Alice trembled with every backward step she took, her heart racing in fear. The figure before her, despite appearing almost childlike, effortlessly outmatched both Arthur and Rin. Did she stand a chance? An inkling of one at least? No, that’s just wishful thinking.

“G-Get back!” Alice rang out in desperation.

Yet Arboria ignored her plea, advancing with an unsettling calm.

“Silly girl. Had you not stuck your nose where it doesn’t belong, this would not be your fate.”

A tantalizing smile curled Arboria’s lips as she fixated on the tears streaming down Alice’s face. To her they were as delightful as drops of honey.

For context, Arthur is currently unconscious from the previous blow, while Rin clung to her consciousness by a thread. She didn’t know it at the time, but her impressive endurance is all thanks to her half-spirit origins.

Alice was now cornered, her back pressed against the cold and unyielding stone of the cave. She could almost swear the walls were closing in on her. The reality is that she had nowhere left to run.

In a final act of desperation Alice cried out another, “Stay away!”

This time, her words sparked a fierce response from the panda-like creature perched atop her head. With a sudden burst of energy Karna transformed, growing in size and charged Arboria with the primal grace of a gorilla. In a breathtaking moment, Karna sent Arboria hurling out the cave, uprooting any tree she happened to smash against. It didn’t stop there, however. Karna began beating her chest violently, her fur getting hotter with each beat of the massive drum. Then with another burst of energy, she chased after Arboria.

For a moment, the scene left the two (Alice and Rin) in a state of confusion. Seizing the opportunity, Rin reached out her hand and conjured a small handgun. With her aim poised at Arthur she fired. But as she squeezed the trigger, the color of violet completely overlapped her vision. When it faded, her arm had been incinerated, along with the cave’s wall. The beam of light only narrowly missed the large crystal that encased the mysterious girl.

“Even while unconscious that boy is troublesome. This is the first time I’ve been faced with an attack that can’t be healed. I even found it slightly difficult to use my Empower... ‘Severing Kata’ I think he called it... Quite troublesome indeed...”

The image of burning trees smothered the entrance of the cave as she stepped through its clutches. In her right hand was the dismembered head of a giant beast, its fur clutched tightly in-between her grip.

“...Luckily for me, the effect of his attack seems to have faded. In the nick of time too. Any later, and I’d probably have died to that beast… Chalk it up to misfortune.”

Her once elegant robes were now tattered and burn marks could be seen from all corners of her body. This was the evidence of the fierce battle that unfolded here. And yet, that was all they managed to accomplish.

“What… are you…?” Alice questioned, falling to her knees in utter defeat.

“It is as I’ve told you. I am the chief-!”

Her grand declaration was cut by the blurred image of a massive paw in the corner of her eye. It lunged through the flames, with an intense hunger for her life.

“Empower: Repel!” Arboria reflexively bellowed.

Instantly, a thin violet disk materialized beside her, taking the brunt of Karna’s blow. Its paw swiped through the air, shattering the violet disk before knocking Arboria off her feet. Had she not used her power in time, it might’ve been her upper body that was knocked off instead.

(This wretched beast!) Arboria thought, instantly summoning forth her power.

“Empower: REPEL!”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Vibrant stars began spiraling around her, crackling with energy as they merged into a singular point. With intense determination she unleashed a powerful beam of violet, covering the entire cave’s entrance.

Alice, who’d grown attached to her new companion, cried out “Karna!” with concern.

Had this been anyone else, Arboria would have probably left it at that. But seeing as it continued on, even after losing its head, there was a possibility that it could have somehow lived. And so, she readied another wave of light, taking aim at the wall of fire that smothered the cave’s entrance. But as she did, the image of a boy caught her attention. One who’d almost positioned himself perfectly in her blind spot.

It was Arthur. His expression was a mix of desperation and rage, and the blood streaming down his face only intensified that fact.

(Something isn’t right here…) Arboria thought in confusion. (...He’s much faster than he was before. But that can’t be right. He took a direct hit from my Repel.)

The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. That being the two options that currently pressed down on her: Either she cancels her attack, and risks the reappearance of the beast standing just outside this cave… Or she loses her head.

