> [Glimmering Body] - 4th circle spell.
>
> Element: Dew.
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> Type: Evocation.
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> Classification: Support. Buff. Defense.
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> Target: Self.
>
> Creates thousands of motes of glimmering dew around the caster. This dew impairs attackers depending on sight and protects the wearer from shadow-based attacks. Stealth is impossible under the effect of this spell.
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Gurf was dead.
No amount of magic could close the wound or stop the bleeding. Lola was clutching his head and bawling. Deb was hugging her apprentice and fellow maid. Claire was in Captain Rose's arms, hiding her face on her breastplate. Dawn was sitting on the pool of blood, motionless.
A shield wall of knights on both sides. Enough light spells to cover the entire castle in that single corridor. Besides Lola's sobbing, only Lucien shouting orders broke the sepulchral silence of the inner castle.
"I saw it happen." Cythrel came out of her room. "He used some magic, his swords became black as midnight as he stroke."
Deb suddenly raised her head, meeting Dawn's eyes. "There is something inside," She spoke without making sound, pointing to the inside of Pearl's room. "what?" Dawn asked. Deb answered, "A shadow."
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Pearl was kidnapped.
Above the skies of Yutis, Aidan floated, cursing his own incompetence. Kazuya took his spells with even more disdain than the Orc Leader. And he saw no cladding. Now he had no idea where Pearl was. What was he going to do with her? And Gurf. He could see his motionless body right now, in front of Dawn.
"Kreek!" Skippy reached Aidan and screeched.
"I can't cheer up now, Skippy. Kazuya took Pearl."
Skippy sniffed and licked Aidan. A mote of mana left the boy's cheek and was swallowed by the dragon. "Growwwl".
"Can you track their mana?"
Skippy nodded.
"Let's get Dawn. Then we hunt."
Aidan came down and landed on the Queen's Garden right in the middle of the inner castle.
The first person to see him was King Helios. "Aidan. What happened?"
Everyone looked worried. Aidan was burning with anger. "Kazuya killed Sir Gurf, one of the Knights of the Rose, and kidnapped Pearl."
Lucien approached, followed by a detachment of knights. "He got three of our Knights on the way in. And some guards in the town."
"I'm taking Dawn and Skippy and we are going to track him. Skippy told me he can track his mana." Aidan was turning to leave and Lucien held his arm.
"You cannot take the princess. It is too risky." He ordered the younger man.
"If I go Lumina goes with me whether you like it or not. With Dawn by my side, I'll increase the chance of bringing her back alive. I got no time for that. Pearl could die if we wait. I'm going."
Both men started a staring contest. It was up to the King to pull them apart. "This is not a time for discord or infighting. And if that otherworlder is not stopped, we all might be doomed. Take Dawn and whoever else you think should go, Aidan. Our trust is with you."
Lucien looked at Helios and stuttered. "But-but father, the princess..." And got cut down by a stern glare.
"The princess is an outstanding mage and a fledging swordswoman in the making. Don't forget she broke your blade. Yes, I'm sending my daughter to support the God-Slayer. It is her duty to help. If Pearl dies under our watch, we will be at war with Gohar. And it will mean losing every dwarf in our territory. Heath will come down on us like vultures if that happens. Can you fight both in the southeast and the north?"
"No, father. I stand corrected by your wisdom." Lucien lowered his head, contrite.
Helios put a hand on Aidan's shoulder. "I'd tell you godspeed, young Aidan, but I don't know if the twelve would like the joke. Our hopes go with you. Brave Skippy, keep them safe!"
"GRAWWWK!" The dragon saluted the King.
Aidan ran down the corridors, Knights parting to give him space. Dawn picked herself from the floor, thick blood dripping from her skirt. She walked inside Pearl's room and spotted movement under the bed. The shadows shifted. She pointed at the bed and used a spell.
"Light Cage."
Panels of translucid light surrounded her. She pointed at the bed.
"Incinerate."
The flames forced Kazuya's shadow clone away from the bed.
