Volume I Chapter 5 Part II Birth of a Wish (I)
Velika, Free Traders Collective’s hall.
Mech’s low heeled black shoes tapped the white ceramic floor as she walked towards her room.
*Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap*
Her eyes were red and irritated by the tears, as she continued wiping her tears with her wrists periodically.
‘I must find answers…I cannot wait any longer…’ Mech thought, convincing herself that there was only one way out from all this.
‘If I want to understand what is happening…I must…’ She kept thinking for herself, yet hesitation still clouded her mind.
To truly understand the present and adequately predict the future, she must first accept her past, even if that means further torment and suffering, but her sins weren't that simple for her to accept.
After a few minutes, she was outside Mech’s door and when she was about to open it…
“Mech!” She heard Caut’s agitated voice behind her, probably since Caut was running as fast as she could behind her.
“Mech…*Breath* Mech… what is happening?” Caut ran till she was behind Mech.
However, Mech ignored Caut and took the silver door knob and rotated it, opening her room’s door.
“Mech! If you don’t explain it to me, I cannot help you…we’ve been friends for 11 years, so I know when you are troubled! Please! I just want to help you.” Caut exclaimed, worried about Mech.
‘I must trust in my friends...and I believe she will forgive me.’ Mech said to herself.
“I am sorry Caut, I cannot say anything. I hope you can understand my reasons, but it is a path only I can take. Please, do not interfere.” Mech spoke coldly and pushed the door open.
“Uh?” Caut vocalized in surprise, unable to come up with an answer for a few seconds.
“What do you mean, Mech?” Caut asked, hesitating as her worries for Mech intensified.
“Leave me alone, Caut. I want some time for myself.” Mech demanded coldly and entered her room and closed the door as a tear trickled down her cheek.
“Mech? I don’t understand…but you cannot ask me to do that…I’m your friend, and I know you well. I know you are suffering behind that door, crying right now alone…” Caut spoke from the other side where Mech could hear her muffled voice.
“If that’s what you want, I will leave, but you must know that I will be here for you when you decide to open yourself to me,” Caut added, and then Mech heard her steps moving away.
“Thanks, Cautie…I will explain it properly after all this end…I promise,” Mech mumbled, giving a soft, sad smile.
Then, she looked at the chair next to her bed, her eyes focused on the yellowish outfit and a gray mask on it.
‘The answers you seek, lies within you now, my daughter…’ Mech remembered her mother’s word when they first met.
“It is time to accept what I am if I should find the answers I seek.” Mech mumbled to herself, clenching her fists, trying to gather as much courage as she could for the next step.
She did not know if it will work or not, but it was her last chance to find the light in her darkest times…
…To understand her enigmatic and uncertain purpose in this realm.
While Mech was thinking on that, she walked towards the chair next to her bed and stood still for a few seconds, and then stretched both hands out and picked up the white mask on top of the yellowish outfit which was over the chair.
Mech inspected the mask while swiping her hands over it, cleaning the dust from it. The mask had cheerful eyes holes and a sinister smile, and after a long breath, Mech turned it around.
‘Archangel Project, M.O.W’
After reading this, Mech’s hands trembled while she held the mask in her hands, as the dark memories lurking in the deepest corners of her mind came to light...
----------------------------------------
Meanwhile…
Celestial Hills, Arcadia province.
*Grrrr*
A large, menacing wolf, with black flaming pelage, growled at Quote and his two followers.
“The dog is restless, Master,” Qoo spoke without much interest.
Quote, Qoo and Iri were still in the middle of the desert known as Celestial Hills, as they had just killed Sayune.
“Orders, Master?” Iri cooed, without turning to Quote behind them, near Sayune’s corpse.
“Get rid of our friend,” Quote said mockingly, placing his hands on his back.
““Understood.”” Qoo and Iri answered in unison, and a second later, Qoo unsheathed two swords hanging from her waist and rushed towards the wolf, ready to end its life.
*SHIIIN*
The wolf remained undaunted, as its dark orange eyes on the silver blades and then on Qoo without the slightest hint of fear.
Qoo spread her arms wide swords in hand and ran as fast as she could, closing around 20 meters in just a second.
*TTTTTTTT-SHIN!*
However, a magic dome shield suddenly appeared around the wolf, deflecting Qoo’s attack and knocked her back.
“That was unexpected,” Qoo mumbled with irritation, while Iri ran and stood behind Qoo, with her brown staff in her hands.
After Qoo’s attack, two black circles appeared behind the wolf, as more wolves emerged from the dark circles along with some humanoids, entering the realm…
“Fufufufu…*Long breath* Ahh…finally…Arborea…such a beautiful realm…” Zelel revealed upon breathing Arborea’s warm and soothing air, looking at her surroundings with amusement while Regan and Nova stood behind her.
“Zelel…” Quote called upon seeing her, fixing his light-blue eyes on her.
His gaze was no longer condescending. Instead, his eyes became as sharp as a blade. Quote saw Zelel not only as a worthy foe but also a dangerous enemy that can defeat him if given a chance.
Quote knew that fact very well as he stared at Zelel, there was no margin for error.
