Waiting on who will make the first move felt like an eternity. Man, she must've had good arm strength for keeping the bow aimed at me this whole time.
"Since you're a magician how about I give you a head start?" [Artemis]
"Then you'll shoot your arrow as I cast? No thanks." [Angelica]
"Suit yourself." [Artemis]
After finishing her sentence she immediately fired at me and I ducked down. When I did another arrow came flying and scratched my knee.
"Ugh..." [Angelica]
"Don't tell me that you're that weak." [Artemis]
"Air Cutter!!" [Angelica]
"Hmf..." [Artemis]
The heck? She just stepped aside and let my spell flew past her.
"Heh, pinning a magician to an archer at this range is like cheating." [Angelica]
"I can still fight you even at your maximum effective cast range." [Artemis]
She's so confident that she could beat me... I hope that she doesn't see through my act.
"Hey, no use standing there all day." [Artemis]
"?!" [Angelica]
In her right hand, she held four arrows in between her fingers. Next, she shot all of them in quick succession...
Goddamn! She did all of that in just under a second?!
I dodged all three by doing a somersault and deflecting the last arrow with a flick of my sword.
After deflecting it I charged straight at her. She wasn't even batting an eye despite me closing in this quickly.
(Clash!)
"..." [Artemis]
I crossed my sword with her bow. Mythril is really amazing, the bow doesn't even bend when I struck it in full force. I wonder how it would fair if I used the fire enchant or earth enchant? I haven't tried it yet so it can be a good experiment.
While I was in thought, I got hit in the ribs. She held the tip of the longbow and swung it sideways with both hands. I slumped and jumped back a few meters.
In pain I held my stomach, she certainly is a skilled archer... Normal archers would carry only wooden bows and chose to dodge than parry attacks.
"You're not a magician aren't you?" [Artemis]
"What are you... getting at?" [Angelica]
I've had trouble breathing from the hit earlier...
"Stop the bullshit. I can see right through you." [Artemis]
I glared at her, so she saw through my guise.
"How?" [Angelica]
"Your movements. They aren't that of magicians, more like a swordsman." [Artemis]
She had already read me in just a few moves. No use hiding it then...
I waited for her to draw more arrows before I made my move, the reason for this is I can see her hand as she held her arrows in her fingers, I wouldn't want to rush in then be surprised if she suddenly drew something else. I lunged when she fired, then I deflected all of her shots with the wind enchant without dodging and soon...
"?!" [Angelica]
She grabbed the large arrow on her back and made a long draw, the mythril long bow bent at such an extreme angle where I initially thought the string would break under the intense load, is the string also made up of mythril or some thread that I haven't heard of? It bent like the modern fishing rods back in my old world, the ones that they specifically use to catch sharks.
Knowing that the arrow was made of mythril I switched to fire enchant.
(Shatter!)
Sparks fly as I attempted to slice it in half, but even with my fire enchant a section of the steel short sword shattered upon impact.
The mythril arrow had its trajectory changed and it broke through the wall behind us, where it left a giant hole. It had also pierced the wall from the other side of the quadrangle that was seventy or so meters away.
If I saw it correctly I've only sheared off about 2/8ths of its arrowhead. It is that tough, but it's a no-brainer if you compared steel to mythril.
Scary... if I was hit by that it would've left a hole in my body or tore me in half...
"No one has managed to survive my mythril arrows till now. That magic you used... was it an invoke type?" [Artemis]
"Who knows~" [Angelica]
How did she know that I was going to use my enchant? I checked out her equipment.
Ahh... there was a tiny round magic crystal clipped to her waist. From the looks of it, it hasn't been imbued yet.
"Were you impressed by my body?" [Artemis]
"Yeah. Later if you want, we'll bang, ok?" {1} [Angelica]
"Wha..." [Artemis]
Wide-eyed, she became flustered. Eh? Did my pickup line work?
Man, her flushed and embarrassed face is too cute. I felt that it was weird for a woman to say so I looked away.
The moment I took my eyes off of Artemis, she dashed in and slid towards me. She recovered so quickly?!
She bends and swings her leg in a circular motion trying to trip me. Ohhh, it's green today...
