Yelling loud and clear, making everyone in the festival turn their heads towards the source of the noise, Yuri looked into Hikaru''s eyes.


    ¡°That bastard. He thinks he can best me, the great legendary TRUE Yuri! Then he wants to steal my name too? Well you know what. I hate losing. And I hate him.¡±


    Turning her back to Hikaru, she began looking around.


    ¡°Where did that bastard go. Let''s find him and beat him...then unmask him..then beat him again! Literally!¡±


    ¡°Alright..¡±


    They looked around all over the festival for him. One would think that such a strange person wouldn''t go unnoticed, but it seems he had completely disappeared.


    Until..


    ¡°By Asur! Someone stole all golden bells from the church!¡±


    ¡°Who would do something like that! That''s horrible!¡±


    ¡°Someone also stole the fountain of the turtle guardian from the central plaza!?¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible!?¡±


    ¡°I hear it''s the same thief who stole all the historically important books from the library..:!¡±


    ¡°How would you even know that??!¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the same message was left at each crime scene! A small word written in gold on the wall! I think it read ''Yuri''. Maybe the thief''s name?¡±


    ¡°I also heard some people saw a man with a bird mask leaving the church right before the crime!¡±


    ¡°Wait..don''t tell me! It can''t be the festival Yuri! The one who won at all the stalls!?


    Such rumours and heated discussions suddenly started to spread while Hikaru and Yuri were looking for the pigeon masked man that was also named Yuri.


    ¡°What...is this...¡±


    Yuri stood still with shocked eyes in the middle of the moving sea of gossiping people.


    ¡°They say it''s a pigeon mask.¡±


    ¡°What horrible string of crimes all in one night! That bird mask Yuri is incredible!¡±


    ¡°Incredible? More like horrible, why would you do that!¡±


    ¡°Ehh? But isn''t that still kind of impressive?¡±


    ¡°I guess how he left his name in gold at the crime scene is very interesting.¡±


    ¡°I know right??¡±


    Yuri stood completely still while people walked by her, each and every one of them speaking of the exact same thing.


    ¡°This....no way..¡±


    Yuri felt the crowd of people crushing in on her even though everyone was carefully avoiding bumping into her.


    Images of a stone archway with floating scenery of skyscrapers and painful images flashed across her mind. She wasn''t sure what this meant, but it made her feel extremely light headed.


    Humans find it difficult to exist in this realm.


    A random sentence spoken by someone she did not remember.


    She felt like she could sink in this sea of rumours and never see the light of day again.


    ¡°This....how...it''s just like...¡±


    ¡°Yuri!¡±


    She was brought back to reality by a comforting hand resting on her head. She slowly felt her worry and confusion drift away.


    ¡°Sorry Hikaru..But this is something..that shouldn''t be happening..It makes no sense..¡±


    ¡°Then all we have to do is find out, right?¡±


    He smiled at her.


    ¡°You''re the only legendary Yuri right? There surely can''t be room for two.¡±


    ¡°You''re right..you''re right!¡±


    She felt her confidence returning to her.


    ¡°We just have to find out!¡±

 Chapter 47: The glistening words of challenge!

    ¡°Hikaru. We need to get to each one of these crime scenes and figure out who or where this...faker..is.¡±


    Saying this, Yuri climbed onto Hikaru''s shoulders and kicked at his sides.


    ¡°We have no time to spare! Every minute is one where the crime scene gets tampered with! For now, we will not be the legendary thief and her body guard. Instead we are a master detective and the assistant! Let''s go find this copy cat!¡±


    She didn''t want to feel confused or feel this strange feeling any more. Especially since Hikaru was here cheering her on. She would catch this pigeon, no matter who he was.


    ¡°Alright! Hold on tight¡±


    He could tell she was forcing herself, and that she was still slightly shaken. But the way she tried so hard to cover up her insecurities in order to not appear weak in front of him was something he thought was...strangely appealing.


    Hikaru zoomed across the city toward the first crime scene, where they had been at earlier. He headed for the library, expertly jumping from lantern post to lantern post, in order to avoid the crowding mass of festival goers.


    They arrived at the small building that led inside the rocks. The library where Yuri was chased by an old woman.


    ¡°Hikaru go distract whoever is inside while I look around¡±


    Hikaru went inside, and soon thereafter she could hear the voice of an old woman laughing, along with some guards.


    ¡°My..he sure is a charmer. At least for elderly women¡±


    Smirking slightly, Yuri made her way inside without being detected. Everyone was busy having an animated discussion with Hikaru about their children, who also seemed to weigh in something about his own kid.


    ¡°He has kids...?¡±


    She slowed down slightly to listen in.


    ¡°Indeed! They are always so mischievous. But it is always worth it just to see them smile.¡±


    He said while the others agreed with him.


    ¡°I guess he''s just talking generally..? Not that I care of course.¡±


    Shaking her head, she continued deeper inside the library.


    The stone cave this space was built in was soon replaced with rows upon rows of stone shelves, all containing books, although a lot of them were stone tablets.


    ¡°Does everything have to be a god damn rock around here...¡±


    Walking further in, she eventually reached the end of the library.


    A lone empty shelf stood there. The only thing that was still on the shelf was a small word written on its side.


    It was the sparkling golden word that read ¡°Yuri¡±.


    Her grip tightened slightly.


    ¡°It was true...but who would even know this..it can''t be a coincidence..¡±


    The golden word was observed very closely, and she could tell that it was written in a single stroke, like some form of calligraphy.


    ¡°Just like mine huh...¡±


    She felt that uncomfortable feeling return, but shaking her head, she dismissed it.


    ¡°Don''t have time to feel..have to think..think..¡±


    She kept looking at the small graffiti.


    ¡°There has to be some kind of clue...if only I had a blue light..or..a finger print duster!¡±


    Running around the library, she eventually found the old woman''s bedroom.


    She immediately found what she was looking for. A small box with a mirror. Inside it, lay various brushes, lipsticks and most importantly powders.


    She took all of it and ran back to the graffiti.


    Carefully, she sprinkled the powder around the graffiti and on it, hoping to find something.


    She found something much more important than fingerprints.


    It was a word.


    She quickly dusted off the excess powder, leaving only the powder that formed the word.


    The word was, ''Meet''.


    ¡°Yuri..meet..?¡±


    She blinked.


    ¡°Wait..could this be..a challenge..? It is, isn''t it. It''s a challenge to the great Yuri.¡±


    Standing up as straight as she could. She glanced at the golden graffiti.


    ¡°Fine then. I might not know how the bastard figured out the mark I used to leave after a successful robbery. But...you''re on.¡±


    Although she knew she still felt that uncomfortable feeling in the back of her head. Right now, all she could feel was bloodlust. A challenge from another thief. It''s been way too long since she last had that, even when she still had her old body.


    They say there is no honour among thieves. There is however, quite a lot of dishonour, and she was sure it wouldn''t be her that was dishonoured.


    Confidently walking out the library, she called Hikaru while walking past him. Not even bothering to hide that she was inside the library.


    ¡°Hikaru, we''re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Hey, girl, were you inside there? That''s not allowed you know!¡±


    One of the bare chested guards spoke out and tried to apprehend her.


    ¡°It''s alright, she''s with me.¡±


    Hikaru smiled at the guard while standing between him and the Yuri who was slowly walking away with resolute steps.


    ¡°Oh..alright then. Since you''re a friend now, I''ll let her off with a warning¡±


    ¡°Much appreciated, new friend.¡±


    He patted the guard on the shoulder and walked out after Yuri.


    ¡°You seem to have found out something¡±


    He commented.


    ¡°Yeah. I need to find the rest of the challenge, to know what it is. I bet the other crime scenes have the remaining words. Hikaru. We have some detective work to be done!¡±


    Looking at him, she tipped an imaginary hat.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Ah..I see..?¡±


    He did the same in confusion.


    ¡°Let''s go Hikarutson. We have a crime scene to investigate.¡±


    ¨C


    They were now at the central plaza where they had first arrived when they entered the city.


    Instead of the cheerful sight of kids playing in the soft drizzle of the turtle fountain, was now the scene of surrounding onlookers while the still shirtless guards were stopping them from getting close to the scene of the crime.


    It seemed that most of the onlookers however were more interested in the guards themselves than the scene behind them. The small hole where the fountain once stood now spewed water out randomly, and the guards were fairly drenched as a result.


    Not that the surrounding women seemed to mind.


    Yuri looked at this strange event of women trying to push themselves against the glistening chests of the guards while pretending to be wanting to get through.


    Her face was extremely blank.


    ¡°Let''s just go.¡±


    Turning around, she wanted to leave this strange sight as fast as possible.


    ¡°Weren''t we going to get to the bottom of this?¡±


    Hikaru said, making Yuri reluctantly turn around.


    ¡°Ugh...fine..but how the hell are we going to distract all these guards and women..I doubt anything could distract the women...¡±


    She sighed with blank eyes.


    ¡°Hm....If they are so focused on the guards..I just have to make them focus on me, No?¡±


    He smiled slightly.


    ¡°Never thought I would have a use for this for this move...guess my sister was useful for once.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Your sister taught you a move...?¡±


    Yuri looked at him curiously.


    ¡°It''s more of a...distraction move. She would always try to teach me weird moves to mess with me when we were younger.¡±


    His face filled with a complicated expression which Yuri didn''t want to try deciphering.


    ¡°Then...how long do you think you can distract them for?¡±


    ¡°The women, probably indefinitely, the guards, most likely a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°I see...well go do that. I will be ready to sneak past everyone.¡±


    She had a bad feeling about this distraction plan, but she had to get this clue gathering over with as fast as possible.


    She got into a position where she wouldn''t be seen as easily and waited for Hikaru to start.


    Walking a bit away, Hikaru stood in a small corner of the plaza and unsheathed his sword.


    ¡°Ooohh..is he going to do something dangerous..!¡±


    Yuri looked on in anticipation.


    Instead of cutting anything or anyone with it, he just...began to swing it. He kept slowly swinging it as if testing it out.


    ¡°What is he doing...¡±


    The only one looking at him was Yuri. Everyone else didn''t think much of his actions and ignored him.


    He kept swinging slowly. Slowly. Each strike was always the same slow speed.


    But something was different with each strike. The speed was the same, but the strength behind each swing slowly increased.


    Until it seemed the air was being pushed back around him. He wasn''t creating any wind currents, his swings were too slow. But she felt it, each swing pushed away the air, the atmosphere around him. Each swing probably had enough strength to cut through any steel and push away anyone near him.


    The first to notice this strange phenomenon were the guards. Their trained bodies could instantly feel the pressure coming from his swings.


    Their eyes were glued on him, observing him with caution.


    His swings continued to grow in strength. Eventually the ground him began to push away from him with each swing, like a large mass was pushed against it with every swing.


    Even Hikaru''s body was pushed away slightly. Yet he kept standing, he kept swinging. His clothes slowly ripped from the pressure.


    His armoured clothing that could block most blades, slowly crumbled away with each swing. He was left with only his tattered pants and his bare chest.


    He kept swinging. By now the guards were talking amongst themselves, looking at Hikaru with wide admiring eyes.


    Soon enough the women noticed the guards change of interest, and looked toward where they were looking.


    What they saw was a muscular yet lean man who slowly swung his blade, and with each swing the world around him shook away from him.


    Their eyes also filled with admiration, but it was a different kind of admiration. They couldn''t look away from the muscles of this random man, whose arms kept swinging his heavy sword with the same speed, each one growing stronger. His muscles were all tense, they bulged slightly, the veins showing.


    At this point the women were not paying any attention to the guards. Their eyes were glued to the sight of the mysterious handsome man, whose strength surpassed reason, whose muscles cried for rest but still kept going despite everything. The air around him twisted and shifted, like it was unworthy of being breathed by him.


    Yuri found herself unable to look away.


    She slowly swallowed her saliva.


    The man she was normally with. He was strong, he was the strongest. She knew that. Yet never had she felt this sort of...elegance.


    She had never until now, understood the strength of the man who risked his life for her on a daily basis.


    He was powerful, so powerful that the world was unworthy of him.


    His very being was elegant. The way his muscles moved and were shaped. The way his abdomen moved with each swing. The eyes that saw nothing but the next swing ahead of them.


    It wasn''t just her feeling those complicated emotions that she had felt before when she had seen him shirtless.


    Of course those feelings were still there, and they made her feel just like any of the other admiring girls in the crowd. So much so that she just wanted to join them and talk about him with them. Those were of course the base desires that Yuri tried to ignore.


    There were also other feelings there. The feeling that the man standing there, surrounded by admirers, who was always at her side. She felt like she..like the world around him, wasn''t worthy.


    She sighed and shook her head.


    There would be time for these thoughts at another time. Right now she had to do her mission. She placed her inner monologue in a department inside her head for another time and rushed forward toward where the fountain was.


    She saw it. The golden words written on the ground, spelling her name.


    But this time different. She couldn''t dust for the message, the scene was filled with flowing water.


    She had little time, she needed to think fast before people noticed her and butted in, potentially destroying her clue.


    She frantically looked around.


    ¡°It''s not finger prints..too much water..he had to have done it with water in mind..placed a message with water..water..water..¡±


    She looked at the scene all around her. A lot of the ground was wet with the droplets of water scattered around randomly.


    ¡°Random...no..there is a pattern..it''s not random..!¡±


    She tried looking at the pattern in the ground, but it made no sense.


    ¡°It''s too damn big of a pattern..how would I.¡±


    She glanced at the hole where the fountain was. From the hole came a strong torrent of water that was filling the sky with droplets of shining water.


    She jumped on it, with her feet landing perfectly on the hole.


    The pressure from the water pushed her up, high up in the sky.


    Then she saw it, the pattern formed a word. A second word.


    ¡°Bell?¡±


    She read the word while descending slowly down the torrent of water.


    ¡°Damn it...I guess I need the third word to make sense of this..fine..so be it, I will play without any shortcuts!¡±


    ¡°Hikaru! We''re leaving!¡±


    She yelled at him, snapping him out of his daze of swings.


    He walked over to her while massaging his shoulders.


    ¡°Did you find it? The clue?¡±


    ¡°Yes I did..so please put something on..¡±


    She looked away from his near naked state, blushing slightly.


    ¡°Ah, sorry sorry. I guess I got too into it¡±


    The water landing on his body evaporated slightly, before finally cooling him down.


    Several of the surrounding women let out strange noises when he got drenched.


    One of the guards came up and gave him some spare clothes.


    ¡°Boy, put these on, the women in this city don''t mess around when they lose control, so better be safe than sorry, aye?¡±


    Hikaru gratefully thanked the kind guard and put on the clothes.


    ¡°So where are we going now Yuri..?¡±


    ¡°The church..¡±


    She glanced at him to make sure he still wasn''t half naked.


    ¡°Alright, let''s go then!¡±


    Lifting her up, he sprinted toward the church.


    ¡°H-hey you don''t have to carry me!¡±


    Yuri complained.


    ¡°Awh...he already has a partner..? What a shame..¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah. Someone like him totally needs someone with the right proportions, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah totally. To go with his body, someone with a nice body like me would fit him!¡±


    The women commented when he lifted Yuri up, making her greatly annoyed for some reason.


    ¡°Oh sorry, should I put you down, I just figured it would be faster?¡±


    Hikaru asked.


    ¡°No...It''s fine. Just walk slowly.¡±


    She told him while being carried away. Glancing at the other women she made sure to snort at them in mock superiority, purely to annoy them.


    The women boiled with rage, and the guards got even more work to settle down the crowd.


    (I didn''t do that because I was jealous. I just wanted those pretentious dogs to know their place...hmph..)


    She thought to herself while looking at the growling women in satisfaction.

 Chapter 48: The pigeon resting upon a rock

    The gates to a church slammed open. A single tall figure stood in the light, casting a shadow inside the building.


    No, it was actually two people, one of them was just short and small enough that they fit perfectly into the the silhouette of the larger figure.


    Yuri walked through the gate, leaving the bright gate and entering the dimly lit church.


    Her gaze travelled across the scene and the surprised nuns and priests who stood while staring at her.


    At the centre of the furthest wall was an altar, that altar had several nuns surrounding it, praying under their breaths.


    Hikaru slowly walked in behind Yuri while giving the nuns an apologetic smile.


    ¡°We should have opened the door with more care..this a holy place, we need to show respect.¡±


    ¡°Well I myself am not a believer. Although gods do exist in this word...¡± She pondered ¡°Not like it matters. We have done much worse than be disrespectful in a temple or a church. I''m sure the gods can''t get any angrier than they already are¡±


    Shrugging slightly, she walked up to the nearest nun while Hikaru sighed slightly.


    ¡°I heard there was a robbery here?¡±


    Asking casually, she pretended to be walking by.


    ¡°Ah..that..yes. There was indeed..the bells that rest on the altar and that are rung every day have gone missing..but worry not young believer, they will be found shortly, and the thief will face severe punishment¡±


    The nun reassured her with a strict look.


    ¡°Oh I''m sure they will..¡±


    Yuri slowly walked over to the altar and looked closely at it. The surrounding nuns looked at her as if they expected something.


    (Why are you looking, what do you want from me. Oh right. Altar. Prayer thing. Right.)


    Kneeling down in front of the altar, Yuri held her hands in front of her face in a universal praying stance.


    Glancing slightly at the nuns, they seemed to be looking at her approvingly, making her sigh in relief.


    While kneeling down, she took the chance to closely observe the altar.


    There it was, written in small golden words, in the corner of the altar. ''Yuri''.


    She wasn''t sure how she would find the last clue with all the nuns surrounding. They would probably freak out if she started dusting the altar for fingerprints.


    But she had to find the clue.


    She suddenly looked to the side as if noticing something, and made a surprised expression.


    The nuns frowned and glanced over in the direction she was looking.


    Taking this brief moment, she took out the small box of powder from her pocket and flicked it up without anyone noticing.


    Glancing at the nuns, she shrugged, as if she was wrong about seeing something and pretended to go back to praying.


    A few seconds later, something hit the ground. It was the box she had flung up, and it exploded into a mess of powder that covered the entire area around the altar and made the nuns have a coughing fit.


    She saw it, the word covered in dust.


    ''Up''


    (Up? What Up? Up where? Meet bell up? What kind of cryptic message is that!.....meet up bell..? up bell meet..?)


    Thinking to herself, she walked out of the cloud of powder and towards where Hikaru was watching while conversing to a nun about something or another.


    ¡°Hikaru, what do you think ''meet up bell'' means?¡±


    All she received from him was a tilted head. She could almost see the question mark floating above his head.


    ¡°Are you perhaps talking about the great bell?¡±


    The nun Hikaru was talking to chimed in.


    ¡°Hm? What great bell?¡±


    ¡°The great bell of the church, the one at the very top of this temple. Sitting higher than anything else in the city. The bell is rung when the city-¡±


    She was interrupted by Yuri.


    ¡°Oh! That must be it! Hikaru let''s go!¡±


    Grabbing Hikaru, she headed for the closest stairs and climbed up.


    They soon reached the tower part of the building, which was completely hollow. The only thing inside the tall stone pipe was a flimsy wooden ladder.


    ¡°We''re going up! To meet at the bell, here we come pigeon bastard..!¡±


    They began to climb up the ladder which creaked and shifted with every movement, which would normally discourage anyone climbing it. Yet Yuri didn''t mind, the only thing on her mind was how she was going to beat the crap out of this poser.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¨C


    The hot sandy wind blew strongly at the high altitude, making the large bell at the top of the tower hum in a low tone.


    Standing at the top of this tower was truly unpleasant. The wind was extremely strong and it carried small particles of sand, threatening to erode anything in their way that wouldn''t make way for them.


    The humming continued, it was almost relaxing, if it wasn''t for the murderous aura in the air. Each piece of sand in the wind seemed to quiver slightly at being exposed to such an aura.


    Yuri stood along with Hikaru at one side of the tower top, the bell hanging on their left.


    Opposite them stood a man, his face and most of his head was obscured with a large mask, depicting a pigeon. The pigeon mask''s eyes seemed to look everywhere and nowhere, shining slightly with their bright yellow colour.


    He wore a red long sleeved shirt which covered his neck. It looked almost like it was stained with blood and wine, it had that strange red colour to it.


    His head tilted, the pigeon mask shifting slightly.


    ¡°You left those clues. So here I am. And here you are.¡±


    Yuri glared at the pigeon man, her eyes conveying just how truly displeased she was.


    ¡°Now you better start answering some questions, or I will make sure this guy here stabs your body enough times that you wont be able to tell it apart from old cheese.¡±


    Hikaru tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.


    An especially powerful gust of wind made a torrent of sand fly past them, making both Yuri and Hikaru to blink away the dirt from their eyes.


    Something flew next to them, riding the wind.


    Yuri instantly grabbed it without looking.


    It was a letter.


    The pigeon masked man gestured for her to read it.


    Yuri glanced at Hikaru to make sure he would keep watch while she read, he merely nodded solemnly and kept his eyes on the mask man, not even blinking away the dirt that made his eyes throb with pain.


    Unfolding the letter, she began to read it.


    Dearest acquirer of illegitimate items


    I would wish to invite you for a challenge of sorts to prove your superiority to me.


    If you succeed I will make sure to grant any of your requests, no matter how unreasonable. If by chance you yourself do manage to lose, I will simply take my leave and continue my business elsewhere.


    I do hope you will accept my proposal, If you do accept, then these are the terms of the challenge:


    You must within the time it takes for this city to commence its trading, capture me and unmask me.


    That is all that is required to succeed. If you accept, ring the bell and that will signal the start of this challenge.


    Oh and call me pi, it''s short for pigeon and I do think it sounds very nice.


    She folded the letter back up and looked at the masked man still standing there, his head unmoving as the cold dead eyes of the mask kept looking at them.


    ¡°You realise I could just have you killed here and now, what makes you think I will just let you go?¡±


    She patted Hikaru''s arm while saying so.


    The pigeon headed man that wanted to be called Pi, stayed there. He shrugged and kept looking at her.


    ¡°I''m not a petty murderer though. I''m a thief, the greatest thief you will ever meet. If you think the mere act of stealing some wannabe bird mask will prove difficult to me, then you aren''t as great a thief as you try to make yourself out to be¡±


    She threw the folded paper at Pi, where it landed between the mask''s beak.


    ¡°You better run. You better hide. Because I will capture you, I will rip that ugly mask off your face and I will make sure to carve that name you seem to like to write so much, on your face so that it will never disappear.¡±


    Yuri walked up to Pi who simply stood still while staring.


    She reached out her hand towards his mask, like she wanted to take it off him. He continued to stand absolutely still, despite that.


    Just before she touched his mask. Her hand moved to the side and hit against the bell, making it clang loudly, emanating throughout the whole city.


    The instant the bell made a noise, Pi jumped back away from Yuri and into the empty sky.


    He fell down while holding his mask on his head to make sure it didn''t fly off. Just before he completely passed by Yuri on his way down...


    Their eyes met. Even though she could only see the dead rubber eyes of his mask. Her eyes were filled with the fire of a duel, and she was sure his were too, beneath that horrible mask. She could feel it.


    ¡°Fly away, ugly pigeon. But I will make sure to catch you again, and make dinner out of you..¡±


    Yuri''s face changed into a half smile. It was a while since she had a good duel like this ahead of her.


    ¡°Yuri, are you sure it was wise to just let him go? I could have easily caught him for you ?¡±


    Hikaru slowly walked up next to her.


    ¡°This is a duel among thieves Hikaru. I''m sure knights have something similar no? This is like that, except more...hmm..here the rules are more wishy washy. Well all I have to do is essentially steal his mask.¡±


    ¡°I see. That sounds fairly straight forward, if it is just that, we can take our time and we will catch him sooner or later anyway.¡±


    He rubbed his eyes which were throbbing because of the sand.


    ¡°Well, he said the time limit was until the trading season begins, but that''s another few weeks away, so we have plenty of time to do this¡±


    ¡°Yuri.....¡±


    ¡°What is it? You think that''s too long? I mean we can always go catch him early too if you want?¡±


    ¡°No..The trading season in this city is not..¡±


    Just as Hikaru began to say this, a loud tremor went through the entire city, making every building shake and let off dust.


    The city shook and twisted slightly, making Yuri almost fall down the tower if it hadn''t been for Hikaru holding her.


    ¡°What''s going on!?¡±


    ¡°Damn! It''s the bell! Because it was rung! Look!¡±


    Yuri looked at where he pointed. Something very large had appeared just outside the city limits.


    It looked like a giant rock with smaller spiky rocks on it. The only strange thing was that it was moving slightly.


    It was the size of several large buildings.


    That huge rock turned suddenly. Revealing an equally giant eye in its side, which had a square pupil like a goat and a golden iris.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS THAAAT HIKARU!?¡±


    The city began to shake with a certain rhythm. The gigantic stone head that had looked upon the city, slowly turned back towards the desert.


    If Yuri could see the city from the outside, she would have understood what was going on.


    The city had sprouted thick short powerful rocky legs. And its head had appeared from where it was resting beneath the earth to avoid the heat.


    The rhythmic earthquakes that seemed to happen almost every other minute was due to the huge steps the creature was taking.


    It wasn''t as much that it was carrying the city upon its back, as the city had been literally made out of the rock that was its back.


    The entire city was the creature and the creature was the city.


    Yuri was holding onto Hikaru with spiral spinning eyes while the city began its early journey, its steps shaking the very core of the earth itself, and not to mention the buildings of the city.

 Chapter 49: Preparations and battle ready Yuri.

    ¡°Hikaruuuu! What''s going on!?¡±


    Hikaru was shaken by his smaller female companion.


    ¡°It''s the city. The city is moving to the next resting place.¡±


    ¡°Resting place..? What are you talking about, and why is the city moving!¡±


    ¡°Let''s get down first, then I will explain¡±


    He pointed out the fact that they were still standing on the top of a very unstable tower that threatened to fall over at any moment due to the consistent tremors that shook the entire city, the tower especially.


    ¡°Ah..yeah.¡±


    They made their way down, and avoided the panicking and rage-filled nuns. Who were yelling about catching whoever was responsible for sounding the bell.


    They sat down on a random empty staircase, away from the bustle and confused arguments of the town folk.


    ¡°Right..this city, it wakes up when the bell is sounded. Then it heads for its next resting spot, it''s always migrating so to speak. Like a bird.¡±


    He explained.


    ¡°No no, that doesn''t explain shit! Why is this city moving in the first place, also why does it have a god damn head?!¡±


    She asked with a flabbergasted expression.


    "Right, you wouldn''t know...nobody is sure when. But at some point, people moved in onto this creature''s back and began to live there since it provided easy travel. Eventually they built homes from its rocky exterior. After a while that became a city, and it''s been here ever since, for longer than I can remember."


    He reminisced, he was incredibly impressed when he first heard about it. A city being founded on top of a progenitor .


    One of the oldest creatures that were mortal, being used as a carrier for a city. He remembered thinking of what these humans would do next, it was always fun to observe them.


    ¡°And the monster just...let them be..?¡±


    Yuri asked, slightly surprised the creature hadn''t shook the entire city off by now.


    ¡°Well...it doesn''t seem to mind, in fact it seems to enjoy the company, not that the people know that of course...¡±


    He smiled slightly. The humans couldn''t tell the different expressions of animals, they weren''t even sure the progenitor noticed them. Yet they still worshipped it. How amusing..maybe he should tell them that it likes them, some day.


    ¡°I suppose it enjoys the company after spending who knows how long, wandering the desert alone.¡±


    ¡°Hm.. I see. A lonely monster. Actually what is it..some kind of turtle..?¡±


    ¡°It''s technically a lizard, but its flesh and skin are made of rock. It blends in the desert perfectly, when it''s not moving of course¡±


    ¡°Wait..don''t tell me, there are more of these lizard cities...!¡±


    ¡°No no, that would be amazing indeed, a herd of walking cities. But sadly this is the only one of its kind. It''s one of the first mortal creatures to be created, most of the worlds reptile creatures are based off of this one.¡±


    ¡°I see...the reptiles great grandpa..¡±


    Yuri pondered, still amazed by this entire situation. The city shook on occasion, threatening to throw her off balance.


    ¡°Wait, so this guy knew that, and told me to sound the bell..? He tricked me!¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Well..this is fairly common knowledge, so he probably assumed you knew that.¡±


    Little did they know. Pi, the pigeon masked man, was as confused as Yuri.


    ¨C


    Yuri and Hikaru walked to the smith again.


    The gauntlet was of course not done. So Yuri bought a temporary bronze one, to use.


    ¡°If that guy thinks he is so clever...let''s see if he will figure out how to deal with this..¡±


    She began etching runes on the gauntlet, the shiny bronze metal was soon filled completely with runes.


    ¡°This should be good..¡± She bought a pair of armoured metal boots, also made of bronze.


    They too soon became filled with runes, looking like a completely different piece of equipment once she was done with them.


    ¡°You have never worn shoes like that, Yuri..?¡±


    ¡°And I don''t ever plan to after this, they are way too annoying to walk in, and I do value comfort¡±


    She put the bronze boots on, clanking loudly against the stone ground.


    ¡°But I need to be quick. So these boots will grant me the speed necessary.¡±


    ¡°I see..then why have you never worn such things before, they seem awfully useful?¡±


    ¡°Becaaause...usually I have you who carries me..but this time I''m on my own. I need to abandon comfort, and focus only on increasing my spells.¡±


    She also bought a small necklace which she drew a rune on and put on.


    ¡°This should be enough I think.¡±


    She swung her dagger with her right hand, quick enough so it was but a blur. She clenched her left hand which was donned in the rune covered bronze gauntlet and tapped her heavily armoured feet, which were covered in bronze boots, similarly covered in an impressive array of runes.


    She was all suited up for her duel.


    ¡°What do you mean by this time you''re on your own..?¡±


    Concern began to grow inside Hikaru.


    ¡°I need to catch him myself. There might not be any clear rules in this duel..but I feel like I would lose to him either way if I got help. I need to do this on my own. Me and him, then I will make sure to crush all his illusions of grandeur.¡±


    She hit her fist into the palm of her gauntlet clad hand.


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    Hikaru simply said.


    ¡°Huh..?¡±


    ¡°I refuse. You will be accompanied and helped by me.¡±


    ¡°Didn''t you listen to what I just said-¡±


    ¡°I did. Did you listen to what I said before, when we left the golden city. I will make sure you are always safe. If I let you go alone, I would be breaking that promise.¡±


    He folded his arms and looked at her.


    ¡°No but. Ugh, damn it Hikaru, I need to do this alone okay? It''s important.¡±


    She felt the need to sigh, but held it back.


    ¡°Rejected. I will accompany you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She felt something in her forehead twitch.


    ¡°Fine..fine.¡± She sighed, she didn''t want to argue pointlessly.


    ¡°Then how about this. You can follow me and make sure I''m safe. But do it from a distance, and do not interfere with anything unless you are completely certain that I would die in the next moment.¡±


    ¡°That is still not acceptable, to put you in such danger-¡±


    ¡°Hikaru. That''s all I''m allowing, annoy me further and I will take that offer back.¡±


    He felt her glare sink into his bones.


    ¡°You drive a tough bargain. Very well. I accept those conditions.¡±


    He nodded in slight defeat.


    ¡°Good. Now if you don''t mind...or actually. I do need your help with something. Could you go to the library and find out as much as you can about this creature?¡±


    ¡°The progenitor? I can tell you as much as you need to know, It''s name is Asur, and it is the god of this city, It has existed for longer than-¡±


    Hikaru began before being interrupted.


    ¡°No no. Not it''s history! I need you to find out as much about it as a creature. I need more..factual and biological information about its behaviour and actions¡±


    ¡°Ah.. I see. Well then I can see if the old library woman knows something, I will let you prepare in the meanwhile.¡±


    He headed out to the library, leaving Yuri alone with the smiths.


    ¡°Hey smith, how long would it take you to make simple thin bronze plates?¡±


    She asked once Hikaru was gone.


    ¡°Plates..? Well assuming they are small..I could make them all right now, I just have to heat up some bronze, how many do you need?¡±


    The burly smith said while wiping his brow.


    ¡°Well let''s see..I need about..as many as you can make. ¡°


    ¡°Miss are you sure..? That would be quite a lot..what do you even need them for..?¡±


    ¡°It''s for something very neat that I just thought of. Get to it.¡±


    (Pigeon bastard. I am coming for you. I will make you wish you were born a pigeon...)


    An ominous laugh filled the smithery, Making the smith and his underlings move away in discomfort.

 Chapter 50: The battle of trickery

    A short dress fluttered in the wind.


    The straps of small pieces of armour were tightened.


    The echo of tremors made the scenery hazy with movement.


    The moon shone against the brilliant bronze, cluttered with symbols and runes, making the reflection of the moon look twisted and broken up.


    Yuri stood still at the top of a tall building. Despite the ground she was standing on shaking every few minutes, she somehow still remained completely still.


    Her eyes were closed, her breathing calm.


    ¡°Six spells in my gauntlet..six in each boot...twelve in my boots..the wind is strong..the city is moving..a lot of noise, can''t rely on hearing..which means eyesight is most important..¡±


    She tied her hair back into a pony tail, in order to avoid it getting into her eyes.


    ¡°Now..where..are you!¡±


    She activated some runes she had drawn on the ground earlier, her foot slid over the runes, making them shine a brilliant red.


    The air in front of her twisted and cleared, and she opened her eyes, they were different from her usually mellow gaze. Her eyes were slightly squinted, not wavering in the slightest, her concentration was too great.


    The twisted air in front of her served as makeshift binoculars. It made the scene she was looking at much larger.


    The city was bustling with activity. With the sudden movement of the city and its approach to the next destination, everyone was unprepared and hurried with their preparations for the trading.


    Despite everyone being in a formless mass of people, Yuri still managed to find what she was looking for.


    A man wearing red, a pigeon mask strapped to his head, blending almost perfectly into the crowd despite his peculiar appearance.


    ¡°If you want to hide..then you should have taken off your mask..!¡±


    Yuri jumped through the twisted air in front of her and towards the crowded streets below.


    She didn''t even have to use any spells, instead opting for landing on a wagon carrying soft fabrics.


    She immediately rushed toward where she had seen Pi, her target.


    He was walking while holding onto some sort of street food.


    Yuri didn''t bother wondering how he could eat while still wearing that mask, and instead ran at him, her gauntlet-clad fist preparing to activate a spell.


    His head turned suddenly, the unmissable dark yellow eyes of the mask looking straight at Yuri.


    She had been spotted.


    His hand moved, and something was flung at Yuri.


    She dodged to the side, but what she thought was some sort of weapon thrown at her, ended up being the food he was eating, which splattered across the face of a random pedestrian.


    Looking back, he was already gone.


    She ran around attempting to locate him again.


    He was sprinting down the road while somehow dodging every pedestrian on this almost overly populated street.


    Yuri rushed after him, bumping into people who got in her way and pushing them aside, which wasn''t that easy considering her smaller size.


    He was quickly getting further and further away from her vision.


    ¡°One.¡±


    She activated the runes on one of her boots by touching it with her hand while crouching under a wagon to get past it.


    Her boot lit up red and shot out a stream of highly condensed air, which propelled her upwards and over the crowd.


    She found him, he was there, still running without anyone even touching him, seemingly unaffected by concepts such as obstacles and fatigue.


    She smiled slightly and tilted her entire body, so the sole of her boot was facing away from him.


    She was shot at her target like a rocket by the still remaining force coming out of the boot.


    Her dagger was drawn and ready to slice apart the mask that would unveil the face of her target.


    The pigeon head turned toward her, but kept running at the same pace. Just before Yuri flew straight into him, he tilted and turned his body to the side, dodging her and her attack with a hairs breadth, nothing except a small scratch on his mask was there.


    Yuri had too much acceleration, and missing her target, she continued flying toward the ground, luckily for her, but not for the pedestrians, the pedestrians served as a cushion to soften her fall.


    She got up and looked around, he was already getting away.


    All of the people were blocking her vision. Something needed to be done about that.


    She activated a rune on her gauntlet, which began to spew out black smoke, filling the entire street.


    Everyone was blinded, and while trying to find their way, bumped into each other, falling over and creating one large traffic jam of people which spread through the entire area, with people falling and pushing like dominoes.


    She was sure he had been caught up in the traffic jam. No matter how skilled he was at not being touched, if it was this much, then surely.


    The smoke quickly cleared due to the strong winds and what she saw was something she did not expect.


    Running without any hindrance what so ever, was the masked Pi. Except instead of running while dodging people, he now could simply run over their fallen bodies and jump from head to head, swiftly getting further away from her.


    ¡°You''re not getting away that easily! You''re not the only one who can do that!¡±


    Jumping up onto the body of nearby fallen guard, she began to run over the mass as people as well.


    Where as Pi had run over the bodies of the crowed with barely anyone noticing that he did so, by only lightly tapping the body of the person he walked upon, making the force he applied very small and unnoticeable.


    Yuri left in her wake a trail of people moaning in pain, holding their faces where she had crudely landed with her feet, or their shoulders and backs which still had the imprint of her heavy bronze boots.


    Seeing her doing the same, Pi jumped up onto a nearby donkey, which was pulling a wagon, and rode away on it, getting quickly away from Yuri.


    They had gotten out of the crowded parts of the city and were now near almost empty streets, since most of the population had headed down to the city centre to prepare.


    This meant Pi could ride his donkey at full speed, without anyone getting in the way.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Looking around, she could only see the wagon the donkey was previously attached to, standing near it was a very angry looking merchant who was cursing at Pi for stealing his donkey.


    Not seeing any other way, Yuri jumped onto the wagon.


    She had no time to draw runes, if she did, her target would get away.


    She activated two spells, one on each of her boots, and held tightly on the wagon.


    ¡°Three..!¡±


    Powerful winds shot from her boots like a tornado, the two streams of wind mixed together, creating a tornado behind her and almost ripping her off the heavy wagon.


    The wagon flew up the street at a speed rivalling the fastest of horses.


    She quickly caught up to the donkey, which now seemed to run at a snails pace compared to her.


    The wagon pushed against the behind of the donkey, carrying it with it while it continued to fly forward.


    Pi turned around and stood up at the donkey, he took something out of the pouches on his clothes and clicked it.


    Something expanded in his hand, it grew longer and longer until it was almost the length of his body, it was a long metal pole with a line going around it like a candy cane. Except instead of being colourful, this was a silver pole, it also had a very small fine blade attached to the end of it.


    ¡°An extendable spear..!¡±


    Yuri gasped. She was prepared for him to have had small weapons. But a spear meant he had a significant advantage in reach.


    The spear was lifted and swung at the spot where Yuri was holding onto the wagon.


    She was unsure of what to do. If she let go, he would get away on his mount, and she would fly off into a random direction. If she didn''t she would be skewered on his spear.


    She looked past Pi''s shoulder and something caught her eye.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    (I just need to dodge this one..!)


    She let go of the wagon for a single moment, the force still coming from her boots made her instantly fly up.


    That single moment was more than enough and she grabbed the wagon again.


    The momentum from that single moment was enough for her to turn over while holding onto the wagon, so she lay on her back.


    The spear stabbed right next to her head. Sticking through the thick wood.


    It was lifted with a slow movement that seemed to say it wouldn''t miss again.


    At that moment, Yuri let go of the wagon completely and the remaining force that was still shooting from her boots launched her up into the air.


    The pigeon mask remained motionless, its eyes unmoving.


    Pi jumped up from the donkey with incredible strength, making him easily jump onto the roof of a nearby building.


    The wagon smashed against a wall. The end of the street meant no way out. The donkey got completely crushed because of the wagon''s momentum and splinters. If either of them had remained on that cart, they would have been equally as shredded and smashed up as the animal.


    They stared at each other for a moment while standing on opposite buildings. The splinters from the wagons flying past their eyes.


    ¡°Four¡±


    Yuri launched herself through the airborne splinters towards him.


    Her right foot was raised into a high kicking posture, water shot out from the back of her boot, propelling her kick and herself through the space between buildings.


    Pi merely leaned back to dodge her kick.


    With still some momentum, Yuri managed to land behind him and rushed towards him. Her left hand lit with a loud crackling of lightning.


    She thrust her electrified gauntlet at his face.


    He could not block out electricity with his bare body, as such he was forced to use his spear to knock aside her arm.


    She knew he would be forced to do this, once he had twisted his spear to strike her left arm. Her right arm shot out with a dagger aiming straight for her eyes.


    She had him.


    Or so she thought. The beak of Pi''s mask opened without warning. In it was a small slip of paper with something written on it.


    (A spell!?)


    Her dagger had barely made a scratch on his mask when she instantly jumped back. She was lucky she had done so, a single moment later and it would have been too late.


    The paper disappeared and in its place shot out a small stream of water, small enough to be barely seen.


    Normally something like that wouldn''t even faze a child. But Yuri was on guard, her suspicions were confirmed when the small stream of water flew just past her face, cleanly cutting off small strands of her hair.


    ¡°Damn trickster...¡±


    She breathed out slightly.


    ¡°Not bad..but not good enough..!¡±


    Yuri jumped back as far away as she could. Which made the pigeon mask tilt slightly in confusion.


    Had he won? But her tone implied differently.


    Then he noticed it, the ground beneath him was glowing.


    No it wasn''t the ground itself, but something on it, covered by a thin layer of dust that made the small object almost invisible.


    A small bronze plate, with runes etched on it.


    BOOM


    An explosion strong enough to be felt deep into the stomachs of everyone nearby.


    ¡°Fool. For a thief, there is no dirty method. We take whatever victory we can get, and then we take your valuables too..!¡±


    Yuri smiled to herself, knowing he probably couldn''t hear her now.


    But something appeared from the smokes of the explosion.


    A figure with streams of white smoke coming off it.


    ¡°What the..how?¡±


    Then she saw it, the white smoke was steam. His clothes were wet and soaked.


    ¡°Used water to lessen the impact..but I can still tell you didn''t get out of that with no damage!¡±


    She ran towards him, and raised her dagger.


    There was noise behind her.


    She couldn''t afford to look back and lose this moment of opportunity. Her eyes remained glued on her opponent while she rushed onwards.


    Then she noticed something strange.


    His spear was nowhere to be seen. It would be fair to explain that as the explosion having blown it away, but instead of his spear, he held onto a small slip of paper.


    He ripped it with one hand and kept standing still.


    (The noise behind me?!)


    She turned her head back. Something silvery was pointed right at her. No not just pointed, it was flying straight at her.


    It was his spear, it was flying toward Yuri''s biggest body target, her torso, to be more precise, its trajectory meant it was aimed right at her heart.


    With no time to think, Yuri activated her third spell on her gauntlet. A shot of wind that was supposed to be used as a killing move, she was instead forced to used it to dodge this attack.


    She had no time to reach for her boots.


    The wind shot from her palm and hit the spear.


    It wasn''t enough, the spear was hit, but it had enough momentum to ignore most of the impact and just keep flying toward her with a slightly altered trajectory.


    It would still hit her.


    But the shot of wind did more than just disrupt the spear, it also made Yuri''s arm fly to the side, which she used to pull her entire body along with it. It wasn''t as much force as the spells she created specifically for moving her body.


    But it was enough. Just barely.


    The spear flew past her body, ripping the side of her dress.


    It was caught by Pi, while Yuri fell on the ground, breathing heavily, while holding her side.


    Luckily it seemed the spear had not cut deep. In fact It was nothing more than a tiny scratch. But it still bled, no matter how small.


    Soaking her pure white dress in red.


    ¡°You..are definitely not bad..¡±


    Yuri slowly caught her breath while her opponent waited motionlessly for her, observing her.


    ¡°I can''t win against you in a straight up fight..then how about this!¡±


    ¡°Five..!¡±


    She activated a rune on her boot and slammed her foot against the ground.


    The stone around her foot cracked and broke away, creating a small hole which was just barely large enough for her to fit through.


    Jumping through the hole, she made a funny mocking face.


    Pi slowly brushed his clothes from water and ash, before quickly running away, jumping to another building, and then the next.


    Yuri followed him, running beneath him, making sure she wasn''t spotted by travelling through the buildings he was running over.


    She waited for the right spot while continuously running beneath him.


    (This is the spot..!)


    ¡°Seven..!¡±


    As he jumped from one roof to another, still in mid air, Yuri activated the runes on both her boots.


    Both spells activated a burst of water, together they were enough to shoot Yuri up at the speed of an arrow.


    He saw her coming, perhaps he was aware of her shadowing him.


    He twisted his spear in mid air, and hit it against Yuri, who blocked it with her gauntlet and slashed at him with the dagger.


    Once again, she managed only to leave a slight scar on his mask before he pushed her away at the last moment. The strike wasn''t meant for hitting her, it was expected that his attack would be blocked, since there was no way to dodge in mid air.


    He pushed against his spear, shifting her and him away from each other with that force.


    The fact that he was forced to push against her to dodge her dagger, meant he had lost his sideways momentum, and was now falling down, while Yuri kept flying up because of the residue force of the spells.


    She twisted her body so her legs were facing the sky and activated one more runes on her boot.


    ¡°eight!¡±


    She flew straight down, the winds behind her twisting in a tornado.


    Her dagger was held in front of her like a an arrow, her speed was so quick that her dagger was splitting the air in front of her.


    He couldn''t escape, even if he pushed her away with his spear, the force she was flying at him was great enough that he would be crushed against the ground.


    He was still falling in mid air, he couldn''t simply dodge.


    Taking his spear, he pushed it into the wall of building he was falling next to. Getting it jammed between some bricks. The force of his descent had ruined a fair bit of the spear, it was no longer sharp.


    But that didn''t matter, it was worth it if he could dodge.


    He twisted his arms and jumped up onto the spear that was now sticking out from the side of the building.


    He had stopped his fall, and in doing so, meant he could jump away from Yuri''s trajectory.


    Which is precisely what he did, pushing his legs against the wall, to jump sideways while pulling free his spear behind him.


    Yuri would now crash head first into the ground.


    She activated the fourth spell on her gauntlet right before she impacted the ground.


    She slowly stood up from the small crater she created and looked at Pi who was standing only a few meters away.


    She smiled. Like everything went according to what she wanted, it was a smug smile.


    She had counted on him dodging her attack. And knowing she had a very useful spell still on her gauntlet, she made sure to make him stop at this part of the city.


    The spell was one that created an unbreakable shield around her for only a moment or two.


    But that moment was all she needed to survive.


    Now she was looking at her opponent. He was at a disadvantage, not just because his spear was mostly ruined.


    She rushed towards him.


    ¡°Nine!¡±


    She kicked at him, a rune on the back of her boot propelling her kick faster than what could otherwise be achieved.


    He twisted his body backwards and barely dodged her kick, having to lean back on his spear behind him for support in order to not fall backwards.


    ¡°Ten..!¡±


    The spell on her other boot was activated and she turned her body in a whirlwind, shifting from right leg to left. This kick much quicker than the previous one due to the increased bodily momentum from the previous one.


    He could not escape. Pi had no choice but to block.


    But blocking with his arm meant losing that arm. He was forced to block with what remained of his spear.


    Holding the spear at each end, the kick landed squarely in the middle of it, bending the spear so it was now unusable.


    ¡°Eleven..!¡±


    He turned his body away from her other foot, but no kick came.


    ¡°Just kidding!¡±


    She slashed at him with her dagger. Suddenly being tricked like that made him more confused than surprised. He was dodging away from her non-existing kick at such an angle that there was no way for him to dodge her small slash.


    His hand went into his pocket and retrieved another small paper. This one was crushed in his hand, which activated it, giving his body momentary speed.


    It was a spell Yuri hadn''t ever read about, much less seen before.


    With his increased body movement, he managed to once again barely dodge her slash.


    Yuri moved her arm as fast as she could, landing only a small scratch on his mask, despite knowing she couldn''t hit him, as if wanting to land even a scratch, just to mock him.


    Seemed Pi was getting tired of being on the defensive. His spear was lost, he had no weapon left to defend with.


    His speed now having faded, since the magic seemed to last only a few moments.


    He shoved his hands into his pockets and took out a slip of paper in each one.


    One of the papers suddenly burst into fire, covering his hand in a small flame, while the other was thrown into the air above them.


    The paper floating above them lit up into a burst of bright yellow light.


    ¡°UGH, My eyes!¡±


    Yuri covered her eyes.


    She was now momentarily blinded. But she knew an attack was coming.


    She couldn''t dodge or block.


    (I wanted to save this for a good moment..damnit..!)


    She activated the metal plates they were both standing on.


    They were the small bronze plates which Yuri had prepared beforehand and scattered through the city at random spots.


    She knew that most of them would be left unused.


    But if even one could give her an advantage, it was worth the effort.


    The entire ground around them lit up at random places.


    (Ah...I forgot how many I put in this place...)


    She could see the red lights even through her momentary blindness. Making her sweat slightly.

 Chapter 51: The last spell

    KABOOOOM!


    Buildings collapsed and fragments of small rocks rained over the entire city.


    This was the result of an explosion that sounded much clearer than the footsteps of the living city.


    Unlike the deep vibrations going through the city, this was a sharp sound, twisting the air, and creating a shock wave that flew through the cores of anyone unlucky enough to be standing outside, making them feel nauseous and disoriented.


    Those unlucky enough to have been caught in the actual explosion would certainly have naught but a stain remaining of them.


    A large crater at the centre of the explosion. Inside should be nothing but emptiness, a reminder of what was there and now wasn''t-


    It should have been filled with emptiness. Yet...there were two figures standing there. Both seemed to barely stand on their feet.


    One of them was a young girl, clad partially in armour. Her dress and hair were scorched, her skin was covered in ash and was slightly burned, it wasn''t enough to be dangerous, but it was certainly enough to impede proper functions to some degree.


    The other was a man. He looked completely fine, other than the fact that his body was letting off a lot of steam.


    Yet his body was shaky. His legs barely able to hold him up.


    He took a step back and widened his legs further apart to gain more stability.


    They had both survived the explosion in a way no other sane human would dare to attempt.


    Yuri had activated a half finished runic circle, which she had etched onto her gauntlet in the last moments before the explosion, managing to successfully create an unbreakable barrier around her, which would last a moment, and get her through the explosion.


    But it was only half finished. It did not posses the strength it normally had, and so would shatter under the force of the explosion pushing against it.


    So Yuri made use of another spell on her gauntlet. A smoke spell.


    It was made to simply create a mass of smoke to fill an entire street with. There was now a much better use for it than a simple smokescreen.


    Since the area inside the barrier was very small, and the smoke produced by the spell was very large.


    It overfilled that limited space within the single moment it was there for. The smoke had no way to escape, so it kept collecting inside the barrier, becoming compressed. Pushing against the barrier and Yuri.


    She was thankful the barrier only lasted a moment, any longer and her bones might have been broken.


    Since the smoke inside the barrier was heavily compressed. Once the barrier was released. The smoke shot out like its own explosion. A compressed air explosion. Pushing against the force of the explosion outside and nullifying most of its power, so it did not do much other than push Yuri away.


    Of course, although the force of the explosion was nullified. The heat surrounding Yuri was not. So she was met with almost the entire heat of the giant explosion.


    Had it not been for the strong winds from the city''s movement, she was sure her skin would have melted.


    Pi however, chose to take a whole other approach to stop himself from getting blown up or melted by the explosion.


    Reacting at the last moment, he had take out all of his paper slips containing water spells. He had around twenty, and crushed them.


    Resulting in a cascade of water shooting out around him and enveloping him in a water bubble that was out of control.


    Using several spells together was never a good idea, since it often created unpredictable phenomena such as the water bubble which formed around the user and suffocated him to death.


    But that was just what he needed.


    The heat of the explosion had evaporated all of the water, which had also absorbed some of the force of the explosion.


    But the evaporation was too quick, and although the heat was dealt with, he was still hit with a very large portion of the explosion''s force.


    He was sure that several of his bones had cracked, some of the force also went through his body, damaging his organs, not fatally, but it made it difficult for him to move without intense pain.


    They were both facing each other, both in an equally terrible condition.


    They stood still for several minutes, although to them it felt like hours, standing there, trying to catch their breath, trying to push away the pain and discomfort to the back of their heads, summoning their last bit of energy.


    It was Yuri who made the first move, rushing forward with her skin still retaining the feeling of being burned alive.


    She moved and thrust her dagger.


    She needed to win. This was no longer a matter of honour or pride or the shame of defeat or even anger.


    This was a feral instinct. Being faced with such a ferocious battle, her emotions were stripped bare of anything unnecessary, stripped bare of anything but the need to win.


    The pigeon mask''s unmoving eyes stared at her. She couldn''t tell the expression of the man behind the mask. But she could tell he was the same. The heat of the battle made everyone the same. Stripping them bare of anything but the basic emotions and their pure skill.


    Pi moved downwards, avoiding the thrust completely. No he didn''t do so intentionally, he just...collapsed.


    Yuri was too worn out to do any fancy maneuver. So she continued her thrust, hoping to hit him, instead she once again only left a small scratch upon his mask.


    (You can''t fight any more. I win..!)


    But right before his mask touched the ground. His muscles tensed up. Holding him just inches above the stone.


    He turned his torso and made a palm strike at Yuri, hitting her squarely in the chest and pushing her back.


    He had regained his senses just before completely succumbing to fatigue.


    Yuri hit the ground hard, pain coursing through her body.


    She got up just in time to see the figure of Pi appear right next to her.


    She rolled away, dodging his kick.


    He slowly took out one of his few remaining slips of paper.


    His arm was surrounded with a small flame, any strike from him would do more than just break her bones.


    She realised that the tables had now turned. She had become the target.


    He likely knew that at this rate, he would collapse sooner or later.


    He had to take out his opponent before she took him out. Escaping and killing time was no longer an option, not with these injuries.


    The warmth from the flame around his arm slowed his shaking slightly.


    His bones were still fine, but his organs needed rest, and rest meant being attacked.


    Yuri turned and began to escape.


    She knew that if she outlasted him, he would eventually just succumb to his own injuries. There was no reason to fight him any more.


    (Finishing him off? I''m not that foolish, I will take a certain victory rather than a risky prideful one..!)


    After he succumbs to his injuries, she could just walk up to him and effortlessly pull his mask off, without him even resisting.


    She had won.


    Or so she thought.


    Until Pi began sprinting toward her, his flaming arm leaving a trail of smoke behind him.


    (How the hell can he run like that despite being half dead!?!?)


    She kept running, rounding a corner. She had only two spells on her boots, and only a single spell on her gauntlet. She couldn''t afford to use them right now.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    She ran as fast as her legs allowed, ignoring the pain on her skin.


    Running past the broken rubble of some nearby buildings, Yuri grabbed onto a thick board of wood.


    The road ahead changed into a very steep staircase leading down.


    She jumped, holding the board beneath her.


    Landing roughly onto the stairs, barely dodging out of the way of the flaming fist aimed at her.


    Yuri slid down the stairs on her board, she looked back expecting to see her pursuer slowly running down the stairs.


    Instead she found him, standing on the railway of the staircase, sliding down perfectly.


    ¡°How is he so damn agile..! More a monkey than a pigeon..!¡±


    But it was fine, she would soon reach her destination.


    She reached the end of the staircase and ran ahead.


    Pi did a semi flip and got off the railing, sprinting after her.


    She was stuck, she had reached the out most edge of the city. Beyond this fencing was nothing but a drop into the passing desert below.


    Yuri dropped the wooden board on the ground ans sat on it.


    Pi wondered if she finally admitted defeat. There was no escape, from where she was sitting, if he attacked now, she wouldn''t have time to do anything.


    He moved forward, twisting his body and throwing his still aflame fist at her.


    Boom.


    An explosion much smaller than the previous one occurred, something exploded beneath where Yuri was sitting.


    Shooting the board with her on it, up into the air.


    And just out of Pi''s reach.


    She continued to fly up. Activating one of the spells on her boots, she flew sideways, landing on a rock beyond the limits of the city.


    ¡°Eleven.¡±


    It was no rock, it was actually the City''s head, or rather the head of the creature.


    He was running out of time, Pi was sure that his excessive movements had opened some wound inside his damaged organs. He would collapse in a manner of minutes.


    Taking out two slips of papers, and crunching them in his burning fist, the burned papers shot a mass of flames from his fist. Its range was short, but its strength was not something that could be controlled.


    It was like having a small jet engine strapped to his arm, he couldn''t use it as a weapon. He could however, use it as propulsion.


    Which he did, propelling himself through the air toward where Yuri stood, waiting for him.


    His spell ran out conveniently at the spot right beside Yuri, dropping him in front of her.


    When he did, Yuri naturally swung at him with her dagger, slicing a bit of his mask and making him jump backwards in caution.


    They face each other, the unblinking eye of the creature whose head they were standing on looked out at the desert, completely unaware of their battle.


    Both barely had any spells left.


    They swung at each other, dodging and striking.


    He used some form of martial arts, making use of his longer limbs, kicking and striking with his palms.


    While Yuri went for a more fencing style of combat. Dodging and slashing at him, always just barely missing.


    None dared to use their remaining spells. Choosing instead to wait for the next to use theirs so that they could counter it and head for the killing blow.


    ¡°Should be about time now..¡±


    Yuri jumped back and looked up at the sky.


    The sun was a bright orange in the horizon. Shining brightly enough to blind anyone looking directly at it.


    Asur, the creature this city was built into, was heading directly for that horizon, so naturally, its eyes were getting dry, even drier than usual.


    It didn''t help that it couldn''t blink.


    Yuri was glad she had asked Hikaru to look up information about this creature. Since there was an interesting fact that would now prove very useful.


    This creature lived in the desert, yet its eyes could not blink. They could not be re-moisturised. For a creature that was already very dry, this was more than inconvenient, and most likely irritating. A flaw in its design, which would now help Yuri finish this duel.


    She smiled knowingly at the man running towards her with his next attack.


    Yuri activated the last spell on her boot. With a tremendous burst, two gigantic pillars of water burst out from the bottom of her boot and thrust her up into the air.


    The pillars of waters were incredibly strong, and they were incredibly dense. Not to mention that there were two of them. Yuri spun out of control on her way up, creating a spiral of the two pillars, which slowly dug into the head of the creature.


    Yet the creature did not mind, it was made of stone, as such it barely had anything close to a sense of touch in most of its body. Which was why humans were successful in building a city out of its back.


    But it felt something trickle down into its eyes. Something refreshing. Small streams of water from the pillars crashing against the top of its head.


    It shook its head in a refreshed manner, and looked up, hoping to catch more of the rare liquid on its face.


    It was rewarded with a blast of the water pillars, but it didn''t seem to mind, it kept moving its head and even unlocked its giant jaw to catch some of the water in its mouth.


    Yuri looked down on this relaxed giant lizard and saw what she was hoping to see.


    The figure of Pi being flung off the creatures head and down into the desert below.


    ¡°Even if you fall in the middle of the desert.. as long as you die, I can always come by later and get your mask.¡±


    A twisted laugh came from Yuri''s mouth.


    She had a single spell left on her gauntlet, it was the feather fall spell, which she had specially saved in case she needed to use this method of eliminating her enemy.


    Activating the spell made her entire body as light as a feather, descending slowly through the sky.


    Her clothes were red from blood. Her skin was slightly burned. Her hair was a mess flying in every direction, and she was laughing in an incredibly evil manner while slowly descending from the sky.


    She looked far from any thief.


    She was more like a demon.


    Some people inside the city saw her descending from the sky. This appearance would later on spread in rumours and size until it somehow made its way into the city''s religion, as the counterpart of their god Asur. The demon queen of the desert.


    But that is a story for another time.


    Yuri landed softly on the head of the supposed god which had now put its head back into its original position because of the disappearance of water.


    Upon landing, her bronze boots shattered into several small pieces. When she crouched down to touch one of the pieces with her left hand, her gauntlet followed as well, shattering into even more pieces.


    ¡°Ah..this is why I wanted stronger material.¡±


    Brushing the pieces of metal off herself. She pondered if her new gauntlet was finished, hopefully it could take the strain of having so much magic poured through it.


    ¡°Now..I really need to go wash this dress..Hikaru! Where are you, you can come out now!¡±


    She yelled, knowing he had been watching her fight from somewhere, while not interfering as per her orders.


    ¡°He''s not answering..that could only mean..¡±


    That her duel wasn''t over.


    She heard the sound of heavy breathing.


    Yet there was nothing around her other than wind.


    ¡°Below!?¡±


    A shadow jumped up from the edge of the creature''s head.


    Landing roughly in front of Yuri.


    It was Pi. He had somehow managed to stop his fall.


    ¡°But how..¡±


    Then she saw. His hands were red, they were so bloody that not even an inch of skin could be seen.


    He slowly stood up.


    Yuri took a step back. The man before her. She had underestimated him. His will is incredibly strong. Strong enough to keep fighting and survive death countless times even in his near death condition.


    He slowly, almost painfully slow, took a single piece of paper from his pocket, his red blood staining it greatly.


    He held it up In front of him.


    Yuri understood this as his last spell.


    He took the spell and threw it away.


    ¡°Huh? Why did you?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he took up his stance, lifting his bloody fists.


    ¡°I see...we are both out of spells now..then out of courtesy for your will. I will not use my weapon.¡±


    She sheathed her dagger behind her clothes.


    ¡°Now...come..!¡±


    She exclaimed while taking up a basic stance.


    They began running. Their bodies were slow, especially Pi.


    But even if he was extremely weakened. Yuri was sure he was still stronger than her in pure combat.


    All she needed to do was to dodge a single attack.


    No..she didn''t even need to dodge.


    His fist struck her face. Pushing her cheek with so much power that she almost fainted, the power leaving her body.


    (Now..!)


    She punched him weakly in his face, her punch jumping off his rubbery mask.


    He pulled his fist back again. His victory was certain. He was on the near of collapsing. But he had won. He had landed the hit, she couldn''t fight back any more. After the next hit she was done for.


    Yet why.


    Why was she smiling.


    She was smiling even with blood dripping from her nose and mouth.


    Some strange light made him close his left eye instinctively, even despite him wearing the covering mask.


    His eyes widened in surprise.


    The light was coming from his mask. A bright uncertain light was coming from his mask.


    Just when he realised this.


    His mask exploded.


    The explosion wasn''t large, in fact it was incredibly small.


    But it was enough, he fell over sideways.


    His mind circling around how this was even possible.


    ¡°You know. This dagger I was trying to cut you with?¡±


    She twirled her dagger.


    ¡°It''s got magic in it. So all those times I only left a scratch on your mask? Each scratch was a stroke on a runic spell. And after enough time. I had enough, all I needed was to just..touch it.¡±


    She clenched her hand into a fist.


    The explosion was small due to being drawn so sloppily, but it was still enough to blow away most of the mask.


    His consciousness left, as he admitted to being outsmarted. Yet that fact didn''t make him feel shame or the feeling of defeat. In fact. It made him relieved. Since being outsmarted could maybe mean....


    ¡°I win. You were good. You were really good. Your only mistake was not planning ahead as much as I did. Now let''s see who is behind that ugly mask all along..¡±


    She walked over to where he lay on his side.


    Her entire body froze.


    Even her breath stopped.


    ¡°It..can''t be..¡±

 Chapter 52: An unexpected appearance and the mystery disappearance.

    He opened his eyes, and shut them back again.


    The bright light was uncomfortable after being covered by a mask for so long.


    Looking around, he found that he was resting on a bed, in what looked like an average inn room.


    Surrounding his bed were hundreds, perhaps thousands of runes, etched on the ground.


    He wasn''t sure what their purpose was, but they looked impressive.


    His last memory..it was of him being beaten by this young girl.


    (Hah..beaten by a young girl..wonder what he would think of this..)


    He slowly rubbed his head, and was very surprised.


    There was no pain when moving his arm. In fact he could move it very easily, his entire body felt like none of the damage he had taken was ever inflicted.


    The door to the room opened, and a raven haired man entered the room.


    "You''re awake."


    He said while walking up to the bed.


    He remembered this man, he was always with the young girl. Was he the one who healed him?


    "Go back to sleep."


    He was ordered, making him feel more confused than he already was at not being dead.


    "I''m sure she wants to be first one to greet you when you wake up. So pretend. to. Sleep."


    His sharp eyes spoke of how serious he was, and although still confused, Pi chose to pretend to be asleep.


    "Yuri! Come here! I think he''s waking up!"


    He yelled out the door.


    (Yuri!?)


    Small footsteps increased in noise until a young slightly bandaged girl rushed into the room and threw herself onto him, hugging him and squeezing him despite her injuries.


    He was taken aback by this sudden display of affection, but he needed to make sure.


    "You...you are Yuri..right?"


    He asked the girl.


    "Of course I am. What, did you forget me, Helgi, really?"


    She pouted at the man she called Helgi, before looking over herself.


    "Well I guess you wouldn''t recognise me the way I look right now.."


    She smiled awkwardly.


    "No..I just had to make sure..I don''t care what you look like. I''m just glad you''re safe."


    He squeezed her with all his might in a big bear hug.


    "Helgi...not...so...tight..."


    She breathed out slowly, unable to inhale.


    "Ah..sorry."


    He let her go.


    "But you really have changed huh..Didn''t know you swung like that?"


    He poked her cheek.


    "Ehhh. I don''t! It''s just a lot happened, and somehow I ended up this way! You''re lucky you still look the same!"


    She commented with slight irritation, biting his finger.


    "Ow!"


    He pulled away his finger, and smiled.


    "But I have to say, who ever gave you that plastic surgery is a genius, I mean you look totally cute, I probably would go for you if you weren''t my best friend"


    He joked, making her blush slightly before smacking the back of his head while he laughed.


    Hikaru looked at the scene in front of him.


    This was the first time he had seen Yuri so...comfortable.


    A young girl that looked about the age of 14, with shoulder length hair and incredibly cute features. Her smile right now, it was a very different smile, the smile that someone had when they were with someone truly close to them.


    The man laying on the bed had long blonde hair tied into a pony tail pointing sideways, he looked to be in his twenties, and he had the kind of face that most women would go for. His smile was natural, not just natural, it felt like that smile was the only thing that belonged on his face.


    ¡°I missed you Helgi..¡±


    Yuri looked at him when had finally stopped laughing. Her eyes were warm, and her expression soft.


    It made Helgi''s heart jump slightly, before he shook his head.


    ¡°Hey hey, if you say it like, I might actually fall for you!¡± He joked again. ¡°But yeah..¡± He paused.


    ¡°Me too..¡±


    They both kept looking awkwardly at each other, unused to saying such words, their relationship was always a sort of tough love sort of thing. So actually saying something embarrassing like that.. They weren''t sure what to do next.


    Seeing this scene that made even him feel awkward, Hikaru stepped in.


    ¡°I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Hikaru, Yuri''s body guard and partner.¡±


    Both men shook hands.


    ¡°I''m Helgi, Yuri''s friend and partner¡±


    ¡°Ah yeah!¡± Yuri remembered ¡°Helgi, this is Hikaru, he has always helped me since I came to this world, and this is Helgi, my friend from my previous world, he would also help me out a lot. Actually..now that I think about it..how did you even get here..and why did you even attack me! I was about to kill you without knowing it was you, you idiot!¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She smacked Helgi''s head again.


    ¡°Ow..It''s a long story..¡±


    He rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°Well then start telling. We have all the time in the world¡±


    She and Hikaru sat down on the ground and Yuri folded her arms expectantly.


    ¡°Alright. But in return, I want you to tell me your story¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Alright..Well. It started when you suddenly disappeared without telling me anything..¡±


    He began.


    ¡°It wasn''t by choice that I-¡±


    She began before being interrupted.


    ¡°Shhh! My story, then you get to tell yours¡±


    He began telling his story of how he ended up here.


    ¨C


    After your disappearance, some time went by when I figured you went into hiding or were working on another heist, so I was completely unaware of it until I actually tried to contact you repeatedly.


    ¡°Hey, Yuri, it''s me, you''ve been so cold recently~ Call me back when you can so we can go do something fun¡±


    A phone call was turned off, the cheerful tone completely vanishing with it.


    ¡°I''ve left several messages and he still hasn''t answered..did he get thrown in jail again..no there was no record of that when I looked through the prison registry..¡±


    Something stunk, and it wasn''t in the air, it was a feeling he felt. Yuri always called back even if he did sound very unenthusiastic about it. Complaining while dutifully calling back, that was the kind of friend Yuri was.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of trouble he''s got into where he can''t even contact me..¡±


    Helgi put on his street clothes and wrapped a belt around his waist, which contained all his tools.


    ¡°Guess, I have to save you once again, geez what a hopeless criminal¡±


    Helgi walked out and began his researching, asking around his contacts, who eventually pointed him to a robbery at the city''s largest corporation, located in the tower reaching the highest point of the city.


    ¡°I see..The robber mysteriously vanished with something very valuable that they seem very distraught about..¡±


    The information he acquired from bribing a few policemen was less than satisfactory. The corporation denied any information on the stolen item, choosing instead to continue the search for it through private means.


    ¡°What kind of item is it, must be really loaded if they chose to not reveal it..this really does reek of something that Yuri would be attracted to.¡±


    The next step would be to head for the source of the crime itself. Which meant..


    He had to infiltrate this corporation.


    Automatic doors slide open, through them entered an incredibly stylishly dressed man. Wearing a suit that looked to be made of the finest brand.


    Not to mention that his looks definitely added to his aura. His almost glittering blonde hair, tied back into an aristocrat like tail behind him.


    His brilliant white smile that charmed the women around him.


    If you would ask anyone about who they thought he was. Their answers would likely be Actor, some sort of celebrity or a rich business man''s son.


    ¡°Excuse me, I have an appointment scheduled for Nine Thirty. My name is Hill Smith¡±


    He gave the receptionist woman a smile that made her blush for no reason.


    ¡°A-ah um. There doesn''t seem to be any appointments scheduled for that time..¡±


    She quickly regained her composure. She was after all a professional working for the largest economical force of the city.


    ¡°Oh..is that so..such bad luck..I guess my associates forgot to schedule it..Ahhh..now I will be in a tough position..¡±


    Sighing slightly, he looked down with such a down-fallen expression, which combined with his pretty face made the woman in front of him melt slightly.


    ¡°Ah- It''s..It''s okay! Someone here probably just forgot to write it in, probably me! Ahaha..I''m so clumsy..¡±


    She laughed with a slight blush, her previous professionalism was gone, replaced with the attitude of a love struck girl.


    ¡°Ohhh! Is that so! Does that mean I still get to have the meeting? Thank god, I''m so relieved..¡±


    He breathed out in relief. The slowly brightening expression on his face made the woman feel really happy for some reason.


    ¡°Ah, Yes! I''ll just call in to make sure they let you inside, so just go ahead..!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, without your help I really would have been in quite a lot of trouble.¡±


    He bowed down slightly and held her hand, bringing it closer and pecking it softly.


    ¡°I hope more people would be as kind as you¡±


    He smiled at her before heading towards the elevator.


    Leaving behind him an incredibly red faced woman, whose heart wouldn''t stop beating fast for the rest of the day.


    Finally arriving at the elevator and pressing the top floor, he groaned in annoyance.


    (So annoying having to wear this damn suit. So itchy and hard to move in...but it sure was easy to get in, I''m lucky the receptionist was a woman. Hmph, Women are so shallow. They truly are the easiest to deal with.)


    His obvious dislike of woman perhaps stemmed from his good looks, which had him always surrounded by members of the opposite sex that got attracted purely to his appearance.


    Although this led to his complicated dissatisfaction with women, it also gave him plenty of experience, which always proved to be useful on the field.


    The elevator dinged.


    He had now arrived at the highest floor, the office of the corporation president.


    ¡°Hello, I have a meeting with the president¡±


    He declared to the two suited guards standing at the elevator.


    Putting a hand at his ear, one of them nodded in approval.


    ¡°We have confirmation. You may enter.¡±


    He entered the presidents room with no trouble and was greeted with a fairly confused president behind the desk.


    ¡°Did I have a meeting with you?¡±


    ¡°Of course sir, I come from red power electrical corp. here to discuss possible business arrangements?¡±


    He answered with a slightly confused look, as if asking whether he really forgot.


    ¡°Is that so..I''m sure I must have miss-scheduled it.¡±


    ¡°It is no problem, sir I am just grateful for this opportunity¡±


    Helgi reached out to shake the presidents hand.


    Shaking his hand, the president recoiled slightly, while glancing at his palm.


    A single bead of red.


    Helgi opened his hand and revealed a tiny sharp pin.


    The President slowly fell into his large chair, not able to even yell for the guards or reach for his panic button.


    ¡°Now, now. Wouldn''t want you to cause trouble. So just stay still there for a while, Mr. President~¡±


    Helgi slowly walked over to his side and unlocked the computer at his desk.


    ¡°Password huh..Hey, what''s the password?¡±


    He glanced over at the man who could only blink angrily at him.


    ¡°Ah right. Ah. Fingerprint scanner. How convenient today''s technology is.¡±


    He scanned the presidents finger on the computer and successfully unlocked it.


    ¡°Let''s see here. This must be the file. Investigation pending huh.¡±


    He clicked through the folders, all of which were heavily encrypted and required more passwords. But since he was already in the computer, something like this was done in a matter of minutes.


    ¡°The stolen item is..a knife..? Why would your corporation even care about some old knife. To even hire this many investigators..¡±


    All he received from his mute companion was a furious glare.


    ¡°Don''t look at me like that, creepy. I''m just going to copy all of this over¡±


    He swiftly copied all the files over to a portable disk and hide it beneath his suit.


    ¡°And while I''m still here. Might as well.¡±


    Accessing the corporations main computer, he had access to several of their bank accounts. He sent over all of the contents of the more easily accessible ones to an offshore account and called it a day.


    ¡°That was a good bonus. Thank you for your patronage. I''m going to go now, alright? You will regain movement in a few hours. Just make sure you don''t fall asleep, and concentrate on breathing in and out.¡±


    He waved at the president whose eyes were so bloodshot they looked almost purely red.


    He safely exited the building without anyone suspecting a thing. Although he was sure his face was seen and recorded, he wasn''t worried, this face was already well known enough as it is, a bit more wouldn''t hurt.


    After all, he was a celebrity. So being well known is only a good thing. Infamously at least.


    He would normally do his work in a more stylish manner. Leaving the victims wondering what had happened and whether or not what he did was possible.


    That way he had earned his nickname, ''The magician''.


    But right now. He was in no mood for impressive tricks. He needed to find out where his friend was, hopefully before he got into even more trouble.


    And this supposed knife, was the key to it.

 Chapter 53: Helgi chronicles

    ¡°What is this..¡±


    Helgi was looking through the data he had stolen, muttering the entire time at the bizarreness of the information.


    The computer screen in front of him showed a highly detailed, 3D scanned image of a small ornate dagger.


    The rest of the files were all references to ancient texts that mention some form of blade in a variety of contexts.


    Most of it was references to folklore.


    ¡°The sword Kladenets, a sword from Russian folklore, a self swinging sword which always shows itself to the hero in their time of need.¡±


    ¡°The sword of Dyrnwyn, helping the wielder with its flames when drawn, and engulfing them if unworthy.¡±


    The list kept going, even mentioning several supposedly real swords.


    ¡°The sword of Laban....None of this makes any sense..¡±


    He sighed and leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°What the hell do all these random swords have to do with this...¡±


    Taking out a lit cigarette, he slowly inhaled and exhaled a cloud of grey smoke, swirling around the bright screen.


    ¡°If only Yuri was here..He understood all this history crap better than anyone.¡±


    He remembered how Yuri once found the prized legendary crown of a certain country''s king. Which was supposedly lost to time, by researching his way to its location according to ancient texts and rumours.


    ¡°And then he took it while flaunting it in that country''s face.¡±


    Chuckling, Helgi finished his cigarette.


    He always wondered why Yuri always went after these sometimes worthless artefacts, when he could have been making so much more money by stealing things with actual value.


    But Yuri always shut him down, saying money was just a means to an end, and his entire goal, wasn''t to become rich, but to become infamous.


    He flicked the burnt cigarette on the ground without extinguishing it. It kept slowly releasing a tiny stream of smoke, while Helgi looked up at the ceiling, his face lit up by his computer screen.


    ¡°Hmm¡± He made a quizzical face.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, this data didn''t mention any rumours of any sort, just references to texts, unlike Yuri''s...¡±


    Slowly sitting up properly, Helgi looked at the screen.


    ¡°From this data it seems they were researching its origins..but it doesn''t say why..maybe Yuri was doing the same. That may be why he needed that dagger. So then, if i find the origin of this thing..perhaps I can find a lead to Yuri..¡±


    Clicking through the data, none of it had any particular good source or lead.


    ¡°Nothing is that easy huh..then I will just have to do what Yuri would do. Look around for rumours..but where to start..if I had to choose.. the oldest point of documentation..the sword of Laban, found in the old holy city even before the start of our calendar..It''s as good a start as any.¡±


    ¨C


    Helgi stood in front of a beat up truck which he had driven to his destination.


    Behind him was nothing but sand and rock, but in front. The old holy city, from which most of the worlds religions originated, stood proudly.


    Even after so many years, it stood here in the middle of nowhere, albeit fairly beat up.


    ¡°Hmm, well then, let''s start this investigation!¡±


    Throwing his jacket over his shoulder, he headed inside the ancient city.


    But within five minutes of walking inside the city, gunshots went off around him.


    There was yelling and someone was tackled down to the ground, before being apprehended.


    Not a minute later, a group of priests began disputing something trivial about the city. Being from different sects, they naturally disagreed, and it was especially so when it was about their prized holy city.


    The priests drew blades and small hidden pistols, starting a death match that quickly spread through the city until a full scale war began between the various sects, with explosions and gunshots filling the air.


    ¡°How the hell did this damn city survive for so long anyway!?!¡±


    Helgi yelled to himself over the noise of battle while running inside a random building.


    The roars of crazed battle were loud enough to be heard even inside, although the noise was muffled, which Helgi was thankful for.


    ¡°Now how am I going to find rumours and information..¡±


    He sighed loudly, taking out his phone to light the room he was in.


    Upon turning on the screen of his phone, a haunting face beyond his wildest fear was lit up just inches away from him.


    ¡°AAAH!?¡±


    He recoiled in horror and jumped back, his back hitting the door behind him.


    ¡°How rude, young people today..¡±


    A slightly hoarse voice muttered.


    Slowly lifting the screen to better light up the room, he found that instead of a horrible creature, it was an old woman that had surprised him.


    ¡°Oh..just an old woman..hey sorry, don''t sneak up on me like that¡±


    He sighed in relief.


    ¡°I''ve been standing here since before you came in the door, young man. It''s your fault for not noticing, besides, how rude to just yell in my face like that, in my own home.¡±


    She grumbled slightly.


    ¡°Ah sorry..¡±


    ¡°So, Never been here before have you?¡±


    She asked curiously.


    ¡°Ah, how did you guess..?¡±


    ¡°Well besides the obvious blonde hair, you seem fairly frightened by the battle outside¡±


    He shifted slightly.


