"Why are you so persistent, I won't take you with me and if you think you can stop me. . ." She drew her knife, readying her stance. She'd tried to lose him in the crowd, but he still caught up to her.

"Skarlet I didn't come to fight you, I'm worried that's all." He explained, she just ignored him and lunged at him, forcing him to dodged. She was fast, much faster than she should have been. She's even stronger now? He wondered in confusion.

"Who the fuck asked you to worry about me!?" She exclaimed, there was venom in her words, a lot of caged emotion fueled her anger. She swiped, Cody redirected the strike with only the back of his hand, she brought her foot around surprising him.

"Does someone have to as-" He suddenly reacted, catching her leg, his feet slid back a bit. How the hell are you so strong, you're so slim and small. "Ask me to care." He finished his sentence after a breath.

"I don't want to associate with anyone, I don't need help, I don't need your concern." She hissed at him, spinning and leaping, she brought her other foot around and smashed it into the side of his head. Cody stumbled to the side as he rebounded from the kick to his temple, she landed gracefully like a cat. Her knife was immediately at his neck, "So back off Hero." She spat his title like it was a derogatory term. Her words sunk in and he thought about how he hadn't seen her with Amethyst or Aiko lately. He felt a sense of annoyance at her social relapse.

Cody leaned back quickly, he grabbed her wrist and twisted. He slid his feet in a quick motion, before she could react her knife was in his hand and she was on the ground looking up at him.

"Then let's not look at it like that, how about this, I want to see this wyvern. It sounds extremely interesting. So we seem to be going in the same direction at the same time. That's all." he flipped the knife into the air and caught it by the blade, a smile on his face as he offered the handle to her. There was surprise on her face, she was stunned that he'd flipped the situation twice. You can push me away all you want I'm going to get right back in your face again. Think I'd let go of such an important thread just like that. I'm more than certain now that you're a fate breaker. I need you to break my fate, I can't let you go. At least that's what he told himself, it was partially true, but he was ignoring his blossoming feelings for the stubborn, damaged girl.

Skarlet got to her feet and took it from him, her cheeks dyed slightly red, and her ears and tail betrayed annoyance and embarrassment. "Fine, but don't get in my way." She sheathed her knife and started walking again. Cody followed, a satisfied smirk on his face. He was following her back, he couldn't see the soft smile on her face.

"One thing though, If we're doing this, I kill it. I don't care what happens, don't you dare take it's life." Skarlet told him, she didn't look at him, she kept walking forward. She seems to heal and regenerate blood rather quickly, she should be light headed and unstable for at least three days after that. Those wounds in her back were deep, I'm surprised she didn't bleed out on the way back to the Inn.

"That's a tall order, but I'll do my best." Cody accepted, quickened his place to he was walking beside her.

"I don't like how comfortable I'm getting around you." She said suddenly, it was quieter and laced with nerves. A happiness masked with guilt, as if she wasn't allowed those emotions.

"Why, wouldn't comfortableness be a good thing?" He asked, she seemed to pause for a moment, her tail tip twitched and her fists clenched. She didn't look at him as she sped up the pace.

"No, not for me." She spoke absently that time, her voice was solemn and lost, like in that moment she wasn't all there.

"Oh. . ." He fell silent, and they jogged like that for a while, an hour they kept pace. Ha, her stamina almost outpaces my own. He thought as she finally slowed, ahead of them was the clearing dotted with rocks, in the center was the wyvern. Sun glittered off its scales, it eyed them dangerously, rising from its nest. Fire erupted from its wings as it raised them, it seemed to be saying, back off.

Something shined from the ground in front of the nest, it was a black sword, it was stabbed into the dirt at an angle. Cody didn't recognize it, it didn't look like Skarlet's sword. Honestly it looked like it was carved crudely from a piece of obsidian. Skarlet however almost immediately recognized it, it was in the same state when it was offered to her originally.

"My sword, looks like I won't have to get it from the damn thing's nest." Skarlet said with relief, She readied herself for a dash. Cody was puzzled for a moment but shrugged it off, he eyed the wyvern before stopping her from sprinting in.

"Hey, did you forget I'm here, I'll distract it." Cody told her as he drew his sword, it was golden. The sword seemed to shine with light of its own, a blue jewel was embedded in the hilt and at the bottom of the handle. He took a running start, straight at the wyvern, as soon as it went for him he skidded and turned off, leading it away from the nest. A loud roar shook the air as it took to the sky and swooped towards Cody.

