CHAPTER 27 -Monster-

COLTER HART

It’s been a week since my first day in highschool and a week since I had that dream. I started to forget about the dream, but everywhere I go, I see many things that would make me remember that night’s dream. Staying quiet about it, letting me only reminisce about it.

Why would I have that dream?

What was that message that she left me?

Whatever the case was or the reason, I couldn’t let some fantasy dream take over my future.

‘I had a bright future up ahead’ as older people would put it, leaving me only three years to know what I wanted to major on. Many things, many doors, many opportunities, were in my grasp. People who would know my parents would call me the prodigy child of the two great heroes that stopped the world war.

To be honest, it is sometimes a blessing and a curse.

Being recognized by strangers–which my parents call ‘friends’–is somewhat an uncomfortable feeling. People have high expectations of me, when all I want is to live a happy life.

Sometimes I’d hoped that my parents were not heroes of this nation by some country side folks that have never learned how to hold or even use a gun.

Once, I told my parents that I wanted to learn, that I wanted to go to school. To have a career that could stabilize my income, to retire my parents and have them relax somewhere where they can watch in silence the horizon sunset and sundown.

My parents' facial expressions showed happiness and respect towards my decision, however, I wonder whether they were disappointed in me for saying that or yet angry that their only child chose the path of the cowards and not the path of bravery.

“...tler”

The more I thought about it, the more doubts I had in myself.

“Colt…”

But I didn’t show it, hiding it in the deepest part of my heart.

“Colter!”

The sudden loud voice pulled me out of my own mind. With startled eyes I looked at the source of the loud voice, the black eyes I stared at showed my reflection. I blinked and noticed who I was looking at, but before I could say something, she continued on.

“Are you listening to me? I have been telling you that we have an field trip tomorrow at the nation Pleoca.” She said, almost like she was scolding me or even yet warning me about it.

A week has really passed, huh? I was able to clear the misunderstanding with Larisa…

Telling her that it was my mistake for running up the stairs but also her fault for walking so slow. Hearing that, Larisa’s anger shot up through the roof and she once again slapped me and continued to argue with me.

It didn’t matter that she was arguing with me at the time but now she seemed more unlike her personality that everyone in school saw in her.

It felt refreshing seeing that side of her.

“Are you still listening to me?” Larisa said with her eyes narrowed to me as I slowly opened my mouth to talk.

“My bad, what were you talking about?” A smile that wasn’t reaching my eyes was on my face. I knew it too, after all my mind was only filled with what the angel-like being told me.

Ringing in my mind, every second, every minute, every hour. The voice brought me to ease and unease at the same time. Not being able to get it out of my head, the same sentences running without stopping.

"I hope that when we meet again, you would’ve learn the meaning that you are looking for.”

I let out a sigh as I heard Larisa’s voice muffle as I looked outside the window into the horizon. I just hope that I get to live peacefully with the people I love, I thought to myself.

***

Taking a step to leave the bus, the stray sunlight hit my face making me unable to see my surroundings. I put my hand over my eyes and surveyed my surroundings only to see a beautiful city all around me.

We finally made it…The nation of Pleoca.

PEARL MILLGUARD

“...earl”

Who?

“Pearl…”

Is

“Pearl!”

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

That?

“Wake up, Pearl!”

I opened my eyes to the loud voice and got up from where I was laying down. The first I was to see was Alter, next it was Chuzeoth and Eugene. However, their appearances were a bit off, their faces were dirty along with their clothes. Alter’s armor was destroyed and so was his shirt with holes, Chuzeoth’s hands were covered up with dried up blood, and Eugene had his left eye closed with blood running down his face.

That is when the recollection happened, the memories hit me hard like a giant boulder would. Not being able to contain the massive headache, I held my head with both of my hands hoping for it to end.

I started to see images like memories from the past. The vivid moments played into my head.

When we got to Inox, various battalions were already waiting for us, an ambush. Covering the whole city, the army moved closer to us–being forced to move to the main center of the city–along with civilians still present. “A trap?” commented Eugene as he readied his weapon.

Following his lead, we all did the same, except Alter. He was the one who didn’t but instead used his hand while being injured. Before he engaged in battle, he half-face turned to us, “Use your weapons sheaths to fight. Don’t kill anyone.”

Alter headed first and was the first to engage before he waited for our response. I faced the other and nodded, then I looked where Alter had gone, but he was not there. Instead, there were enemies with their backs turned to us. Almost like if there was something they were getting ready for.

My eyes widened when I saw what was going on. The bodies of the soldiers were flying all over the place, I smiled at the thought of Alter fighting the battalions by himself.