    ¡°Well not as much frightened..as just surprised it suddenly broke out like that. I''m more of a do things without causing trouble type of person.¡±


    ¡°A law abiding young man, good, not too many of you out there these days.¡±


    She nodded approvingly.


    (Ahaha...not precisely..)This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°But don''t worry, these types of things break out every now and then. These people are so hot blooded, you would think they would try and behave themselves if this city was so important to them. When these types of things break out, people usually travel underneath the battle, avoiding it and continuing with their lives.¡±


    She explained to the confused Helgi.


    ¡°Beneath the battle..?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you know how some cities have most of their streets underground due to the heat. Well this is the same, we use it even when it''s peaceful outside. The people outside are all part of religious sects, even the stores. But beneath, it''s all us, the common folk, living in this city¡±


    She seemed somewhat proud of that fact.


    ¡°I see. That''s good to know, I figured I would have to wait until this all settled down before I could resume my business¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, don''t worry, this granny can show you around, in exchange you help her out with her shopping¡±


    She smiled slyly.


    ¡°That sounds like a good deal¡±


    He accepted, hoping to become friendly enough with this old woman that he might find some clues.


    He was led through a small back door, which led to a staircase leading down.


    Beyond the dusty staircase, was the life if an entire city.


    The inside of the underground space didn''t need any special lighting. The light from the neon signs and the lights from inside the stores were more than enough to brightly light up everything and everyone.


    It was impressive that something the size of several busy night markets, existed beneath the most stale battle fought city on the planet.


    Helgi ended up carrying the equivalent of an entire house, while the old woman took advantage of the situation and made sure to do all her shopping for months to come.


    ¡°Well, are you going to ask what you want to ask?¡±


    She asked him while they were slowly walking back to her home.


    ¡°You knew I had something to ask?¡±


    ¡°Of course I knew, I''m old. Besides, you either look like you have a question or you really need to go to the toilet, either way, speak up¡±


    ¡°Mhm..well I might as well. What do you know about the sword of Laban?¡±


    He asked cautiously.


    ¡°Hm? I expected it to be about something serious, but you''re asking me about history? Just because I''m old doesn''t mean I know history!¡±


    She snapped.


    ¡°Although, I do happen to know a few things about that, as much as the next person, why would a young man such as yourself be interested in that kind of stuffy history?¡±


    ¡°To be honest. I''m not, I have never much cared for history, history doesn''t earn you money and doesn''t get you respect.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Because..although I never cared for history. My friend did, my friend does..¡±


    He looked serious while carrying the incredibly heavy load, the weight not even registering in his brain, which was too busy thinking about something far more important.


    ¡°I see..¡±


    The old woman scratched the back of her head.


    ¡°I was going to tell you what everybody else knows. But I guess I can let this one thing slip. That sword, they say it was first found on a rock, in this city. No one knew where it came from, only that one day it was just there. Texts dispute about who found it first, but they all agree that it was found there.¡±


    ¡°A rock..? What rock, where can I find this rock? Will it be easy to find with all this fighting above ground?¡±


    He was ecstatic at having found a lead.


    ¡°Don''t worry, don''t worry. The battle above ground won''t impede you, after all, the rock is underground¡±


    ¡°Underground..?¡±


    ¡°Well it''s been a while, and the earth moves with time. Eventually the rock ended up slowly sinking underground, becoming buried¡±


    ¡°Then..I can''t find it?¡±


    He asked with disappointment.


    ¡°Well, no one from the sects has ever managed to find it, but that''s more due to them being to unwilling to dig in the city.¡±


    She could feel his disappointment.


    ¡°However. I might happen to know where it is¡±


    ¡°What do I have to do in exchange for you showing me¡±


    He knew this kind of deal wouldn''t just be given out of the kindness of someone''s heart.


    ¡°How about..you tell me more about this friend of yours, while I show you the way there, that seems fair¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Are you sure? Well alright.¡± He wouldn''t look a gift horse in the mouth.


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Well, you''re his friend, describe him to me¡±


    ¡°Hmm..Well he''s very..eccentric. He sometimes gets way too excited when it comes to his interests. He''s reallyyyyy bad with women. It''s not that he''s bad but he just likes to say what''s on his mind..way too much. He also has one hell of a sweet tooth. I can''t stand the sweet stuff, but it seems he never gets enough of it. He''s very strange, he isn''t a bad person, but when he is focused on his goal, it''s the goal that he sees, nothing else seems to matter.


    He also likes historical items way too much. One time I saw him sleeping with an ancient suit of armour..¡±


    Helgi smiled awkwardly and shook his head.


    ¡°I see, he sounds like a very interesting person.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know about interesting. But he is very unique. And it always ends up with me helping him all the time..he never even bothers saying thanks..sometimes I wonder if he even considers me a friend or just a useful thing to have around..¡±


    He sighed loudly.


    ¡°If you are all the way here for his sake, that means that you at least consider him important, and I''m sure he feels the same¡±


    She smiled softly at him. Her wrinkles making her face look like dried leather.


    ¡°Yeah..¡±He avoided looking at her face.


    ¡°Well, let me show you the rock, before it gets late and the underground market fills with too many people¡±


    She quickly led him through the market, through tunnels, rooms and corridors. Each one gradually containing less people.


    Until they finally arrived at a part of the underground space that wasn''t fitted with a proper floor and looked more like a cavern than a tunnel or corridor.


    They entered the cavern. The inside of it was lit up by strange luminescent mushrooms growing along the walls, lightning up images along the walls, depicting mighty warriors wielding swords, each one looked extraordinary in some manner. From spewing flames to giving off light, they all depicted as having strange powers.


    The middle of the cavern housed a giant rock, the size of a bear.


    It was an average looking rock, compared to the rest of the cavern, it looked like nothing special.


    ¡°This rock is said to have been the one where the sword was first pulled out from. Yet no matter how hard I looked, there was no hole big enough to fit a sword anywhere on the rock, so who knows if this is the real one or not¡±


    She shrugged while Helgi looked around the room.


    His attention shifted away from the images and towards the rock.


    It had to have some sort of clue.


    He used his phone to light up the rock better and as she said, there was no hole large enough to fit a sword.


    (But what I''m looking for isn''t a sword..! It''s a dagger..!)


    Changing his outlook, he suddenly found a small hole inside the rock, large enough to barely fit the small dagger according to the 3D image on his files.


    He slowly stuck his finger inside the hole and felt around for anything, but it was completely empty, just a hole and nothing else.


    ¡°Nothing...¡±


    He took out his finger and sighed.


    ¡°Hm? What''s that on your finger?¡±


    The old woman asked.


    Looking closely, he found something glittering on his finger.


    Small tiny shards of metal.


    ¡°From when the blade was pulled out, it scraped against the inside of the hole!¡±


    He moved his phone to light up the inside of the hole, and found it glittering slightly, filled with tiny pieces of metal from when the dagger was presumably roughly pulled out.


    ¡°I guess I should collect a sample..the properties of the metal might help me find another clue if nothing else..¡±


    He slowly started trying to dig up the tiny pieces of metal with his little finger.


    ¡°Young man, be careful, you can get-¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    Pulling out his finger, he looked at it and found it to be bleeding profusely.


    ¡°Ah..see, I warned you. Careful, some of the metal might get into your bloodstream¡±


    Taking out a napkin, she covered his bleeding finger with it.


    ¡°Ah it''s just a little cut, hmm..say did you notice something strange about these images?¡±


    He glanced at the images of men wielding swords.


    The mushrooms beneath them began to slowly increase in brightness.


    ¡°What the..?¡±


    He suddenly felt his body becoming very warm. Then hot, almost unbearably.


    ¡°What''s going on..!?¡±


    He breathed out. It felt like he was inside a sauna.


    ¡°I feel..dizzy..¡±


    He breathed out and collapsed over the rock.


    ¡°By the goddess!¡±


    The old woman swore.


    ¡°The fragments of the blade!? They were really enough?¡±


    ¡°I need to do something..! Listen young man! Once you wake up, you will find yourself somewhere very strange! Look for the church of Freiya! Then everything will be explained! I''m sorry young man! You were unlucky enough to have good blood! I will pray for you!¡±


    The was the last he heard, before his vision filled with the images of men wielding swords. He felt his mind and body twisted and turn. He felt his blood curl up inside him.


    Then he felt nothing.

 Chapter 54: The last stand

    ¡°When I woke up I found myself in some random forest. After wandering around, I found my way to a city. I have yet to get to this church, but I accomplished my goal of finding you, so I''m satisfied with just that.¡±


    Helgi stretched on the bed after finishing his story.


    ¡°I see..fragments of my dagger..that makes sense..¡±


    Yuri murmured to herself.


    ¡°It does?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I''ve already been to the church of Freiya. It was actually where I first arrived, the entire reason I got sucked into this world was because the dagger teleported back and brought me along with it. So the fragments of it probably had the same effect...since you got some inside your blood, you were also brought along..but where did the mana come from..¡±


    Yuri scratched her head.


    ¡°I believe, and this is only speculation.¡± Hikaru began ¡°But this old woman, said something about Helgi having good blood, yes? It might refer to his blood containing mana. But since it was such a low amount of mana, combined with only a small part of the blade, might be the reason he didn''t just teleport to the dagger or the church.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm that makes sense..¡± Yuri nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°Hey Helgi..¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You still haven''t explained the reasoning behind that challenge where we almost killed each other.¡±


    ¡°Ah..that.¡±


    ¡°Yes that.¡± She glared at him with cat-like eyes.


    ¡°Well..I figured it would be the easiest way to find you.¡± He said simply.


    ¡°Come again..?¡±


    ¡°Since it''s you. You would probably continue your antics wherever you are. So If I started using your signature while taking all the spotlight...you would inevitably show up. And well, since I wasn''t sure it was you, I had to get rid of you somehow. I mean you could have gotten plastic surgery for all I knew so I had to check your ability and see if you knew anything. But it turns out you really were Yuri.¡±


    ¡°So how long have you been stealing things in my name?¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure about time, but I''ve completely ruined several cities now, everyone ended up leaving them due to fear of having their things stolen and bankruptcy.¡±


    He laughed, like he was talking about a funny childhood memory.


    ¡°Hmm, bankrupted several cities huh, not bad, but I''ve completely emptied the treasury of one city, worsened a rebellion in another, and completely turned one city into ashes and splinters!¡±


    She bragged, not wanting to be outdone by her friend.


    ¡°Haaah? You''ve been here for longer than me and that''s all you got? Besides I made mine bankrupt without anyone ever even seeing me, I bet everyone saw exactly who you were, like always¡±


    ¡°Not true! The only people who saw me was the queen of that first city, then everyone in the rebellion in the next..and most everyone who looked up in the last...awawa....but it was all according to plan! To build my reputation!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I''m suuure. What thief lets their face be known like that, besides, wouldn''t it be better to steal from the city instead of destroying it?¡±


    ¡°Well!! It wasn''t my fault!¡±


    ¡°So you didn''t even do it? And you were bragging about it..how hopeless..¡±


    ¡°Hey! I did do it!¡±


    Helgi and Yuri kept arguing like this, but their words held no malice, it was the argument of those close enough to afford getting angry at each other without any ill intentions.


    Listening to them arguing over their accomplishments made Hikaru want to sigh while smiling awkwardly.


    (These two..they''re so alike..equally as...let''s say... amazingly unique...)


    ¡°Well at least I got some cool magic! Unlike your weird crappy paper things, how did you even make those, with markers?¡±


    Yuri snorted at him.


    ¡°To be honest, I still don''t know what this magic business is about..I got the paper spells custom made by a mage in another city. So I wouldn''t know if what your friend said is true, about my blood containing magic.¡±


    Helgi slowly got up from bed.


    ¡°Well, that doesn''t matter right now, we finally met again, so let''s celebrate like old times!¡±


    Yuri exclaimed brightly, their past argument forgotten almost instantly.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Helgi cheered.


    ¡°The city should arrive at its destination at any moment now, maybe we can find some place to enjoy ourselves there?¡±


    Hikaru offered forcefully. Although he was glad Yuri finally got to meet her friend, he still felt uncertain about this man who only a few hours ago tried to kill Yuri.


    As they headed out. Hikaru noticed a guilt-filled look on Helgi''s face while he looked at Yuri.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    He asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh. Nothing..¡±


    Helgi looked away, his thoughts drifting slightly while Yuri blabbered on about her favourite pastries from around here.


    His mind drifted to his unclear memories of what happened just before he arrived in this world


    ¨C


    ¡°-you were unlucky enough to have good blood! I will pray for you!¡±


    He heard the old woman''s voice vanish further and further away until it vanished.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    His vision was dark, yet there was light that twisted in the distance.


    His body heavy and his mind felt like it would break at any moment.


    The lightly slowly twisted more and more, eventually becoming an almost coherent image. Drifting slowly towards him.


    Blinking, Helgi eventually clearly saw what the light was.


    It was a table. A long table. It looked like a fairly simple table. But he could it tell that it was made from materials far from simple.


    At the table sat several people. It was a surreal sight. The table seemed to be a normal size, if a bit long.


    It seemed like it could fit around ten people or so.


    Yet...He could probably count out at least fifty people. Sitting at that table.


    The strangest thing about it, is that it seemed like they all fit perfectly into those ten seats. Despite that not being logically or physically possible.


    Yet the image he saw, he couldn''t say that the table was too full. In fact it might have felt slightly emptier than it could have been.


    The figures at the table did not look upon him. Nor could he gaze upon them. For when he did, he felt his sight gradually disappear. Looking at them, even through the corner of his eyes. Was impossible.


    This table, with the unseeable people. Slowly drifted closer. The only bright thing in the darkness around him. It eventually stopped right in front of him.


    ¡°Ohhh? Hey ---- did your wolves bring in some trash again?¡±


    One of them said, by the voice, Helgi could tell it was an older man. His voice gruff and deep. He could hear what they said, but there was one word he couldn''t hear. A word used to address someone else, presumably a name.


    ¡°Oh shut it ---- if anything it''s probably your doing, these jokes get tiring when they''re too obvious you know¡±


    Another one replied, this one a woman.


    ¡°No...I don''t think this is a joke...¡±


    Another woman replied and he felt her eyes resting on him, the strength in her gaze slowly crushed his body. He could not gaze upon her form, but he saw her gaze. It was the gaze of something that was far beyond the realm of the normal. A gaze so bright white and full of energy that it crushed anyone not strong enough to withstand it.


    Now that he paid attention. They all had the same glowing bright white eyes.


    ¡°What are you talking about, what else could it be other than that?¡±


    ¡°I think. It might actually be..a human.¡±


    Her voice sounded more amused than surprised.


    ¡°How could a human make it here. Don''t spout nonsense ----!¡±


    ¡°This is interesting..hey human. How did you get here?¡±


    She addressed Helgi. But he didn''t have the ability to answer. It took all of his strength to not just simply faint. Talking was beyond him.


    ¡°Talking to a human? Don''t be ridiculous. Are they even capable of speech?¡±


    One said.


    ¡°Did you forget? They learned speech thousands of years ago. Must have been a while since you''ve been there huh?¡±


    Another answered.


    ¡°Well, whenever I go there, someone gets mad at me for accidentaly stepping on their followers!¡±


    ¡°Well if you ate less, perhaps you wouldn''t be so big, would you!¡±


    Some of them laughed.


    ¡°Why you bastard..!¡±¡±


    ¡°Shut up already and calm down!¡±


    The woman spoke again.


    ¡°Hey human, you better say something. Or else I can''t promise that these guys won''t dismantle you for fun. I''m against violence, but the rest sure aren''t¡±


    Helgi felt his attention flicker.


    Being dismantled? As in being killed. He couldn''t afford being killed yet. He still hasn''t found Yuri.


    He can''t die until he has made sure his friend was safe. What kind of friend would he be anyway, if he did that.


    He may not believe in people other than himself. He may be selfish, and all of his interest may lie within monetary greed.


    But he still had morals. His morals. They were simple really. He didn''t have many people he trusted. So those he had. He would make sure to keep safe.


    And Yuri was one of them.


    ¡°I''m...¡±


    He spoke with slurred words.


    ¡°Ohhh, it can speak! That''s impressive!¡±


    One said.


    ¡°I''m...¡±


    His body was shaking. He felt as if he was crushed beneath the depths of the ocean, the pressure pushing against his body from every angle. Pulverising his bones and churning his organs into soup.


    ¡°I''m...!¡±


    With his body feeling like it would burst open. Well beyond the point where even those with the strongest of wills could endure. Well past the point where anyone would start to look at another solution.


    He kept pressing on.


    His hands moved. Ever so slowly.


    The people at the table watched him silently. He moved at a snails pace, but the people at the table seemed to be in no hurry, and just watched patiently.


    Eventually he got his hands beneath him, pushing his body up.


    His legs moved slowly, pulling against the ground that was there but also not.


    He eventually managed to get on all fours.


    And slowly. Very slowly. Began to move his body. Standing up, he felt his body in such immense pain that his nerves almost burned out.


    ¡°I''m...!!!!¡±


    His knees shook, but slapping them, he made them stand still.


    ¡°I''m not going to die...Until..I...Find...Yuri..!¡±


    He muttered under his breath.


    He no longer had the energy to even speak.


    ¡°Yuri..? You say?¡±


    The woman spoke up.


    ¡°Why are you looking for that..person.¡±


    ¡°Yuri...Is..my...best..friend...¡±


    He breathed out, blood running down his chin from his veins starting to burst.


    ¡°Is that so..¡±


    She muttered.


    ¡°Come on --- since you love humans so much, maybe you should help him out. It seems interesting.¡±


    A man spoke lightly.


    ¡°Oh no, I''m not falling for your tricks again ----¡±


    ¡°What tricks. You saw it yourself. He managed to stand up, in here. As a human. He surely seems more interesting than the rest. Can''t you see it. The potential.¡±


    ¡°....Sigh..right. I forgot you only do things that interest you. Hey human? You know moving around so much in here is very impressive. No human has ever done that before. But doing that, also means that your fragile body is already starting to decompose.¡±


    Helgi looked down and saw the giant pool of blood at his feet.


    ¡°But like ---- said. You''re interesting...this Yuri. I can let you meet them. I can even heal you up so you live a long life. I can also add some other small bonuses.¡±


    She smiled.


    ¡°What''s...the catch...¡±


    Like any professional thief. He knew that people never did things because they were interesting. Nor out of the goodness in their hearts. People always managed to try and get as much out of a deal as possible. And he figured these...things. Would probably be similar.


    ¡°The catch..? Hmmm. Well I just need you to do this one tiny thing. In fact if you accept, you will accomplish this task, or I will make sure to take away all the things I gave you, and hide your very soul somewhere it can never find its entrance to whatever afterlife you believe in.¡±


    ¡°Heh...Seeing as I...don''t believe..in an afterlife...sounds...like a good deal..¡±


    ¡°Haha, look at him talk back. Boy, do you even know who we are?¡±


    ¡°Don''t...know...Don''t...care...¡±


    He answered while spitting out some blood.


    ¡°Believe in what you want, the terms are the same.¡±


    The woman answered simply.


    ¡°Then..I also..want..something else..¡±


    Helgi breathed out slowly.


    ¡°My, humans these days are so greedy. But I guess they''ve always been. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Your name..that I can''t hear..I want to know it.¡±


    He requested this, not because he thought he needed to know. But because something about not hearing the name of the one he made a deal with, just simply bothered him.


    ¡°Hearing my true name will change the way you see the world as a human forever. Are you sure you''re okay with that?¡±


    ¡°A deal..needs...a name..exchange..I''m...Helgi..¡±


    ¡°Very well Helgi, the first human to stand in the presence of all living rulers of this realm. I ----- appoint you as my contractor once you speak my name. Then the terms of the contract must be fulfilled to the last letter we spoke of. Or else suffer the consequences.¡±


    Somehow. He felt the unheard name stick to his brain. He knew it. He couldn''t pronounce it. Not even in his head. But he knew it, as clear as the sky is blue and as clear as the the ground the brown.


    ¡°----¡±


    He spoke her name. The world around him instantly changing.


    No it wasn''t the world that changed. It was his view.


    He suddenly found himself understanding concepts he couldn''t before. Even if he couldn''t put them to words. He still felt an understanding of everything.


    ¡°Helgi of the first to stand. I will now send you down to the rest of the mortals.¡±


    He felt his body healed as if it was never damaged.


    ¡°As for the terms of the contracts that you agreed upon...the task I require of you is.......¡±


    The words she spoke made his eyes open wide, his vision filling with the glowing whites of the people around him, before he blinked. Finding himself in a normal forest, unsure if what he just witnessed was dream or reality.

 Chapter 55: Oasis of memorable steam

    ¡°This oasis city is known for its fruits, we should head over to the fruit market¡±


    Hikaru said, as he, Yuri and Helgi walked through the crowd of traders carrying goods from and to the city of Asur.


    ¡°I hope they have fruit jam pastries..¡±


    Yuri gulped while they exited Asur.


    Her appetite for sweets has been reawakened after not paying much attention to her sweet tooth for so long.


    ¡°Yuri, You''ll get fat, you know, then you won''t be able to run from your enemies like you usually do¡±


    Helgi smirked at her.


    ¡°Haaah? Unlike you, I actually run and do physical work, worry about yourself, Mr. social lazy butterfly¡±


    She retorted offhandedly.


    ¡°Hey, at least I know how to talk my way out of things, whenever you say things, it always makes the situation worse¡±


    ¡°Whaaat, that has never happened. Stop lying.¡±


    They slowly walked out over the short strip of desert. The gigantic head of the living city was bent down, drinking deeply from the small lake surrounded by greenery in the middle of the dead sea of sand.


    It migrated to different parts of the desert, because if it stayed in one place. It would likely drain the supply of water. So it had to travel to different sources to give them time to recharge.


    ¡°Oh come on. Surely you remember that one iconic time, right? Right? When you were so trapped and you so desperately relied on me.¡±


    Helgi nudged her slightly.


    ¡°That never happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on.¡±


    Hikaru was silently walking beside them. He was always the mute companion to the talkative Yuri. So seeing someone interacting with her so actively.


    It made him feel as if he should say something as well. Although he was unsure why he cared about getting into their conversation. Something about not being part of it, made him feel uneasy.


    ¡°How did you two become acquainted..?¡±


    Hikaru asked something that sounded like a question a father would ask a teenage couple.


    Although he felt slightly awkward not having anything better to say, he felt satisfied that he managed to at the very least say something.


    ¡°Ohhh, he asked, this is such good timing. Now you can''t deny it, when you relied on me!¡±


    Helgi grinned mischievously.


    ¡°I didn''t rely on you that much..¡±


    She began to pout slightly.


    ¡°Are you kidding me, you were practically helpless until I lent a hand.¡±


    Helgi rubbed his chin and looked at Hikaru.


    ¡°So listen to this, basically, Yuri was doing a heist on this military base in the middle of nowhere. Trying to get a controversial statue that was uncovered there...¡±


    ¨C


    A man clad in full body tight black clothes ran down the stairs of a seemingly endless staircase.


    He was breathing heavily, he had no idea how he could escape his pursuers, his only salvation being the brilliant guiding voice of his nameless companion-


    ¨C


    BAM


    ¡°Ow! Hey I was telling a story!¡±


    Helgi complained after being punched by Yuri.


    ¡°No. Story telling.¡±


    She glared at Helgi, making him sigh in submission.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I won''t tell it. Sorry Hikaru¡±


    He gave an apologetic wink to Hikaru.


    ¡°It''s alright, the past can be..difficult.¡±


    He nodded, interpreting Yuri''s embarrassment as something more serious than it was.


    ¡°By the way Hikaru, How did you and Yuri team up?¡±


    ¡°Well..I was serving as a body guard for an archbishop of Freiya. Who ended up taking Yuri in. Eventually Yuri revealed her agenda of wanting to collect all the relics of each god, and I decided to join her, to aid her in her goal in order to rid the world of these relics.¡±


    Hikaru explained, nodding at Yuri with respect.


    ¡°I see..that certainly does sound like something Yuri would want to do..another grand scheme. Yuri do you ever just try and go for the easier routes¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Helgi smiled knowingly.


    ¡°The easy routes are boring and empty of fame¡±


    She walked slowly, while observing the interaction of the two men, curious over how they would engage in conversation.


    ¡°Anyway Hikaru, you said you were a guard? What did you do before that? Did you train as a swordsman in order to become a guard or..?¡±


    Helgi observed the sword hanging at Hikaru''s side.


    ¡°No, I learned the way of the sword because I admired the brilliance of human ingenuity, and brilliant techniques to overcome the weaknesses of the human body. After that I joined a wandering order of knights to explore the world, while also making it a better place for humans.¡±


    Hikaru explained while walking alongside Helgi, the oasis city slowly beginning to surround them.


    ¡°You''re so funny Hikaru, you speak of humans as if you weren''t one yourself¡± Helgi chuckled light heartedly, but his eyes carried a suspicious glint.


    ¡°Ah..right, It''s because I really admire the people around me, that sometimes they seem more human than me, in their ingenuity and brilliance.¡±


    Hikaru made a convenient sounding excuse.


    ¡°Well of course, there are so many amazing people after all, me being one of them!¡± Helgi grinned ¡°But a wandering order of knights huh..that sounds just like a movie.¡±


    ¡°I know right, you should also see Hikaru fighting, it''s like a martial arts movie, you can''t even see his limbs moving!¡±


    Yuri chimed in, bragging slightly about Hikaru.


    ¡°I see..you must be amazing Hikaru, I can see why Yuri would choose to travel with you¡±


    Helgi smiled with squinted eyes.


    ¡°...What is a moo-vie..¡± Hikaru muttered to himself ¡°Ah it''s nothing much, I was watching your duel with Yuri, your movements were very impressive as well. You used moves I was not familiar with¡±


    Hikaru praised him.


    ¡°The moves I used were common martial arts from my world. But most importantly, you watched without helping Yuri despite the grave condition she was in..?¡±


    Helgi''s eyes glinted red.


    ¡°Helgi stop. I told him not to interfere with our fight. Besides, you were the one who inflicted those supposedly grave injuries on me..!¡±


    Yuri scolded Helgi, making him drop his head sadly.


    ¡°Come on Yuri, don''t be so harsh on him..he was trying so hard to find you, going so far means he was desperate to find anything about you¡±


    Hikaru took Helgi''s side, mostly out of sympathy as a fellow man who was often at the receiving end of Yuri.


    ¡°Hikaru..! You''re a good guy after all..!¡±


    Helgi looked up at him with teary eyes.


    ¡°After all..? You didn''t think I was before..?¡±


    All Hikaru could do was give Helgi an awkward smile, while Helgi looked at him with teary eyes and grasping his hands.


    ¡°No, but you stood up against Yuri bullying me, no one has ever done that for me before! You must be the one!¡±


    Helgi squeezed his hands and moved closer to Hikaru.


    Hikaru stayed still while looking into Helgi''s eyes, trying to determine what he was actually talking about.


    Helgi''s enthusiastic joker mood, and Hikaru''s confused serious looking face made for an interesting scene.


    Their more than above average looks and their current position made most of the women passing by them, cover their eyes and whisper among themselves.


    ¡°...What are you guys doing!¡±


    Yuri jumped up and smacked both of their heads, to which she received a guilty grin from Helgi and a confused tilted head from Hikaru.


    ¡°Alright, first things first, All that fighting and exploding has left me really sore and dirty. I could use a nice hot bath.¡±


    Yuri declared while heading onwards, with Helgi and Hikaru following her while rubbing the backs of their head where she hit them.


    They were pointed to a bath house that had baths from the hot water coming from the oasis lake.


    The bath house was an incredibly large building that was probably one of the largest buildings in the area.


    Having paid for their bath, the three headed inside.


    ¡°Miss, The women''s bath is to the left.¡±


    One of the workers there told her.


    ¡°I''m not a woman. I''m a guy ..!¡±


    Yuri complained.


    ¡°Yuri, I believe it would be dangerous to take a bath amongst men, no matter who you really are. You are currently a young beautiful girl. It would be..unwise to enter the men''s bath.¡±


    Hikaru commented with genuine worry.


    Yuri blushed slightly.


    ¡°I''m not a girl..or...¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Why should I go to the women''s bath, what if I lose control too huh, I''m a guy inside too!¡±


    She complained again.


    ¡°Wait, why can''t you just go in, no matter what you look like, as long as you show them the right parts, everything will be fine, no?¡±


    Helgi looked at her with confusion.


    ¡°Ah...the right parts..ahaha...¡±


    ¡°Don''t tell me...¡±


    Helgi slowly realised.


    Looking down Yuri tugged on her dress uncomfortably.


    ¡°Yeah..Lil Yuri Is gone..¡±


    Helgi clapped his hands together in prayer.


    ¡°Rest in peace...¡±


    ¡°Hey! He''s not gone for good! I will find some way to get him back! Eventually...after I finish my goal.¡±


    She protested.


    ¡°Yuri, please enter the women''s bath, it would make me feel less worried¡±


    Hikaru said with slightly worried eyes.


    ¡°I mean..but...I want to bathe with you guys...¡±


    She muttered unhappily.


    ¡°Yuri, do you really wish to be naked in front of us and other strangers? I always figured you were fairly modest..?¡±


    Hikaru asked curiously, remembering her usually unwillingness to change in the same room as him.


    ¡°Wait..naked..?¡±


    She blinked.


    ¡°Yes..? You can''t wash yourself if you aren''t naked..?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. While Helgi watched with an amused smile.


    ¡°I thought everyone wore swimming suits..?¡±


    ¡°Why would one wear a suit for swimming..?¡±


    Hikaru asked with confusion.


    ¡°Ahaha...is that so..¡±


    ¡°As much as I know you want to see our amazing well built bodies, I think seeing us without trunks would be too much. I mean you wouldn''t even change in the same room as me before..¡±


    Helgi smiled awkwardly.


    A sudden thought entered her mind. She hadn''t thought of this. Even if they wore swimming suits. She would have to be in the same bath as a half naked Hikaru.


    The strange feelings she felt when she had seen him bare chested flew through her mind for a moment.


    And she made up her mind.


    Slightly blushing, she nodded slowly.


    ¡°Ah...Y-yeah. Best if I just...go to the women''s bath.¡±


    She agreed obediently while avoiding looking at Hikaru.


    ¡°You''re lucky, you get to see every man''s dream, I''m jealous!¡±


    Helgi shouted while she walked into the other dressing room.


    Helgi glanced at Hikaru from the side of his view. Observing the calm oblivious man, who was watching Yuri''s back disappear with a slight concern.


    (Could it be...?)


    Helgi shook his head and headed into the men''s dressing room with Hikaru.

 Chapter 56: A guardian angel resides in the closet

    The sound of dripping filled the silent bathhouse.


    It was almost completely empty, since most people were busy at the market due to the arrival of Asur.


    Two men were sitting in the corner of a wide hot spring.


    Hikaru was sitting cross legged in the hot water, his nose barely above water level, while he seemed to practice something akin to meditation.


    Meanwhile, Helgi was leaned up against the side, his arms behind his head while he was thinking. Water slowly dripping from his tied up blonde hair.


    (This guy is way too suspicious, I''ve only been with them for less than a day. Yet I can already see that Yuri is acting..peculiar.. Around him. Comfortable, yet very awkward at times..he must have noticed as well. So why is he pretending to be oblivious..what is this man''s intentions..)


    Helgi''s eyes shifted to the meditating man whose eyes were closed in concentration.


    (Actually, I wonder if that''s why Yuri never showed any interest in women before..that would explain so many things..)


    His thoughts wandered, the warm water making him relax.


    The bathhouse was divided into two sections by a thin stone wall, separating the men''s and women''s baths.


    The current quiet in the bathhouse, made any noises even more audible than usual.


    Through the quiet, a young girls voice cut through any semblance of calm.


    ¡°Hey! Don''t call me cute! I''m a guy!¡±


    The girl exclaimed loudly.


    ¡°Wha! Where are you touching! No it''s not fine even if we are both women! I mean I''m not a woman, damnit!¡±


    ¡°They aren''t small! They''re better than carrying useless fat that slows you down! Hmph. Not that I care of course.¡±


    ¡°Huh? My skin? I don''t use anything, why? Hey stop touching meeee!¡±


    The complaints continued loudly, being the only audible voice out of the rest.


    (...Yuri...You''re too loud...)


    Both men thought simultaneously while giving a wry smile.


    Helgi began to chuckle while Yuri''s tortured voice continued its complaints.


    Small bubbles formed where Hikaru was holding half of his face beneath water.


    He sat up and began to wholeheartedly laugh with Helgi.


    ¡°Even if he..or I guess now it''s she..looks different. Yuri is still Yuri.¡±


    Helgi smiled slightly.


    ¡°Hmm..has Yuri always been this..unique?¡±


    Hikaru chuckled while asking.


    ¡°Well..I wouldn''t know about always..¡± Helgi slowly fiddled with a long strand of his hair.


    ¡°But since the first time I met Yuri, I would say so..actually. This is the perfect opportunity, I can tell you the story of how we met, and you can decide for yourself¡±


    Helgi offered.


    ¡°Do tell, I am quite interested in the character of the original Yuri.¡±


    (Has she always drawn peoples eyes to her? No matter what she does, the way she does it..It''s different from any of the humans I have observed during my years..what could the reason be..the reason my eyes are always drawn to her..)


    Hikaru thought to himself, his eyes looking at his own reflection in the water.


    Helgi watched him silently, his eyes squinting slightly, before he continued.


    ¡°Alright, but in exchange, I want you to tell me more about this goal of yours. The relics, you called them?¡±


    Hikaru nodded and Helgi began his story.


    ¡°Like I said before, it started when Yuri was in a military base, attempting to recover a statue that was uncovered there. As for why Yuri cared about a statue enough to break into one of the most well guarded facilities in the world. Well, I''ll get to that..¡±


    ¨C


    The darkness was the best cover he had.


    No..it was the only cover he had, so he had to make sure to make the best use out of it.


    A man dressed in black from head to toe. Even his face was covered with a black mask. Every piece of clothing clinging tightly to his body, and not leaving much to the imagination.


    A wire fence was blocking his path.


    Beyond it, the darkness of the moonless night was illuminated by the powerful lights shooting out from light projectors. Giving a glimpse of the mass of patrolling guards as they cut through the darkness.


    He had to get past them, somehow, without being detected by any of the guards that so densely populated the area that there wasn''t even a ten meter distance between each guard.


    ¡°If I couldn''t manage this much, I would be a disgrace to the name Yuri..¡±


    A filled black bag lay by his feet.


    Taking out some pliers from it, he began to soundlessly clip a hole in the wires, large enough for him to fit through.


    Finally finished, he hid the bag. He couldn''t take it with him, no matter how useful the items inside were. He needed all the mobility he could get.


    Climbing through the fence, he looked at his destination.


    A door leading inside the facility. The only entrance.


    If he was detected, even if he got to the door, it would get locked.


    The only way he could get through to there without being detected..was to take a very large risk.


    ¡°An opening...an opening...chance..!¡±


    He slowly walked out from his hiding place.


    Entering the absence of light, he just...casually walked.


    Making sure not to bump into or walk too close to any of the guards.


    Yuri just, walked casually, with as much confidence as he could muster.


    He made sure to slow down and speed up his walking accordingly, so none of the passing light beams shone on him, doing this while still making sure it seemed natural in his walking.


    In the pitch black darkness, he was indistinguishable from the rest of the guards when they walked in the dark.


    It was the perfect cover, the only thing anyone could make out, was the general shape of a person. Since the figure was walking confidently and no one else was reacting to it, it was assumed that it was simply another guard.


    It was the perfect cover. As long as no light touched him.


    (Just a bit further..and I''m there..)


    Just when he was about to reach it..


    A random voice called out to him.


    ¡°Hey, we''re going on break, wanna come by to the cafeteria?¡±


    One of the guards spoke up, clearly addressing him.


    Yuri continued walking, pretending not to have heard anything, hoping he wasn''t looking too closely.


    ¡°Come on, Jerry. You never hang with me any more¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The guard spoke again.


    ¡°Uh, I''m not Jerry, haven''t seen him¡±


    Yuri spoke back, but despite his confident walking and way of holding his body. His voice was slightly shaky, betraying his nervousness.


    ¡°Hey, you don''t sound familiar, are you new?¡±


    ¡°Uh..Yeah, I''m new, just started working here.¡±


    Yuri went along with his assumption, hoping he would just go away.


    ¡°That''s strange...we aren''t scheduled to have any new employees for at least another month...¡±


    The guard made a suspicious thinking noise.


    (Shit, he''s onto me. I need to run for it....!)


    Yuri prepared himself to bolt away, and blend into the darkness and mass of guards.


    ¡°Well, whatever, command make mistakes all the time¡±


    The guard shrugged light heartedly.


    Yuri almost fell over in relief.


    ¡°Well, I''ll just be continuing then...¡±


    Yuri excused himself and began to quickly walk away.


    ¡°Hey, wait, since you''re new, want me to show you around!¡±


    The guard called out behind him and turned on a small flash light, shining it right onto Yuri.


    ¡°I can show you how to cheat the vending mach-¡±


    The guard stopped and looked at the person in front of him. A man dressed from top to bottom in black. Wearing a mask. It was the image of suspicion itself.


    ¡°SHIT.¡±


    Yuri began running toward the entrance to the facility.


    It took the guard a few moments to get over the strange sight of the tights wearing man. It wasn''t the fact that he was clearly suspicious that shocked him, but rather just how tight that suit was. It almost made him wish he hadn''t found this infiltrator.


    ¡°We have an intruder! All personnel to the entrance, lock all exits and entry points!¡±


    But the unwillingness to work was gone after a deep breath. All of the guards were alerted to the presence of the intruder. He didn''t even have to use his radio, his loud voice reached everyone.


    ¡°Crap, crap, crap!¡±


    Yuri increased his running speed. The lights were now shining straight at him, illuminating him amidst the darkness.


    The guards began running toward him carrying stun batons. He was lucky they weren''t allowed lethal weapons unless it is a case of heavy emergency.


    With this, as long as he avoids the guards reach, he should be fine.


    ¡°Easier said than done!!!¡±


    Just barely dodging a sparking baton swung at him, Yuri rolled forward.


    He saw someone behind the barred window, the clerk operating the door. He couldn''t reach him, the glass of the window was bullet proof, not to mention that it had heavy metal bars surrounding it.


    The guard behind the window was just about to press a button and lock the door, rendering Yuri''s entry and escape unviable.


    ¡°Shit..! I need to reach...! Before he locks..! Run...run...run fasterrrr!!!¡±


    Yuri yelled at his own legs.


    It apparently worked, since he increased his speed. Scaring your own body parts by yelling at them proved to be an effective strategy.


    He reached the door. He was sure he was too late, even with his magnificent Olympic time running. An average person could press a button faster than the top athlete could sprint a hundred meters.


    But, somehow. The door was still not locked.


    Not taking any chances, he entered the building and locked it from the inside. Blessing his reliable luck and not sparing any time to consider the reason behind it.


    He kept running deeper inside the building. Alarms were going off all around him. Sirens yelling into his ears and angry sergeants yelling at guards and soldiers to find this single person who got so easily past them.


    ¡°It should be.. Deep underground!¡±


    He was beginning to tire, but slowing down meant capture, he didn''t have a moment to rest or catch his breath. They knew exactly where he was, the cameras following him along each hallway told him at least that much.


    The only way down was by taking an elevator.


    ¡°Crap...I was planning on doing this undetected. Since they know I''m here, they can trap me in the elevator..¡±


    He stopped right in front of the elevator.


    He could clearly hear footsteps approaching from around every corner, and from the sound of clanking metal, he could tell that they took a trip to the armoury, in order to get something easier to hit him with, or to shoot him with.


    ¡°...I have no choice!¡±


    He entered the elevator and closed the door, pressing the lowest button.


    The door closed and the elevator began to slowly travel down.


    One of the guards reported this and received confirmation that the elevator would be taken care of.


    The elevator heading down stopped and slowly began to head back up.


    The soldiers crouched down and assumed their targeting position, all of their weapons aimed at the entrance to the elevator.


    The elevator arrived with a light Ding.


    The doors opened, and they prepared to shoot.


    But inside the elevator...was completely empty.


    Loud arguing commenced over the radio. They deduced through their argumentation over who saw what and who was wrong, that the intruder must have climbed out of the elevator, entering the shaft which the elevator travelled through.


    Seeing as how the intruder couldn''t have climbed down with the elevator blocking the only way down, it must mean, the intruder has either climbed up, or climbed through any number of air vents leading from the shaft and to various parts of the building.


    These air vents were heavily secured from the outside, nothing short of a rocket could blow open the metal grid which let the air out of these vents.


    But it was a completely other story for the metal grids inside the building. They were simply normal ones, since an invasion can''t possible happen from the inside, because the moment the enemy is inside. It is considered a lost battle.


    ¡°The intruder is still in the building, spread out and cover each and every opening in the vents! Go Go GO!¡±


    A sergeant commanded the rest as everyone ran to different directions.


    What was left was the empty elevator, with it''s doors still open.


    BAM!


    Something smashed into the ground inside the elevator. No it wasn''t a something, but a someone.


    Yuri had landed with his face down into the floor, where he lay motionlessly for a moment, before springing back up.


    ¡°Phew..thank my luck they didn''t bother looking up inside the elevator.¡±


    Yuri didn''t have any tools with him, his current skin tight clothes didn''t allow him to bring much other than himself.


    So he hadn''t been able to find any way to exit the elevator.


    He had decided to risk it all on a move that a child would use. A move he actually used as a child when playing hide and seek.


    Hiding right behind the seeker, so when they stop counting and begin looking, they won''t see you. As long as they didn''t suddenly look behind them of course.


    This was the same, except instead of behind it was above.


    Stretching his arms slightly, he pressed the same button again, making the elevator head down.


    ¡°Phew...any longer and I''m sure my arms would have given out..¡±


    The elevator arrived with a ding.


    The place he was in was a lab. A lab specialising in researching new materials to be used for various things, such as armours and ammunition.


    And in one of the labs, was exactly what he came for.


    A blue statue, shaped like a fat cat.


    It was a statue uncovered in some far off no name city.


    It was discovered that it was one of the oldest human creations found. The most amazing part about it, and which was why it was so important to this military base...


    Was that it was made from a material unlike anything humanity has produced so far.


    Material as light as clay, but stronger than the toughest steel.


    ¡°I''m sure I will get a great deal of recognition if I add you to my collection~¡±


    Yuri spoke with a singing voice and glittering eyes. He seemed more like a boy looking at a new stamp for his stamp collection than any sort of master thief.


    Grabbing the statue, he headed for the elevator before they could find out he wasn''t in the building.


    ¡°Why should we be sent down, if anything shouldn''t we be upstairs helping to catch the intruder?¡±


    A voice came from the direction of the elevator.


    (Here Already!?)


    Yuri ran around a corner, clutching the statue tightly.


    ¡°Well, we locked all the entrances now, so he can''t get out, which means. The only thing is for the intruder to continue toward his goal. Which means he will end up here sooner or later..and we will be here waiting for him.¡±


    Another voice spoke up.


    (Okay..two voices..if it''s two I can probably take care of them..or at least run past them somehow.)


    Yuri thought optimistically while nodding to himself.


    ¡°Yeah we will be ready for him. After all, not even a super soldier can take care of thirty normal soldiers on his own.¡±


    (THIRTY!?)


    Yuri inhaled slowly.


    (What the hell, did they bring all of their soldiers here!?!)


    But he really didn''t have time to complain at their strange decisions.


    He needed to hide, at any moment, thirty soldiers would spill into the labs, and make it a game over for him.


    He ran down the corridor. All of the labs were open and filled with big see through windows.


    In other words, horrible places to hide.


    He heard the soldiers growing closer, despite his running.


    Then he saw it, as if lit up by heavenly light. He found his salvation, which would shield him from harm and unwanted eyes.


    Yes he found the perfect place, a janitors closet.


    Swiftly climbing in, he squeezed himself in among the cleaning equipment and locked the door, clutching the blue statue tightly against his chest.


    ¡°Oh crap..this was so lucky...¡±


    Whispering to himself, he listened to all the soldiers passing by.


    ¡°So how long are we going to be in the lab?¡±


    ¡°Hm, well we''re going on patrols here until we find the intruder I guess, if he''s hiding somewhere, we will make sure to starve him out, haha!¡±


    The guards joked.


    But Yuri didn''t find it funny.


    ¡°Crap...what do I do..what do I do. I can''t escape..and I can''t run faster than a bullet...damnit..¡±


    Whispering, Yuri cursed himself for not bringing any tools and valuing mobility and the ability to stay hidden.


    It must have been an entire hour, of just sitting in the janitor closet, listening to the guards walk by almost every minute.


    At this rate, he figured he would really be starved out. He hadn''t eaten lunch and he was already hungry.


    So he had to do something, he couldn''t sit here forever..but running out and taking that risk would guarantee filling his back with a plethora of bullets.


    He sighed and rested his forehead against the cold statue in his hands. His mind was heavy. He was truly stuck..


    Then he heard a very faint crackling.


    It was the crackling of a radio. But a very weak and quiet radio.


    Looking around, he found a small hand held radio. It was extremely old. Most likely used by the janitor to contact the guards, but it has been long since it was in use, forgotten in this dusty closet.


    But it seemed that it was still alive, it''s batteries still had some juice left In them.


    Holding the radio, Yuri looked at it, wondering how to turn it off to avoid being detected.


    Before he could find the off switch however. A voice came from the crackly radio.


    ¡°Hey You.¡±


    The voice called out.


    ¡°Idiot.¡±


    Yuri tilted his head and pointed at himself. Did the radio just call him an idiot?


    ¡°Yes you in the closet.¡±


    The voice continued.


    ¡°Comfortable in there?¡±

 Chapter 57: The splintered bond and the ice cold blonde.

    ¡°And that''s how I first met Yuri. I ended up helping with the escaping. I gave them a false alarm and took Yuri out while disguised as a janitor¡±


    Helgi looked up just in time to see a wet towel fly off from the women''s side of the bath.


    ¡°Noooo! My towel, stop touching meee!¡±


    A young familiar girl shrieked loudly from the other side of the bath.


    Both Helgi and Hikaru have at this point started to ignore the random yelps and cries for help from the girl while the other women played with her like a fun toy.


    ¡°What were you doing in that certain facility..?¡± Hikaru asked.


    ¡°I was there for the statue too. That sort of material would be worth a fortune. I ended up helping Yuri since my plan was ruined because of Yuri''s sudden appearance, which heightened security, so I helped Yuri out, for my own amusement.¡±


    ¡°That is both unfortunate and fortunate. Unfortunate that your plan failed, but fortunate since Yuri managed to get help from you.¡±


    Hikaru nodded, he could only conclude that fate has always been on Yuri''s side. Or perhaps it would be good to call it luck?


    ¡°You know the funny part? Yuri has to this day, never realised that it was me who made sure the door stayed open, and gave the soldiers the hint to make them move away from the elevator. Yuri has been so clueless from the start..kind of made me want to be Yuri''s friend, since he was such an airheaded trouble magnet..made me just want to help, you know?¡±


    Helgi scratched his cheek, as if unsure of how to explain himself.


    Hikaru nodded.


    ¡°I understand completely. So Yuri has been like that even since she was a man in a different world..that is a relief..¡±


    ¡°A relief..? Why?¡±


    Helgi asked curiously.


    ¡°Well..I have always been..bothered..by the possibility of Yuri having been changed since her acquiring her new body.¡±


    Holding his hand over the water and letting the drops create small ripples on the surface of the water, Hikaru looked away slightly.


    ¡°Since that would mean, this world was to blame for killing a part of Yuri...I don''t think I would be able to forgive that.¡±


    ¡°You...¡± Helgi looked at him with slightly wide eyes.


    ¡°You...are you for real?¡±


    Laughing loudly, it took a while for Helgi to stop.


    ¡°What is so amusing..?¡±


    Hikaru was unsure if he had said anything like a joke.


    ¡°No. Nothing..Just what you said, I didn''t think guys like that actually existed¡±


    ¡°What do you mean..?¡±


    Hikaru was still confused.


    ¡°Oh, nothing nothing~¡±


    (This guy...seriously...is he a protagonist from some story? Who says stuff like that..he seems completely honest too..either that or..he is incredibly good at lying..)


    ¡°Oh yeah, now it''s your turn. Your goal¡±


    ¡°Indeed. My goal..¡± Hikaru began.


    ¡°I seek the godly relics.¡± He declared with conviction.


    ¡°I assume your question is for why I do so. My reasoning is, if all the relics are removed from the peoples possession. Then true peace might bless this world. If no gods dictate the way their followers should be, there will surely come to be a unification of humanity.¡±


    ¡°Is that so..a very ambiguous dream. And so you teamed up with Yuri, because I assume her goal was to get the most priceless objects in this world.¡±


    Helgi nodded in understanding.


    ¡°But tell me..¡± His tone changed slightly.


    ¡°How would you have gone about this, if you didn''t have assistance from Yuri?¡±


    Helgi brushed his wet hair back while asking.


    ¡°I..had not thought of that before my meeting with Yuri. I didn''t have much experience in theft or the like.¡±


    Admitting this, Hikaru realised how foolish he was for not planning ahead of time. Despite the significant time advantage he had over Yuri, he ended up relying on her completely.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn''t call what Yuri does as theft..more like plundering. Since it always ends with a big commotion.¡± Chuckling, Helgi looked directly into Hikaru''s eyes. His gaze more serious than ever before.


    ¡°My question is, why would you care about any sort of unification of the people. You said you were a knight. Wouldn''t it be better to to let the world burn, and be recruited by whoever pays the most? Why would you care about the fate of anyone, when you are just a sword for hire.¡±


    Hikaru met Helgi''s gaze with eyes devoid of any uncertainty, devoid of any hesitation or questionable thoughts. All they contained was just pure, simple, truth.


    ¡°A knight fights not for profit, but for the protection of others. I chose to become a knight in order to protect this world''s purity, in order to protect it and keep it in the control of those living in it. I will not tolerate the likes of the arrogant gods who believe themselves to be the owners of everything. That is something that I will free this world of.¡±


    Saying this, the water around Hikaru rippled despite him standing completely still. Even his eyes were motionless while they clashed against the disbelieving questionable gaze of Helgi.


    ¡°Is that so.¡±


    Was all Helgi said, slowly closing his eyes and washing his face in the warm water.


    ¡°I will be honest, I don''t like you.¡±


    He said simply, his tone not carrying any ill will or hateful intonation.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°May I ask why...?¡±


    Hikaru was confused over this statement, since up till now, Helgi had seemed fairly pleasant to him.


    ¡°Because you''re too naive. Your goals are childish.¡±


    Standing up, water dripped along Helgi''s lean muscled body, flowing along his contours.


    ¡°Is that really it..?¡±


    He was somewhat disbelieving toward such a simple reason for disliking someone, so Hikaru asked, to make sure.


    ¡°No. Your goals are your own. But this all changes when you get close to Yuri.¡±


    Untying his wet hair, he let it flow down onto his shoulders, the golden blonde shining like spikes of gold due to the wetness.


    ¡°Yuri is na?ve, and has always been childish. She doesn''t need more of the same. She needs someone to make up for what she lacks. Someone who can see past peoples eyes and into their hearts. Who can make the truly unwatchable decisions that Yuri can''t do.¡±


    His eyes are cold, despite the hot water and steam, they sent a chill through the bath.


    ¡°You lack that. If Yuri continues to be with you. I fear something unfortunate will happen. No. I know it will. You are unfitting for Yuri.¡±


    Hikaru slowly stood up and met his gaze.


    ¡°Myself and Yuri have managed fine so far. We have even done good progress on our goal. You have no basis in your claims. Besides. You do not decide who is fitting for Yuri or not. That is for her to decide, and so far, it has been me.¡±


    Retorting, Hikaru''s usually relaxed but attentive demeanour turned stiff and on edge. The water around him seemed to let out more steam than the rest of the bath.


    ¡°So far, yes. But not for long. Since I am now by Yuri''s side, I will make sure I am the only one. You are unnecessary. You are a stranger. I have known Yuri since long before you, our friendship runs deep.¡±


    Helgi sneered slightly. All the friendliness from before was completely gone like it was never there. No it was gone similar to him taking off a mask. The Helgi right now, was the real Helgi. Whose emotions ran colder than ice once something important enough came to his attention.


    And currently, it was one of the most important something''s.


    ¡°You may have the advantage of time. But I have also experienced many things with Yuri. And we have deepened our bond sufficiently. That is not the issue. You are acting arrogantly and unbecoming, speaking as if you were Yuri''s guardian. I will not betray Yuri''s trust. And will stay by her side until we accomplish our goal.¡±


    Declaring it so, Hikaru took a step toward Helgi through the water.


    ¡°Deepened your bond? Are you serious? It''s you who is acting arrogant and unbecoming. Can you actually even call what you and Yuri have as friendship? Or any sort of bond? Then tell me. What is Yuri''s favourite dish. What does Yuri do when she is lonely. What are her deepest fears? How many members are there in her family? ¡­....Do you even know Yuri''s last name?¡±


    Helgi took several steps toward Hikaru, the water flowing perfectly around his legs. No ripples formed where he moved, the water avoiding his body in fear.


    ¡°I...¡±


    Bombarded with these questions. Hikaru tried to remember the answers to them.


    ¡°....It''s..¡±


    No matter how hard he tried to remember. He could not. It wasn''t due to his memory. It was because that information was never in his memory to begin with. He had simply never bothered to ask.


    He slowly realised.


    He barely knew anything about Yuri. He couldn''t answer a single one of those questions.


    The weight of Helgi''s statement slowly sunk in into his mind and heart.


    He had all this time with Yuri. Why had he never bothered to ask?


    Seeing Hikaru freeze in place, Helgi slowly shook his head in disgust.


    ¡°You''re pathetic. And you wanted to be by Yuri''s side...you don''t even know who Yuri is, how can you stand by the side of a stranger.¡±


    Helgi slowly walked out of the bath, Hikaru still standing in the water, unmoving, the shadow cast upon him hiding his facial expression.


    ¡°You..you have no reason to be with Yuri any more. I will assist her and find all the relics like she wants. So you don''t have to look for them any longer. Since they will be collected by me and Yuri.¡±


    With this said, Helgi walked out of the bath and into the dressing room.


    ¡°...and I thought he was planning something..what a fool..I must have imagined there being something between him and Yuri. So stupid.¡±


    Muttering to himself, Helgi dressed himself and exited.


    Hikaru kept standing in the bath, all alone. He continued to stand there, asking himself questions in his heart, asking himself of his bond with Yuri.


    (...is he right...did I imagine us having any kind of bond...can I even consider Yuri my friend..I..I don''t know..)


    ¨C


    ¡°Uuuuuu...that was horrible..¡±


    Yuri groaned sadly, walking out of the dressing room.


    Her hair was neatly done and brushed, with two braids added on the front sides of her hair.


    Her dress wasn''t her usual white, but a pink tinted dress that she was given.


    Even her shoes were replaced with a slightly heeled variant of her basic shoes.


    ¡°Ughh...damn those older women...acting like I''m their toy...actually...if I was in my old body, I would probably be older than them..and they treated me like a kid...unforgivable..!¡±


    Shaking her fist in rage, her face reddened slightly when she remembered all the embarrassing things the women did to her.


    ¡°Hah...I was so embarrassed that I didn''t even pay attention to the most important part...I barely even got to look at their bodies..¡±


    Sighing, she looked down at her own body curiously.


    ¡°Somehow..when I looked at their bodies..although it did excite me slightly..I just mostly felt jealous..?¡±


    Making a thinking sound, she thought back to a comment one of the women said when they saw how Yuri was staring at their uncovered bodies.


    ¡°It''s okay, you will also look like us when you grow up, so don''t feel sad!¡± She said.


    ¡°I wonder why that made me kind of happy...no, no, I must have felt happy that I saw their bodies, that must be it!¡±


    Nodding at her own logical conclusion, she headed to the waiting area.


    Her presence was noticed by Helgi, who stood up from his seat and walked up to her.


    ¡°Ohhh, Yuri you''re looking really beautiful today, more pretty than a flower in full bloom¡±


    Helgi said with more emotion than what was necessary.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Yuri threw a punch into his stomach which almost made him bend over in pain.


    ¡°Wasn''t by choice, those other women forced me.¡±


    Grunting in annoyance, she looked over at the already completely dry Helgi.


    ¡°Have you been waiting for long...?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I just came out a minute before you.¡±


    He had in fact been sitting there for nearly an hour, but he played it off as nothing. He didn''t want to tell Yuri the reason for his early leave of the bath.


    ¡°Hm..? Alright, where''s Hikaru? He didn''t leave with you?¡±


    Yuri asked curiously, looking around for him.


    ¡°Ah, Hm, no, no he didn''t. He told me he was going to take his time and that we should go ahead.¡±


    Lying as if it was the most natural thing for him, which it perhaps was, Helgi gave Yuri a slightly awkward smile and a shrug, as if to say that there was nothing he could do about it.


    ¡°Hm..? That''s weird...he usually always comes out from nowhere when I look for him. Maybe he is being slightly laid back since you''re here..? But that''s so unlike him..¡±


    Muttering slightly, Yuri wondered if she should go call on Hikaru to hurry up.


    Noticing her glance towards the men''s bath, Helgi quickly moved in front of her.


    ¡°Now now, we should probably let him relax for once, he can always catch up when he''s done, so let''s go browse the markets, it will also be a chance for us to catch up.¡±


    Helgi made an excessive movement of lightly hitting his own palm in realisation.


    ¡°Hikaru must have said that so we could have a chance to hang out alone, that''s pretty decent of him. It''s a win win, he gets to relax and we get to hang out.¡±


    ¡°Mm..well alright..I just felt that something was wrong for a second..It''s probably just from the heat of the bath, and the unstoppable chatter of those women..¡±


    She shuddered remembering her bad experience.


    ¡°Yeah let''s just go, in case those women come back..Hikaru can find me later, he always does¡±


    Nodding, Yuri and Helgi walked out of the bath house building and headed toward the busy market.


    Hikaru was left alone in the baths with his disarrayed thoughts and confused heart.


    (Surely this is good news...Helgi can take care of Yuri now..I''m not needed any more..and with Yuri''s skill, she should be able to get all the relics with Helgi''s help...like he said..I realise it now..I never tried to get close to Yuri..it was purely a professional relationship. I took care of her because she was my partner..that''s all there is to it.)


    He could not organise his thoughts, all his actions before were always clear in meaning and purpose. But this was different, this was difficult.


    (That is how it is..surely..then why..why am I unwilling to do so..to part with Yuri, despite all evidence pointing for it to be the best and safest coarse of action. If I leave Yuri, I can focus on taking care of my sister properly. Which would give Yuri and Helgi the independent ability to collect the relics with ease. That should be the best course of action..indeed..it must be the best coarse of action..it must..be..)

 Chapter 58: The return of the snowflake of the burn

    ¡°Hey Helgi, try out these jam pastries, they''re delicious!¡±


    Yuri called out to her friend who was walking slightly behind her.


    ¡°Yuri, did you forget, I''m not a fan of sweet things¡±


    ¡°...Unless it''s you¡± He added casually.


    ¡°Oh shut up.¡± He received a punch to his stomach with her hand which still held the jam pastry, splattering red jam all over his stomach as if her punch had punched a hole through him.


    ¡°Go try that sweet talk on real women, if you''re so up for it, I''m sure they would just swoon, before also punching you in the face¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Unless I remember correctly, it was me who always got the attention of the ladies at the poker table, and billiard table, and the festivals..and the-¡±


    Yuri interrupted him, knowing he would only go on for ages unless stopped.


    ¡°Yes yes, only because I never had much interest in that kind of stuff, if I wanted to I would have been more popular than you, easily.¡±


    Her words carried a slight jealousy, which Helgi was all too aware of.


    ¡°Oh, I''m sure, then want to have a contest now? Who can first get a lady to like them?¡±


    ¡°What? You can''t be serious, you think that''s going to be easy with how I look right now?¡±


    She wanted to sigh at him.


    ¡°Oh? Are you giving up already? I thought you said you could be way more popular than me if you just wanted to? Surely for the great you, the small handicap of gender shouldn''t matter if you''re as great as you say you are, hm?¡±


    He teased her relentlessly, pushing all the right buttons.


    ¡°Grrr, fine! You''re on! I will get a lady way better than yours, and you will see! You will see!! Meet me here at sunset!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Yuri, don''t be late, looking forward to seeing your date~¡±


    Stomping off determinedly, Yuri was off with her nose in the air.


    ¡°Alright..now let''s see..I need to find someone that can make Yuri jealous..but not too jealous..¡±


    Looking over the crowd around him, Helgi scanned through the women around him, looking for someone who might fit his expectations of someone willing to help him.


    He had enough experience with women that he could tell such characteristics merely from seeing a woman''s face.


    This was the reason why he had grown so tired of them, for most of the women who flocked around him, he could easily read their true shallow personalities and hidden intentions.


    Then he saw someone whose face looked more than perfect. Her face oozed of her true personality, a truly open person.


    Sitting at a small stand and elegantly eating a small sandwich with incredible curiosity, the woman looked extremely pleased whenever she took a bite.


    The woman looked like someone out of a fantasy story. She looked like a princess from the old movies Helgi used to watch as a child.


    Her hair was white like snow, and bright as the sun, as if it was giving off all the light it absorbed from the bright sun.


    She wore an elegant but slightly short dress made from some manner of white furred animal.


    ¡°You know, a sandwich like that goes well with some sweet drinks, try this¡±


    Helgi had already approached her, snatching a fruity drink from a nearby stand without anyone noticing.


    ¡°Oh..? Is that so? How interesting..thank you¡±


    She gratefully accepted the drink offered to her and took a bite of her sandwich before taking a small sip.


    Her eyes glittered slightly in delight.


    ¡°See? Changes the taste entirely right?¡±


    He smiled at her. He had guessed correctly, this woman seemed to be fairly ignorant and the way she held herself in such an elegant manner, combined with her out of place expensive looking dress. Made him suspect her of being some sort of sheltered rich lady that had snuck out.


    She continued eating her sandwich happily and sipping her drink, after a while she remembered there was someone beside her.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, it was just so delicious..thank you for the drink!¡±


    Smiling appreciatively, her eyes portrayed true gratefulness, something unexpected of someone who was potentially a spoiled rich woman.


    In fact, her smile was so genuine and her elegant beauty and features all combined so that it made Helgi feel slightly taken aback.


    The same feeling of being taken aback when one is exposed to an object of great beauty. To make Helgi, who was so indifferent towards women, feel like that, meant that her charms were first class, without a hint of pretentiousness or fakery.


    (I bet Yuri only feels like this when presented with a rare artefact..)


    He laughed in his mind.


    ¡°You''re very welcome, I just thought that it would be a waste not to feel the true power of the common sandwich¡±


    ¡°Mhm, It is indeed very powerful...I need to make sure to ask the seller about the ingredients to this..¡±


    Muttering to herself, Helgi saw his chance.


    ¡°Oh I can easily tell you the ingredients in that, I can even help you find them on the market for a relatively cheap price, they are after all, simple ingredients¡±


    Anyone with any common sense knew how to make a sandwich. It was simply bread with whatever you saw fit between the bread.


    But luckily this woman seemed to not recognise any of the ingredients, not even the bread. It made Helgi wonder what sort of sheltered life she truly led in order to not even know the things a child knows.


    ¡°You would?¡±


    ¡°For a small price.¡± He added.


    ¡°Ah, is this what they call a trade? I''ve heard of those. People who can''t make something, trade something they can make for the thing they can''t make.¡±


    She nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Well...kind of.¡±


    (This girl..how old is her definition of trade. The way she said it, it doesn''t seem she knows the concept of money..? how did she even buy that sandwich then...hm maybe the sellergave it for free..she is beautiful after all.)


    ¡°What I want, isn''t a thing though, it''s a favour.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh, what kind of favour?¡±


    ¡°Well you see. My friend and I made a bet, and who ever brings the most beautiful woman as their date, will win. So I was wondering if you could pretend to be my date for today?¡±


    He chose her because she seemed kind. He didn''t have time to play around with a girl for real, and in fact he didn''t want to. This was the easiest and most efficient way to get a good date. Not to mention he could tell her what to do this way.


    ¡°A...date..? What is that..? I think I heard someone yelling it over there, about selling some? ¡°


    ¡°Ah..right.¡± (She has no common knowledge.)


    ¡°A date is someone who you are romantically interested in, and going on a date means doing something with them in order to gain each others affection.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, I see. A mating ritual. To find a good mate. Hmm...sorry. But I am not looking for a mate right now..¡±


    She denied him outright.


    (Hm..this is the first time a woman has denied me so openly and plainly. She might be interesting after all. But for now..)


    ¡°No no, not a real mate. Just a pretend, to trick my friend.¡±


    ¡°Ohh..I see. To display your dominance..alright sure¡±


    She agreed happily, her common sense was lacking in many areas, but he figured that would be an advantage for when she met Yuri.


    Women are always envious of women who are more air headed than them, Helgi noticed this pattern a lot, since men always preferred the air headed women.


    ¨C


    ¡°Ugh..why...whenever I ask someone if they would like to go on a date with me...all the women just pat my head or chuckle...what am I doing wrong!?¡±


    Yuri yelled out in frustration.


    ¡°Probably because this body is young and female..¡±


    Sighing, she thought back to one of the responses a woman gave her when Yuri asked her out.


    ¡°Oh you''re pretty cute. Why are you going after older women, I''m sure there are plenty of boys who would be interested in someone as cute as you. Maybe you even already have a boyfriend? Trying to make him jealous maybe?¡±


    ¡°Ugh..stupid woman..why would I be interested in guys. And of course I don''t have a boyfriend!¡±


    An image of Hikaru passed through her mind for a moment.


    ¡°Hm? Why did I think of Hikaru..? Hmm..¡±


    She thought hard for a minute.


    ¡°Ohh, he''s always talking casually to people, so he could probably manage to convince some girl to pretend to be my date! Of course, I just need to go fetch him from the bath house!¡±


    Running off to the bath house, she found that it had already closed for the day.


    When she asked the owner about Hikaru, he said he might have seen him leaving a while ago and that he seemed kind of in a daze.


    ¡°Ugh, where is Hikaru when you need him!¡±


    She was out of time. She needed to go back and meet Helgi to show off their dates.


    ¡°Sigh. He wins this time I guess..but only because the people of this world are so backwards. Yes that must be it.¡±


    Yuri nodded to herself and walked off while sulking.


    ¡°Hey Yuri, you seem to be alone huh?¡±


    Hearing Helgi''s voice behind her, she didn''t want to turn around, because she knew he was wearing an incredibly smug smile right now.


    ¡°Yes...shut up about it already. I couldn''t find anyone. Only because the women around here are so against my unfavourable appearance..¡±


    ¡°I thought you could do it even with that handicap, hm?¡±


    She could almost feel Helgi smiling behind her.


    ¡°Well I couldn''t okay. So shut up already.¡±


    She sulked.


    ¡°Alright alright. But where you failed, I succeeded, do you want to see the fine young lady who was so interested in me that she approached me herself before I even started searching?¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah. Be all smug about it. Well who is it-¡±


    Turning around, Yuri laid her eyes on the woman beside Helgi.


    She wasn''t sure, but she was fairly certain she recognised her. This was however not a good feeling that you get from meeting a long lost friend or acquaintance. This was a bad feeling. Like recognising the mugger that stabbed you.


    (Stabbed me?)


    The woman at Helgi''s side was probably one of the most beautiful Yuri had even seen. Her features were gentle, her mannerisms soft and relaxed.


    Her hair was a beautiful white, not silver, but closer to the whiteness of snow.


    ¡°Oh, yes, Helgi here has been so fascinating, he''s been telling all these things, especially about you¡±


    Pressing herself against Helgi, the woman shifted her body towards him while holding onto his arm. Her chest rubbing against Helgi''s arm.


    ¡°...I''m sure he has. All good things I hope.¡±


    Turning away slightly with discomfort, Yuri could never get used to when Helgi was openly flirting with a girl. In fact Yuri always had that trouble with any flirting in general, which always earned her some teasing from Helgi.


    ¡°Oh yes..I found out lots of good things..¡±


    Her gaze shifted towards Yuri.


    ¡°So the little girl''s name was Yuri.....¡± She said meaningfully.


    ¡°Hey, I''m not a little girl! Hang on..¡±


    (The hooded woman had somehow appeared behind Yuri, and was holding a small familiar dagger to his throat, a small gust of wind still swaying Yuri''s hair.


    ¡°


    ¡°


    A recent memory played in Yuri''s head.


    ¡°You! You''re that dog woman! Hikaru''s sister!¡±


    Finally remembering, and exclaiming in shock, she pointed a finger at the woman.


    ¡°...I''m not a dog. Dumb girl. I''m so glad I finally get to meet you again. I have some favours to repay you.¡±


    Letting go of the confused Helgi, the woman took a single step toward Yuri. Her expression changed from her gentle one and she assumed a cruel calm demeanour.


    ¡°...You''re talking about that trap I set up for you?¡±


    Yuri realised with cold sweat running down her back.


    ¡°Yes. But personal grudges aside. I need your dagger. So give it, and I will rip your head off instead of slowly removing your fingers.¡±


    Taking another step toward Yuri. Yuri noticed her Human appearance flickered slightly. She still looked the same but her hands which looked so soft and carefully taken care off, shifted to a rough and clawed appearance.


    Yuri saw it, the killing intent. She wasn''t going to wait for Yuri to answer. Her muscles were already contracting and preparing to jump forward. Her muscles which looked so non-existant before appeared all over her body as she flexed them.


    It would take less than a moment for her to reach Yuri and swipe her head off in one clean blow. And there was nothing Yuri could do to stop it. Her reaction time was far inferior.


    Somehow that motion that seemed like it couldn''t be stopped. Where the destruction following would come whether you ran, hid or tried to fight back. A movement so filled with the intent to kill that it could easily stop a human''s heartbeat.


    That unstoppable motion of her. It just stopped.


    Her muscles tensed, and Yuri noted an uncomfortable shiver go up the woman''s spine.


    Looking away from her grotesque clawed hands. Yuri saw what had made her stop.


    Despite having such a heavy killing aura, and a twisted look in her eyes.


    (...She is still a woman huh.)


    Helgi''s hand was resting on her chest. No, resting would be a gentle term. It was squeezing at her chest , continuously, as if he was choosing fruit at a fruit stall.


    ¡°What...are you...DOING!?¡±


    She roared with enough force to blow Helgi away from her.


    ¡°Sorry sorry. I just wanted to see if they changed along with your hands.¡±


    He gave such an insane reasoning for his actions.


    ¡°You...Will...DIE!¡±


    Her face was red, and she was holding one of her clawed hands over her chest.


    ¡°Well, that wouldn''t be the first time a woman said that to me¡±


    Helgi smiled mischievously and glanced at Yuri.


    (He''s giving me a chance..!)


    Without Yuri even managing to finish that thought. Hikaru''s enraged sister flew at Helgi, faster than her or Helgi''s eyes could perceive.


    Her clawed hand swiped, and created a deep scratch in the building ahead of them, despite it being several meters away.


    She had appeared right in front of Helgi. She was sure his body would be split into two. And from the looks of it, it was.


    The only thing remaining of Helgi, was his lower body.


    ¡°Hmph. How fitting.¡±


    But before she could raise her hand and destroy that as well.


    His lower body moved. Looking at it curiously. She found that there was no wound.


    His upper body was just bent behind him.


    She raised an eyebrow in surprise as Helgi twisted his body up again, after having done an Olympic level limbo, and cracked the bones in his back while stretching.


    ¡°Impressive. But that doesn''t excuse what you did..!¡±


    Raising her hand slower this time, she prepared to slash at him once again.


    She knew he couldn''t avoid her attack this time, so she wanted him to see it.


    ¡°He wasn''t doing that to impress you. He did that to buy me some time!¡±


    She heard Yuri''s voice from behind her.


    ¡°Now taste this!¡±


    BOOOM


    A loud explosion echoed right where she stood. With Helgi barely managing to jump back in order to avoid it.

 Chapter 59: Siblings of the hunt

    ¡°And that¡±


    Yuri sheathed her small dagger.


    ¡°Is how you take the dog out.¡±


    ¡°Yuri...that was a horrible.¡±


    Helgi slowly got up, shaking his head to ease the ringing in his ears, caused by the explosion.


    ¡°Hey! My joke was great!¡±


    She protested.


    ¡°No, I meant the explosion. But yes, now that you mention it, that joke was also horrible¡±


    Smirking, Helgi dusted himself off.


    ¡°It was indeed.¡±


    A woman''s voice came from inside the slowly settling dust.


    ¡°And I. Am not. A dog.¡±


    The dust was blown away, revealing the figure of Hikaru''s sister. Who was now suddenly clad in her white fur coat, which was wrapped around her, and seemed to have taken the brunt of the explosion.


    ¡°Crap.¡±


    Yuri turned and ran the opposite direction, abandoning Helgi and running for dear life. She didn''t have her gauntlets yet. She needed time to write down any runes. She had no choice but to run and figure something out along the way.


    (This crazy dog is stronger than Hikaru, there is no way I can take her on...I need to run and find Hikaru..only he can stop her..! or at least buy me enough time to figure something out..!)


    ¡°Oh no you don''t. I''m not going to look for you again.¡±


    Hikaru''s sister turned toward Yuri and prepared to move.


    ¡°Oh no you don''t either. As Yuri''s guardian, I can''t permit her to be stalked by strange adults!¡±


    Helgi stood in her way, blocking the road.


    ¡°I''m tired of playing. Move. Insect.¡±


    With a back slap of her clawed hand, Helgi''s head snapped to the side, pulling his body along with it.


    He twisted in mid air, his body turning like a rotor blade, coming to a stop only when his head collided with the ground.


    An audible cracking sound was heard.


    Not only from his head. His body was turning so quickly due to the blow that the sudden stop due to his head hitting the ground, made his body fall sideways flat into the ground at such a speed that it most likely cracked all his limbs.


    ¡°Pathetic. Your only chance was when you first surprised me.¡±


    Yuri turned around after hearing the loud smash.


    Her body froze once she saw the twisted body of her friend lying in front of the cruel woman.


    ¡°Perfect. Don''t move from there. I will be right with you, and when I am, I will make sure your death is swift and painless. Unlike this fool right here¡±


    Scoffing, she walked toward Yuri.


    Her face twisted in irritation.


    ¡°Dead things should stay dead.¡±


    Looking down, she frowned at the weak grip of Helgi''s hand around her ankle.


    ¡°Yuri..what are you..standing there for..run already, idiot.¡±


    Helgi breathed slowly, it was apparent his ribs were crushed.


    ¡°I won''t let anyone..harm Yuri..one way or another..it doesn''t matter who..or what I have to do....¡±


    ¡°Admirable. I guess. Or it would be, had you been anything but a weak worm.¡±


    With an almost too quick to be observed slash of her claws. She drew blood. Torrents of blood which now leaked out of the hole in Helgi''s body.


    Hot blood rushed through Yuri''s veins. Her body moved before she could process her next thought.


    Rushing toward Helgi''s sister, Yuri raised her dagger and jumped at her.


    Yuri''s mind was empty, nothing but fury controlling her movements. Making them much faster than she had ever been able.


    Yet that fury which granted her swiftness, robbed her of any planning. Her movements became simple. Free of the usual tricky plans and traps.


    This was nothing other than a primal rush.


    ¡°...cute.¡±


    A clawed hand stabbed through Yuri''s stomach before she could reach her.


    Yuri flinched. But nothing more. Despite now having a gaping hole in her stomach, which most would have died or at least fainted because of.


    Her anger didn''t let her falter.


    Some wannabe villain is just going to suddenly show up, and ruin her day. Not only that, this unannounced villain will even try to kill Yuri''s important person, someone who was more like family to her than her own family ever was.


    This was unacceptable.


    She was irritated.


    Why had Helgi stupidly done that. Why did this dog bitch show up. Why did Yuri herself run away, abandoning her best friend.


    Was it due to thinking he would also run away?


    Blood gushed from her gaping wound.


    ¡°OF COURSE HE WOULDN''T, WE''RE FAMILY¡±


    She cursed her own naivety. She knew what kind of person Helgi was. Despite being sly and uncaring. He cared for those close to him. Sometimes too much.


    Yuri stabbed the dagger right above where her gaping hole was. The hole was so deep that one could almost see the other side, through her body.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°little girl. If you want your death to be swifter, all you have to do is ask¡±


    Helgi''s sister commented at her strange action of stabbing herself.


    With one swift motion. Yuri carved a rune into her own body and activated it. Right before stabbing herself once again and carving another rune. She did this several times, with runes surrounding her large wound.


    All this in almost one single swift motion. The pain not even registering with her.


    The runes glowed a deep red, with a tint of green. Her wound began to close itself. The organs inside regenerating rapidly.


    ¡°....Amazing. That dagger truly is what I thought it was. That concentration of mana...I must have it.¡±


    A clawed hand reached out to take the dagger from Yuri''s weakened hand.


    Yuri''s hand shot up swifter than ever before. Her muscles filled with the lingering effect of the healing runes.


    A slash from her dagger shot upwards. Slicing into The clawed hand. It wasn''t a straight slash. That was simple enough to do. The mana still in her gave her the energy to twist her swing, carving a small rune into the fur covered hand.


    ¡°Ugh! Damn girl..!¡±


    Helgi''s sister pulled back her hand in pain and swung down toward Yuri''s head, planning to lob it off.


    When she swung her hand, the rune Yuri carved into her lit up. Shooting small currents of electricity into her arm.


    That small rune, even when created with Yuri''s dagger, was still relatively weak. It couldn''t harm someone. Especially not someone like the non-human sister of Helgi who could send people flying with a single tap.


    But it wasn''t intended to harm, only to stun.


    Taking her chance when her opponent was surprised with the sudden electricity coursing through her muscles. Yuri sprinted toward where Helgi lay and quickly carved a few rudimentary runes around him.


    Once activated, Helgi''s breathing became visibly more stable.


    It wasn''t good healing. But it would keep him from dying. His wound seemed worse. Since it extended to his spine. A difficult part to heal compared to the rest of the body.


    ¡°You humans are so irritating! Running and crawling around like insects!¡±


    Yuri rolled to the side, just as the ground next to her was struck with steel hard claws.


    Her dagger scratched against the ground while she rolled desperately. Barely avoiding each attack.


    Her opponents attacks were fast. Faster than she could react. No in fact faster than her eyes could perceive.


    But all of them were simple. They were straightforward. They had no feints or tricks. Each attack was a strike simply meant to end your life. Nothing more, nothing less. It was a truly beast-like attack pattern.


    But just seeing through their straightforward nature wouldn''t have been enough to enable her to dodge any of them. No, the only reason she was able to even barely predict her opponents attacks.