Skarlet dashed over to her sword, sliding to a stop, she pulled it from the ground and smile lit her face as it seemed to shimmer softly before it suddenly looked like the generic long sword she was used to.

Cody brought the wyvern back around as he noticed she was now armed, as he did so it locked eyes with Skarlet. It then screeched as it seemed to realize Skarlet had come back. It opened it's mouth as it headed for her, Skarlet watched as a four level magic circle was crafted in front of its maw before it unleashed a powerful torrent of fire.

Skarlet leaped back, flipping her sword around she sheathed it on her back and began chanting. First she cast waterwall, a spell that lifted a wall of water as a barrier between the caster and the opponent. Afterwards she drew her sword once more as an idea formed in her mind, she began an ice spell and encased her sword in it. By continuously feeding it mana the sword would emit constant waves of ice magic. It was extremely inefficient and was draining her mana at an alarming rate.

"shit, I hope this works." She hyped herself up before swinging the sword right as the fire breached the water wall. "I constantly praise you as the sword that can cut through anything so prove me right!" She yelled at she sliced through the fire, she felt an intense heat as the fire enveloped her.

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Cody rushed forward as he watched the fire consume Skarlet, he leaped and swung his sword, the wyvern was distracted and had lowered it's body enough that he could strike with that leap. Cody tore through the wing of the creature and sent the beast spiraling towards the ground with a thunderous crash. A massive cloud of dust erupted out, covering the area.

The fire turned to steam as the ice magic battled it and out from that cloud of steam leaped Skarlet with a burst of wind magic she launched herself at the beast. It twisted it's body and snapped it's tail at her, Skarlet moved to Dodge with a wind spell, but it was already too late.

"Kugh!" She exclaimed as blood burst from her lips and her body instantly changed directions. She slammed into the ground with a morbid cracking sound.

"FUCK!" she screamed, her lips immediately began to chant a healing spell, the beast wasn't gonna wait though. Cody skidded to a stop in front of her and swung his sword, a golden glow erupted from his blade and a crescent made of golden energy went flying at the beast. Skarlet finished healing then she leaped past Cody.

The wyvern screeched as she used a blast of wind to launch herself on top of its back, barely dodging it's snapping jaws. She didn't waste a moment, she ran up it's back and brought her sword out. She leaped forward, with a beautiful spin, she sliced its head off. She landed and sheathed her sword as the head thudded to the ground behind her.

Cody skidded to a stop beside her. "That. . . was a lot easier than I expected." Cody exclaimed, "You cut straight through its scales, that's a good sword huh." She didn't respond, she had started panting before collapsing forward. Cody caught her in alarm, watching her eyes roll into the back of her head.

Skarlet felt her mana pool deepen as her mind went blank, her head began to hurt as images flashed through it. What she saw was knowledge on the creation of magic in the form of circles and runes. However it was very basic, she felt like she only knew enough to recreate basic spells using basic circles or runes. The pain spiked as the images came to a halt before it all subsided. She blushes as the world came back to her, she was in Cody's arms.

She pushed him away and stood on her own, he took a step back watching her curiously as her tail twitched subconsciously. That's the strongest thing I've killed so far, I certainly would have struggled a bit without Cody leading it like that. She thought as she approached the jaws of the wyvern and cut a tooth from its mouth. Its head was a bit bigger than her, How big will the Red dragon be? She wondered as she stuffed the tooth into her bag.

"Next time you decide to fight something crazy like this, don't do it alone." Cody spoke suddenly, "I'm here to help. . . Next time, you might not be able to get away. . . just, be careful Skarlet. I have a bad feeling that something is coming." With that he turned and walked away, Skarlet froze, Something's coming, am I not the only one who knows it's coming? She turned to watch him leave, maybe being a hero allows you to see or feel certain things, because you're closer to god. Is that man closer to god too, his smile appeared in her mind along with his mocking voice, She shivered. Skarlet hooked her bag at her waist and headed back towards town.

She reached the gate at noon, heading towards the adventurer's guild. She walked with uncertainty, even though she'd lived here her whole life she still walked everywhere like she didn't belong. She pushed open the doors of the guild and walked hesitantly over to the desk, she pulled the wyvern tooth out and set it on the counter.