The soldiers that had their backs turned to me had the bravery to face me, no cowardice was shown, their emotion showed loyalty to the death.

I had the resolve to kill them if I needed to but Alter’s orders implied me not to. The only option I had was to simply obey before getting what appeared to me as the angry demon king–Alter–.

I got into an offensive position and so did the others, “Let's wreak havoc.” I let out before heading into battle.

The more I fought, the deeper I got into the battle. I was not only fighting one on one but one on ten. Activating my mana core, I released mana waves around me. The radius of it was twenty feet, giving me space to continue fighting.

The sounds of iron clashing into my scabbard was echoing into the roars of the soldiers in the distance. Just how many more soldiers are coming here?

Dodging and attacking anything in my path seemed simple enough to me, my scabbard on the other hand had no reason to withstand a couple hundred blows more. I clicked my tongue as my eyes scanned for the soldiers coming close to me, swords already high above their heads to slash me or even worse, to kill me.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t let that happen. My objective wasn’t ten percent achieved yet, but the path was laid out. The only thing left was for us to walk it without looking back.

[Ancient Hell]

Dark blue flames covered my body as I advanced into the horde in front of me, the soldiers that were covered in metal or iron armor screamed in pain as the armor itself melted to their skin.

This is the best I can do, after all I'm not killing them but harming them but I still have to prepare myself for the scolding I am getting later after this.

Lowering down the power used in [Ancient Hell], I began to break the swords the enemy soldiers had in hand. Not wanting to have them get back up after they get injured–since their emotion of loyalty was high enough for them to die and not think about it twice–and attack me again.

This should at least lower down their numbers, I thought as I continued my routine, or breaking swords and injuring the soldiers enough to make them stay down for a day or two.

Turning my head to my surroundings, I notice that in the distance there was a great amount of mana being used. However, I couldn’t tell who’s mana it was.

The uneasiness took over my body as I saw a trail of cloud dust going past me. My reaction time wasn’t fast enough. I faced where the flying object had landed, when I got closer to it I noticed that it was Alter.

He wasn’t bare handed anymore but equipped with a dark black sword on his hand, that meant that whatever he was facing was powerful enough for him to use a weapon.

I clenched my teeth at the thought that there was someone stronger than Alter, my mind was nonfunctional that when I turned to see who it was, whoever it was, was right next to me. His aura spilled out of him as he looked at Alter with pity eyes, he was probably thinking something along the lines of ‘how disappointing it is to fight someone who is only being talked about like a prodigy.’

“Alter Violet, you disappoint me. I’d heard that your power alone rivaled the marshals of all races. But the only thing your power rivals is a small insect at best.” His raspy voice made me change how I view him. Just how much power is he hiding?

My brows went forward, gripping the handle of my sword, I tried to move but my body wouldn’t let me. I struggled trying to lift my feet from the ground but it seemed useless, could it be chain magic?

No that can’t be it, I implemented the mana that surrounded my body by ten folds but my feet still didn’t budge at all. “On the other hand, you, dragon girl, it looks like you have a large mana pool don’t you?”

I raised my head to the raspy voice coming my way, his eyes were more crimson than Alter’s when he uses the Ring’s phase. The glimpse he gave me had a little interest in them, my heart beated faster the closer he got.

The crimson-eyed raised his right hand, I felt his touch giving me goosebumps. His eyes narrowed even more before he opened his mouth, “You’re a Millguard and pure blood at that…” He paused and then continued, “What is a Millguard doing here? But more importantly why are you here with that abnormal being?” Pointing at Alter who was unconscious.

“That is none of your business you freak.” I slightly said, spitting on his shoe while flashing a smile of satisfaction.

Suddenly, a heavy curtain of silence fell upon us. The sounds of walking soldiers were no more, yet the mana in the atmosphere seemed to back away from the red-eyed monster. His aura along with mana, increased at an alarming rate, what type of monster is he? I told myself as his aura exceeded those who I thought were “strong” but compared to him, he was the “king of monsters”.

“I will make sure you will regret doing that, lizard.” Summoning a great sword that he easily lifted to the top of his head.

Is there no other option but to use that?

But if I do, I will lose control of it.

Can I control it here and now?

My mind tried to find a way, a plan that could take me out of this troublesome situation. It was futile, none of the methods I thought of involve me getting out of here alive…unless.

Before I could finish my thoughts, footsteps that were heard began to get louder and closer. Realizing who it was, I face the “monster” again with a sparkling smile, “It seems that you got the wrong dragon, bitch.”

“Watch your tongue, princess. I, as your guardian, should educate you after I have dealt with this no-one.”