    Was because she had encountered them before.


    Not against this same enemy. Not even against an opponent. But with an ally.


    It was the same attack pattern Hikaru sometimes used.


    Despite him using the sword arts of this world. During the few times he truly lost his temper. Yuri''s shock at his change in aura, made her burn the movements of his body into her memories. Willingly and unwillingly.


    His body would move in a similar way to how his sister did now.


    Straightforward. With no care for the arts of the sword. His sword but another claw to scratch with. To accomplish one simple goal. The annihilation of the enemy.


    The movements of a beast.


    Yuri finally rolled herself one last time and stood up.


    The fur clad woman was starting to get impatient.


    ¡°Thank whatever gods you serve that your body is small enough to evade my grasp.¡±


    Helgi''s sister breathed out with a deep-set annoyance.


    ¡°I don''t believe in gods. Only in luck. Like how it''s lucky I managed to barely dodge all your attacks. And how it''s lucky you stayed in one spot the entire time.¡±


    The instant Yuri finished her sentence. The scratches which she had made upon the ground while desperately evading the attacks, lit up. Forming a single crude rune.


    It was the same simple rune of electrification.


    Despite it not doing any damage before. The fact that its size was so much larger. Meant it contained several times more mana. Which meant it might be enough.


    Electricity shot through the ground and into the beast-like woman''s body.


    She groaned in pain while her muscles spasmed slightly. Small trails of smoke came out of her white lush mantle.


    ¡°Even if your mantle can block fire and explosions. I doubt it can block something that can move straight through it.¡±


    Feeling smug about herself. Yuri wouldn''t take any chances and prepared herself to write several more electricity runes to finish the job before the mana ran out from the large rune.


    The moment she bent down to etch the runes onto the ground, she felt herself unable to breathe.


    It wasn''t due to shock or pain, or any sort of emotion. It was because of the hard pressure that pushed against her throat.


    ¡°That''s it...no more running around like a rat.¡±


    Despite electricity still visibly arching through her body, Helgi''s sister appeared to be completely unaffected by it.


    Her grip around Yuri''s throat tightened, and lifted her high enough that her feet didn''t reach the ground.


    ¡°How...the electric..¡± Yuri managed to stammer despite her airway being blocked.


    ¡°The lightning surprised me. It never caused me pain. Just irritating discomfort. Like this.¡±


    She pulled Yuri closed to her, making her enter the range of the electrical arc''s.


    ¡°Kuh!!¡±


    Crying out in pain, Yuri''s muscles spasmed wildly. Electricity flowing through her body.


    She couldn''t even manage to lift her arm and fight back with her dagger. All that was left of Yuri was pain.


    ¡°I''m just going to hold you here. Over the rune you created yourself. And watch slowly you burn from the inside out.¡±


    Laughing sadistically, Hikaru''s sister tightened her grip slightly.


    Small wisps of smoke came off Yuri''s hair. The electricity was slowly burning her body. It was lucky it somehow didn''t reach her heart, otherwise she would be dead by now. But her predicament wasn''t particularly good now either.


    (Great..being cooked like a marshmallow..what a great way to go..dammit Hikaru..show up already!)


    The grip around her throat released, dropping her to the ground like a stone.


    Managing to roll away from the area of the electrical rune. Yuri slowly rubbed her neck in pain and looked up.


    The reason for why the grip on her throat was released, was because Hikaru''s sister needed to grip something else. It was something that she needed to use both hands to stop.


    Holding tightly between her fingers, was a jet black blade. The blade itself wasn''t black, it was some manner of material that had wrapped itself around the blade.


    In fact, the entire sword looked completely black. The blade, the handle, even the hand gripping iy was covered with the familiar black material which shook slightly in excitement.


    ¡°Ribbon!¡± Yuri exclaimed.


    The ribbon moved slightly in greeting, the small end part of the ribbon lifted up and pointed toward its wielder, trying to say something.


    ¡°And Hikaru..¡±


    Yuri smiled in relief.


    Hikaru was facing his sister. His eyes did not leave hers, and in them she saw nothing but great determination.


    For some reason she felt that this determination in his eyes was meant for something other than defeating his opponent.


    ¡°Sk?ll. What are you doing here...¡±


    His voice was like razor wires. Each word threatening to cut the opponent.


    ¡°Can''t a girl go to town and have fun?¡±


    Saying this, she pushed the sword to the side and threw an attack straight toward Hikaru''s neck. Her claws aiming for the easy target.


    Lightly stepping back, Hikaru sliced off Sk?lls claws with a single swipe of his sword.


    ¡°..My...claws...¡±


    She looked at her hands in shock.


    ¡°I don''t know what you are doing here. Sister of mine. But I am in a bad mood. I am also in an even worse mood now that you attacked Yuri.¡±


    Tightening his muscles. Yuri could almost swear that the ribbon narrowed its eyes menacingly at their opponent when Hikaru became serious.


    Not that the ribbon had eyes.


    The ribbon covering the sword darkened in colour. Becoming a deep black that sucked all the light around it, not letting any escape. It was truly the colour of a moonless night. A colour befitting the one wielding it.


    ¡°I do not wish to kill you. But that is all it is. A wish.¡±


    ¡°...Since you''re showing me your fangs. I guess I will have to show you mine.¡±


    Looking at her sliced off claws with unbelieving eyes. Sk?ll tightened her muscles as well. The mantle around her moving in a non-existent wind.


    Hikaru cast a single glance at Yuri. It was a warm glance. But the determination in his eyes seemed to only increase when he looked at her.


    And just before Yuri could say a single word. Both Hikaru and Sk?ll vanished.

 Chapter 60: The truth of the blinded brother

    The scene changed.


    It kept changing.


    Buildings and skies moved faster than what could be perceived by the human eye.


    Luckily, the two observants of this ever changing scene were anything but human.


    A regular human observer in the situation, even one with an expertly trained eye. Would only perceive a jumble of colours. Mixing into an absurd image of melting colours and light shifting as if it was made of rubber.


    A man wielding a black sword and a woman wearing a white fur mantle were clashing.


    Colliding in a mass of blows so quick they created sparks, before immediately separating, each pushing the other away, making them fly away before they shot themselves against each other once again. Over and over.


    They were having this battle in an ever shifting place. Constantly moving at such a speed that the scenery around them twisted into incoherent images.


    Anyone looking, would probably not even notice them even if they had their battle right beside them.


    They moved too quickly to perceive, leaving behind them only the wind, which desperately tried to catch up to their movements.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, brother! This is how you should always be! Even in your pitiful human form, i can feel your silent howl!¡±


    Sk?ll grinned. Despite her slowly losing their duel. Her mantle getting torn up bit by bit, and her claws getting sliced off with almost every clash of Hikaru¡¯s blade, despite them having to grow back each time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for you. Fool of a sister. I should have known you would show up at some point, when i fought off those lackeys of yours while making sure Yuri¡¯s fight with Helgi wasn¡¯t interrupted.¡±


    His sword disappeared. reappearing again right next to his sister¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Oh yeah. Some guys were supposed to report in a few days ago. But they never did. So that¡¯s what happened to them¡±


    The blade was blocked with the flesh of her arm, with the blade threatening to cut off her hand, the only thing stopping it from accomplishing that were her bones.


    Her face was in a motionless grin.


    Sk?ll had long since learned to accept pain and ignore it. She barely had to practice, since she was born with an innate bloodlust and fiery nature. She was born the perfect beast, and her countless years of experience only served to polish up her senses, or lack thereof.


    Hikaru¡¯s blade was pushed off, her wounds healing rapidly, leaving only a tiny trail of smoke behind where the cut used to be.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t healing magic. What have you done to yourself, sister.¡±


    Stepping back, Hikaru swung his blade down to clean it from blood.


    ¡°This..?¡± Looking down at where her wound used to be. She gave Hikaru a grin and licked the still slightly discoloured patch.


    ¡°It might not be as good as the healing of that little girls dagger. But this is just the natural effect of this!¡±


    Pulling away her mantle, she revealed her naked chest.


    Hikaru¡¯s eyes gained a disapproving look.


    Her chest was covered in vaguely green veins. Concentrated around the area of her heart. A print of a white flower was stuck there, akin to a tattoo.


    ¡°...Sister what have you done.¡±


    ¡°I made myself better, This is the holy relic of Eir. Known for being a great healer.¡±


    Clutching at her heart. Sk?ll gave it a small squeeze. The peculiar veins pumping slightly faster when she did so.


    ¡°..But why would you replace your heart with..that.¡±


    ¡°Because. Brother of mine. While you are looking to gather the relics and keep them hidden away buried in your garden. I.. We. Plan to use them.¡±


    ¡°You do realise that even if you acquire all of the relics. The revival of that...monster. It will still not free it from its shackles.¡±


    Hikaru¡¯s eyes seemed sure of this fact, which was something his sister didn¡¯t disagree with.


    ¡°It..? Monster..? How dare you call our father that. He was the one that gave us both life and a purpose. He was the one that guided us when the selfish gods threw us out.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed in anger. This was the first time in a long time, that his sister had looked at him with true anger in her eyes.


    ¡°Besides..We don¡¯t need all of the relics..we just need to find the correct ones..with the correct relics and the fitting magics. We will have what it takes to break the rusted shackles of our father.¡±


    ¡°....Sister..then..what will you do. If one of the relics you need..Is the one serving as your heart..¡±


    Their eyes met. But this time it was her eyes that were filled with determination rivaling his.


    ¡°Then i shall offer father my heart. I will slice it out myself, and offer it to him with my last breath. For father.¡±


    Her words fell like bricks onto Hikaru¡¯s mind.


    Although he hated his sister for all the horrible things she had done. Hearing someone this close to him, offering up her life like this. Without any hesitation. It felt wrong. He was unsure why.


    It wasn¡¯t because she was offering it to a horrible monster. Or because of the way she was offering it.


    But simply the act of offering her life. It felt wrong. It shook his own conviction from the roots.


    ¡°Sister..are you sure?¡±


    ¡°The only one unsure. Is you.¡±


    ¡°Very well..Then i will make sure you can offer your life to no one. Especially that creature.¡±


    He prepared himself. He could win. He would win. Despite her advantage in all their previous fights. This time he had a weapon he didn¡¯t have to worry about breaking.


    He had the advantage. He would end this once and for all.


    The legacy of their father will end with the death of his sister.


    He rushed at Sk?ll. His blade thrusting faster than a bullet, toward her heart.


    His blade was blocked by thick steel-like white fur.


    Instead of the pretty woman who resembled a wolf. Now was a giant monster. A beast of a wolf, whose size exceeded that of a bear.


    --


    ¡°There. All better now!.¡±


    Yuri was busy scribbling runes around Helgi, who was now waking up again. His wounds having healed enough that he could move.


    ¡°Thank you Yuri..that woman was terrifying. I didn¡¯t know people like that could exist. Who was she?¡±


    Asking this, he looked over the wound on his back, which had left a large scar across his back.


    ¡°Also, how come i have a scar and you don¡¯t..?¡±


    ¡°That woman. Is Hikaru¡¯s sister.¡±


    (And i left that scar because you should have some. hah! No plastic surgeons in this world to fix that for you Helgi!)


    ¡°I knew siblings hated each other but isn¡¯t this a bit extreme..?¡± Smiling awkwardly Helgi motioned at the remains of their wounds.


    ¡°Well..I can¡¯t say..all i can say is. She is our enemy. and our opponent in finding the relics, and that no one other than Hikaru can face her.¡±


    She was confident. Her words revealing something to Helgi.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go find a hiding place, in case she comes back..?¡± He tried.


    ¡°Better if we just stay here. So Helgi can find us easier¡±


    ¡°You have that much trust in him¡­?¡±


    Helgi was shocked. Yuri had always been someone who plans every move, every action. So that they best ensured success. For Yuri to choose to just..passively sit and wait. It was unimaginable to Helgi.


    ¡°Of course i do. Who else would i trust. After all, he is my partner...and my personal knight.¡±


    --


    A knight with a black sword stood against a gigantic white beast.


    The yellow eyes of the beast reflected the yellow sands around them.


    Finally having stopped moving, they noticed that they had moved far from the city and deep into empty deserts.


    Wind blew yellow sand clouds around them.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°You have defiled your natural beauty sister..¡±


    Hikaru shook his head in disappointment


    The snow-like white fur of the beast which was his sister was covered in something else other than fur.


    Trailing from the chest area of the wolf, vine-like veins spread across its body, covering the brilliant white with a darker green.


    ¡°Hahaha...brother surely you jest. The only one who defiles their natural beauty is you, with that disgusting human visage of yours!¡±


    The beast flung itself at Hikaru, it¡¯s enormous jaw opening wide, wide enough to engulf Hikaru whole.


    The black sword was thrust inside the beast''s jaw, halting it from closing. When the jaw was to snap around Hikaru, it instead made the sword sink deep into the top of its mouth, threatening to stab through the brain.


    Sk?ll threw a slash at her enemy with her now incredibly elongated claws, that seemed sharper than any normal blade. Forcing Hikaru to abandon his advantageous position, but not before he thoroughly slashed the inside the beast''s jaw.


    His attempt to do as much damage as possible before dodging had taken away from him a precious moment, which gave Sk?ll an opportunity to gain a strike at his side. Ripping open his clothes and drawing blood.


    He had foreseen that attack and so managed to barely avoid any serious damage to any organs or arteries.


    Taking a step back, Sk?ll rushed him once again.


    They continued this exchange of slashes. They were both on an equal level.


    Despite that, Helgi was on the losing side.


    Sk?lls borrowed abilities of healing had ensured that her wounds always healed, no matter how severe. It also had the added benefit of her not feeling any fatigue, giving her a near limitless stamina.


    Meanwhile, Hikaru was slowly getting worn down with each exchange of blows. He was bloody and covered in wounds. At this rate, he would likely bleed to death before they got to the end of their fight.


    ¡°You have no chance of winning brother. I would ask you to join my side, but your insistence on keeping that human form despite your imminent death, somehow tells me that you would refuse.¡±


    Sk?lls voice sounded less womanly and more gruff in this form. It would be difficult to tell she was female from any of her current characteristics.


    Difficult for anyone except someone of the same kind as her.


    ¡°Sister of mine..have you forgotten how unladylike it is to ruin your fur with accessories¡­¡±


    Sk?ll tilted her head in what equated to a raised eyebrow had she been in human form.


    ¡°Ribbon..Forgive me, this might be difficult again. I have no other choice however.¡±


    He spoke to his sword.


    Which responded with a reassuring shake and slight tightening around his arm, trying to say something akin to ¡°It¡¯s alright! I can take it, so let¡¯s go!¡±.


    Hikaru breathed in. The ribbon beginning to vibrate slightly. Filling with his mana. It quickly expanded, covering his entire body, except for above his nose. Leaving his eyes and hair open.


    Once it covered his entire body, it tightened around him. Safely adding pressure to all his wounds, temporarily stopping the bleeding and granting him an extra layer of armour.


    ¡°Clever. But how long can you keep that up. Seems it drains a lot of mana.¡±


    ¡°Long enough to teach you a lesson in how to take care of your fur..!¡±


    With this Hikaru jumped at her, the ribbon covering his entire body, boosting his physical abilities, letting him get onto the giant beast that was Sk?ll without her managing to react.


    ¡°How!?¡±


    ¡°If you keep healing. Then i just have to take care of that first!¡±


    His sword flew around him in a whirlwind, repeatedly slashing through the vine-like veins covering Sk?lls fur. Disposing of them as one would when gardening


    The vines fell to onto the sand. Disappearing into a cloud of green.


    ¡°You..! how dare you!¡±


    Sk?ll roared and shook him off, along with the rest of the cut off vines.


    ¡°Now you at least appear presentable.¡±


    He admired her now flawless white fur.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Her anger was great enough that she didn¡¯t get to finish her sentence, her jaws immediately trying to crush her enemy when he showed an opening.


    Now that they were on a fairly equal level, with Sk?lls healing significantly weakened. Hikaru fought with all his strength without holding back.


    As did Sk?ll, now that she didn¡¯t have the trump card of her healing abilities, she needed to finish Hikaru off before he could do the same to her.


    Their fight was beyond the understanding of what logically made up a fight.


    A fight is to overcome an opponent with force or weapons.


    This..this was beyond that concept.


    They both knew the other was fighting with all their might. Squeezing out as much of their concentration and force, enough that if they made a single mistake in forcing out their power. It might lead to their own hearts stopping, or their limbs breaking due to their own force.


    None of them could afford to prolong the fight. Hikaru was running out of mana, due to his use of the full body ribbon. And Sk?ll was at a loss of confidence in a prolonged fight with her healing gone and Hikaru fighting at full force.


    With that, each of their blows had the power and the intent to not kill, but to completely destroy their opponent.


    Any single wrong move would end in the other getting a hit in, resulting in a game over, worse than defeat, resulting in complete annihilation.


    Each attack was thought through several moves in advance. Both their minds straining all their electrical power to try and predict the movements of the other.


    Their concentration on their skill of foresight, combined with their unnaturally precise and invisible attacks and dodges. Made a mirage appear.


    A mirage of the two figures fighting. Different variations of their fight, reflecting on the hot flickering air around them. Filling the desert with the mirage of their figures. So that it appeared as though not just two figures were fighting.


    But an entire army.


    Slowly each mirage began to fade away. Making the desert empty once more. Revealing the true figures of the two opponents.


    They wore both battered and bloody.


    Hikaru was barely containing his previous injuries within the tight confines of the ribbon bandages, along with his new injuries and broken bones. His body was only kept together thanks to the mana powering the ribbon on his sword. Which was dangerously close to running out.


    Sk?ll was in no better situation herself. Her previously brilliant white fur was now grey with sweat and dirt.


    Her body sulked slightly, giving away her injuries of broken bones. Along with the considerable mental fatigue that accompanied her attempting to foresee the attacks of her brother who was much more well versed in this manner of fighting.


    She was accustomed to ripping apart her enemies before they knew what was happening. Since opponents on the same level as her are rare and far between. Actually fighting one as strong as her proved incredibly taxing.


    The biggest indication to how strangely, surreal and inhuman their fight truly was, was that all their newly sustained injuries, did not come from receiving any manner of blows or attacks.


    They were all self inflicted wounds. Caused by them pushing and taxing their bodies beyond their limits. Slowly destroying themselves while continuing to fight.


    It was something no human, or other mortal creature with any sense of self preservation could accomplish.


    It was the act of those who were beyond life. An act of those who had tasted the fruits of existence beyond the mortal ones.


    They could no longer fight. If they would, it is guaranteed that one of them would surely fall. if not from receiving a blow, then from simple fatigue.


    ¡°...This fighting style..of battling someone through thinking...how did you master it to such a degree..surely there is no one that could match you in the human world..¡±


    Drops of blood dripped from Sk?lls mouth as she spoke. Her already rough voice, even rougher than usual.


    ¡°It is in the human world that i learned it..I am not like you. I do not simply defeat my opponents as if they were trash. In every fight against every human i have fought so far..i made sure to use only the same amount of power and strength as they did..¡±


    He spoke with difficulty. It was clear most of the bones in his body were broken or shattered. The ribbon successfully aided him in speaking by moving his jaw for him. trying to make sure that their opponent couldn¡¯t see through Hikaru¡¯s weakness.


    Alas, both Hikaru and Sk?ll had already seen through each others injuries and weaknesses.


    ¡°You mean to say..every fight you have won so far..you have won by skill alone..?¡±


    Her yellow eyes were wide. She had taken her brother for a fool who had simply wanted to feel superior amongst the inferior humans. Finding out that he had never used his natural strength to his advantage, was..incredibly shocking.


    ¡°With every fight. A knight is supposed to take to him valuable lessons and experiences to further his skill. i simply act based on that belief. That every time someone risks their life. It is only honourable to also risk yours...I learned that from a fellow knight.¡±


    Hikaru breathed in and took a step forward.


    ¡°Sister..why do you pursue Yuri and the dagger so much. Answer me, i need to know. The reason for our fight, before one of us falls.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll be honest with you. I don¡¯t care enough about this dagger of hers that i would follow you all the way here. I have other more important things to do...It was a mere coincidence that i was here. But coming across the dagger here was lucky. It would prove a very useful piece combined with the relics...and i do dislike that little girl...So it ended up the way it did.¡±


    She explained.


    ¡°But do beware. Although i may not actively pursue the little girl and the dagger. I have others who do. And if i ever do come across her again. I will. kill her. So if you want her to live. You should best try and finish me now. Before i finish you first.¡±


    She warned him, her jaw trembling in anticipation., the jagged teeth inside twisting slightly, anxious to stab into soft flesh.


    ¡°...Then. before i do. Why do you dislike Yuri so much. Surely, it isn¡¯t because she simply is in the possession of the thing you desire.¡±


    They were both stalling for time. These few seconds of talking were to catch their breaths, which had long since run out during their fight.


    ¡°....Do you really not see it brother. Despite you being more powerful than me. Being at an even level in that pathetic form. You still cannot see the things right in front of you. How disappointing brother..I had hoped that maybe. Just maybe. You spending time amongst these inferior mortals would have at the very least opened your eyes to the things around you. That¡¯s why i was in that city to begin with. I figured i might drop by it and see what all the fuss about humans is, which you used to talk about.¡±


    Her deep sigh carried cold air from her lunges, clearly seen in contrast to the hot air around her.


    ¡°But as always...It seems you only see what you want to see...you never bother with trying to see things through the eyes of others. Only being concerned with what you think is right.¡±


    Those words cut deeply into Hikaru. Those words, they carried the same meaning.


    (The same meaning that Helgi told me¡­)


    His heart shook. He had nothing to retort that with. So he stayed silent. The hot wind moving his oily dark hair, while he avoided eye contact with his opponent. Something he knew was an action only an amateur would do. Yet at this moment..he could not meet her eyes. For they, saw right through him.


    ¡°Do you really think anything will be different than before. You abandoned me, and chose to be the companion of humans. Yet despite that. Despite leaving me alone for search of better companions. You never acquired a single true one.¡±


    She spoke with anger. This wasn¡¯t battlefury. It was a simple anger, a weak tired anger.


    He was about to say something when she interrupted him.


    ¡°Oh but you had companions. Didn¡¯t you? Is that what you were about to say. you had those Knights. Traveling with you for years. You had that priest girl. And now you have the little girl. Is that right? Yes i know of your companions. What do you think i never bothered to make sure you were alright. Is that what you thought all those years.¡±


    She scoffed. Their battle was forgotten. She was full of openings. But he could not take advantage of any of them. It was impossible for him, he could not move.


    ¡°Those Knights, Every single one of them. They died while you lived on. And every single one. Did not consider you anything more than a hired mercenary. How could they, if you couldn¡¯t even see past their words. All you saw was your ideals. Driven by self gratifying curiosity and honour. Without actually caring about those around you. They never entered your heart. Even that priestess. I¡¯m sure she gave you her blessing on this new righteous quest of yours.


    Idiot. Did you think she did it because she thought it was right¡­? She is a priestess you fool. The only reason she defied her god by giving up her relic. It was because she hoped that traveling with this little girl. That it would let this little girl into your heart.


    That is why i dislike that girl. Because she was expected to get into your heart.


    While your own kin couldn¡¯t.


    But i see that it was all just pointless worrying. I¡¯m not even sure if you have a heart. Acting based only on your morals. You are no different than a natural disaster. You aren¡¯t even alive.¡±


    Spitting on the ground. Sk?ll reverted back to her human form. Covering herself with her mantle.


    Hikaru stood completely still. Like a statue. Her words, the pained emotion in her words was something he could not take. All these years he had viewed her as an enemy, and not so much as a sister.


    Yet now.


    Even if she attacked him. He would surely stand still and accept her blow, even if it meant his death.


    ¡°....¡±


    But that did not mean he would stay quiet.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you a fool. Every word I¡¯ve said is true.¡±


    Breathing out in irritation, she brushed off her dirty mantle without bothering to look at her brother.


    ¡°Your words are true. They were true. But as of today, they ceased to be true.¡±


    He had not lost his determination. His eyes, which had been covered by his dark hair, were now visible due to the soft wind.


    ¡°I have found my determination. I have finally found what would make me break my own morals. And although i am sorry for abandoning you despite your care for me. I am eternally thankful for it. I am also thankful for your words. For they show me that my new conviction is not misplaced.¡±


    ¡°Is that so..¡± She glanced at him, her face betraying her not believing in his words.


    ¡°...I will prove it to you. To repay your care for me.¡±


    He declared.


    ¡°Repay..? How silly...but sure. Prove it how.¡±


    She asked without an ounce of curiosity.


    ¡°Myself and Yuri will acquire the relics before you do. And those in your possession, We will retrieve.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just you following your empty morals again...brother you are truly a fool.¡±


    ¡°No. It is not. This time i will not be doing it out of concern for my morals. This time. I will be doing it because it is Yuri¡¯s wish. And i want her to accomplish her wish.¡±


    The black ribbon covering his body slowly reverted back to its white colour, retreating back toward the hilt of the blade.


    ¡°Is that so. Well..i will have you prove it to me. If you can. Show me whether you really have a heart brother. I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    Saying this. Sk?ll grabbed hold of the left side of her chest. Pulling out a strand of something green.


    ¡°Here.¡± She threw the strand at Hikaru. ¡°A strand of vine from my relic. use it so you won¡¯t die on your way back. Wouldn¡¯t want you to not be able to repay me.¡±


    He grabbed the strand, which bore itself into his skin and slowly began healing his bones and wounds.


    ¡°...Thank you. Sister. Make sure you don¡¯t throw away your life until i do.¡±


    ¡°..Whatever, Just go to that little girl already. Before i decide to kill her.¡±


    Saying bitterly. she disappeared within a whirlwind of sandy wind.


    ¡°...Really. Thank you sister.¡±


    A smile broke his serious expression.


    ¡°Now i realise what it is i truly have to do..Yuri.¡±

 Chapter 61: The stew of mystery..!

    Slow footsteps amidst night.


    Despite it being so warm during the day, being surrounded by desert, the Oasis city naturally got colder the lower the sun went.


    ¡°Hey Yuri come on. We can at least go wait inside. It¡¯s freezing.¡±


    Helgi complained, cowering along with Yuri on a small bench, not far from where they were attacked.


    ¡°No way. Something feels wrong. First Hikaru doesn¡¯t come along with us, then he shows up at the last second with that kind of weird face..¡±


    Looking up at the starry sky, Yuri breathed out a breathful of hot air, which mixed with the cold air, creating a small mist and blending perfectly with the stars in front of her eyes.


    ¡°What face?¡±


    Feigning ignorance, Helgi looked up at the night sky with Yuri.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it was different. Usually when he saves me, it¡¯s kind of like...I am a knight, this is what i do, rarara, Sort of face. You know?¡±


    She scratched her head.


    ¡°But this time it was more like..he had something on his mind? I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m sure of that, i just am.¡±


    (Eeeh...Since when did Yuri become so perceptive..A woman¡¯s natural instincts are scary.)


    Thinking this, Helgi tried to steer the conversation somewhere else.


    The street they were in was completely empty. All the salesmen and shoppers already having packed for the day, trying to get some rest before tomorrow''s market.


    Thus, the street was eerily quiet. A peculiar contrast from the overly noisy street that it is during the day.


    However, breaking this fragile silence, that seemed to hold despite the two¡¯s conversation.


    The sound of footsteps.


    Slow, determined footsteps. With a hint of something crunchy beneath them, which one wouldn¡¯t have to be a genius in order to guess it was sand.


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    Turning around, Yuri saw the figure of a bloody Hikaru. Blood, and dirt. The blood having mixed with sand to form a mud-like substance.


    ¡°Hikaru! Are you okay! Do you need healing..!?¡±


    Rushing toward him, Yuri checked him for wounds, sighing in relief upon finding out that despite all the blood and dirt, there were no clearly life threatening wounds


    ¡°What took you so long!¡±


    ¡°Sorry..I had to walk. All the way back here, through the desert. My broken bones and lack of mana limited me. To a degree.¡±


    He said with a slight shrug. Dried mud falling off his shoulders, as if that was the first movement he had made in a long time other than moving his legs.


    ¡°What happened? did you defeat her?¡±


    ¡°No..I did not. It was a stalemate. Luckily she ended up retreating. More importantly. How are you, Yuri..?¡±


    Wiping his face to clear the dirt sticking to his eyes and hair, he looked at her with concern.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry, i healed myself right up! and Helgi too¡±


    ¡°Hello, Hikaru. I see you came back.¡±


    Helgi¡¯s words carried a double meaning that only he and Hikaru knew, referring to their past conversation.


    ¡°Indeed i did. Helgi. I have thought about what you told me. And i realised. You¡¯re completely right.¡±


    ¡°Huh what did he tell you.?¡± Yuri jumped in front of them.


    ¡°Then..?¡± Helgi raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I have realised what it is i need to do properly now. And starting from now i will make sure to prove your claim wrong.¡±


    A step was taken toward Helgi, his footstep crunching with sand, his eyes as clear as glass despite the rest of his face being covered in tiny patches of sand.


    His firm eyes reflected the cold eyes of Helgi.


    ¡°Do what properly?¡± She jumped again.


    ¡°Is that so. It is easy to make claims. But can you follow through with it.¡± Helgi took a step toward Hikaru.


    ¡°I will stake all my pride. All my resolve. All my honour. On it.¡±


    His eyes remained glass clear.


    ¡°Then i will make sure to strip all those things away from you..should you fail.¡±


    Taking another step, Helgi and Hikaru¡¯s faces were now only an inch away from each other. So close that they could see the whites of each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Guuuuuys!¡±


    Yuri pushed herself between them.


    Grabbing their faces, she pushed their faces apart.


    ¡°What are you even talking about! Explain!¡±


    She pouted, her hands still firmly clasping around their faces.


    ¡°Oh. uh. Nothing Yuri. just a dumb bet we made.¡±


    Helgi tried to make an excuse. They both having completely forgotten Yuri was standing right next to them, during their intense discussion.


    ¡°....What bet. Tell me.¡±


    Her grip on their faces strengthened. Making them both twitch slightly in pain.


    ¡°Nothing Yuri. It was simply a bet about my...cooking skills being subpar.¡±


    Hikaru chimed in. Saying the first thing that came to mind.


    ¡°Cooking¡­?¡±


    Her grip on their faces loosened, until she eventually let go.


    ¡°It¡¯s true i have never seen you cook¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s just like Hikaru said. Cooking, it¡¯s cooking!¡±


    Helgi nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°He sucks at cooking. I bet when he fries eggs, he ends up with boiled eggs!¡±


    ¡°That is a severe insult. My cooking skills are not that terrible.¡±


    Hikaru seemed to get slightly offended. Making Helgi sweat slightly, trying to motion to Hikaru to play along.


    ¡°Oh. Yes indeed. My cooking skills are terrible. But i shall prove him wrong.¡±


    Hikaru spoke with a deadpan voice, his acting skills terrible enough to make Helgi facepalm.


    ¡°....Really? I never knew that. huh well how about we have a cooking match then. Between you and Helgi. It¡¯s been awhile since our last meal. And healing magic is great and all. But real healing comes from some bacon in your belly.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    She declared, noting the sun that was now visible in the distance, showing the top of its head in a pretty pink and orange.


    ¡°Uh sure. We need ingredients i suppose. I lost my money with most of my clothes.¡±


    Hikaru motioned toward his almost entirely ripped clothing.


    ¡°Ah..right. i¡¯ll go buy the ingredients. You and Helgi go back to the hotel room and book the kitchen. And Helgi..get Hikaru some clothes¡±


    Running off, she went to the marketplace, hoping that some merchants would be setting up their stalls right about now.


    They both stood for a while, watching Yuri run off. Both looking at each other and sighing with relief.


    ¡°Hey Helgi.¡±


    ¡°What is it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for risking your life for Yuri. But don¡¯t ever do it again. Despite what i think of you. Yuri has a place in her heart for you. Don¡¯t make her lose that piece.¡±


    Hikaru glance at Helgi with soft wind rustling his dirty hair.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t need you to tell me that.¡± Helgi replied, looking over the sorry beaten state of Hikaru.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to try and prove me wrong. Then make sure you listen to your own advice. If you manage to get yourself a place in her heart as well, that is.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If one of us does break the promise. Make sure the other spits on their grave.¡± Hikaru nodded with a blank face.


    ¡°Pft..It¡¯s a promise. Now let¡¯s go and get you some clothes. You look like a mix between a hobo and a failed male stripper. And i rather not look at that.¡±


    ¡°Do i really look that bad?¡±


    Hikaru glanced down at his torn and muddy clothes while walking back with Helgi.


    ¡°Worse.¡±


    --


    ¡°Alright I¡¯m back! I bought a bunch of different stuff since i didn¡¯t know what to get¡±


    Yuri came into the inn carrying several paper bags of various exotic ingredients.


    ¡°Did you manage to book the kitchen?¡±


    She asked while dropping the bags on the ground, with no worry of anything cracking inside, despite there being an audible shattering noise.


    ¡°Yeah. The innkeeper said it was fine if we use the kitchen, as it is between dining hours.¡±


    Hikaru replied, picking up the bags and carrying them to the kitchen.


    ¡°Hoo? What¡¯s up with your clothes Hikaru? You look very...regal?¡±


    Carrying her bags, Hikaru was wearing pure white matching shirt and pants. That had linings of gold going through along the seams. He also had his hair, which was now starting to get fairly long, in a tail, resting over his shoulder.


    This all combined to make him look like some manner of lazy prince.


    ¡°He seemed to fit too well in black, so i figured i should lend him something white. I didn¡¯t see it fitting him so well..¡±


    Sighing from behind her, Helgi admitted his defeat.


    ¡°Well. Some people might look good in anything, but it takes real skill to actually wear the clothing as part of you, and not just an addon.¡±


    He tried to save face, but Yuri could see through him after knowing him for so many years.


    ¡°Riiight. Well why don¡¯t you and Hikaru go start cooking. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°On it. On it. Geez women are scary when they¡¯re hungry.¡±


    He smirked while escaping through the door.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not a woman!¡± She yelled after him.


    ¡°Fine then, how about girl?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a girl either!¡±


    ¡°Well you sure as hell aren¡¯t a lady, so don¡¯t expect me to call you that~¡±


    Helgi chuckled while entering the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯m none of those things! I¡¯m a man! A. M.A.N.¡±


    She protested, and walked over to the kitchen, hoping to smack Helgi¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hey Yuri...what the hell did you even buy¡­¡±


    Helgi was busy warily looking inside one of the paper bags, being careful not to touch it.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean? I just bought what was recommended to me. The sellers said it was all delicacies. They even gave me some for free!¡±


    Tilting her head in honest confusion, Yuri looked at Helgi who looked back at her, wearing an awkward smile.


    He glanced back inside the bag.


    Yup. he was sure. Whatever was inside was definitely moving. It also looked nothing like any animal or plant he had ever seen.


    While Helgi was busy being struck with fear by the strange ingredient. Hikaru reached over his shoulder and twisted off a piece of the moving...thing inside the bag.


    Taking that small piece of something that looked like it almost had to be censored. He put it in his mouth and chewed it a bit.


    ¡°I see...Soft texture..hm..taste is weak but smooth..I see now.¡± He muttered while chewing.


    Helgi felt the need to relieve his stomach of its contents.


    Hikaru spit the chewed up thing out onto the floor. And Helgi wasn¡¯t completely sure, but he thought he saw the chewed up a bit, actually slither away.


    Helgi blinked, and the chewed up thing was gone.


    (I must have imagined it...yeah.)


    He convinced himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m..just going to try this bag.¡±


    Helgi walked up to another bag and looked inside.


    He sighed in relief.


    The contents were vegetables he had never seen before. But they were normal vegetables. Most looked similar enough to the vegetables he knew that he could probably figure out a dish to make.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m going to make.¡±


    Helgi and Hikaru declared at the same time.


    Both looked at each other, Helgi squinting, and Hikaru raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Well in that case. Considering how hungry i am. Cooking...three...two...one...start!¡±


    Yuri announced, both of her cooks immediately beginning to cook.


    Helgi moved with comfort in the kitchen, using all manner of cooking utensils to slice, crush and properly cook and mold the vegetables he had. His hands seemed to find where they needed to be without him even looking.


    Hikaru on the other hand only used a single tool. A very large knife. The way he used it however, more than made up for him limiting himself to a single utensil. His main ingredient was the unidentifiable delicacy he had tasted earlier.


    It was flung into the air, and with a single twist of his knife, it became a paste smoother than powder before it hit his cauldron.


    Helgi combined and carefully added minute amounts of spices to all his ingredients. Each one with vastly different combinations of spices. He looked more like a chemist than a chef.


    Hikaru simply picked up each bottle of spice, tasting it and adding seemingly random amounts into the cauldron


    They were both done preparing. Now they had to cook their dish.


    Helgi¡¯s dish was made up of several smaller dishes. So he stood completely still, except for his arms which moved rapidly from pan to pan, adjusting the heat and checking on the ingredients.


    Hikaru simply turned on the fire under his cauldron, put some water into it and began waiting.


    Helgi¡¯s hands moved faster and more efficient than when he was fighting. Each movement precise, placing every finished product onto a single plate. Where it quickly built up into a magnificent looking dish, worthy in looks alone, of a five star rating.


    Hikaru¡¯s dish on the other hand, was nothing more than the strange bubbling red stew he had prepared, resting inside a stone bowl. Each popping bubble releasing an ominous red steam.


    ¡°Vegetable paella. Made in the same way that a certain seven michelin star chef made it.¡±


    Helgi presented his dish to Yuri, casting a condescending look at Hikaru¡¯s dish.


    Hikaru didn¡¯t notice however, as he was too busy fiddling with his stew.


    ¡°Ohhh. Looks delicious. Say you looked so in the zone. How come you¡¯ve never cooked for me before..?¡±


    She cast a suspicious glare at Helgi.


    ¡°Well..you know. It¡¯s too much effort. Besides. when you have the money. You can pay a seven michelin star chef to cook you the exact same dishes.¡±


    He waved his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Buh. You mean you could have cooked a meal for me all those times we were forced to eat canned food while hiding from the authorities..?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha...I guess so..?¡±


    Helgi scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°...Well whatever. ¡° She sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you really can cook after all. or if it just looks nice.¡±


    She took a bite out of some vegetables. Her eyes lit up the moment they touched her tongue.


    ¡°Whout ish dish! Itsh guud!¡±


    She continued eating the vegetables, before sighing in relief when her plate was clean.


    ¡°That was amazing. Now that i know you can cook. I¡¯m going to have to make you cook for me all the time.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure, princess.¡±


    Helgi bowed extravagantly.


    ¡°...It¡¯s prince to you. Cheap bastard Never cooked for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on..¡± Helgi laughed ¡°If i did, you would probably move in with me. and i need my privacy.¡±


    ¡°I rather not live with someone who owns more makeup than an actual woman. Now Hikaru¡¯s dish?¡±


    ¡°Here you go Yuri. And Helgi.¡±


    He handed them both a stone bowl filled with the red goopy stuff.


    ¡°Uh..No thanks. I will let Yuri handle it.¡±


    Helgi denied the offer.


    ¡°You sure? It¡¯s a delicacy.¡±


    Hikaru took up a bowl of stew of his own and began eating first, his face so expressionless it was hard to tell whether he disliked or enjoyed it.


    ¡°Uh...Hikaru...Are you sure it¡¯s safe to eat..?¡±


    She gave him a worried look.


    ¡°I am eating it aren¡¯t i?¡±


    He looked at her with the spoon still in his mouth.


    ¡°Yeah but you¡¯re...you.¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Ah whatever. To hell with it.¡±


    She took the spoon and shoved it inside her mouth, more forcefully than she intended to due to her fear.


    Her eyes went wide.


    She became completely motionless.


    ¡°Yuri..are you okay..? Yuri..?¡±


    Helgi tapped her shoulder. She remained as stiff as a statue.


    ¡°You bastard what have you done to her!? I knew that stuff wasn¡¯t safe!¡±


    Helgi was about to jump at Hikaru in anger, when Yuri blinked.


    ¡°AMAZIIIIIING!?!¡±


    She roared out rather than yelled.


    She slowly took another spoonful and put it in her mouth, slowly chewing it. Relishing in the flavour for as long as she could.


    Unlike with Helgi¡¯s dish which she devoured instantly, this one she chose to sample very slowly. The taste was that great.


    ¡°Ahhhahaha...am in heavenn¡­¡±


    She kept slowly moving her spoon from her bowl to her mouth as if in a daze, her eyes not focusing on anything.


    ¡°W-what¡­?¡± Helgi was confused. The Yuri he thought was about to die, was actually about to die from..enjoyment..?


    ¡°I told you It¡¯s a delicacy. Try it, it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Hikaru shrugged and pointed at the bowl that he offered earlier, before emotionlessly finishing off his bowl.


    Hikaru looked at Yuri, who seemed to be in great joy, and smiled deeply. Seeming to get more joy from seeing her happy rather than eating the supposedly amazing dish.


    Seeing him look at Yuri like that, made Helgi¡¯s suspicions of him having any ulterior motives disappear.


    Sighing he took up a spoon, and tasted a bit of the stew goop.


    ¡°..............AMAZING!?¡±


    Not unlike Yuri, he began to slowly relish each spoonful.


    Unlike Yuri, he cursed with each bite.


    ¡°Dwamnit..how can it be so good...my dish was a seven michelin star..this is sooo goood..¡±


    He interrupted himself with another spoonful.


    ¡°I knowww WIGHT? sho guud..¡±


    Yuri replied to his mumblings with her own mumblings.


    ¡°Geez..She¡¯s like a child.¡±


    Hikaru continued watching Yuri, enjoying the fact that she got pleasure from the dish he made, despite him being of the opinion that it wasn¡¯t that great of a dish.


    ¡°Enjoy your food¡­¡±


    ¡°Shank youh foe dah fuudd..¡±


    She said happily through a mouthful of stew.

 Chapter 62: The green faced sleeper

    ¡°Ugh...what happened..i feel sick..¡±


    Yuri awoke by the rumbling feeling in her stomach, loud enough to echo.


    ¡°Good morning Yuri, I see you¡¯ve slept well¡±


    Hikaru greeted her with a small smile, whilst sitting on a chair near the bed where she layed.


    ¡°Morning..? When did i fall asleep..?¡±


    Getting up from bed, she noticed that there was something in her embrace.


    ¡°mm..?¡±


    Looking at it, she realised it was a stone bowl, which was remarkably clean, as if someone made sure there was absolutely nothing left inside it.


    ¡°I tried to take it away from you when i lay you to bed, but you seemed to have a rough time falling asleep without it¡±


    Explaining this, Hikaru handed her a glass of water.


    ¡°Oh yeah...the stew..! Hikaru is there any left!?¡±


    Jumping up from bed, Yuri launched herself at Hikaru, grabbing him by the collar of his white shirt.


    ¡°Unfortunately not, You and Helgi ate every last drop of it¡­¡± He looked at her seriously ¡°There was enough stew to feed five more people..Are you sure you are feeling well?¡±


    ¡°Awh...no more stew..that stew was amazing..I never knew you could cook so well..and yeah..? I feel fine i think, a bit hungry?¡±


    She patted her belly and looked at Hikaru expectantly with big eyes.


    ¡°...I will go make some breakfast then, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind me borrowing the kitchen again¡±


    Hikaru headed down to the kitchen with Yuri in tow.


    Upon entering the kitchen, they were greeted with a fairly busy scene of cooks and waiters running around the kitchen.


    The oddest part however, was that they were all avoiding walking over a single spot in the middle of the kitchen.


    ¡°They seem busy, are you able to wait a bit?¡±


    He asked her.


    ¡°I guess..i really want some more stew though..¡±


    Yuri pouted slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid i can¡¯t make anymore stew, the main ingredient for that stew is all gone. In fact, I didn¡¯t say it at the time, but how did you manage to acquire such a rare ingredient..? The chance of coming across it in this part of the world, and as fresh as it was, is close to zero, even for the richest men.¡±


    Looking at her, Hikaru expected some impressive explanation which made use of her thieving experience.


    What he instead got was..


    ¡°Ehhh really? I was given it by some random merchant named Bob. He said i was cute, so i could have it for free? I didn¡¯t think it was that amazing¡±


    Her shrug made Hikaru scratch his head.


    (What kind of luck would you need to get something like that..just like that.)


    Yuri continues to surprise him in many various ways.


    They sat down in the Inn cafeteria and had a drink while waiting for the morning rush to calm down.


    ¡°Hikaru, how come you always made us eat dried leather jerky when you could cook so well..¡±


    A pair of eyes squinted dangerously at Hikaru.


    ¡°Well..we would always pack light when traveling, and cooking supplies would take a lot of space. In cities we just eat at the Inn so i never got the chance¡±


    Hikaru explained himself reasonably.


    ¡°Yes okay but..why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were so good at cooking! I might have been willing to bring cooking supplies with us if i knew!¡±


    Complaining, Yuri folded her arms and looked away.


    ¡°I thought you did know..? Since i had cooked for you several times before¡±


    ¡°Huh..? You did..? When?¡±


    She blinked at him.


    ¡°Who do you think cooked all the meals for you and Mako back at the church?¡±


    Hikaru raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t think it was Mako?¡±


    ¡°Psh, obviously not, I¡¯m not THAT naive, i bet the only thing you has cooked in her life was boiled eggs, Hard boiled only.¡±


    Yuri dismissed his suggestion. Somewhere on the other side of the world, a certain Archbishop sneezed, while wondering if someone was saying good things about her.


    ¡°I thought you had some really skilled chef working there. I mean all the meals tasted really expensive.¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t afford any guards, what makes you think we could afford chefs..?¡±


    He looked at her as if that was a given.


    ¡°That¡¯s true..so you cooked all the meals..? and was her guard?¡±


    ¡°And did her laundry. And forced her to do her work. and talked to people on her behalf.¡± Hikaru sighed ¡° Sometimes i wonder if it was her being an Archbishop of kindness or me..¡±


    ¡°Pft..Hikaru in a dress.¡±


    Yuri chuckled.


    ¡°They don¡¯t wear dresses, they wear robes. It¡¯s a gender neutral thing¡±


    ¡°Right right. Whatever you say, miss bishop.¡± Yuri snickered.


    ¡°Well, at least i don¡¯t wear an actual dress.¡± Hikaru raised an eyebrow slightly at her.


    ¡°Hey, i don¡¯t wear it because i want to, since it would look weird if i didn¡¯t and- Hey hang on, since when did you start talking back to my jokes?¡±


    Her eyes widened.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡° I don¡¯t want Helgi to have all the fun to himself.¡± He gave her a small smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s a welcome addition to the usually stale Hikaru, i say¡± She nodded happily. Glad that Hikaru was acting friendlier towards her.


    ¡°Just as long as you also do it to Helgi too.¡± She added.


    ¡°I will make sure i do, It¡¯s only fair.¡±


    ¡°Where is he anyway..? He wasn¡¯t in the room with us..?¡±


    She asked with slight concern.


    ¡°He¡¯s right here at the inn. I think the kitchen has calmed down slightly, let¡¯s go make some breakfast¡±


    Hikaru headed in with an eager Yuri.


    Now that the kitchen had less people running in it. She could finally see what they had been avoiding in the middle.


    It was a Helgi.


    Laying on the floor, while cuddling a stone bowl, his sleep deep enough that the noises around him didn¡¯t wake him.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t move him from the kitchen along with me..?¡±


    Yuri turned her head to Hikaru.


    ¡°He lost the cooking match, i figured this would be a suitable punishment for making fun of my cooking.¡± Hikaru looked at Helgi and nodded in satisfaction.


    He would most likely be incredibly embarrassed when he realises what state he was sleeping in.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t i have done that?¡±


    ¡°Nope, you did well Hikaru, i can¡¯t wait to see the look on his face¡±


    She giggled maliciously.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m starving, breakfast please~¡±


    --


    ¡°That was delicious. I am so going to have you cook for every meal.¡±


    Yuri breathed out in satisfaction while exiting the inn.


    ¡°If it makes you happy then i do not mind¡±


    Hikaru agreed with a nod.


    ¡°That¡¯s great and all. But you bastards...why didn¡¯t any of you wake me!?¡±


    Sulking behind them, Helgi complained loudly.


    ¡°You looked so comfortable there, so we didn¡¯t want to disturb you, isn¡¯t that right Hikaru?¡±


    Laughing, Yuri glanced at Hikaru, who nodded with a serious expression that had only a hint of a smile.


    ¡°Indeed. We didn¡¯t want to disturb your valuable sleep.¡±


    ¡°...Hah whatever. So what now, any clue on finding those relics? Now that I¡¯m here to help, it should go several times faster. Since I¡¯m sure Yuri has been calling all the shots so far, right?¡±


    Helgi asked Hikaru, who nodded.


    ¡°And a lot of times it gets you in more trouble than you thought possible?¡±


    He asked again. Hikaru nodded again after a small pause.


    ¡°Hikaru you traitor! I thought we were partners..¡±


    She sulked while pouting.


    ¡°I can¡¯t simply deny the truth..¡±


    Hikaru looked at her awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.


    ¡°I mean sure we got into trouble, but it¡¯s not like it was only me you know..¡±


    She looked away.


    ¡°It was only her, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Helgi looked Hikaru.


    Hikaru only nodded with pursed lips.


    ¡°...Okay i get into trouble i get it...but at least i always manage to get out of it..¡±


    Yuri sulked even more, before having her head rubbed by Hikaru affectionately.


    ¡°Indeed you do, which is why you are the one calling the shots, so to speak.¡±


    Hikaru smiled slightly at her.


    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s right! Suck it Helgi!¡±


    Straightening herself out, Yuri jumped with joy.


    ¡°If you indulge her too much, she¡¯ll grow lazy and unhealthy you know¡±


    Helgi warned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a pet!¡±


    She burst out.


    ¡°Alright alright, so where are we going now. I was asleep. And since no one bothered to wake me up, From my floor sleep, i don¡¯t know the plan¡±


    ¡°Pft..you slept on the floor of a kitchen..that¡¯ll never get old..¡±


    Yuri giggled to herself.


    ¡°We are first going to get my gauntlet, which should be done by now. After that we are going to pack up and head to the next location which might have a relic¡±


    ¡°Your gauntlet? Oh yeah. I remember you wearing something with runes on it, that let you use spells. And where is this next location?¡±


    Helgi asked.


    ¡°Uh..To be honest, i don¡¯t know. Ask Hikaru, he¡¯s the one leading me there¡±


    ¡°We are heading past those mountains.¡±


    Hikaru pointed at the mountain range clearly visible in the distance.


    ¡°Where there should be a city which most likely houses a relic.¡±


    ¡°How do you know. What¡¯s the source for your information?¡±


    Asking with some skepticism, Helgi turned his head slightly.


    ¡°Sources? I have passed by there several times during my travels. And you will know why i suspect it houses a relic once we arrive there.¡±


    Explaining vaguely, Hikaru answered the question with the minimal amount of detail, a habit of his.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really satisfactory you know. We can¡¯t just head somewhere, without being sure.¡±


    Helgi argued.


    ¡°Now now, Hikaru has no reason to lie. Besides, with these relics, just having a suspicion is good enough, since no one has any solid information about their locations¡±


    Yuri said while accepting the gauntlet from the blacksmith.


    The gauntlet was a dark bronze, looking more black than bronze. Likely due to the combination of metals in its alloy.


    ¡°Alright alright, fair enough. Hey Yuri. That gauntlet, you draw the spells on it yourself right?¡±


    Helgi asked.


    ¡°Yes? why?¡±


    ¡°Would you be able to do the same for me, since I¡¯ve run out of spells as of our battle¡±


    ¡°Well..I doubt i can write it on small papers like you had. Since i have to scratch the surface, but i could probably do it with thin metal plates..like playing cards..?¡±


    She imagined it would work, if the metal was sufficiently dense.


    Helgi ended up buying a few card pack sized plates. Two card packs worth of cards. Which were relatively thin, thanks to the great skill of the blacksmith.


    ¡°Then could you draw some spells on these for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do it when i fix up my gauntlet. Now let¡¯s go get some supplies. No more beef jerky for me. We are going to have real supplies and real meals from now on!¡±


    Yuri let the shopping for supplies be handled by Hikaru, who was the one who would be using those supplies to cook anyway.


    Meanwhile she and Helgi sat in their inn room, discussing Helgi¡¯s spells while she filled her Gauntlet with runes.


    ¡°So what kind of spells do you want on your metal cards?¡±


    She asked while finishing drawing the runes on her gauntlet.


    ¡°Well.. what kind can you make, the guy i got my old ones from could only elemental style spells, so I¡¯ve been limited to that¡±


    Helgi answered.


    ¡°Well, limited you are no more, because i have spells that would perfectly fit those of our particular..career.¡±


    Smirking, she took a metal plate card from Helgi and drew a few runes on it.


    Activating the runes, she threw the metal card at the wall, where it stabbed itself akin to a throwing star.


    The very next instant, the wall disappeared. Disintegrated completely.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re talking..what else do you have have.¡±¡¯


    He wore a crooked smile.


    They spent the rest of their time discussing what spells to put on the metal cards, and their various uses.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    Hikaru came into the room, holding up several sacks of foods and ingredients completely foreign to Yuri and Helgi.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here, great, let¡¯s go~¡±


    ¡°Hang on Yuri, what about transport, we should probably buy some horses to carry all this stuff?¡±


    Helgi suggested.


    ¡°Not to worry, for Yuri has a brilliant solution, which has been vigorously tested before and proven to be most effective!¡±


    Announcing dramatically, Yuri waved her hands in front of her for added effect.


    ¡°No horses needed!¡±


    ¡°Yuri don¡¯t tell me you mean..¡±


    Hikaru realised what she was talking about, as slight worry filled his face.


    ¡°What is it..don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s some weird creature to replace horses, and that it eats you if you handle it wrong?¡±


    Helgi¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°...Worse.¡±


    Hikaru sighed to himself.


    ¡°Come along now, no time to waste! Helgi, the great Yuri shall show you my original means of transportation~!¡±


    Yuri pulled everyone out.


    --


    ¡°YURI WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING THIS THING DOESN¡¯T EVEN HAVE SAFETY BEEEEEELTS!?!¡±


    Helgi yelled at the top of his lungs, while moving forward faster than an arrow.


    They were sitting on a very normal looking horse drawn wagon.


    Except this one didn¡¯t have any horses.


    It was zooming forward thanks to the propulsion coming from the runes on its back, constantly shooting out air and water with so much force that the wagon barely touched the ground.


    Their goods and supplies were strapped to the wagon, so there was no risk of them losing that.


    They themselves however, had to rely on the strength of their fingers in order to not fly off this crazy rocket-like transport method.


    Yuri was leaned forward at the front of the wagon, laughing wildly. While Hikaru sat at the back, looking partly tired, and partly worried about Yuri and Helgi falling off.


    Helgi was in the middle of them, holding onto whatever he could for dear life, almost hugging Hikaru in fear.


    Yuri stood up on this dangerously unstable carriage moving faster than any car legally could.


    Behind her, the curious face of the giant creature on which the city of Asur was founded, looked upon them from the distance, curious at this peculiar fast creature traveling through the desert.


    In front of her, were the mountains that reached the clouds, not changing in size despite their tremendous speed.


    Her eyes were glued on on them.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t stopping until we reach there! Hikaru be prepared to cook on the wagon!¡±


    She announced determinedly.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Although i doubt eating on the carriage would work very well, at least for Helgi..¡±


    He gestured at their blonde companion.


    Helgi lay on the floor of the wagon, his face green and his cheeks full.


    ¡°Damnit Helgi, not inside the wagon, out the side!¡±


    She said at the Helgi who was too terrified to leave his comfort zone where he was certain he couldn¡¯t fall off.


    Too terrified in fact that even when he was about to puke, he chose to instead swallow back his stomach''s contents and hold it, out of fear.


    ¡°Damnit Helgi..i forgot you were never good with cars..¡±


    Yuri sighed.

 Chapter 63: A sight beyond belief, along a mountain of reef

    Complete darkness.


    Despite it being in the middle of the day, Yuri¡¯s rune powered wagon was sealed in darkness only comparable to a moonless night.


    ¡°You know. I should have expected this, considering the scenery hadn¡¯t changed for several days before...but these mountains are ENORMOUS!?¡±


    Yuri spoke out into the unseen area around them. They were still riding their wagon, heading at a speed far past what was safe by any standards, especially considering they were essentially driving blind.


    ¡°They are indeed. As well they should be, this city didn¡¯t survive every war, be it among men or gods, for nothing. They owe it to these mountains, that serve as the city¡¯s first and final unbreachable wall.¡±


    Hikaru looked back while answering. The darkness stretched long behind them. At the furthest point of his vision, he could see the faint light. Where the shadow of the top of the mountains ended.


    The mountains were so tall and wide that they completely blocked out the sun, even when it was in the middle of the sky. The only time this area got any sunlight was when the sun was about to set, getting the rare angle that showered the darkness with light.


    Unfortunately it was still a few hours until sunset, and Yuri being as impatient as she was, resulted in them heading into the deep dark. Traveling toward the foot of the mountain.


    Hikaru noted their distance from the edge of the mountain''s shadow.


    ¡°We should arrive soon..perhaps we should slow down and walk the rest of the way¡±


    ¡°Ah you¡¯re right, wouldn¡¯t want to crash into something again¡±


    A rune was drawn on the floor of the wagon. Which burst into bright light, fending off the blackness around them.


    The first thing that was visible in the bright light, was the lifeless figure of Helgi, who lay in the corner of the wagon, holding a fetal position.


    ¡°Oh hey Helgi. Seems you¡¯ve finally relaxed huh. See riding the wagon isn¡¯t so bad, now is it? Your motion sickness disappears once you get used to it.¡±


    She nodded, confirming that she was right.


    Slowly lifting up his face from where it rested in his knees. Helgi looked at Yuri with crusty eyes layered with dark rings.


    ¡°Hajdadnakdaknfmafsoaf..!¡±


    He spoke no language Yuri or Hikaru knew. It was most likely not even a language he himself knew.


    ¡°Yuri..I think spending all this time on a wagon going through a desert while not being able to stomach water...has of taken its toll on him.¡±


    Hikaru looked at Helgi with sympathetic eyes. Although he knew Helgi only suffered of a very light heatstroke and wasn¡¯t close to any kind of danger. He knew that a heatstroke combined with severe motion sickness for such a long time would do strange things to a human mind.


    He had experienced it himself upon being caught with his fellow knights by a country suspecting them to be spies, where they used similar torture on him and his companions. Most of them went mad far quicker than Helgi.


    Luckily Helgi wasn''t human so he managed to endure and free them. But for some it had already been too late.


    ¡°Ehhh, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine. He¡¯s been through worse¡±


    His concern was waved off casually.


    ¡°No, i must insist that we stop this moment and tend to Helgi. He has done well to endure as he has. Do not make light of a man''s conviction. Anyone else in this condition would have jumped off the wagon by now. But he chose to endure.¡±


    Sternly saying this, Hikaru looked at Yuri in a slightly scolding manner.


    ¡°Alright alright..I¡¯ll stop the wagon..what man¡¯s conviction..I¡¯m a man too you know..¡±


    Mumbling to herself, she went to turn off the runes, slightly sulking over being talked to like that by Hikaru.


    ¡°There. Done. Happy now?¡±


    She said once the flow of the runes had stopped.


    ¡°Just a second.¡±


    Hikaru drew his sword and moved to the back of the wagon. Leaning slightly over the edge, he stabbed the sword deep into the ground while holding onto the wagon.


    His sword was dragged through the ground, slicing through sand and dirt.


    Slowly the wagon started losing speed.


    It took several hundred meters for the wagon to completely lose its speed despite being slowed down by Hikaru¡¯s sword.


    Upon finally coming to a full stop, Yuri heard a small sound.


    Dink!¡¯


    ¡°Hm..? What was that?¡±


    Moving to the front of the wagon, she drew a small rune to light up the front of the wagon.


    Once there was light around her...


    She was a mere inch from a stone wall.


    ¡°....Hey Hikaru. Did you know about this?¡±


    She looked back at Hikaru, the colour draining from her face slightly at how close they were to becoming pancakes.


    ¡°I did not. But i suspected something similar.¡±


    Saying this, Hikaru helped Helgi get down from the carriage, unconcerned with Yuri¡¯s worries.


    ¡°Geez..you sure love acting all casual about the strangest things, but worry about the smallest of things..¡±


    Sighing quietly, Yuri walked up to Helgi, who was on all floors, his eyes seemingly amazed at the still nature of the ground.


    ¡°Oh dear earth..how i have missed thine soft dusty nature. How have i longed for your still and gentle touch. So filled with life, capable of providing even for the smallest, and able to hold up even the largest. How little do we give thanks to what is always there for us, no matter time or place. Always present to silently support us, without expecting thanks. Receiving only the satisfaction of being..our protector..¡±


    Helgi spoke poetically, transfixed in a trance.


    ¡°Okay okay. Any longer and i worry you¡¯re gonna kiss the ground..¡±


    He was pulled up by Yuri, who slapped his cheeks.


    ¡°Huh..? Yuri..?¡±


    Blinking, he looked at Yuri with confusion.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°We arrived, at the foot of the mountain¡±


    ¡°Oh..Already? That wasn¡¯t so bad, i must have fallen asleep during the trip¡±


    Helgi smiled in relief. His memories of his horrible journey pushed to the back of his mind, never to be explored again.


    ¡°Yeah..exactly..¡±


    Now slightly worried, Yuri nodded, realising how truly horrible it must have been for him that his mind had to push away his memories.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going? Don¡¯t want to be standing all day in this dark do we?¡±


    He began to unpack what little possessions they had.


    ¡°Yes Yuri, we should hurry, now that we have made it so early, we might make it before they shut the entrance for the night.¡±


    Hikaru took his and Yuri¡¯s baggage and headed along the wall that blocked out the sky.


    Yuri drew a rune on a small rock, and carried it as a flashlight. Both her and Helgi slowly followed after Hikaru while cautiously lighting their way.


    They continued walking for a long time, their surroundings never changing, it was hard to tell if Hikaru himself knew where he was going, but seeing as there were only two ways to go when you follow the side of the mountain. Yuri figured he was just going to walk until they stumble across the entrance, wherever it may be.


    ¡°Ah there it is.¡±


    He finally spoke up.


    ¡°The entrance?¡±


    ¡°No, the stairs leading to the entrance.¡±


    Standing to the side, Hikaru revealed a small doorway, inside of which was a stone staircase that went up the mountain, further than the eye could see.


    It was inside the mountain, so even if they could see, they most likely would be unable to make any deductions as the inside of it was too dark to tell how long the staircase truly was.


    ¡°Finally. Let¡¯s go up¡±


    Yuri ran up the stairs before being grabbed by Hikaru who took her down the stairs again.


    ¡°Hey what are you doing, let¡¯s go already!¡±


    ¡°It would be wiser to set up camp for the night here. Seems we took too long to get here after all. Climbing those stairs would take at least several hours. By that point the entrance will be closed.¡±


    He explained to her.


    ¡°What. But we¡¯re so close!¡±


    ¡°Come on Yuri, I don¡¯t want to have to sleep on some stairs, that seems really bad for your back..or really good depending which position you sleep in..hmm..¡±


    Helgi began thinking of how the stairs could be used in alleviating hurting backs by applying pressure on it.


    ¡°No way. Then we will break through the gates. I dislike quitting when we¡¯re so close to achieving what we want.¡±


    She folded her arms.


    ¡°But Yuri, if we do break in, that means we can¡¯t stay at a comfortable inn since they will try and arrest us¡±


    Making a perfectly reasonable point which Yuri couldn¡¯t argue with, made her fold her arms even tighter.


    ¡°Then all we have to do is get there before they shut the entrance right. Fine. Hikaru. Cut a meter long slab of stone from the mountain.¡±


    Commanding Hikaru, she pointed at the wall.


    Raising an eyebrow, Hikaru did as he was told, slicing a round slab of stone, fast enough that they could barely see him draw and resheath his sword.


    ¡°Alright..now with a bit of this and this..¡±


    A few runes were etched onto the centre and sides of the slab.


    She began to push it toward the stairs, but realising she wasn¡¯t making any progress, she looked at Hikaru for assistance.


    ¡°Alright everyone get on¡±


    She said when Hikaru had pulled the stone slab onto the stairs.


    ¡°Uh...what¡¯s that supposed to be..?¡±


    Helgi cautiously asked.


    ¡°A home made elevator!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think i want to get on that..¡±


    He denied, shaking his head at Hikaru and Yuri who were already sitting on the stone slab.


    Yuri activated the runes, which began to glow ominously.


    ¡°Come on Helgi, it¡¯s going off any moment!¡±


    ¡°No really, it¡¯s okay. I rather not.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on!¡±


    He was pulled in by Yuri, and hit the middle of the stone slab with his stomach.


    The runes glew one final time and set off with Yuri¡¯s now classic move. A combination of Water and Air.


    Shooting the stone slab up the staircase, like a reverse sledge, which was going uphill.


    The intense speed of the stone slab going up the stairs made Helgi¡¯s unwanted memories of their ride here well up to the surface of his mind again.


    If he was conscious he would have screamed. But now that his mind was in complete shock, all that came out of his mouth was..


    ¡°hafahoafhaohfaoanhdahdfj!?¡±


    The mysterious language that no one other than the gods could decipher. But his tone made the meaning of his gibberish fairly obvious to anyone who wasn¡¯t deaf.


    The stone slab kept moving up the stairs, a few minutes of flying later, Hikaru grabbed Yuri and Helgi, and jumped off their stone sleigh.


    It kept flying off into the darkness, followed by the sound of something crashing into metal, accompanied with loud cursing.


    ¡°That¡¯s the entrance.¡±


    Hikaru noted.


    ¡°Our usual entrance¡±


    Yuri nodded, being reminded of how they crashed into the gates of Asur.


    ¡°Hohagahoa¡­¡±


    Helgi breathed out in relief, still speaking strangely.


    --


    ¡°Ehh..what kind of entrance is this. It¡¯s so narrow. What kind of stupid entrance is this. How can they even fit supplies through here..¡±


    Yuri was complaining while walking through a rough tunnel leading through the mountain.


    They had been allowed to pass only due to the credibility of Hikaru, who seemed to have worked with the guards once upon a time, and so was vaguely recognised.


    ¡°They don¡¯t need to, they are completely self sufficient, so the only thing they ever need to import are rare commodities, and those usually don¡¯t take much space anyway.¡±


    Hikaru explained.


    ¡°Yes but that doesn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t have made it a bit bigger..you can barely fit two of me side by side¡±


    She tried stretching out her arms, which stopped against the wall.


    ¡°Well..that¡¯s how they survive every war. Whenever something happens. They just shut the tunnel. The enemy has no way of getting in, and waiting them out is no option when they are completely self sufficient.¡± Hikaru added.


    ¡°They seem completely cut off from the rest of the world. I¡¯m guessing they have overconfident pride in their superiority, right? Not quite unlike some countries from our world, that chose to isolate themselves¡±


    Joining the conversation, Helgi spoke up from the back.


    ¡°Well..i would say they¡¯re more..hm..comfortable with themselves, than most.¡± Hikaru replied, giving an apologetic glance at the guard escorting them, who rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Ohh Helgi, the demon possessing you left then? or did you force it out in the form of gas. I saw you clutching your stomach for a while there¡±


    Grinning, Yuri stabbed an ill-willing comment at Helgi.


    ¡°Ahhh shut up Yuri. It¡¯s your fault i was about to hurl. and what demon? Your jokes are getting weaker and weaker, as i would expect from someone who can¡¯t even reach to my chest in height. Those closer to the ground get duller by being ground against the ground while walking huh?¡±


    Helgi shot back verbally at her.


    Not having a good comeback, Yuri resorted to making an ugly face at Helgi.


    ¡°Ha, how childish Yuri, you should know by now that something like that won¡¯t-¡±


    Helgi began.


    ¡°Stop making that face while I¡¯m talking damnit¡±


    ¡°No way~¡±


    ¡°Fine, how about this!¡±


    Helgi began to make faces at her as well, making sure they were ruder than hers. They continued their disturbingly ugly battle for a while.


    Their faces froze in the middle of half way making a strange face, and halfway laughing.


    They had finally come out of the tunnel.


    Having climbed up those stairs, they had guessed they would come out in a fairly high position compared to the ground.


    But never had they expected that they would be quite that far off the ground.


    Looking down, all they could see was a great deep blackness.


    But above the terrifying, imposing deep, was something beyond anything anyone had ever seen, even in this world, those who laid eyes upon this scenery were rare and far between.


    The mountain they were in stretched for miles and miles, until it became completely tiny in the distance.


    It covered the area they were facing in a huge circle, blocking off all light from the sun.


    The area protected by the mountain, was as big as several cities, or perhaps as big as a small country, it was truly that vast. So was the hole beneath them.


    It stretched far and wide, completely covering the inside of the area protected by the wall of mountains.


    It made one almost wonder if the city they were supposed to visit was on the bottom of that seemingly bottomless pit.


    Almost.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the many things floating above the deep darkness.


    Not hanging, not flying, not falling.


    But floating.


    Giant pieces of land, of rock. Which contained everything from forests, to mountains, houses, to even small cities.


    Each giant piece of floating rock had something different on it. Each one was like it¡¯s own tiny planet.


    They looked tiny from the distance, but considering the houses were normal sized, each piece of floating rock would be as small as several streets, and as big as half a normal city.


    Since it was completely dark, the light that made them able to see everything inside the protective shell of the mountain, were lights on the walls of the mountain.


    Many countless lights. Covering the entire walls of this mountain that stretches for miles.


    Lighting up everything stronger than the sun ever could.


    It wasn¡¯t something that one saw everyday. No it wasn¡¯t something that one saw even in fantasy.


    This was a sight completely beyond what was expected of imagination itself.


    The idea itself was possible to see in anyone''s mind eye.


    But actually seeing it. The precise movements of each land of mass, floating so naturally through the air as if floating in invisible water.


    The mass of variety between each rock. covered in something completely different, they looked almost like multi-coloured candy.


    And the bright yellow lights coming from all around these floating islands.


    Yet not strong enough to be overpowering. Having only just enough power to make the movements of each floating rock, glimmer in light.


    It was a sight beyond what a human could achieve, it was beyond what humanity could achieve.


    It was a sight beyond belief.

 Chapter 64: The old ride

    Helgi and Yuri stood still, their eyes wide open while taking in the scene.


    ¡°This..what..just..what in the..¡±


    Yuri was at a loss for words, unable to form a complete sentence.


    ¡°These crazy bastards..they formed their own perfect little habitat, and separated them into islands to keep them as genuine as possible without contaminating any area with another..¡±


    Helgi mumbled under his breath while his eyes darted around every detail, trying to take as much as possible in.


    ¡°Indeed, Helgi you seem surprisingly well versed in this type of thing?¡± Hikaru sounded impressed.


    ¡°Yeah..being someone who has to be social, i benefit from learning as much as i can. But tell me, how did they accomplish this. This complete isolation and perfect distribution of geographical areas..such an unorthodox method..¡±


    Looking at Hikaru, Helgi asked for an explanation.


    ¡°Yeah..I was as amazed as you when i first visited here. Solving the issue of limited landmass inside here, with this kind of method..floating islands. Is something no other place in this realm is capable of. The sheer amount of of mana required to keep the islands afloat, not mentioning the lights that serve as a replacement for the sun..the mana required would be astronomical. Perhaps even on the level of a god..¡±


    Hikaru explained with a slightly baffled expression. Despite him being here before, the sheer absurdity of the sight before him never failed to amaze him.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Hikaru brought us here, right?¡±


    Yuri turned around toward them.


    ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s why i suspect they may be using some sort of godly relic. After the encounter with the godly relic in the Golden city, i realised what was truly possible through the use of a single relic. It made me rethink a lot of things, this city..or contained country. Being one of them.¡±


    He looked off at the slowly moving pieces of land, floating above the infinite void beneath, easier than a gliding feather.


    ¡°Good job Hikaru, you¡¯re starting to get into the right thinking patterns¡±


    She patted him on the back, having to reach up slightly.


    ¡°You make me proud as your mentor into the arts of thievery and trickery!¡±


    ¡°Your compliment is appreciated Yuri, just..let¡¯s try and not destroy this one¡±


    ¡°This one¡­?¡± Her head tilted slightly.


    ¡°This city.¡± Hikaru gave Yuri a serious stare.


    Seeing this, Helgi copied his serious stare and looked at Yuri.


    ¡°Come onnn, it wasn¡¯t my fault. We were both there together! I wasn¡¯t even the one to make the final blow against that weird dragon that exploded.¡±


    Protesting, Yuri shook her fist in defiance.


    ¡°Indeed..my hand was forced. By certain runes which had somehow found their way to my shoes.¡±


    Hikaru raised an emotionless eyebrow at her.


    ¡°Well...I guess. But i really wanted that relic okay!¡±


    Hikaru was slowly leading them down some stairs, going along the edge, beyond which was the deep bottomless pit.


    ¡°Yuri Yuri Yuri..¡± Helgi shook his head.


    ¡°You should just give up, It¡¯s always you who attracts trouble¡±


    ¡°Me?? But that had nothing to do with me! That would have happened either way! aah I¡¯m not going to argue with you two about this, you¡¯ve already set your minds to be against me, traitors. I thought we were partners.¡±


    Looking away, she began to pout slightly.


    ¡°Very well, let¡¯s board our transport vehicle and be on our way?¡±


    Hikaru had led them to a small port sticking out into the empty space, where a small airship was parked.


    It was similar to the balloon ships Yuri first encountered, except these ones were obviously much more sophisticated. The boat part was made of extremely thin boards of wood, that despite being so thin, seemed to be sturdy enough that they could carry the many bags of goods inside it. It¡¯s shape was completely different as well. It wasn¡¯t the traditional shape of a boat that sailed through water, instead it had a distinct aerodynamic shape, it would likely glide through the air faster than any other air ship.


    Even the balloon part was a significant upgrade from the traditional airships, it seemed to be made completely from feathers. Unlike the paper used in the traditional ones.


    Beneath the balloon hanged a small ornate lamp, which provided the balloon with hot air to keep it afloat.


    ¡°Fancyyyy, this sure does feel like an isolated country. What a fancy ride¡±


    Yuri whistled appreciatively.


    ¡°I see you like old Berndy, aye it¡¯s a good ship alright, been around in my family for generations. My grandpappy had it and his grandpappy before him! It¡¯s a true relic, yah won¡¯t find any like her, design as old as this, but sturdy as hell i tell yah. It sure is a beaut.¡±


    An old man appeared from behind them, approaching them with a short cane to steady himself on.


    ¡°Do you tell that to every visitor that comes by? That seemed very well rehearsed old man¡±


    Helgi asked.


    ¡°Heavens no, son, i would only tell someone about old Berndy if i thought they could appreciate just how much of a relic of history it truly is. Each board can probably tell yah an adventure of a lifetime!¡±


    The old man bragged about his ship with no hesitation.


    ¡°Woah Really? What kind of adventures? Anything involving thieves?¡±


    A glitter shone in Yuri¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Well, missy, i can¡¯t say if it was about thieves or no thieves..but there was this one time, when old Berndy had to survive a chase from some notorious air pirates, tryina rob us for our ship!! They probably knew the value of it and wanted it to themselves! But my old pappy, he was one hell of a pilot! He steered old Berndy under an island, low enough that you almost entered the black! The bastards tried to do the same! But their ship wasn¡¯t as well built as our Berndy, it broke apart the moment they began descending!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Woah that sounds cool, i¡¯ve never been in an air chase before¡±


    Yuri seemed impressed with the story.


    ¡°Really? last i remember, your ship was called Randig, and had a leather balloon and boards coloured with stripes. The colours of your house you called them i think? And that story sounds very familiar, i think you told it before, but i might be remembering wrong, since i think it was actually the guards that were to capture your ship, because your ship was considered a national treasure.¡±


    Hikaru spoke up, giving the old man a polite smile.


    ¡°I..uh..¡±


    The old man was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Damnit. You¡¯ve been here before haven¡¯t you! Young people having the cheek to lie and say they¡¯re newcomers..¡±


    He grumbled.


    ¡°You¡¯re the last person who should be commenting on people''s lies. Besides, we never stated that we were newcomers.¡±


    The old man was instantly rebuted by Hikaru¡¯s quick words.


    ¡°Fine. Fiiiine. Whatever, where do you need to go?¡±


    Sighing, the old man went to prepare his airship for flying.


    ¡°Ehhhh that was all a lie?! But what about the bandits! and the cool air maneuvers!¡±


    Yuri cried out.


    ¡°Oh please. This ship is a used piece of junk. I buy em for cheap and use em until they¡¯re at the end of their life then sell em and buy another used one. Most this one can do is not suddenly drop outta the sky. And it only barely does that.¡±


    The old man grumbled.


    ¡°Why did you lie about your ship¡­?¡±


    Yuri tilted her head.


    ¡°Because he wanted to make us pay extra. He¡¯s been doing it for years. Well probably. I remember his father running that same tale with different details, so i guess something does get inherited in the family after all¡±


    Hikaru commented, making Yuri chuckle slightly.


    ¡°Hm..? Now you¡¯re the one lyin sonny. My pappy died when i was ten. Thats long before any of you were even in yer mommas bellies¡±


    ¡°Hm? I suppose it has been a while since i last visited here. I remember your father being exactly like you. Except he was more pleasant, always bragging about that scar on his face. Saying it came from a monster living at the bottom of the pit.¡±


    Hikaru looked up into nothing, trying to work his memory.


    ¡°You know about my pappys scar..?¡±


    The old man slowly stopped what he was doing.


    ¡°Sure? After all, he did tell everyone about it. Something about..his used ship breaking down, making him sink near the bottom of the pit before finally managing to get his balloon working, right? I think everyone thought he was crazy, but he was still so cheerful and kept trying to convince people of the monster..what did he call it now again..¡±


    Hikaru rubbed his chin, deep in thought.


    ¡°...The pit monster. That¡¯s what he called it.¡±


    Added the old man.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the pit monster. You know, despite what everyone thought, I¡¯m fairly sure those scars were real, he didn¡¯t seem to be lying, despite being so good at it. What happened to him anyway? Did he end up proving the monster was real..?¡±


    Asked Hikaru with genuine curiosity.


    ¡°No..he died without anyone believin him. But i believe him. My pappy may be a liar, but ah knew he was tellin the truth. Actually..he did tell meh about some sonny boy..who also believed him. He said his record was only two..he hoped i¡¯d manage to convince more people than him.So you were the second one, the sonny boy.¡±


    He sounded amazed, looking over at Hikaru in wonder.


    ¡°How come you aint an old bastard like me?¡±


    ¡°Well..¡± Hikaru began.