"I ran into a wyvern near Talik." Skarlet explained, the receptionist was still for a bit, she suddenly bent over and counted out the reward. She handed Skarlet the bag, and then pulled out the rank up magic item, Skarlet placed her guild card in the object and placed her hand on the handle. She pushed her magic through it and it began to glow, moments later she pulled her guild card back out.

"Congratulations, you're now a C ranker." The receptionist congratulated her, Skarlet only felt anxiety as the stares around her increased, people even started inviting her into parties.

"Hey Skarlet, C rank? That's awesome we should spar. . . How about right now." A familiar voice spoke up, Skarlet shivered slightly as she looked up at the man whose hand was on her shoulder. "I've been so busy lately, sorry I haven't been around, old friend." Alastair smiled at her and then promptly dragged her from the guild.

Thud

"God damn, it makes me sick seeing another fucking animal like you rising in my town. Animals belong on the ground, your parents never understood that. And since no one else could put them in their place, it seems the Great goddess Gia cast her judgment on them." Alastair preached as he glared at her, slumped against the wall. Skarlet frowned, her eyes turning into slits as anger rose up.

"How dare you." Her voice was a gravely whisper, leaking out between her clenched teeth.

"What? Do you have a problem with the truth?" He smirked as he responded leaning towards her while putting a hand to his ear.

"How dare a lowly piece of shit scum like you talk about my parents like that." Skarlet growled as her gaze snapped onto him.

"What. Are. You. Gonna. Do. About. It?" Alastair taunted her with a smile.

"I'm gonna kill you." Skarlet leaped up and stretched her hand out, her claws grew and she attempted to claw him.

His movements were lightning fast, he grabbed her hand and snapped it back as he slammed her into the ground. Pain poured into her joints as he snapped her arm, "Not strong enough yet kitty, and you'll never be strong enough. You'll die in this alley tonight." He then picked her up and threw her further down the alley.

Thud

Skarlet trembled in pain as she came to a stop, anxiety came over her. He's stronger than the wyvern, he's not really C rank that's a lie. . . She realized with fear, she tried to get up. Scraping her knee on the ground as she struggled to her feet.

Bang

An explosive pain drilled into her stomach as she went flying into the wall of the alley. She immediately bent over and puked, panting from the pain.

"Damn, beasts are just disgusting huh." Alastair commented as he drew his sword. Skarlet pulled herself unsteadily to her feet and drew her sword as well. I have to kill him. She thought as she rushed him, she swung her sword in a diagonal slash. Alastair smirked as he flicked his wrist and caught the underside of her blade then he stepped forward and slammed his blade into her cross guard. A jolt of pain smashed into her wrist and she struggled to hold her sword.

He smiled and flicked his wrist again, repositioning his sword for another quick slash. Before she could react she heard something metal clatter against the cobblestone. Pain encased her whole wrist as she stumbled backwards and fell down. It was gone, her hand had been severed, and her sword was now behind Alastair.

"Come on, I thought you would be able to do better than that, your swordsmanship is just shit." Alastair complained as he raised his sword for the death blow.

Skarlet tried to back up but she couldn't, there was a wall behind her. Cold against her back, she didn't have a weapon or a way to dodge. So she closed her eyes.

Thud

Skarlet winced as pain cut through her side, but she was still alive. A clanging sound drew her attention and she opened her eyes. In front of her was a fluttering black scaled cloak, fiery red hair with a hint of orange like a sunset and a bushy fox tail poking out from a hole in the back of a black leotard. The fox girl had stabbed Alastair in the chest, she was now getting up off his unmoving corpse leisurely.

"Ah, Skarlet, hello. Hope you don't mind me, he was on my list. One must properly clean up before leaving." Lilly smiled as she approached Skarlet and helped her up. As Skarlet got to her feet she realized that Lilly had already picked up her sword and hand. She offered both with a smile. "You really shouldn't drop these in a fight." Lilly explained as Skarlet took her hand and nodded absently. Lilly then turned and began to leave as Skarlet was reattaching her hand with magic.

"Hope there's no hard feelings, you wouldn't have beaten him anyways. He was another A ranker. Huh imagine that, all the way out here. Well I guess it's not that impossible huh?" She laughed before disappearing from the alley leaving a dumbfounded Skarlet.