"Light Pillar."
And it vanished in the bright light.
Dawn met Aidan in the garden. Both used Skywing and took to the skies, reaching the place Kazuya vanished in minutes. Skippy jumped and sniffed at the remnants of mana. The little dragon retched but jumped to another roof about forty-something meters away. Again he sniffed, licked the roof and moved. Aidan followed with mana sight. He could see the remnants of the shadow gate he used to move.
They searched jump after jump. Kazuya was not sparing any mana in his attempt to flee. Soon they reached a series of back alleys that darted south, toward the slums. They lost his trail.
Aidan and Dawn searched for hours. The guards saw them on wings of Light and brought down all available hands to comb the place. The horizon was becoming orange to the east when Lucien found them.
"Go and get some rest, the two of you. Most of his skills won't work in daylight for what Lady Sora told me. You need to rest and recover. I'll lead things here."
Reluctantly, Dawn returned to the castle with Aidan. They took a quick bath and slept through the morning.
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"The town is in lockdown. We are sending scouts outside to patrol everywhere. He can't have gone too far." Lucien reported.
They were gathered in the briefing room of the knights, overlooking a map of the city. Lucien, Helios, Dawn, Claire, Aidan, Theresa, and several knight-captains were gathered around the table. Outside Sora and Cythrel were waiting.
"Does he have any support in the town?" Claire asked.
"No. We raided all the seedy places and left clear messages telling them if any sanctuary is given to him we will destroy everything. A bounty of five hundred gold pieces was also placed on his head and on the retrieval of the princess." The knight-commander, an old and grizzled man that sat on the trials reported.
"I think he will try to move back to Gohar. He thought to be 'rescuing' Pearl. We need to focus on blocking his path. Maybe he has supporters with the woodland bandits." Aidan pointed out.
"Contact these bandits and tell them that unless we get that otherworlder, we'll chop down and clear a kilometer of the forest around the road on both sides. or just torch the whole forest." King Helios declared. Two of the scout knights left.
They kept discussing what to do, but Dawn slipped outside with Aidan in tow.
"What are we going to do now?" Sora asked.
"We are going to cook," Aidan answered. "Pearl was with her amulet. Kazuya probably got it by now. We need to make a feast for our soon-to-come guest."
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"Hurry up and let's go. We need to set up the stage." Dawn complemented.
They went to Dawn's room and picked up a rucksack. With Skywings, they flew to the southern part of town until they came to a tavern big enough close to where they lost Kazuya's trail.
"He should be nearby. And now we start to bait him." Aidan declared when they landed in front of the tavern.
Everyone crowded the windows of the tavern. Guards that saw them flying gathered to see what was happening. It was time to flash the badge and pull rank.
"What is going on, who goes there?" A town guard asked once they approached the group.
"I cannot believe such impudence. Are you certain you belong to the town guard and not some armed rabble? Are your eyes rotten and your ears deaf that you cannot recognize my face and voice? In MY own country, in MY own town?" Dawn spoke with a haughty tone. She flicked her long hair and glared at the guard.
You could almost hear the gears turning in the guard sergeant's head. And it clicked. "Your Highness, Princess Lumina!" The guard lowered his head, the others bowed. "What is your command, your Highness?"
Dawn harrumphed and took a step forward. "Evacuate every house two blocks around us, except the tavernkeeper and the cook, if this place has one. I want no civilians and no guards, soldiers or knights within these two blocks. All passersby are to be kept out."
"May I ask what your Highness intends to do?" The sergeant asked.
"You may not. Execute your orders, it is a grave matter of national importance."
The sergeant started to shout orders, and the tavern keeper came outside. "Your Highness, what do you need from my humble tavern? It is a place unworthy of your presence." He wanted nothing else but to get that royal away from his place. With the whole commotion since early morning and the rumors, he feared for his building. Maybe with reason.
"It will do. Clear all tables, save one, and get the kitchen ready. We are going to cook."