    ¡°Ah never mind it sonny. All that matters is that you knew mah pappy, and that yah believed him!¡±


    The old man prepared the ship and beckoned them on.


    ¡°So you two know each other huh, does that mean we get a friends and family discount?¡±


    Yuri inquired while getting on the ship.


    ¡°Dis..count? I aint got no clue what yer sayin missy, i can count just fine¡±


    The old man poked inside his ear to clear off some dust.


    ¡°No, i mean a cheaper price for the ride?¡±


    She tried again.


    ¡°Sheepherd..? I don¡¯t see a sheepherd anywhere?¡±


    The old man looked around.


    ¡°Never mind..¡± She sighed.


    ¡°Do you have any recommendations for a good inn, mr..¡±


    Helgi sat down inside the boat while asking.


    ¡°Inn..? well we dun get maneh vistors..so we aint got that many inns. I suppose you could try the main island. It¡¯s where most everyone who¡¯s worth anythin lives, and the name¡¯s Ahab. Ahab junior. Ahab senior¡¯s mah pappy¡±


    The ship slowly set off from the cliff, floating through the air at a maddeningly slow speed.


    ¡°I do like a place with a lot of people..¡± Helgi said.


    ¡°Ayeh, figured you were one o¡¯dem socially fancy types son, you sure got the hairstyle for it¡±


    Ahab remarked about Helgi¡¯s blonde hair tied into a ponytail.


    ¡°Nope, he hates people, except me of course! What is it you usually say..people are the easiest form of security to crack?¡±


    Yuri spoke up before Helgi could say anything.


    ¡°That so..?¡±


    Ahab nodded, paying more attention to keeping his ship from crashing into a passing small island.


    ¡°Yuri. Your old habit is acting up¡±


    She received a flick to the forehead from Helgi.


    ¡°Ow. What habit!¡±


    ¡°Sigh..nothing. Blabbermouth.¡±


    Helgi leaned back in the ship and looked at the forested floating islands passing by them.


    Knowing this was going to be a long trip, Hikaru did the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a blabbermouth. how rude. I¡¯m a professional thief, i know how to keep my mouth shut. I won''t talk to no one!¡±


    Declaring that, She stood up, making the ship shake a little.


    ¡°Yuri, it¡¯s will, not won¡¯t. And..you just proved my point¡±


    Helgi shook his head with a slight snicker.


    ¡°Ah. Wops.¡± Looking at Ahab, who seemed to not be listening to anything they were saying, made her relax again.


    ¡°Actually, Ahab?¡±


    She addressed him.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ahab junior, missy.¡±


    Ahab responded to his name.


    ¡°What was the exact story about your father and that monster..?¡±


    She asked curiously.


    ¡°My pappy? Well. Is just like yer friend said, he dropped too low in the black, ended up seein stuff he weren¡¯t supposed to see, and almost lost his life for it¡±


    ¡°Did he say anything about seeing any treasure down there?¡±


    She asked excitedly.


    ¡°Well..he said it was pretteh dark, and all he seen was dah monster...but..i think..he did say..there was somethin..glimmerin? Around and beneath the monster. Could be, it was guardin sumthin.¡±


    Ahab answered her uncertainly.


    ¡°It must be treasure. Has to be.¡±


    Her eyes glittered with small treasure chests.


    ¡°Guys. After we get the relic. Let¡¯s get that treasure¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yuri are you certain?¡±


    Hikaru asked.


    ¡°Of course i¡¯m certain! What could be a better theft than stealing something guarded by a monster!¡±


    She pumped her fists enthusiastically.


    ¡°Not that Yuri. Did you forget that every time we manage to get a relic, we are forced to flee the city, either due to being chased, or to it being destroyed..¡±


    ¡°Man Yuri is exactly the same here as back home..¡± Helgi smiled.


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Hikaru nodded with a tired smile.


    ¡°Oh come onnnn..it¡¯s not that bad!¡±


    She looked between both of them.


    ¡°....¡± Both of them just looked at her with tired eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that troublesome to you guys am i..¡±


    Looking between both of their identical eyes, that were tired of her, made Yuri feel slightly guilty.


    Hikaru sighed and pulled her down so she ended up between him and Helgi.


    ¡°You¡¯re not. we just can¡¯t keep up with your energy that¡¯s all¡± Hikaru rubbed her head affectionately, making her smile slightly at him happily.


    ¡°Yeah, not all of us have had the opportunity to get our bodies made several years younger¡±


    Helgi said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Huuuh? I can get that arranged for you, as long as you are willing to change genders as well!¡±


    Yuri gave him a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Well that doesn¡¯t sound so bad. I could probably work more efficiently by seducing men instead of women~ Besides, if i was a woman i would definitely steal Hikaru away from you~¡±


    Helgi grinned.


    ¡°No! No sex change for you!¡±


    Yuri held arms as an X in front of her.


    ¡°Hmm? Why? want to keep him all for yourself huh? What a bold statement¡±


    Helgi laughed.


    ¡°W-what! What are you even saying!¡± She blushed. ¡°I-i mean of course! Since he¡¯s my bodyguard, i have to keep him from being distracted..and i can¡¯t him being distracted by another woman even if it''s you..and and..¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s okay if he¡¯s distracted by you? wow~¡±


    ¡°W-wha, no, i didn¡¯t i mean yes, i m-mean..awawa¡­¡±


    Yuri felt her face letting off steam, while her eyes spun in random directions.


    ¡°Now, i think that¡¯s enough teasing, poor Yuri looks like she might faint.¡± Hikaru put a hand on her head, which instantly calmed her down to a docile state.


    ¡°Besides, if you were a woman, i think you might first want to fix that flirty attitude of yours. men dislike impure women¡± He slowly rubbed Yuri¡¯s head, while she unknowingly leaned into his hand.


    ¡°Owch, what a burn. What era are you even from, of course men like..oh wait. I guess asking that won¡¯t work since this is another world..¡±


    Helgi laughed slightly while leaning back in the ship ad observing Yuri¡¯s unique reaction.


    Hikaru continued to gently rub her head, while she slowly relaxed and allowed him to pat her like a docile puppy.


    (I¡¯ve never seen Yuri ever be this..content..?) Helgi thought to himself while observing Yuri¡¯s happy expression. If she had a tail, he was sure it would have been wagging on the ground.

 Chapter 65: Metal from the outside

    Floating islands lush with greenery sailed past them. Their airborne boat flying close enough that they could see the wildlife of the forests.


    Small critters, similar to squirrels and other rodents, jumped from island to island, floating across the void in between with the help of their stretchy skin which slowed their fall to a smooth glide.


    ¡°Hey look Yuri, that one looks a lot like you¡±


    Helgi pointed toward a small rodent that glided towards them, landing right in front of Helgi.


    ¡°How does that look anything like me.Your rat face looks way more similar to it than anything about me¡±


    Yuri answered off-handedly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean how it looked, but how it acted¡±


    Looking closer she noticed that Helgi was softly rubbing the little creature behind its ears while it comfortably snuggled close to his hand.


    ¡°What are you- what are you implying..¡± Her eyes narrowed at Helgi.


    ¡°Now, Yuri, don¡¯t get tempted into a fight. This ship is unstable as it is¡±


    Hikaru rubbed Yuri¡¯s head, making her instantly relax her muscles.


    (nn..Hikaru is really good at head massages..)


    She thought to herself while breathing out contently.


    Slightly opening her eyes, she noticed Helgi grinning at her.


    ¡°H-huh?¡± She looked from the grinning Helgi to Hikaru, who had his hand resting on her head while looking at her curiously.


    (I-it doesn¡¯t look like a head massage to other people¡­!)


    Realising this while growing flustered, she turned her head away from Hikaru and Helgi, so as to cover her blush.


    (...So embarrassing...So..Helgi implied..that i was being..petted..?)


    Her head shook in denial.


    (No,No. That can¡¯t be true. It¡¯s just Helgi teasing. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a normal head massage. Otherwise why would Hikaru do it. Yes. Of course. Damn you Helgi for trying to confuse me.)


    She turned her head back toward Helgi, her eyes glaring daggers.


    ¡°Gal¡¯s and lad¡¯s, we are arrivin now!¡±


    Ahab yelled out, despite him being right next to them.


    ¡°We can hear you..don¡¯t yell!¡±


    Yuri complained. Her spat with Helgi put aside for now.


    ¡°Aye, sorry, i tend to get overexcited when i see land¡±


    He apologised.


    ¡°There¡¯s been land all around us the whole time.. anyway.¡±


    She shook her head and leaned slightly over the edge of the ship. Looking ahead.


    Ahead of them was an island bigger than the small forested ones they had come across up to now. This was an island that could likely fit hundreds of thousands of people, and that is if they each had their own individual houses.


    Despite this entire country of floating islands existing inside a hollowed out mountain, all the buildings on the islands, were curiously made of wood. There wasn¡¯t a single speck of stone or metal to be seen. Even the tall towers were all made of wood, which made Yuri curious over how they didn¡¯t topple over with the island being in constant motion.


    ¡°How come none of the houses are made of bricks..?¡±


    Yuri asked their captain for this trip.


    ¡°Hm? Where would we get ourselves sum rocks yah think?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re surrounded by a mountain and you have islands everywhere..?¡±


    She was dumbfounded as to why these people would use such flimsy material that could easily burn down such a densely populated city.


    ¡°Is it because it would be too heavy to float..?¡±


    ¡°No yah fool, our islands can take the weight of a hundred more islands on top!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because your supply of rock is limited, while your supply of wood is renewable.¡±


    Helgi nodded understandingly.


    ¡°Ayeh. Yer smart lad. if we dug up our islands, we¡¯d have nowhere to live. And if we dug up our mountain..¡±


    ¡°You would no longer have an all mighty wall protecting you.¡±


    Hikaru finished his sentence for him.


    ¡°Yer correct, we are just fine with our wooden houses, thank yah very much. Our wall does our protectin, and we aint got no nasty weather other than rain. Our houses have stood for thousands of years, and we like it that way, it¡¯s tradition lass, tradition!¡±


    Ahab was so outspoken that he almost crashed the airship into the island while parking. Nudging it enough for everyone to almost fall sideways.


    ¡°Now we¡¯ve arrived, i¡¯ll be stayin here for a few days, so if yah need a ride around, you come to me. Aint no one with a fairer price round here than kind Ahab. Kindest in the land!¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, sure Ahab. See you around¡±


    They left the captain with an uncommitted reply and headed into the city.


    The inside of the city was completely different than what they were used to.


    Everything was made of anything other than stone and metals. The houses were wood, the windows were wood. The signs were of wood and paper. Even the lanterns which usually were made of glass or metal to not burn, were made of feathers that seemed slick with oil, which were likely preventing it from catching fire.


    The people as well, didn¡¯t wear any kind of metals or stones on them, without exception. Which meant that none wore any sort of traditional jewlery associated with wealth. They instead wore jewelry made of intricately woven cloth. So intricate that each one seemed to be completely unique from the other.


    The few guards they saw while walking in, all wore traditional weapons, a spear and a sword. But they had not even a hint of metal. The spear was completely wooden, essentially being a sharp stick.


    While the swords they bore were made of some sort of layered paper, that seemed to be eternally frozen with unknown magic. The freezing of the layered paper, making it stiff and hard, presumably enough so that it was able to cut through people''s flesh.


    ¡°So interesting...all of these workarounds and creations that wouldn¡¯t have been discovered if they had just resorted to using minerals..It¡¯s always interesting what isolated communities come up with to get past their limitations.¡±


    Observing everything with fascinated eyes, Helgi¡¯s learned background showed itself in his observations.


    ¡°Indeed, they have had thousands of years to advance their alternate arts of craft. Yet it¡¯s somehow disappointing to see that absolutely nothing has changed since my last visit here.¡±


    Hikaru breathed in and out slowly while shaking his head.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Wow! Look at all these things! Ice swords.! why is everything made of feathers? ohhh swirly pattern armband! cool, and even the floor is made of wooden bricks! Isn¡¯t that cool?! Everything here is so elegant and pretty¡±


    Yuri was running around excitedly, not paying attention to their conversation. Her white dress fluttering around her like the wings of a bird. Her joyful and excited expression was bright enough to outshine the plentiful lanterns around her.


    Hikaru didn¡¯t agree with her about everything being elegant and pretty. Compared to Yuri, everything around her seemed dull and rough. The softness of her features, the bright light that always shone in her eyes, her warm smile. Even the way she moved when she hopped around excitedly. It somehow seemed...precise and beautiful to him.


    ¡°-ikaru, hey Hikaru!¡±


    He was awakened from his slight transfixion by Helgi¡¯s voice.


    (What am i even thinking. This is not like me. I shouldn¡¯t have these thoughts.)


    Blinking his eyes repeatedly to make the image of Yuri disappear. He turned toward Helgi.


    ¡°Like i was asking, what do you mean nothing changed?¡±


    Helgi asked again.


    ¡°Mhm. look around you. You are far better than me at reading people.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about..?¡±


    But following his suggestion, Helgi stopped looking at all the interesting things around him. Instead focusing on the much less interesting people. He immediately knew what Hikaru was talking about.


    Ugh..outsiders, why do they even let them in. Isn¡¯t that what the wall is there for.


    Dear me..is that girl wearing a glove of...metal? How utterly disgusting..! Who would let her do such a thing?


    That man..his sword..did you see? It¡¯s made of metal. What kind of decent human being would use the sacred earth which supports us..to take someone else''s life..


    Excuse me guard..are these people really allowed here..?


    ¡°Of course..isolated societies are always wary of outsiders..how could i have forgotten about that¡±


    Helgi slapped his forehead in realisation.


    ¡°Ahab¡¯s claim of being the kindest might actually be true in this case¡±


    ¡°Wary is a kind way to put it. When i first visited here, i found it very difficult to get any work done, due to the various restrictions..official and unofficial that were made against outsiders. I don¡¯t want Yuri to be subjected to that treatment..¡±


    Hikaru glanced back at Yuri, who was observing some uncomfortable people from an overly close distance with eyes glittering of curiosity.


    ¡°Hikaru. She¡¯s a world famous criminal. She¡¯s been handling criticism harsher than just some outsider hatred, don¡¯t underestimate Yuri¡±


    Patting Hikaru¡¯s shoulder with a slightly condescending look, Helgi smiled.


    ¡°I mean, what are you even getting concerned about now, rather than being concerned that she would be harassed for being a famous criminal? Aren¡¯t you starting to get a little overprotective?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps..but this hatred toward outsiders is often displayed against women in a...sexual manner.¡±


    His eyes brimming with concern, Hikaru looked at Helgi.


    Helgi¡¯s face instantly became serious.


    ¡°We need to get her away from these people.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Hikaru agreed.


    Both looking back at Yuri, they found her annoying a couple of well dressed men, who were visibly annoyed at Yuri¡¯s proximity.


    ¡°Hey, hey! Do you know where the closest inn is? Also what¡¯s that you¡¯re wearing, ohh a hidden frozen dagger! Cool, you know i have a dagger too, but it¡¯s metal and not frozen-¡±


    They were too late. Yuri was already bombarding some locals with questions, not noticing or maybe not caring about their displeased faces.


    Eventually one of the men snapped at Yuri.


    ¡°Listen here you god damned harlot! I don¡¯t care about you, I¡¯m not going to answer any of your questions! Now get the hell away from me before i bend you over and-¡±


    Before he finished his sentence, two fists flew into his face, smashing his nose and jaw in.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he very rude, Hikaru? he sure was, what a bastard!¡±


    Helgi and Hikaru pulled back their bloody fists.


    ¡°Indeed he was, we should go find an inn now.¡±


    Yuri was pulled away from the now unconscious man and dragged into another street. All the while she looked at the both of them with confused blinking eyes.


    ¡°Mm¡­?¡±


    --


    ¡°Alright what¡¯s our next course of action?¡±


    Helgi asked, sitting down at a table of the completely empty inn. Rarely anyone used inns, unless they visited from the floating islands near the edges.


    He put down a tray of food and drinks in front of Hikaru and Yuri.


    ¡°What are our priorities? Yuri, you said you wanted to find this mystery Beast?¡±


    Hikaru looked at Yuri.


    ¡°Hmm..well yeah. I would like that. But i also want to find the relic..you said before that if we go for the relic first we might have to leave this city..country..? island place.¡±


    She began eating what Helgi had brought. Nodding at how delicious her strange fried meat was.


    ¡°Indeed. If we decide to go for the beast as well, then that should be our first target.¡±


    Hikaru said.


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be shifting our priorities in a bad way? What if we end up pissing off this entire country because they didn¡¯t like us looking into this beast, or something similar¡±


    Helgi shook his head and took a drink of his beer.


    ¡°Then..how about we don¡¯t act on anything yet. What we need first is information, like always. So let¡¯s try and find out some information about both if there is a relic and if there is any beast and where they might be¡±


    Yuri suggested while stuffing her cheeks.


    ¡°That seems wise¡± Hikaru nodded.


    ¡°Who should go for what?¡± Helgi asked.


    ¡°Hmm...Since Hikaru already knows the weird captain..i guess he can go find information on the beast..and since Helgi is good at talking to people..Helgi should try and find rumours or information about the relic by doing what he does best¡±


    Satisfied with her choices, Yuri took a big swig of her beer, washing down her food and drink in one swift go.


    ¡°Hah..delicious. The food here is great!¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±Helgi asked.


    ¡°Oh. Hm..i guess i should go along with someone..¡± Yuri rubbed her chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yuri can come with me.¡± Both Helgi and Hikaru said at the time.


    ¡°No, with me.¡± They said once again in unison.


    Hikaru narrowed his eyes, while Helgi smirked slightly.


    ¡°Alright alright, since you both seem worried about being lonely, i can just go one day with Hikaru and one day with Helgi. Fair?¡±


    She asked.


    They both nodded and began eating.


    ¡°Heh..you guys are like children, good thing you have me to make sure you behave¡±


    Yuri puffed her chest proudly.


    Both Hikaru and Helgi almost choked on their food with a laugh, startling Yuri.


    ¡°Huh? Why¡¯d you guys laugh? What was funny?¡± She inquired.


    ¡°Nothing Yuri¡±


    ¡°Nothing notable Yuri¡±


    They both answered.


    ¡°Oh come onnn, tell meee¡±


    ¡°You had a nose hair sticking out¡± Helgi lied.


    ¡°Eh! Really?¡±


    Covering her nose, she rubbed it slightly out of sight while blushing slightly.


    ¡°Is it gone?¡±


    ¡°Nope, still there¡±


    Yuri continued rubbing her nose embarrassingly, while the other two let out an amused sigh.


    --


    ¡°Should we go directly to Ahab, or ask around first..?¡±


    Yuri asked Hikaru as they walked out the inn.


    ¡°I doubt there is anything more Ahab can provide which i haven¡¯t already heard from his father..but let us do that first anyway. We will have to talk to him eventually anyway¡±


    With this decided, they headed toward the port where Ahab had let them off earlier.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be needin me services so soon¡±


    Ahab remarked once he saw them from the distance, continuing to polish his ship.


    ¡°Slightly different services actually. We came to ask if your father had told you anything else about the beast?¡±


    Hikaru stood in front of Ahab while Yuri sat down on the edge of the airship.


    ¡°Anythin else..? Well i don¡¯t quite remember..what¡¯s this bout anyway?¡±


    Ceasing his polishing, Ahab stood up and cracked his back loudly.


    ¡°Rejoice Ahab, we¡¯re going to prove your father wasn¡¯t lying!¡±


    Yuri stood up on the airship and pointed a finger at Ahab dramatically.


    ¡°Why would yuh go chasin after mists..?¡±


    Ahab seemed suspicious.


    ¡°Well we aren¡¯t doing it for free, you¡¯re going to help us, and whatever we find there that isn¡¯t the monster, is ours¡±


    Yuri set up the terms for Ahab, who looked at her in contemplation.


    ¡°I knew there was sumthin different about yuh lot..yer after the monsters treasures arent you¡±


    Ahab nodded understandingly.


    ¡°Alright, i will accept those terms of yours lass, i don¡¯t need much other than to prove that my pappy wasn¡¯t crazy¡±


    ¡°Alright~ So, do you have any clue where your father found the monster?¡±


    She asked.


    ¡°Yah mean other than straight down..? Hm..i wouldn¡¯t know..he never told me. But maybe he wrote it somewhere on his old ship..¡±


    Ahab scratched his grey hair.


    ¡°His old ship? I thought he sold all of his ships to buy new ones?¡±


    Hikaru was surprised at this unexpected action of the man he knew to be nothing more than a swindler.


    ¡°Aye. He wanted to keep the ship from his journey, to prove it to everyone. Of course, one old ship aint enough to prove nothin. We can go look at it now if yah want?¡±


    Ahab offered.


    ¡°Show us the way, captain!¡±


    Yuri saluted and jumped down from the airship, her dress flapping dangerously close to exposing what she wore beneath it.


    Hikaru averted his eyes while coughing slightly.


    ¡°Oh no lass, we aint goin to walk, my home¡¯s not on this island. Get on the ship. And no the ride aint free.¡±


    --


    Meanwhile..in a much darker and more intimate place, on the other side of the island.


    ¡°Oh dear..i didn¡¯t know outsiders were so..interesting..¡±


    A finely dressed woman was leaned over just a bit too close to the person beside her.


    Sitting next to her, Helgi was pouring another drink in their mugs while smiling.


    ¡°Well, i never stay in one place too long, so i guess even among the outsiders, i¡¯m a bit of a rarity¡±


    ¡°You know..when you approached me earlier, i thought i was going to have yell for the guards..I¡¯m glad i didn¡¯t..¡±


    She leaned up against him while sipping her drink.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t resist. One look and i was stricken. i had to have you close, if getting arrested by some guards was the price, then so be it.¡±


    Helgi softly brushed her hair.


    What he said wasn¡¯t a lie. Not fully at least. Once he got a look at her, he knew he had to get close to her before she got away. Although his reasons were different to what she believed. The first thing he noticed about her wasn¡¯t her, but what she was wearing.


    ¡°You are just..the sweetest. No one has ever been interested in me this much before you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fighting to contain myself being this close to you..¡±


    He looked into her eyes, the look in her eyes told him all he needed to know.


    ¡°Then...let¡¯s head up..to my room..shall we..?¡±


    She slowly stood up with Helgi, clinging close to him.


    He had one arm wrapped around her, lightly twisting a small badge on her clothes while they headed off together.


    A badge that looked very similar to what someone of a high ranking in either the army, or the police force would wear.


    (Good thing Yuri wasn¡¯t with me on the first day, i doubt she would have wanted to help me with this)


    Helgi laughed in his mind and squeezed the woman closer to him.


    (Now let¡¯s see what you spill out in the heat of the night shall we..?)

 Chapter 66: An old boat full of Crawlin and lovin

    ¡°This be the base of where my pappy and his pappy before him operated from¡±


    A boat dangling beneath a balloon of feathers floated over a green island stuck in midair, not unlike the rest of the floating islands around them.


    ¡°You actually are rich enough to own an island? I¡¯m impressed¡±


    Yuri nodded, impressed slightly.


    ¡°Well, i wouldn¡¯t say we own it..we just been usin it as a family base for generations¡±


    Ahab explained to her.


    ¡°Ah..right. Of course¡± She chuckled slightly while the boat floated below the island, rising into the island above them.


    A large cavern, big enough to fit a boat or two, was their entrance inside the forested island.


    Having flown up into the cavern, Ahab pulled on the lantern of the ship to stop them ascending, and floated along the cavern, deeper inside.


    Their only source of light being the lantern keeping their boat afloat with hot air.


    The inside of the cavern soon turned into caves, and then into dug out tunnels. The stones surrounding them were covered in sickly green moss, growing plentiful from the damp atmosphere inside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how keeping a boat here would be a good idea..it¡¯s probably been eaten away by the moss at this point¡±


    Yuri reached out of the ship and touched a passing mossy rock. What she touched was something that certainly looked like a stone in the near complete darkness. Once touched however, this stone began moving as the ship slowly passed by it.


    ¡°Huh, that moss felt more furry than it should have¡±


    Immediately after she said that, the rock fell, along with it, dozens more.


    ¡°Wha, is the tunnel collapsing!?¡±


    She cried out while holding onto a calm Hikaru for support, the ship shaking slightly from the impact of the stones.


    ¡°It¡¯s worse! Those aint rocks, those be rock crawlers!¡±


    Ahab yelled out, pulling on the lanterns switch repeatedly, making it lift up and down in an attempt to shake off whatever had landed on the ship.


    One of the stones landed inside the ship, it was a round mossy looking object.


    Which slowly unraveled itself like a hedgehog, revealing a creature very akin to what Yuri knew as a spider. Except these were the size of her head.


    ¡°AHHH?!¡±


    Yuri yelled in fear and grabbed into Hikaru.


    ¡°HIKARU KILL IT, KILL IT BEFORE IT LAYS EGGS IN OUR HEADS!!¡±


    She screamed at the top of her lungs, the tunnel around them echoing her words so loud that they made the spider creature take a few steps back.


    ¡°Yuri calm down. They are harmless.¡±


    Slowly separating the distressed Yuri away from him, Hikaru walked up and held his hand on the floor in front of the spider creature.


    It cautiously crawled forward and onto his outstretched palm, resting snugly on it while its many legs dangled in the air.


    ¡°See? They are very friendly, i used to always feed them if they were around, they keep small pests away.¡±


    He patted the big spider with his finger, while it rested on his hand.


    ¡°...You are not touching my head with that hand.¡± She glared at the spider, who stared back innocently at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how harmless they are, they¡¯re still gross. and Ahab stop the ship moving around so much, these spider things are harmless, so why are you so worked up!¡±


    She yelled at Ahab after almost falling due to the rocking of the ship.


    ¡°Yah fools! These bastards are harmless to people ayeh! But to a ship they¡¯re the worst devil! What do you think these bastards eat! Bugs and birds!¡±


    Ahab yelled at them while frantically moving the ship around as much as he could in the tight tunnel.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see how that affects us, we aren¡¯t bugs or birds¡±


    She dismissed his distress.


    ¡°...But the balloon is.¡± She realised. ¡°It¡¯s made of bird feathers!¡±


    Looking back at the spider in Hikaru¡¯s hand, she found it busy chewing on a feather it had somehow acquired.


    ¡°You little insect! Hikaru squash it!¡±


    When Hikaru was about to do as he was told, the spider, realising it was now in danger, jumped back into the air. Something unfurling from it.


    Two leathery bat-like wings.


    ¡°IT CAN FLY!? KILL IT HIKARU!¡±


    She panicked as the winged spider flew a circle around her head before flying off into the dark, screeching loudly.


    A mass of similar creatures detached themselves from the ship''s balloon and flew off, likely realising they would be hunted.


    ¡°Yah did it! You saved the ship!¡±


    Ahab exclaimed in relief. The same spider that Hikaru had held flew back, shrieking in something akin to laughter, it flew into the balloon and grabbed a handful of feathers out of it, likely for a later meal, before flying off again.


    That last handful of feathers was likely all that kept together the ravaged balloon together, and it quickly began to deflate of its hot air.


    ¡°Hold yer heads!¡± Ahab warned as the ship landed roughly on the mossy stones of the tunnel, shaking them about.


    ¡°God damn critters!!¡±


    Ahab cursed to himself while getting off the ship to inspect the damage.


    ¡°How does it look Ahab?¡± Hikaru helped Yuri get steady on her feet before getting off the ship.


    ¡°Aye..these darn critters. The balloons busted. I can likely fix it with some materials i have at the end of the tunnel. The balloon still got some air in it, so while we can''t float in it, i can probably drag it along the ground. Ack this will scratch and lower the value of it..Darn critters!!¡±


    Ahab continued to curse for a while before getting some rope from the ship and attaching it to the front of the ship.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Afraid from here on out, it¡¯s walkin time¡±


    ¡°I knew spiders can¡¯t be trusted.¡± Yuri shook her head at Hikaru while they walked ahead, leaving Ahab slightly behind them while he dragged the mostly floating ship through the tunnel.


    ¡°Usually, their thirst for feathers and bugs is a good thing.¡±


    Eventually they arrived at their destination. They knew this by the fact that they could finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    Yuri ran forward into the light with Hikaru walking after her.


    An expansive dug out space, lit up by glowing mushrooms and moss, unveiled before them. There were beds, shelves, workbenches and tools, all laying about in random places, giving it a very lived in atmosphere.


    It would have been homely if there hadn¡¯t been a ship double the size of Ahab''s ship, parked in the middle of everything. And the fact that they were surrounded by rock and dirt from every direction.


    ¡°This ship..it¡¯s in really good condition!¡±


    Yuri was impressed when looking over the ship. It only barely had some patches of moss growing on it. Looking completely untouched by the dampness of its surroundings.


    ¡°Aye, i dunno why but that old ship has always stood good against rain. When everyone else had to pull back to not get their ships soaked, my old pappy would float around without a care!¡±


    Loudly bragging from behind them, Ahab managed to drag the damaged boat to the end, breathing heavily due to the effort, or likely due to his old age.


    ¡°I think i understand why.¡±


    Approaching the old ship, Hikaru inspected it closely, sliding his hand over the wood.


    ¡°You do?¡± Yuri appeared next to him.


    ¡°I believe so. This wood, that the ship is made from. It¡¯s not like the other ships usually made here. Their wood is usually thin and light, thus requiring less strain from the balloon, meaning you didn¡¯t need a lot of fuel in your lantern.¡±


    Hikaru explained while pointing at the small lantern of Ahab¡¯s now damaged ship.


    ¡°But this ship. It¡¯s wood is thick and somewhat heavier. meaning it would require a large or several small lanterns. Although i can understand why this was the choice..This ship, it wasn¡¯t built for this place. I believe it was built for withstanding rough weather, that much is clear from how sturdy it seems to be built. This choice of wood is also good if the ship would be planned to be used both in air and in water, it has good buoyancy. ¡°


    Finishing his explanation, Hikaru looked over at Ahab.


    ¡°Uhh..well i dunno about any of that, but yer probably right, my pappy bought it from some foreigner who had decided to try buildin a ship here. But as it turns out, his ship didnt look elegant, so no one bought it, ended up with my pappy buyin it at almost nothin¡±


    ¡°You should be thanking that foreigner then. Because he was likely the one who saved your fathers life.¡±


    Hikaru patted the front of the ship.


    ¡°Huh, whatdya mean?¡±


    ¡°This ship. It was built incredibly sturdy. The reason none of the ships around here survive traveling down is because they are built so flimsily. Which is expected as they are only made to fly around the peaceful islands. This ship however. Was made in order to withstand storms and crashing waves. To withstand being swirled around in the air by a tornado. That¡¯s why your father made it out alive from his encounter with the beast. Without this ship, your father would have crashed like everyone else who flew too low.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. I knew that mah pappy was savin this ship because it was special!¡±


    Ahab walked up to the old ship and smacked it hard.


    ¡°This ship can survive an encounter with the beast! With this we can prove mah father wasn¡¯t crazy!¡±


    ¡°Your father was even more lucky. The creator of this ship..¡± Hikaru cleaned off some moss, revealing a small dragon insignia.


    ¡°Was made by a master carpenter. Their ships are usually only afforded by nobles, only extremely wealthy ones at that. The fact that no one around here understood the true value of a dragon company ship, was why your father got it for so cheap. Some would kill for such a chance. Your father seemed to be born under a lucky star.¡±


    ¡°Aye, mah pappy always got into trouble, but he always somehow managed to make it out. Aint many people like that in the world¡±


    Ahab sighed while reminiscing about his father.


    ¡°I wouldn''t be so sure about that..¡± Hikaru glanced at Yuri ¡° But yes, he was one of the rare few favoured by the gods.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡± Yuri tilted her head at Hikaru.


    --


    ¡°....Let¡¯s see here.¡±


    Helgi was sitting on a luxurious cushioned seat at a large work desk, stacked neatly with papers and quills.


    Looking over the stacks of papers, the bedroom was visible from where he was seated. In which the bed was a complete mess of covers.


    ¡°Hnn..not there..¡±A soft moan came from beneath the covers of the bed, moving and shifting, followed by a quiet snore.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± He looked back at the papers and began slowly rummaging through them.


    After going through all of the papers, he had managed to find nothing but useless legal documents.


    Not yet disheartened, he got up and started rummaging through the various cupboards and any storage space he could find inside this work room.


    All of it were miscellaneous things, not relevant to anything he was looking for concerning any relic.


    ¡°...Guess this one was a bust, I¡¯ll try again with another one tomorrow..so for now..i might as well enjoy myself..¡±


    Smiling, he headed back to the bed where the sleeping figure of the woman he had spent the night with lay snoring blissfully.


    A gust of wind from an ajar window made him cease his determined steps.


    ¡°Strangely chilly today..¡±


    Shivering, due to not wearing anything other than his pants, Helgi quickly walked over to the window, grabbing a hanging coat to keep himself warm, which he threw over his shoulders.


    ¡°Much better..¡± Closing the window, he rested his hands in the pockets of the coat and was about to walk back to bed, when something caught his attention.


    Pulling out his hand from the coat pocket, he found a small note resting in it.


    When he unraveled the still sealed note, the first thing that caught his eyes was the big stamp that appeared to be from a high ranking official.


    Going back inside the workroom to avoid detection, he began reading.


    ¡°...order of reinforcing ban on heavy weight airships...recent increase in bad weather causing ship makers to consider creating sturdier ships...fine the ship makers with the excuse of resource wastage..if forced to..permission to arrest or dismember granted....must make sure no one is able to get below the dark..no one must know..¡±


    He finished reading while pocketing the letter inside his pants.


    ¡°..Interesting..what could be so important..seems i¡¯ve done Yuri¡¯s and Hikaru¡¯s job for them. The government here is hiding something below the city. That¡¯s why their ships are built so fragile..so no one can get down there.¡±


    Putting his clothes on, Helgi went towards the exit.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really call this a discovery though. But at least now i have a start. I might as well do their job for them until i stumble across any leads to the relic..if i¡¯m lucky i might find out about both the secret below the city..and the relic, before Yuri even gets back to the inn.¡±


    Helgi smiled, before remembering something, retracing his steps and grabbing a shiny military badge from beneath a discarded bra.


    ¡°This will prove useful¡±


    He then disappeared through the door and out of this woman''s life, just another intense one night adventure, like with so many other women. For her however, it would be something she would always remember with fondness.


    --


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but seems fixin the ship''s balloon will take longer than expected..¡±


    Ahab looked over the trashed feather balloon of his ship.


    ¡°How long?¡± Hikaru asked.


    ¡°About..A few days aye..¡±


    He said awkwardly while scratching the back of his head.


    ¡°A few DAYS!?¡±


    Yuri nearly jumped in shock.


    ¡°Aye..these feathers are tricky to put together..i have a stock but they ain¡¯t put together¡±


    ¡°No way! I can¡¯t stay here for several days, Hikaru grab that plank!¡±


    She commanded Hikaru to fetch her a large plank that was lying near the old ship.


    Drawing some runes on it, she activated them, granting them the familiar red glow.


    ¡°With this we can just fly our way from island to-¡±


    The glowing of the runes stopped with only a tiny fizzle of air coming out of them.


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s weird.¡± She drew some runes again and activated them. But yet again, all it resulted in was a spell close to powerlessness compared to her usual explosive spells.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what yer tryin to do, but most spells outsiders use here, usually end up not workin properly.¡±


    Ahab explained to the perplexed Yuri.


    ¡°Huh? Why not?¡±


    ¡°Our government tryina stop outsiders from breakin our islands with magic, and keep up order better. Only weak spells used in everyday life seem to work properly¡±


    ¡°What! That¡¯s terrible! How are we going to do anything then! Not to mention get off this damn island!¡±


    Yuri disliked not being able to use magic since that was her most powerful tool, but more than anything she disliked being stuck unable to do anything.


    ¡°Don''t worry, the food stocks should last for a few days¡±


    Ahab reassured her.


    ¡°if yuh like pickled spiders that is¡±


    ¡°...Hikaru¡±


    Yuri looked up at him with terrified eyes.


    ¡°Yes Yuri?¡±


    ¡°We need to get off this island. I¡¯m not willing to starve to death.¡±


    She looked at him with true fear in her eyes. Fear of having to eat something so horrible to survive.


    ¡°..Well i don¡¯t think there is really anything..¡± Hikaru¡¯s words trailed off when he looked at Yuri¡¯s wide puppy dog eyes staring up at him pleadingly.


    ¡°...Alright i will think of something.¡±


    ¡°YAY! Thanks Hikaru you¡¯re the best!¡±


    She hugged and stared at him, waiting for a solution.


    ¡°...hm¡­¡± He was having a difficult time thinking of something, when he realised the answer was right under his nose.


    ¡°Ahab.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°How long would it take to get the old ship back in flying order?¡±


    He pointed at the big sturdy ship behind them.


    ¡°I mean..it would take probably a few hours at best..since its balloon requires less fine wurk..but this ship aint flown in years..you really want to bet your life instead of waiting a few extra days..?¡±


    Ahab asked with concern.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Yuri was determined.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat any spiders..! It¡¯s worth risking our lives for..!¡±


    ¡°....How come she gets to decide what we risk our lives for..?¡± Ahab looked over at Hikaru, who could only answer him with an awkward reassuring smile.

 Chapter 67: The boy with the red balloon(s)

    ¡°Well? Are you done yet?¡±


    Yuri impatiently swung her legs back and forth while sitting, watching Ahab and Hikaru work on the old ship.


    ¡°Aye, we should be done sooner than i expected, good thing sonny here knew a thing or two about airships, If i didn¡¯t know you¡¯re older than my pappy, i woulda said yer pretty skilled for yer age!¡±


    Breathing out in laughter, Ahab attached a lantern to the bottom of the ships balloon.


    ¡°I learned a thing or two while working as a certain bishops caretaker, i had to drive her around in a cheap airship that was already falling apart.¡±


    Hikaru sighed and kept working on the ship, binding ropes from the balloon to the ship.


    ¡°I bet she ended up using all the money on new clothes instead of repairs right?¡±


    Yuri guessed while looking up at Hikaru.


    All Hikaru responded with was a sigh as he continued working.


    ¡°Seems you¡¯ve had it rough sonny, aint nothing worse than a spoiled woman, specially one of high status, good thing yer not workin with her now at least¡± Ahab nodded understandingly.


    ¡°Hey are you talking or are you working! I want to get out of this hole before i starve to death¡±


    Shouting at them from below, Yuri went back to lazing around while Hikaru and Ahab finished fixing up the old ship.


    ¡°She¡¯s not this bishop person yer talkin about right?¡±


    Ahab asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Sometimes i wonder¡±


    Hikaru smiled slightly and finished tying the ropes.


    --


    ¡°Good day Captain..? Off duty?¡±


    A man sitting in front of the gate leading inside a large white, wooden building, greeted an approaching figure.


    ¡°Yes, i just need to go pick up my spare uniform from my locker, the other one is being washed¡±


    Helgi put the badge he was holding back in his pocket while answering the gate guard.


    ¡°Just make it quick alright, you know they don¡¯t like it when i¡¯m being lenient¡±


    The gate was opened for Helgi, who took his time walking in.


    ¡°If i¡¯m caught i¡¯ll make sure to blame it on the other guy for letting me in, i¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind¡±


    Answering in a friendly manner, Helgi patted the guard on his shoulder.


    ¡°Be sure to do that, whenever that guy exchanges his shift with me, he always leaves me to sort out all the trouble he¡¯s caused.¡±


    The guard shook his head and closed the gate behind Helgi.


    ¡°Alright, will do!¡±


    He waved behind him while walking into the building.


    (People are the poorest security. Act friendly enough with a bit of proof, like a badge. And they will act like old friends.)


    After that, all he had to do was confidently walk around to make sure it looked like he belonged there while looking for the changing room. Once there, he found a Captain''s uniform, which fit perfectly with his badge that he now knew belonged to the captain rank.


    Putting on the Captain¡¯s uniform, he quickly and confidently walked out of the building, giving a polite greeting to the guard who nodded at him, pleased he was wearing the proper uniform he should be wearing. Unaware that it was stolen.


    ¡°Now..I have been to the guard headquarters..From what i saw inside, it¡¯s doubtful they had anything there other than basic documents..No, from that woman¡¯s room, i would assume the higher ranks keep their work at their homes. But i can¡¯t look through every home in this city..which means. I need to go to where their work originates.¡±


    Helgi took out the letter he had stolen earlier. On the back was the conveniently placed address of the sender. The high governmental building of the city, where all laws were set amongst whatever representatives this city had.


    ¡°Alright, should be easy enough with this disguise..¡±


    Tipping forward his military captain¡¯s hat so it covered his eyes, he walked to the governmental building while practicing his walk to be as military as possible.


    Once at the building, his walk was brisk and free of any unnecessary movements. A true soldiers stride.


    Heading inside the building, he knocked on the wooden table to get the attention of the secretary sitting there.


    ¡°Ah hello, how may i help you, sir...?¡± She answered distractedly while arranging papers.


    ¡°Yes, i received some orders via letter and wish to meet with my superior to clarify some things which were vague.¡±


    Helgi nodded slightly at her while showing the closed letter.


    ¡°Oh, i see. May i see the letter to see who sent it?¡±


    She asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately not, this letter is for my eyes only, surely you understand.¡±


    Helgi showed her the broken seal on the letter, hoping that actually meant something.


    ¡°Oh! of course! I¡¯m sorry sir, i didn¡¯t mean to pry into classified matters! Go right ahead, the general should be sitting in his office right now¡±


    The secretary gestured at the guards standing at each entrances to let Helgi through.


    Nodding at her with a tip of his hat, Helgi headed deeper inside the building.


    ¡°Most likely, whatever i need is in this General¡¯s office..In that case.¡±


    Without hesitating, Helgi entered the General¡¯s office, showing his badge to the guards at the doors to let him through.


    ¡°Who might you be?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The General looked up from his work.


    ¡°I am Captain Helgi, sir. I am here due to unclear instructions, sir.¡±


    Helgi saluted.


    ¡°Alright? What instructions, Captain.¡±


    The General asked while putting aside his work.


    ¡°This one, sir.¡±


    Helgi handed him the letter.


    ¡°Ah, indeed. So what was unclear to you?¡±


    Gesturing at the seat in front of his desk for Helgi to sit down, The General read through the letter.


    ¡°What reason do we have to ban the production of these sturdier ships, sir?¡±


    ¡°You should have been well informed of the reason upon your approval of increase in rank to Captain. Isn¡¯t that right, Captain Tiffany.¡±


    The general narrowed his eyes at Helgi while putting down the letter.


    Helgi noticed the letter did indeed specify the receiver''s name although it was at the bottom in small difficult to see text.


    ¡°Sir¡­?¡± Helgi feigned ignorance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are or how you managed to get this letter or uniform, but the punishment you will get for the crime of impersonating a high ranking guard and stealing classified information is quite..severe.¡±


    The General was about to call for the guards outside.


    ¡°No, sir! I really am a Captain! Please here is my proof!¡±


    Helgi fished out a closed letter from inside his pocket and handed it to the General.


    ¡°Hm..? You do? Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    Opening up the letter, The General took out a thin card of bronze metal which had something written on it.


    ¡°What is this..!? Metal!? What manner of heresy is-¡±


    ZAAAP


    The metal card lit up with sparks in his hands. Shocking him into unconsciousness.


    Helgi was immediately at his side, holding him up and gently seating him on his chair to avoid him falling over and creating unnecessary noise.


    ¡°Well, i tried.¡±


    Helgi shrugged.


    ¡°I hope Yuri¡¯s bad luck isn¡¯t rubbing off on me..Usually it goes smoother for me..¡±


    Searching through the General¡¯s desk, Helgi discovered a locked drawer, the locks of which were no match for someone like Helgi who was well versed in all kinds of locks from ancient stone to digital.


    Reading the thick slabs of documents inside, he slowly realised something.


    ¡°...This is bad. This is seriously bad. Knowing Yuri she¡¯s going to walk right into that. I have to go warn her..! I have to find her first!¡±


    --


    A proud large ship, robust enough that it could ram into a wall and still be fine, flew through the air, supported by a big balloon above it.


    It was slow, but it moved past the floating islands with a display of strength that seemed to say it would continue going straight even if one of the islands flew in it¡¯s path.


    ¡°Muahaha! With this we can surely go down to the beast and get its treasures! After that we can ram through the entire city with it and find the relic in the rubble before flying off and away! This will be the easiest heist ever!¡±


    Yuri stood at the front of the ship, her fist clenched in front of her, laughing and yelling at the wind blowing past her, moving her hair behind her like a cape.


    ¡°What was that about destroying the city..!?¡±


    Ahab looking over from his position in front of the steering wheel, looked worriedly at Hikaru.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about that, She is merely joking.¡±


    Hikaru said while adjusting the lanterns providing the balloon with hot air.


    ¡°Oh, alright then¡±


    Ahab nodded and continued to steer the ship.


    (...I hope she is at the very least. Sigh..when did my life change from an honourable knight who saves lives, to that of a thief leaving destruction wherever i go..)


    Sighing loudly, Hikaru shook his head to make those thoughts disappear and concentrated on his task.


    ¡°Hm? Ahab what¡¯s that over there? More islands?¡±


    Yuri pointed towards several dots in the distance, slowly growing larger.


    ¡°Islands? That ain¡¯t possible, i¡¯ve memorised all the islands flight path over the years, ain¡¯t none of dem supposed to be here, that many especially¡±


    Squinting and looking at the dots, Ahab blinked, cursing his old age and diminishing eye sight.


    ¡°Ack Back in mah day my eyes were like a hawks..look round there should be a handy telescope around somewhere. Rare things them. Since glass is forbidden as it¡¯s part of the earth. Our government provides one¡¯s with frozen bubbles of water, instead of yer fanceh glass, so might be slightly different to what yer used to¡±


    ¡°Ah, found it!¡±


    She eventually found the telescope a small thing made of wood, and incredibly cold to the touch. Likely due to its lenses being made of ice instead of glass.


    Shrugging, Yuri put it against her eye and looked at the dots in the distance.


    ¡°Hm..They seem to be..ships? Heading towards us..their balloons are red if that means anything..?¡±


    She commented her sightings to the rest.


    ¡°Red balloons..? Those be the government''s ships, what¡¯re they wanting in these parts, other than my cave there¡¯s nothin of value¡±


    Wondering this, Ahab steered his ship to the side, wanting to avoid a collision with the ships.


    ¡°Ah, now they seem to be moving faster..hmm oh! There¡¯s even more of them! all around us!¡±


    Yuri was spinning around with the telescope against her eye, looking in all directions.


    ¡°What!? That means..they be coming for us! Why!?¡±


    Ahab was flabbergasted, to send this many ships must mean it was something serious.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask them ourselves.¡±


    Hikaru nodded toward an island they were closely passing by, appearing from behind it, was a small airship, also equipped with a red balloon.


    ¡°You are surrounded. Surrender peacefully and you will not be harmed.¡±


    One of the guards aboard the ship spoke loudly to them, his hand resting on his sword of sharp frozen paper.


    ¡°This was a planned ambush..?¡± Yuri was confused. Although she was sure other cities had plenty of reasons to arrest her, she was unsure why this one specifically would want to.


    ¡°You are accused of charges of theft. Illegal harbouring of weapons. And planned attack upon governmental property. Surrender now.¡±


    The guard spoke up again, holding a paper which he was reading from.


    ¡°What are you talking about, we never did any of that!!¡±


    Yuri interjected with an upset tone.


    (...But you did just say you wanted to ram the city..and we do carry weapons which might be illegal here..and we are more than qualified for being accused of theft..)


    Usually Hikaru would try and play along with Yuri¡¯s lies. But her claim this time was so absurdly false that he simply chose to not say anything.


    ¡°You are accused of stealing the boat you are currently in. It was to be government property as assured by its maker. We have an officially signed contract. I can see an illegal sword on one of you right now. And you are currently heading towards the city in a ship strong enough to fly through it unhindered, which is illegal due to how dangerous that is. You are hereby under arrest.¡±


    The guard declared, while the ships surrounding them were finally close enough to see properly.


    They could not escape, surrounded from every direction, with no ground to run on, and no magic to rely on. Even with Hikaru¡¯s superb ability at fighting, it would be difficult to fight in mid air while also protecting two people. They were caught.


    --


    ¡°Okay..! Phew..! I made it!¡±


    Helgi was breathing hard. He had a hard time finding any kind of usable ship. But was able to get his hands on a small one man flying ship, designed for quick short distance travel.


    It looked similar to a bicycle with a big balloon floating above it, and wings instead of wheels.


    It got its speed from being powered by the riders own legs. They had to pedal in order to make the wings flap, creating small gusts of wind that propelled the craft forward.


    And that was what Helgi had been doing. Furiously pedalling his floating bike like his life depended on it. Because although his life didn¡¯t. Someone else''s life, which was dear to him, was.


    He finally made it to a small floating island where he landed his bike and quickly ran to the edge to look for Yuri and the ship.


    ¡°Damn it, it was supposed to be here according to the soldier¡¯s plans! The reports said they had a ship and would be passing here..¡±


    Looking around he saw it, a mass of red ballooned ships were flocking around a single space in the air.


    In the middle of which was a big airship, with three figures standing in it.


    ¡°I¡¯m too late..! I couldn¡¯t get this information to them in time..! DAMN IT! I need to make an opening for them..! But they¡¯re so far away.. i won¡¯t make it in time.this damn thing is too slow!¡±


    He kicked the bike as hard as he could, making a piece of it fall off.


    ¡°Damn, how do i even! huh..?¡±


    Looking down at the piece that had fallen down, he discovered it to be some sort of rubber.


    Pulling on it, he found it to be incredibly stretchy and incredibly tough. Way more than anything this size should be.


    ¡°...Since they had no metals to work with..they ended up advancing the level of creations like this..since rubber is plentiful here. That is..good news for me.¡±


    Breaking off a branch of a nearby tree. Helgi tied the rubber to it, creating a simple sling shot.


    He took the sling shot and broke the handle, creating a sharp piece of wood which he thrust into the ground.


    Taking a small metal card from his pocket, he put it against the rubber.


    ¡°This better hit..haven¡¯t used a slingshot since i was a kid..¡±


    Crouching down, he grabbed hold of the rubber and began walking back while pulling on the rubber with as much strength as he could.


    Until the rubber from the slingshot that was stuck into the ground was stretched to 10 meters long.


    ¡°Now..I just..aim...it...correctly¡­¡±


    He began slowly adjusting the position in which he was pulling.


    ¡°Only..good thing..about this..is there¡¯s no wind..unless you¡¯re moving..in this place..surrounded by walls..¡±


    He hands were shaking, he was at his limit, his muscles were aching.


    ¡°Just..a bit..more..and..¡±


    He was about to take a deep breath and adjust the rubber one last time, when his fingers slipped due to the sweat. Releasing the amassed force in the rubber, shooting the metal card faster than a bullet. Whirling through the air towards its target.


    ¡°NO!!!¡±


    Unfortunately, due to his hand slipping. Helgi had absolutely no idea what it¡¯s target was going to be, friendly or foe.


    It flew away from Helgi faster than he could perceive, leaving him watching the sky for it with alarmed horrified eyes.

 Chapter 68: The unwanted man is wanted?

    ¡°Crap crap crap, what do we do, i can¡¯t use any magic right now..!¡±


    Yuri was panicking, ignoring the guard who was repeating his warning about attacking if they did not surrender.


    ¡°I can¡¯t attack any of them without leaving you two defenceless. So that is out as well.¡±


    Hikaru said, his hand resting on his sword, ready to deflect whatever projectiles they might launch against them.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t even been to a fight in my life!¡±


    Ahab also chimed in.


    ¡°Damn it, what do we do..if i could only use some magic to distract them enough to give Hikaru a chance to clear the way..¡±


    Biting her nails in deep thought, she could not think of a solution no matter how hard she worked her brain.


    ¡°We will fire our bows if you do not surrender! This is your last warning!¡±


    The guard yelled out, with the guards on the surrounding ships arming their bows with arrows tipped with freezed sharp paper.


    BOOOOM!


    One of the ships suddenly exploded. Separating the thin ship into two parts that dangled from its balloon.


    ¡°What the!?¡±


    Yuri exclaimed in surprise, while Ahab almost fell due to the shock.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what just happened..but this is our chance..Hikaru! Now! While they¡¯re distracted!¡±


    Hikaru had already jumped off the ship before she had began that sentence.


    He appeared on one of their ships, slashing through the guards before moving on to the next with a small jump which made him disappear from where he stood and reappear on another ship in an instant.


    Their numbers were getting halved each passing second, but that was still not enough.


    ¡°Hikaru!?¡±


    Yuri yelled as she and Ahab were slowly walking backwards to the end of their ship, away from the guards that had boarded the airship while Hikaru was busy.


    ¡°They¡¯re quick..¡±


    Hikaru reappeared in front of Yuri and cut the guards down in one swing.


    ¡°Hey sonny, there are more of em comin..!¡±


    Ahab pointed toward the distance, where a new line of red ballooned ships was quickly approaching.


    ¡°I took care of some of the ships surrounding us, can you fly through them now?¡±


    Hikaru asked Ahab.


    ¡°Aye, i can do that, but with the speed they¡¯re comin in, i doubt we would make it far before we¡¯re surrounded again, this ship ain¡¯t built for speed. I don¡¯t doubt they got more ships incomin, the fleet is extensive..¡±


    ¡°Then we need to get one that can match their speed.¡±


    Grabbing Ahab and Yuri, Hikaru jumped onto one of the guards ships that was now empty.


    ¡°Ahab, fly this ship, i will try and slow them down.¡±


    Jumping onto another empty guard ship, Hikaru headed toward the approaching ships.


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re leaving Ahabs ship!? How are we going to get to the bottom without it!¡±


    Yuri complained loudly.


    ¡°We will find another. With you unable to use magic, i must make sure you are safe. Go, i will catch up soon.¡±


    Saying this, Hikaru increased the speed of his ship, flying at a speed that did not intend for the ship to stop anytime soon.


    ¡°Ahh..my pappy¡¯s ship..damn those higher up bastards..! This is why my pappy never liked em!¡±


    Pulling on the ship''s lantern, Ahab piloted their small guard ship away from the incoming fight, aiming for the nearby floating islands that would provide cover as they escaped.


    In the distance, Yuri saw Hikaru¡¯s ship smash into another of the guards ships, exploding in a fiery blaze.


    ¡°...Better than fireworks, Show them what it means to mess with Yuri!¡±


    She cheered Hikaru on while watching the distant ablaze airships slowly falling into the darkness one by one.


    --


    ¡°Hey! Wait up..!¡±


    Resounded a yell in the empty air.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that!? Nother one of those damn guards!?¡±


    Ahab looked around for the source of the yell.


    ¡°No, look closely, it¡¯s Helgi!¡±


    Yuri exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Helgi! The blonde guy!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that other one who was with you..how¡¯d he manage to get here?¡±


    Still looking around for the source of the yell, Ahab had difficulty seeing much.


    ¡°On his..bicycle..apparently..?¡±


    Watching the strange bicycle with a balloon attached to it slowly land on the ship, Yuri couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°You came all this way on a flying bike..!? That¡¯s hilarious, where is your little alien that should be in the front basket, did you drop it along the way?¡±


    ¡°Very funny..Yuri..¡±


    Helgi breathed out in relief, while sliding from his bike and onto the wooden floor of the ship.


    ¡°It took all i had in me to catch up with your stupid ship, and i was already exhausted from pedalling this damn bike all the way from the city..¡±


    Splaying out on the floor, Helgi relaxed his sore muscles and almost passed out due to his exhaustion.


    ¡°Boy..you mean to tell me, that yuh pedalled just this bike, by yourself, all the way from the city..!?¡±


    Ahab walked up to him with unbelieving eyes.


    ¡°...Yeah? What about it..?¡±


    Helgi mumbled while closing his eyes.


    ¡°Those bikes ain¡¯t made for long distance travel, and it can¡¯t handle island to island travel even if they¡¯re right next to each other. If you really did ride this bike all the way over here...are you like that other sonny..the one with the sword who¡¯s older than me..?¡±


    Ahab was trying to rationalise something that was impossible to explain. No normal human could ride this bike for that long and across this distance, it simply, was beyond anything a human could endure.


    ¡°What..? No, i¡¯m just a normal guy..i do work out though, women dislike a flabby body..¡±


    He yawned while still splayed out on the floor.


    ¡°First a man who is as old as my dead pappy and who can fight off hundreds of guards on his own..then a man whose stamina seems to be infinite..what about you missy..do you also have some amazing power..?¡±


    Ahab looked over at Yuri, expecting something really extravagant.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m really good at stealing stuff!¡±


    She answered proudly.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Oh..a common thief huh..i guess third time¡¯s the charm.¡±


    Ahab nodded, underwhelmed but slightly relieved that at least one of their group¡¯s members was normal.


    Little did he know, that Yuri was likely the most abnormal one out of all of them. in more ways than one.


    ¡°Helgi! Stop sleeping! we were almost captured by some guards while you were off biking around!¡±


    She kicked his side lightly.


    ¡°Ow..Hey! What do you mean just biking around, i was the one who saved you ungrateful pricks! Why else do you think i pedalled all the way here on this rusty bike!¡±


    Slowly sitting up, Helgi began to massage his sore calves.


    ¡°What are you talking about, we got saved by one of the ships randomly exploding in a mysterious and unpredicted manner, after which you somehow conveniently appeared nearby!¡±


    She rebutted.


    ¡°That was me you airhead!¡±


    Yuri¡¯s head was rubbed with Helgi¡¯s knuckles.


    ¡°Owowow! What are you doing, i told you to never do that again a long time ago!¡±


    Escaping his grasp, Yuri jumped back, scowling at him.


    ¡°You deserved that, why won¡¯t you believe it was me who saved you guys, even though i probably pulled a muscle trying to get here in time¡±


    Helgi complained.


    ¡°Because! It can¡¯t have been you, because magic doesn¡¯t work around here, so how could you have caused that explosion¡±


    She argued.


    ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t work..? Mine works just fine, the cards you made for me, see?¡±


    He took out a metal card and activated the runes on it, making it explode into several electrical charges.


    ¡°Huh..? But whenever i tried to draw a new spell, it always failed..?¡±


    She demonstrated drawing a few runes and activating them, which resulted in barely anything worth calling a spell.


    ¡°Strange..Maybe it¡¯s not the spells that won¡¯t work, but the creation of them..?¡±


    Helgi suggested.


    ¡°...That actually makes sense. That would mean..that all the spells in my gauntlet should work?¡±


    ¡°Most likely? But don¡¯t waste them since you only have a limited supply drawn on your gauntlet, try it out when you¡¯re forced to¡±


    Helgi said.


    Yuri nodded and glanced at her gauntlet, she had luckily drawn spells on it before they set off back in Asur.


    ¡°Well, thank you for giving us an opening Helgi, you did good. Good job. well done¡±


    She praised Helgi while patting him in his head.


    ¡°...What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this why you complained about me not acknowledging what you did..?¡±


    She kept patting his head.


    ¡°A simple thank you would have been enough¡±


    Her hand was slapped away.


    ¡°Awh, alright, your hair was so soft though, very comfortable to pat¡±


    She gave the annoyed Helgi one last pat before jumping out of his reach.


    ¡°Anyway, how did you even find us..?¡±


    ¡°Ah right, i came across some significant information concerning both this beast of yours and possibly the relic, but before that, where is Hikaru, he should probably be here to hear this..?¡±


    Helgi noticed the absence of the usually silent knight.


    ¡°Oh Hikaru is right over there in the distance, still fighting this guards, i think he¡¯s done now, so he should be back any minute¡±


    Yuri pointed over at the smoldering burnt airships that slowly sunk toward the darkness below, with occasional corpses falling out of them.


    ¡°...Remind me to never get on his nerves¡±


    --


    Several minutes later, they sighted a half burnt ship fly over to them, housing a single passenger.


    Hikaru slowly stepped onto the ship Yuri and Ahab stole, as he did, the ship he was on began to sink down into the depths below.


    ¡°We should move, i saw movement in the distance, more are coming.¡±


    He immediately said, making Ahab fumble around towards the steering wheel.


    ¡°What about my ship, we can go get it before they arrive, can¡¯t we?¡±


    Ahab asked hopefully.


    ¡°No. That ship is too slow, their ships are light and built for speed. We wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    Shaking his head, Hikaru brushed off some soot from his clothes.


    ¡°Is everything fine?¡±


    Hikaru asked Yuri, while Ahab steered the boat into the opposite direction of where Hikaru mentioned seeing movement.


    ¡°Yeah! Helgi¡¯s here, he says he has something important to tell? But more importantly, apparently i can still use magic! At least the ones already drawn on my gauntlet! Isn¡¯t that great! Yuri the thief is back in action..!¡±


    Grinning at Hikaru, she pumped her fists and made an amusing pose.


    ¡°That¡¯s great Yuri, at least now i know you will be able to defend yourself should something happen¡±


    Her head was patted, while Hikaru smiled in relief, happy that Yuri would still be able to keep safe in his absence.


    ¡°Gather around already, i need to tell you this information before the guards attack again!¡±


    Helgi called everyone over to him.


    ¡°Uh? Should i come too? I¡¯m steerin the ship though?¡±


    Ahab wondered while steering the quick ship past and around various floating islands.


    ¡°You stay over there and steer so they don¡¯t catch up to us¡±


    Helgi dismissed Ahab.


    ¡°Awh come on, you¡¯re being mean! Ahab is cool too, for now he¡¯s part of the team! and i think the way he talks is so silly!¡±


    She made everyone walk over to where the steering wheel was located so Ahab could be part of the conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a normal dialect on the island i¡¯m from though...but i¡¯m grateful¡±


    He nodded at her while steering.


    ¡°...Anyway, as i was about to say.¡±


    Helgi began.


    ¡°During my search for clues on the relic, i found dozens of reports. Reports that all had one thing in common, they were about anyone under even the slightest suspicion of wishing to build a stronger ship or spoke about travelling below, even as a joke.¡±


    ¡°So..that confirms there really is treasure down below, that¡¯s great!¡±


    Yuri beamed at the confirmation.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all that was in the reports. They never mention what this thing they are safekeeping at the bottom is, but they always mention how it is vital to the survival of this country, and how it needs to be protected and hidden. That isn¡¯t all they mention in these reports. They have a list of people suspected to go against the government by breaking the unwritten law of exposing the truth about what is hidden.¡±


    Helgi looked directly at Ahab.


    ¡°The person who was perceived as highest threat, was you, Ahab.¡±


    ¡°W-What!?¡±


    Ahab almost fell back from his steering wheel.


    ¡°What, why would they suspect Ahab?¡±


    Yuri seemed unbelieving.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But that¡¯s why i didn¡¯t want Ahab to listen in. But someone insisted.¡±


    Yuri was given a blank stare Helgi.


    ¡°Ahahaha..sorry¡±


    She gave a half-hearted apology.


    ¡°Ah..my life is over..¡± Ahab was barely focusing on steering the airship, and leaning over the steering wheel, empty of energy.


    ¡°Hey cheer up, not like it matters that they suspected you before, since they now for sure have you written as a criminal since you are literally aiding us in doing the exact thing you were suspected for possibly committing!¡±


    She threw out that sentence without taking a single small breath while patting his back.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem..¡± Ahab slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Huh..? Then..?¡± Yuri tilted her head.


    ¡°If they suspected me all this time..then they must¡¯ve tailed me..so they probably know all of my secrets..¡±


    The old sea-captain looking man sulked.


    ¡°Huh..? What secrets?¡±


    ¡°My secrets ain¡¯t for a girl as young as you to know..it ain¡¯t proper.¡±


    He shook his head again.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not young, I¡¯m...how old was i now again..¡± She seemed to have trouble remembering her true age as she had gotten accustomed to being a teenager for so long. ¡°Right! I¡¯m twenty nine! So tell me damnit!¡±


    ¡°It ain¡¯t somethin a lady should hear either..¡±


    ¡°I was originally a man so tell me already!¡±


    She snapped, running out of patience.


    Blinking with confusion, Ahab looked over at Hikaru and Helgi, who nodded and shrugged in confirmation.


    ¡°Is that so..i suppose it¡¯s alright then..¡±


    Leaning over to Yuri, he whispered something in her ear.


    Yuri slowly began to get coloured in a deep red, the colour rising from her chest to her face and ears.


    ¡°W-w-ha-wha-wha-wha!?!¡±


    Stuttering, she took a few steps away from Ahab.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL!?¡±


    Her face was warm and her mind overheating, and in that confusion, she noticed she had thrown a punch at Ahab, making a deep dent in his face.


    Being as old as he was, Ahab collapsed immediately.


    ¡°...Ah, didn¡¯t meant to do that¡±


    She slowly realised what she had done.


    ¡°Yuri you really..¡± Helgi sighed.


    ¡°Hey, it wasn¡¯t my fault! He said something that terrible!¡±


    She protested while turning away, not feeling any remorse for her actions.


    ¡°..What did he tell you?¡±


    Hikaru wondered.


    Images of Ahab face plastered onto unspeakable scenes entered Yuri¡¯s mind. Making her shudder in disgust, her stomach almost letting out it¡¯s contents.


    ¡°You. Don¡¯t want to. Know.¡±


    She shook her head while groaning to make those scenes disappear.


    ¡°Wow that bad huh? Alright¡± Helgi put up his hands, making a gesture of being sorry for asking. ¡°Wait. Who¡¯s steering the airship now that Ahab is asleep?¡±


    All three of them looked over at the empty steering wheel that was spinning out of control, before their eyes were immediately drawn to the island about to ram into their ship.


    ¡°Oh crap..¡±


    Helgi muttered.


    ¡°Not this time..!¡±


    Yuri took out her dagger and flipped it upwards, puncturing the balloon above them.


    It quickly began to release it¡¯s hot air, making the airship quickly sink, until it sunk just below the island, the balloon scraping slightly against the bottom of the island.


    ¡°Well done Yuri, you saved the ship. I was was about to grab you and hop onto the island, while abandoning the ship.¡±


    Hikaru was impressed.


    ¡°Well~ I¡¯m not the brains of the team for nothing¡±


    She bragged while lifting her nose.


    ¡°...Right. Brains..¡± Helgi mumbled to himself.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Yuri looked over at him.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing~ That reminds me, about Ahab being a person of interest to this government..¡± Helgi began.


    ¡°It must have to do with Ahabs father.¡±


    Hikaru said with certainty.


    ¡°You thought so too huh?¡± Hikaru and Helgi looked at each other in understanding.


    ¡°Indeed. When i met him all those years ago. I had a strange feeling. That there was more to him beyond his eccentric behaviour. Although it was just a hunch. He was hiding something, i suspected that much.¡±


    Hikaru explained.


    ¡°Is that so..you might be onto something. I found the story of his father to be fairly peculiar. Why would he spread around tales about a beast living below without fearing the government. In fact how did he keep doing it for so long without them taking notice of him..considering they¡¯re so sensitive about anything concerning what¡¯s down below..?¡±


    Helgi wondered while glancing at Hikaru for clues.


    ¡°Mhm. I do not know that much, But that might have something to do with why Ahab is now a priority..¡±


    Hikaru and Helgi stood quietly for a while, wondering to themselves, while Yuri ran around in the background, fixing the torn balloon of the ship so as to not sink any deeper and regain their altitude.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now!¡± Doing a little jump, Yuri smacked them both on their heads. ¡°We lost our only way of finding out the truth! The ship that could take us down there..!¡±


    Both of them realised that any further discussion was pointless without the next clue, they needed to find out what was down there.


    ¡°That¡¯s why! We need to go get another ship!¡± She said with an easy going smile.


    ¡°They have surely sunk the old boat by now, where would we find another one..?¡±


    Hikaru wondered.


    ¡°Think about it, if you have a big secret that you¡¯re keeping, surely you want to check up on it every now and again to make sure no one has found it, right?¡± She explained.


    ¡°You mean you think..¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± She imitated Hikaru with a stern face before smiling ¡°They must have a ship strong enough to travel to the bottom, and that¡¯s what we are going to find, and steal!¡±


    She stood with a raised knee stance at the front of the ship.


    ¡°If my luck is good enough, the thing they¡¯re hiding there might be the relic itself..!¡±

 Chapter 69: Someplace between a rock and a hard place.

    ¡°I¡¯m back¡±


    Helgi said while walking through green bushes lush enough that they completely hid the view behind them.


    ¡°Finally! It¡¯s been so boring just waiting here¡±


    Yuri got up from where she had been sitting with Hikaru, leaned up in the same tight corner of their small airship.


    They were currently parking their stolen ship on a tiny floating island just next to the city. The lush green fauna worked well to completely hide their ship from every angle.


    ¡°It took a bit longer than i expected, i had to make sure no one saw my face. But my captain¡¯s uniform did the job, and i managed to get enough for everyone, hope they¡¯re the right sizes¡±


    Helgi handed Yuri a sack filled with military uniforms.


    ¡°Finally, i get to wear something cool for once!¡±


    Yuri was visibly excited to get some new clothes.


    ¡°There some for me too i hope?¡±


    Ahab appeared from behind Yuri and began rummaging through the sack.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go change in the bushes, you put on your new clothes in the meantime¡±


    She said, while taking the uniform that was small enough to be her size and jumping into the nearby bushes.


    ¡°...What the hell is this.¡± After a couple rustles of the bushes, Yuri walked out towards them, wearing something that pushed the definition of a uniform.


    ¡°...As i thought, it suits you!¡± Helgi leaned out of the way of a flying rock aimed at his face.


    ¡°Not funny Helgi! Here i thought i was finally going to wear something cool for once..¡±


    Yuri sighed in irritation, straightening the skirt of her uniform.


    Her new attire consisted of a skirt, a blouse and some boots. At least..they loosely fit into that category of clothing.


    Her skirt was a military green, looking convincingly military. That is if it weren¡¯t for the fact that it was short enough to almost show her behind. Letting out her bare legs on full display.


    Her new boots only helped to worsen the situation, by having fairly high heels that Yuri felt completely unbalanced on. They forced her to push her body up in such a manner that her behind was on even more display than it was with the already short skirt.


    The only saving grace of this uniform was the green blouse. Which was a simple military blouse. Except it was a sleeveless version, for whatever reason.


    ¡°...Lass that is very immodest.¡± Ahab commented on her appearance with a shake of his head. Although his eyes never left her.


    ¡°Yuri..your clothes are..¡± Hikaru furrowed his brow slightly while looking at her.


    ¡°I know! I look like..like..those girls that tell you the numbers at a lottery!!!¡±


    She cried out while tottering uncomfortably on her high heels. Ignoring the loud laughing of Helgi.


    ¡°This sucks..I¡¯ll just go change back..this outfit looks ridiculous.¡±


    Sighing softly, Yuri tried to walk back to the bushes again, but ended up missing a step on her high heeled boots, falling sideways.


    Her waist was suddenly grabbed by Hikaru in an attempt to save her from the fall. The force of his reflexive grab pushing Yuri closely against his chest for a few seconds, while he gently held her up onto her feet.


    ¡°Thanks..¡± She breathed out in relief while being held around the waist by Hikaru for support.


    ¡°You know Yuri.¡± Hikaru looked at her.


    ¡°Mm..?¡± She looked over at him while stretching her legs.


    ¡°I think your outfit fits you well.¡± He nodded while deep in thought.


    ¡°H-huh? What¡¯s that supposed to mean..are you making fun of me..¡± She looked away while pouting, still being held by Hikaru.


    ¡°I would not do that. I simply think¡­¡± He seemed to struggle with his words ¡°It flatters you?¡±


    Hikaru was unsure himself about why he seemed to like seeing Yuri wear that outfit, but he felt he should be honest. After all, she seemed insecure about it.


    ¡°W-what..? What..how..?¡± She pouted slightly more, but glanced back at Hikaru¡¯s thoughtful gaze.


    ¡°Hm..¡± (How indeed..) He thought to himself. ¡°It shows off your beauty that is normally hidden beneath your dress.¡±


    He nodded, satisfied with his answer. Her new blouse seemed a perfect fit for her adventurous character, and it was true that her legs and some of her arms were always covered by clothes. It was good to wear something short to let the skin have some natural sun.


    His thoughts were of an innocent nature.


    Yet Yuri saw it in a different manner,


    ¡°I-i see..um..i guess..i can wear it..if you think it looks good..¡±


    Despite his encouraging words, she clutched her skirt in worry while pulling it down slightly. Making sure it was covering her lower body.


    Ahab looked over at Helgi and whispered.


    ¡°Hey. Are they..always this..embarassin?¡±


    Ahab noted how Yuri was fidgeting with her skirt slightly while still being held by Hikaru.


    ¡°Not always..but always when it¡¯s the perfect chance to show off¡±


    Helgi raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yuri, is everything alright, you are quite hot to the touch and you keep touching your skirt. Are the clothes too warm?¡±


    Hikaru titled his head at Yuri.


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine really..¡± She mumbled while looking down.


    (Why did the prospect of him liking these revealing clothes appeal to me so much..i feel so happy..not like i¡¯m fond of dressing like this..am i..?)


    She kept looking down while trying to determine the cause for her joy.


    ¡°Yuri what is wrong. Really. Are you feeling sickly..?¡±


    Kneeling down, Hikaru looked up into her downcast eyes. Trying to determine if she looked sickly or not, and ending up looking directly into her eyes.


    Yuri¡¯s face lit up like a firework. A bright red that almost emitted light.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine..!¡±


    She took a step back, once again her heeled boots betraying her. She flew backwards, falling on her behind.


    ¡°Be careful Yuri, your clothes look good but i will have to fix these troublesome shoes of yours.¡±


    He said when he caught her from falling, his hand naturally holding her waist just above her behind.


    ¡°Eek..!¡± She let out a small involuntary sound.


    ¡°Did you hurt yourself!?¡± Hikaru looked at her in worry.


    ¡°No. No. I¡¯m fine. I can stand. Just let go.¡±


    She waved her arms around in panic.


    ¡°Very well. but stand still. i can¡¯t have you tripping.¡±


    Kneeling down again, Hikaru gently lifted one of her feet.


    Putting her hands on his shoulders for support, she watched him silently. Her cheeks were warm and her heart was beating fast. One of her hands slowly drifted to his hair. She thought it was different seeing him from above for once. His hair looked very comfortable to the touch, and she had to hold back from touching it, for fear of more awkward situations.


    Taking her boot in one hand, he broke off the long heel with the other hand. He did the same with the other boot.


    ¡°This should make your movement easier.¡± Hikaru stood up and waited for Yuri to do something.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yuri blinked repeatedly, still slightly confused with herself.


    ¡°Is it easier to walk now?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Walking. yeah, it''s fine now..¡±


    She took a few steps, confirming that her steps now felt unhindered.


    ¡°So..go wear your uniforms, Hikaru, Ahab..Helgi go make sure they put it on correctly¡±


    Yuri shooed them away into the bushes.


    Slowly breathing out while they were far enough away, Yuri looked down at her feet.


    (...It was a nice feeling..being touched like that..gently..without running around from enemies..)


    She moved her feet around while looking at them thoughtfully. Her hand moved to just above her behind, where Hikaru had caught her earlier.


    ¡°...Mmmm..¡±


    She felt some strange need well up inside her. Yet it wasn¡¯t the usual need for riches and fame. It was an equally greedy need, but it was anything but materialistic.


    ¡°I¡¯m..probably just in need of a massage. That¡¯s r-right..being a famous master thief is tiring work! Of course i would feel like that! After we are done here, i¡¯m going to find the spa and rest for a week! A good massage will make these strange feelings go away..! and Helgi said i was bad at reading emotions..obviously i¡¯m better than him, since i am the great Yuri! Muahahaha!¡±


    She laughed loudly, loud enough to wash away her insecurities.


    ¡°..Whats the lass laughin a storm bout?¡± Ahab asked while taking off his clothes, a distance away from the airship.


    ¡°Who knows. Just ignore her, she tends to weird everyone out. I¡¯ve known Yuri for years, and she still manages to weird me out..¡± Helgi chuckled.


    ¡°I do not find her particularly weird, as you say it?¡±


    Hikaru raised an eyebrow curiously while buttoning his new shirt.


    ¡°...Seriously?¡± Helgi was slightly shocked at first, but the shock quickly changed into simple realization accompanied by a sigh.


    ¡°Guess you wouldn¡¯t think that no. Considering..¡± Helgi paused. ¡°Anyway. You missed a button! How are you idiots so useless at buttoning a simple shirt!¡±


    Helgi walked over to Ahab and Hikaru, fixing their shirts for them.


    ¡°During my many years, i have only ever found the need to wear armour. Buttoned clothes tend to get tangled with chainmail.¡± Hikaru explained.


    ¡°Aye. Same reason with meh. Cept instead of amour, i usually wear a raincoat. Comes in real handy, when a customer aint happy with what i ask in payment and throw their drinks at meh.¡±


    Ahab grumbled at the unfairness of the world, where an honest man like himself has to endure such hardships.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you deserved it¡± Helgi commented.


    ¡°Oi! I did nothin to deserve that sort of treatment, all i did was ask em to pay double or i would leave em on an empty island waitin to get lucky enough for another airship to pass by¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry, my bad. Maybe you should have actually worn armour instead. Since that usually ends up with having rocks thrown at you, not just a drink or two¡±


    Helgi finished fixing their shirts.


    ¡°Nah, i reckon they didn''t want to anger me so much that i¡¯d leave em, it¡¯s the perfect scam- I mean business deal!¡±


    Ahab laughed.


    ¡°I believe my attire is in order, what are your thoughts?¡±


    Hikaru made sure by asking the other two.


    ¡°You look spiffin, lad¡±


    ¡°Hm. Not great, but passable. ¡° Helgi nodded.


    ¡° I will see what Yuri thinks of it¡± Hikaru walked back to the airship.


    ¡°Yeah you do that.¡± Helgi waved at him ¡°Her opinion is the only one he cares about anyway, so why ask us¡± He shook his head.


    ¡°So, those two..are one and not two, right?¡± Ahab asked.


    ¡°What..? Oh you¡¯re asking if they? Oh no no. No way. Not Yuri. Yuri has the experience of a child in these things. And Hikaru seems awfully stiff about it..¡±


    ¡°Ah youth..wait..that¡¯s a bit strange if yah ask me. Ain¡¯t he older than my pappy. What¡¯s he doin hangin round a gal that compares to an infant next to him. Or wait. She said she used to be 29..? And the lad does look young himself¡­¡±


    Ahab was getting more confused by the second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too hard. They both obviously has something going on. Even if they aren¡¯t aware of it. Just don¡¯t mention anything about it. They should go at their own pace.¡± Helgi nodded wisely, gaining respect from the aged man before him.


    ¡°With me to supervise of course¡­¡± He added before looking away, immediately losing the gained respect from Ahab.