When I jumped she made a follow-up and swung her bow. She hit me in the knee while I was in mid-air. The length of that damn longbow far outreaches my sword...
Heck, it is almost as tall as her. I wish I was that talented with the bow and had a mythril one so I can fight like her. Maybe, I should've put more stats in dexterity lol.
After that, I lost my balance and fell. She reached for an arrow in her quiver, she was very close so I thought that it was my chance.
"Argh!" [Angelica]
All of a sudden she stabbed the arrow in my knee!! It stings!
"Angelica, dodge!!" [Matthew]
While I was holding my knee. She reached for an arrow again, this time its the last mythril arrow on her back.
(Clang!)
Managed to roll away in time when she tried to slash me with it. The mythril arrow's structure is also like that of a sword...
Dang, it!! This one is barbed! After taking a deep breath I pulled it out. I haven't thought that the arrow in the knee joke would happen to me. {2}
Artemis smirked as I use •First Aid•
Hahhh... hahh... I'm wasting too much energy on her...
As I recovered I swiftly re-engaged and she fired a volley.
"Bladestorm!!" [Angelica]
My blades of wind had cut a few of them, while the rest had their trajectories changed by the wind.
I saw Artemis firing the mythril arrow so I used the speed of the wind enchant and before hitting it switched to the earth enchant. I did this to the undead wyvern so maybe it had the same effect on the mythril arrow.
I struck it hard like a baseball bat and the mythril arrow flew in circles before impaling itself on the roof. Artemis paused in awe, she didn't see that coming.
I switched to the water enchant. I'm sorry about this but our lives are more important. At arm's length, I can certainly hit her.
She doesn't have the time to aim at me so she fired the arrow earlier to maybe swing her bow.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
"That's not where I am!" [Angelica]
"You're already dead." [Artemis]
"Nani?!" {3} [Angelica]
When my eyes followed the arrow, I saw its trajectory curved?!!
Crap-crap-crap! I cannot dodge it! It's going to go through my temple at this rate!!
(Grab)
"Didn't I tell you to keep them alive, Artemis?"
"Lionel?!" [Artemis]
He was holding the arrow only a few centimeters away from my temple. How was he able to suddenly appear beside me?! I haven't even felt his presence.
"I'm sorry, but that woman is a threat. It would be better if we dispatched her now." [Artemis]
"Threat, is she?" [Lionel]
He gave me a mocking look. Weren't they wary of me? They are just speaking casually to each other.
Since he is the closest I took a swing at him using my wind enchant.
(Bam!)
He had hit me with something faster than I can see. All of a sudden my body felt heavy and I began to stagger...
"Goodnight." [Lionel]
"Angelica!" [Matthew]
"Damn..." [Angelica]
(Thud!)
~~~Matthew~~~
Before Angelica was able to hit him. Lionel brought out a weirdly designed sword and swung it at her back, it's giving off this faint yellow-green light.
I had thought that she was cut down but when I saw her back, there weren't any injuries present, is his ability the same as Angelica's?
"Take them back and make sure to put a magic inhibitor on her." [Lionel]
"Understood." [Artemis]
"Sorry to disrupt your free time Artemis, but can I ask you and Grant to guard over them?" [Lionel]
"Can I be with Hughes instead?" [Artemis]
"... Alright... but remember Artemis, they're watching." [Lionel]
"I'll keep that in mind." [Artemis]
They had moved us to another room on a different floor. I had my hands cuffed and Angelica...
She was shackled and cuffed while they put a magical inhibitor on her head. Magic is our only chance of escaping, but with this...
~~~Angelica~~~
When I woke up the next morning I had this metallic thing on my head. I tried to get it off, but it seems it was glued up there really good...
Matthew explained to me that it was the magic inhibitor, he said the people in the Empire call it the crown. I tested it to see if I could use any of my enchants, but what he said was true. I also couldn't use basic magic...
Well, this is going to be problematic... how the heck am I going to go back to the Republic then?
Lionel came and brought us over to the throne room. He was beside Matthew and I was surrounded by his colleagues, I knew Artemis except for the other three.
We stopped halfway and they forced us to kneel along with them.