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And one of the most daring, not to say stupid, plans to catch an otherworlder was put in motion. That section of town was evacuated, Dawn, Cythrel, and Sora went to the tavern kitchen to cook and Aidan was left with the task of retrieving a necklace from the academy and recruiting several volunteers.
Everything ready, they prepared bowls of bait and handed them over to the thirty-something volunteers.
"Gentleman," Aidan started his speech. "Your task is to walk around the neighborhood carrying this bowl of food and yell, this phrase: おいしいそだね."
"You are going to give us gold to just walk around with food and speaking that phrase in a foreign language? What is the trick? Is that phrase some sort of ritual to evoke a demon?" One of the more suspicious volunteers asked.
"No. The phrase おいしいそだね means 'This looks delicious'. Just that." Aidan answered.
"And is it delicious?" Another volunteer asked, clearly a glutton looking at the white steaming fluffy and a little sticky grain in the bowls.
"It is better if you don't know. You'll never get a chance to eat it again. And not because you'll die. It is because this will never be cooked again. Ever."
"Bummer."
And off they went. Over thirty men carrying bowls of cooked Japanese rice, each bowl of inestimable value. Shouting "
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"Why do we have to wear this apron?" Sora asked.
"Because research shows that otherworlders are weak against food cooked by girls wearing aprons. And that is the reason I had Dawn cooking and not me."
"When do you think he'll show up?" Cythrel asked. She was dressed in a gothic lolita dress, full of frills, with a cute lace apron. Again, research shows otherworlders are weak to gothic lolitas.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sora insisted on complaining.
"And did you see anyone in that war council having any better idea?" Aidan replied.
Dawn returned. "I've finished placing light spells everywhere around the tavern and in the rooms above. Only this room remains with any chance of shadows."
"Now we wait."
Night came, and as soon as it became dark outside, the guest of honor came.
「いらっしゃいませ」The girls spoke in unison, bowing.
Kazuya was with his katana pointed at Aidan, currently behind the tavern counter.
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Rage shot through Kazuya's face. "
"You two stay back!" Aidan jumped over the counter, readying their buffs. They already had the ones without a visible effect.
"Ember Wreath."
"Glimmering Body."
Kazuya tried to attack Aidan, but Dawn intercepted and parried. A chip of Kazuya's sword flew off and the girl stood in front of him, blocking his path.
"
"Light Cage."
Dawn trapped the shadow clone in a cage of light. The clone was slowly vanishing, sinking into the light.
"Soul Slash!"
Aidan from behind Dawn attacked Kazuya's foot.
"
Kazuya triggered his antimagic skill.
"Soul Shredder."
"Soul Shredder."
They used the same magic in tandem. Kazuya screamed and charged at Dawn, unleashing a series of unrelenting blows. He was using only one Katana, his left hand was missing the soul portion of two fingers. His fast attacks had little power in them, but he was aiming for the quantity. He was slowly chipping Dawn's ember shield and the shadow slashes were also overwhelming her defense.
"Soul Slash." Aidan once again tried to get his foot. He was succeeding, but each attack would only chip at the soul. It would take dozens to do any real harm like crippling him. But he was getting wounded and damaged. If they could keep it up, they could win.
Kazuya had to bend his back to avoid an arrow. Sora drew her bow and was aiming another arrow at him. She didn't have a clear line of shot because of the shifting bodies in the melee, however.
"
"Soul Shredder."
Aidan used the spell once more and drew his own sword. It was time to end this.
Kazuya seemed more and more irrational. He was fighting like a wild beast. It actually made it easier to defend, as he eschewed any feints or subtleties. But he was fast. Too fast. Aidan was also getting overwhelmed. He got two cuts, but fortunately, none of them caused paralysis.
The minute of paralysis ended, and Dawn rolled back on her feet. She came at Kazuya from a side and forced him to divide his attention.
"Soul Shredder."
Dawn used the spell when Kazuya was paying attention to Aidan. It would only grate flakes of his soul. The antimagic protections he had were too much. But they could see an effect.