    Meanwhile, while Yuri was walking around, trying to convince herself that she was fine. Hikaru jumped onto the airship, his new clothes fluttering in the breeze.


    ¡°Yuri. i would appreciate your opinion on whether these clothes fit me not.¡±


    He spoke up right behind her, while she was mumbling to herself.


    ¡°Wah!¡± She jumped away ¡°Oh Hikaru it¡¯s you..you¡¯re wearing the new clothes...huh..¡±


    Yuri paused, staring at the uniformed Hikaru.


    He wore a uniform that was extremely tight fitting. Whether that was by design or due to it being slightly too small was difficult to perceive. Although Yuri didn¡¯t seem to have much thought about that when she stared at Hikaru.


    His pants were a similar green, like her skirt. Like her skirt, the lower body part of the uniform, tightly hugged the wearers body, not leaving much to the imagination. Revealing to Yuri the slightly bulging tight muscles of his calves and thighs. Each step he took strained the cloth with the moving muscles. She figured they were likely strong enough for him to support wearing any kind of armor, or lifting any kind of person, with ease.


    His upper body wasn¡¯t much different. A tight green shirt, with buttons aching to be ripped out from their cloth due to how much Hikaru¡¯s body was pushed outwards. He did not have impressive huge structure. However, all his muscles truly showed their capacity whenever he made a small movement. The cloth tightening due to the movement of his muscles, showing just how much power each muscle packed. It was a miracle his clothes hadn¡¯t ripped to shreds simply by him walking.


    ¡°This is why i prefer to wear armour myself. Clothes made exclusively of soft materials tend to rip easily whenever i make large movements. Especially if they are tight fitting.¡±


    Hikaru moved his shoulders slightly, making shis shirt slip up slightly during the movement, revealing his tight abdominal muscles.


    ¡°Yuri..? Are you listening?¡±


    He waved his hand in front of the eyes of the transfixed Yuri.


    ¡°Ah? Huh? Um! yes!¡±


    Yuri slapped her cheeks with enough force to make them red. Although she was sure they were red already.


    ¡°Um. yes! It looks very um..good. It...suits you..¡± She looked away, trying to regain her calm, occasionally not being able to help glancing back.


    Luckily for Yuri, she didn¡¯t have to endure her awkward situation for much longer. Ahab and Helgi slowly appeared from the rustling bushes.


    ¡°Well? what did the lass think of yah new dressings?¡±


    Ahab asked loudly.


    ¡°Hm? She said they suited me.¡±


    Hikaru said with a slight pride in his voice.


    ¡°Great great, but i doubt yeh can get anywhere near close to lookin as good as this!¡±


    Showing his new clothes, Ahab puffed out his chest.


    Like with Hikaru, his uniform was also incredibly tight fitting.


    It hugged his contours in a most unflattering manner, as he was an older man with a somewhat out of shape body.


    ¡°....¡± Yuri blinked.


    ¡°Hikaru. my eyes. stab them them please.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to go that far¡­¡± Hikaru turned sideways so his sword was facing away from Yuri.


    ¡°Hikaru. Please. I¡¯ve seen plenty of amazing things in my life already. I can live the rest of my life blind.¡±


    She insisted.


    ¡°Oi! Are yah mockin my great style! I haven¡¯t looked this good in years!¡±


    Slightly upset with how Yuri was reacting, Ahab complained loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mocking you!¡± She denied.


    ¡°But compared to..¡± Her gaze naturally shifted to Hikaru¡¯s body.


    It took all her strength to look away again, once she did, her gaze landed on Ahab again.


    She reached for her dagger.


    ¡°Yuri stop it!¡±


    Hikaru held her arms to stop her from committing a stupid act.


    ¡°Noooo! let me do it! Please!¡±


    She continued to struggle until Ahab finally relented.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll wear a raincoat on top, since yer makin a fuss bout it! Good now?¡±


    He put on a spare raincoat that was laying in the airship, which still showed his uniform but covered most of his body.


    ¡°...I guess..¡±


    Giving up, Yuri ceased trying to stab her own eyes out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just..go get that ship. I feel really..emotionally exhausted right now..¡±


    Sighing, Yuri motioned for Ahab to get to the steering wheel, while still not looking at him.


    ¡°Indeed. we should get moving. The faster we get there, the less likely they are to realise that the ship we are using is stolen.¡±


    Hikaru agreed.


    ¡°Despite them not having instant communication. There¡¯s still a big chance they might have received that sort of information already, their ships are fairly fast after all¡±


    Nodding, Helgi covered his eyes with his hat in preparation.


    Ahab flew the ship over to the far side of the large city, where another smaller island, floated just beside it.


    It was an island used as a hangar for all the guards ships. A building that extended above and below the island, housing countless quick small ships.


    Their airship slowly flew in from the top of the building, with Ahab attempting to steer it as confidently as he was able, despite him sweating buckets.


    ¡°Everyone should stay quiet and just follow behind me. I will talk since i¡¯m the one with the captain''s uniform..and Hikaru, cover that sword. Our cover will be blown if they find out it¡¯s metal!¡±


    Helgi pointed at Hikaru¡¯s obviously shiny sword.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Hikaru gave the ribbon on his sword a little poke.


    Shaking slightly, the little ribbon seemed to attempt to gesture a headnod. Hikaru¡¯s sword quickly became tightly bound in the cloth of the ribbon, covering it completely.


    ¡°Useful..i should get me one of those¡±


    Helgi seemed impressed.


    ¡°Alright, be quiet now!¡±


    Their ship slowly landed, a few guards quickly running over to greet them.


    ¡°Good day captain! how did the hunt for the terrorists go?¡±


    One of them asked while saluting.


    ¡°Terribly.¡± Helgi made an annoyed expression.


    ¡°They managed to get away. I¡¯m going to need a little talk with someone around here about the state of the ships we received. They were inadequate in every way. It was the reason why they managed to get away.¡±


    Helgi and the rest slowly got off the ship.


    ¡°..Blame your mistakes on others, that¡¯s high rankers for you..¡± One of the guards whispered to the other.


    ¡°What was that.¡±


    Helgi glared at them.


    ¡°Nothing sir! Please come this way, i will show you inside!¡±


    Helgi was quickly led inside by a panicking soldier.


    One of the other guards walked behind them with Yuri and the rest, as he assumed they were of the same rank.


    ¡°Tough dealing with a snob like that everyday huh?¡±


    He asked them.


    ¡°Ah, i guess?¡± Yuri answered plainly.


    ¡°It sure be a troublesome experience, i¡¯ll tell yah that lad!¡± Ahab laughed a bit too loud and a bit too awkwardly, his nerves not doing much to help him.


    ¡°...Right¡± The guard completely disregarded Ahab, focusing his attention on Yuri. His eyes never leaving her. Although they weren¡¯t looking at her face.


    ¡°So, how long have you been working as a guard?¡±


    He asked her while walking.


    ¡°Uh.. i don''t remember? Time flies when you have fun..!¡± She smiled as best she could.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a tough job this! So you know..if you¡¯re ever having some sort of trouble, i¡¯d be glad to offer some help¡±


    The guard slowly rested his hand on her back in a friendly manner.


    ¡°Right..Sure. We¡¯ll see¡± Yuri answered awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh we will¡± The guards hand slowly slid further down Yuri¡¯s back.


    ¡°Um..¡± She felt incredibly awkward. She didn¡¯t want to say anything that would get their cover blown so soon.


    ¡°She is fine. She has me to help her when she needs it.¡±


    Grabbing the guard¡¯s arm, Hikaru pulled it away from Yuri and glared at the guard.


    ¡°What the! Hey let go man! Geez..¡± Pulling his arm away from Hikaru¡¯s grip, he quickly walked away.


    ¡°If you had a boyfriend then you should have said something!¡±


    The upset guard walked ahead and went inside.


    ¡°Hey! he¡¯s not my-!¡±


    Yuri protested.


    ¡°Leave it be, lass, yuh don¡¯t want more trouble do yah?¡±


    Ahab warned her.


    She nodded, glancing at Hikaru to see how he reacted. She felt slightly silly since she was the only one feeling flustered over the guard¡¯s use of that word.


    Once they were inside, they were met with a giant open space. Airships. Too many to count, hanged from various places inside. They were kept in place by simple ropes, keeping them suspended in mid air, so they filled every available free space inside this gigantic empty parking space.


    There was however, a single ship that wasn¡¯t strapped in mid air. In fact it seemed too heavy to do so.


    Sitting at the deep faraway bottom of the building. Was a giant battleship. Whatever wood it was made from wasn¡¯t visible due to all the metal plating it was covered in. It was so large and covered in metal, that Yuri felt it looked more like a tank with a balloon attached to it, than an elegant airship meant to fly freely.


    It was a robust tank that could only move while plastered onto the ground. Yet it had a balloon attached above it, as if to argue that it infact could fly, despite how ridiculous it looked.


    ¡°I believe that is the ship we are looking for.¡± Hikaru muttered next to Yuri.


    ¡°That is the ship..but believing it..that is something i can¡¯t do..¡± She kept looking down at the strange ship that didn¡¯t look like it could fly.

 Chapter 70: That which engulfs the void itself

    ¡°Captain, the head engineer is waiting for you. A meeting has been arranged¡±


    A random guard approached Helgi.


    ¡°Very well. lead the way¡±


    Helgi nodded at the guard who led him away into a deeper part of the building. Helgi squinted his eyes at Yuri while walking away,


    Noticing his look, Yuri nodded slightly in acknowledgement, before looking back at Hikaru and Ahab.


    ¡°We need to get to the airship, ready it for flight, and open a passage to exit from before Helgi reaches that meeting and our cover is blown!¡±


    She whispered loudly.


    ¡°Shall i dispose of all the guards and clear open a path?¡±


    Hikaru asked.


    ¡°No! Usually that would be a great plan, but if we do that, they might shoot the airships balloon once we board it. We need to do it without them finding out. So Ahab since you¡¯re the most proficient with airships..you will be the one preparing that armoured airship for flying, got it?¡±


    She nodded at the big steel plate covered airship at the bottom.


    ¡°But how am i goin to get past whatever guards they have and actually make em let meh do work on it..!?¡±


    Ahab was feeling more nervous by the second.


    ¡°I will take care of that part..i have my ways~¡± She winked.


    ¡°So while i talk to the guards the distract them..Hikaru i want you to do something else without anyone noticing..¡±


    Quickly whispering a few things to Hikaru, who nodded in understanding. Yuri grabbed Ahab and started climbing down the stairs toward the airship.


    Whilst Yuri and Ahab were busy walking down the long flight of stairs. In another part of the hangar building, Helgi was doing his best to play his part as an upset snobby captain.


    ¡°What are you talking about! The ships you gave me were faulty! Why else would they be so slow!¡±


    Helgi was yelling at a greasy man who was holding a wrench.


    ¡°And i¡¯m telling you, it was the incompetence of your own men that caused the ships to fly slower!¡±


    The greasy man yelled back.


    ¡°My men are trained professionals with years of experience handling airships, there was no incompetence to speak of!¡±


    ¡°Obviously a few years too short i say! How can someone experienced fail so miserably at handling a simple airship! It was MADE so even the dullest could operate it easily!¡±


    Continuing to yell back at Helgi, the greasy man hit his wrench onto a nearby table.


    ¡°Are you calling my men dull!?¡±


    Helgi walked closer to the greasy man, looking him in the eye.


    ¡°Damn right i am. Now get out before i restrict all further access of airships to your platoon!¡±


    Folding his arms, the greasy man stared back into Helgis eyes with conviction.


    ¡°Very well. But someone of higher ranking than you WILL hear of this.¡±


    Smiling bitterly at the greasy man. Helgi turned around and began walking away. Hiding the relief at his pretentious pretending being over for now.


    ¡°Hey hang on..your uniform..¡±


    Helgi was stopped by the greasy man behind him.


    ¡°What about it. Did you manage to dirty my uniform without even touching it. The insolence.¡±


    Sighing, Helgi turned around towards his conversation partner.


    ¡°No. Your uniform is clean. Unfortunately. But the strips on your shoulders. I thought everyone from your platoon and below are supposed to be off duty for this week..?¡±


    The greasy man raised an eyebrow.


    (Crap. This is probably why i found this uniform. The guy who should be wearing it is off duty..!)


    ¡°...Yes well some things came up and i decided to pass over taking a break just yet.¡±


    Shrugging slightly, Helgi looked at the greasy man with a look that said ¡®None of your business¡¯.


    ¡°Well alright. What¡¯s your name captain. I need to write it down, since i got a complaint from you¡±


    The greasy took out some smudged paper and a pen.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s William Redgen.¡±


    Helgi said with a nod of affirmation.


    The pen paused after Helgi mentioned the name ¡®Redgen¡¯.


    ¡°One of the Redgens..? I heard about what happened. I¡¯m terribly sorry about your grandfather.¡±


    Pating Helgi on his shoulder, the greasy man wore an apologetic look on his face.


    (What..? There¡¯s actually a family with that name around here? I just chose that at random. Shit.I can¡¯t pretend to not be part of the family he¡¯s referencing. I mean how many Redgens are there anyway.)


    ¡°Right. Well. He lived a long life.¡±


    Helgi answered vaguely.


    ¡°That he did. Terrible for it to end like that though, after all he¡¯s been through¡±


    The greasy man nodded.


    ¡°Yes well..everyone has to die eventually.¡±


    Helgi tried answering grimly in order to end the conversation.


    ¡°Dying..!? I thought he only lost all of his companies and went bankrupt! Did he kill himself!?¡±


    The greasy man opened his eyes wide shock.


    ¡°Uh. Yes. It was very unfortunate.¡± Helgi went with flow.


    ¡°How did he end it. That damn crazy bastard..¡±


    ¡°Well. I rather not talk about it..¡± Helgi averted his eyes.


    ¡°Yes i understand..¡± The greasy man nodded. ¡°Well i¡¯ll let you be on your way. Sorry for your loss again.¡±


    Helgi began to walk away again when a guard ran up to the greasy man holding a letter.


    ¡°Sir! Rik Redgen is waiting outside, he told me to give this to you and asked for you. Said it was important, about borrowing money?¡±


    The guard said and ran off after delivering his message.


    ¡°...Rik is alive..?¡± The greasy man opened the letter and looked at it for confirmation.


    Meanwhile Helgi was slowly sneaking away from the room.


    ¡°Your grandfather is alive! Wait he¡¯s probably not even your grandfather..! Guards! GUARDS! Intruder! We have an imposter posing as a captain! Lock the doors!¡±


    The greasy man began yelling at all the guards around him.


    By that point, Helgi was in a full sprint down the stairs, several guards already on his tail.


    ¡°Crap crap crap..! Yuri please have the ship done by now..!¡± He breathed out to himself while running.


    --


    ¡°-So that¡¯s how i ended up being called the dine dasher! I refuse to pay for an overpriced meal, but i sure as hell will eat it! Since i am the great Yuri after all, no dinner is safe!¡±


    Yuri was bragging to a bunch of guards who seemed fairly amused by her stories after having been bored out of their minds being on guard duty.


    ¡°Ey..Yuri..that name sounds awfully familiar..¡± One of the guards stroked his chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Well of course you have! I used to be very famous when i was younger! didn¡¯t you listen! I was known as the illusive dine dasher! Those may not have been my glory days, but they were fun days. Miss being that young¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    She reminisced slightly while bragging.


    ¡°Girl, you aren¡¯t nearly old enough to be missing being young, once you get to my age you¡¯ll see! And boy do i have stories from my younger days to tell that would outshine your little escapades!¡±


    An older guard slapped his own chest while also bragging.


    ¡°I doubt they could be any better than my stories, after all, i¡¯m the legendary Yuri!¡± She denied his claims.


    ¡°Oh yeah!? Well then let¡¯s see which one of us everyone thinks has had better adventures as kids! You¡¯re still a kid so i doubt you¡¯ve had as many as me!¡±


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re on..¡± Narrowing her eyes, Yuri prepared her best stories from her childhood while more guards gathered around them to watch this duel of bragging.


    Which gave Ahab the perfect chance to sneak onto the armour plated airship and begin working on it.


    ¡°...Good job Lass...but i sure wish yah wouldn¡¯t just spout out yah name like that since yer a wanted person..¡± Muttering, Ahab set to work on the ship, getting it into flying condition.


    During this, Hikaru was slowly jumping from cover to cover, occasionally drawing his sword and swinging it at the ground without actually striking it, as if pretending to strike, or perhaps practicing where he would strike.


    ¡°Yuri! WE NEED TO GO, NOW!¡±


    Helgi was heard before he was seen rushing down the long stairs, the entire force of the guards stationed in this building gathered behind him in a frantic chase.


    ¡°Everybody catch this man! It¡¯s an imposter and a spy!¡± The guards chasing Helgi yelled.


    ¡°Intruder!? He called for someone called Yuri..¡±


    The guards surrounding Yuri slowly looked at her, finally realising something.


    ¡°You¡¯re the wanted terrorist..!!!¡±


    But they were too late in realising this, Yuri had already jumped up and escaped despite being surrounded by guards. Swiftly stepping on their heads and using them to walk over the human barricade of guards.


    ¡°Ahab! Light the lanterns! We¡¯re leaving!¡±


    She said at the frantic Ahab who was busy tinkering with seven things at once.


    ¡°But the ship isn¡¯t ready yet!?¡±


    He spoke while pulling a rope with his teeth as his hands were busy doing something else.


    ¡°Well get it ready, because we are leaving now regardless!¡± Yuri turned around and stood at the front of the ship.


    ¡°Hikaru! Do it!¡±


    Appearing from behind some storage crates. Hikaru quickly sprinted around the airship, continuously swinging his sword at the ground. He looked like a firefly with his tail of sparks coming from his sword slicing through metal.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    He jumped onto the airship once he had done a full circle around it.


    ¡°Helgi you better get your ass down here because we don¡¯t have time!¡±


    Yuri yelled out.


    The guards around them were pulling out their bows, preparing to fire at them, specifically the balloon of the airship. Which despite being made of tougher material, as this was meant to be a warship, would still end up being punctured if enough arrows were fired at it.


    One of the guards prematurely fired an arrow at the same time as Yuri had jumped up from the airship into midair.


    Activating her gauntlet which she now wore. One of the runic spells recorded in it shone to life with a deep bright red.


    ¡°If i¡¯m still a kid..then i guess this will be a good story to tell huh!?¡±


    Lifting her gauntlet up, Yuri clenched her fist and threw a punch directed below her.


    A mass of compressed air shot out from her gauntlet. As it headed down, it crossed paths with the previously fired arrow, crushing it into mere splinters while continuing on its path.


    Once it reached the metal floor of the building. The compressed mass of air exploded outward.


    BOOM! FWOOSH!


    Immediately following the explosion was the mass of air that slowed into powerful winds, pushing all the guards around them into the walls of the building.


    The explosion didn¡¯t only push to the sides. But it also pushed downwards. Now barely able to withstand the sudden force of the explosion. The small platform which Hikaru had cut out beneath the airship detached itself from the rest of the building. Slowly beginning to fall down along with the airship still situated on it.


    ¡°Wait for me!!¡±


    Helgi jumped down from the staircase. Taking out a small metal plate, he activated the spell drawn on it, shooting off water to propel him towards the airship. luckily he managed to land on the airships balloon which softened his landing.


    Yuri climbed her way up onto the airship again.


    ¡°Come on Ahab what are you waiting for!?¡±


    ¡°I..i can¡¯t do it! I don¡¯t got enough arms to do it! There¡¯s still louda things before i can make dah balloon work! Aye need to get these ropes around it so it doesn¡¯t get detached from the airship!!!¡±


    Working as fast as his old body allowed him, Ahab was pulling on ropes and tying them to the ship, while the ship quickly fell down into the darkness below, the building above them slowly becoming smaller.


    Yuri and Hikaru both grabbed onto some ropes and began tying them onto the ship.


    ¡°Helgi get the hell down here and help..!¡±


    Yuri yelled up at the balloon.


    Helgi responded by sliding down the balloon and landing onto the ship flat on his stomach.


    ¡°...Ow.¡±


    Despite being covered in armour, their ship was slowly getting dented in, similiar to how a can gets crushed in underwater pressure.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?, Ahab? Hikaru!?¡±


    Looking at both of the locals of this world for answers. Yuri was still holding onto some rope, tightly pulling the balloon stable.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t got no clue! What i do know is if we don¡¯t stop fallin we¡¯ll end up like a fat cats litter! Flattened..!¡±


    Despite being completely out of breath, Ahab still managed to push a joke into their situation. His will was stronger than he let on.


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Hikaru kept tying ropes.


    Eventually, Helgi also joined in helping them, his face red from getting smacked onto the ship.


    By sheer force of will and desperation. Partially aided with the ribbon on Hikaru¡¯s sword, which offered its aid by wrapping its ribbons around the balloon and ship.


    They managed to finally stabilise the ship.


    They slowly floated in the middle of nothing. Surrounded by nothing other than complete darkness. Even the air felt empty, free of any scent or particular heat difference. It was somehow the exact same temperature as each of their bodies. Truly giving them the illusion of being surrounded by nothing at all.


    The only light for many miles around, was the lights from the several lanterns keeping the ships balloon filled with hot air.


    They collapsed onto the their backs. Exhausted after doing the work that would have taken fifty men several hours, in a mere several minutes.


    ¡°Good job. You have graciously saved us once again.¡±


    Hikaru gently rubbed the ribbon, which vibrated happily.


    ¡°What about meee...i also did a good job dammit...i don¡¯t have the muscle for this kind of crap anymore..¡±


    Yuri moaned half heartedly, not having the energy to complain properly.


    ¡°You have also worked hard, good job Yuri.¡± She was patted on her head slowly by Hikaru.


    ¡°Of course i did..i¡¯m the leader after all..without me you would all be lost..¡± She yawned.


    ¡°Indeed..¡± He patted her until she slowly fell asleep. Lightly lifting the now completely passed out Yuri, Hikaru placed her head onto his lap to make sure her sleep was comfortable.


    ¡°...Ain¡¯t she a lucky gal. the world ain¡¯t fair at all..¡± Ahab muttered while also laying on his back, his limbs refusing to move.


    ¡°What? You wanted to sleep on Hikaru¡¯s lap first?¡±


    Helgi smirked at him from where he was laying right beside him.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t in the mood to throw a comeback lad..imagin i said something clever¡± Ahab sighed.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s going to be quite difficult.¡± Helgi kept the smirk on his face motionless and constant. Too tired to actually make a more natural expression.


    ¡°Yer a cheeky lad. Remind me of myself when i was yer age. Except less handsome of course.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone senile, old man¡±


    This idle conversation between Helgi and Ahab continued while Yuri snoozed on Hikaru¡¯s lap. Everyone recharging for a while, still floating in the middle of of a pitch black void.


    Eventually they had their fill of rest and got up.


    ¡°Yuri. We should get moving. We are wasting lantern oil.¡±


    Hikaru moved Yuri¡¯s hair from her face with a careful touch.


    ¡°Mmm..? but it¡¯s still night...let me sleep..¡±


    Yuri complained when she glanced around and noticed the darkness surrounding them.


    ¡°Yuri. It¡¯s always night here. Come on.¡±


    Hikaru lifted her up and forced her on her feet while she leaned on him, trying to get even a second of sleep.


    ¡°Come on princess! We need to find that beast and the treasure it has!¡±


    Helgi yelled at her while he inspected the damage to the ship.


    ¡°Treasure!¡± Her eyes opened wide ¡°And don¡¯t ever call me that!¡± She threw a piece of loose metal at Helgi.


    ¡°Hey stop that! It could be an important part of the ship!¡± Narrowly dodging her throw, Helgi continued with his inspections.


    ¡°By the way..what the hell was that earlier. Destroying the ship.¡±


    She referred to how their ship was slowly imploding while travelling down.


    ¡°...Not sure..but it acted exactly how it would if we were surrounded by water. Yet clearly we¡¯re not.¡± Helgi slowly traced his fingers on the indentations of the ship.


    ¡°..I might have an idea. Despite me not being proficient in magical studies. I have lived for long enough to have learned to..feel the changes in the air.¡±


    Hikaru closed his eyes.


    ¡°It was difficult to ascertain when we were panicking. But now i¡¯m sure. This air. It¡¯s filled with mana. No actually. The mana is moving..being dragged out of the air¡­.down below.¡±


    ¡°So..it¡¯s the mana that is causing this..?¡± Yuri asked.


    ¡°..Maybe. Whatever is sucking up all that mana is doing it very effectively. So there is a lot of mana surrounding us right now. Thick enough that if we were more magically attuned..we might be experiencing the symptoms of drowning.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s so much mana, i should be able to use my dagger again..!¡± Yuri took out her dagger and instantly drew a rune.


    ¡°Still not working..¡±


    ¡°I suppose whatever is sucking in the mana is doing it fast enough that it steals it before it gets imbued into your rune..¡±


    ¡°Damn it..i guess i still have my five spells on my gauntlet..¡±


    Sighing softly, Yuri looked over at Ahab and Helgi.


    ¡°Well what are you waiting for! Let¡¯s get down there already!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing work while you were asleep and chatting. so why don¡¯t you go and lower the output of the lanterns..¡±


    Helgi kept checking the hull of the ship of further damage while Yuri slowly began to lower the amount of hot air in the balloon, making them sink down.


    After several hours of slow descending, they noticed a sudden spike in the air. The temperature dropped to freezing, and even the incredibly magically unattuned Yuri could feel mana being sucked away from around them.


    She felt as if she was standing in the middle of a flowing river, desperately trying to stand against the powerful current.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how far down we¡¯ve really gone..¡±


    A slim metal card was retrieved from Helgis pocket, which he promptly activated, lighting the card on fire.


    Before it could burn his fingers, Helgi dropped it outside of the airship.


    Everyone watched the single dot of light slowly decreasing in size as it reached deeper depths.


    ¡°Ugh...we still haven¡¯t even gotten anywhere..¡± Yuri began complaining but was cut off by Helgi.


    ¡°Look.¡±


    He pointed at the tiny dot of light, barely visible in the darkness below.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s falling down. I wonder if there even is a bottom to this place..¡± She sighed.


    ¡°It isn''t. Look again. It isn¡¯t disappearing or decreasing in size.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stopped..!¡± Yuri began jumping excitedly.


    ¡°Well let¡¯s go to the bottom!!¡± Turning towards Hikaru, she tugged at his sleeve.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Carry me and jump down! I¡¯m sure you can survive a fall if it¡¯s just a few kilometers..! Let¡¯s go let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Yuri..i don¡¯t think even Hikaru is able to survive something like that..¡±


    Helgi added with a worried smile.


    ¡°Aye. The lad is strong as all seven hells, but no one is immune to turnin to a pancake..!¡± Ahab agreed.


    ¡°Psh! Hikaru is! I¡¯m sure he can do it, so come on, i don¡¯t want to wait any longer! You can do it, right Hikaru?¡±


    Tugging his sleeve again, she received no response from him.


    ¡°..Hikaru..? Whatcha doing..?¡±


    Looking at his face, she found him looking into the infinite darkness in front of the airship.


    ¡°Whatcha looking at..? Even your eyes can¡¯t see in this darkness, stop messing around Hikaru..¡±


    Yuri squinted in the same direction Hikaru was looking.


    As she expected, she could see nothing but absolute darkness.


    But...the more she looked. The more she could tell..some of the darkness. Was darker than the rest. As if it was sucking up whatever little light was coming from their airship. She also noted that was the direction the mana was getting pulled towards.


    ¡°Hikaru..what is that¡­¡±


    She mumbled quietly. Despite being loud just a moment ago, she now felt a strange fear that the darkness would somehow...hear her.


    ¡°....I am¡­.unsure¡­¡± His tone shook slightly. It was very rare for Yuri to see Hikaru behave this way.


    Concentrating her eyes to their limits. Yuri could make out that it was not a singular darkness ahead of them, but two. Two points that absorbed anything and everything around them. Two points of darkness that seemed to almost..be looking at them. Like eyes.


    ¡°...I..cAnT bElIeVe yOu hAve forGoTTEN me alReAdY...yEt yOU fiNallY reTuRn..¡±


    Something entered their mind, speaking these words. Calling it a voice would be incorrect. It did not know language, whatever it was. It simply pushed its thoughts, intrusively, into everyone¡¯s minds. Vile incomprehensible thoughts. That made what it wanted to say twist and turn, like a cancer invading their minds.


    The vileness associated with simply receiving these simple few words into their minds made them dizzy and sick. The body wishing to rid itself of this poison by throwing it out, despite it not being a physical poison that could be gotten rid of.


    It was so intense, that everyone ended up momentarily sinking to the floor. Their bodies refusing to function. Everyone except for Hikaru, who stood calmly.


    Despite his calm demeanour. His expression..it betrayed the completely unhidden true feelings.


    Feelings that could not be comprehended by any human. If one had to translate these emotions to human ones. The only ones roughly similar would be..shocked horror. Although that did not do the emotions Hikaru was feeling any justice, it was the closest plausible example.


    ¡°....How..how can this be..¡±

 Chapter 71: Lurking shadows of free dreams

    ¡°Why must we rule and let the others be ruled..? I don¡¯t understand it..¡±


    A young boys voice touched the leaves around him ever so gently.


    ¡°That is simply how it is. Without our guidance, they would have no direction in their lives. Without them to give direction, we would lose ours as well.¡±


    A much older voice spoke. Despite the voice being louder and much deeper, it barely made itself known to the world around it.


    It was a voice that one could hear clearly, yet never feel bothered by. As if it was always meant to be there. Part of the background, like the soft barely noticeable breeze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...it seems a bit strange to me..why can¡¯t we and they just find our own directions without having to rely on each other..?¡±


    The young voice said hesitantly, the leaves quivering with his uncertainty.


    ¡°Why..? Well you see..no one has ever tried doing that. Besides. It would disrupt the system we have built up. Everyone¡¯s lives would be plunged into chaos and disarray.¡±


    Relieving silence of its duty as much as it was part of silence itself. The older voice explained with certainty.


    ¡°But don¡¯t you think a world where everyone does what they want rather than depend on someone else for answers is..more fun?¡±


    A hopeful smile creeped into the younger voice, playing with the thought.


    ¡°...Fun? I cannot imagine ruining the rhythm and security of everyone¡¯s lives being fun. It would be against everything we stand to protect.¡±


    Lecturing, the older voice sighed silently at the naiveness of the younger one.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± The younger voice relented. ¡°Though..imagine a world where everyone could just..follow something different. Reach for something they feel close to. Maybe even create something..!¡±


    ¡°Them..? Creating..? That would be amusing. How could something as weak as them create anything of worth. I doubt they could manage to create something as simple as an insect.¡±


    The older voice dismissed that suggestion lightly.


    ¡°Well not like that..! I¡¯ve seen them make things though..fascinating things..! made from stones and trees and other living things!¡±


    Excitedly, the younger voice was retelling of the wonders he had seen.


    ¡°That does sound interesting..maybe you are right..¡± The older voice softened slightly, but upon noticing the grin of the younger one, he put up a slightly resistant attitude.


    ¡°But. It still does not mean that we must throw our system away. It is what lets everyone live in peace.¡±


    ¡°Yeah..but atleast you get it..! Sister thought everything i spoke of as childish and delusional..¡±


    The younger voice sulked.


    ¡°Now now..she is simply..well versed in our ways. And she does not spend her time idly watching lesser beings..¡± The older voice became slightly deeper than usual.


    ¡°Ah..forgive me. But it is so difficult to concentrate on the studies when there are things of much interest down below..¡±


    The younger voice became smaller with each word, perhaps due to guilt or shame of not properly engaging their duties.


    ¡°...I understand. You have always been curious. The things you do speak of are things to take of note..i will attempt speaking with the others of it. Perhaps your ideas can be implemented in some manner into our system. If i do manage that. I would be proud that my son was the first to inspire change into our system for the first time in...ever since its creation.¡±


    Despite not seeing the owner of the voices. The sounds of their breathing and words indicated in a strangely inhuman manner, that they were smiling warmly.


    One was an excited young smile, hoping for the unknown.


    The other a calm, proud smile, simply wishing for the other to smile as well.


    ¡°Thank you father!¡± The younger voice chirped to his father.


    ---


    ¡°.....I did not expect..to meet you here¡­.father.¡±


    Trying his hardest to keep calm without success, Hikaru gritted his teeth to try and slow his breathing.


    ¡°I hAvE BeEn hErE sInCe i wAs iMprISonEd. wHeRe ELsE wOuLd i bE..mY deArEsT SON¡±


    Once again invading everyone¡¯s minds. The voice of the thing inside the darkness, or which was the darkness, spoke to Hikaru.


    ¡°...I had hoped you were buried somewhere inside the core of this world. Hidden away beneath layers of molten rock.¡±


    Hikaru finally managed to get control of his breathing. It was still shallow and fast, but atleast now he was able to speak fairly coherently.


    ¡°yOuR rAgE sTiLL bUrNs tHaT StRoNgLy inSiDe you..hAs TIME nOt qUenCheD yOuR bLoOdlUsT..?¡±


    The voice spoke in a slightly disappointed tone. Although tone applying to something expressed in pure thought was something difficult to grasp.


    ¡°It will always rage inside me. For as long as yours does, i shall never calm the flame that will burn away your corruption.¡±


    Clutching his chest, Hikaru stared right into the two spaces of complete black. Whatever forces caused them to absorb the mana and light around them, also caused them to absorb the light from Hikarus eyes. Essentially robbing him of his sight. Despite that, his eyes never left the two spaces of dark, that were the eyes of the being he was speaking to.


    ¡°mY fLaMe hAs oNlY gRoWn lArGeR iNsIdE mE. I hAd hOpEd yOu woUlD hAvE ACqUiReD tHe SAmE MindSeT As ME.¡±


    The voice rumbled loudly through everyone''s minds. Luckily, everyone except Hikaru had fainted by now. If they had not, they would have likely gotten close to death simply from having the being¡¯s voice echo at such a strength through them.


    Hikarus nose was bleeding from its intensity, but his body stood firmly, if shakily, in front of it.


    ¡°Well I hope your flame keeps you warm. Because that is all you will have for an eternity. Until you either revert to what you were before..or you weaken enough for me to finish you off.¡±


    Drawing his sword, on which the ribbon was shaking in wild fear, he pointed it into the darkness.


    ¡°....i sEe..tHeN i mUsT ReGretFullY tEll yOu tHaT i dO nOt pLaN to StAy hErE lOnG eNoUgH fOr tHaT tO hAppEn.¡±


    ¡°...If you are talking about sister''s attempts to free you. Then i must also regretfully inform you that i..and my companions..will personally stop her. Without all of the relics. Nothing will free you of the chains crafted by the collective effort of all higher beings.¡±


    Hikaru sheathed his sword, thrusting it into the sheath with a bit too much force. Tearing his leather sheath.


    ¡°...cOmMenDaBle. HoWeVer..hEr efFoRtS wErE nEvEr to FrEE mE..FrOm ThEsE..cRudElY MadE ChAiNs..¡±


    The clacking of metal chains echoed through the empty darkness, shaking the airship.


    ¡°sHe WoUlD oNlY qUiCkEn mY FrEeiNg MYseLf..bY gRaNtInG mE cOncEntrATed MaNA..eVen wIthoUt heR..i wIlL aCqUiRe mY fReedOm..iN tIme..mY sTrenGth oNlY gRowS..¡±


    At those words, the absorption of the mana increased in power. Slowly moving even the airship along the flow of mana, moving toward the being.


    ¡°.....How is this possible..!? The chains should seal all of your strength..! You shouldn¡¯t be able to move, much less absorb the mana of the world..!¡±


    ¡°...It iS nOt..tHe mAnA oF tHe wOrLd. iT iS tHe mAnA of tHe..lesser...beIngs..i hAvE sTrUck a DeAl wIth thE lesser BeIngs aBoVe. I GRaNt oNto them mIniSculE knOwlEdgE..GranTing tHem thE aBilitY to leVitate pEbbles..iN ReTuRn..tHey supPly me..wItH tHe ManA oF aNy BeIng whO eNters iNto tHe mOuNtAin waLLs Meant tO trAp me. NOw tHey oNly TrAp mY littLe kEys to FreEdom.¡±


    The chains kept clanking loudly enough for Hikarus ears to ache in pain.


    ¡° ...No...That cannot be. an entire country¡¯s worth of mana..that enormous amount..how long has this country been in existence..over that long period of time..how much..how much have you been able to accumulate!?¡±


    Hikaru slowly added his knowledge together. Releasing something that made his heart beat out of rhythm.


    ¡°eNoUgH tHaT wItHiN a lEssEr BeIngs lifetIme..i WiLl haVe brokEn tHrough tHeSe chainS..¡±


    The two spaces of complete darkness disappeared for a few seconds, before reappearing again. As if the being had closed its eyes for a bit.


    ¡°yOur sIsTer uNdErstAnDs..wHy Can¡¯t YoU aLsO..hAvinG ThEir oWn Child tUrn Against them is sOmEthIng No PArEnt wishes fOr..¡±


    The voice got solemn, less powerful and intrusive in everyone¡¯s minds.


    ¡°...You dare! You dare say i have turned against you!? Was it not the other way around!? You turned your back to me and my sister. Then you brainwashed her with your honeyed words. You dare say that..! you DARE..!¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Drawing his sword, Hikaru headed for the edge of the airship.


    ¡°You dare...say i have turned my back. When you have not given your decisions any second thoughts!? Despite having a near eternity of time here!? You are the one who keeps your back turned to me.¡±


    ¡°sOn. yOu dO nOt sEe tHe bIgGer pIcTuRe..¡±


    ¡°No. I do. Because i was the one who told it to you. Except i grew up and understood its flaws. Yet you followed a child¡¯s dream and made it extreme.¡±


    ¡°iT wAs nOt aNy Child¡¯s dream. It wAs MY cHild¡¯s dream. iT wAs. a GoOd Dream. tHe oNly ThIng ThAt FinAlly madE SeNse. ThE oThers dId nOt See it. yet yOu aNd i DiD. i Will fuLfilL mY pRomIse. tHat dream ShAll bEcOme a REALITY!¡±


    The mana in the air shook from the power of the voice. The air was uncomfortably still as the voice travelled only through mana.


    The mana shaking, was enough to move the ship back towards its original floating space, before it got slowly sucked in toward the being again.


    ¡°...Even if i wanted to. I would never agree to that foolish idea. I now have someone i care for. I will not let you ruin the world they reside in.¡±


    ¡°..iN tHe nEw wOrlD tHerE wilL bE bEtter lesseR bEinGS to ChooSe from. oNes tHat aRe Truly FREE.¡±


    ¡°...She is free. More free than me. Definitely more free than you. More free than other higher beings. She is what will bring this world the freedom to follow its own way. Whether i encourage it or not. I will prove you wrong. ¡°


    Never having felt this determined in his life, Hikaru stood his ground against a being that had the ability to erase him from existence without lifting a finger. Determination was a weak word. What Hikaru felt was a combination of his complete and utter trust in Yuri, and his conviction of following her despite her actions, because to him, her actions meant something more than mere thrill seeking as they did to Yuri.


    Her each and every action was the personification of his childhood dream.


    Actions unhindered by the logic set upon this world by the gods of old.


    Actions that followed nothing except what her own heart felt worth following. A loose red string in a cloth rug made of different variations of grey, all equal in their uniformity to create an image that no one would bother remembering.


    Yet now. The oddity of the red string would sit upon the minds and memory of any observer. To Hikaru, Yuri was the one person who gave this world any meaning.


    She was a personification of his childhood dream. Someone who was free to do as they wished.


    ¡°YoU belIeve a singLe leSser beIng is oF mOre value thAN an EntIre nEw wOrld of Free bEings..?¡±


    The being seemed amused.


    ¡°ThEn lEt uS seE..mY soN..whiCh of Us will bE fIrst to AchievE a WorlD that iS Free..¡±


    The air began to shift around them. The mana was no longer getting absorbed in a uniform manner. It was raging wildly. The source of this chaos would normally be unknown. An anomaly that should not happen.


    This time however. There was an obvious source right in front of Hikaru. A being that should not exist in the realm of mortal beings. Yet was still forcefully imprisoned here.


    ¡°I won¡¯t accept any of your dares or games. I will make sure you do not escape. And that is that. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±


    Hikaru coldly dismissed the being, despite their airship shaking violently enough for it to get torn apart.


    ¡°TrY yOur BesT. FoR if yoU fAil. I wiLL maKe sure to FirSt comE aFtEr thiS leSser bEing yoU conSider FreE. I WiLL shOw you thAt even shE is NoT fRee oF her faTe. bEing thE firsT steP foR a wOrlD wherE alL fuTure bEings arE fRee frOm eveN the ShackLes of Fate ITSElf.¡±


    The two spaces of complete darkness slowly began to dim as the being finished its sentence. The air raging harder the dimmer its eyes got.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch YURI!¡±


    Hikaru found himself walking toward the edge, the muscles in his legs tensing tightly for a jump. His nerves had snapped, once this immortal being, who was someone he at some point considered dear to him. Threatened someone who was truly dear to him.


    ¡°I will not let you attempt to escape your rightful chains. I will make sure you are stuck here. Until this world dies naturally, and everyone here abandons it. Leaving you here alone. In a dead world. With only a single free being. If you call being alone free.¡±


    Hikarus face twisted with rage. His emotions which had been kept under lock and key, were now boiling to the surface. Emotions of anger and betrayal he had not felt in many years.


    Yet he stopped before he jumped. Not because he suddenly felt a clarity of mind. It was because there was something stopping him from jumping. A weak force pulling on his arm.


    ¡°..Hikaru..don¡¯t..leave..¡±


    Yuri had somehow managed to stand up, her entire body barely holding her up. Her grip on his arm was so weak that he could likely shrug her off with a literal shrug.


    In his mind, her grip felt as steady as that of a steel chain wrapped around his arm.


    He could not move. He couldn¡¯t deny her request.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay..Hikaru..i won¡¯t let that thing..do anything to you..¡±


    Yuri squeezed his arm in a reassuring manner, misunderstanding the reason for why Hikaru was upset, likely because her mind was still dizzy from the beings intrusion.


    ¡°...Of course. You are the great Yuri after all, no?¡±


    Hikaru smiled as his rage slowly melted away. He glanced back into the darkness, but the presence of the being that was his father was now gone.


    An especially powerful wave of raging mana infused wind hit against their airship. Almost flipping it upside down.


    Yuri slowly shook her head, her mind finally clearing.


    ¡°Ugh¡­.Hikaru..what¡¯s going on though...my head is all fuzzy..¡±


    She sleepily rubbed her cheek on Hikarus arm.


    ¡°Why is everything shaking..¡±


    Her mind still putting everything back together, she looked around her realising where she were.


    ¡°Oh yeah! The monster..! I heard it talk!¡±


    ¡°....Indeed. I will explain things to you once we are out of the risk of being stuck here forever.¡±


    Hikaru referred to the strange winds about to tear their airship apart at any moment.


    ¡°Make sure you do! Because i didn¡¯t get any treasure!¡±


    Yuri ran over to the lamps, increasing their burning and filling the airship balloon with hot air, quickly lifting it up.


    ¡°Hey wake up, you idiots! You missed the show!¡±


    She kicked at the unconscious Ahab and Helgi who moaned in pain while grabbing their heads.


    ¡°Ugh what was that...my head''s splitting open with pain..¡± Helgi slowly got up.


    ¡°Come on, hurry and help me out, you weak minded Helgi! I felt fine almost right away!¡±


    Bragging she kept quickly turning up the heat of the lanterns one by one.


    ¡°...Probably because there isn¡¯t much of a mind to feel pain in there anyway..¡± Rubbing his temples, Helgi walked past the unconscious Ahab and began binding ropes that had come apart due to the monstrous winds.


    ¡°What was that!¡± Yuri squinted at Helgi.


    ¡°I said your brain is small! Small!¡± He yelled at her.


    ¡°Why you! i¡¯ll show you small!¡± She began kicking loose wood and metal toward Helgi, who did the same, while they both struggled with getting the ship in proper working order.


    ¡°Alright, i think i got it!¡± She said, as the airship quickly began to rise up through the darkness, toward the world above them.


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    Hikaru was leaning slightly over the edge, looking down into the darkness, as if he was unsure of something.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re free from that wind...Hikaru. What was that thing..that you talked to..? You seemed to know each other? But i was slightly out of it so i missed most things..¡±


    She came up behind Hikaru, and stood next to him.


    Around this time, Ahab began to wake up, mumbling questions. He was shushed by Helgi who was carefully listening, awaiting Hikarus response with squinted eyes. He had heard one thing that he was sure of. Hikaru called that thing his father. Something that the gods he met while travelling to this world, mentioned. ¡®


    It was of high importance to him, since it was related to his promise. his contract that he signed in exchange for being allowed passage to this world.


    So he listened.


    ¡°That thing. Was something i had mentioned to you before. When i mentioned the only beings seeking the godly relics. A fallen one. One who used to be a god. But is now forced into the mortal realm. weakened. It was also...the one i called. My father.¡±


    Hikaru said that last word with such disdain, it almost sounded like a derogatory term, instead of a familial one.


    ¡°Oh..i see. So you hate him?¡± She asked lightly, wind flowing past her hair while they quickly ascended.


    ¡°More an it than a he. And more than hate. I believe what i feel is closer to disgust. If i do not stop him. He will end up breaking free of his shackles. He will try to fulfil the perverse dream that used to be mine. If anything it is my responsibility to stop him. Since i am the one who granted him his seed to madness.¡±


    His voice was heavy. Whether it was guilt or hatred, was difficult to tell. Although it was easy to tell how much it weighed upon his heart.


    ¡°I see..i did manage to hear a bit about that..could you..tell me more..if that¡¯s okay?¡±


    She asked carefully, she felt true concern for Hikaru, concern and curiosity. She knew nothing about him or his past, yet they were close companions. What kind of mediocre leader is she.


    ¡°Mm..i might as well tell you. Since now all of you know my father to be a monstrous figure. As you know. I am not human. In fact i am older than most ancient cities in this world. My father, my sister, and i. We were banished. From the realm above.¡±


    Hikaru spoke slowly and precisely, his tone perfectly clear. He wanted Yuri to know this.


    ¡°...An ancient god..¡± Ahab mumbled before being punched by Helgi to quiet down.


    ¡°No. I never did fully achieve a status of god before my banishment, neither did my sister. Despite my lifetime being ancient compared to yours. My memories only stretch a human lifetime or two. I ended up losing a lot of memories during my days as knight.. That is the reason i did not know of this being the sealing place of my father.¡±


    He clutched the metal edge of the airship, squeezing it.


    ¡°It all made sense. The mountain walls made to trap him in. The hole meant to keep him from contact with any mana or creatures. If only i had realised this before.¡±


    He cursed at himself.


    ¡°Hey you couldn¡¯t have known, at least you do now right?¡±


    Yuri tried to be positive.


    ¡°If i had noticed a lifetime ago, i might have put a stop to his mana collection. Who knows how much strength he has managed to accumulate..it all made sense when i give it thought. Even with a godly relic, floating this many islands is impossible without proper technique. Which he granted upon the people trying to settle in this protected space. letting him slowly grow in power without being disturbed..¡±


    ¡°Hikaru. Stop beating yourself up over it.¡±


    She held his bigger sturdier hands between her smaller more fragile hands and squeezed.


    ¡°You know. I never had a family. I never had a father, i wish i did, i really do. But my luck wasn¡¯t that strong apparently¡±


    ¡°..I¡¯m sorry about that Yuri¡± Hikaru looked down.


    ¡°No, i¡¯m not saying this for pity. I¡¯m saying, i may not know how it feels like to be betrayed like you were by someone that close to you. What i learned during my younger days as the scum of society, is that humans..or i guess in this case, any intelligent thing, are like cogwheels. Society works by each cogwheel moving each other cogwheel in some way. So for example, if you were the cogwheel that made your father become horrible. It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    She squeezed his hands more.


    ¡°How am i not at fault for being directly responsible for creating this monster.¡± Hikaru spit out.


    ¡°Because..¡± She gently stroked his hands ¡°Even if your cogwheel hadn¡¯t done it, another persons cogwheel would eventually reach his through a chain reaction. It would have happened anyway. Things that can happen will always eventually happen.¡±


    Holding his hands, Yuri looked at Hikarus eyes..


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why or how your father betrayed you. But know this..i would never ever betray you.¡± She held his hands closely against her chest.


    ¡°So don¡¯t feel down because of a weird thing that can¡¯t even talk using real words. Because you have me!¡±


    She smiled warmly at him while still squeezing his hands against her.


    ¡°..Thank you Yuri..¡± He felt the world brighten around him from her simple touch and smile.


    ¡°..You can let go of my hand now Yuri¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh sorry!¡± She hadn¡¯t realised she was still squeezing his hands and let go, slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°Sorry, your hands were just so firm and i wanted to hug them and see how nice they would be embrace..um i mean, in case you have to rescue me by carrying me of course!!¡±


    Flustered, Yuri looked away, feeling her ears heat up.


    ¡°Ah. Indeed. Your hands were also incredibly soft..and incredibly gentle..¡±


    Averting his gaze, Hikaru felt a strange feeling coming over him, which he tried to shake off.


    ¡°Um. Anyway! Don¡¯t worry about not noticing your father being here. Because even if he has collected as much power as a nuclear bomb, there is a way we can stop him from collecting more mana and seal him for good!¡±


    Announcing this mostly to hide her embarrassment, Yuri stood proudly in front of Hikaru, looking at him and at the rest.


    ¡°What is a nuc..lair..bomb?¡± Hikaru tilted his head ¡°And how would we accomplish something like that. Resealing a being that powerful, would take several gods working together. It is impossible for us..¡±


    ¡°Non non non! You¡¯re thinking about this the wrong way, Hikaru! You¡¯re thinking about sealing his magic by using binding magics, right?¡±


    She waved a finger in front of her.


    ¡°How else would one ¡­¡±


    ¡°Easy! From what i¡¯ve seen, mana acts as a sort of atom! While atoms can easily pass through solid material. like flesh and water. What about..if it was several kilometers worth of rock. The mana would get stuck, right? Which means.no more absorbing magic!¡±


    She nodded proudly.


    ¡°Yah can¡¯t mean..¡± Ahab walked up from behind Helgi.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious..¡± Helgi widened his eyes.


    ¡°Yuri surely this is not what i believe it to be.¡± Hikaru wanted to sigh, but ended up smiling.


    ¡°We are going to blow up all of the islands and the surrounding mountains so they block this hole forever!¡±


    She said happily, excited over her idea.


    Helgi and Ahab collapsed backwards in shock.


    Hikaru kept smiling. This was truly what he liked about Yuri. She was always..unpredictable. If this wasn¡¯t freedom, what was.


    ¡°And people say i don¡¯t take care of my companions.¡± Yuri smirked while looking up at the light slowly approaching above them.

 Chapter 72: Gliding to genocide!

    ¡°Yuri..are you seriously planning on destroying an entire country..even for you this is a tad extreme don¡¯t you think..!¡±


    Helgi got up and walked up to Yuri, who was looking back at him with a curious expression.


    ¡°Well i can¡¯t just let that monster escape.¡± She glanced at Hikaru ¡°No offense Hikaru¡±


    ¡°None taken. That is an appropriate way to describe what used to be my father.¡± Hikaru nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Okay good.¡± She looked back at Helgi and continued ¡°Especially when it means so much to Hikaru. We¡¯re partners now, so we have to stand up for each other through thick and skin!¡±


    Holding up her fist in front of her, she nodded determinedly.


    ¡°..I think you mean through thick and thin. And what are you even on about! Just because you got the hots for him, you¡¯re going to destroy an entire country for him!?¡±


    Helgi held out his arms, motioning her absurdity.


    ¡°Wha. H-hey! I do not have the hots for a guy! I¡¯m a man damnit..it¡¯s just because we are close now..! Like family..!¡±


    Fighting through her flustering. She shook her hands in front of her dismissively.


    ¡°Then would you do the same for me? Me and you are basically family too, aren¡¯t we. What would you do if it was me in his position? Tell me.¡±


    Folding his arms, Helgi waited for her answer.


    ¡°Weeeell..i guess i would just..tell you to get over it and to deal with it whenever it does happen..and i would promise to help then..¡±


    Pursing her lips, Yuri looked away and added ¡°Which i totally would!¡±


    ¡°Right..now compare that to what you¡¯re doing for Hikaru..see my point? Seems a bit unfair. You want to be fair to those closest to you right?¡±


    Trying to stop Yuri from committing another ridiculous genocidal level act, Helgi tried to make her downplay her commitment for Hikaru to the same level she had for him. Cleverly adding the part about her being interested in him, in order for her to attempt to to deny her affection for him and deny his claim, thus stopping her from committing her ridiculous act.


    Her answer to his clever plan was not what he expected.


    ¡°Ugh! fiiine. You¡¯re both important to me, so if something similar happens to Helgi, i will also ruin a country for you, okay?¡±


    Sighing, she looked at Helgi to see if he was happy with her answer.


    He had not expected this. Instead of downplaying her commitment to Hikaru, she instead chose to power up her commitment to him as well.


    Hikaru smiled at Yuris commitment to those close to her and rubbed her head softly.


    ¡°Mm..?¡± She glanced at Hikaru before continuing her conversation with Helgi.


    ¡°...Why do you still look unhappy. You want even more? How greedy can you be!¡±


    She made an irritated expression.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. Just that this world seems to have made you even more unbelievable..¡±


    After that response. Helgi had no choice but to give up. There was no way to beat that sort of commitment from Yuri.


    There was however, still someone who did not agree with her decision.


    ¡°Hey! What the hell are yuh talkin about!? Yer wanting to destroy my country!? Are yah insane! How many people would die! Besides this is my countreh! Yeh can¡¯t just destroy it however yah want!?¡±


    Ahab yelled angrily.


    ¡°Do you have any family living here?¡±


    Yuri asked blankly.


    ¡°Not since my pappy died, No, why?¡± Ahab answered.


    ¡°Any friends? Lovers?¡± She added.


    ¡°Well..the nature of my job needs meh to be very casual with people so..¡± Ahab began but was cut off by Yuri.


    ¡°That¡¯s a no then. And what about this being your country. Doesn¡¯t your own government want to kill you? You have no future here anyway right?¡±


    She said with a bored expression.


    ¡°I mean..fair point but that still doesn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°What about your last living relative. Your father. Wasn¡¯t his whole legacy about making people aware of the monster below? Surely by defeating the monster and sealing it away, you¡¯re sort of immortalising his legacy. Making sure that something good came from his journey below. Potentially saving many countries. Making yourself and your father, literal heroes¡±


    Yuri spoke fast, filling Ahabs head with half baked reasonable sounding arguments and dreams of heroism.


    (Though i¡¯m just doing it because it¡¯s important to Hikaru..)


    ¡°A-aye..i believe yer right..sealin away the beast is worth it..¡± Nodding while slightly confused. Ahab agreed and went back to steering the ship.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with people skills Helgi¡± She grinned.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really call that people skills though..you just pressured him until he accepted it..¡± Helgi shook his head.


    ¡°Hey it worked didn¡¯t it. Besides we always need a driver, it¡¯s convenient!¡±


    She looked over at Ahab who was now steering the ship again.


    ¡°Hey Ahab, you made sure to steer us off a bit right?¡±


    Yuri asked, as they approached the the top of the gigantic hole.


    ¡°Huh? Why would i be doin somethin that unpredictable, we could crash into an island above us!¡±


    Looking at her with a squint, he wondered about the nature of her ridiculous question.


    ¡°Because..otherwise, we will end up right where we got down. At the guards main airship base.¡±


    She pursed her lips and sighed.


    ¡°Oh. Right. I guess i forgot since what the lad said was so unbelievable.¡±


    Ahab was still dazzled by what Hikaru had told them and by Yuri filling his head with her words.


    Hikaru was the son of a former god. Almost a real god himself. or would have been at least, which doesn¡¯t make it any less impressive.


    ¡°Aye still can¡¯t get over the fact we got someone that woulda had churches built for him by now! Right here! On the same ship as this old sack of bones!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s very impressive¡±


    Helgi answered dismissively, looking out into nothing.


    ¡°Yeh don¡¯t sound vereh impressed?¡±


    ¡°No, i am. Just deep in thought right now..going through an old conversation. Which happens to be related to the subject at hand..¡±


    Closing his eyes, Helgi scratched his head as if having trouble remembering.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s it about, son?¡±


    Ahab inquired.


    ¡°Just a private promise i made. Trying to remember to make sure i didn¡¯t remember it wrong..although i really hope i did..¡±


    ¡°Is everythin alright sonny..? Yah know a promise is nothin but an exchange of words. If it¡¯s somethin yah don¡¯t like, you don¡¯t have to do it.¡±


    Ahab advised.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Yes, i¡¯m sure you know a whole lot about breaking promises, you conman of an airship driver¡±


    Helgi smirked and turned away.


    ¡°Well, curses be had with me tryina help!¡±


    Ahab fumed while concentrating on steering the ship.


    (Too bad this wasn¡¯t a normal promise.)


    Helgi looked over at Yuri, who was busy chatting with Hikaru, in an effort to cheer him up.


    ¡°Come on Hikaru, Hi~ka~ru~ i wanna know, please~¡±


    Pulling on Hikarus sleeves while dragging her words, she kept pestering him.


    ¡°I much rather not.¡± Hikaru denied her request.


    ¡°What are you up to now, Yuri?¡±


    Helgi walked over to them.


    ¡°Hm? I¡¯m trying to get Hikaru to tell me more about how he used to be like as a child¡±


    She smiled mischievously and pulled on Hikarus sleeve.


    ¡°So come onn~ Tell me about little Hikaru~¡±


    ¡°Yuri. How indecent of you. I thought you were a more innocent girl than that.¡±


    Helgi reprimanded her while wearing a grin plastered over his face.


    ¡°What are you talking about..? Wait you think i meant..his..no!¡±


    Yuri held her hands up in front of her.


    ¡°That¡¯s now what i meant at all!¡± She was blushing heavily while denying the claim.


    ¡°What are you referring to Yuri..?¡±


    Hikaru asked, oblivious to the underlying meaning of Helgis claim.


    ¡°Well it means that she wants to know more about your- mnpff!¡±


    Helgi was stopped from finishing his sentence by Yuri physically stopping his mouth from moving by covering it with her hands.


    ¡°About your childhood! Like i was mentioning earlier! Yes only that!¡±


    Smiling awkwardly, she continued holding Helgis mouth.


    (Though..i am pretty curious...considering his body..WHAT AM I EVEN THINKING!?)


    Releasing Helgis mouth, she pinched herself hard enough to tear up.


    ¡°Very well..if you feel that strongly about it. I relent.¡±


    Hikaru finally agreed after seeing Yuri tear up, falsely assuming it was because of her being upset at him.


    ¡°Alright! What did you do as a child, tell me all about it!¡±


    She perked her ears to their limit.


    ¡°What i did as a child..i believe it was mostly studying. How to be a functioning god, how steer the believers, a lot of history about all the events concerning gods. Considering how gods were effectively immortal..the history concerned enough material to last a thousand years of learning, most of it minor disputes or similar things...¡±


    He sighed from merely remembering that ordeal.


    ¡°That sounds..like an ineffective way of teaching..¡±


    Helgi smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Boring too.¡± Yuri nodded.


    ¡°It was very dull. Due to that, i would often sneak out, towards where the edge of the grass was. A cliff that fell into the mortal realm. I would sit there and stare at the people and animals. The mortal realm was fascinating. The environments were so different in each place. With it, the animals and the people changed drastically as well. I would spend hours looking at the everyday interactions of mortals.¡±


    Smiling fondly at his nostalgic memories, Hikaru continued.


    ¡°That is also why i chose to learn the way of the blade.¡± Hikaru motioned to his sword.


    ¡°Because you thought it looked cool..?¡± Yuri asked.


    ¡°That as well,¡± Hikaru chuckled ¡°It was due to how fascinated i was with mortals using tools and technique. Honing their skill. Using their entire concentration. For them, combat was a matter of life and death. Any edge they could get over their opponent was as important as breathing. It was a completely different world from how the gods fought. For them combat was just another minor event. They fought using their instinct and innate powers. There was no reason to hone their skill. Since the opponent would not die anyway. Even if they lost, it wasn¡¯t of much importance since their life is never in danger.¡±


    ¡°I seeeee. So you were entranced by the excitement and risk of losing. Kind of like how exciting it is to steal a valuable well protected item, for the fear of being caught at any moment..!¡±


    She felt a slightly deeper connection to Hikaru. He wasn¡¯t as stoic as he tried to make himself appear. In fact he was similiar to her. That made her incredibly happy for some reason. Much more happy than finding a similar interest with a close friend.


    ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s something wonderful. Living in a world of risk. It is a kind of freedom i envied. So i would train with a stick, day in, day out. Without using strength exceeding that of a mortal, i tried to make it as authentic as possible. It got me crude remarks from my sister, but it was well worth it.¡±


    While reminiscing, Hikaru closed his eyes.


    ¡°Sounds like you were a very driven kid..¡± Yuri smiled while listening, Hikarus fondness for his past being pleasing to observe.


    ¡°I was. Although my sister was even more driven than me.¡± Hikaru opened his eyes into a furrowed squint.


    ¡°She spent her every waking hour studying and learning from the others. She wanted to become a god worthy of her title like the rest. That is probably why she took father''s side. For me, our banishment to the mortal realm was a blessing. For her..it was a curse robbing her of her dreams.¡±


    Hikaru closed his eyes and sighed softly.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault.¡± Yuri put her petite hand over Hikarus roughened larger hand.


    ¡°If i had kept my mouth shut about my foolish dreams. If i had tried to take most of the blame. Perhaps then my sister would have been sitting where she wanted..¡±


    Feeling the regret coming back to his voice, Yuri squeezes his hand again.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault or intention to ruin her dreams. It was the incompetence of your so called father for dragging his family into trouble.¡±


    She assured him.


    ¡°Indeed..it does however..feel unfair. My desires of wanting to live in the mortal realm were granted. Yet her desires of staying where she thought herself to belong, were neglected.¡±


    ¡°The world is unfair. It was her own choice to resort to helping her father. It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    She assured him again, stroking his hand slowly.


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right..¡±


    He answered dully, though Yuri knew that he did not believe that. All she could do to ease his pain was simply to be there for him.


    Meanwhile, somewhere on the other side of the world. Standing with her claws against the neck of an unfortunate human. Was Sk?ll, about to finish off her prey. She was interrupted by a sudden itchy feeling in her nose.


    Achoo..!


    Her sudden sneeze gave the person she was holding the opportunity to escape.


    ¡°Someone must be talking about me..¡± She wiped her nose with her fur covered hands.


    ¡°Ah he ran away. Well whatever. I got another relic, might as well head back.¡±


    --


    ¡°Almost at the surface now, prepare yerselves, aye will head straight for the nearest floatin island for cover¡±


    Ahab said while walking up to the lanterns and decreasing their strength.


    ¡°Alright, then our next course of action should be..getting me more spells. Much more spells.¡±


    Yuri smiled with a glint in her eyes.


    ¡°I doubt there are any mass supplies of magic spells here. The most they have are basic utilitarian spells. I looked through various military documents, there was no mention of anything more powerful than a magic spell to cool their food supplies¡±


    Helgi said with a shrug.


    ¡°Since Yuri is not able to produce runic spells around here. That does not leave us with many options.¡±


    Hikaru added thoughtfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing! There is a really easy way for me to-¡±


    Her words stopped halfway through as they were ascending into the surface.


    All around them, for as far as the eye could see, were airships floating under familiar red balloons.


    ¡°Aye think that¡¯s the least of our problems right now..¡±


    Ahab said, shrinking behind the steering wheel.


    ¡°Craaaap..how did they find us!?¡±


    Looking around while sizing the impossible number of airships around them. Yuri saw a familiar building sticking out in the background. The same building they had so roughly escaped from along with their new airship.


    ¡°....Ahab... you...IDIOT! I TOLD YOU TO MAKE SURE WE WEREN¡¯T CLOSE TO HERE, DIDN¡¯T I!?¡±


    She yelled at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!? I tried to steer it away from there, but it was hard to tell where i was going in the darkness!¡±


    Ahab cowered beneath the steering wheel, hoping the guards would fail to notice him.


    ¡°Well sorry doesn¡¯t cut it..! Sorry Ahab, gonna have to leave you here. Helgi prepare your spells to create a smokescreen, i will use two spells and blow away as many of their ships as i can. While they panic, Hikaru will carry us both away, using their own airships as footing.¡±


    Quickly making a plan in her head, Yuri prepared her gauntlet.


    ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t leave me here!!¡±


    Ahab cried out to the rest.


    ¡°You will be fine. Just surrender peacefully and we will make sure to break you out later~¡±


    She smiled with clear intentions of never coming back for him.


    ¡°Yah can¡¯t do that! They¡¯ll kill meh! The lad is strong surely he can lift me as well!¡±


    Desperately trying not to get abandoned, Ahab clung to Hikaru.


    ¡°Like i said..just wait in jail, and it will work out..so..¡± Yuri was pulling at Ahab to make him let go of the poker faced Hikaru ¡°Just go and surrender peacefully!¡±


    Yuri and Ahab continued to struggle while Hikaru looked upon them trying to pull on his body. His eyes blinking stoically, before he grabbed both of them by the collars of their clothes.


    ¡°Calm yourselves. There is no time, decide now, before we are covered in arrows.¡±


    Hikaru said, glancing at the ships surrounding them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Yuri. I always wondered what it would be like being a hedgehog¡±


    Helgi shrugged.


    ¡°This would be much easier if you would just man up, you old man!¡±


    Yuri clicked her tongue at Ahab.


    ¡°Like i would let myself be captured! They have meh as a number one priority for some reason, remember!¡±


    Ahab yelled loudly, frustrated.


    The guards at a few of the ships closest to them began to shuffle around strangely.


    ¡°You are that for a good reason!¡±


    Someone yelled from among the guard ships.


    The guards who had moved earlier began attacking the other guards on their ships. Most of the guards were slashed down by their fellow guards. At least on the ships closest to them. Confusion and chaos erupted among the other guard ships, unsure if they should fire upon their friendly ships.


    As soon as the confusion began, the guards who had attacked their fellow guards jumped off the airships.


    BOOOOOM!


    The airships they jumped off from exploded into bright light, before releasing the black smoke of the burnt wood and cloth.


    These ships being situated around Yuri and the rest, made for a very effective smokescreen against the other countless ships waiting to shoot all their ammunition at them.


    ¡°...What just happened?¡±


    Helgi said, completely surprised at this seemingly random turn of events.


    ¡°Perhaps we should ask these people.¡±


    Hikaru nodded towards the end of their ship, where several guards holding onto some sort of portable paragliders, stood quietly.


    ¡°You there! Who are you! If you¡¯re here to join my crew then forget it! Unless you have some way to get us out of here, then by all means you¡¯re welcome!¡±


    Yuri approached the peculiar guards who began walking towards her.


    ¡°We finally found you..our leader..¡±


    One of the guards said while slowly approaching.


    ¡°Leader? Well if you insist i don¡¯t mind you calling me that¡± Yuri smiled with satisfaction.


    The guards walked past her.


    ¡°...Huh?¡± Stopping, Yuri blinked and looked back.


    The guards approached Ahab and bowed before him.


    ¡°Sir. We infiltrated the guards to create an escape route for you. You must come along with us please. For your own safety.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Uh? Well aite, as long as i get outta here!¡±


    Ahab agreed on the first suggestion that could get him out of the current mess.


    ¡°The smoke is dissipating. Sir, please hold on to me.¡±


    One of the guards advised.


    Ahab did as suggested and held onto one of the guards who then unfolded his paraglider and jumped down from the airship.


    ¡°....What is this all about! How come i wasn¡¯t the leader!¡±


    Complaining, Yuri folded her arms, watching the rest of the guards unfold their gliders and jump off.


    ¡°Yuri. We should probably follow them, since they have an escape route, you can pout later¡±


    Helgi sighed at her immature behaviour.


    ¡°I¡¯m not pouting. And fine, let¡¯s go, hold on to me you too!¡±


    Yuri activated a rune on her gauntlet and held out her arms, which Helgi and Hikaru wrapped one of their own arms around.


    They slowly felt their weight disappearing, until they felt almost completely weightless.


    Helgi and Hikaru ran off the edge of the ship while holding onto Yuri, just as arrows had began pouring through the veil of black smoke, and began to glide along, following the distant gliders of the fake guards who were carrying Ahab.


    ¡°Good thing i always have a feather fall spell ready...i would be fine even if it was the only spell i could use..¡±


    Sighing with relief as their ship slowly sank into the darkness, bombarded with arrows.


    The trip slowly followed the fake guards through the air, with Hikaru and Helgi using Yuri as some sort of makeshift magical paraglider.

 Chapter 73: Down with the wall up with the gall

    ¡°Where the hell are they flying, at this rate we will end up gliding back down to the bottom!¡±


    Yuri snapped at no one in particular. her arms were getting tired from being held onto by two men much larger than her, while they glid softly through the air.


    ¡°Hey, i¡¯m not the one who knows this crazy sea, i mean, air captain..! Ask Hikaru, he seemed close to him!¡±


    Moving over the blame to Hikaru, Helgi concentrated on not letting go of Yuri and avoiding falling into the deep darkness below.


    ¡°I cannot say that i knew him. I did know his father however. Although i have never heard of there being any oppositionary groups in this country.¡±


    Hikaru shrugged unknowingly.


    ¡°Neither did Ahab apparently..he looked as surprised as us. But still managed to go with the flow and abandoned us..that traitor..!¡±


    She wanted to shake her fist but doing so would lead to one of her friends potentially falling to their deaths, so she held back and restrained her irritation.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that exactly what you were doing to him though..¡±


    Looking at her with a incredulous expression, Helgi raised both his eyebrows at Yuri.


    ¡°That was different! That was for the good of the team! It¡¯s one for all! Not all for one! He was being selfish and left his team behind, he is so getting it when we finally reach him..¡±


    Narrowing her eyes at the miniscule figure of the glider in the distance, Yuri concentrated her body for the most optimal position of increasing their gliding speed. Which was apparently her pretending to be a bird in the middle of flight.


    ¡°Yeah i bet you¡¯d know all about being selfish..¡±


    Helgi shook his head.


    ¡°What was that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I said i bet you¡¯d know all about being a bird, since you are one now.¡±


    Helgi corrected himself for fear of being dropped to his death.


    ¡°Bird..? I¡¯m not a bird Helgi, i¡¯m a human, did you hit your head..?¡±


    She looked slightly worryingly at Helgi.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s what they call women in- ah never mind, yes i did, of course you¡¯re a human, a short cute looking human.¡±


    Helgi nodded.


    ¡°Call me short or cute again and i will drop you.¡±


    She glared.


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    He nodded again, a bit more stale this time.


    After some time, they eventually saw the gliders fly onto something in the distance. A giant ship, that was floating near the edge of what would be considered dangerously low for normal airships.


    It looked more like a floating castle with several balloons holding it up than an airship. Meant for housing, not transporting.


    Yuri floated down onto the giant airship along with Hikaru and Helgi, and finally released her feather fall spell, granting her back her gravity.


    ¡°Hey where did Ahab disappear to..?¡±


    Yuri noted his absence once she looked around.


    They were surrounded by several guards. No, they weren¡¯t guards, she realised. Despite their armour and weapons being nearly identical, the guards trademark red markings, were replaced with a deep blue.


    ¡°You followed us here. Please continue to do so. Follow.¡±


    One of the blue armoured guards spoke.


    ¡°First of all, where¡¯s Ahab, that bastard. And second of all. Who the hell are you idiots. Why would you build a floating home, when there are so many floating islands free for the taking. Trying to be unique without being useful is such a hipster thing to do¡±


    Shaking her head in disapproval, Yuri folded her arms.


    Helgi leaned in close to her ear.


    ¡°Yuri. See how their gear is essentially the guards gear but painted differently. I bet it used to be the guards gear before they got it. Also how their base is strangely hidden at the edge of what is suicidal for this kind of flimsy airship? To avoid detection by guards most likely. Yuri these are probably some sort of rebels or a similar organisation. Hell you should know. We¡¯ve come across a fair few of those ourselves, haven¡¯t we¡±


    ¡°Oh. Ohhhh. That makes sense now. I retract what i said about your base! It¡¯s a cool base!¡±


    She nodded while puckering her lips, as if seeing her surroundings in a new light.


    Several crossbows were aimed at them.


    ¡°Please follow.¡±


    ¡°Hey, i¡¯m sorry about calling you guys hipsters! You don¡¯t need to take it that seriously!¡±


    Yuri stepped back.


    ¡°We should probably just follow them for now.¡±


    Hikaru advised.


    ¡°Alright, alright. We¡¯re following¡±


    They were led to a small room which looked like the reception area for a dentist. It had sofas, strange propaganda looking posters, and tables filled with miscellaneous reading material.


    Yuri and Helgi sat down on the sofas, with Yuri laying down on the sofa and grabbing some reading material.


    ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t take long. For Ahabs sake.¡±


    She began reading through catalogues written in a language she obviously did not know.


    ¡°We must be patient. Their appearance did secure our escape safely. It would have been risky to escape otherwise. The least we can do is be patient.¡±


    Hikaru chose to stand as was his habit. He did not look at Yuri while talking. Her laying down combined with his angle due to standing, made something too visible whenever she moved her legs.


    ¡°..Indeed.¡±


    For some reason he felt an urge to glance. He managed to contain this strange urge successfully, and made sure to concentrate his focus on a random piece of paper he picked up.


    Some time passed, while Yuri and Helgi napped on the sofas. Hikaru was still reading through the mass of random papers while standing guard.


    ¡°Join the wall destroyers..free our nameless country and finally give it a name¡­?¡±


    He read out loud.


    ¡°Quite so, Lad!¡±


    The loud voice of Ahab woke up the sleeping duo.


    ¡°...you finally got here you lazy driver¡± Yuri yawned softly and stood up while stretching.


    ¡°Sorreh for the wait, aye¡¯ve been busy listenin to what these people have been tellin meh¡±


    Ahab walked into the room, his appearance having changed. His hair was cut slightly and fixed back with oil. His clothes had been exchanged with armour similar to what the guards wore, except his was a blue and golden colour.


    ¡°Seems to me like you¡¯ve been doing more than just listening..¡±


    She squinted.


    ¡°Aye, well i have to uphold mah new image of commander!¡±


    He stood straight for the first time since Yuri had first met him.


    ¡°Yeah right. As if they would want some random airship driver to join them, much less lead them. Stop lying Ahab and tell me where you stole that armour!¡±


    Yuri crumbled up a piece of paper and threw it at Ahab.


    ¡°I also want one!¡±


    One of the blue armoured guards stepped in front of Ahab, shielding him from the small paper and drawing his frozen folded paper sword.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Oy! Calm down, won¡¯t yah! It was just a piece of paper!¡±


    Ahab hit the guard on the shoulder, motioning for him to sheathe his sword.


    ¡°Sorry bout that, they¡¯re a bit jumpy, for some-¡±


    His eyes widened when he found two fingers resting against his throat, and a sword pointed at the neck of the jumpy guard.


    ¡°Sorry about that. He¡¯s a bit jumpy, for some reason¡±


    Yuri finished Ahabs sentence and motioned for Hikaru to stand down and sheathe his sword.


    ¡°I may have befriended your father. But anyone that threatens Yuri even by association should be careful.¡± Hikaru warned Ahab and sheathed his sword while taking a few steps back from the terrified guard.


    ¡°Uh..yeah..it was just a misunderstanding..¡±


    Ahab breathed out.


    ¡°A-anyway. You¡¯re probably wondering who these people who saved us are!¡±


    ¡°Rebels.¡± Helgi and Hikaru said at the same time.


    ¡°Uh. Well yer correct. Their goal is-¡±


    ¡°Open up the borders of the country¡± Helgi finished his words for him.


    ¡°What? well yes, how did yah-¡±


    ¡°What Hikaru just mentioned earlier. It makes sense if you look at how restrictive this country¡¯s contact with the outside world is. Any country which limits itself in this manner is bound to have internal struggles. I¡¯ve read about many such cases¡±


    Helgi explained.


    ¡°Alright fair enough. But the reason they want me as their commander is-¡±


    ¡°Because your father was the previous commander. I see..it now makes sense. The strange feeling surrounding him, combined with the reason for why you were so high up on the wanted listings of this country.¡±


    Nodding understanding, Hikaru widened his eyes, surprised at having not figured out such an obvious thing.


    Ahab felt annoyed at having his words constantly interrupted, so he took a deep breath and..


    ¡°Exactleh! He was the previous commander! But his rebel organisation the ¡®wall destroyers¡¯, were heavileh attacked and most of its members were captured! They didn¡¯t have enough evidence to pin down anythin on my pappy! So he was released! He did however continue to try and get people to look into the strange things the government did, like the beast down below they made a deal with! That¡¯s why he pretended to be crazeh and rambled about it all the time! So someone would look into it since his hands were tied! He had tried to prove it himself after the rebels were disbanded! But he barely survived and couldn¡¯t afford the government gettin more suspicious of him! But now over the years, some of the members were released and came out of hidin! And now have rebuilt the ¡®wall destroyers¡¯ anew! And they want me to lead them in the place of my pappy!¡±


    Ahab spoke as fast as his tongue would let him, carrying all that information over with only a single breath so as to not be interrupted again.


    ¡°Ahab i know you¡¯re excited of being a commander to some weird wall obsessed rebels or something, but try and breathe alright?¡±


    Yuri patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Right..yeah..¡± Ahab slowly breathed in and out.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really listening to most of the stuff you were saying. However, now that you have the control of this organisation. You can give us a hand with blocking in the beast below, i needed some manpower after all, and now it¡¯s conveniently here, luck does favour me so~¡±


    She grinned.


    ¡°Now. Who said anythin about me helpin you.¡±


    Ahab stepped back and a few more blue armoured rebels surrounded him.


    ¡°I just came by to brag about meh pappy and my new position. Now i would kindleh ask yuh to leave¡±


    ¡°Hey what¡¯s up with that! after we helped you prove that the beast was real and everything! How can you refuse to help us!¡±


    Yuri folded her arms.


    ¡°Oh i dunt know. Maybeh it was cause of yuh wantin to kill off everyone in my countreh, and also because of yuh abandonin me to die and tryin to escape without me!¡±


    He held a grudge about the last part, balling up his fists angrily.


    ¡°..Hikaru. Helgi. Motivate him.¡±


    She squinted at Ahab, her easy going attitude gone and replaced with the stern nature of someone willing to do unspeakable things to achieve what they want.


    Hikaru drew his sword silently, swinging it lightly as if to test it. A small hair dangling in front of Ahabs eyes somehow getting cut cleanly in half.


    ¡°Huh..? Me too?¡± Helgi sounded surprised, but cleared his throat and quickly composed himself.