Without a second thought, she chose the former, side stepping just in time as Arthur swung a horizontal slash. Turning to confront Arthur, she noticed he was already swinging for a second slash, his movements fluid and precise. Now she was certain of it. He had gotten faster.

Panic surged through Arboria as she channeled another violet wave of light. Arthur was faster, sure, but he still wouldn’t make it in time.

“You’ve gotten faster, but this is still my victory-!”

Just then, Arboria felt the cold press of a large barrel kissing her back. It was no handgun, shotgun or anything mundane like that. This was an entirely different beast. A cannon.

“Where the hell are you going?”

Let’s backtrack a bit. Earlier, after Karna knocked Arboria off her feet, Rin used that opportunity to fire a shot at Arthur. This bullet was not one of healing, but one that would amplify his physical stats. On an ordinary day, it would have taken all her energy to enhance even the gentlest breeze, let alone boost someone's speed and power. But in this moment of desperation, amidst the chaos of battle, she managed to pull it off.

Of course, that means she didn’t actually heal anyone. Right now, they’re both running on the sweet hunger for revenge and nothing else.

That brings us to Arboria’s current predicament.

Infront of her, a blade inching ever so closely to her neck. And behind her, the mighty jaws of cannon. If shot directly at point blank range, there’d be no chance she’d survive. It was now or never… she had to use it.

*BOOM!

The thunderous roar of cannon fire echoed through the cave, sending both Rin and Arthur sprawling back. Even the large crystal in the back took a hit, pieces cracking off its edges. As the dust began to clear, Arboria's battered figure emerged, her robe in tatters, and clutching her decimated shoulder in agony.

“Dammit. Had I not healed myself before taking on that attack, I'd be dead right now... Any more healing and I'll end up further delaying her recovery… A deity, a half spirit, and a damn panda. Who would’ve thought I’d be pushed so much by such a random combination… Luckily, that just leaves one more.”

Noticing Arboria's cold glare Alice grabbed a shard of the crystal that broke off and slowly stood up.

“Don’t come any closer!” she commanded, holding the shard like a katana.

Watching her desperate struggle, Arboria found herself laughing.

“Is that supposed to be your idea of a joke? You can’t be serious…”

Arboria stood before Alice, gazing up at her with the eyes of a monster. And despite her standing within range, and already on the verge of keeling over, Alice just couldn’t bring herself to attack. She’d given up all hope, deeming any action to be futile against such a powerful foe.

“…I’ll admit, those two did much better than I thought they would, but I can sense the years of training they’ve put into their craft. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a timid girl. You had a little something going for you with that strange creature but seeing as I haven’t been attacked yet, I can only assume my attack really killed it this time... Chalk it up to misfortune.”

Slowly, Arboria raised her hand, a violet glow enveloping it as she channeled her starlites. Alice's gaze was drawn to that hand, a sense of impending doom washing over her like a tidal wave. The air crackled with tension, and she felt her heart race as the light pulsed ominously. Suddenly, a flicker of a memory ignited within her -a distant recollection of her father, specifically her father’s training.

It felt as if an unseen force had taken hold of her, awakening something deep within. Instinctively, she grasped Arboria's forearm and collar, pivoting her body to press her back against her opponent's front. In one fluid motion, she executed a judo flip, sending Arboria crashing to the ground with a force that could stun a whale.

Arboria’s body bounced on impact, blood erupted from her lips as wave of bewilderment washed over her. Before she realized it, she was flipped and slammed into the ground. But how? Even assuming the timid girl -who a moment ago couldn’t even muster the strength to attack- had martial arts background, there was no way she could possess the speed and strength to achieve such a feat. When she opened her eyes, the same girl she had seen moments before was still there, so what changed?

A closer look revealed the truth. Alice was encased in a suit of armor, a striking blend of white and black that seemed to belong in a sci-fi epic. The armor hugged her form, sleek and powerful, with intricate designs. Steam hissed from the black joints, while the white surface gradually darkened to a vivid red, a transformation that hinted at something extraordinary, something beyond the ordinary realm of human capability.