"
"Soul Shredder."
However, Aidan would use this respite to cast. With soul-sight, he could see only small flakes on the surface of Kazuya's soul being cut away. But he appeared to be getting tired.
"
Aidan was about to cast again but stopped to defend. Kazuya was now on a timer. He had to finish Aidan before Dawn recovered from the paralysis effect.
"
"" He snarled and threw a smoke bomb at Aidan's feet. He retreated but hit the counter. Kazuya came forward.
"
"No!" Cythrel ran and tackled Kazuya. When she saw him activating the same skill that killed Gurf, her legs moved on her own. However, her low body mass meant she would just bump into him. Blind by his rage, Kazuya attacked her before she could reach him.
He severed the elf's outstretched arms. Kazuya took notice of what happened after the fact and froze. He maimed his precious loli elf. Cythrel was unconscious from the pain.
Aidan lunged forward, the wind from his Tailwind spell dissipating the smoke as he moved. He drove his sword in Kazuya's stomach. With a twist of the blade, he lifted the otherworlder and kicked him off of the sword.
"Soul Shredder."
"Soul Shredder."
"Soul Shredder."
"Soul Shredder."
Spell by spell, he chipped the otherworlder's soul. His body was limp on the floor, bleeding. Aidan walked forward and slashed with the sword at his neck. Kazuya shroud faltered and Aidan drove the sword through his eye. He shook the blade, pulling it inside with all his weight. With a roar, he twisted the blade and heard his skull crack and the sword dug into the floorboard.
"Trap the Soul."
The necklace he got at the academy was the same one they used to contain the soul fragment when they cloned Kamak. The same necklace that will one day hold Lumina's soul. But he could not let Kazuya pass on. He needed to find Pearl.
Dawn recovered and moved to look at Cythrel. Her arms were cut at the middle of the forearms. She was bleeding. The wounds would not close, Dawn knew that. Cythrel was bound to suffer the same fate as Gurf. Dawn took her rapier and cut Cythrel arms, a little above the blackened wound Kazuya's skill caused. And she prayed.
"Cauterize."
The flesh sizzled and closed. The bleeding stopped.
"Regrowth."
Cythrel's arms grew back, but only up to where Kazuya cut them. Aidan returned.
"Soul Sight."
Cythrel had no soul beyond the stumps. It was the same thing as when he used Soul Slash on the orcs. Aidan took the blood mana crystal and placed it inside her mouth.
"Sanguine Genesis."
He would let the spell run its course and end the crystal. Color was slowly returning to her complexion. Dawn picked up the severed arms. She pressed them to the stumps.
"Regrowth."
Nothing happened.
"Regrowth."
Nothing happened.
"Soul Restoration."
Nothing happened.
Dawn kept trying for several minutes, with both bodies. Maybe an hour or two. She and Aidan ran out of mana trying healing magic. They didn't even notice Sora talking to them.
The sound of several objects clattering against one another and of coins falling down was heard behind them. Dawn glanced. Swords, armor, coins, potions, knick-knacks. It seems that Kazuya's dimensional storage emptied itself.
"Aidan. Aidan. Let me take Cythrel to the Headmaster. If there is anyone that can heal her is him. Go find Pearl." Sora shook him. "Find Pearl."
"Find Pearl." Aidan parroted. His eyes were void.
Sora held him by the cheeks. "It is not over. Find Pearl. I'll look after Cythrel."
She wrapped the little girl in a blanket and walked outside the tavern.
Aidan and Dawn stood up. Two knights were standing by near Kazuya's body. "All that belongs to Lord Aidan. Secure these items." And they noticed that Kazuya's body was dissolving. Motes of mana were escaping the body and vanishing.
"Find Pearl," Aidan mumbled.
"Find Pearl," Dawn repeated.
Aidan took the pendant in his hand, raising him to the level of his eyes. He used another soul spell on the prisoner of the pendant.
"Speak with Spirits."
Kazuya's voice became audible.
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