    He took out a few card sized metal plates and activated them. Holding them between his fingers, each one began to react differently. One released tiny electrical sparks, while another had its edge set on fire.


    With a flick of his wrist, one of the card flew straight for Ahab, embedding itself in the wall behind him. The metal cards electrical buzzing loud in Ahabs ear.


    As a final touch, Yuri put on her metal gauntlet and partially activated one of the spells. The runes on the gauntlet lit up in a bright malicious red, awaiting the final touch to be activated and exploding into a torrent of mana.


    She held up her gauntlet clad hand and stroked her chin.


    ¡°Sorry, Ahab. I didn¡¯t quite hear what you said, could you repeat it again?¡±


    She smiled at him, the red light from her gauntlet twisting her smile as it reflected off her face and eyes.


    ¡°...uh..¡±


    Ahab slowly swallowed and breathed in.


    ¡°What i meant to say, is of course i would be glad to help yah out with whatever it is aye can!¡±


    He smiled widely, which looked fairly disturbing on his usually sour face.


    ¡°After all, i owe yuh a debt for provin the beasts existence!¡±


    Nodding exaggeratedly, Ahab slowly shuffled his way behind one of his guards, who were unsure of how to react.


    Yuri nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Good! I thought i heard something else¡±


    ¡°...Aye..¡± Ahab sighed.


    ¡°Besides. This is a good opportunity for you and your rebellious club. If you help me out, wouldn¡¯t your goal of tearing down the walls surrounding this city finally come true?¡±


    She asked curiously.


    ¡°Ayeh. Yer correct. But what point is there if there ain¡¯t no people to enjoy the freedom..they would all be dead..¡±


    He slowly shook his head sadly.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about?¡±


    Yuri almost snorted with laughter.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that worried. Since i am a fair and wise thief. I won¡¯t rob you completely. How about i lend you Hikaru and Helgi. With Helgi¡¯s strength and Helgi¡¯s people skills. You might be able to evacuate most of the people before i¡¯m done.¡±


    (And since i don¡¯t really need them with me anyway, they might as well do something useful.)


    ¡°It might be possible to evacuate everyone to a small island on the edge if we had the help of the son of an previous god..¡±


    Ahab nodded.


    ¡°Aye..better than nothin that. Very well.¡±


    He seemed grateful despite his unenthusiastic tone.


    ¡°Great. Now lend me a few of your guards, i need some people to help me fly an airship.¡±


    --


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that in the distance..?¡±


    A guard at the entrance to the outside world beyond the floating islands noted while squinting.


    ¡°Who cares. We aren¡¯t allowed to let anyone exit until further notice anyway. We¡¯ll just tell em to go away, so sit down and finish this drink with me¡±


    Another guard clanked his metal mug against the rocky wall and motioned for it to be refilled.


    ¡°Guess you¡¯re right..not like anyone ever passes by here¡±


    A few minutes later, the guard couldn¡¯t help but glance back due to curiosity. The thing he spotted in the distance was much larger now. Enough that it was possible to finally perceive what it was. It was easier to perceive it with each second that passed, due to how fast it moved towards them.


    ¡°Bob..bob..BOB!¡±


    The guard called for his friend, a slight panic setting into his tone.


    ¡°What is it now. Just tell them to go away and bring a new bottle would you¡±


    ¡°BOB GET DOWN!¡±


    The guard rushed forward and tackled his friend to the ground.


    ¡°Hey what the hell man! You made me spill my drink! You owe me-¡±


    FWOOOOOSH!


    A small airship flew just above them at an incredible speed.


    ¡°...It didn¡¯t crash..?¡±


    The guard stood up surprised after a few more seconds of laying belly flat on the ground.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about! Did you have too much to drink you damn light weight!¡±


    Shaking his head, the guard named Bob got up and began walking back to his seat.


    He paused.


    He blinked.


    He blinked again.


    He looked at his drink and back in front of him, blinking again and putting away his mug as far away as possible from him.


    ¡°...Maybe you¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s had a bit too much to drink.¡±


    The guard named Bob turned back towards his friend and shook his head slightly.


    The wall behind him, which was as tall as a mountain and as thick as a city, stood proudly, reaching for the sky.


    In it was a perfectly circular hole which went straight through it, letting in the sunlight of the setting sun from the outside.


    Meanwhile on the other side of the hole in the wall, on an airship that was still moving incredibly fast at a ridiculous speed.


    ¡°MISS SHOULD WE SLOW DOWN THE AIRSHIP NOW?¡±


    A rebel guard piloting the airship asked loudly to be heard over the wind.


    ¡°IF YOU WANT US TO SLAM RIGHT BACK INTO THE WALL THEN SURE. OTHERWISE JUST KEEP GOING UNTIL THIS RUNS OUT!¡±


    Yuri yelled out without looking back.


    She stood at the front of the ship, holding her gauntlet as tight as she could while leaned up against the airships mast.


    Her gauntlet was shooting out a pillar of water that likely had the power to defeat any enemy no matter how large or armoured. It was something that could have legends written about it, felling legendary immortal beasts.


    Yet it was used to make a small tunnel through a mountain.


    ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have combined my remaining spells..that was really overkill...oh god it feels like my arm is going to snap..!¡±


    The airship continued to fly through the desert in this manner, with a pillar of water in front of it larger than the ship itself, creating rain in the desert for the first time in hundreds of years.


    This precious gigantic amount of water that made it to the desert would later lead to the this lifeless area filling with fauna to eventually become a forest of legend and beauty. Without anyone ever suspecting it had been so barren before.


    Right now however. It was being made into a giant muddy puddle.


    --


    ¡°I am worried about Yuri doing something overly extravagant again without any of us being there.¡±


    Hikaru said quietly while he, Helgi, Ahab and several airships of rebel guards were heading to the main city of the nameless country of flying islands.


    ¡°What, shouldn¡¯t you have learned that Yuri and over the top go hand in hand by now?¡±


    Helgi shrugged.


    ¡°That is why i am worried. I am afraid that without one of us there to reel her in at least a small bit. She will end up creating a catastrophe.¡±


    Seeming worried, Hikaru leaned back and sighed.


    ¡°You mean like wanting to destroy an entire country for your sake?¡±


    Helgi raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Other than that of course..we are here to at least prevent too many casualties. However..it feels like she went alone so we wouldn¡¯t argue against her decisions.¡±


    Hikaru said with worry.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Yuri here. She doesn¡¯t think her plans through THAT far. You should be more worried about what she will do for you. Even without you wanting it. You¡¯re a lucky guy Hikaru. But be afraid. Be very afraid.¡±


    His tone was ominous and cold, Helgi wore a face of someone who had seen hell itself.


    ¡°I do not believe Yuri will do anything other than what she promised..hopefully. By that point we should have evacuated everyone. Nothing can surely go wrong.¡±


    Trying to convince himself, Hikaru nodded slightly and rationalised Yuri¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Murphy¡¯s law my clueless friend. Things that can go wrong, when given the chance, will go wrong.¡±


    Quoting a popular figure, Helgi tilted his head slightly and raised his eyebrow in a slight smirk.


    ¡°Who is this Murphy..?¡± Hikaru asked, but was ignored.


    ¡°And Yuri. Is the definition of clueless. She gives away chances with a two for one special.¡±


    Helgi finished.


    ¡°..I should have followed along with her after all.¡±


    ¡°Too late for that now. So concentrate on getting as many people out of the way of the extra trouble Yuri is going to bring, and we should be golden¡±


    Reassuring Hikaru, Helgi patted him on the back.


    ¡°Indeed. I will work to my utmost limit. My role is Yuri¡¯s support and partner after all. I should be able to take care of this much.¡±


    Hikaru nodded seriously, his muscles tightening with anticipation.


    ¡°Good!I¡¯m sure everything will go fine then!¡±


    Smiling, Helgi walked off slightly, walking up to Ahab.


    ¡°See? Now we will likely evacuate all the citizens. Forcefully if we have to, with Hikaru working his beast-like body to his limit. All your guys have to do is act as support¡±


    He whispered to Ahab.


    ¡°Excellent job, yer one hell one of a manipulative lad, but i¡¯m glad yuh are!¡±


    Ahab whispered loudly to Helgi.


    ¡°If we do manage to save almost everyone, aye will make sure to get yuh whatever item they¡¯re usin to keep the islands afloat as payment..!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad to be of help.¡±


    Helgi smiled with squinted eyes.


    (Someone has to make sure we get what we came here for..Since Yuri seems to have completely forgotten about it. Typical. She gets distracted and i end up finishing her job for her. Some things never change, despite being a literal world away..)

 Chapter 74: Island wall is falling down, my fair lady

    ¡°Yes miss, the emergency protocols state that you have to follow along¡±


    Helgi was speaking to an older woman who seemed to be stubborn about something.


    ¡°But my cats are still at home! I have to go get them!¡±


    The old woman yelled at him, her teeth nearly falling out of her mouth.


    ¡°The fire training exercise won¡¯t take more than a few hours, your cats will be fine¡±


    Smiling, Helgi tried to usher the woman with him.


    ¡°But they¡¯ll be lonely without me¡­!¡±


    She spoke so loud that a bit of spit hit Helgi right in his eye.


    ¡°.....¡± He resisted the urge to shove this old woman off the edge of the island.


    ¡°What¡¯dya mean i have to follow along? I don¡¯t gotta do shit! The hell you taking us huh!? Where all the regular guards at? I want to speak to a higher rank guard about this!¡±


    A burly man was causing a commotion close by, catching the attention of the bystanders who were being ushered away by rebels wearing the armour of the guards.


    ¡°What¡¯s that loud one yelling about?¡± The old woman got curious.


    Looking up at the sky, Helgi made a cutting motion at his own neck while nodding at the loud man.


    ¡°Ah! Could it be! your dentures are made of metal!?¡±


    Helgi spoke as loudly as he could. The mention of metal in this country where the very notion of metal was taboo, turned all the heads toward him.


    ¡°What are you talking about young man! I¡¯ll have you know, my teeth are of genuine deer teeth! I got new ones a few weeks ago, they still feel so fresh in my mouth¡±


    The old woman removed her dentures and put them back into her mouth.


    Taking half a step back in disgust, Helgi composed himself.


    ¡°Oh of course! That makes sense miss, of course they weren¡¯t from metal!¡±


    He said loudly, making the onlookers grow disinterested. The bystanders looked back toward the loud man, hoping for some slight entertainment, but he was gone like he was never there. The silence of the absence of his voice, not an unwelcome one.


    (Good job Hikaru.)


    Helgi thought while helping the old woman board one of the numerous airships prepared around the city for civilians to board.


    ¡°Oh look, there¡¯s that loud man from before, snoring away so happily. Do i miss being young, moving so quickly and falling asleep equally quick..now my back pains don¡¯t allow that..¡±


    The old woman sat down next to the previously loud man, who was now sitting unconscious in his seat.


    ¡°Sir, almost everyone has been documented to board, we should be able to leave soon for the..uh.Emergency fire drill training location.¡±


    One the rebels disguised as a guard approached Helgi.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem enthusiastic. This is very important you know. Since the city is made entirely of wood, we need to be able to deal with a worst case scenario! We will be having a drill like this every year now, so be ready for it!¡±


    Helgi addressed the fake guard, but spoke loud enough so that everyone around them clearly heard his voice.


    ¡°Of course sir.¡±The fake guard nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just..¡± He lowered his tone so only Helgi could hear. ¡°What do we do with the real guards..they¡¯re all still tied up at their headquarters from our ambush..luckily we had your metal sword wielding friend to take care of most of them..but they''re still there..it will look very suspicious taking them with us on the airships..¡±


    ¡°Just leave them. They would be an annoying opposition for when the ¡®wall destroyers¡¯ take control. So getting rid of them now is perfect. If you¡¯re lucky you can even pass it off as a big accident.¡±


    Helgi smiled. Efficiency and being better safe than sorry, were things he had grown fond of after being near death so many times with the reckless Yuri.


    ¡°Alright i think that¡¯s everyone. Let¡¯s get the airships on their way¡±


    After a few more minutes had passed, Helgi was beginning to send each airship out.


    ¡°Alright we will now send everyone to the practice island you should go to incase a fire spreads in the city! Make sure to remember the path there just incase!¡±


    And with that, all the ships were out in the air, following a single slightly larger ship, manned by Ahab himself. Who insisted on driving the main airship. Since he had the most experience flying an airship quickly and efficiently. Although Helgi suspected it was something to do with having a sea of other ships following him, tickling his ego.


    ¡°It seems we were successful.¡±


    Hikaru appeared next to Helgi.


    ¡°...Don¡¯t scare me like that¡± Helgi breathed out tiredly.


    ¡°Yeah. I think so, with the commotion of people i doubt someone would have chosen to stay behind. Ugh..my throat hurts from all the yelling¡±


    He rubbed his neck in pain.


    ¡°Here. Eat this, it should help with your throat.¡±


    Hikaru handed him a leather pouch of something blue that smelled of excrement.


    ¡°I was lucky enough to find when i scoured the city for any left over people.¡±


    ¡°...What is that. If you¡¯re trying to be funny for the first time since i met you. This is not a good start..¡±


    Slightly distancing himself from the foul smelling pouch, Helgi held up his hands defensively.


    ¡°This is no joke? This is a common pain reliever and all purpose medicine. It¡¯s made by collecting various small bugs which contain beneficial properties and letting them live inside a barrel filled with medicinal moss. After they eat all the moss, they process it and put it back out. That is why it is blue.¡±


    Hikaru explained.


    ¡°..You want me to eat bug shit?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Indeed. It is very powerful, it even temporarily boosts muscle efficiency and strength. It¡¯s sometimes used by warriors by mixing it into potion which they drink during battle.¡±


    The blue terrible smelling bag was pushed towards Helgi.


    ¡°I am not eating bug crap..¡±


    ¡°Very well. You may keep it incase you ever need it.¡±


    Hikaru handed him the bag.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t want to deal with the smell do you..¡±


    Reluctantly accepting the bag, Helgi squinted at him.


    ¡°....Perhaps.¡±


    Hikaru turned away and began slowly walking away.


    ¡°.....Great.¡±


    Pocketing the bag, Helgi turned toward the edge of the city, watching the airships fly further and further away.


    ¡°You keep looking around the city and surrounding islands incase someone was left behind!¡±


    Helgi headed off while saying this.


    ¡°Meanwhile i have to check if the information Ahab gave me was correct..¡±


    Ahab had told him just before his departure. His rebel soldiers suspected that however the islands were staying afloat, likely had something to do with metal both being taboo and illegal.


    ¡°Though that didn¡¯t stop them from using metal to reinforce their battleship in secret...so there is something to do with metal that might get them found out..?¡±


    Testing his suspicions, Helgi walked to the center of the island. Picking out a small metal card, he activated the runes on it and flicked it onto the ground, while taking a few steps back.


    The card exploded, creating a small crater in the ground.


    ¡°As i thought..this island. It¡¯s interior is solid metal.¡±


    Helgi looked at the hole in the ground that was much smaller than it should have been. The density of the material beneath the small layer of dirt, resisting the explosion.


    Peeking out from the ground were rocks. Not just any rocks, but metal ore, very rich metal ore. It was likely close to being purified metal despite being in its raw state.


    ¡°I suspect all the other floating islands are similar..¡±


    Picking out another metal card from his pocket, he threw it down onto the metal ore without activating it.


    The card made a clanking sound when it hit the metal ore and bounced away. Except it never touched the ground again.


    The metal card began to float around the ore, in a similar fashion to how the islands floated around each other.


    ¡°Some sort of magnetism...explains why it was taboo to mine for metal or even use it..that still doesn¡¯t answer the question of what¡¯s causing it though..¡±


    He picked the floating card up while thinking.


    Upon picking up the card, he noticed that once it was outside the magnetic range of the ore. It ceased wanting to float around it. Instead it now wanted to head in a different direction. A magnetic pull was sliding the metal card out of his hands.


    ¡°...It¡¯s a longshot, but it might be where this card is getting pulled..?¡±


    He pocketed the magnetised card in order for it to not slip away.


    Just as he did so, Hikaru had finally finished up his sweep of the island, and landed next to Helgi, after he likely jumped from roof to roof.


    A deep rumble that made the island shake, almost made them lose their footing.


    ¡°...You need to lose some weight¡±


    Helgi joked through his confusion.


    ¡°...It was not me.¡±


    Looking around, they easily found the source of the rumbling.


    The giant mountains shaped like walls, that surrounded this country of floating islands completely. Which almost nearly blotted out the sun itself.


    Those impenetrable wonders of nature. They were being slowly reduced to rubble bit by bit.


    Starting from a single point, the mountain was slowly just..collapsing. Like a sandcastle that has a hole in its side.


    Despite it looking like rubble. Due to the distance, if one was actually close to the mountains at this moment. One would know that those crumbling pieces of rubble were each larger than all the islands put together.


    It was a magnificent sight, seeing such an awe inspiring structure,being reduced to mere pieces of itself.


    It was comparable to the satisfaction of seeing dominos fall over in a line. The scene in front of them certainly looked very similar to that. Except this was taken to the extreme. This was dominoes on the scale of a god.


    What everyone inside the collapsing walls did not see however, was the mad chaos being unleashed on the outside of these no longer steadfast mountains.


    --


    ¡°FASTER! I SAID FASTER!¡±


    Yuri was yelling at the top of her lungs.


    An ever changing wall of rock was passing by her, fast enough that it looked like a completely flat surface.


    ¡°Miss, we can¡¯t go any faster! The airships propeller is going as fast as it can..!¡±


    A guard dressed in blue was shouting back from the steering wheel of the airship.


    ¡°You¡¯re goddamn useless!¡±


    Twirling her dagger, Yuri pressed it right into the passing wall.


    The dagger sunk slightly into the softer outer layer of the rock, creating a deep scratch while letting out sparks and pieces of small rocks.


    She continued sinking the dagger as deep into the rocks as much her strength allowed her. Holding back against the force caused by her speed made her grit her teeth.


    ¡°Now fly directly up..!¡±


    She commanded without letting go of her dagger.


    ¡°But miss! If we do a sharp increase in latitude it might damage the balloon!¡±


    The rebel guards protested.


    ¡°I SAID NOW!¡±


    She hissed at them as sparks flew past her eyes, showing the guards a glimpse of the true colour of her eyes. Reflecting the red clay mountains they were flying along, her eyes shone in the shadow of the airship. It gave the illusion of her eyes glowing a deep red.


    ¡°Yes miss..¡±


    The airship tilted itself so it faced the sky and continued its speeding flight. Flying upwards caused the ropes of the airship to strain and the wood to creak. Everyone was forced to hug some part of the ship in order to not fall down further than they wanted to think about.


    Yuri only barely held onto the ship with one hand, her body hanging from the ship, while her other arm was still pushing the dagger deep into the passing mountain.


    ¡°Now LEFT!¡±


    The driver of the ship somehow managed to make the airship turn to the left to a more normal angle, while barely holding onto the steering wheel.


    This continued for a few minutes. Yuri creating several hundred meter long gashes in the mountain they passed by, while changing the direction of the airship. It was as though she was attempting to create some sort of pattern on the wall of the mountain.


    ¡°Alright! Now FLY AS FAR AWAY FROM THIS SPOT AS YOU CAN!¡±


    She yelled. The gashes she created giving off a slowly brightening red glow.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen!?¡±


    The guards were panicking while trying to stabilize the ship and steer it as far away as they could.


    Once they were a fair distance away, Yuri could admire her work properly. A rune that spanned several hundred meters or perhaps kilometers in all directions. Despite being a single simple rune, the red light it gave off was powerful enough that it showered the entire desert with light. Cities well beyond the borders of the desert were able to see the peculiar red light, if they squinted a bit.


    ¡°And now...music..¡±


    She began moving her hands around as if directing an orchestra.


    ¡°...Miss what are you doing..?¡±


    One of the rebel guards asked.


    ¡°Oh nothing just trying to be dramatic¡±


    She stopped briefly and looked back at the guard with a shrug.


    BOOOOOOOOOOM!


    The part of the mountain which the rune was on began collapsing on itself.


    ¡°The mountain which was the pride of our rulers..keeping us sealed away from the rest of the world..standing so impenetrable through the years¡­¡±


    The guards sank to their knees.


    ¡°It¡¯s...finally gone..!!!¡±


    They began weeping like children, the tears flowing freely down their cheeks, in plentiful amounts.


    ¡°We..we finally did it..!¡±


    They hugged each tearfully.


    ¡°Damn it...you made me miss my dramatic moment!¡±


    Stomping her foot angrily, Yuri sighed exasperatedly,


    ¡°Sorry miss..but we are so grateful to you. I hope we can make this up for you somehow. You finally helped us achieve our dream of being free..of seeing the world with our own eyes at our own terms..!¡±


    ¡°Well..when you show this much gratitude i can let it slide..besides i can always just try again¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°Try..again..miss..? We are finished no..? The mountain wall is torn though..?¡± One of the rebel guards wiped his tears in confusion.


    ¡°Finished..?¡±


    Yuri smiled really broadly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not finished with just this little part..I will be finished when the entire mountain wall surrounding your country rests in that giant pit of yours and covering it all up..¡±


    She clenched her fist around her dagger.


    ¡°We are finished when i have had my fill of fireworks¡­!¡±


    She laughed happily, looking forward to having some more fun with testing out different runes to take down the mountain. She was having so much fun that she forgot the original purpose of her doing this, and was just enjoying playing with metaphorical fire. Comparable to a child playing with the flame of a candle.


    To the guards, whom Yuri looked like an angel sent down from the heavens to free and save them only moments before. Now seemed like a devil, Giving them what they desired in exchange for so much more.


    ¡°...Very well..we understand. If that is the price for the freedom of our country..we will help you destroy what remains of it...we will just have to build it all anew..!¡±


    They stood up and nodded determinedly at each other. Their conviction was clear and their devotion and love to their country was unmatched.


    Their wish was granted and they were now ready to repay their debt to the devil that granted it.


    Yuri was of course completely unaware of the image these guards had of her, and continued laughing to herself, imagining the shocked expressions of Hikaru and Helgi inside the walls.

 Chapter 75: A battle of all things flying

    Another part of the mountain crumbles in the distance. The delayed sound of the rumbling only notifying people of its disappearance once it¡¯s too late.


    ¡°Come on. If i¡¯m right, this might lead us to what we came here for¡±


    Helgi slowly walked through the city, following the pulling of the now magnetised metal card he held.


    ¡°You mean the relic? If you have found its location then that would be quite a big surprise for Yuri.¡±


    Walking along, Hikaru curiously observed Helgi.


    ¡°Yeah..i think it might...be..¡±


    The card slipped out of his hand and flew straight forward.


    ¡°Damnit! We can¡¯t lose it! Follow it!¡±


    Hikaru and Helgi began running after the escaping card.


    The card continued flying straight until it reached a seemingly random street and flew down into the ground hard enough that it was embedded into the wooden boards serving as foundation.


    ¡°This must be it..i don¡¯t want to waste my cards, so could you dig this up for me?¡±


    Helgi asked while taking a step back.


    Drawing his sword, Hikaru slashed at the ground several times, and stomped at the ground with all his power.


    A square block of dirt, a meter long, jumped out of the ground.


    Doing half a spin, Hikaru kicked with a horizontal move, scattering the dirt in pieces which flew in all directions.


    Some of those pieces hit Helgi in the face.


    ¡°...That wasn¡¯t on purpose was it.¡± Helgi slowly wiped the dirt from his eyes.


    ¡°I believe we found what we were looking for.¡±


    Hikaru wiped some dirt off his clothes.


    ¡°We did?¡± Finishing wiping off the rest of the dirt from his eyes, Helgi took a closer look.


    Floating in mid air, where the cube of dirt was only a second ago. Was a piece of white metal.


    ¡°Huh..is that it? I thought these things usually looked more grandiose or something¡±


    Helgi seemed unimpressed.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t it..¡± Hikaru slowly walked up to it and observed it closely.


    ¡°Look at it closely. It has a sharp end but it looks incomplete. This is only a piece of the relic. If i am guessing correctly..this must be the relic of my father from when he was a real god. He must have brought his relic with him and given it to these people in exchange for their cooperation..¡±


    ¡°I see. Well if this only one part of it, how the hell are we going to find the rest of them. We don¡¯t really have time to do my card trick on every island¡±


    Helgi felt unmotivated. Sure he wanted to find the relic. But doing something like that would require many days of looking, by which point a commotion would be in full force inside this country.


    ¡°We have no need to do so. Observe the relic part.¡±


    Doing as he was told, Helgi noticed something odd about the relic. Something was floating around it. Small grains of sand. No it wasn¡¯t sand, sand would have no reason to float around it, it wasn¡¯t magnetic. It must be small grains of iron from the dirt around it.


    The grains weren¡¯t simply floating around the relic part. They were increasing in number, getting absorbed from dirt of the entire island.


    The iron sand began forming some sort of line, going from the relic part and into the sky, before going down again somewhere far away.


    The line thickened with collected iron sand, presumably from wherever it ended, and another line formed. Which ended in another place. Several lines were created which in total ended in three places other than the one they were at.


    ¡°The other parts will be at the end of these bridges of iron. All we have to do is make our way there. Only three left.¡±


    Hikaru was about to take the relic part floating in front of him, when it suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡±


    A voice unfamiliar to Hikaru sounded around him.


    An older man wearing what seemed to be a high ranking uniform walked out from behind a building holding the relic piece.


    ¡°You thieves. Thieves and terrorists...i don¡¯t know how you¡¯re doing it. Destroying our precious protective walls..now you¡¯re aiming to fully destroy our country by stealing our relic. I will not allow it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you, that general..!¡±


    Helgi remembered.


    ¡°Yes. Nice of you to remember, imposter.¡±


    The general slowly walked up to the hole Hikaru created.


    ¡°Once we have the relic, we will rebuild the walls around our country. Don¡¯t worry, my guards are already on their ways to the ends of the iron sand bridges.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Damn it.! We can¡¯t let them get there first, if they get the relic parts they will undo Yuri¡¯s work and get the relic we were trying to get..Hikaru, you¡¯re faster than me, go there before they do..!¡±


    Helgi told him and motioned at him to hurry.


    ¡°Are you sure. I could start with getting this relic piece first.¡±


    Hikaru suggested while glancing at the general.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, i can take care of him, just hurry before you¡¯re too late!¡±


    Waving frantically, Helgi snapped at Hikaru.


    ¡°Very well. I will run as fast as i¡¯m able¡±.¡±


    With that, Hikaru disappeared.


    ¡°You should not have done that. You would have been wise to have your skilled friend take care of me first. You alone can¡¯t take this from me, even if you tried.¡±


    The general mocked him while pocketing the relic piece.


    ¡°I knocked you out once already. I can do it again, you don¡¯t seem particularly well in shape¡±


    Shrugging, Helgi prepared his metal cards.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. But she is.¡±


    Two knives were flung at Helgi, who barely managed to avoid one, while deflecting the other with his metal card.


    A young woman walked out from behind the general.


    ¡°I dislike it when my lovers aren¡¯t there to greet me in the morning.¡±


    The woman said bitterly.


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s you. Hey. Yeah sorry about that i was sort of in a hurry and you know..¡±


    Making weak excuses, Helgi rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°No more talking. Only repenting!¡±


    The angry woman flew at Helgi with two new daggers in her hands. She did not jump, but she literally flew at Helgi.


    ¡°What the hell!? Magic?!¡±


    Dodging around, Helgi was having a hard time keeping up with her speed and flexibility of movement.


    ¡°The relic wasn¡¯t the only thing we received. The great protector below us granted us special magic for use in a situation just like this one.¡±


    The general explained.


    The woman flew at him once more, her daggers held in front of her.


    ¡°Cut that out!¡±


    Helgi flung a metal card at her, which exploded on impact as she didn¡¯t even try to dodge it.


    Her two daggers were flung to two different directions while she herself was flung backwards, collapsing on the ground behind the general.


    ¡°Now, you will give that to me, or else i will do the same to you¡±


    Slowly approaching the general, Helgi stretched slightly, exhausted from dodging the woman''s attacks.


    ¡°Why should i give you anything. After all, your opponent is still not done.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, the girl is unconcious¡±


    Helgi raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°The girl was never your opponent.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    In the middle of stretching his neck sideways, Helgi noticed a glimmer behind him.


    He immediately dropped to the ground, just as two glimmering objects whizzed past above his head.


    He quickly stood up and prepared himself.


    Floating in front of the general, were the two daggers the woman had dropped earlier.


    ¡°...Don¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Helgi glanced at the floating iron sand, which seemed to flicker slightly, seeming to lose its power. Looking at the two daggers floating in midair. He noticed why they glimmered so suspiciously. They were metal.


    ¡°I see..it¡¯s the same deal with you then huh..¡±


    Brushing off his pants, Helgi unfurled his deck of metal cards and sorted them all to his liking. Preparing himself.


    ¡°Of course. Our protector rules the power of the world itself. The world is made up of minerals. And he has granted us the ability to manipulate them, even if only a little, in order to protect our precious country!¡±


    The daggers slowly pointed their sharp end at Helgi while floating in circles around the general.


    ¡°I have complete control over how these daggers move. You have no chance of winning this. I do not even need to lift a single finger, letting my projectiles do the work for me!¡±


    ¡°Is that so...well then let¡¯s see..¡± Helgi activated one of his cards, making it shine bright red while he held it between his fingers along with several other cards.


    ¡°Which one of us. Is the better projectile user.¡±


    --


    ¡°Alright yah slow bastads, get movin, we gotta get to the safe island before things start goin badly!¡±


    Ahab was commandeering a big ship at the front of the rest of the airships, which carried the people from the city heading for the safety of a new floating island.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯re trying! But we have to keep a slow pace in order for the other ships to keep up!¡±


    One of the rebel guards working on the ship explained.


    ¡°Alright alright, do yah any information if they finished modificating yer floating base? We¡¯re gonna be needing all the extra space we can get¡±


    ¡°Yes sir! We have workers who have been working on expanding it non stop for hours now! That is partly the reason why we were required to move it further away. Due to the noise of construction attracting attention¡±


    He explained again.


    ¡°Aye, i knew that..!¡± Ahab scoffed at him. Despite having no idea behind the reasoning for the rebel base being moved so far away, as he had mostly not been listening to what his rebel guards planned.


    ¡°We can¡¯t have it be on a real island as they would all fall down, if that lass succeeds that is¡±


    He realised.


    ¡°Correct sir¡± The guard nodded.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯sat over there?¡±


    Ahab looked to the side, a peculiar black line was going through the sky, splitting into several ends which went into different directions.


    ¡°I have no clue sir¡±


    One of those ends actually ended at a nearby floating island. An island which seemed to not really have anything on it. Not even vegetation. It was a floating mountainous rock.


    ¡°Gimme the telescope!¡±


    Ahab grabbed a telescope which hanged at the guard¡¯s belt, and looked through it at the strange black line.


    At the end of the black line. He found something floating. A white piece. Presumably a piece of a larger object.


    ¡°Could that be..¡±


    Ahab pondered.


    ¡°You¡± Ahab pointed at the guard. ¡°Keep drivin the ship to the base, i¡¯ll catch up to yuh later. I need to check somethin¡±


    Ahab said and jumped on a smaller airship which was attached to their larger airship.


    It was a small airship built to be maneuverable and swift. But not made to fly long distances. Often used as either a fighter airboat, or a rescue boat.


    Turning on the lamps of the airship, Ahab flew it toward the floating white piece, where the black line in the sky ended.


    ¡°Sir! Wait! You can¡¯t get to the base with only that airship! Sir!`? Do you even know where the base is!?¡±


    The guard yelled after him. But Ahab was already far enough that his old ears couldn¡¯t hear.


    His airship headed at top speed, making his clothes stick tight to his body due to the wind pressure. Which didn¡¯t make for a pretty sight.


    ¡°Hm? Who is that over there..? One of our airships gotten lost..?¡±


    He noted an airship approaching fast in the distance.


    ¡°Wait a second..that airship..looks a bit weird..¡± His old eyes took a while to adjust, but eventually he could vaguely the see the airship.


    ¡°..It¡¯s balloon is red!? It¡¯s one of those damn guards! What¡¯s a single man ship doin alone here?¡±


    He pondered while heading for the white piece.


    ¡°Is it..? It¡¯s headin for where i¡¯m headin..! I must be right then! That thing over there, must be that relic that lad asked me to find!¡±


    Ahab smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show that smart arse. Said i¡¯m a cheap bastard who breaks his promises..well i¡¯ll prove him wrong by not breakin this one! That relic is mine!¡±


    He yelled at the airship in the distance, despite knowing it¡¯s driver couldn¡¯t hear him.


    He increased the speed of his airship''s propellers and headed for the relic piece as quick as his airship allowed him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who gets there first!, been awhile since aye¡¯ve done an airship race!¡±

 Chapter 76: Three road highway

    A dagger flew past Helgi¡¯s face, producing a small cut across his cheek.


    Helgi began sprinting, running toward the nearest choice of cover, a small wooden wall.


    He could see the second dagger pointed toward his face. It flew at him in a straight line, without decreasing in its speed or trajectory.


    He jumped to the side, ending up with his back against the very wall he planned to use as cover.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have much experience in combat. Never get yourself surrounded even if it is good cover.¡±


    The general nodded, and the two daggers flew straight at Helgi, not giving him anywhere to escape to.


    Helgi was stuck, he couldn¡¯t move, the daggers flying towards him were going to strike him in a manner of moments.


    He dropped his rune card in resignation.


    CLANK!


    The sound of the daggers striking a target. However this target sounded much more dense than expected.


    Squinting his eyes, the general noted that the daggers had actually struck the wooden wall instead of their original target.


    Helgi was crouched down below where the daggers were stabbed into the wall, having crouched just moments before they touched his skin, thus not giving the general a chance to adjust his aim mid-flight, using his control of the daggers.


    The metal card that was dropped was grabbed by Helgi while it was still falling.


    With a sharp twist of his wrist, he flung the activated rune card at the general.


    He could see the daggers struggling to get themselves pulled out of the wall. Doing that however would take a few moments. Which was a few moments too late to stop his card from reaching the general.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fighter by nature, but i am quite good at creating traps in people''s judgement.¡±


    A small wink was given to the stern eyed general who was about to be struck in the face with the card Helgi threw.


    BOOM!


    The runes on the card finally activated, creating a small explosion around the card, which should have completely blown the generals upper body into pieces.


    Yet he continued to stand, unaffected by the slight breeze created as a byproduct of the explosion.


    Instead of hitting him straight in the face, for some reason, the explosion had taken place to the far side of the general.


    ¡°More magic..¡±


    ¡°It is actually the same magic. I wouldn¡¯t be so lowly as to hide a very convenient powerful magic only to reveal it as i¡¯m about to be defeated. I don¡¯t have any such childish hobbies.¡±


    The general scoffed and nodded at the ground.


    Letting off a fair bit of smoke, laid Helgi¡¯s card which was bent by the explosion. With it however, lay something else, penetrating the card.


    It was another dagger.


    ¡°You were hiding more..¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re at fault for not noticing them, don¡¯t you remember the daggers first thrown at you?¡±


    Pointing his head slightly upward, the general looked behind Helgi.


    Sensing his intent, Helgi jumped to the side, avoiding the daggers flying from behind him, now free of the wooden wall.


    The two daggers floated in front of the general, with the dagger used to push away his card flying to join the rest, along with another dagger which slowly flew in from the distance.


    In total, the general had four daggers floating around him.


    ¡°It was already hard dodging two of them..now i have to deal with four..i can¡¯t win this by just cleverly dodging anymore..¡±


    Muttering to himself, Helgi pulled out several more cards and prepared himself once again.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s see. How you deal with an attack which has you surrounded.¡±


    The four daggers flew to each side around Helgi, and pointed their edges towards him.


    The four daggers flew at Helgi. There was no wall to hide behind this time, he couldn¡¯t cleverly get the daggers stuck anymore. Each direction he could escape to had a dagger flying at him.


    Raising a card above his head, the activated card exploded into black smoke, covering the scene.


    ¡°There is no escape even if you hide yourself from my vision. The daggers will puncture you either way.¡±


    Loudly saying that, the general watched the daggers disappear into the black smoke.


    --


    A puff of black smoke floated up into the sky, let out by a small lantern burning beneath the balloon of an airship.


    ¡°Yer a fool if yuh think yuh can fly an airship faster than meh, i¡¯ve been drivin people around my whole life!¡±


    Still piloting his small airship toward the relic part, Ahab quickly pulled on the airships ropes and adjusted the heat of the lantern. All of it dependent on the small shifts in wind and air temperature he had learned to feel through his years of experience.


    By managing to get the airship onto the flight path with the least wind resistance, he could avoid the time consuming job of heavy adjusting which was common with airships.


    Instead all he had to do was constantly make small adjustments,while making sure his driving wasn¡¯t hindered by it.


    Something that can only be compared to reading while driving a bike.


    Not only was he adjusting the airships minute position depending on the wind, but he was also doing so according to the temperature difference in the air.


    Wind is something anyone can learn to feel with a bit of practice.Which had a a lot of uses, concerning airships and the use of projectile weapons.But learning to tell apart the temperature of the air all around him was something that could be considered a complete waste of time unless you were a weather forecaster.


    It was however something Ahab had learned to do, as weather forecasting was vital for a job such as his which required him to be constantly affected by it. Not to mention it was nice for him to tell the days when it would rain so he could stay at home.


    By feeling out the minute changes of the cold air, he could feel himself to the small pockets of warmer, and in turn lighter, air. Allowing him to ride these warm pockets of air in return for a small boost to his airship.


    Combining those skills together with his experienced driving. Would make him, likely the fastest airship driver in this country, and perhaps outside it. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Not that his skills helped him get many customers, as his reputation was awfully terrible due to his scumbag behaviour of trying to get as much out of each customer as possible.


    ¡°Hah! Aye¡¯¡¯ll be there and back before yer even halfway there!¡±


    Ahab smirked at the faraway red ballooned airship.


    As if in response to his mocking, the red ballooned airship slowly increased its speed. Until it was going at the same speed as Ahab¡¯s ship.


    ¡°H-huh? That bastard¡¯s more skilled than aye thought..!¡±


    He pulled roughly on a rope, making the balloon above his airship shift higher up.


    ¡°Yah bastard..don¡¯t think aye am done yet..i¡¯ll use my best trick..which usually i avoid as aye¡¯ve deemed it too dangerous..but..¡±


    Ahab pulled on the lantern switch all the way. The lantern firing up in a yellow-red blaze that almost blinded him, the flame¡¯s tongue reaching so high that it almost touched the balloon.


    The propellers on the side of the ship, which were powered by the hot air in the balloon, suddenly began spinning wildly. The airship shaking slightly due to the intensity.


    Holding on to the steering wheel, Ahab felt himself getting pushed back as his airship was pushed through the air with an intense force.


    His speed was now several times faster than his opponents.


    ¡°Haha! Yah can never do somethin like this! This trick is so difficult to do that aye¡¯ve destroyed several airships usin it! Only aye am able to use it..!¡±


    He was almost at the tall rock over which the relic part floated upon.


    ¡°Yah wanna know why?!¡± Ahab yelled over the howling wind to no one in particular, simply drunk off of his own recklessness.


    ¡°Because if yuh do it wrong, the flame ends up burnin yer balloon and makin yeh fall down into the deep below! The only thing that lets me use this trick is one thing! Not my skill! It¡¯s my luck! My luck is the only one capable of lettin me survive all the failed attempts!¡±


    Laughing wildly, he reached out of his airship and grabbed the relic part as he flew past it.


    ¡°Looks like aye¡¯ve won! And this prize should serve well as compensation for freein our country from the walls¡±


    Ahab observed the strange piece of white metal and shrugged before pocketing it.


    ¡°Whatr¡¯ya still flyin over here for, i won! Don¡¯t be a sore loser¡±


    He yelled over at the red ballooned airship, which was still flying incredibly quickly. Now he noticed, that it wasn¡¯t headed towards the tall rock where the relic used to be, but towards him.


    ¡°Whatr¡¯ya gonna do! Ram meh? Yuh¡¯ll die too yah know!¡±


    He finally saw the man in the red ballooned airship. A guard, wearing the red armour that signified him as an enemy. He was also wearing strange goggles along with a long scarf around his neck.


    ¡°Yer a weird lookin one arent¡¯ya..fine then! Ram meh! Yah want a chicken race then!¡±


    Ahab pointed his airship towards his opponents and began flying at top speed towards him.


    ¡°What a fool, sore losers always tryina prove somethin¡±


    Gripping the steering wheel confidently, Ahab continued on his head on collision with his opponent.


    He knew fully well that no opponent would ever crash into their enemy, no matter what prize. Nobody wanted to lose their lives, more than that, nobody wanted to to fall into the deep darkness below and meet a sorry miserable fate down there.


    It was a challenge, of who would turn away first. Of course one of them would turn away, neither of their ships were strong enough to withstand even the weakest of crashes.


    Any manner of impact would likely send them flying to their doom.


    They were now only mere seconds away from colliding into each other. Ahab was so sure that his opponent was going to be the first to turn away, that he felt completely relaxed. Still drunk off of his speed euphoria and adrenaline rush from earlier.


    Then he noticed something about the strangely clad opponents ship. The colour of the ship was strange...almost as if..it wasn¡¯t even wood.


    The light reflected slightly off the shiny surface of his opponents airship.


    ¡°Shiny..!?¡±


    Eyes going wide, his hands quickly grabbed the steering wheel.


    The goggle wearing opponent patted his ship with a smile. He wouldn¡¯t turn his ship away. He had no reason to. After all. Unlike Ahab¡¯s ship that was made of thin wood.


    His was made of metal.


    --


    Hikaru landed on a desolate grassy floating island.


    A white piece of the relic was in the middle of it, towards which he began heading.


    ¡°I should be able to make it back to Helgi and make sure he wins his fight, before going after the next part. Luckily no one has arrived here yet, it must mean i have some time before they reach the last relic part as well..¡±


    ¡°Thou art mistaken.¡±


    A voice came from behind Hikaru. Turning around, he found that the voice came from a nearby rock.


    ¡°Mineself hath been waiting for whomever would try his luck at thieving our great relic.¡±


    The rock moved, and slowly stood up.


    It wasn¡¯t a rock at all. But a man wearing armour so dull coloured it was the same shade as a plain rock.


    He had been sitting so impossibly still and quiet, that even Hikaru¡¯s sharp senses had not managed to detect him.


    ¡°You are a fool, your greatest advantage was your concealment, now that i know you¡¯re there, you do not stand a chance.¡±


    Hikaru explained his confidence in his own skills.


    ¡°Minself doth not conceal mine presence in an attempt for such a lowly attack. The duel mineself hath been awaiting is now imminent. Wasting such an opportunity by ending it with a single dishonourable blow is beyond my will.¡±


    The armoured figure explained. His voice sounded dull, just as his armour. As there was no way to see his face, which was covered in a helmet that left only small slits for eyes. His whole appearance looked unimpressive. Even his sword looked slightly grimy and grey.


    ¡°I see..it has been a long time since anyone considered honour to be part of their fight..¡±


    Nodding understandingly. Despite the unimpressive appearance. Hikaru was impressed by this knight¡¯s determination.


    He knew he was a knight. Even if he was not officially one, or even if he did not consider himself as one. His tone and determination in terms of honour. Was something that immediately made him a knight. A position Hikaru used to occupy himself.


    ¡°Do you wish for a duel?¡±


    Hikaru asked.


    ¡°Undoubtedly. Minself senses that thou are one possessing incredible skill. It would be unfortunate to pass on the opportunity to defeat an opponent such as thyself...Or be defeated by one such as thyself.¡±


    The dull tone of the dull knight emanated across the grassy field.


    ¡°Then draw your sword. The winner will receive the relic part.¡±


    Deciding this, Hikaru drew his sword. He figured Helgi was skillful enough to hold on for a few more seconds. He felt nostalgic being in the presence of a real knight. Despite everything and despite all his dishonourable actions against all that knights stood for which he commited by assisting Yuri. Hikaru still felt in his heart, that had he been human, he would have chosen the true path of the knight.


    ¡°Prepare thyself.¡± The dull knight unsheathed his dusty sword ¡°May the better knight be victorious.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Helgi nodded, and he disappeared.


    ¡°I am sorry, but this duel will have to be short. I have things i must do.¡±


    He appeared behind the knight, a flick of his wrist was all it took for his sword to slash through the dull knight.


    Except. What his sword went through felt empty. He had struck nothing but air.


    ¡°What the..¡±


    Not finishing his words, Hikaru turned around and raised his sword, successfully blocking a slash from the grey knight who had somehow appeared behind him.


    ¡°Thou art skillful. Crossing swords with thou shalt bring mineself much joy.¡±


    The grey knight hummed, twisting his sword away from Hikaru¡¯s sword and striking at his eyes.


    Hikaru skillfully parried the attack and created an instant counter slash aimed at his opponent''s weak spot, the slits in his helmet.


    Yet once again. His sword stabbed through nothing, and the figure of the grey knight dissipated into nothing.


    ¡°...This is strange. You are fast. Faster than me. But this doesn¡¯t explain the trickery behind your empty form..¡±


    Holding his sword at the ready. Hikaru scoured the area, finding the grey knight standing across the field.


    ¡°Mineself knows not of what trickery thou speak of..?¡±


    Standing as still as a stone, the grey knight breathed in thoughtfully.


    ¡°Ah. I believe mineself knows of what thou speaks of.¡±


    Slowly raising his hand, the knight swiped a finger across the breast of his armour. Leaving a grey line as he did so.


    ¡°...Dust?¡±


    ¡°Indeed so. Minself doth not have the opportunity to clean mine armour. Thus it gathers many layers of dust, which accumulate while mineself rests. Mineself apologises that thou must fight mineself while in such a dirty condition.¡±


    The knight apologised.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain your illusion trickery..¡±


    ¡°It does. Tis windstill is it not? When mineself moves, a layer of dust is left behind for a moment.¡±


    ¡°....How fast would you have to move that the dust left would form the exact shape of your body.¡±


    Hikaru was now even more impressed by this knight¡¯s speed which might surpass even his.


    ¡°Quite fast.¡±


    The knight appeared in front of Hikaru, while his dust double was still watching them in the distance.


    Hikaru barely had time to pull up his sword and block the attack, before another one came. This one from the side. Hikaru twisted his arm in an unnatural manner in order to parry it. As soon as he did, yet another attack came. And another, and another, from different directions around him.


    They came so quickly that he had to resort to only bouncing the opponent¡¯s blade off his own, instead of fully parrying, letting the opponent strike his body with decreased force. Just so he could have enough time to block the next attack.


    Then the attacks stopped. What felt like minutes, was in fact only a few moments.


    ¡°Thou art powerful in thine strikes. Thou art also quick. However. Thou art not as quick as i.¡±


    The dull voice of the knight came from closeby. Although Hikaru could not see him.


    At least not the real him. All he could see were the dust doubles around him. Dust particles perfectly forming the image of the knight while they lingered in the air.


    Dussins of knights. All made of dust, stood around Hikaru, in the mid motion of an attack. On all sides, even above.


    It appeared like a surreal piece of art.


    In the middle of this small army of identical grey knights. Hikaru stood. Barely standing, his body bleeding from several cuts all over his body, incredibly close to where his major arteries were. Only barely missing them.


    Hikaru stood straighter, despite his head suddenly swimming due to the heavy loss of blood.


    ¡°...You are..above my level of speed. Despite wearing all that armour.¡±


    He swished his sword around him, dissipating the dust doubles into mere dirty air.


    ¡°I can¡¯t completely block all your attacks..so i need some armour myself.¡±


    Hikaru lightly poked the ribbon on his sword, which had been twitching in worry for a while now. Worried over his heavy bleeding.


    It quickly wrapped itself around him, blocking his wounds from spilling more blood. On top of granting him some much needed armour. It drained some of his internal mana, colouring itself in the dark colours that were unique to his mana.


    Although this time the colour was much darker, due to the blood which the ribbon was now soaked in.


    ¡°Thou art truly a worthy opponent..mineself am delighted to have found thou before mt timely end.¡±


    The knight¡¯s dull tone seemed to have a hint of joy to it.


    ¡°Enjoy it while you can. Because your timely end is now!¡±


    Hikaru appeared in front of the knight, their blades crossing. A cloud of dust forming around the knight due to the impact, while a spark from their crossing blades lit up the air around Hikaru.

 Chapter 77: Throwin metal

    Four daggers entered a cloud of black smoke.


    ¡°Farewell. Terrorist scum.¡±


    The general still stood in the same spot since the beginning of the battle.


    Out of the black smoke, Helgi walked out, holding four daggers in hand. Water dripping from his body.


    ¡°That¡¯s unexpected..there was no way you could have stopped the momentum of my daggers, even if you had managed to block them..i put quite a bit of force into them.¡±


    The general was surprised, yet not shaken, still standing as calm as ever.


    ¡°You sure had me worried, i worked up quite a sweat thinking of a solution!¡± Helgi dropped the daggers to the side along with a small card, which exploded and shattered the daggers into useless pieces.


    Making a show of taking off his clothes and squeezing the water out of them, Helgi showed just how drenched in water he had become.


    ¡°I assume that all of that is not your sweat.¡±


    ¡°Well..you¡¯d be surprised..but no not all of it. You see my cards aren¡¯t limited to explosives,even if a lot of them are that. The smoke screen was to make sure your daggers headed straight for me. While i created a mass of water, dense enough that it could probably slow bullets. Your daggers are a joke, and so are your powers.¡±


    ¡°Bullets..?¡± The general raised an eyebrow ¡°No matter. Young man, do you really think that those daggers are now useless simply because you¡¯ve shattered them? If anything, you¡¯ve made things more difficult for yourself.¡±


    Smiling slightly, the general nodded toward Helgi, who felt something stab into his back.


    He quickly pulled it out. Discovering it was a shard of metal.


    ¡°You can even control pieces that small..!?¡±


    ¡°The powers which the one who lurks below has granted us are nothing so simple!¡±


    The rest of the daggers pieces began to float up.


    ¡°He granted us the power to control all metal! We are literal gods in his service.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just being kind of pretentious. I¡¯ve seen magic way more impressive that that. In fact i see it right now?¡±


    Helgi glanced at the giant wall in the distance, which was slowly crumbling piece by piece.


    ¡°That? Impressive? That is nothing but destruction. Anyone can do that. Creation however. Is something much more refined..and exclusive.¡±


    As he spoke, the dagger shards melded together, becoming one singular object. Forming a short spear. Aimed at Helgi.


    ¡°A spear? You think i can¡¯t dodge a single projectile, when you couldn¡¯t hit me with four before?¡±


    ¡°Whoever said i was only making one.¡±


    The hands of the general were slowly raised. As they were lifted, so too was the earth around them. Something was pulled out of the earth. Pieces. Large chunks of metal. Which were what kept the island floating, were pulled out while pushing away the earth around them.


    These large chunks of metal began molding, forming into many objects. Into spears. So many spears. Likely in the hundreds. All pointing towards Helgi.


    ¡°....You know i used to own a spear..¡± Helgi said at a lack of better words.


    ¡°Fascinating. Then it will be fitting for you to die by one. Or a few.¡±


    The general¡¯s hands dropped.


    With that sign, the spears shot at Helgi.


    ¡°I can¡¯t dodge all of those..¡± Helgi smiled awkwardly.


    Activating two cards he dropped them on the ground, placing his feet over them.


    ¡°...This is going to hurt.¡±


    The two cards cards expanded into a torrent of gigantic water which threw Helgi up into the air. The sheer force of the water pushing against his legs and the fact that his posture wasn¡¯t completely balanced, resulted in him being flipped many times while travelling up into the air.


    ¡°WOooOOooOOOooOOw!?¡±


    His voice distorting because of his constantly rotating body, his voice became weaker until it was barely audible to the general. Showing just how incredibly far up Helgi was.


    The hundreds of spears pointed at Helgi sunk into the the earth where he once stood. Their back side also being sharp, created a bed of spears for Helgi to land onto.


    ¡°Not a bed i¡¯d like to sleep on!¡±


    Another card activated. This one he placed onto his own back.


    It released a torrent of wind behind him, propelling him down at an angle. Toward the general.


    He picked out another card and activated it. Holding it in front of himself.


    ¡°What are you..¡±


    The general attempted to get the spears out of the ground and fire them at Helgi. He had used too much force so the spears were now firmly stuck in the ground, requiring some effort to pull out.


    ¡°You may have countless projectiles..!¡±


    Helgi yelled out.


    ¡°But i have a single more verstaile projectile..! Myself..!¡±


    ¡°Fool. You will die!¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Helgi was flying incredible quickly towards his opponent. So quick that his body was only a blur.


    Time seemed to pause. Helgi was now only a few meters away from impact with his opponent. At which point both their bodies would be mutilated beyond saving due to the sheer momentum of Helgi.


    Their eyes met. The general¡¯s eyes filled with none of the calm he displayed earlier, his eyes widening further than they ever had. Helgi¡¯s eyes were also wide, but that was due to him being unable to actually close them due to the force of the air pushing against his eyelids.


    The metal card Helgi held activated.


    Glancing at his opponent''s eyes. Helgi winked. Slightly moving his fingers, he revealed that he was in fact holding two cards instead of one. They simply looked as one due to being held against each other.


    One of the cards was flicked toward the general, while the other kept close to Helgi.


    The card close to Helgi activated first. Shooting out a water torrent in all directions. While the water was still in the middle of reaching both Helgi and the general. The second card activated.


    The second card began to implode before exploding outward, in an increasingly faster growing explosion.


    The explosion reached the general, consuming him while pushing him away.


    Once the explosion reached the water torrent behind which Helgi was still flying in mid air. The explosion began evaporating and pushing against the water, and with it, pushing away Helgi.


    Then time seemed to flow at a normal pace again.


    Flying toward the general, Helgi¡¯s card exploded into an explosion of fire and water. The fire side of which, consumed the general, while the water side of explosion consumed Helgi. Pushing them both towards opposite directions.


    The general was pushed down into the earth, into a small crater created by the explosion.


    Helgi was flung back up again, his body spinning randomly, most likely dislocating and breaking several of his joints and bones.


    While spinning wildly in midair, Helgi managed to get a card out of his pocket. It was a special card, with a spell that Yuri had deemed one of the most fundamental ones to have. He didn¡¯t really think he would ever have a use for it. But Yuri being much more experienced in magic than he was, made him trust her words. Now he understood her reasoning.


    He activated the card, despite the massive pain in his arm, which somehow managed to move despite being turned at a wrong angle.


    The feather fall spell activated, and he was gently sunk to the ground. Landing a bit away from the site of the explosion.


    He laid there for a long while. Breathing heavily. Some parts of his clothing were burned, while others were wet. His body was a complete mess, and he had difficulty breathing.


    ¡°But i did it..¡±


    He breathed out.


    ¡°I just need to go get that relic piece..and be on my way to the next one..before Hikaru gets all the credit..¡±


    He forced himself to stand. His entire body was in pain. Even worse. Some parts of his body were completely numb, which was worse than having them be in extreme pain.


    Yet he stood again. After all. He managed to stand before, in much worse conditions than this, with people who did not merely claim to be gods around him.


    He used another card. Which roughly healed his most extreme wounds. Moving him away from the thin edge of his death.


    ¡°You. Think. You. Can. Just. Use. A suicidal. Attack. And live...you¡­¡±


    Came shallow breaths from inside the explosion crater.


    ¡°...Can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still alive.¡± Helgi was surprised there were even enough parts left of him to form words. Much less being alive after an explosion that large.


    ¡°I will not. Surrender our country. Not to the. Likes of you. Who would risk your life. Our country. Is eternal. We do not take risks..¡±


    Helgi felt movement beneath his feet.


    Black sand rose from the ground, slowly inching its way towards the crater. Ever slowly filling it. ¡°Iron sand..?¡±


    ¡°....A burial¡­¡±


    Helgi muttered.


    ¡°Your burial.¡±


    The black sand began to compress. Until it was no longer visible, compressed to a dense mass at the bottom of the crater.


    ¡°We do not take risks. Projectile users do not take risks. You are a complete disgrace to all projectile users.¡±


    A figure covered in dark metal. Created from compressed iron sand. Slowly floated up from the crater. Flying up in the air, high above Helgi and the entire city.


    ¡°How are you..even alive..¡±


    Muttering to himself, Helgi had no more strength to fight. He didn¡¯t even have the means to fight. Most of his most cards used up, left him with barely any chance, considering his wounded state.


    ¡°The powers which the one who protects us from below has granted us! I didn¡¯t think i could use them like this...this is..amazing..I can control how powerful i am..¡±


    The general¡¯s entire body was covered in black metal. It appeared as if he was completely unharmed by the explosion.


    A look inside the crater revealed a different truth to Helgi.


    Inside the crater were several body parts. Limbs. Organs.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be alive. Even with whatever power is keeping you alive. The mere shock of losing that much blood and organs, would have you in a deep coma, if not die from shock.¡±


    Looking up at the black figure in the sky, Helgi marveled at the achievement which defied humanity.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the luxury of fainting. Not when my country is in need of being protected. Protected against those who wish to change it for the worse, To ruin the origins of our country. To ruin its meaning of absolute solidarity...i will never close my eyes until i stop that. Even if i have to replace more of my body with cold iron. An iron heart. Pumping blood pushed by iron dust in iron arteries..being held together by magic. I won¡¯t stop until either this country is saved or my body reverts back to the iron dust it once was!¡±


    The spears sunk into the ground began to fly up. Along with even more iron dust from the dirt. Creating All manner of weapons beyond simple spears. All flying around the now metal black general.


    ¡°With my body now protected by iron. And with countless projectiles at my disposal..i will retake this entire country. And build it back piece by piece. I will rebuild the walls myself..! And usher our country back into its secluded and safe state!¡±


    Something white poked out of the generals black iron chest. Where his heart was supposed to be, and now a black iron heart pumped, was a small white piece. A relic piece. Granting his body more power over metal, so that he could even replicate the biological functions of his body.


    ¡°...I failed..¡±


    Helgi sat down.


    ¡°..Sorry Yuri. You and Hikaru can probably handle beating this guy one way or another..you¡¯re both amazing. Me? I¡¯m just a normal guy with some of your spells..guess this is as far as i could get.¡±


    Looking up at the iron weapons filling the sky so it almost seemed black. Helgi felt disappointed in himself. He had not practiced using the cards. He had not considered the fact that he might have to use them against a truly powerful opponent which he could not simply escape from.


    His loss was none other than his own. He had the ability to win, he could almost win. Yet he had failed at the one thing he had prided himself upon. He had failed to read just how truly his opponent was enamoured with his country. How deep his dedication was. His resolution unshakable.


    His opponent was someone with a literal and figurative. Iron force of will. Those opponents are the most dangerous. He knew that. Yet he did not bother analyzing his opponent past his next action.


    He had failed, and failure has a price.


    He glanced at each weapon. Many of which were weapons he had no name for. Weapons that likely only existed in this world, or never existed before.


    Those weapons, pointing at him, directed towards him by a man with a resolution that could defy death itself. Would be his death.


    He prepared his mind.


    ¡°You have dared to destroy that which i hold most dear. My country. Now pay the price..¡±


    The metal general pointed a finger at Helgi.


    ¡°Your price is your life-¡±


    His words were cut short.


    The generals breath was pushed out of his strong metal lungs.


    Appearing out of nowhere, flying at a speed that made it unnoticeable until now. Making it fly faster than the sound it created.


    Was a metal airship.


    Only the airship part. The balloon was missing, yet this metallic airship, that now could not be called anything more than a simple boat made of shiny metal. Flew in over the city at a speed that surpassed anything this realm had ever witnessed.


    In it¡¯s path, which was high enough that it managed to not crash into any tall buildings in the city. Was the general, who was flying high above the city in order to further secure his safety.


    His attempt to secure his safety, ended up placing him in the path of this seemingly random airship.


    Which crashed into the general. Not even being slowed by him. The airship continued flying faster than sound, not even letting the general give a final scream.


    The metal airship, which now had the metal general stuck on its front, almost impaled upon it. Flew over the city and kept flying on its straight path, taking the general with it.


    ¡°...What just..¡±


    Helgi was at a loss for words, hiding beneath the roof of a nearby building, while the now useless weapons rained down, not being controlled by the general any longer.


    Helgi noticed a figure on the airship, which was running around frantically.


    ¡°Is that..Ahab¡­?¡±


    Upon realising that, the airship was far enough away that he could only hear a faint scream coming from it.


    ¡°HELP MEH HELGIIIii..iii...ii..i...i¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    Helgi was at a loss for words, and in complete confusion at what Ahab was doing there.


    ¡°That counts as my win though..right?¡±

 Chapter 78: The last swordsman and a never ending flight

    A few minutes before the surprise appearance of Ahab and his new airship in front of Helgi.


    Splinters of wood rained from the sky.


    Loose pieces of torn balloon fluttered in the wind, stuck to the red balloon of a shiny metallic airship.


    The airship flew in circles around a small floating island. The rain of splinters making it look like it was flying through brown leaves at the end of autumn.


    And as typical of the autumn season. It also meant easy sighting of small fluffy rodents climbing said shedding trees.


    Climbing on the back of the quick metal airship was a similar rodent. Although this one..wasn¡¯t nearly as fluffy or cute. In fact it looked quite gnarly.


    Ahab was holding onto the back of the airship as tightly as his old hands allowed him.


    He slowly climbed up, until he could peek over the edge of airship.


    Piloting the airship was that same peculiarly dressed guard. His long scarf and goggles being adjusted every so often as they seemed to slip.


    ¡°...Crazeh lad..i coulda died if i hadn¡¯t jumped out at the last second..¡± Ahab muttered under his breath, With whatever strength he had left after being tired out by climbing.


    Ahab slowly pulled himself onto the airship, throwing his exhausted old body over the edge, and finally resting.


    The guard piloting the airship didn¡¯t seem to notice Ahab. Being too preoccupied with frantically circling the tiny island, looking for something. The strong winds generated by his speed concealed all sounds.


    ¡°He must be lookin for this..¡± Patting the pocket where the relic piece was resting, Ahab decided he needed to get away before it could be taken from him.


    Looking around, he could not find any extra escape airships. Why would there be, this airship was essentially the same size as a small escape ship.


    ¡°...Aye have to take his ship..but how would aye..¡±


    He had no confidence in his physical strength. Along with being of advanced age, Ahab had also never been one to stress his body too much during his life, making it grow weaker than normal.


    His eyes caught the movement of a rope dangling off the bottom of the balloon. The balloon was attached so sloppily to the airship, it almost seemed like it was an afterthought. Purely for appearances sake.


    He didn¡¯t let that bother him for long and decided he had to do it now rather than when he was noticed. Grabbing the loose rope, Ahab tied it into a knot while carefully creeping closer to the airships pilot.


    Now close enough that he could smell the unwashed nature of this guards long scarf dangling behind him. Ahab threw the rope around the pilot, immediately pulling on it and tightening it around the arms of the guard.


    ¡°What the!?¡±


    The guard yelled out in surprise, unable to move his arms which were now stuck to his sides.


    ¡°Hah! The race ain¡¯t over till aye¡¯¡¯m either dead or flyin over the finishin line, the ship don¡¯t specifically got to be mine¡±


    Ahab leered at the now tied up pilot.


    ¡°You fool. You think you have beaten me. It is i who will still fly out of here victorious, while you end as a splatter across my airship- mnnnf!¡±


    Having tired of the guards haughty tone, Ahab tied the guards scarf around his face, gagging him.


    ¡°You mean MY ship¡±


    Ahab rested his hands on the steering wheel and turned it sharply sideways.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s be gettin this back to our base¡±


    The airship continued flying on the same path as before.


    ¡°Hm..¡±


    Ahab turned the wheel even more, yet now the airship moved into the opposite direction of where he turned the wheel.


    ¡°Huh..?¡±


    He continued trying to control the airship which seemed to only fly in ways unrelated to his steering.


    Muffled laughing came from behind him. The still gagged guard was laughing at him.


    ¡°What are ye laughin bout yah bastard!¡±


    The guard rolled his eyes.


    As he did so, the airship twisted, rolling over on it¡¯s back in mid flight like an obedient dog.


    ¡°What¡¯s goin on!?¡±


    The guard held onto the airship with the tip of his foot, using his foot as a hook, which he jammed into some metal plating.


    While the airship rolled over, the guard seemed to continue sitting down, when he infact was holding onto the airship.


    Ahab on the other hand, who was not holding onto anything, began to drop down. Now that the ship was upside down, there was nothing to stop gravity from taking effect.


    ¡°Woah what¡¯s this lad, this your doin!?¡±


    His drop was stopped by the balloon which was now situated towards the bottom. Ahab¡¯s light weight allowed him to stand on the thin surface of the balloon without problems.


    ¡°Turn this ship the right side up! However it is yuh are doin it!¡±


    Ahab yelled at the guard who was sitting upside down, above him.


    The guard shrugged, with the airship shaking slightly, making Ahab lose his footing.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning yah! That¡¯s it..!¡±


    Ahab jumped up from the balloon, reaching up and grabbing onto the clothes of the guard above him.


    ¡°Mhmm!?¡±


    The still gagged guard exclaimed in panic.


    Still holding onto the guards clothes, Ahab began to swing slightly.


    ¡°Yuh better turn this ship right side up, or aye will make yuh fall down with me!¡±


    He yelled at the panicked guard, who could barely hold on with his leg which was now supporting the weight of the swinging Ahab.


    Nodding furiously, the guard closed his eyes while the airship slowly began to turn right side up. Ahab was once again standing on firm wood and metal.


    ¡°No respect for yah elders i say..


    Ahab walked up to the tied up guard and looked at him.


    ¡°So yer controllin this airship with magic or sumthin right?¡±¡± He asked, to which the guard nodded.


    ¡°Then yah better follow my instructions or i¡¯ll throw yuh off this ship, now make the airship head northwards!¡±


    The guard sighed into his gag and made the airship turn around by controlling the metal of the airship with his mind.


    ¡°Alright, now increase the speed, we¡¯re needin to deliver this relic thing to the lad Helgi¡±


    The guard paused while increasing the speed of the airship''s flight.


    Ahab took out the small white relic piece from his pocket and observed it casually.


    Now having forgotten about controlling the airship, the guard left the airship slowly accelerating automatically in his mind, while he stood up, his hands still tied, and creeped closer to Ahab.


    The goal of the guard was right there. The relic piece he was tasked to acquire. If he didn¡¯t manage to get it, he would greatly dishonour himself. He had to get it.


    ¡°Aye wonder what¡¯s so special bout this lil thing..doesn¡¯t even look like much.¡±


    Shrugging, Ahab put the relic back in his pocket and turned around towards the guard again.


    The guard lunged at Ahab when he began to turn around. Throwing his entire body, head first at Ahab, in an attempt at a body slam, which was the best he could do with tied up hands.


    ¡°Could yah accelerate the ship faster, aye ain¡¯t got all day¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    While turning around, Ahab felt a sharp pain in one of his knees. The jumping and slamming himself onto hard surfaces earlier had taken it¡¯s toll on his old body, and his knee gave out for a moment.


    ¡°Ugh! Damn knee, i hate getting old!¡±


    He cried out while falling sideways, clutching his knee in pain.


    Falling right out of the path of the guard who had already lunged at him.


    The guard''s eyes widened. His body moving just past Ahabs and flying headfirst into the steering wheel.


    A sharp cracking sound followed a heavy thump of the guards body collapsing.


    His head colliding roughly with the center of the steering wheel and making him lose his conscious.


    ¡°Ow ow..¡± Ahab slowly stood up unsteadily, trying not to put pressure on his weak knee.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He noticed the guard had shifted position and was now laying sprawled on the floor of the airship in front of the steering wheel.


    ¡°What are yah doin, yah can¡¯t nap, i need you to steer the ship, or i¡¯ll throw yah off!¡±


    Ahab poked him with his foot.


    ¡°Oi, wake up!¡±


    He kicked him lightly.


    ¡°Wake up, yah lazy bastard. Can¡¯t believe lads like yuh protected this country!¡±


    Ahab stopped when he realised the guard was going to be out cold for a while.


    ¡°Oi..how am i going to steer this damn airship then!?¡±


    Yelling out of the ariship which was still flying north, it¡¯s speed still slowly increasing.


    In fact it had increased so much, that the balloon was slowly being torn off of it because of the air resistance.


    A ship flying with magic did not need a floatation device such as a balloon. But it nonetheless made Ahab even more panicked.


    ¡°Oi! Someone! Help meh! Stop this damn airship! What am aye supposed to do!?!?¡±


    --


    Sparks appeared at random points on a grassy flat island, seemingly created by nothing.


    The sparks were so intense and so plentiful it made the entire island look covered in never ending sparkling fireworks.


    The origins of these visually ensnaring fireworks was the clash of two knights.


    ¡°Seems moving mineself to such an extent hath shaken all of the dust off mine armour. This hath never occurred before.¡±


    A dull yet slightly excited voice came from one end of the island. The flashes of light accompanied by sparks stopped for a moment.


    Two figures appeared out of seemingly thin air, each on their own side.


    A knight in brilliant shinning metal armour. So polished one could see the reflection of the swaying grass in it.


    At the other end stood a different knight. His armour was as black as the darkest of shadows. Reflecting only the dark abyss.


    Likewise, his sword was covered in deep black, as opposed to the knights brilliant mirror like blade.


    ¡°Guess i gave your equipment some much needed cleanup.You will have to forgive me, as i will make sure they are no longer clean when our fight is done.¡±


    Hikaru breathed heavily, the black ribbon covering his body tightening around him, increasing his protection by draining his mana at a faster rate.


    ¡°Whether tis mine blood or thine, remains to be seen. Mineself hath never been pushed this far.¡±


    The knight commented and lifted his sword again.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be pushed even further. I¡¯ve never met someone with speed and skill surpassing my own.¡±


    Likewise lifting his sword, Hikaru breathed out into the ribbon covering his mouth and nose in black bandages.


    ¡°Thou flatters me, thine abilities are nothing to scoff at either. Never has anyone reduced mineself to using mine last set of techniques. Be prepared, mineself would not wish for you to lose your head.¡±


    ¡°Indeed..then myself as well..¡± Hikaru breathed in and let the ribbon suck as much of his black mana as possible, strengthening his blade and armour to their limits.


    The knight did something incredibly peculiar. Instead of moving at such an incredible speed that made him difficult to observe. He instead began to slowly walk towards Hikaru. Each step heavy on the ground, leaving an impression of just how weighty his armour was.


    Hikaru did not wait for the knight to reach him, and sprinted towards him using every muscle to it¡¯s limit, helping him accelerate, and releasing a single strike with all of that accumulated power towards the knight¡¯s neck.


    The knight moved slowly, a strange contrast compared to his previous speed. Yet despite being slow, all his movements were incredibly solid. The heavens themselves wouldn¡¯t be able to stop his movement.


    The knight raised his sword and deflected Hikaru¡¯s sword to the side. His powerful blow completely negated.


    Hikaru pulled back his sword and thrusted at his opponent, who pushed the blade to the side with his own. Another strike followed his deflected aiming for Hikaru, who in turn avoided it by striking at the knight¡¯s hand, thus changing the course of his blade. While striking at the knight with his sword.


    (His movement¡¯s are so slow..yet it feels if i let down even for a moment, it might be my last..)


    Hikaru continued to strike at his opponent who could somehow always predict his attacks and block them with unquestionable certainty, despite him now moving much slower than Hikaru.


    (Now i have to do it..how did it go again..it¡¯s been so long.)


    Hikaru changed his pattern.


    He stopped and twisted his foot mid motion, making his body move in a circular fashion, around the knight.


    The twisting movement of his body reached his shoulders, which naturally moved, creating a fluid movement that went from a dodge, to an attack coming from an unpredictable direction.


    The knight finally used his old speed that surpassed Hikaru, twisting his upper body and shoulder in order to block Hikaru¡¯s sword in time.


    But Hikaru wasn¡¯t done. That first movement was simply him testing out an old technique he hadn¡¯t used for years. Now he was going to use it with all of his strength.


    Hikaru twisted his feet beneath him again, making his body into a whirlwind that turned and moved past the knight,moving behind him.


    The knight had no time to react.


    Hikaru¡¯s blade struck at his armour, creating a deep gash in the metal.


    His sword was pushed off by the knight who retreated a few steps in an instant.


    ¡°Thou..uses such developed techniques..unlike the basic movements thou portrayed before.¡±


    The knight sounded both impressed and surprised.


    ¡°..It¡¯s an old technique. I had no use for such techniques when all my enemies could not keep up with my simple attacks. Now it is different. Now let me ask you a question.Why did you suddenly cast away your speed.¡±


    ¡°..Tis due to the same reasoning as thineself hath. Thou might have noticed by now.¡±


    The knight pointed at the gash that was easily created in his armour.


    ¡°Mineself doth not wear this armour for protection. Grant mineself much defence it doth not.¡±


    ¡°Then what is the point of wearing such a hindrance in battle?¡±


    ¡°Thou may have noticed..mine armour is quite shiny. Tis metal. Tis soft to grant mineself flexibility. But the fact that it is metal..grants mineself control over its movements. Allowing me to move mineself at great speed surpassing thine.¡±


    The knights voice was dull while explaining his superiority. He found no joy in bragging.


    ¡°...You used magic to control the metal and by extension your body..¡±


    Hikaru realised.


    ¡°Tis so. However that limits mineself to using only simple techniques for fear of damaging mineself.¡±


    He swung his sword sharply and so quickly it was invisible, and once more but this time it was slow and not nearly as predictable of a swing.


    ¡°To use mine more complex techniques, mineself am forced to using mine own muscles.¡±


    ¡°Is that so..¡± Hikaru felt his body starting to run dry on mana.


    ¡°Then let us decide whose techniques are more powerful. Mine, or yours.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±


    Their swords clashed once more. Yet now there were no sparks. There were no fireworks appearing over the entire floating island.


    It was simply two men, attempting to stab one another with swords. There was no excessive show of power.


    Whenever their blades touched they would move them away before they could apply any weight on them. Both knew that once their blades actually touched, it would develop into a pushing war. They wanted to avoid such waste of strength. Instead their blades quickly retracted and were flung once again at their opponent, gliding through any small opening possible.


    Their bodies were moving in uncertain ways, twisting and turning,moving in way they could so they only barely avoided the opponent''s blade.


    They both were beginning to bleed. Not due to their opponents strikes. But due to them clutching their own swords with too much strength. The skin on their fingers ripping in the pressure and letting drops of blood coat the green grass beneath them.


    They continued clashing, moving, avoiding, always looking for the opportune moment. That single instant which would eventually show up once their opponent was tired enough, once their opponent lost his will, once their opponent lost his cool.


    Yet that instant never came, and their clash continued, wordless. There were no pauses anymore. No time to rest. Their battle was reaching its end. They were both running out of strength. Whoever ran out of stamina first would inevitably lose.


    They were fighting quite evenly. Their techniques were at the same level of complexity where one could not overtake and counter the other without getting countered themselves.


    However, Hikaru had another thing working against him other than his stamina.


    His stamina was near endless, usually that is. Once he used his old knightly techniques, his body, unused to the movements, began to demand rest.


    (This body..this useless body..! The only good thing about this body was its endurance and strength..Yet whenever i use complex human techniques..! It¡¯s like my body rejects me doing these movements..!)


    He was getting tired.


    Yet that was not what eventually made him lose. After many minutes, which felt like hours, and after almost an entire hour that felt like an endless eternity.


    Hikaru fell to his knees.


    His mana had reached zero.The ribbon which had done it¡¯s best to stretch all the mana he had left for as long as it could, lost it¡¯s vivid black colour and slowly retracted back around the sword''s hilt with a pathetic movement.


    The wounds his body had sustained opened up again. Having used his body to it¡¯s limits before had caused his skin to tear, and now that there was no ribbon to hold his wounds closed.


    They began seeping out his red blood.


    The grassy ground which had been painted red by the blood dripping from both of their hands was consumed exclusively by Hikaru¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Damn it..¡±


    Hikaru felt his strength seeping away. Even if he could stand back up now, he had lost. He had lost focus for much longer than a single moment. His enemy could have killed him several times by now.


    The question was. Why hadn¡¯t he.


    Hikaru looked up from his position at his knees, at the knight standing in front of him, looking down at him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you finish me? I lost our duel.¡±


    ¡°Thou have lost nothing. As thou can see. I no longer hold strength to even hold mine own sword.¡±


    The knight looked at his empty hand, which had dropped the sword onto the ground, sticking it deep into the dirt.


    ¡°How..? Your movements were filled with strength only mere moments ago.¡±


    ¡°...You see. There was a reason mineself wanted to have one last worthy fight.¡±


    The knight slowly removed his helmet, revealing his true face.


    That of a withered old man.


    ¡°....How?¡±


    ¡°Mineself received this armour with a spell to control it. With it, mineself could return to being a knight despite the corruption of time. Mineself accepted it, for mine wish was to die while in the middle of a duel. T¡¯was the honourable thing to do when mineself was young.¡±


    ¡°You have many years of experience as a knight under your belt. You must have been close to a demi-god in strength when you were young.¡±


    Hikaru was impressed beyond belief at the strength a single old human could have.


    ¡°Thou flatters me. Thou have granted mineself the defeat mineself wished for. Mine body is nearing it¡¯s end after being pushed this far. Mine heart is growing slower. As thanks for granting mineself mine wish, let me grant you this, naturally the prize of the duel is also yours..¡±


    The old knight''s voice was getting hoarse as he took off his gauntlet and threw it to Hikaru.


    ¡°Mineself am sure thou will find use for this..now mineself..wishes to see mine old comrades, whom mineself can now..meet..¡±


    The old knight slowly walked off towards the edge of the floating island, giving Hikaru one last look.


    Without any other words, the old knight looked up, as if looking at someone, and his body slowly fell down off the cliff and deep into the darkness below.


    ¡°It was my defeat. You will meet your comrades with more honour than you think. A shame i couldn¡¯t have met you in your youth..we might have been comrades as well.¡±


    Hikaru could only mutter this while grabbing the gauntlet the old knight left behind. Slowly standing up, he saw something approaching in the distance.


    ¡°HELP MEH LAD! AYE CAN¡¯T STOP THIS THING!¡±


    Ahab¡¯s yelled was audible even before Hikaru could see him. Although he certainly saw a strange metallic ship approaching fast in the sky.


    ¡°...Indeed.¡± Hikaru grabbed the floating relic piece and quickly patched up his wounds. With a deep breath, Hikaru jumped up into the sky just as the strange ship passed by. Grabbing Ahab by the collar, he jumped back down again and landed safely on the island along with Ahab.


    ¡°...Th--thank yeh lad..¡±


    Falling face first onto the grass, Ahab fainted while Hikaru curiously observed the strange ship flying away into the distance.


