With the creature’s faintly glowing veins pulsing in the shadows, I had no time to think. Instinct took over. I raised my free hand, channeling the raw energy that had become second nature after years of training. A bolt of crackling electricity arced from my fingertips, illuminating the darkness as it shot toward the movement.
The blast struck true, and the creature froze mid-motion, its translucent body flickering as though destabilized by the sudden surge of energy. The glow of its veins dimmed for a split second before it vanished into the shadows again. The oppressive silence remained, but I could feel its presence lingering, circling, waiting for an opening.
I shifted my stance, placing the girl behind me once more.. My pulse thundered in my ears as I scanned the darkness, searching for any sign of the creature.
Suddenly, a shadow lunged from the corner of my vision. My body tensed as I braced for impact, but before the creature could reach me, a radiant light cut through the gloom like a blade.
"Step back, Kaelith!"
Cordellia’s voice rang out, clear and commanding, cutting through the eerie silence. My eyes widened as I turned to see her standing in the doorway, her hand outstretched. In a blinding flash, a brilliant sword of light materialized in her grasp. The energy surrounding it shimmered, and as she channeled her mana, the sword became fully corporeal, its radiance casting away every shadow in the warehouse.
The creature screeched—a soundless, jarring vibration that echoed in my chest—and scrambled backward, now completely exposed under the blazing light. Its translucent form was fully visible, the glowing blue veins writhing erratically as if in pain.
Cordellia stepped forward, her sword of light glowing brighter, her determined eyes fixed on the creature. "Stay behind me, both of you," she ordered firmly.
The girl clung tightly to my side as I pulled us back, giving Cordellia the space she needed. The creature, now fully illuminated by her blade, thrashed wildly, its translucent body shimmering like a mirage. It darted erratically, slamming into crates and walls in a desperate attempt to escape the radiant light.
Cordellia advanced cautiously, her glowing blade pushing the monster back into a corner. Its translucent form shimmered erratically, as though struggling to maintain its corporeal state. Suddenly, it turned and lunged, moving with a burst of speed that defied expectation.
Cordellia reacted instantly, sidestepping the attack. Her blade whistled through the air, narrowly missing the creature as it bolted past. "It’s fast," she muttered, repositioning herself, her stance low and ready.
The creature darted into the shadows, blending seamlessly into the dim edges of the warehouse. Cordellia pivoted, her sword casting sharp beams of light across the walls as she scanned the area. A faint, low hum—the only sound in the otherwise silent space—betrayed its location.
Cordellia’s eyes locked onto the source of the noise. Grabbing a nearby metal pipe with her free hand, she hurled it toward the sound. The pipe clanged against a stack of crates, and the startled creature bolted from its hiding spot.
Without hesitation, Cordellia spun, her blade slicing downward in a brilliant arc. The strike grazed the creature’s side, sending a flash of radiant light through the room. The monster recoiled, its semi-transparent body flickering like a disrupted hologram. It slammed into a nearby support beam, shaking the structure and sending debris raining down.
Cordellia pressed her advantage, channeling more mana into her sword. The blade’s brilliance intensified, its light scattering in chaotic beams that momentarily disoriented the creature. She surged forward, aiming directly for its core with unrelenting precision.
The creature recovered faster than expected, solidifying an appendage in the light to swipe at her. Cordellia brought her blade up just in time to block, but the impact was jarring, sending her skidding backward across the concrete floor.
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Her sharp eyes darted around the space, quickly taking in her surroundings. Her gaze settled on a dangling chain above the creature. A plan formed instantly.
Circling the monster, Cordellia baited it with feints, forcing it into position beneath the chain. The creature lunged again, but she ducked low, sliding across the ground as her glowing blade severed the chain.
The chain snapped free, swinging down with brutal force and smashing into the creature. The impact pinned it to the ground momentarily, its thrashing form trapped beneath the heavy links.
Cordellia didn’t waste the opportunity. She stepped forward, raising her sword to a high guard. The blade blazed like a miniature sun, its brilliance flooding the warehouse with dazzling light.
The creature let out a silent shriek as it broke free, but Cordellia was already in motion. She swung her sword in a powerful, precise arc, the radiant edge cutting cleanly through the creature’s core.
The resulting burst of light consumed the room, scattering the creature’s form into a cascade of shimmering particles that dissolved into the air. The oppressive silence lifted, replaced by the faint hum of normalcy.
Cordellia lowered her weapon, her chest rising and falling with deep, measured breaths. She turned back to us, her expression steady despite the strain etched on her face. "It’s gone," she said calmly.
The little girl stared at her with wide, awe-filled eyes. "You were amazing! Thank you for saving me, lady."
Cordellia’s lips curved into a faint smile as she dusted off her jacket. "Let’s get you back to your mom," she said, her voice gentle but resolute.
While Cordellia was gently talking to Lilly, reassuring the little girl, I found my attention drawn to the place where the creature had disintegrated. Something was there—a deep black orb, unnervingly out of place amidst the debris. It pulsed faintly, its surface absorbing the surrounding light like a void.
Cautiously, I reached toward it, my curiosity warring with an instinctive sense of dread. The moment my fingers neared the orb, a sharp, bone-chilling cold radiated from it. Reflexively, I pulled my hand back, the sensation like frost creeping over my skin.
Before I could decide what to do, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the warehouse. I turned sharply, startled, as a man rushed into the area, his presence as unexpected as it was bizarre.
He wore a slightly disheveled lab coat, its hem frayed and stained with bizarre looking substances I didn’t care to guess at. His crimson-red hair was unkempt, and his piercing gaze locked onto the black orb with an unsettling intensity.
In his hand was a mechanical device, its complex design a tangle of wires, dials, and conduits, clearly something pretty advanced. The contraption connected to a bulky apparatus strapped to his back, glowing faintly with green energy that pulsed in sync with his movements.
"You shouldn’t be here!" the man barked, his voice sharp with urgency. He advanced quickly, his free hand waving us back. "Get away from that thing!"
Cordellia turned, stepping protectively between him and Lilly, her sword still glowing faintly in her grip. "Who are you?" she demanded, her tone firm.
The man barely spared her a glance, his focus fixed on the orb. "No time for introductions. That is highly unstable." He knelt by the orb, the device in his hand humming to life.
"What is it?" I asked, keeping a wary distance.
"Residual Manifestation Core," he said tersely, adjusting a dial on his contraption. "Left behind when these... creatures are forcibly dispelled. You don’t want to touch it unless you’re keen on having a bad day."
Cordellia’s grip on her sword tightened. "And you’re here because...?"
I’m containing it before it causes more problems," he snapped, his device emitting a soft whir as small mechanical arms extended from it. The arms carefully clasped the orb and lifted it with precise, deliberate movements, carrying it toward the containment unit mounted on his back.
The orb pulsed violently for a moment, as though resisting, but the containment device emitted a low hum that seemed to stabilize it. With a faint hiss, the orb vanished into the unit, and the glow from the device dimmed to a steady, reassuring rhythm.
The man straightened and let out a sigh of relief, wiping his brow with the back of his glove. "If I offended you earlier, I apologize," he said, turning to face us. His tone had softened considerably.
He gave a slight bow, a formal gesture that felt somewhat at odds with his disheveled appearance. "I believe thanks and introductions are in order, considering the service you’ve done me. My name is Shiruetto Kage, a researcher specializing in extraterrestrial phenomena and its uses in research and development. Pleasure to meet you."