"We have brought the child, your Excellency." [Lionel]
"I have to thank you Lionel and your group for always succeeding the tasks that I've given."
"We are humbled to hear your praise." [Lionel/Artemis/Grant/Hughes/Lynnette]
The one whom they called Emperor was sitting on the throne. His head, slanted to the left resting on his knuckle, crossed-legged. He looked exactly like those ikemen targets from a gal dating sim.
Next to him is an old dude who was minding his own business by the table.
"You've made quite a ruckus running around."
"Fuck y-" [Matthew]
(Slam!)
"Matthew?!" [Angelica]
I will not stand idly while you mock his Excellency." [Lionel]
Lionel grabbed Matthew's head and smacked him on the ground.
"I will... never forgive you." [Matthew]
With blood flowing down the corner of his lips Matthew declares as he glared at both Lionel and the Emperor.
"Hmf... we'll put you to work soon enough."
Then he placed his eyes on me.
"And who is the woma..."
I looked at him blankly, baffled at why he didn't continue talking.
"Elaine? Elaine?!"
The Emperor quickly rose up from his throne and walked briskly towards me.
"It's me, Lucius. Don't you remember?" [Emperor Lucius]
"Lucius?? You knew my mother?" [Angelica]
When I mentioned the word "mother" he abruptly stopped in his tracks.
"Mother?? Ahh... sorry I may have mistaken." [Emperor Lucius]
He may have discerned from my eye color. Mine was gold while Michelle had crystal blue eyes.
"So... you're Elaine's daughter?" [Emperor Lucius]
"Y-ea...h." [Angelica]
He tried to break a smile, but for a moment I think I saw his face cramp when he heard me say that she was my mom. God, why did I say that?! I didn't even know who this person is!
"Release her restraints." [Emperor Lucius]
"Eh?" [Angelica]
"Pardon your Excellency?" [Lionel]
"I said. Undo her restraints! Don't you know how important this person is?!" [Emperor Lucius]
I am... important?
"As you wish... Grant! Take the restraints off of her." [Lionel]
"O-okay." [Grant]
They did as they were told and had immediately taken it off. I massaged my wrists and ankles, having those things on were hard to move in.
"But leave the magic inhibitor on." [Emperor Lucius]
Emperor Lucius knelt before me.
"I am sorry for not trusting you completely, but mind you, this is also for my safety." [Emperor Lucius]
"I... understand..." [Angelica]
"Take the boy back to his room, we will deal with him later." [Emperor Lucius]
"He's the one who saved me, if possible can you also let him go?" [Angelica]
I know that it is a long shot, but he if knew my mother then we may get off the hook easily using our connections.
"He is... very important for our cause, but I will think about it... Firstly, could you come with me? I wanted to hear what happened to Elaine in all these years." [Emperor Lucius]
Upon his request, I followed him on a whim, but deep in my gut I felt that there's something wrong with him...
We stood by a door that had a lion statue facing it, does the statues have any meaning?
"All of you stay here." [Emperor Lucius]
"But your Excellency! She can b-" [Lionel]
"Have I given you permission to speak, Lionel?" [Emperor Lucius]
"My apologies your Excellency..." [Lionel]
We entered the room, inside is a small library. Tons of shelves filled with books of different colors and a huge study. There was another door positioned at the center and he edged me to go in.
In the second room, it was really dark that I could barely see where I was going and it has this musty smell...
Lucius lits a fire from the entrance and the flame crept all around the room, at that moment the dark room was lit.
I gasped at what I saw...
They were... paintings... of my mother. Each painting is taken from different angles and she wore different expressions... almost all of them had this white and yellowish stain on the surface...
(Click)
I turned around and saw Lucius locking the door behind him. He's giving me this lustful stare and below him... was his thing poking from within his pants...
"So Elaine's taken, but since you're her daughter and looked almost the same as her you'll do fine as a substitute~" [Emperor Lucius]
"Substi...tute?" [Angelica]
He smiles and licked his lips.
References.
{1} A meme created by mans1ay3r on the mass effect series https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/well-bang-ok
{2} Funny Skyrim meme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vncIBREXCwU
{3} The "Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru" Meme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxKBHX9Datw