    --


    -A scene from many days later-


    A strange metallic ship was stuck deep in the middle of the empty desert, covered almost completely by sand. Inside it sat a single tied up and gagged figure, who sighed heavily at his situation.

 Chapter 79: The rock has fallen, but another rock is missing

    ¡°Shall we proceed to acquire the last relic piece?¡±


    Hikaru suggested once he and Ahab were reunited with Helgi.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best, i think we took care of all of guards, so let¡¯s go there together and wait for Yuri¡±


    Agreeing, Helgi used one of his last rune etched cards to heal some of his and Ahab''s wounds.


    ¡°Afraid this ain¡¯t too good on these old bones, they¡¯ll break back down again before yah know it!¡± Ahab joked about him being healed.


    ¡°Just say thank you or i¡¯ll break them for you¡± Helgi threatened him, still feeling a sting that he ended up being saved by a pure coincidence due to Ahab¡¯s involvement.


    ¡°Thank yah laddeh.¡±


    They slowly proceeded toward the last iron dust line in the sky, a small floating island where they would find the last part of the relic, three of which they already had each.


    Hikaru carried the other two like sacks over his shoulders, jumping onto the island from a nearby one.


    They were however, greeted by an unexpected figure. Yuri herself, standing and waiting for them.


    ¡°Yuri? You arrived before us? ¡°


    Hikaru set down the other two and slowly walked over to Yuri, slightly surprised.


    Yuri wore a strained smile as he approached.


    ¡°My, how wonderful to meet you here dear.¡±


    She curtsied at Hikaru, making him immediately freeze in his tracks.


    (An imposter? No. It¡¯s Yuri. I remember her scent perfectly, and her appearance. Then..a joke from her world? No her smile is too forced for that. Perhaps she is trying to resist laughing? Or perhaps she is trying to tell me something?)


    Hikaru¡¯s thoughts went in circles while he stood still.


    ¡°Oh for crying out loud. It¡¯s obviously an ambush!¡±


    Sick of waiting, Yuri yelled out the answer at the same time as Helgi did, who had already figured out what happened since he saw her forced smile, but was waiting for someone to act first.


    They were immediately surrounded by figures who had not been there mere moments ago. Appearing as if from thin air. As they did not seem to be quick enough to change position in the style of himself, Hikaru deemed it was some manner of camouflaging magic.


    There were seven of them. Three were clad in leather armour with stamped symbols. The others wore long robes, alongside with masks which all contained similar symbols.


    One of the figures wearing leather armour was standing right next to Yuri, with a razor-like knife against her throat.


    ¡°What is this!?¡±


    Hikaru drew his sword.


    ¡°Shit, what have you done this time Yuri!¡± Helgi drew his last card.


    ¡°Aye ain¡¯t dealin with this!¡±


    Ahab hid behind a nearby rock.


    ¡°A single move from yourself and myself will cut off the head of your female companion before yourself even manages to take a breath.¡±


    The one holding a sword against Yuri¡¯s neck spoke.


    ¡°You will not get the remaining relic pieces.¡±


    Hikaru said determinedly. Yet his eyes were glued onto the blade just barely touching Yuri¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Relic¡­? Ah that. That will be confiscated from yourself and yourself¡¯s companions after you are arrested. But that is not the main reason myself and myself¡¯s companions are gathered before you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? If you¡¯re not after the relic, then what are you after?¡±


    Helgi questioned them.


    ¡°You are all under arrest for harbouring a fallen one and aiding him in the destruction of property. The theft of godly relics crucial to the politics of each church. The destruction and annihilation of the legendary golden city. Your involvement in the politics of a closed off city and aiding one side to defeat the rebellion instead of letting it take the process naturally, presumably to further your own gain in some manner. The resulting murders of innocent civilians as side effects of said actions, and the attempted annihilation of an entire country.¡±


    A woman wearing a robe stepped up, pointing a short staff at Hikaru.


    ¡°You smell of corruption and dark mana that does not belong in this realm. You must be the fallen one. Drop your weapon and surrender yourself or else your supposed companions will get immediately executed and you will be mercilessly attacked.¡±


    Hikaru wanted to finish them off with a single stroke of his sword. Yet the blade against Yuri¡¯s neck stopped him.


    ¡°Hikaru..! Kill them all..! Now..!¡±


    Yuri mouthed at him.


    ¡°I wish i could. I cannot risk it..¡±


    Reluctantly. Hikaru dropped his sword to the ground. Along with a pair of metal gauntlets.


    ¡°Wisely chosen. Under the jurisdiction of the combined authority of the representatives of the seven churches present. By the order of the gods, you and your companions are under arrest, and will be taken for trial in a church of our choosing.¡±


    With a flick of her staff, Hikaru was bound by ropes made of skin surrounding his entire body except his head.


    ¡°This was easier than expected. I suppose a fallen one would have to be a coward to manage all this chaos without taking the blame for it for so long.¡± The robed woman smirked beneath her mask.


    ¡°You and you, stay here and take care of the other ones while we deliver the fallen one.¡±


    The woman pointed at the man holding a sword against Yuri¡¯s throat and another woman wearing a similar mask.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    They both nodded.


    With another flick of her staff, her, Hikaru and four of her companions began to float away.


    Hikaru looked back with worry at Yuri, who narrowed her eyes at him, mouthing for him to come back quickly, once she takes care of this.


    The figure of the bound Hikaru and his captors slowly disappeared in the distance.


    ¡°Now then. Myself was simply told to take care of yourself until they came back. So sit down while she ties you up.¡±


    The leather armour wearing man twitched the sword against Yuri¡¯s neck, motioning for Helgi to sit down next to Ahab.


    ¡°Tie them up¡±


    He nodded at the woman next to him.


    ¡°Ehh~ too much effort¡±


    The masked woman turned toward the man.


    ¡°Just do it! I don¡¯t know why we even brought you along..!¡±


    ¡°Fiiiine!¡±


    The woman raised her hand and pointed it at the man. A lengthy cloth rope materialised itself from her hand and quickly bound itself around the man¡¯s body like a snake, completely sealing his movements so he could not even move his arm.


    The man fell backwards, stiff as a statue while yelling into the rope covering him.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yuri rubbed her neck.


    The woman took off her mask.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten so cuuuuute! I love your new look!¡±


    Yuri was given a huge hug by the now maskless, big breasted woman.


    ¡°M-mako!?¡±


    ¡°Yesss~ i mished youuu¡±


    Her hug tightened around Yuri.


    ¡°What are you doing here!?¡±


    Yuri attempted to unstick herself from Mako who would not let go.


    ¡°Hmmm~~?¡± Mako looked at her after squishing her cheek against Yuri¡¯s.


    ¡°Well..they asked for someone from the church of freiya! And i was the only one available..sooo, i came along!¡±


    ¡°Yuri..who is that¡­? Are you sure she¡¯s not an enemy?¡±


    Helgi asked cautiously, While Ahab peeked from behind his rock.


    ¡°She¡¯s not..mmff..an enemy..¡± Yuri managed while being cuddled against Mako¡¯s chest.


    ¡°She¡¯¡¯s ..supposedly. The archbishop of the church of Freiya.¡±


    ¡°I see..then miss bishop? Mind explaining why our companion was kidnapped?¡±


    He asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Why did they take Hikaru and where!¡±


    Yuri demanded.


    ¡°Oh that..well uh...ehehe¡­¡±


    She slowly let go of Yuri.


    ¡°I kind of didn¡¯t know it was about Hikaru..but uh. We..were on a mission to capture a fallen god..turned out it was Hikaru..i didn¡¯t even know he was one..! And so uh.. The reasons are all the stuff they mentioned..¡±


    Smiling awkwardly, Mako scratched the back of her head.


    ¡°Hah..¡± Yuri sighed ¡°Then whyyyy, did you help them capture me as hostage to use against Hikaru!¡±


    ¡°Becauseeeee, they¡¯re like really strong. Even Hikaru can¡¯t take them all on at the same time..¡±


    ¡°So you just went along until there was only one left..well thank you i guess..¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome~¡± She went right back to hugging Yuri.


    ¡°Will Hikaru be able to escape, he even left his sword¡±


    Helgi noted while picking up the sword.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so..by now they¡¯ve probably bound him in hundreds of seals. He would need someone to open those for him..he will be judged at a chosen church but his sentence will likely be death..¡±


    Mako explained, her tone wavering slightly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen... we just have to go save him!¡± Yuri said, to which everyone except Ahab nodded.


    ¡°He left these gauntlets too..¡±


    Picking up a pair of shiny gauntlets, Helgi looked them over, noticing something falling out of them.


    ¡°The relic piece he had..!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish was we started and then head over to where Hikaru is!¡±


    Yuri grabbed the 4 relic piece from everyone and paused.


    ¡°Wait what do i do now..¡±


    She tried hitting them against each other or fitting them together as a puzzle to no avail.


    ¡°Let me try, i know this~¡±


    Taking the relic pieces, Mako slowly breathed on them and closed her hands around them.


    Opening her hands again, the pieces had fused together into a white metal tooth.


    ¡°A tooth..?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the tooth of..¡± Yuri began while looking over the edge of the island.


    ¡°So how does this thing work..¡±


    Picking up the tooth relic, Yuri began to poke it randomly.


    While Yuri was busy inspecting the relic, Ahab had noticed something felt different. He felt strangely lighter.


    Picking up a small pebble, he released it in midair. Although instead of dropping, the pebble in fact moved upwards.


    ¡°....huh?¡±


    ¡°Aye think...this island is sinkin..fallin in fact.¡±


    Ahab noted.


    ¡°Hah?¡± Everyone turned towards Ahab, and he demonstrated his pebble floating up again.


    ¡°...Oh.¡±


    ¡°.....¡±


    Everyone quieted down for a moment, before Yuri spoke up.


    ¡°Guess i ended up turning it off somehow¡­¡±


    ¡°Yuuuuuriiii..¡±


    Helgi stared at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame her for this, it was probably my fault, she¡¯s innocent!¡±


    Hugging Yuri once again, Mako squished her chest against Yuri¡¯s face.


    ¡°Who cares whose fault this is, how are we goin to survive!? We ain¡¯t got no airship no more and aye aint known to be good at flappin my arms!¡±


    ¡°Oh relax, would you, i¡¯ll just draw a feather falling spell on this island and we¡¯ll glide down as smooth as a -¡±


    She paused.


    Her hands travelling across her body before her eyes began moving around looking all over the ground.


    ¡°...That rune would be good right bout now?¡±


    ¡°..My dagger...I can¡¯t...I can¡¯t find it!?¡±


    ¡°....Um..they must have taken it..my colleagues i mean..¡±


    Mako once again began to awkwardly rub her head.


    ¡°Wonderful.¡±


    Helgi sighed.


    ¡°Wait, wait, i know! Remember that time we got stuck on an elevator during our escape, and they cut it¡¯s wires?¡±


    She said to Helgi.


    ¡°...You mean you want to¡­¡±


    ¡°It would work wouldn¡¯t it..?¡±


    ¡°I¡­.Don¡¯t actually know. That time we were really lucky with the timing. How would we know when the island will hit the ground.¡±


    ¡°Aye can tell ya when. Aye¡¯ve flown enough in my life, so aye know how the winds and air feel¡±


    Ahab suggested.


    ¡°Good job Ahab! Okay on the count of three, three being when the island hits the ground, we will all-¡±


    She began explaining.


    ¡°One, two¡±


    Ahab had already began.


    ¡°ALREADY?!¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°OKAY EVERYONE JUMP AS HIGH AS YOU CAN!¡±


    And everyone did. Fear and adrenalin pushing their legs to the limits as they each jumped almost a meter each.


    Just below them, the ground shattered and cracked into several pieces, the island not being able to sustain its form due to the impact.


    Everyone fell onto the rubble in an awkward position, not having calculated their landing as they were too worried about the act of jumping itself.


    ¡°I miss my feather falling rune..¡±


    Yuri stood up and rubbed her head. Looking around , she saw a sight that felt like a dream.


    Above them, floated hundreds upon hundreds of floating islands, all of which were now quickly falling, increasing in visual size as they reached the bottom.


    Each one exploded into a shower of pebbles and dust when it hit the ground. The islands and the shattered giant mountains from earlier having created a solid bed of stone, under which the empty space they had visited before existed.


    Now with the mountains gone and the ground actually covering the entire space of this country, it began to look much less like a picture from a fantasy book and more like the surface of mars, with the desert surrounding the country being visible.


    ¡°Well, Ahab, you got your country freed. If you really want to thank me, you should name it after me, since i was the one who saved it¡±


    ¡°Our countreh..it¡¯s finalleh free. No walls to keep us in no more. The rest¡¯re probably already celebratin!¡±


    Ahab looked around with joy at being able to see the complete sky and not just part of it.


    ¡°We achieved our goal here i suppose? Wish Hikaru was here to see it since this was for him.. I¡¯ll hide this somewhere¡± Yuri took the relic piece and stuffed it in the top part of her shirt, somewhere very unusual.


    ¡°You¡¯re so girly now! I just can¡¯t take it! So cute!¡± Mako hugged Yuri again and squeezed her hard enough that her legs dangled.


    ¡°We need to start moving, Ahab we need to borrow one of your airships¡±


    Helgi said while dusting off.


    ¡°Ah?Aye, i can give yuh one, gonna have to walk all the way to our base..walk! The first walk over our country..!¡±


    ¡°Mmf, yeah, and you can explain things in more detail while we walk¡± Yuri said to Mako when she managed to free her face of Mako¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Okay! But i get to hug you while we walk!¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    Mako began walking with Yuri still held up against her chest, her feet dangling slightly while Mako held her up.


    --


    ¡°SeEms yOu wEre aBle to dEfeat thE mEageR mOrtaLs, my son. NOw tHat i Am bEneAth thIs rUbbLe..i CaN bEgIn abSorBing ThE mAna iNfuSed inTo it..wHile bEing cOmplEteLy oUt of SighT..weLl dOnE foLLowIng mY pRovOcAtiOns my son..¡±


    The ground filled with rubble rumbled slightly. The laughter of the thing that dwells below it, making it move in the manner of an earthquake.


    ¡°sOon i wiLL go Out anD cOmPlEtE mY gOaL..FiNalLy..¡±

 Chapter 80: A stream of water

    ¡°The heros! They¡¯ve returned!¡±


    Loud cheering came from all over the floating base which had been set on the now solid ground of rubble.


    ¡°Hero! Hero! Hero! You did the impossible! There are no more borders! Hurrah! Hero Hero!¡±


    People cheered and approached Yuri and the rest.


    Ahab was lifted and pulled away by the cheering crowd, leaving Yuri, Mako and Helgi standing alone.


    ¡°Damn that Ahab. Taking all the credit for what we did¡±


    Helgi crossed his arms.


    ¡°Yeah. Good for him, we got what we came for.¡±


    Answering plainly, Yuri detached herself from the clingy Mako and stretched.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go rest before we head off.¡±


    Her voice lacking her usual spark of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Hm..?¡± Mako and Helgi tilted their heads slightly at her unusual response.


    ¡°You said you were an archbishop of your church?¡±


    Helgi asked of Mako.


    ¡°Yes! I was chosen by the orb of freiya! Well, i kind of gave that away to Yuri. But might as well, that orb wasn¡¯t working properly if it chose me! Even Hikaru said that before!¡±


    Nodding to herself while talking, Mako said this lightheartedly.


    ¡°Is that so..?¡±


    Giving an awkward smile at her overly bubbly nature, Helgi began asking her questions concerning what they would encounter once they would attempt to rescue Hikaru.


    Most of his questions however, were answered with a clueless shrug.


    Meanwhile. Yuri had climbed onto a high position, and sat facing the sun, watching the slow movement of the rubble¡¯s shadow in the sun.


    ¡°I wonder. What¡¯s this sudden helpless feeling..¡±


    Muttering softly, she rested her chin on her knees.


    ¡°Am i worried about getting the dagger back..?¡±


    ¡°No..i never much cared for it too much..it was just useful to have..am i worried about Hikaru..? I can¡¯t be, i know fully well how he can handle himself..besides we¡¯re going to rescue him soon, so not like there¡¯s anything to worry about right..then why do i feel this way..¡±


    She hid her face behind propped up knees.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like this when i first got separated from him..but now..that i know i won¡¯t see him for a while..despite Mako and Helgi being with me...why does..¡±


    A soft sigh escaped her lips.


    ¡°...Why does it feel so lonely without his constant presence..¡±


    The sun cast shadows of her lonely form on the wood building behind her, the rocks on the ground shining in an all too bright orange. Portraying the heat of the day in air that blurred the scenery.


    Yuri¡¯s form blurred slightly in the hot air.


    --


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go find Yuri, kayyyyh?¡±


    Mako ran off from Helgi, who felt lucky as he got tired of questioning her for answers she did not posses.


    ¡°Now then. I suppose i should prepare in the meantime.¡±


    Helgi pulled out the gauntlets which belonged to Hikaru along with his sword.


    The ribbon on the sword shook slightly while he handled the sword.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°I¡¯m not your owner sadly, but don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re going to get him back.¡±


    Helgi said to the ribbon, which shook in acceptance.


    He felt slightly silly talking to a ribbon, but let it go as there was no one around to see.


    ¡°I suppose i should package you better..but..this is what he uses huh. With a single slash, defeating any enemy. If only i had that sort of power. I could have beaten that general..being completely worthless like that..doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡±


    Helgi lifted the sword, testing it¡¯s power and giving it a small swish. The sword flew out of his hand and embedded itself into a nearby wall.


    ¡°...Guess it was too heavy for me.¡±


    Walking over to try and pull it out of the wall. His attempts were met with failure, as it was stuck deep.


    ¡°How does that freak of a monster handle something like this..it¡¯s not like i don¡¯t work out or anything.¡±


    The ribbon attached to the sword shook in annoyance.


    ¡°Hm..?¡±


    The ribbon stretched its one end, pointing it towards something on the ground.


    It was the metal gauntlets that Helgi left there while he handled the sword.


    ¡°The gauntlets..?¡±


    Picking them up, he shrugged and put the gauntlets on.


    ¡°Maybe they will give me a better grip?¡±


    Helgi tried to pull out the sword again.


    This time, the sword slid out almost effortlessly.


    ¡°...Huh.¡±


    Swinging the sword again, it felt as easy as swinging a ruler.


    ¡°These gauntlets..¡±


    His hands began swinging by themselves, as if going through the motions automatically.


    ¡°W-woah.¡±


    The swinging continued until his arms began to hurt and he feared they would fall off.


    ¡°¡±T-this is bad..i can¡¯t take them off..!¡±


    When he said that, the end of the sword¡¯s ribbon reached out and touched the gauntlets.


    The sword once again became heavy and fell at his side.


    His arms went limp with relief.


    ¡°Phew..what the hell did Hikaru even find..doesn¡¯t seem they¡¯re made for combat..if you can¡¯t control them..¡±


    Picking up the gauntlets, he looked them over closely.


    ¡°Not a single dent..they really weren¡¯t used for combat..then perhaps..those swings it made me do were all very specific..¡±


    Helgi muttered to himself for a while.


    ¡°Hey ribbon thing. Think you can turn the gauntlets off again when i tell you to?¡±


    The ribbon twitched in what he assumed was a positive gesture.


    ¡°Alright..¡±


    Donning the gauntlets once more, Helgi let the gauntlets control his arms while they began swinging methodically. Each swing slowly getting more advanced.


    ¡°I figured¡­¡± He breathed out mid swing.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t for combat..they¡¯re for training..!¡±


    ¡°Okay okay..ribbon thing, turn them off! ¡°


    He let go of the sword and quickly took off the gauntlets.


    ¡°Maybe..this could be my solution to getting stronger..¡±


    He looked at the gauntlets then glanced at the ribbon.


    ¡°Are you up for more?¡±


    --


    ¡°Yuuuuuuriiii~ where are youuuu~¡±


    Mako called out while exploring the base.


    It was surprisingly empty. The members of the rebellion were all outside. They had set up camp a fair bit away and were busy celebrating their victory with like minded civilians.


    Those who did not agree with their decision had long since left, along with those upset about not being warned of this in advance. Who had left to collect their things from amongst the rubble.


    Mako reached the top floor of the building and heard someone sigh sadly from nearby.


    ¡°Mm¡­? If it¡¯s someone who¡¯s feeling down then Mako will be their...uh..some noun that rhymes with down..wait noun rhymes with down! What a missed opportunity to stop someone¡¯s frown..wait that rhymes too! Aw!¡±


    Nearing the source of the sad sigh, Mako climbed out the window on the roof and proudly declared.


    ¡°If there¡¯s someone who¡¯s down, Mako will remove their frown! Because Mako is a noun!¡±


    Yuri looked up at Mako, her cheek rested against her propped up knees.


    ¡°Oh hey Mako.¡±


    ¡°Yuri..? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s sad..? Why are you sad sweetie..¡±


    Sitting down next to her, Mako stroked her hair affectionately.


    ¡°Oh i don¡¯t know..for some reason it feels..kind of lonely you know..?¡±


    ¡°But i¡¯m here with you silly!¡±


    ¡°I know that..but you know. I lost my dagger right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah..they most likely took it. It¡¯s okay we¡¯re going to get it back right?¡± Mako smiled reassuringly.


    ¡°Well yeah..but without that dagger..how are we going to rescue Hikaru..i didn¡¯t think about it before..i can manage to pull off most heists without any fancy dagger..but this..is different.¡±


    Her eyes looked down at her feet which touched toes in uncertainty.


    ¡°Different..? How so sweetie..?¡±


    Mako continued to stroke Yuri¡¯s head.


    ¡°Well..this isn¡¯t a heist. This a rescue..and..¡±


    Yuri hesitated.


    Still stroking her head, Mako waited patiently for Yuri to speak on her own. She felt the importance of this. Not as a bishop who constantly consoled people. But as a woman herself.


    ¡°I..it¡¯s..the rescue..unlike the heists..which i didn¡¯t really care..about the item i was stealing..this time..i do care..a lot..¡±


    ¡°Care about what dear..¡± Mako spoke kindly, her arm never once letting go of Yuri. Making sure she felt her support.


    ¡°Care about...i care about...Hikaru...a..lot..¡±


    Yuri finally managed to squeeze out those words, her face hidden in her small hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry..we¡¯ll get him back. I promise you that. So don¡¯t cry alright sweetie..?¡±


    Procuring a small handkerchief from her pocket. Mako carefully pulled away Yuri¡¯s hands from her face.


    Yuri¡¯s face was a strange mixture. Her eyes were wet, tears flowing freely from her eyes revealing her worry, while her face was deep red, exposing her embarrassment.


    Softly wiping Yuri¡¯s face clear of tears, Mako slowly pulled Yuri onto her, so her head rested against her chest.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get him back, and when we do, i¡¯ll make sure he knows just how lucky he is to have such a pretty girl shedding tears for a bossy knight like him.¡±


    Her hands continued to stroke Yuri¡¯s head until she eventually fell asleep, the warm light of the setting sun along with the cool breeze lulling her to sleep.

 Chapter 81: The rewriting of relationships

    ¡°Hey. Wake up.¡±


    Hikaru¡¯s face was slapped around roughly.


    Opening his eyes, Hikaru looked at the person before him.


    A masked man wearing leather armour stood before him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be kept here until your trial. If you try to escape, the bandages around your body will slice your body into pieces.¡±


    Saying this, the man opened a door, letting light into the dark space they inhibited.


    Now able to see, Hikaru noted how there wasn¡¯t much to see anyway. The entire room was bare. With pale white walls. A single small door was the only exit out of it.


    ¡°Your voice..sounds familiar.¡±


    Hikaru noted.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that it does. I could have pretended not to know you.¡±


    Taking off his mask, the man revealed his face. Black hair with a few streaks of gray in it, and a face so square it might work as a brick.


    ¡°..Kenrik..?¡±


    ¡°Been a while has it not. Though the years seem to have been kind to you.¡±


    The man called Kenrik observed Hikaru¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°More so to you. You work as an official representative for a church? That¡¯s an impressive accomplishment considering we were but lowly mercenaries yesterday it seems like.¡±


    ¡°To you it might seem like yesterday. But for me. Over 30 years have passed. Do not expect sympathy from me, you monster. Had i known back then, i would have sacrificed my life to end yours.¡±


    Kenrik spat on the ground.


    ¡°As expected of a monster. Using an old fake friendship to try and arouse sympathy.¡±


    With that, Kenrik exited the room and shut the steel door behind him.


    ¡°...That was not my intention. I was simply happy to be reunited with an old friend..¡±


    Sighing, Hikaru laid back on the hard ground, his arms still bound around him.


    He didn¡¯t attempt to get out of his bonds, as he knew that they had hundreds of layers of magic protection on them by now. Magic blessed by the gods, which was especially effective against someone like him.


    He simply lay. Waiting. He knew Yuri would soon come and break him out. As such he was not especially worried.


    Not for himself. He was worried however. About Yuri.


    Her reckless behaviour intensified when he wasn¡¯t with her. That was what made him worry for her safety. She was her own biggest enemy.


    ¡°Luckily. Helgi is also with her. That should keep her under control hopefully...although..now that Mako is also there¡­¡± He sighed.


    He wondered if her disguise was really meant to fool anyone. He could tell that one of their captors was in fact Mako almost immediately. Her somewhat nervous yet air headed demeanour was difficult to miss.


    ¡°...Helgi will take care of it...hopefully.¡±


    --


    ¡°Yuri! We can¡¯t just rush in there. We need to formulate a plan¡±


    Helgi argued, Yuri folding her arms in response.


    It had been a few hours since her talk with Mako. And although her heart was still somewhat conflicted over her feelings. She knew one thing could settle them. She needed to talk to Hikaru as soon as possible. Before these feelings swallowed her.


    ¡°I want to save Hikaru as soon as possible. Who knows what they¡¯re doing to him right now! You saw how they were. They thought of him a monster!¡±


    Yelling at Helgi. Yuri felt true hatred for the first time in her life.


    Hatred not caused due to ill acts towards her. But acts of ill will towards someone she cared for.


    ¡°You forget that most of the accusations thrown at him were your own doing right..besides. We need to stop by a city and get some tools. We are at our weakest right now. With Hikaru gone and your dagger taken. We need careful planning if we want to succeed.¡±


    ¡°Well..be that as it may! I¡¯m going to go save him. Time is more valuable than caution in this case. We need to save him now or it might be too late!¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Yuri looked at Helgi with eyes full of fiery anger.


    However, Helgi noticed one other thing in her eyes. Through the layer of fury. He found deep heavy concern. It was the first time he had seen even a hint of similar emotion from Yuri.


    ¡°...You care about him that deeply huh. Despite you only knowing each other for what.. A few months..?¡±


    Somehow. Helgi felt a sinking feeling in his chest.


    ¡°.....I do. What of it.¡±


    She looked away with a sour face.


    ¡°...No. Nothing.¡±


    He knew that Yuri was always willing to throw herself into danger for the sake of her little obsessions of fame and money. Yet he had never seen Yuri show such a display of willing self sacrifice without even a hint of a plan..not even for a rare item. But for a real person.


    Helgi felt the sinking feeling in his chest go numb. Suddenly he felt only melancholy.


    Despite him being at her side in this world and the previous one. Why was it that she displayed such fierce emotions towards someone else.


    She had certainly never shown any particular care for him beyond that of a close friend. He had thought that was all she was capable of.


    Yet it seems. That Hikaru had somehow acquired a position closer than his..in Yuri¡¯s heart.


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to throw your life away for someone you barely know. Then be my guest.¡±


    Turning around. Helgi slowly walked away.


    He knew he shouldn¡¯t be doing this. He knew he should just yell at her more. To convince her better. That¡¯s what he had always done.


    Yet for some reason...he didn¡¯t feel the energy to do so.


    ¡°...Helgi..?¡±


    Yuri looked at his disappearing back.


    ¡°..Fine! If you don¡¯t want to help. Then i¡¯ll just do it myself. I¡¯m still a master thief despite everything..i can always acquire something that¡¯s locked up..¡±


    With this said. Yuri walked off to prepare her airship. Helgi¡¯s and Yuri¡¯s footsteps echoed in opposite directions. Slowly disappearing.


    ¡°....um¡­..¡±


    Mako stood there. Unsure of what to do, having stood at the side and witnessed the entire argument while being ignored.


    --


    ¡°Ahab! I¡¯m taking this airship. Good luck with your gravel heap of a country¡±


    Yuri climbed onto a small quick looking airship parked in front of the rebels base.


    ¡°Ah? Aye, yuh can have that one, aren¡¯t yah takin that rude boy with yuh?¡±


    Asking this, Ahab sipped on his victory drink, the celebrations still going on in the background.


    ¡°Helgi has other things he finds important.¡± She said bitterly.


    ¡°Mako let¡¯s go already..you¡¯re taking too long..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m comiiiiiing! Don¡¯t leave without meee!¡± Mako hurried along, carrying a large bag of miscellaneous things.


    ¡°...What¡¯s all that?¡±


    ¡°Oh stuff some kind men from the party started giving me! Everyone¡¯s so nice here!¡±


    She smiled an oblivious smile.


    ¡°...Right, well then we¡¯re off.¡±


    Yuri started the airship. She had no experience flying one, but had seen Hikaru and Ahab do it, and it didn¡¯t seem all too difficult she thought.


    ¡°See you sometime, new king of gravel¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, well yer free to visit meh whenever yah wish, we¡¯ll give yah a more proper thanking once we build everythin back up again!¡±


    Waving them goodbye, Ahab sipped his drink once more, watching the airship ascend.


    ¡°...King eh. Aye reckon i could make that happen..i am the hero who freed this city after all..¡± Smiling ominously, Ahab finished his drink with a big gulp.


    Yuri¡¯s ship flew in a strange zigzag pattern. Yuri still getting used to the controls.


    --


    Light entered the dark room once more.


    Hikaru looked up from where he lay, squinting.


    His arms still bound to his sides, he couldn¡¯t shield his eyes from the sudden light.


    ¡°My trial starts so soon?¡±


    He asked with curiosity.


    ¡°Not quite.¡±


    Several priests entered the room. All mumbling and holding a variety of different looking crosses and religious symbols.


    ¡°We have come to purify you. You need to be as pure as possible before the trial. You cannot disgrace the audience of the gods.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fools if you think they¡¯re really watching or even care about anything you do.¡±


    Hikaru shrugged at their ridiculous claim.


    ¡°The words of the blasphemer shant reach our ears. We remain true to the service of our gods. The slithering of the one who brings destruction shan¡¯t disturb our pure minds.¡±


    They chanted, holding their arms up.


    ¡°Unfortunately it seems your minds are already fairly disturbed..¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s something Yuri might say, most likely.¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡±


    They began praying.


    With each word they spoke. Hikaru could feel his skin crawl uncomfortably. Until it eventually shifted from discomfort to pain.


    Pain that only increased with each passing word. Increasing exponentially.


    ¡°This..might actually be bad.¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Hikaru looked down at his body.


    Black smoke seeping through his pores. Invited out by the whispering of the priests.


    ¡°...I see. Emptying me of mana..not as disturbed as i thought.¡±


    Hikaru felt his consciousness fading. His body not able to sustain his mind with the sudden disappearance of a crucial source of his power.


    The priests did not cease once he had lost consciousness. And continued. Draining him of all the shadow black mana he had.


    Stopping only once he was close to death.


    ¡°We shall be back tomorrow for your next cleansing. We must make sure you are as clean as possible.¡±


    As they left, Hikaru¡¯s flickering consciousness could only manage a few words.


    ¡°...You¡¯re..the ones..who should probably..take a bath..unclean..is what Yuri...would say..¡±


    With that, his consciousness entered the black mist of nothingness.


    --


    ¡°Are you sure we are going the right way?¡±


    Yuri asked as they flew over a nameless forest.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m certain of it!¡±


    Mako exclaimed with a pout. She held a map larger than herself in front of her.


    Flapping wildly in the wind, the map was moving around too much for it to be possible to read anything.


    ¡°They said they were going to have the trial at the church of Frigg. Goddess of love and fate..hmm..¡±


    Mako¡¯s eyes wandered all over the map listlessly.


    ¡°So it¡¯s the perfect place for a trial and an execution. Of course..this is why i was always extra careful when stealing religious artifacts back home. Religious people be crazy..guess i should have done the same in this world huh.¡±


    Yuri glanced back at Mako.


    ¡°Well where are we headed already!¡±


    ¡°Ummmmm¡± Mako¡¯s pupils became amusing swirls in her confusion.


    A strong gust of wind blew past them. Taking with it, the giant map Mako was holding.


    ¡°...Ummm..¡±


    ¡°...Makoooo!¡±

 Chapter 82: Luckily stylish

    Helgi dusted off the sand on his shoes, entering a small store, located in a small town, in a small oasis right at the edge of the desert.


    Resting on his back was Hikaru¡¯s sword, wrapped tightly in bandages so as to sheathe it.


    ¡°Hey there, what i can help you with traveller?¡± The shop owner glanced up. ¡°We got everything from groceries to small magically enhanced items for home use, what will it be, traveller, what will it be?¡±


    ¡°...A bit of everything i suppose.¡± Helgi began selectively picking through the items on display.


    ¡°Wonderful¡±


    The shop owner, who was clad in several layers of clothing, so much so that one could not see his skin, jumped in delight.


    ¡°Is there a blacksmith or similar in this town?¡±


    ¡°Yes yes, just down the street! You can¡¯t miss it!¡±


    The shop owner pointed in a direction leading away from the shop.


    Quickly paying for his things, Helgi headed down the street and entered a stone house filled with the clanking of metal on metal.


    ¡°Excuse me. I need something custom made¡±


    He spoke up to catch the attention of whoever was there.


    ¡°Why yes of course. Come in come in, what can i help you with?¡±


    A man wrapped in layers of clothes that perfectly hid his skin, showed up in front of him.


    ¡°...Didn¡¯t i just see you over there¡±


    ¡°Who me? No no, i¡¯m bob.¡±


    The blacksmith denied.


    ¡°Then that shopkeeper..?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just bob, the shopkeeper! I¡¯m bob, the blacksmith.¡±


    The strangely clad man answered as if it were obvious.


    ¡°Now what was it you wanted custom made?¡±


    ¡°..right¡± Helgi tried his best to ignore the strangeness of the situation and continued with his business.


    ¡°I need a weapon. A normal sword is too heavy to be practical. And too large to keep hidden. What i need..is something special.¡±


    Helgi began explaining to the blacksmith Bob, who looked exactly like the shopkeeper Bob.


    --


    ¡°Alright well we finally found a city.¡±


    Yuri sighed.


    She and Mako were securing their now landed airship. Binding it with rope and turning off the lantern.


    ¡°We can find a new map here and then be on our way, after we do a bit of shopping of course! Your clothes are so worn out now..¡±


    Mako tilted her smile.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that, who cares what i wear, let¡¯s get the map and go¡±


    ¡°Nope~ i¡¯m the only one who knows how to get there so you have to listen to me or i won¡¯t show you the way~¡±


    Mako¡¯s smile gleamed.


    ¡°...Fine, but be quick.¡±


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re coming with me.¡±


    They end up visiting a fairly expensive looking shop in the area. Despite this city being completely surrounded by lush green forests, causing the houses to be made from the cheap wood. The store they visited was built of white stone, which was uncommon in this sort of area.


    It was a store only for the wealthiest.


    Entering the store, Yuri noted it¡¯s name sounded familiar.


    ¡°The red lace...branch store..hm..why does that sound like i¡¯ve heard it before somewhere..¡±


    ¡°Come on Yuriii~ Look at all the clothes they have here!¡±


    Dragged in by Mako, Yuri didn¡¯t have a chance to finish her thoughts before she was thrust into a changing room with an ever increasing number of clothes she ¡®just had to¡¯ try on.


    ¡°...all of these look awfully feminine. I wonder..when i was still a guy i don¡¯t think i cared that much about what women wore..¡±


    Sitting down in the changing room, she picked up a skirt and casually looked at it.


    ¡°I wonder..would Hikaru like it if i wore something like this..¡±


    You look really good in that, Yuri. I am unable to look away from you. Your sight alone entices me.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    She imagined Hikaru saying with a light blush on his cheeks.


    Holding her palms against her cheeks, Yuri tried to calm herself.


    While you look good in that. I imagine you would also look good while i take it off you.


    Hikaru said in her imagination, getting awfully close to her with a slightly smug yet somehow adorable smile on his lips.


    ¡°N-nu! I have to c-calm myself! What are these thoughts..what am i thinking!? What¡¯s wrong with me!?¡±


    She stood up, stuttering and squishing her own cheeks together.


    ¡°Hey quiet in there girl!¡±


    Someone from the changing room next to her called out.


    ¡°..i¡¯ll..i¡¯ll reserve these kind of thoughts for..um..later. After i meet Hikaru..and save him..¡±


    Slowly massaging her red face, she managed to relax.


    ¡°....¡±


    Glancing back at the skirt and matching top, and remembering her curiosity of whether Hikaru would like them, she felt a slight curiosity.


    Yuri slowly pulled them close to her and put them on.


    A very short flower patterned dark skirt, along with a yellow sleeveless shirt, that had a small heart on the front of it.


    Her lips pushed against each other in an attempt to decide.


    ¡°...i¡¯ve worn similar clothes before..but..this will be the first i choose to willingly¡­¡±


    She remembered the Hikaru in her imagination.


    ¡°But d-demeaning myself a little in an attempt to l-look good isn¡¯t too bad right? I-it¡¯s not for myself..it¡¯s for...um anyway. I¡¯ll take these.¡±


    She decided.


    Preparing to leave the changing room, she overheard the lady who told her to quiet down from earlier.


    She was speaking very loudly with someone nearby.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad they finally captured that monster. It was so terrifying knowing it was out there!¡±


    ¡°Monster..?¡± Yuri looked into the changing room next to her through a conveniently placed hole in the wall.


    ¡°Like i know right! Apparently that creature stole almost every single relic around the world! Probably planning to do something awful with them.¡±


    ¡°Right? Who knows what these fallen gods think. If it was ugly enough to be banished from being around the other gods, it probably looks worse than a pigs butt!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Probably! But still who knows.I¡¯ve heard rumours...that it actually looks like a man, and that it had a girl with it. Probably tricked it into helping him.¡±


    (They¡¯re talking about me and Hikaru!)


    ¡°Thank goodness they caught that thing and will execute it soon. Wouldn¡¯t want something like that loose. It probably would go straight for us, and try and do unspeakable things to us!¡±


    One of the women said with worry.


    ¡°Right! It¡¯s hard enough to be safe with all these men ogling you. But a monster like that might even eat you whole after tainting you with it¡¯s evil, if you know what i mean!¡±


    Yuri felt a nerve twitch on her forehead.


    ¡°I mean i wouldn¡¯t blame the monster for wanting to. We are after all, like so hot. But still, it¡¯s like so ew.¡±


    Another nerve twitched on Yuri¡¯s forehead.


    Looking around her changing room. She found some clothes the previous person here tried on.


    They looked like mountain climbing clothes. With protectors for the knees and elbows.


    Putting on the joint protectors, which luckily didn¡¯t mess with her new skirt and shirt.


    She kneed the wall with her now protected knee.


    The wall being made of cheap paper material, meant to divert eyes, not force. Meant it went down like there was nothing there.


    Revealing the figure of the two women inside. Slightly overweight, yet overly fashionable women.


    ¡°Hikaru wouldn¡¯t ever go for ugly hags like you!¡±


    She didn¡¯t have her dagger anymore. So she couldn¡¯t use any fancy magic. She could however, still use the basic skills she had from the previous world.


    Which she used to elbow both the women in the face, knocking them unconcious.


    ¡°...Only me.¡±


    Blushing slightly. Yuri rubbed her cheek and walked out.


    ¡°Oh Yuri sweetie! You look wonderful! Just lose the joint protectors..and you¡¯d be cuter than any young girl your age!¡±


    Mako praised her, her eyes shining.


    ¡°Now we only need to fix your hair and add some makeup and you¡¯ll be perfect!¡±


    ¡°Nope! We got clothes like you wanted. So let¡¯s go. We need to save Hikaru.¡±


    ¡°Oh right before that.¡±


    Yuri walked back and slapped the face of one of the women around a bit until she woke up.


    ¡°That ¡®monster¡¯ you spoke of. Where did you say they were going to execute it?¡±


    ¡°...ow...what the hell..what¡¯s going on...ow..uh..in the next town over..you know..in the church of Frigga¡­¡±


    ¡°Much obliged~¡±


    She let the woman fall back into unconsciousness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Mako. No time to lose.¡±


    ¡°Hang on Yuri. I didn¡¯t know we were this close to it already. Uh..that must mean..¡±


    Mako hesitated, twiddling her fingers together.


    ¡°That this city is also under the protection of the church of Frigga¡­¡±


    Mako spoke in an ever lowering voice.


    ¡°And what i just did.¡±


    Yuri glanced back at the two unconscious women.


    ¡°Will have caught the attention of the local guards.¡±


    ¡°...Who are guards of the church of Frigga. Who will now let them know that we¡¯re here.¡±


    Mako finished the sentence.


    Yuri glanced around the gathering crowd of people. Two guards arriving in pursuit, trying to calm the crowd while advancing closer to them.


    They ended up being recognised immediately.


    ¡°Hey wait a second..aren¡¯t you one of those wanted people..the brainwashed followers of the caught fallen god!¡±


    One of the guards exclaimed in astonishment.


    The crowd gasped with visible and audible horror.


    The other guard squinted his eyes.


    ¡°And you..aren¡¯t you that archbishop who went there to catch the fallen god? The archbishop of Freiya..!¡±


    This time the crowd was noticeable quiet, mostly in confusion over who that was.


    ¡°Aw come on! Does no one know me..! And i¡¯m the most fashionable of the archbishops too..¡±


    Mako sighed.


    ¡°...Crap..Mako play along.¡±


    Yuri whispered.


    ¡°Oh no. You¡¯ve caught me again, powerful archbishop, i curse you! When i had almost managed to escape too!¡±


    Yuri spit on the ground with a hateful face, Surprising Mako who stepped back in shock.


    ¡°PLAY ALONG!!¡±


    Yuri mouthed angrily.


    Tilting her head, It took her a few seconds to realise what was going on.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    She hit her fist against her palm in realisation.


    ¡°Nya-ha-ha. I have caught you. The evil-doer. And will now take you away. So you can do good things. To repay the bad things. That you did. Yes!¡±


    Declaring in monotone,with stiff movements. Mako placed her hand on Yuri¡¯s shoulder making a show of catching her.


    Both the guards and the crowd paused. Their eyes blinking blankly.


    ¡°...is that so..?¡±


    One of the guards asked.


    Shrugging, the other guard, gave Mako one of his ropes to bind Yuri¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Of course. I need this. To bind. The evildoer.¡±


    ¡°Now just pretend to wrap it around my arms and..¡±Yuri whispered ¡°OWOWOW!¡±


    She cried out when Mako wrapped the rope around her arms with full strength tightening her arms.


    ¡°We can lead you to the church then, miss Archbishop?¡±


    One of the guards suggested.


    ¡°Why yes. How helpful of you. Dear citizen.¡±


    ¡°Mako what are you doing..!¡±


    Yuri whispered again.


    Looking closely. She saw that Mako¡¯s eyes were blank, and she had cold sweat all over her body.


    (Ah. She¡¯s so bad at acting that she snapped. I¡¯m so screwed.)


    ¡°Follow me Miss, and we can have this criminal locked up in church just in time to witness the trial of the fallen god she follows.¡±


    The guard said.


    (While this situation might be bad..it does grant us immediate access to the church..luckyyy)

 Chapter 83: I need a hero(ine)

    Light replaced the darkness.


    Through the light, several figures stepped into the small space now fully occupied with brightness.


    ¡°Greetings, Monster.¡±


    The block faced man by the name of Kenrik spoke with unhindered disgust.


    ¡°Greetings old friend.¡±


    Hikaru looked up with a gentle smile, throwing Kenrik into confusion followed by irritation.


    ¡°Considering you a friend is the same as considering a tornado to be your friend. You exist to destroy and not make friends.¡±


    ¡°Those two things are not really in conflict with each other, i am able to make friends if i simply don¡¯t destroy them. You might want to ask yourself why i hadn¡¯t destroyed you during our adventuring days, despite you being completely useless in battle..and out of it¡±


    Hikaru felt an old part of him reawaken by simply being near Kenrik. Despite the man in question showing only hatred towards him, Hikaru still remembered their old fond days.


    ¡°A monster dares act superior-!?¡±


    The people behind Kenrik chuckled and smirked.


    ¡°What is so funny!?¡±


    ¡°Oh Kenrik, you¡¯re too uptight, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so easy to make fun of you. So this is that Hikaru you told me so much about?¡±


    One of them stepped up to Hikaru and closely observed him.


    ¡°From the way you described him..i imagined him to be some sort of hybrid between man and a sword swinging muscle..or from how fondly you often spoke of him..i sometimes imagined him to have the visage of a beautiful woman..?¡±


    The man who was obscured by the light became visible to Hikaru¡¯s eyes.


    He was wearing similar clothing to Kenrik. Which he assumed meant they held a similar position in the church.


    ¡°My best friend here always reminisces about his old adventuring days..never fails to mention this Hikaru who was like a rolemodel to him, said he was the one who taught him how to be a proper knight, right?¡±


    The man turned back to Kenrik.


    ¡°What- you shut your mouth! I have no respect for murderous monsters. Do not soil my honour.¡±


    Kenrik answered with irritation.


    ¡°He¡¯s so dishonest. You know he didn¡¯t eat for several days once we got a sketch of the supposed fallen god we were meant to capture. Poor guy.¡±


    The man leaned in close to Hikaru and whispered so Kenrik would not hear.


    ¡°I¡¯m Rekar by the way, nice to finally meet the man of Kenrik¡¯s daydreams.¡±


    Rekar extended his hand for a handshake, then quickly pulling it away.


    ¡°Ah my bad, i forgot about the whole¡­¡± He gestured to Hikaru¡¯s restraints ¡°..yeahh.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Kenrik¡¯s friend..? I¡¯m glad he¡¯s at least not alone, he always somehow alienated himself..¡±


    Hikaru smiled with relief.


    ¡°I know right? It was like that when he started out here as well, no one would talk to him, he even had to eat his meals alone!¡±


    Rekar laughed loudly.


    ¡°Why are you talking about that!? No in fact why are you having an enjoyable chat with a horrible monster and war criminal!?¡±


    Bursting out in anger, Kenrik pulled Rekar back away from Hikaru.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, was i intruding, i shouldn¡¯t have come in the way between you and your strong and inspiring model of humanity huh?¡±


    Rekar kept smiling while taking a step to the side, allowing Kenrik to resume his talking.


    ¡°...I shall have a talk with you about your big mouth later.¡± Kenrik gritted his teeth at Rekar and walked up to Hikaru.


    ¡°...¡±


    The air was now too awkward for Kenrik to continue. Rekar had completely shattered the serious and ominous atmosphere and had made Kenrik at a loss for words.


    ¡°...Your friend seems nice¡±


    Hikaru broke the silence with an innocent remark.


    ¡°Friend..? He is nothing but a leech parasitizing itself on my hard work.¡±


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Rekar the parasite, nice to meet you¡±


    Rekar chimed in from behind.


    ¡°I told you to shut up already!¡± Kenrik snapped.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Rekar the parasite.¡±


    Hikaru nodded, misunderstanding it for his title.


    ¡°And you, don¡¯t actually answer him!¡±


    Kenrik snapped at Hikaru.


    ¡°I was merely being polite-¡±


    Hikaru began.


    ¡°No being polite to Rekar ! And you, no stupid remarks!¡±


    ¡°Stupid remarks..? Like that time i told everyone that you make clay figurines of your beloved Hikaru in your spare time..?¡±


    Rekar said after musing.


    ¡°WHAT!?¡±


    ¡°Ohh no never mind, i hadn¡¯t actually told anyone, false alarm.¡±


    Rekar waved his hands innocently.


    The rest of their companions still standing at the door were now snickering among themselves.


    ¡°REKAR WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?¡±


    ¡°...I never knew your obsession went this far..¡±


    Hikaru looked down seriously.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU START TOO!?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Kenrik breathed in slowly and yelled out.


    ¡°EVERYONE. SHUT. THE. HELL. UP...or i will report your actions to the archbishop.¡±


    Everyone promptly quieted down at that threat.


    ¡°..Now¡± Kenrik tried to manage his breath.


    ¡°The reason we are here. Is to take you to your trial. It is starting. And your death is certain, do not misunderstand, this is nothing but a formality.¡±


    ¡°I see, very well¡± Hikaru nodded understandingly.


    He attempted to stand up, only managing to fall on his chest, his limbs being tied up restricting his movements. The main reason for his lack of ability to move even this much was due to the supposed ¡®Cleansing¡¯ which had drained him of his mana, and would normally take days to recover.


    He was truly completely subdued.


    Several of the Kenrik¡¯s companions stepped up and lifted Hikaru up with two blades resting against his jugular vein.


    Slowly carrying him out, Hikaru found Rekar walking next to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry i won¡¯t let Kenrik see your execution, it might be too much for him to handle despite how he is trying to act. Sorry i can¡¯t help you out, but you understand, Business is business.¡±


    ¡°That is fine, i thank you for taking care of Kenrik during the time i have neglected everyone i knew. It gives me peace of mind to know he has someone to bring him out of his shell.¡±


    Hikaru nodded at him, slowly being carried away from Rekar who was slowing down his walking speed.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem like a monster to me, you know¡±


    Rekar glanced back at Kenrik who was still standing in the room where Hikaru was held.


    ¡°...I know that more than anyone..¡±


    Kenrik mumbled to himself. His face hidden from the light.


    --


    ¡°Damn it all to hell!!¡±


    A boy wearing a poor self made imitation of some sort of rusty armour rushed through the forest, the heavy sword that was all too large for his large frame, scraping on the ground.


    ¡°Shit shit shit shit!!¡±


    Vines and leaves cut lightly into his face as he burst through them. Not bothering to dodge anything in his way.


    His breath was heavy and his throat was sore from how hard he was sucking in air. Not due to his running, although that had a part in it, but due to fear.


    For there was something much more painful than a sore throat awaiting him if he were to stop running.


    The sound of falling trees and rupturing wood filled the forest with its deep echoes.


    Slowly moving faster, at a great speed.


    Despite his motivation to run, the boy was forced to stop.


    For there was no longer anywhere to run. His path blocked by a deep fall, ending in sharp rocks.


    There was no surviving such a fall, even if he were to somehow survive the fall, the rocks would help do the rest.


    ¡°Damnit! No...But i tried so hard..why..i worked for a year and got this sword..so why¡­¡±


    His cheeks moistened with tears.


    ¡°Why was all that hard work for nothing!¡±


    Turning around and swinging his sword with fury, his blade snapped in half, colliding with green scales harder than any metal.


    Sinking to his knees, the boy looked down at his broken sword, feeling his heart snap in half at the knowledge he had wasted his life on an end like this, to be snapped in half like his cheap sword.


    He stood up.


    If he was going to die anyway, he might as well try and do something with his death.


    Looking up at the scaled creature with fear in his eyes, his legs began to shake.


    ¡°H-hey! T-think you¡¯re so great huh..well you¡¯re not so g-great if you can¡¯t even catch me!¡±


    With those words, he jumped off the cliff.


    Preparing for his unsightly death, with the small hope that the creature might have jumped after him.


    Looking up, he found only the creature''s gaze. No pity or even disappointment. Only boredom, watching its prey jump to its own death.


    ¡°Of course it wouldn¡¯t follow..it¡¯s not stupid like me..¡±


    The boy mumbled, closing his eyes, quickly nearing the spiky rocks.


    He felt something around his waist.


    Suddenly he felt an immense pressure on his body.


    It wasn¡¯t the pressure of being splattered on the ground.


    It was the pressure of a sudden powerful movement. A movement up.


    Opening his eyes, he saw a dark haired man, dressed in brilliant silver armour that glittered like the most precious of gems.


    The dark haired man landed back up on the cliff and set the boy down.


    In his hand he held a brilliant sword, even to the boys unskilled eyes, he knew the sword was made by a world renown craftsman, it was something one could not buy with mere money.


    The dark haired knight lifted his sword and with barely a movement, he had done several slashes towards the creature, slicing it into clean square pieces that slid apart.


    ¡°W-wow...that..that things scales were harder than metal! You could cut through it so easily!?¡±


    The boy exclaimed in wonder, the fear for his life quickly forgotten.


    ¡°.....Not easily.¡±


    The knight responded, holding up his sword, cracks began to form in it, until it shattered like glass. The strain it received from slashing through the material of the scales too much of a burden to keep its form.


    ¡°U-um..thanks for saving me. Your sword um..i¡¯ll pay you back for it..¡±


    The boy stuttered, although he knew he would never have the ability to repay an item of that rarity.


    ¡°You will do so without you having to offer. Begin by carrying the pieces of this creature.¡±


    The knight spoke coldly. Despite his brilliant appearance, there was nothing brilliant about his voice, it was dull and sounded quite bored.


    It sounded hollow, like it possessed a deep emotion which was now absent. It was so strangely obvious that even this boy could feel it.


    However he had other things to think about. Like not angering the man who saved his life and could easily make mincemeat out of him.


    --


    The memory faded, revealing the now older version of the boy.


    Kenrik still gazing into the dark room that had housed Hikaru.


    ¡°..No matter how i think about it. Your voice is now filled with energy. I wonder..what was it that could fill the hollow part of your soul that nothing could during those years..or perhaps..who..¡±


    --


    ¡°Achoo!¡±


    Yuri sneezed and wiped her nose with her tied up hands.


    ¡°Keep moving prisoner.¡±


    Mako looked at Yuri, blank faced, still trying her best to act as what she thought was a powerful bishop.


    They had been driven by the guards to the church by wagon.


    Now Yuri was standing in front of a gigantic church, many times larger than the church Mako resided in. This was something close to a city in the shape of a building. Large enough to house people and everything required to sustain them, such as fields and livestock.


    Yuri¡¯s mouth almost dropped at the sight and she looked back at Mako curiously.


    Mako could only avoid her stare, seeming to imply that its size was not a big deal.


    Although she could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy.


    ¡°You¡¯re right on time. I heard they were going to have the trial today, so they might need some sort of witness to confirm his crimes.¡±


    One of the guards poked Yuri¡¯s back with his sword, motioning for her to keep moving.


    ¡°Trial!? What trial?¡±


    Yuri asked, hoping it was not what she thought it was.


    ¡°The trial of the horrible monster. The fallen god who destroyed cities and ruined people¡¯s lives. The one who brainwashed you into helping him.¡±


    The guard explained.


    ¡°..Shit i don¡¯t have time for this bondage play then..i need to hurry!¡±


    Removing the rope that was only loosely tied around her wrists, Yuri began running into the inside of the gigantic church city.


    ¡°Hey! The prisoner is escaping! Catch her!!¡±


    The guards began yelling, rushing after Yuri.


    Their yelling quickly died out somehow.


    Something had lodged itself into their mouths.


    Their mouths were filled with bandages, materialised through Mako¡¯s magic. Which quickly extended and wrapped themselves around their entire bodies.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that. After all, my little Yuri has a boyfriend to go save.¡±


    Finally dropping her lackluster acting, Mako was now making her normal happy facial expression, albeit a slightly more serious one than usual.


    Yuri was breathing heavily while running. Running past people of various shapes and sizes. Running past sights that would have probably impressed anyone who looked upon them. She was ignoring everything around her except for one thing, her goal. She needed to find Hikaru before it was too late.


    She thought she could sneak into the prisons by pretending to be captured and rescue Hikaru, but she had no time for that anymore. She needed to save him at all costs.


    There was no time for planning, no time for thinking, only just barely enough time for action.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming Hikaru..! Don¡¯t you dare die yet..! Not when i¡¯ve finally realised my feelings..! Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    Her eyes leaving behind a trail of water droplets in the air behind, She continued running through the crowds, without any clue where she was actually running, only aware of having to keep moving.


    In a deep part of the church, inside a building that existed within the gigantic building that was the church, another church built inside it.


    It was a place of worship. Built for only the most dedicated and high ranking members of the church of Frigga, to come pray to the goddess of love and destiny.


    But today, it was not a place of holy work, but holy destruction.


    Hikaru had been brought to this most holy of places in order to be judged in the presence of the goddess herself. His crimes were that heinous in their eyes.


    Not the acts of supposed murder and destruction that he was openly accused of.


    But the act of his very existence, was a sin deeper than any other.


    Someone who had tasted the air of the goddess herself, if someone like that was banished from the realm she resided in. Then that someone has surely already been judged by the goddess.


    The goddess Frigga is one who rules over destiny. Thus his destiny has already been decided the moment he was flung out of the heavens.


    Her greatest act of love towards her unworthy companion, was to be banished, sentenced to to his destiny where the other gods would not see him.


    That was her greatest act of love.


    Granting him the privilege of not receiving the shame of dying in the presence of gods.


    Or so the followers of Frigga believed.


    Thus they believed that Hikaru¡¯s destiny, and his greatest blessing, was to die.


    Hikaru was shoved to his knees in front of a pedestal depicting the figure of Frigga, holding in her arms flowers and a map.


    ¡°...Yuri..you are not here yet...forgive me Yuri..but i think i feel something i have not felt in a long time.. I feel fear...fear of not being able to see you once more before my end¡­¡±


    Hikaru mumbled to himself.


    ¡°Praying won¡¯t help you now.¡±


    A bearded man wearing expensive white robes stepped out. It was the archbishop of the church of Frigga. Hikaru¡¯s trial has now begun.


    ¡°Yuri...i wish to see your face. This urge is incessant. I feel regret blooming in my heart..but regret over what..?¡±


    Hikaru sighed.


    On the other side of the church larger than any city. Yuri was running as fast as her lungs allowed her.


    Her breath beginning to hurt her throat.


    ¡°...Don¡¯t worry Hikaru! I¡¯m coming..! This time i¡¯ll be the one saving you..!¡±

 Chapter 84: I saw a saw

    ¡°Now lastly..we must hear a recollection of this beings sinful life..by one who knew him during it..Sir Kenrik please step up..¡±


    The old Archbishop beckoned Kenrik forward.


    ¡°Tell us of the criminal and murderous life he led. Tell us what you thought of him in the past..¡±


    Walking up, his back rigid, Kenrik looked at the bishop, his eyes shifting to Hikaru, who was tied up and on his knees.


    ¡°This man was¡­¡±


    Kenrik took a deep breath.


    ¡°He was a man of murderous intentions. Obsessed with improving his sword skills..killing any living thing in his path.¡±


    The other priests nodded seriously, contempt directed at Hikaru.


    Kenrik continued.


    ¡°His life consisted of naught but slaughter. His skills and power..could likely end an entire army or two at their peak..he is that frightening of a man. In fact..he frightened me so much that i did not dare disobey him even once.¡±


    Kenrik received pitying gazes.


    ¡°...However. He was also a man i respected fully and completely. Never once did he act out of malicious intent. His actions were done purely to improve his abilities to control his immense power. In fact other than his inhuman characteristics..he had one trait. His complete and utter fascination in humans. Whenever we visited a place of rest, he would always observe every meaningless little action someone did with the interest of a child. I have never seen him needlessly harm a human, even in self defence he would easily escape. He was my mentor, and my rolemodel. He was someone i aspired to be like. Pure of intention and yet resolute in his goals.¡±


    Kenrik said all of this while looking at the ceiling, avoiding looking at Hikaru.


    ¡°...I see..¡± The Archbishop brushed his beard thoughtfully. ¡°...Do you still harbour such thoughts?¡± The Archbishop glanced dangerously at Kenrik.


    In response to the glance, Kenrik turned his full attention towards the Bishop, his eyes looking into the suspicious eyes of the Archbishop.


    ¡°You commanded me to tell you of the thoughts of the me of the past, and that is what i did.¡±


    ¡°....I see.¡± The Archbishop nodded.


    His suspicions weakened yet not completely gone.


    ¡°For the crimes of spreading chaos and madness for reasons not understood by mankind..i..Archbishop of the church of Frigga, with my direct power as the foremost follower of Frigga..upon my faith..i sentence this being to be robbed of its life by the holy item..thus cleansing its soul and obliterating its evil from existence..¡±


    The bearded Archbishop ended his speech with that, without even glancing at Hikaru, he commanded the other priests to bring Hikaru to his place of execution.


    The priests surrounded Hikaru and pulled him up from his kneeling position. Dragging him along the ground to the end of the room, where a most peculiar item rested on the wall.


    A tool akin to an axe, with a blade meant for sawing instead of chopping.


    It¡¯s size made both of those almost impossible, since it was not possible for a normal human to lift an axe of that size. An axe larger than the size of two men was not something to be used for casual chopping or sawing.


    And it wasn¡¯t meant to be.


    That item was the godly relic of the goddess Frigga. The one tool that could bring love to all her followers and bring them to their destiny.


    She was a very double faced god.


    While she did spread the message of true love and following your destiny. She was also one to take drastic measures.


    Measures such as death. It was no coincidence that the priests following her assumed her will concerning Hikaru to be his death.


    For her most secret teachings, known only to the highest of priests, was that everyone¡¯s true destiny was their inevitable death, and the suffering one experiences during one''s life..it was only a twisted form of love, of longing for this death that would reunite them with their goddess.


    This tool..was just an extension of that twisted teaching. Meant to make the weapon as inneffective as possible. Slowing down the death of the victim as much as possible..making them feel immense torturous pain and make them wish for their own death. Thus they would feel her love, and accept their destiny. It was a tool that reflected her desires perfectly.


    ¡°You are one the few people able to lift it..so if you would please..¡±


    The Archbishop smiled at Kenrik, who did not dare move.


    ¡°Have you forgotten your duties..the duties you have trained so hard to acquire..?¡±


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    ¡°No i..of course.¡±


    Looking down, Kenrik walked over to the axe, slowly lifting it with a single arm, in a near effortless motion.


    ¡°Seems you¡¯ve not neglected your training..i¡¯m glad.¡±


    Looking slightly satisfied, Hikaru looked at Kenrik. Simply glad to see his old friend having grown so much.


    ¡°What are you acting so glad about..if i hadn¡¯t trained..you wouldn¡¯t have to die like this..¡±


    Muttering, Kenrik cursed his own self. He was currently the only one able of lifting and using the godly relic, thus if he wasn¡¯t able to use it. Hikaru would have likely been killed in a far more painless way. His suffering will be completely his fault.


    Hikaru could see the pain on Kenrik¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your strength and effort is not something to regret. Be proud of it, and do your worst.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯ve always been so carefree, damnit!¡±


    Lifting the giant axe above his head, Kenrik swung it down with all his force.


    --


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have time for this!¡±


    Yuri muttered, out of breath.


    Although she was not doing anything suspicious.


    A random girl dashing through the city while knocking everyone out of her way, definitely got one of the guards attention.


    But Yuri had no time to waste on a single guard, and soon one guard turned into two, and before she knew it, there was an entire battalion of guards running after her.


    They had great difficulty capturing a single person who could freely move through the crowds.


    ¡°Now i don¡¯t even get a chance to ask anyone where Hikaru is held..! If i stop i¡¯m done for!¡±


    She was now forced to keep running, out of the urgency of her situation and the urgency of Hikaru¡¯s situation.


    ¡°Where could they be keeping him!?¡±


    Rounding another corner, she slid through the legs of a passerby, causing a guard to collide with him.


    ¡°So god damn many guards..how did it even get like this!¡±


    She bit her lip.


    ¡°Hm..? There¡¯s so many guards running after me right now..surely the security everywhere else in this church city is lower..which would mean..!¡±


    Yuri increased her speed.


    ¡°The only place which still has a sizeable security force..should be where Hikaru is!¡±


    There was definitely a place like that.


    She remembers running past it. Wondering why so many guards were deposited to guard an old run down church.


    Which was even stranger considering they were all already inside a giant church.


    Taking a shortcut through a narrow alley, she managed to significantly slow down her pursuers.


    A guard showed up at the end of the alley, blocking her exit.


    Not deterred by his presence. Yuri jumped up, holding onto the sides of the very narrow alley and climbing her way to the rooftops of the buildings surrounding her.


    She could see her destination, the small church up ahead. Guards constantly patrolling around it.


    Yuri had no time for sneaky approaches, so she decided to rush in there and test the full capabilities of her luck.


    She ran, ran as fast she could, ran so quickly her feet began to bleed and her muscles ached. Her muscles warning her that once she did stop, they would not have the power to function anymore.


    Guards from behind her, guards from in front of her, and guards coming at her from her sides.


    She was surrounded. That was to be expected. She had jumped right into the mouth of the enemy.


    She expected this. Foresight alone did not mean she could see a way out of this situation.


    She had no weapons.


    She had no magic.


    She had no powerful comrade to aid her.


    She had no plans.


    She didn¡¯t even have the element of surprise.


    She had absolutely nothing. Nothing but the accursed body granted to her by a foolish goddess.


    It was the only thing she had.


    She didn¡¯t have the luxury of pride or humility.


    For Hikaru, she was willing to throw those things away.


    She only had one chance, which would cost her the very pride that kept her going as a thief.


    Swallowing heavily.


    Yuri prepared herself.


    The guards were now barely a meter away from her.


    Some of them were reaching out to grab her, others were swinging their weapons.


    She had but a few moments left to act.


    She had decided that she would find out the true meaning of her new feelings, for that she needed to get Hikaru. For Hikaru, she was willing to do this.


    She crouched down, her hands on her sides, tightly grabbing onto herself.


    She was going to rescue him.


    Pulling her hands up, she sharply stood up.


    She was going to rescue him.


    Her hands tightly gripped onto something.


    She was going to rescue him.


    Her hands waved that item in the air.


    She was going to rescue him¡­


    ¡°So why is that i have to show off my body like this, GOD DAMNIT!?¡±


    The item she held in her hands was her blouse, without it wrapped on her chest, her upper body was now in full view for the guards surrounding her to see.


    All of them froze in the middle of their movement. Even those that had swung their heavy weapons seemed to freeze in air, their momentum completely gone.


    ¡°Chance..!¡±


    Using the precious moment of confusion she was given, Yuri jumped onto one of the guards and quickly lunged onto the other side of the sea of guards, landing right in front of the gates to the small church.


    ¡°...Hikaru better fucking appreciate this..!¡±


    Her entire body redder than the colour of a ripe apple, she put her blouse back on while running inside.


    The guards outside the small church slowly lowered their weapons.


    ¡°...we should go after her.¡±


    Another one nodded.


    ¡°Yeah this is a restricted area..¡±


    ¡°O-oh right yeah because of that, of course..let¡¯s go.¡±


    The guards moved with terrifying determination unlike before.


    Yuri had managed to escape her unfavourable position, but the cost for that..was both her pride and something far worse, which now glittered in the eyes of the guards.


    ¡°Where is he..? Where is he..!?¡±


    She was stuck running in circles, inside the small church.


    Until eventually, she found a large entrance into what seemed like a main area of the church.


    Swinging the heavy doors open, she arrived just in time.


    She had finally found Hikaru, bound and sitting on the ground.


    She had finally found him, found him and..a giant axe right above his head.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    The sound of the sawed edges of the axe embedding themselves into something soft filled the hall.

 Chapter 85: The love of a goddess

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, sir Kenrik..?¡±


    The archbishop stroked his chin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I guess i..slipped.¡±


    Kenrik pulled the godly relic in the shape of an axe, out of the floor and the carpet covering it.


    ¡°Still as soft hearted as before.¡±


    Hikaru commented, still tied up while sitting on the floor.


    Breathing in, Kenrik lifted the axe once more.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen again..¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it seems you missed your chance. Losing your composure even for a moment, is a spiral into defeat.¡±


    Hikaru looked over at the entrance.


    ¡°What are you talking about..?¡±


    Frustrated with both his own indecisiveness and Hikaru¡¯s unconcerned nature, Kenrik didn¡¯t bother finding out what Hikaru was looking at.


    ¡°HIKARUUUU!¡±


    A high pitched yell filled the dead air. Amplified further by the structure of the great hall, it caused everyone''s ears to ring.


    Yuri seemed to fly through the air, her momentum so great that it carried her through the air at the speed of an arrow.


    Her knee connected with Kenrik''s jaw, who did not have any opportunity to dodge an attack he was not expecting.


    ¡°KUH-!?¡±


    Unable to handle both the weight of the giant axe and the weight now suddenly pushing against his face.


    Kenrik fell backwards, the axe slipping out of his hands, embedding itself into the floor, overly close to Kenrik¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Yuri, you¡¯re finally here. I almost got bored.¡±


    Smiling an uncharacteristically wide smile, Hikaru looked at Yuri.


    ¡°Well you know, Helgi was going to slow me down even more, but i..i..¡±


    Her words trailed off when she finally looked at Hikaru, his smile robbing her of her words, leaving instead a warm feeling trailing down her chest.


    ¡°So how did you plan on getting us out of here? Yuri?¡±


    Repeating his question, Hikaru managed to snap Yuri out of her slightly blushing state.


    ¡°Oh, uh. Plan..?¡±


    She repeated.


    ¡°I see. You did not have a plan.¡±


    Hikaru¡¯s smile was now no more than a thin expressionless slit. Unsurprised at the alarming news.


    Surrounded by guards, with Hikaru still bound, and Yuri lacking any means of offence.


    They were in a troublesome situation.


    ¡°Get the girl!¡± The archbishop commanded before retreating into another hallway, leaving the guards to deal with the intruder.


    ¡°Wait wait, you can¡¯t get me!¡± Yuri walked behind Hikaru and waved her hands in front of her.


    The guards approached her menacingly, their weapons at the ready.


    ¡°Because..it¡¯s their turn first!¡±


    Pointing at the door, none of the guards looked towards where she was pointing. They were too experienced to fall for such a petty trick.


    ¡°It¡¯s the girl! Get her!¡±


    ¡°Get the girl!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an intruder!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that too! Get her, get her!¡±


    Savage screams filled the great hall. Other than screams, it was also quickly filling up with more guards.


    They were the guards who were chasing after Yuri.


    Their eyes however, had acquired a very animalistic nature.


    There was more on their minds than following their duty.


    It was in Yuri¡¯s best interest to stay away from people with those kind of eyes, lest she fall to a fate worse than death for most women.


    But Yuri knew. Things that were dangerous to her, meant things that could work in her favour if she took advantage of them.


    A twisted logic. Yet it somehow always seemed to work for her.


    ¡°No way! I¡¯ll only let one guard catch me!¡±


    She yelled out, loud enough for all the guards to hear.


    ¡°What? What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me! It should be me!¡±


    ¡°What no! It¡¯s me!¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Fools! She¡¯s trying to trick us! Catch her first, then we decide who gets the honour!¡±


    The guards began bickering among themselves.


    There were so many guards that they could barely freely hold out their arms. Which meant their bickering was now causing the already limited space to become even more crowded.


    ¡°Hikaru..! Let¡¯s go..!¡±


    Whispering this, she tried to lift Hikaru up.


    Which she was unable to.


    ¡°Ah screw this..!¡±


    Pulling on his shirt''s collar, she resorted to pulling him after her.


    Running through the crowd of guards, she was able to evade their notice due to how crowded it was.


    Even though some of them did notice them. They could not draw their weapons.


    For by that point, Yuri had already unbuckled their belts. Forcing their weapons to floor along with their pants.


    Running like this, with Hikaru being dragged on the ground with a blank face.


    Yuri left a trail of pantless men in her wake.


    --


    ¡°Finally..!¡±


    Breathing out in exhaustion, Yuri let go of the bound Hikaru.


    ¡°That was quite the tactic.¡±


    He simply remarked, his face still blank.


    ¡°Well what else was i supposed to do!¡±


    She looked away in shame.


    ¡°Anyway! Let¡¯s get you out of those things!¡±


    She attempted to pull on the bindings trapping Hikaru.


    They would not budge an inch however, so she resorted to using a knife she stole from one of the guards.


    The blade of the dagger broke in two pieces after her continued attempts.


    Eventually her attempts devolved into her biting on the bindings out of desperation.


    ¡°What is this made of!?¡±


    Holding her jaw in pain, she gave up.


    ¡°They are magic bindings, quite powerful ones. I noticed you didn¡¯t have your dagger. Without it, i suspect it may be impossible to undo these.¡±


    He explained.


    ¡°Well what the hell do we do then!? We don¡¯t have long before they catch up to us, and i don¡¯t have the strength to carry you out of this weird church..¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. I might be of assistance.¡±


    A gust of wind carried with it something white.


    In the corner of their eyes, Sk?ll had appeared.


    Her white fur mantle tight wrapped around her.


    ¡°You like to frequent the most unpleasant places, brother.¡±


    ¡°Sk?ll. What are you doing here.¡±


    Hikaru glared suspiciously at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Hikaru, i¡¯ll protect you!¡±


    Jumping in front of Hikaru as if blocking a bullet with her body, Yuri landed in front of him in a protective pose.


    ¡°Yuri don¡¯t. You¡¯re no match for her.¡±


    Hikaru warned her.


    ¡°Very cute. But i¡¯m not here for that, brother. I was actually nearby, collecting some nice things.¡±


    Opening her mantle slightly, she revealed part of the godly relic Kenrik had used, the giant sawed axe, which seemed to somehow fit into her mantle.


    ¡°That¡¯s that axe!¡±


    Yuri exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Correct, thank you for the diversion by the way, not that i needed it. Now as i see you¡¯re in quite the predicament..¡±


    Sk?ll nodded at Hikaru¡¯s bindings.


    ¡°I can find it in my big heart to help you out..in exchange for that dagger of yours.¡±


    Sk?ll smiled while motioning for Yuri to give it to her.


    ¡°The..dagger?¡±


    Both Yuri and Hikaru blinked, glancing at each other.


    ¡°I would love to. But i can¡¯t since you might just take it and run off without freeing Hikaru, in fear of him stealing it back from you¡±


    Yuri shook her head.


    ¡°Him? In his current state, he probably couldn¡¯t even fight off you. He¡¯s all drained out of mana.¡±


    She dismissed Yuri¡¯s claim.


    ¡°Then..free him first. Then you can take the dagger as we can¡¯t really fight you right now?¡±


    Yuri offered.


    Shrugging, Sk?ll approached Hikaru and with a swipe of her hands which grew long wolf-like claws, she tore apart the magical bindings like paper.


    Finally free, Hikaru stretched his body, making his bones crack loudly.


    ¡°Now. The dagger.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Uh, we don¡¯t have it. We actually lost it. If i had it i could have easily freed Hikaru myself you know¡±


    Scratching the back of her head, Yuri laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°You- you tricked me!¡±


    Sk?ll growled.


    ¡°Then who has it!?¡±


    ¡°Like i¡¯d tell you¡±


    ¡°..You don¡¯t have to. Seeing as my dear brother got captured without you intervening somehow..must mean you probably couldn¡¯t intervene. So there¡¯s a high chance, it was the people who captured him..who took it from you..¡±


    Sk?ll looked at Yuri¡¯s face for an indication to whether she was correct.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t sayin nothin¡± Yuri turned around to not show her any facial cues.


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll just search this place anyway. Your woman is quite stubborn brother. You should educate her on her femininity. Though i¡¯m not one to talk about that sort of thing.¡±


    Wrapping her white mantle tighter around her, Sk?ll prepared to disappear.


    ¡°Wait, why didn¡¯t you just kill us if you knew we were weakened..?¡±


    Yuri asked, curious over something so basic.


    ¡°Oh right. Thanks for reminding me.¡±


    Sk?ll pulled out her clawed hands, however ended up putting them back under her mantle with a grin when she saw Yuri¡¯s wide eyed expression.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t feel like it. That¡¯s all you need to know.¡±


    With that said, a gust of wind forced them to close their eyes for a moment, and in the moment they blinked, Sk?ll was gone.


    ¡°That was an unexpected visit. But it was lucky. We must hurry, lest she find the dagger before us. Yuri?¡±


    Now standing up, Hikaru walked up to the unresponsive Yuri and looked at her face.


    She was mumbling to herself.


    ¡°She called me his woman..¡±


    Her face was slightly flushed.


    ¡°Like i¡¯m..like i was his possession..¡±


    Her face turned redder.


    ¡°She told him to educate me..!?¡±


    Her mind went in overdrive, her imagination going out of control.


    Her entire body was glowing red, while her eyes were filled with frantic circles.


    ¡°...Yuri.¡±


    He put his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°W-wha, y-yes!?¡±


    She straightened her back, looking at Hikaru.


    ¡°We should hurry.¡±


    ¡°Ah..y-yeah..¡± She nodded sadly.


    ¡°...¡± Hikaru couldn¡¯t help but smile softly at her disappointed face.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me Yuri. Let¡¯s talk privately once we¡¯re done. I have a feeling you have some things you wish to discuss with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Her face brightened up again, her energy returning. She now had something to look forward to.


    --


    ¡°What are you doing! You¡¯re supposed to be a knight!¡±


    The old grey haired archbishop of Frigga shouted at Kenrik.


    ¡°Forgive me..i let my emotions gain the best of me..!


    Apologising, Kenrik bowed his head to the bishop in shame.


    ¡°Fool! Haven¡¯t you learned anything. Emotions running wild are a good thing! We can only truly be connected to our goddess if we let our emotions free.¡±


    The archbishop spoke loudly enough that some guards entered from outside, worried there was another attack.


    ¡°...But my emotions, they conflict with my duties.¡±


    Kenrik looked up at the bishop, confusion clear in his eyes.


    ¡°Emotions. Are what drive our every action. Each emotion drags you into a different direction. However! We as followers of Frigga, bend every emotion. We control them. And direct them. Towards the love of our goddess.¡±


    The archbishop held out his arms dramatically, letting the light of the lamps create a several shadows around him.


    ¡°We do everything, we feel everything, out of love for our goddess. Even your care for your old mentor. Is true yet misguided. You simply wish to show him the love of our goddess.¡±


    ¡°...Of course. Forgive me for not realising this before. I was worried he might not feel the same love as we followers of Frigga do. However..even if they do not acknowledge it..in the end. Everyone endures suffering and pleasure for our goddess. I just have to make him understand that in his end.¡±


    Nodding, Kenrik clenched his hands.


    He deeply respected and looked up to his former mentor.


    Because of that. He had to make him see the same light he had.


    ¡°Go Kenrik. There will be no hesitation this time i hope.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Kenrik bowed again.


    ¡°And find out who stole our holy relic. And make sure they get an extra dosage of our goddesses love.¡±


    ¡°...Of course.¡±

 Chapter 86: My heart for yours

    ¡°We have no idea where they hid the dagger!¡±


    Yuri said in a loud whisper while hiding behind a corner, Near the old church.


    ¡°I have no information that could lead us to it, our best bet is to find someone who knows.¡±


    Pulling his head swiftly behind the corner, Hikaru looked at the guards running past their hiding space.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to look around for anyone like that, your sister is fast¡±


    Glancing to see if the way was clear, Yuri looked at Hikaru.


    ¡°We need to go get the information from the one person we know can be sure of. We need to go interrogate that old archbishop of theirs..¡±


    She decided.


    ¡°That is not particularly wise, considering we barely managed to escape out of there.¡±


    ¡°Oh but it is. They¡¯re expecting us to be trying to run away, so they¡¯re going to searching through the city. No one would possibly imagine we would go back into the church, right?¡±


    She smiled and raised an eyebrow at Hikaru.


    ¡°...Very well. I think i¡¯ve regained enough mana to at least move properly.¡±


    Lifting Yuri in his arms, he held her closely against his chest.


    ¡°Be sure to hold on, i¡¯m still tired so i can¡¯t guarantee i¡¯ll be able to hold you properly.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Happily, she wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying his warmth.


    Glancing down at her with a hint of a smile, Hikaru crouched down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go..!¡±


    With a single jump, he had jumped onto a nearby rooftop, and from it, he jumped towards the old church, landing on its roof.


    ¡°Hikaru look..!¡±


    Pointing at one of the windows, the form of the old archbishop was clearly standing behind a desk, rummaging through papers.


    ¡°I will head inside and ask him, wait for me here.¡±


    Slowly opening the window, Hikaru looked at her seriously.


    ¡°I get it, just be quick, or i might have to go down and save you again, princess in distress¡±


    She waved her hand at him, smirking at the image of Hikaru in a dress.


    With a nod, Hikaru jumped in through the window, landing on the desk, which broke in half due to his weight. He was still mana fatigued, so he could not move with the same precision as before. The fact that the window was about a few hundred meters above his desk, did not ease his fall either.


    ¡°What the!?¡±


    Falling on his behind, the old Archbishop quickly stood up and sucked in air to yell for the guards.


    ¡°Do not attempt anything.¡±


    Hikaru moved faster than air, appearing next to the archbishop with a hand around his throat.


    Pushing just strongly enough that the archbishop could not exhale much, yet still allowing him to breathe. Hikaru kept his hand wrapped around his throat.


    ¡°...Urk...Here to finish me off..you demon who does not accept the love of our goddess..!¡±


    The archbishop wheezed out in a barely audible whisper.


    ¡°No. I am not one to hold grudges, what you did, you did for the people. Even if it was misguided.¡±


    Hikaru shook his head.


    ¡°I am here for one thing. The dagger you acquired upon our capture. Where is it.¡±


    ¡°The..dagger..!?¡± The archbishop widened his eyes ¡°I thought-¡±


    ¡°Hikaru! Release the Archbishop!¡±


    Bursting open, the door into the archbishop''s office flew off its hinges.


    ¡°I did not think you were low enough to attempt assassination,.Perhaps all your accusations were true after all.¡±


    Kenrik entered the office, his hand on his sword.


    ¡°...¡±


    Letting go of the archbishop and letting him sink to the floor, Hikaru turned to face Kenrik.


    ¡°You are mistaken.I was only-¡±


    ¡°Be quiet! That you escaped with the help of that girl..! Who is she!? Is she your new trainee..¡±


    Kenrik yelled, his eyes were not angry, but simply determined.


    ¡°Kenrik..?¡±


    ¡°I have made my mind. You must be taught the truth, the goddess rules your end and loves your soul. Even someone as lost as you can find your meaning. Your true meaning. Not whatever is currently holding you back..!¡±


    With each word, Kenrik took another step towards Hikaru.


    ¡°I do not understand your point, Kenrik?¡±


    ¡°My point. Is that i will force you to understand our goddesses love. By beating you in combat. Perhaps then you might realise your true purpose and join us. If not in this life, then in the next. Then we can be as we were in days past.¡±


    Drawing his sword, Kenrik pointed it at Hikaru.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°...Kenrik..¡±


    Hikaru could only sigh with pity.


    He could not talk sense into his old friend who had deluded himself.


    So he nodded. If his friend was so far gone. Then he would have to convince him through the only way a knight might understand. Through mortal combat.


    ¡°A knight should not surround himself in delusion, Kenrik. A knight slices through it to find the truth. If he does not. He might lose sight of what is truly important to him, of what drives him. Of what is right..in front of him!¡±


    Pulling out a leg out of the broken table. Hikaru moved in such a way, that Kenrik, who was too focused on looking at Hikaru, could not see him.


    Kenrik had done one of the simplest most basic mistakes in combat. One must look at the entire scene, instead of focusing on a single target, lest they won¡¯t notice any attack.


    Holding the table leg like a nunchuck, Hikaru punched Kenrik in his side with the table leg. Accurately hitting his kidney, and forcing him stumbling sideways.


    ¡°You..are the deluded one.!¡±


    Kenrik raised his sword, slashing it Hikaru.


    ¡°...Predictable.¡±


    Kenrik raised the wooden leg to block the attack aimed at his neck.


    However the attack never moved there, it only appeared to be heading for the neck as it was on its path.


    The sword moved towards Hikaru''s face.


    (A desperation attack? An attack to the face is the most unwanted type of attack. Even if he were aiming at my eyes, no sane fighter would attempt that against a skilled opponent, if i simply move my head, he will miss my eyes, and harmlessly slice my cheek.)


    Hikaru knew what he needed to do. He knew the correct next action in a combat scenario.


    But there was something that felt wrong. He should let this attack land sloppily. But he could not let it.


    Almost against his will, Hikaru raised the wooden leg to parry the sword.


    ¡°You are the predictable one.¡±


    Anticipating this action, Kenrik moved his sword back down and slashed at Hikaru¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ugh..¡±


    Managing to just barely move back to avoid serious damage to his jugular, Hikaru was still hit, and was now starting to bleed profusely.


    ¡°You say i am deluded. Yet isn¡¯t it you, that is letting something trivial get in the way of your fighting ability.¡±


    Angling his sword down, Kenrik let the blood drip off it.


    ¡°Something..trivial..?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you didn¡¯t want your face slashed. It was because of that girl. You don¡¯t want her to see you like that. You¡¯re afraid of what she might think if you looked different. If you did not look good to her tastes.¡±


    Every word Kenrik said, stuck deep in Hikaru, like small daggers, forcing open a chest, revealing the truth inside.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re wounded and bleeding when you could have avoided it. A foolish thing. I will wash out that delusion of yours. So fight me with all you have, or you will die!¡±


    Moving towards Hikaru, Kenrik once more slashed at Hikaru¡¯s face.


    Unsure and confused, Hikaru could only attempt to block it with the wooden leg. Only to be met with another feint, which slashed his side, his blood moving down his leg and staining the floor.


    ¡°Do not tell me you haven¡¯t even properly realised it..or maybe you have, and have just tried not to think about it..?¡±


    ¡°This..strange concern..is because of Yuri..?¡±


    Raising one hand to his face, he thought it strange. He had never been one to care for his appearance. Yet now it was something that mattered more than his life.


    How peculiar.


    ¡°Face it. While you have become weaker, i have acquired something better than an attachment like that. I have become stronger. Join me. And become strong once more. Then we can protect everyone, protect the people with our strength. With you, an eternal protector. The people would thrive for thousands of years.¡±


    Slowly walking Hikaru, Kenrik gently raised his left hand in an open gesture.


    The light coming through the coloured windows of the church shone upon Kenrik. Illuminating him and his message.


    ¡°It was always my goal, to protect the people. As a knight that was what i wished for, that is what i still wish for.¡±


    He could not help but feel that Kenrik¡¯s words had impact on his entire being.


    ¡°However..¡± Yet his heart would not waver, now that he could properly realise the truth.


    The chest in his heart was finally open, and he could fully understand his previous actions. All his previous actions since he met Yuri.


    ¡°I now have something that is slightly more meaningful to me than the people.¡±


    ¡°...Deluded fool.:¡±


    Kenrik raised his sword and swung it at Hikaru¡¯s face.


    ¡°It is not delusion. But conviction.¡±


    Now fully aware of the attack and the feints. Instead of trying to predict the feints. Hikaru threw away the wooden leg, and raised his hands towards the blade.


    With both of his hands, his fingers tightly gripped around the sharp blade, inches away from his face.


    ¡°...What will this conviction accomplish. The only one who will grant you meaning is the goddess. Who can give me back those old days. It¡¯s only the goddess who is capable of that..!¡±


    Pushing harder with his blade, Kenrik put all his force into it.


    ¡°...No. The gods do not care for your wishes. The only one who does is you. If you have a wish, then chase after it. This selfishness that humans posses, that the gods are trying to extinguish. It is what drives the world forward. This selfishness that i have learned from humans. Use it. To better yourself and others.¡±


    Gripping the sword tighter still, Hikaru¡¯s hands began to bleed, the blade digging into his bone.


    ¡°To deny yourself a part of your heart, means a meaningless existence!¡±


    Twisting the blade, Hikaru broke it half, small pieces of steel flying to the sides.


    ¡°The only meaningless existence is yours..!¡±


    Raising his broken sword, Kenrik slashed at HIkaru¡¯s neck, finding the opening to deal the final blow.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!!¡±


    Falling from the sky, Yuri landed with her foot sticking into Kenrik¡¯s face, deeply imprinting her footprint onto his jaw.


    Kenril fell backwards, losing his consciousness.


    ¡°Kenrik. I found my meaning. You should go and find yours too. I believe you can find it.¡±


    Hikaru said before Kenrik completely lost consciousness. Those were the last words Kenrik would hear from Hikaru.


    ¡°What were you doing, you idiot!¡±


    Yuri punched at Hikaru.


    ¡°Why did you let him mess you up! You could have won several times during that duel!¡±


    She pouted.


    ¡°Forgive me Yuri. I was afraid you would find me unappealing had i been damaged on my face..¡±


    A slap echoed through the office.


    ¡°Idiot, i don¡¯t care about your looks. I love you for who you are!¡±


    She pouted angrily at him.


    Hikaru could only stare at her, his mouth slightly agape.


    ¡°What..?¡± her face turned redder than red as she realised what she had said.


    ¡°N-no. i m-meant.i..¡±


    Crouching down, Yuri covered her face with her hands.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean..i mean i did...it was just¡­¡±


    Her voice became a small whisper.


    ¡°...It sort of slipped out..¡±


    ¡°Yuri.¡±


    Crouching down in front of her.


    Hikaru put his hands over hers, pulling them away from her face.


    ¡°I feel the same..¡±


    He admitted, looking into her eyes.


    For the first time ever, she discovered a new expression of Hikaru¡¯s.


    His face was covered by a slight blush, and his mouth was smiling in a very awkward manner. The light shining upon this rare expression, only added more to its effect on Yuri.


    ¡°Cute...¡±


    Her eyes met with his.


    ¡°...That¡¯s an interesting face..¡± She smiled at him, her eyes tearing up due to the embarrassment.


    ¡°Do not get used to it..¡± He smiled back, stroking her cheeks slightly.


    ¡°...Hikaru. Your hands. They¡¯re still bleeding right.¡±


    ¡°I believe so.¡±


    Pulling away his hands, He discovered that Yuri¡¯s cheeks were now red with his blood.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just...let¡¯s get the dagger, and go before you bleed out and before i..melt.¡± Yuri felt her entire body heating up in embarrassment and other complicated emotions.


    Though she was sure of one thing. She felt a clear sense of happiness surrounding all her confusing emotions.


    ¡°Where is the dagger.¡±


    Hikaru stood up and looked at the archbishop who was still cowering in the corner, confused over the whole situation.


    ¡°I..i thought you were the ones who stole it back..!¡±


    Was all the archbishop could muster out.


    ¡°...It¡¯s gone..?¡±Hikaru remarked.


    While Yuri stood up, wiping her face from tears and blood.


    Looking at the broken table filled with papers, he found something strange that was not writing.


    It was a small drawing of a sun, on a small paper slightly different than the rest.


    ¡°..Sk?ll got here first.¡±


    Hikaru concluded.


    ¡°We were too late. Her being in possession of that much mana..can only mean something very bad.¡±


    His face serious, Hikaru continued looking at the small drawn sun.


    While Yuri moved awkwardly in the background, glancing at Hikaru before looking away in embarrassment, her entire face red, and her lips unable to stop smiling to herself, while holding her own cheeks.


    She was completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation, her mind only had one thing going through it. Hikaru.

 Chapter 87: Upon the binding of two souls, another soul screams

    Strong wind rushed past.


    Rather, it was someone rushing past the wind, moving fast enough that air could barely touch them.


    A mass of white, moving, almost flying across an empty desert.


    ¡°...I finally have all the parts i need.¡±


    Sk?ll muttered self contentedly.


    Soon, she arrived at a peculiar place in the middle of the desert. Filled with stone rubble for many kilometers ahead.


    ¡°Seems things have changed recently¡±


    She slowly walked over the rubble, the jagged and uneven nature of the stone barely affecting her perfect stride.


    Her white mantle was pulled to the side. Revealing her perfectly proportioned human form.


    ¡°Father. I have returned.¡±


    Her hands formed into claws.


    With a single swipe of her claws, the rubble beneath her feet was broken into pieces, revealing the darkness below.


    With no hesitation, she stepped into the hole she created, falling into the endless abyss.


    Falling through darkness, her senses were numbed. She could not feel any solid surface. She felt her mana being drained, dulling her body. She felt a loss of her sense of time while she fell.


    She fell for what felt like an eternity.


    She felt the presence of her father deeply rooted in her mind. His mana was inside her head, he could read her thoughts. His presence was all encompassing, there was no escape from his mind''s eye.


    ¡°Father¡­¡± Her voice was a mixture of adoration and deep fear.


    Without any words, he made Sk?ll feel his expectation. He had no use for words with her. Unlike with Hikaru, Fenrir felt no urge to try with this one. She was already his, not to mention she lacked that which made Hikaru special. She lacked his drive and ambition. She was no more than a tool to him, or perhaps a failed creation.


    ¡°I won¡¯t fail father..!¡±


    The ground came without warning, not letting her brace herself for any kind of landing.


    Sk?ll smashed into the ground, staining her white mantle with dirt.


    ¡°I have all the needed parts¡­!¡±


    Quickly getting up, Sk?ll walked through the darkness, until she stumbled over something.


    A gigantic chain. Every single piece larger than a building. Seemingly fused to the ground. The chain seemed to be pulled upwards.


    The chain moved slightly, creating a deafening rattling.


    She could feel a pain in her head, more terrible than having her skull peeled out in pieces by ravenous ravens. It could not even compare to the feeling of her body being consumed while still alive. That was how heavy the feeling of impatience her father emanated.


    ¡°Y-yes father..¡±


    Her voice now shaking, Sk?ll began pulling items from within her mantle.


    Items that should not logically fit in there, yet seemed to have been where she had kept them.


    She pulled out items of every variety, almost at random. There was everything from weapons to musical instruments. And whatever was in between.


    ¡°With these..i can get the needed combination of godly mana..the perfect resonance to break the chain..¡±


    Arranging all the godly relics she had managed to collected, she began putting them around the chain in a strange almost uneven order. By placing them different distances from the chain and carefully planning their proximity to each other.


    It was possible to create mana potent and specific enough to crack this chain. This chain can only be broken by those who created it.


    So instead of that, she has to make use of their residue mana..to create the illusion of the gods.


    ¡°...Perfect¡­¡±


    She breathed out slightly, the pressure on her was immense. She felt her father''s gaze on her. Examining her every move.


    His sight alone, put a weight on her body, that dulled her movements.


    ¡°..Now..i would have been done now..and now it would have been a matter of father collecting enough mana to execute this operation..however many years that takes..however..¡±


    Sk?ll pulled out a small engraved dagger.


    ¡°With this..we have all the mana we need..¡±


    ¡°Father..!¡± Her voice still shaking, she called out.


    ¡°With this..i will free you..! So that you once again taste the fresh air, and so that i repay my debt to you..¡±


    Fenrir did not answer. She felt his gaze drift off from her. Indicating either his boredom or dismissal of her.


    ¡°..i..¡± Her eyes teared up. She was sure this would finally earn her father''s approval. So then why did it seem like he did not care for her. He did not show a single drop of the interest he showed in Hikaru.


    ¡°No..No, he¡¯s just waiting for me to do it...yeah. With this i¡¯ll show father that i¡¯m superior to Hikaru. He will finally speak to me like he does to Hikaru..¡±


    Lifting the dagger high above her head.


    ¡°Father..!¡±


    The dagger was stabbed into the chain.


    Gliding into it as if it was made from butter.


    The chain being magical in nature, the dagger which had an extreme concentration of mana, naturally sliced through it.


    With the dagger blade now in the chain. It began to fill with foreign mana.


    Foreign mana that got pushed out, put into the godly relics surrounding the chain, which shot the now artifical god-like mana back into the chain, only to be pushed back out.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    This cycle continued over and over. Increasing in power each time.


    This was what she attempted to create. A closed circuit.


    With nowhere to go the circuit would overheat, and a part of it would break.


    What part was difficult to predict. It could be the godly relics that break first.


    She couldn¡¯t risk that.


    Her arms turning back into wolf-like claws. She attempted to pierce the chain with her claws.


    The edges of her claws pushing against the chain, creating sparks of unstable mana.


    She was too weak to do anything to this chain. However¡­


    With this, perhaps it might help keep more of the chains mana inside the chain. Making it overload faster.


    She felt the mana pushed out of the chain push against her arms and skin.


    She could not let go.


    She had to keep doing this. She could not risk failure.


    She worked her entire life for this, the lifespan of many humans. Even longer than that.


    All she wished for was her father''s overdue acceptance of her.


    Now it was so close.


    She would not fail. No matter what it costed her.


    Her arms were sliced and burned by wild mana.


    She did not let go of the chain.


    She continued pushing the mana back into the chain.


    Her bones began to creak and crack.


    The skin on her arms melted, the fur on her mantle began burning.


    She was dying.


    But she still would not let go of her goal.


    ¡°FAAAATHEEEEEEER!¡±


    The chain began heating up. It was overloading.


    Her father would now be free. She felt true happiness finally well up inside her.


    However. Despite this, Fenrir would not look at her.


    ¡°...Why...WHY!?¡±


    She cried out helplessly.


    ¡°YoU haVe doNe your purPose. NOw i havE No neEd for yOu.¡±


    Those were the first words he had said to her in a time period that surpassed what most humans could imagine. They were also the last words she would ever hear her father say to her.


    She could not help but fall on her knees. Tears flowing down her cheeks.


    Her body was broken, but importantly her heart was now broken beyond repair.


    She did not want to move.


    --


    Above ground, Ahab was busy planning out the rebuilding of their city with his followers.


    When something strange happened. Something that should never happen in this part of the world.


    The ground began shaking.


    It was no earthquake.


    The ground began moving like rubber, losing all its common properties.


    This was no mere earthquake.


    The sky twisted and turned ominous. Like mudded water.


    At the other side of the rubble.


    A volcano erupted.


    Not a volcano of magma, or molten rock of any kind.


    It was a volcano of mana.


    Mana so thick even those unfamiliar with it could clearly see it.


    It filled the sky, and coloured everything black.


    A mist darker than black covered the surroundings.


    Through the volcano, something slowly climbed out.


    The sounds of loose chains filled the air for many miles around.


    --


    ¡°So uh..what are you thinking..¡±


    Yuri said while bandaging Hikaru¡¯s wounds, making sure to avoid looking at him.


    ¡°I am concerned about the fact that your dagger has fallen into the hands of my sister.¡±


    Clenching his teeth slightly at the pain from having his wounds bandaged tightly, Hikaru looked onto the floor with concern.


    ¡°...So you¡¯re worried about that huh..¡±


    Unconsciously, Yuri began to bandage his wounds tighter than she should.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He clenched his fists at the pain.


    ¡°Of course. Not like i really care about what just happened a while ago, or anything.¡±


    She pulled the bandages tighter, eliciting a small groan from Hikaru.


    ¡°Not. at. All.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, it must be something difficult for you. Considering you were a man before.¡±


    Slowly reaching out, Hikaru gently stroked her head.


    Yuri looked at him straight in his eyes for the first time since they left the church.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what i meant..!¡±


    Now looking at Yuri, Hikaru noticed her cheeks were flushed, whether due to embarrassment or being upset, was unclear to him.


    ¡°I used to be a guy and everything..but you know, now i¡¯m not...so...so you can touch me if y-you w-want to!¡±


    Accidently biting her lip, Yuri held her small hands against her mouth while blushing brighter than a shining star.


    ¡°T..touch you!?¡±


    It was now Hikaru whose turn was to be flustered. He stood up in shock, before quickly sitting down due to the pain of his wounds.


    ¡°I-i know! Helgi told me about it! B-back in our world..! Normal guys like to..they like to..um¡­¡± Her voice got quieter ¡°They like to..touch...girls they like..i-intimately..a-and y-yeah..¡±


    Her voice no louder than a whisper, she looked up at Hikaru with teary eyes.


    ¡°Yuri..I¡­¡±


    Taking a step towards Yuri, Hikaru wrapped his arms around her.


    ¡°Ha-h-haaah!?¡± Yuri¡¯s voice cracked, her mind going haywire at Hikaru''s sudden action.


    ¡°I have never felt any such urges before.¡±


    He said, making Yuri look up with a sad blush at him.


    ¡°However. Lately. I have felt something similar to that. Something irrational. I will not lie, i have stooped to the level of those men you speak of.¡±


    These words, elicited a slight sound from Yuri, which could be interpreted as anything from concern to excitement.


    ¡°However..i do not wish to..i..¡±


    Seeming to have difficulty with his next words, Hikaru struggled.


    ¡°I do not wish to..act selfishly..for..i.¡±


    Tiptoeing up to Hikaru¡¯s level. Yuri moved her face close to his.


    ¡°You¡¯re being cute..¡± Was all she said, before she cut off his words by force.


    Stealing away his breath, she soothed Hikaru with a sweet taste. A taste that could only be described as nectar of a rare flower.


    Yuri could taste something strong, it was not unlike a strong spice, which slowly lessened in intensity until it danced upon her tongue, granting her excitement and an enjoyable tingling on her tongue and lips.


    Wrapping his arms around her waist, Hikaru pulled Yuri higher up, giving back the favour she gave him ten times over.


    It was now her turn to be surprised at the rough handling.


    She could however do nothing but relax, feeling all the power drain from her limbs.


    All she could manage was wrapping her arms around Hikaru¡¯s neck to make sure she did not fall.


    They stayed like for a while, returning each others favours over and over, carefully melting into each other.


    Until finally both of them had to separate to catch their breath.


    ¡°T-that..was...new..¡±


    Was what Hikaru managed to word out. These were feelings he was unfamiliar with. These were feelings of excitement that those of his descent did not have. These were human feelings.


    ¡°G-geez...you¡¯re so rough..¡± Yuri breathed out, unable to shift her eyes from Hikaru¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°N-not that i didn¡¯t like it..¡± She turned her head away as to appear upset, however her eyes clearly betrayed her desire, for they slowly trailed back to look at him.


    ¡°I could say..the same.¡±


    They were both blushing. Even the usually stoic Hikaru could not help but feel the same as Yuri. They had at that moment been completely in sync, both their breathing and their emotions.


    ¡°H-how about we..um..go get some food while we..um..cool of...a bit..yeah!¡±


    Yuri suggested, her heart beating so fast that she feared she might have a heart attack.


    ¡°I-indeed. Agreed.¡±


    Hikaru felt the exact same. His heart which never beat fast even during fierce combat, now was pushed to its limits by this petite girl.


    No it wasn''t just any girl. If it¡¯s Yuri, it''s only natural that his heart respond in this manner.


    Awkwardly leaving together, they managed to buy some food without being found out by the guards.


    Finding a nice abandoned rooftop to eat, they both ate slowly, with small bites, their appetite seeming to have somehow been sated by their actions from before.


    ¡°So uh you know i didn¡¯t know you could act like that..i-¡±


    Yuri began, while putting down her food.


    The sound of her voice was muffled, obscured by the much louder noise coming from the distance.


    A deep rumbling, that shook the very ground beneath them.


    Everyone in the city looked in the exact same direction. It was not due to the sound or some past experience that they knew where to look.


    But due to the fact that everyone, even the livestock, could feel the vast cloud of dark mana washing over them.


    Sweeping through the city like fog, thick and dense enough to obscure everyone¡¯s vision.


    Everybody could the direction from which the dark mana flowed.


    It flowed from that empty place, that desolate desert, devoid of any life except for what existed in a single locked off city.


    ¡°H-hikaru..this mana..that feels similar to yours..i¡¯ve felt it before¡±


    ¡°That..can¡¯t be. Is that what she needed the dagger for..!?¡±


    Standing up, Hikaru¡¯s muscles tensed strongly enough that some of his wounds opened, dripping dark blood down his torso.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on.? Is about your sister?¡±


    ¡°I thought she would need a long time to prepare and perhaps even collect all of the relics..but it seems i was overly optimistic..she has already succeeded in her goal.¡±


    ¡°You mean your-¡±


    ¡°My would be father. Is now free.¡±


    The ground continued to rumble weakly, while black mana swirled all around them, like dirty wind, staining the spirits of everyone it touched.

 Chapter 88: In the name of discovery, i will devour your beliefs.

    ¡°Now that he is free..what is he..going to do?¡±


    Yuri asked Hikaru. The entire city was eerily quiet, devoid of any sound other than the flowing of wind brimming with dark mana.


    ¡°Likely..travel from city to city. Despite him being free..he is still going to need a source of energy before he can do anything. That source of mana would be..from whatever city is closest. It will be a slaughter..¡±


    With a shaking voice, Hikaru could not move his eyes away from the dark horizon. The presence of his kin was too strong. His beastial bond mixing with his hatred. To Hikaru it was like looking into a fire among a field filled with darkness. There was nothing else to look at.


    ¡°When he acquires all the mana that he needs..what then..?¡±


    ¡°You saw what could be accomplished with only a small fraction of his power. Entire islands defying gravity. With that same power..i am afraid to think what he would do..but his goal would be the same no matter how he goes about it..he¡¯s going to make sure the time of humanity..is over.¡±


    ¡°Hey..you okay..don¡¯t worry. Whatever it is he is doing, i¡¯ll make sure to help you stop him, together. So don¡¯t look so stressed out..¡±


    Gently stroking his back, Yuri stood next to him, waiting for him to calm down.


    ¡°You do not understand. I thought i had more time. Yet now he¡¯s free. I am far from prepared.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known, not like it¡¯s your fault..¡± Attempting to comfort him, she felt his back tense up beneath her stroking fingers.


    ¡°It is my fault. His entire existence here, our being thrown out of the presence of the gods. It was all my fault. The reason my father..no. The reason Fenrir has become the way he is, is solely because of my foolish beliefs.¡±


    Unwittingly to himself, he had wrapped an arm around Yuri, holding her tightly against himself.


    Yuri did not mind one bit, softly wrapping her arms around the pained Hikaru, waiting for him to continue.


    ¡°I...i was a foolish child. I admired the humans i observed. I still do. I believed that they could flourish more without the control of the gods above them. I wished to see what wonderful things they could achieve when granted true freedom..¡±


    He sighed, clenching his fists.


    ¡°Yet my father, who did not approve of my ideas at first..slowly warmed up to them the more i spoke of them.. I should have been quiet. I should have shut my mouth and did my training. Yet i continued speaking to him. Telling him of the advances i witnessed mankind achieve.¡±


    ¡°That was when..my father fully adopted my beliefs..¡±


    --


    ¡°You must understand. This discovery goes beyond everything we held true since the beginning.¡±


    A giant form. The form of a beast, loosely shaped like a beast. Its form unclear, yet somewhat resembling that of a proud wolf. It stood at attention, addressing several other slightly smaller figures.


    ¡°What you say is insanity. You realise you¡¯re calling livestock that barely learned how to communicate..disgusting¡±


    One of the figures the beast was addressing, a larger figure, resembling that of a rotund man, spoke with obvious disgust at what the beast was suggesting.


    ¡°I am calling them intelligent.¡± The beast spoke calmly, with a resolute tone that would not make anyone dare question his resolve.


    ¡°What you are suggesting goes against the entire basis of what we built the world around! This is something that is not possible, we did not invest enough mana to create anything with enough power to do much. All they are able to do, is farm more miniscule amounts of it, which is barely enough to sate our hunger!¡±


    Another one slammed his fist against a table, shaking it.


    ¡°Do you not realise that these..humans. Have long since overcome the limitations we put upon their mana. Observe what they are able to achieve with only what they have.¡±


    Breathing out, the hot air of the beast''s breath changed, forming images and scenery.


    It depicted humans of various countries, and ages. Images flowing past so quickly no mortal could see more than a single image. Yet these gods saw it all. They saw humanity creating their own laws, managing their own livestock, shaping tools, forging armour, even somehow using magic.


    What they saw, were more primitive versions of themselves. Of when the gods were still young, discovering their powers, using them to slowly shape themselves and the world around them. It was so long ago, that not even stones remained from that time.


    ¡°...Unbelievable.¡±


    The gods were in shock, they were too blind to the world they created.


    ¡°Indeed. This, is what i meant. They have created so much. And will create much more. They are no longer livestock from which we collect faith. They are on their way to become gods of their own..¡±


    Walking up the rest, the beast looked down onto them, his eyes shining with desire.


    ¡°I wish to see this journey to godhood.¡±


    One of the other gods stood up, moving her hair out of her face in a motion that could freeze water and boil metal.


    Her features were beautiful, her movements brought up all manner of reactions at the same time.


    She was the goddess who was in control of the shape of this world. Who designed it to look as it did to fit her standards.


    She was Freiya.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°I am..afraid that can¡¯t happen.¡±


    Her voice shook the table, which could not contain itself at the sound of its creator.


    ¡°We cannot let these mortal creatures even attempt to come close to us. If they do. We would no longer have a place. They would be replacing us. These creatures created by us are too far ingrained with with our essence in order for that to result in anything but..disgusting incestual creations. The creation can never overtake its creator..surely you understand that from your position, Fenrir!¡±


    ¡°Precisely what i was thinking.¡± Fenrir answered with a barely visible grin.


    ¡°They are too far ingrained with us. They cannot be allowed to keep going, for we already know it would ultimately result in nothing.¡±


    ¡°So you do understand.¡± She sighed in relief.


    ¡°Instead. We must purge these previous creations of ours. This entire world created by our hand. They have no future without us. We must let a world be created on itself, without our influence, then..only then will we be able to see just how close to godhood a mortal can come.¡±


    Fenrir could not hide the excitement in his voice, his jaw dripped with saliva.


    ¡°..You...Not only do you wish to do something that would ultimately destroy us..but you also want to destroy the entire world we created..!? Something being created from nothing..you realise that what you are saying is very similar to how we were originally created¡­¡±


    Taking a step, Freiya felt her body, which had never lost its calm since its existence first blossomed. Her body shook. With anger, with fear, with surprise, she was unsure, but she knew she did not like this.


    Neither did the other gods.


    ¡°What are you even saying!? You realise it took an infinity for the probability of our creation to even become possible. We would all starve to death from lack of mana by waiting for a new source to appear!¡±


    ¡°Are you insane!?


    ¡°What is the purpose of that!?¡±


    ¡°There is no purpose. Only discovery and curiosity.¡±


    His lips curling to show his saliva dripping teeth, Fenrir stared down at the other gods.


    ¡°Where did you even get these insane ideas from..¡±


    Freiya asked with a slightly shaken voice.


    ¡°My son. Created from my body and shadow. He is the genius behind this realisation. He made me realise. Made me realise the pointlessness of our system. What point is there if it is not interesting.


    ¡°Father..no..that was not what i meant!¡±


    Hikaru, who was standing behind his father all this time, as shocked as the other gods, ran up. Standing in front of him.


    ¡°Perhaps not. You are young. I simply built upon your genius with my wisdom, Hikaru! We will see your dream come to reality!¡±


    Fenrir roared.


    ¡°Father! Even if we did do something as horrible as that, we would starve to death before we saw it come true!¡±


    Hikaru tried to argue. He tried to convince his father to think this through, to change his mind. Yet it had the opposite effect.


    ¡°You are correct my son..i have been foolish to not consider that.¡± Fenrir lowered his face to look down at his son.


    ¡°That is why we will need a source of mana to last..a source of mana so abundant here¡­!¡±


    Opening his jaws wider than his entire body, he stared at the other gods.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane!? You would devour a god!?¡±


    ¡°ALL IN THE NAME OF DISCOVERY, NO HARD FEELINGS HAH!¡±


    What followed next was blurry and inconsistent. It was a battle that would not take root in Hikaru¡¯s brain. A battle that could have destroyed time itself, causing it to twist and shift. Lasting an eternity, but also a single moment. This battle, ended ultimately with Fenrir wrapped in chains made from the blood of the other gods.


    Trapped forever in the mortal realm, where he would never be able to amass enough mana to even speak.


    This should have been the end of his story, yet Fenrir still lived.


    He did not need to speak.


    He only needed his thoughts, to achieve his dream, his son''s dream.


    For that he would destroy the gods and the ground they stood on.


    He was proud of his son, his son whose thoughts had gone far and beyond what his ever did during his infinity of existence.


    He would not let the genius of his son go to waste. He would see it through.


    Even if that festered into insanity.


    --


    A distant roar, bringing with it a new wave of wind fueled by the darkest of mana.


    ¡°I wish to free humanity from the gods to let them achieve their true potential. Yet he..he wishes to rid the world of humanity to reach a hypothetical higher potential. He is taking my ideals and twisting while claiming they are for my sake.¡±


    Fueled by disgust, Hikaru almost spit at the ground.


    ¡°Wow..sounds like a doting father huh..¡±


    Laughing awkwardly, Yuri looked down at her feet while rubbing her head.


    ¡°....It is..the opposite. He is using my existence to pretend that his existence has meaning. Instead of finding his own.¡±


    Hikaru¡¯s face stayed stoically serious while he said this, not looking at Yuri.


    ¡°....Sorry.¡± Squeezing his hand, Yuri pulled him down into a close embrace.


    ¡°I guess i don¡¯t really get it, since i never had parents of my own..¡± Smiling awkwardly, she slowly stroked Hikaru¡¯s head, who remained unresponsive.


    ¡°But you know...i don¡¯t like seeing you like this..seeing you in pain..¡±


    She squeezed him slightly.


    ¡°So..i¡¯m going to make you feel better. I¡¯ll do what i do best. I can¡¯t really fight that well, especially without my dagger. But i can do this..I will steal your father''s strange obsession, and stop him from destroying the humanity of this world. So don¡¯t look like that..i much prefer you when you¡¯re trying your hardest to remain serious but still letting out a small barely noticeable smile..¡±


    ¡°Yuri. Do you realise what you are saying. This is a fallen god. A true fallen god. Not a lowly offspring like me, or some other low minion of the gods..this is a true god. One of the originals. And you wish to steal his..his thoughts?¡±


    Placing his hand on Yuri¡¯s head, he could only feel the emptiness inside him grow into a deeper hole.


    ¡°Hmmm..i mean. I did get a god to fall for with me and do my bidding..¡± She smiled slyly at Hikaru.


    ¡°Besides..if there is something i learned from my time in this weird..world where magic seems to be the answer to most questions and problems..is that what i suggested is probably possible. We just need to find someone capable of explaining it properly.¡±


    ¡°What are you..what are you talking about, Yuri.¡±


    Slightly confused, Hikaru looked at her, wondering if she was finally out of ideas.


    ¡°What i am saying is. Uh. Look. Gods. You. Gods are made of mainly mana right?¡±


    She asked, guessing wildly.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct..non-mortals are usually not mortal because they are mostly created from mana. Which is why they need mana to survive. I am only an offspring, so i can sustain myself on the petty mana from food items.¡±


    He explained.


    ¡°Then! If gods are made of mana. And mana can be controlled, like i have been doing. It means what i¡¯m suggesting, is actually possible.¡±


    She nodded, proud of herself.


    ¡°Yuri. That is comparable to saying that since gravity is real, and that we are affected by it, and can affect its force by being far away from the earth, it should be possible to float if you find out how.¡±


    He shook his head while furrowing his brows.


    ¡°But you can do that with mana, so i¡¯m correct!¡±


    ¡°You do not understand my point..¡±


    He argued.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. We just need someone who can figure out how. With the ability of my runes, and the mana of my dagger. It should be possible.¡±


    ¡°You do not have your dagger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we will go find it once we figure this out, and go execute the plan.¡±


    She nodded once again, and began pulling on his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, i need to send a letter through that teleport service. I know just the person who can help figure this out!¡±


    ¡°...Very well.¡±


    Hikaru did not have the strength to argue any more. He was emotionally drained, and he felt his heart sinking lower and lower into his chest. Consumed by the familiar dark mana around him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Hikaru. I won¡¯t let your dream be corrupted like that¡±


    Looking back at him, Yuri smiled lightly. A smile so full of light, that it managed to push away the dark mana surrounding his heart. Her smile was one that held only good will and truth. The truth that she would be a protector of his dream, despite it being his fault that this catastrophe was upon them.


    Yuri¡¯s words pulled him out of the fog and into her light. As long as she was with him. He knew they could never lose.


    Her smile would not allow it. And he in turn would not allow for anything to take away her smile.

 Chapter 89: A golden plan

    ¡°I must ask. Who is this letter even addressed to. Is there truly anyone in the world capable of figuring out something as complex as a god of living mana?¡±


    Hikaru asked while looking over Yuri, who was immersed in writing a long winded letter over the back of the person who stood in line in front of them.


    Wanting to get the letter sent as soon as possible, she only bothered to start writing it once they stood in line for the letter teleportation service at this city¡¯s green tower.


    ¡°No no miss, i think you made a grammatical error, it¡¯s your help not you¡¯re help. I can feel a grammatical mistake like that even through my back!¡±


    The man lending his back for Yuri to write on commented on her writing in a correctional tone.


    ¡°Oh right! Okay, all done! Thanks backman!¡±


    She patted the man''s back.


    ¡°My name is bob, and don¡¯t mention it¡±


    The man nodded at them before continuing his standing in the line.


    ¡°So. Who is the letter addressed to. My earlier point still stands.¡±


    Hikaru asked once again.


    ¡°We do know someone. Someone who actually dealt a lot with creatures made of living mana.¡±


    She smiled, raising her eyebrows at Hikaru, as if the answer should be obvious.


    ¡°...You cannot mean. But he is dead.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Is he now? Back in the golden city, when we defeated the dragon made of golden mana..when it exploded into small pieces, i saw something interesting. One of the pieces was bigger than the rest.¡±


    ¡°You mean he survived!? Why did you not mention this before?¡±


    ¡°We got the relic, and i didn¡¯t REALLY care about the city or him for that matter after that, so i just never thought about it..¡±


    Shrugging, she licked the letter before closing it shut in an envelope.


    ¡°Even if what you say is true. Even if that mana man did survive..what was his name..¡±


    Hikaru pondered.


    ¡°I think it was Tane? Hard to remember, in my mind i always just called him crazy mana dragon guy..¡±


    ¡°That is quite a mouthful.¡± Hikaru raised a skeptical eyebrow at her choice of nicknames.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s much easier to say in your mind than with your tongue.¡±


    ¡°Either way. If he did somehow survive. What makes you think he would be willing to help us. We destroyed his plans. Not to mention, how would you even know his adress?¡±


    Asking a very reasonable question, Hikaru looked at Yuri with resignation at whatever mad answer she was about to tell him.


    ¡°He will help us because. If he doesn¡¯t everyone including him will die. And to sweeten the deal. He gets to collect information on a real perfect creature of mana, instead of just some dragon that was coloured golden. And finding him..¡±


    Yuri showed the envelope to Hikaru.


    ¡°Should be simple. We have his name. And we know the most likely place he will be at. I see no reason for him to be anywhere else, since anywhere else isn¡¯t advanced enough to meet his scientific standards.¡±


    ¡°You are correct.¡± Hikaru nodded, impressed. ¡°However did you have to write it like that¡­¡±


    On the front of the envelope, in big black letters. It read: TO TANE, THE GOLDEN DRAGON MAN, IN THE GOLDEN CITY, WHICH MOST DON¡¯T BELIEVE TO EXIST, AND WHICH HE ALSO DESTROYED.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we the ones who destroyed the city by blowing him up..¡±


    ¡°Shhh, don¡¯t worry about the details, as long as he receives the letter!¡±.


    She handed the letter over the receptionist.


    ¡°Now..all we have to do is wait.¡±


    ¡°Indeed..¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some pastries! I haven¡¯t had some in a while!¡±


    She suggested.


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    He nodded, yet he was still worried over the matters at hand. He doubted they would receive an answer for that letter. They needed a more concrete plan. Something that they knew would work. They couldn¡¯t keep leaving all their decisions to fate. It is best to rely on themselves rather than hope that someone else will manage to bring them salvation.


    He had to do it.


    He had to come up with a way to defeat his father.


    ¡°Excuse me! Miss! Sir!¡±


    The receptionist called out to them as they were leaving.


    ¡°You received a response from a...Tane, the ex-golden dragon?¡±


    ¡°...huh.¡±


    Hikaru looked at the receptionist with barely a hint of surprise. He face was almost blank. He couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Awh. We didn¡¯t have time to get any pastries..¡±


    Pouting, Yuri went back and got the letter.


    ¡°What are you staring at¡­?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She followed his gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we need to sit down and read this letter!¡±


    She dragged the still shocked Hikaru behind her.


    ¡°Guess my resolution was unneeded huh¡±


    --


    Sitting in a secluded backstreet, Yuri opened the letter from Tane and began reading it.


    ¡°Hm..? Guess it¡¯s very short, since he did respond very quickly..¡±


    She showed Hikaru the letter.


    All that was written on it were three words. On my way.


    ¡°Indeed. This also does not implicate that he has accepted our request of his assistance.¡±


    Hikaru warned her.


    ¡°True..


    ¡°Well if he gets here, all we have to do is capture him and make him work for us, by force if we have to..¡±


    Smiling innocently, she looked at Hikaru.


    ¡°Very well, i will apprehend him if need be.¡±


    ¡°Thank you~¡± Hugging his arm, she clung to him while they waited for the arrival of the one they invited.


    They did not have to wait very long. For before the sun could set, they could see something glimmering in the distance. Something in the opposite side of the sunset.


    A glimmering gold. Two glimmering gold wings.


    Attached to what appeared to be a human.


    These were wings that they recognised. It was the wings made in the image of a dragon.


    They lacked the accompanying great body of the giant lizard, yet were still impressive displays of aerial prowess.


    With each flap of their giant span, the golden wings blew away a bit of the dark mana tainted air around them.


    The wings arrived above them, lowering themselves gently, descending while shrinking.


    Until their owner was floating right above them.


    ¡°You sure arrived quickly, didn¡¯t you¡±


    She commented on the appearance of Tane.


    The only things she received in response was a glare. A glare from eyes that had ceased to be human. They were eyes of golden.


    Mana circulating violently within them.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve done a bit of an image change¡­? You¡¯re no longer a big flying gecko?¡±


    She commented upon Tane¡¯s new appearance. Unlike his previous self when they previously met. He was no longer a gigantic golden dragon made exclusively from mana.


    Although it was difficult to call him human. His appearance certainly looked human.


    However, if one looked close enough. One might notice that the shade of his skin is not due to a tan. But due to it being made of gold mana. In fact everything about him, including his clothes, was made of golden mana which was somehow manipulated into taking the shape most close to what one might assume to be a normal human.


    ¡°I do want to kill you¡­¡±


    Tane muttered to himself, before lowering himself onto the ground. His wings dissipating completely.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to see you too, he¡¯s even ruder than your sister huh Hikaru?¡±


    Yuri said with a snide smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try and joke with me.¡± Tane spit out ¡°You got in my way, destroyed my great dragon form which i worked so hard to achieve.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well. You had a relic we really wanted. Besides you seem to be doing fine without it?¡±


    ¡°..I have been able to replicate a portion of the relics power. Either way. We are enemies. What makes you think you can just send me a letter asking for help as if we were old acquaintances.¡±


    The golden wings formed out of Tane¡¯s back once again, holding them above himself, obscuring the light of the moon and filling the backstreet with his golden mana shine.


    ¡°Because. I¡¯m offering you an opportunity. To study something very similiar to yourself..¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°You mentioned that in the letter..a fallen true god. As tempting as that does sound. I have more than enough research to fill several lifetimes, besides i am very busy.¡±


    Tane smiled.


    ¡°Hopefully you don¡¯t mind. But i shifted the blame of the destruction of the golden city on you. You¡¯re gaining a lot of fame as a..let¡¯s say harbinger of death. Luckily i was there to drive you off. In fact, i did more than that. With the theft of our relic which was the core of our city. I had to come up with different ways to convert Nature mana into usable mana. Which i was able to do because of my research. I am praised as a saviour and a god in the golden city. I don¡¯t have any need to prove myself anymore. So what could you possibly offer me.¡±


    ¡°...You still came here didn¡¯t you. That means you¡¯re curious. You said you were considered a god over there..? Wouldn¡¯t you want to be considered a god everywhere else as well?¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, she looked at Tane with a glimmer in her eyes.


    ¡°I already am. Don¡¯t you see how i am made almost exclusively of mana. Only a god is able of achieving something like this¡±


    ¡°I see that..but you know. That mana..it¡¯s very weak compared to a real god. Wouldn¡¯t you want to learn how make the mana you produce..of denser quality?¡±


    Pulling him along on his curiousity, Yuri looked off to the side while wondering, glancing back to see how Tane reacted.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it? The wind, it''s charged with dark mana. That¡¯s the god¡¯s, Fenrir¡¯s mana. It suffocates those who are even near it. And he isn¡¯t even close to this city yet. That¡¯s what it takes to be a god. That suffocating feeling..you like it don¡¯t you, you want it, right?¡±


    ¡°...I will help you. But only to access the wealth of data hidden within a god. Getting access to the inside workings of a true god is only something I. an existence closest to that of a god, should be allowed¡±


    Tane nodded, the golden mana his skin comprised off, swirling around strangely, excitedly.


    ¡°...Yikes. Creepy god complex much?¡±


    Yuri whispered back at Hikaru, who only smiled awkwardly and nodded.


    ¡°Tch, the likes of you mortals, wouldn¡¯t understand the thoughts of an existence so close to a god!¡±


    Shaking his head at the whisper he overheard, Tane dismissed it.


    Looking at Hikaru, she snickered slightly.


    (Wouldn¡¯t he just be so surprised if he knew what Hikaru really was.)


    ¡°So what is it you hope to achieve with my help? I will warn you, if you expected me to weaken or defeat a creature whose residue mana reaches so far out, simply because i¡¯m an expert. You would be telling me to walk into my grave.¡±


    Tane warned them.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t help us, you would be walking into your grave anyway, considering how said god¡¯s goal is to remove humanity from existence..¡±


    Yuri corrected him.


    ¡°Then i am in luck. As i don¡¯t qualify as a human any longer¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡± She sighed ¡°We don¡¯t need you to do anything like that. We need you to get into this god¡¯s mind. And just..alter it slightly.¡±


    ¡°...You must be joking. That is arguably much more difficult than straight out attempting to destroy him¡±


    Looking at her, like one would look at a chimp who tried to eat a banana without peeling it, Tane curled his upper lip at her.


    ¡°But it¡¯s possible, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a question of whether it''s possible. It¡¯s a question of me not being willing to throw away my life. There are far too many inventions to create now that the golden city is under my control. No laws to stop me.¡±


    ¡°Then is there any way we can make it so you aren¡¯t at any risk of losing your life?¡±


    She asked.


    ¡°Not unless you have a way to make a god use most of its mana. Say overcoming an obstacle or an enemy. Which wouldn¡¯t work, considering that to a god, anything you can throw at it would be like a buzzing fly. Not just a normal fly, but a fruit fly. An especially small fruit fly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you made your point. Shut up about flies..¡± Yuri visibly relaxed ¡°Then it should be no problem for you if we accomplish that?¡±


    ¡°You? Even with your above normal warrior..friend?¡±


    ¡°Boyfriend.¡± She corrected him with a  slight blush and a glance at Hikaru, who smiled slightly back at her, while trying to look serious, resulting in him looking slightly awkward. Which to Yuri¡¯s eyes was especially cute.


    ¡°..Boyfriend. sure. ¡°Tane corrected himself with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Even with him, i doubt it would hold the attention of a god for more than a moment. I need much more than that. To alter the mind..it¡¯s possible since it¡¯s purely mana..however. That of a god? I would have to make sure to not be detected. Which is the entire reason i need most of the mana to be concentrated on the outside. Not the inside.¡±


    ¡°How long would you need?¡±


    ¡°There is no way i would be able to give any precise number. We are talking about a living god-¡±


    ¡°Just give me a number!¡±


    ¡°..:Very well. Let¡¯s say half an hour.¡±


    Tane shrugged, giving an arbitrary number that he deduced would be sufficient enough.


    ¡°Hm..that would be barely enough i guess..¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Yuri? I don¡¯t believe i can hold out for that long, even if we managed to retrieve your dagger..¡±


    Looking slightly concerned with Yuri¡¯s optimism, Hikaru put his palm on her head.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine, we won¡¯t be the only ones there¡±


    ¡°You must realise, if i do this, i will not be able to help you in any way. I would be physically inside the mind of the god¡±


    Tane said.


    ¡°Not you. Everyone else!¡±


    ¡°Everyone else..?¡±


    Both Tane and Hikaru said simultaneously.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ONLY send a letter to Tane you know. That¡¯s why i took so long writing it on that guy¡¯s back. I sent a letter to all our old acquaintances¡±


    Looking at Hikaru with a facial expression that showed she didn¡¯t realise Hikaru had missed that.


    ¡°Who did you send it to..? And would they even come..? We don¡¯t know many warriors.¡±


    Hikaru conjected.


    ¡°Like i said, Everyone. And they will, and they will bring all their warriors with them¡±


    Smiling ever so brightly, Yuri looked into Hikaru¡¯s eyes, the scene shifting, his dark eyes moving. Glittering until they became a starry night sky.


    In this dark sky lit up only by stars.


    Countless ships were moving towards Yuri¡¯s location. Ships of every kind of every quality and of every size, in a quantity so big they filled the sky and blocked out the stars themselves.

 Chapter 90: The armada

    ¡°Boss, i do not understand why you would follow along on this dangerous journey, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just send the mercenaries?¡±


    Amongst the sea of floating ships, a single ship shone brighter than all the rest. A ship almost disgustingly plastered with gold inlays and gems of every colour.


    At the front of the ship, stood two rotund men. One bigger, and rounder, than the other.


    ¡°Because my dear Jack. A merchant always keeps his promises. That damn she-wolf. I swore i would show her that my profitable empire is truly mine and not hers. It was built all thanks to me and my business-savvy mind! The grunts she loaned me were useful. But they were only useful because of me using them correctly!¡±


    The bigger round man bellowed angrily, revealing a full set of golden teeth, shining in his wide jaw.


    ¡°But boss Delem. All your work will be for nothing if you die. Why are we even assisting this Yuri with her mad plans. Helping defeat a god!?¡±


    The smaller rotund man, named Jack, related to Delem by blood, serving under him in his newly made business empire, asked in confusion.


    ¡°I am indebted to Yuri for helping me acquire the starting blocks to my empire! So of course i would help. But most importantly. This is revenge against that She-wolf. That bitch. Supposedly her father is this god, that Yuri is fighting. If i¡¯m the one to get the killing blow on that father of a bitch...what i wouldn¡¯t give to see that she-wolfs expression then..¡±


    Laughing heartily, Delem held his belly with his stubby arms.


    ¡°..I see..¡± Jack could only nod, this was the man he looked up to. His entire look was based on him. He had even replaced his entirely well-functioning teeth for golden ones to match Delem. He would follow this man and learn from him. Perhaps then he might become like him and earn a mighty empire like his.


    ¡°But there sure are a lot of other people heading the same way..¡±


    ¡°There sure are. There sure are. Seems it wasn¡¯t just me that Yuri asked for help.¡±


    Despite the majority of the ships belonging to delem and his hired mercenary help. Almost half of the ships filling the skies were not his.


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if they all are heading there to help Yuri or to get revenge. I would know best, as a merchant. You often make as many enemies as you make friends. As a thief. I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s much more enemies than i can imagine..¡±


    Delem nodded seriously, before bursting out into laughter again.


    ¡°Ah, if it¡¯s Yuri i¡¯m sure she can handle it.¡±


    -


    On another ship,stood a tall woman, wearing a fluttering elegant dress of the darkest red. Upon her head a snow-white crown, confirming her regal demeanour to be well-deserved.


    She was born of royalty.


    ¡°Delem...you dare humiliate me...steal my city¡¯s riches¡­¡±


    Grinding her teeth, the woman looked behind her.


    A group of warriors, well-experienced,  hardened soldiers of her city, who had been so very loyal to her, despite the lack of funds to pay them.


    ¡°Your loyalty will be rewarded..i promise you that much. After we we acquire revenge against the one who allowed Delem to steal our city¡¯s treasury..the one they call...Yuri. After that..we will end Delem¡¯s life.¡±


    She announced to the warriors.


    ¡°Yes, my queen!¡± They chimed.


    (Delem may have the superior forces due to being vastly richer...but his hired help is all mercenaries..an amateurs mistake. They might seem like the better choice. But that is only on the individual level. Together they are vastly uncoordinated. A large but confused force..is easy to slip by with a much smaller force..)


    Her ship and the few ships following her were keeping themselves to the back of the mass of ships. Hiding amongst the chaos of floating ships.


    ¡°Tonight''s the night you choke on those golden teeth, Delem..¡±


    The majority of the armada of floating ships belonging to various groups, was Delems. Yet a substantial force belonged to a group that seemed to have no prefered leader.


    They were mere civilians, driving poorly armoured floating ships, armed with daggers and rusty swords.


    They were civilians who answered to Mako as their archbishop.


    The people had their suspicions after their godly relic was gone.


    The fact that Mako had not issued a search warrant for the godly relic was already enough to raise suspicion.


    Yet now that they had heard she had finally left their city to go help capture one of the people responsible for stealing their godly relic. They had all agreed to go aid her.


    They knew how clumsy and scatter brained their archbishop was.


    They couldn''t trust her with an important mission like this. So instead they would accomplish it for her.


    They had heard it was a godly monster. And so headed across the lands, until they finally came across information about these thieves.


    Now they headed towards them. Their hearts filled with the will to protect their innocent archbishop.


    They would slay this supposed Yuri and her beast.


    --


    There was one more significant group among the ships.


    A group of a strange variety. Their ships were made of the finest of steel.


    The people aboard the ships. Some of them looked like average armoured guards. The rest. Were short and stubby, and more than often, quite bearded.


    Among them stood a well dressed young man.


    He was looking around suspiciously, nervousness clear in his actions.


    ¡°Ah don¡¯t look so gloom! Think of the positives!¡±


    A firm hand slammed roughly into the back of the young man.


    ¡°You are always so rough with your actions, Galin.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The young man replied with a sigh.


    ¡°And you¡¯re too stuck up and nervous, relax a little will you and have a drink, Jac¡±


    Galin answered his sigh with a held out mug of beer.


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t solve all your problems with alcohol right..¡±


    Sighing once more, Jac accepted the drink.


    ¡°Not all, but certainly most!¡±


    Laughing loudly, Galin shrugged.


    ¡°You should be happy, the economy of our city has prospered thanks to this. This rich merchant, what¡¯s his name, Delem? Didn¡¯t he order enough stockpiles of weapons to set up our economy for years?¡±


    Galin took a swig of his own drink.


    ¡°So what are you moping around for¡±


    ¡°Yes he did. And i am glad over that. I just didn¡¯t expect that Yuri to ask us for help.¡±


    Shaking his head, Jac looked into his mug.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never lead any kind of army or anything¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what i¡¯m here for. I¡¯ve worked as a guard for years. I know how most of these things work. You just worry about standing there looking pretty, and throwing a few magic things here and there to inspire the guards!¡±


    Chuckling heartily, Galin spit out a bit of his drink.


    ¡°That is not the only thing i am concerned about. In her letter. Yuri mentioned quite a few threats should i not answer her plea for help..¡±


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t that good then?¡± Asked Galin.


    ¡°How is receiving a threat good..?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll find your courage in battle by thinking, if you don¡¯t fight, a much worse fate awaits you at the hands of Yuri, or something like that?¡±


    ¡°...You always have the strangest ways of inspiring me Galin.¡±


    Knocking his mug against Galins, Jac took a deep gulp of the strong alcohol.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Now let¡¯s go kick some random god monsters ass!¡± Galin cheered, arousing a high cheering from all the guards around them.


    Their ships heading alongside of Delems.


    These groups weren¡¯t the only ones part of the mass of ships. There were many more ships, each one belonging to their own individual person or group. Each one with their own agenda or grudge.


    They all had different reasons to be there. Yet they all had one thing in common. All of their motivations were bound to Yuri someway or another.


    That, and their destination was the same.


    The ancient god that had finally been freed from its long imprisonment. A creature of pure mana. Of so much power that it could erase entire cities with a single roar.


    They were all headed towards this impossible creature.


    None of them considering its defeat a challenge, considering their large force.


    What awaited them, was anything but. What awaited them, it wasn¡¯t a challenge.


    It was an irrefutable impossibility.


    --


    A single old rusty ship sailed through winds smelling of rotten flesh, the darkest of mana creating whirlwinds that shook the airship.


    Pieces of metal and wood fell towards the ground, separated from the ship.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why we have to use this outdated method of transportation.¡±


    Tane complained, being slightly pushed around by the turbulence.


    ¡°The same reason why i cannot simply run there with Yuri. Fenrir is..a creature of mana. His senses would detect any usage of mana nearby him.¡±


    Explaining this, Hikaru adjusted the airships balloon and lantern, making sure it was dim, yet powerful enough to hold them in the air.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get detected yet. We need to get my dagger first. Besides..without the element of surprise, we won¡¯t stand a sliver of a chance¡±


    Yuri leaned over the front of the small airship, looking into the darkness in front of them, despite it being day, their vision was obscured by the mana corrupted winds. Making it seem as dark as a moonless night.


    ¡°Are we close yet?¡± Asked Tane, tired of this slow method of transportation.


    The winds around them intensified, almost flipping the entire airship onto its side.


    A howl of wind, no, it wasn¡¯t wind, it was the howl of a creature.A creature so distinctly different from a living being that its voice sounded far beyond what a mortal was able.


    A voice so beyond mortal, it was in tune with nature itself, making it sound like part of the wind. It sounded like wind. Yet was not. Despite it sounding natural. It sounded distinctly off.


    The same way something that looks human but is still quite distinctly not in its smallest details, is quite unsettling to look at. This sound..this howling wind. Was distinctly different to wind in its smallest details. It sounded disturbing, and it induced a natural chill and feeling of disgust in even the winds around it. Which shook in a manner not unlike that of a terrified creature.


    A howl that could even make the winds shake, did far more to the three sitting inside the floating airship.


    Their bodies stiffened.


    They appeared to stay completely still.


    Their hearts and minds. Were shaking. Powerfully. Completely in tune with the shaking winds.


    So powerfully that it bordered on dangerous.


    It took a great feat of will to not faint for a normal human.


    Luckily, none of the three were normal in any way.


    Tane was a creature made mostly of mana. Modified by his own creations and choice. Although he was shaken, and he felt great fear at the beast capable of inducing such feelings in him. He felt curiosity overtake him. A creature of mana such as that. How truly amazing to be able to poke around inside it and look through its secrets.


    Yuri, despite being a normal human in body. Her mind was a different matter entirely. She had never been a normal human mentally speaking. Her ideas and entire way of reasoning bordered on insanity. It let her withstand the overwhelming urge to faint and shut down her mind to escape this howl, this voice. That was not the only thing allowing her to stay conscious. Her thoughts were all concentrated on one simple thing. She was going to save Hikaru. This supposed father of his, which is causing him such worry, will be slain. Then she will finally truly obtain the greatest godly relic of her collection. Hikaru.


    She glanced at him, she was almost unfazed by this overwhelming danger. Her thoughts only of protecting her one and only beloved. Her cheeks reddened slightly at the thought of her calling him her beloved.


    Hikaru on the hand.


    Despite being a creature of the same source as his father.


    Felt the shaking deep in his mind.


    It shook him at his core. Awakening his almost forgotten feelings as a child.


    The feelings of his father becoming tainted with his sons ideas. With his ideas. Taking them too far. The feelings of guilt he felt for causing it. The stab of pain and guilt at the accusing eyes of the other gods penetrating his very being, as he, his father, and sister, were forever banished to the mortal realm.


    They had accused him. Of causing this. They blamed him for the corruption of his father.


    It was all his fault.


    Despite him still believing that his ways were just. And his fathers ways were too extreme.


    He still knew it was still his own fault. That it had come to this.


    Had he simply shut up and did his godly training as he should have, instead of indulging his curiosity, perhaps his father might have never become this way. Perhaps none of these disasters would occur.


    ¡°Perhaps..it would have been best..had i never indulged in my ideals.¡±


    Murmuring this, Hikaru clenched his shaking hands.


    His shaking slowly stopped, upon feeling a warmth covering them.


    Yuri had taken a hold of his hands, stroking them gently and warming them in hers.


    ¡°If you had never indulged your ideals..we would have never met..even if means having to overcome a trail such as this..for me at least..it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    She looked upon him with a serene, yet hopeful smile.


    Her gentle touch, releasing Hikaru of his worries. Melting all his dark thoughts as though they were simply ice in need of Yuri¡¯s determined yet soft blaze.


    ¡°I agree..for simply feeling your touch. I will defeat my father..in order to continue feeling it.¡±


    He smiled back at her, feeling true happiness at her presence.


    ¡°...Puke¡± Tane muttered ¡°Keep it to yourselves, love birds.¡± Rolling his eyes, Tane sighed.


    What he received in response was a swift but powerful punch to the nose from Yuri.


    ¡°Way to kill the mood idiot.¡± She said annoyedly at him.


    ¡°You were the ones killing the tense mood with your soft coloured love.¡±


    Tane fixed his nose and grunted back at Yuri.


    ¡°Not my fault you don¡¯t seem to understand that danger breeds the need for support from your loved ones! You unloved lizard!¡±


    ¡°Love is overrated!¡±


    ¡°It is not!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet..!¡± Hikaru interrupted them. Looking into the darkness ahead.


    ¡°...He is near.¡±


    He spoke quietly, afraid someone might hear them, despite the raging winds around them.


    In front of them, a great darkness came into view.


    The space around them was already dark. Yet this. This went beyond darkness itself. It was an aura that sucked even the shadows into it.


    And this aura..had clear red eyes.


    ¡°...Thankfully it doesn¡¯t seem he has noticed us.¡±


    Hikaru sighed in relief, noticing the red eyes were staring off into the distance.


    ¡°We have to get my dagger first...we need to go around him..quietly..¡±


    She gave Tane an accusing look upon saying quietly. To which she received an annoyed look back.


    ¡°Nobody speak...as i said..his senses..are beyond a mortals..¡±


    Whispering this, Hikaru lowered the airship so it nearly touched the ground, moving slowly, as slow as walking speed. In an attempt to blend in.


    It felt like days had gone by while they flew. Although they knew it had only been a few hours.


    Them moving slowly across the grey ground. Flying around the giant light-sucking, vaguely wolf-like shape. Which never..seemed to end. Stretching for what seemed like, to their senses, forever.


    ¡°I think..we are past him..let¡¯s go quickly and get your dagger.. And fly back before he gets to that city.¡±


    Breathing a small sigh of relief. Hikaru increased their speed.


    ¡°Lets go..! Can¡¯t wait to finally get it back again!¡±


    They headed towards what used to be the land of floating islands, where Fenrir used to be sealed.

 Chapter 91: The Set sun

    ¡°That debree wasn¡¯t even enough to slow him down..¡±


    Yuri commented upon the scene they were witnessing.


    When they had left the city of floating islands, all of the islands had lost their specific trait of floating. Which was due to magnetism holding up the pieces of metal at the core of each island.


    Magnetism which originated from Fenrir. Or at the very least a godly relic of his.


    Now, where there had once been rubble, lay an endless hole again. Leading to where Fenrir was kept for an unthinkable amount of time.


    ¡°To break the chains of Fenrir, his chains must have been struck directly with the dagger. It should be at the bottom.¡±


    Slowly lowering their airship into the hole, Hikaru nodded at the other two.


    ¡°Back down there again..¡± Yuri sighed, looking over the edge of the ship. Despite Fenrir being gone, she still felt his presence. His moment of release had freed so much of his power that it was still thick in the air. Poisoning their air with residue dark mana.


    A while later they had reached the pitch black of the bottom.


    ¡°I will stay behind here. I only agreed to help you with the fallen god. Not find lost toys¡±


    Tane sat down in the airship, his motives were not completely due to stubborness. He needed time to process the dark mana in the air. Perhaps then he would get all the information he needed without even having to mess with an all mighty fallen god.


    Shrugging, Yuri and Hikaru walked off, a small lantern to shine their way.


    Pieces of metal glimmering around them. Shattered Chains.


    Amongst the piles of broken chains, they find something else glimmering.


    Excited at the prospect of finding her dagger, Yuri rushed forward, carelessly throwing the pieces of the giant chain out of her way. Discovering..


    That the glinting she saw came not from her dagger at all. It was the glittering of blood. Blood which had stained shards of broken metal, reflecting the light from her lantern in a colourful manner, not unlike her dagger.


    The source of the blood.


    Was beneath the pile of metal.


    A single bloodied hand stuck out. It was a small feminine hand, a hand reaching out helplessly for help.


    A hand which no one could ever deny holding and helping get up.


    ¡°This..!?¡±


    Hikaru had stepped forward to see what Yuri had found.


    ¡°No..No. This cannot be. This should not be.¡±


    Frantically, he began removing the giant pieces of metal. Flinging them aside, while Yuri stood back, taken aback by his uncontrolled behaviour.


    ¡°Hikaru..? Who is that?¡±


    Pulling aside one last metal piece, he revealed the form of the one hidden beneath.


    Draped in a bloodied white mantle, with a face permanently contorted in pain, lay Sk?ll. Hikaru¡¯s sister.


    ¡°...Sister¡­.¡±


    He sank to his knee, gently clutching her hand.


    ¡°...Hi..karu¡­?¡±


    With words barely louder than a calm breath. She spoke up lightly. Her eyelids, while seeming closed, drifted apart by the smallest of measurements, allowing her at the very least, a glimpse of her brother.


    ¡°I had warned you of what was to come had you gone down this path..¡±


    Softly holding up her hand, he held it against himself.


    ¡°..Foolish brother. You have known my conviction..perhaps. It¡¯s me who was foolish..i think..sometimes. Convictions need to be broken..¡±


    A pained smile rose upon her lips.


    Glancing back at Yuri. Hikaru nodded. ¡°Sometimes..our convictions need to change..for the sake of ourselves..¡±


    ¡°...It is too late for me now..I now understand why father is so obsessed with you..you..aren¡¯t like us. You¡¯re weak...your ideas change..but..that has led to..you being alive..it truly is..a mysterious thing..being strong despite weakness..¡±


    ¡°Sister. Do not speak. We will find the dagger and heal you. Save your energy.¡±


    His gripp upon her hand tightened. His eyes shaking despite himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t..There is no point..my wounds..are filled with fathers mana..seeped in..it¡¯s too late..you..you know. I did not mind death..but..the..fact i never seemed alive to him..it tears my soul..my conviction..was truly pathetic..¡±


    With those words, her eyes shut completely, closing off the last bit of light she could see. Her last sight was of her brothers face, reflecting the lanterns light. His eyes seemed quite saddened. She wished to tell him to not be sad. He was right in the end.


    All she could do as a last gesture was mutter a single word.


    ¡°..S..o.rry¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sk?ll. Do not dare die. You dare unleash him into the world then merely die! Sk?ll! SK?LL!¡±


    Holding the lifeless body of his sister, he shook her by the shoulders. Her head hanging limply down.


    ¡°You got us into this mess! Now you just choose to RUN AWAY!? I THOUGHT BETTER OF YOU. WAKE UP DAMNIT!¡±


    Continuing to shake her body, He only stopped when he felt a small presence on top of his shoulder.


    Yuri had placed a hand on him, before wrapping her arms around his neck. Pulling him into a tight embrace.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to admit what you¡¯re really thinking..¡±


    Stroking his head, she whispered to him very gently, as if talking to a child.


    Only then did Hikaru realise. His eyes were moist.


    He was shedding tears.


    Tears for a sister he had been in conflict with for many human lifetimes.


    Yet he still felt..grief.


    Her last words showed him as much.


    She was his sister. Despite her foolish actions.


    His sister who had not died from the wounds inflicted by his father.


    She had died from the heartbreak of his fathers refusal to acknowledge her despite everything.


    It was always him. He was at the root for everything.


    He had been the cause for his sister to spiral down into her debased conviction.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Sister..Do not worry. I will make sure he acknowledges you. By forcing him to do so at the brink of his death. I shall make him realise. That you were all he had. And he squandered away the only person who truly cared for him. I will avenge your broken heart..Sister.¡±


    Laying her down softly. He resolved himself to come back later. And give her a proper burial. For now. He merely wrapped her mantle around her. Giving her some comfort in this darkness of abyss and black mana.


    In his mind. He did not hold a grudge against her for granting escape to their father.


    It was never her fault.


    He had tricked her. He had manipulated her. Without even doing as much as speaking to her.


    He knew she had only him. For her brother was strange and it was his fault they had been thrown out from the heavens.


    Hikaru was sure. Had his father actually spoken to Sk?ll, she would have immediately realised his true thoughts of her..or lack thereof. Perhaps then her actions would have been different. Perhaps then she might have searched for another conviction.


    He had found his own conviction. His conviction in that his sister was innocent of any crime. It was his father.


    And his father would pay dearly.


    ¡°I will erase your entire existence.¡±


    They spent some time in the deep abyss, scouring through the rubble, searching for the dagger.


    They finally found it, stuck deep with its blade inside of a metal chunk.


    Sliding her hand around the handle, she found it slid out of the metal surprisingly easily.


    ¡°We have it, let¡¯s hope it works.¡±


    Testing out a simple fireball spell by drawing runes on the ground. Her dagger began glowing. Something it had never done before.


    Usually it was the runes that would glow due to being infused with a great amount of mana.


    Now however, the glow of her runes seemed much weaker.


    The resulting fireball spell, was greater than a normal one. However, it was not even close to the ones she was able to create before. It was not even half the size of the fireball she had created when she first met Hikaru.


    ¡°Yuri..your dagger.¡±


    Pointing out something strange about the dagger, Hikaru wipes the dust covering its blade.


    Revealing a deep crack in the small dagger. Moving from the handle and towards the very tip of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s broken..!?¡±


    Widening her eyes, Yuri felt a deep worry. This was her only tool of retaliation. Without it, she would be a mere thief surrounded by gods.


    ¡°It is damaged but not broken. You should still be able to use it. However..it seems to now spill out a lot of its mana through that crack..resulting in weaker runic spells..¡±


    Looking around at the pieces of broken chain, Hikaru nodded in realisation.


    ¡°Breaking chains meant to hold down a god..we should be thankful the blade was not shattered completely.¡±


    ¡°This will have to do either way. Now let¡¯s go. Before Fenrir reaches the city and grows even more powerful, broken dagger or not, i will shove the broken pieces of it into his eyes if i have to! Because he, he made my b-boyfriend cry!¡±


    Stuttering slightly at that word, she held the dagger in front of her, a slight blush sneaking onto her cheeks.


    ¡°Thank you, Yuri¡± A slightly smile on his lips, Hikaru held her hands, while they slowly walked back to their airship.


    He gave a last glance back at the body of his sister. Giving her a solemn yet serious nod. A last farewell.


    ¡°Well what took you so long?¡± Yawning, Tane stood up, pretending to not have been attempting to collect the mass of dark mana in the air around them.


    ¡°Nothing. We must hurry back.¡±


    Quickly preparing the ship. Hikaru lifted them up into the air, heading back towards where they came.


    ¡°I hope those reinforcements get here in time..without them it will be fairly..tricky.¡±


    Twirling her newly reacquired dagger in her hand, she looked up at the sky above them.


    She continued looking up until they had reached the exit of the deep cavern they were in.


    Finally able to breathe easily, in the absence of the dark mana.


    ¡°I knew it was you young lass and not so young lad!¡±


    A ship suddenly appeared from behind some rubble, approaching them.


    ¡°Ahab? What are you doing here¡±


    Yuri asked, slightly surprised at his appearance.


    ¡°What¡¯dya mean what i¡¯m doin here. I live here remember?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Sorry Ahab we are in a hurry¡±


    She tried to shake him off, telling Hikaru to move the airship faster.


    ¡°To go battle that giant beast, no?¡±


    Ahab asked, one eye open much wider than the other.


    ¡°Yes, we are, and we need to get there soon, or else that bastard will get to the next city and absorb all of the people¡¯s mana. Growing much stronger than he is now.¡±


    She sighed.


    ¡°So unless you¡¯re willing to sacrifice your life and ship to pose as a distraction, we need to hurry and go¡±


    ¡°In fact, that was my plan.¡±


    Ahab nodded, surprising Yuri.


    ¡°R-really?¡±


    ¡°Well yes lass, did ya forget, that beast and i have unfinished business, he was the cause for my fathers sufferin. Now i¡¯ll avenge his humiliation! What kinda captain lets the reputation of his father, who was also a captain, stay in the dirt!¡±


    ¡°Well in that case, hop on and let¡¯s go¡±


    She motioned for him to come aboard.


    ¡°No offense lass, but that is barely an airship, it¡¯s more of a bucket¡±


    Blowing a whistle, several more ships like the one driven by Ahab, came from behind the rubble.


    They were all small ships, fitting at most a single or two passengers.


    The fact that they were so small, meant they were both easy to hide and to easily maneuver. At speeds far greater than that of a normal airship


    Their Air balloons were small, yet they possessed  something similar to wings on their sides, granting them the ability to swiftly glide through the air.


    ¡°We were hidin in the rubble, incase that beast came back. Luckily he didn¡¯t, nor did he seem to sense our small base, so all our civilians are safe¡±


    Raising his hand in the air, the other small airships took place into a formation behind him.


    ¡°We¡¯¡¯ll go distract him while you do what you gotta do to defeat him, i ain¡¯t one to have delusions, i know i can¡¯t beat him, but i know you can, or at least that lad can¡±


    He looked at Hikaru, who nodded at him.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s go, headin out! Once we reach our target, we stay as far apart as possible, workin mainly on distraction tactics!¡±


    With that command, Ahab turned to Yuri and did a poor man''s salute.


    ¡°See ya soon¡±


    He nodded at Hikaru and Yuri.


    With that, Ahab and his small airships headed off into the distance, towards the source of the black mana.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time either then, you ready tane?¡±


    She asked.


    ¡°For a chance to delve into the mind of a literal god. I am always ready.¡±


    With that, their airship headed off as well. Significantly slower than Ahab''s ships and far more unstable, yet it still moved resolutely forward.


    --


    Rings of metal parts floated around a single black center. Not unlike the rings around saturn.


    The only difference being that saturn was instead replaced with a gigantic tar-black form of a wolf-like beast.


    Which slowly moved through the desert. Its steps resolute. Wherever in the sand it took a step, its paw prints were characterised by the unstable nature of the sand surrounding them. Sands which shifted and bubbled even long after the beast had moved past it.


    Following this trail of shifting pawprints in the sand.


    Were the small airships, led by Ahab.


    Travelling as closely they could to the ground so as to avoid being seen.


    The bottom of their ships gave off a slight bit of smoke.


    The friction between the the bottom of their quickly moving ships and the sands below, causing the wood of their ships to leave a trail of faint smoke behind them.


    White smoke with moved and mixed with the winds left behind them. Creating patterns of limitless complexity.


    It was also what they used to in order to distract their target.


    As they reached the feet of the gigantic beast.


    They made sure to make a few circles around him. Creating even more smoke behind them.


    When enough smoke had been created that they almost completely engulfed the bottom of the beasts legs.


    Ahab''s ships made a sharp turn upwards.


    Splitting the air, and creating an upward drift in the air, which carried the smoke with it.


    Carrying it quickly and powerfully. Shooting it straight into the beasts eyes.


    ¡°Take that ya damn beast! Ruinin my country! I¡¯ll ruin yer damn sight for that!¡±


    A deafning sound.


    So powerful that the mere airwaves caused the airships to be blown back several hundreds of meters.


    A roar from the beast.


    Fenrir had become irritated by these small mosquitos buzzing around him.


    Considering how meaningless they were to him. He did not want to expend any time or effort on them.


    Instead. He used some of the debree floating around him.


    Using his natural ability at controlling magnetism.


    All Fenrir had to do was shift his gaze towards these small irritating ships that looked less than bugs.


    Several sharp pieces of metal detached themselves from the ring slowly floating around Fenrir.


    Flying towards the group of small ships.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Ahab was not quick enough in issuing that order.


    Resulting in two of his ships to be hit by the metal.


    Which sliced through the wood of the ships as if they were not even there. Cleaning slicing off the wings of one and Cutting the entire body of another in half.


    ¡°Men! Caution! Follow my lead!¡±


    Issuing commands like these, they continued flying around Fenrir.


    Which two of their brethren fell to the ground, one of their ships quickly moving to their aid and picking up the pilots.


    But no matter how quick they flew. Or how many sharp turns they did.


    All Fenrir had to do was give them a mere glance.


    Resulting in their ships receiving extensive damage from pieces of metal flying faster than bullets.


    ¡°This is..harder than aye expected..yer ship really is slow..¡±


    Breathing heavily, the constant stress of almost getting hit was taking away at Ahabs mental stamina.


    Looking out towards the distance, he still could not see the Airship belonging to Yuri and Hikaru.


    ¡°At this rate. We will run out of steam before they arrive. Maybe we needta retreat..¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    One of the pilots of his ships yelled out at him, Ahab once again narrowly avoiding getting hit by a flying piece of metal. While Fenrir continued his leisurely walk, barely being slowed down.


    ¡°What is it! Can¡¯t ye see i¡¯m busy!¡±


    Turning away his attention from the beast for the first time since he had arrived.


    Ahab saw a sight, which had him rubbing his eyes in order to confirm.


    The entire horizon behind him.


    It was all glowing.


    Brightly.


    Not due to the setting sun.


    He saw shadows and lights.


    It was airships.


    Ahab could recognize an airship no matter how far away it was.


    But these were not just a few..and they were definitely not of a single variety.


    Had he not been fearing for his life. He most likely would have squeeled in excitement at all the varieties of ships he saw.


    And so. Many. of them.


    This was a force larger than their entire cities force had ever been.


    A force bigger than any of the airship forces of any city he had ever read or heard about.


    It was an armada to surpass all armadas.


    And it was heading towards them.