“Hello, my dear human. I hope you’re enjoying my eyes…Sadly, it seems we are on opposing sides this time.” Zelel spoke emotionlessly, glancing at Sayune’s corpse for a second.
“Hehehehehehe! Do not forget Zelel, we have a blood pact. Thus, not even you can interfere with my business no matter-”
“Our pact just said that I needed to give you my eyes, anything else you think is your delusion,” Zelel replied back to Quote’s words.
“So tricky, as is every Demon! Hehehehe…” Quote laughed.
Meanwhile, dense smoke encircled the wolves, engulfing them for a brief second before dispersing, revealing three new forms.
It was Lhya, Lailyn, and Tyat with their respective armors.
They seemed healthy and composed, as they managed to endure the massive headache during the dark mana infusion back there in the Nightmare realm.
The three were looking at Quote with sharp eyes, ready to counter attack if Quote or his followers made any movement.
“Hehehehe...seems like they’ve already been infused with more dark mana. Interesting, interesting...may I know why such a respectable force gathered here?” Quote asked with sarcasm.
“I’ve my own reasons, Quote. But they have theirs as well…and I am pleased to help fulfill theirs.” Zelel said suggestively, fluttering her black wings.
Everyone could feel the tension in the air, leaving only a brief silence from both sides.
“Then so be it,” Quote replied with a dark, serious tone, as he raised his right arm and snapped his fingers.
*Snap*
“Qoo, Iri, you can kill them all. I will handle Zelel.” Quote ordered, drawing his hand across his throat.
““Understood, master.”” Both answered in unison and then drew out their respective weapons.
On the other side…
“Let us handle this. Go recover your friend’s corpse.” Zelel calmly consoled Lhya while she fluttered her wide black wings, her crimson red eyes fixing on Quote with a cold gaze.
“We can handle them too, let us help-” Lhya opposed, but Nova rebutted.
“You are now a hindrance driven by your senseless hunger for revenge. Our Highness gave you her advice, so if you die by your imprudence, then what?” Nova asked Lhya with a firm tone.
After Nova had spoken her mind, she and Regan stepped forward, looking at Qoo and Iri, insinuating they will be their opponents.
“As always, Iri,” Qoo murmured stepping forward accepting the challenge, as her voice was muffled by the mask.
“As always, Qoo,” Iri replied confidently stepping forward right after Qoo. Both seemed like an experienced battle couple.
On the other side...
Lhya remained still, looking at Nova for a second, clenching her fists but then ate her pride, turned her head and fixed her eyes behind on Tyat and Lailyn.
“Tch...we will try to recover Sayune’s body, so then we can bury her properly like the friend she was for us. After all, she and the Castanics saved us from our extinction.” Lhya ordered to Tyat and Lailyn.
Then, Lhya looked back to Sayune’s corpse still clenching her fists.
‘I failed once again...it always end like this.’ Lhya thought to herself giving the last look over Sayune’s corpse. Then disappeared in a puff of purple-black smoke and sand.
“Got it,” Lailyn replied shortly.
“Yes, Princess,” Tyat answered.
Then, Tyat and Lailyn disappeared in the same way as Lhya’s, waiting for their chance within the shadows.
Meanwhile…
“Haha…do not mess this up, sister,” Regan exclaimed mockingly as Nova silently unsheathed her black bladed katana with her left hand.
And then with her free hand, she drew the heavy broadsword hilt from her back and tossed it to Regan carelessly as it spun in the air.
*Fum-Fum-Tac*
Regan caught the sword by the hilt with no problem and swung it once, testing the sword and becoming familiarized it with just one swing alone.
“The same for you, brother,” Nova exclaimed back.
Meanwhile…
“Cover me,” Qoo said shortly while taking the yellow braided hilts of her dual swords and then unsheathing them.
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*Shin-Shin*
“Count with that~” Iri replied back, holding her simple brown staff in her right hand.
Simultaneously, Qoo summoned two arcane triangles under her metallic boots and dashed forward with profound speed, spreading her arms back, blades in hands.
Her feet silently strode across the sand and with her swords raised overhead, Qoo leapt high in the air towards Nova and then swung down her swords on her head upon landing.
*SHEEEEN*
In a split-second Nova raised her sword horizontally, holding its long hilt with two hands, and elegantly parried Qoo’s deadly blades as the blades burned orange sparks and sung in vibrations.
*CLASH*
“What?!” Qoo mumbled, shocked by Nova’s perfect parry, and at that moment, she sensed Nova unleashing her aura fluctuating with her blade, coating her blade in an almost transparent dark mana membrane, shaded in dark blue and purple colors.
Noticing this while still in midair from her attack and their swords still locked with each other, Qoo heard Nova’s voice.
“That’s not enough,” Nova exclaimed unfazed.
Despite the fact that Qoo poured considerable effort, Qoo did not only expend all her strength from this exchange, but also used her own weight to increase her force yet she did not get the expected result.
“Prepare to become cutlets!” Regan shouted as he was swiping his silver bladed broadsword vertically at Qoo, aiming for Qoo’s head.
But before Regan could get within range…
*Pow*
Regan’s blade was struck by a simple air bolt from his right, altering his weapon’s trajectory enough to throw Regan off balance as he landed back on the yellow sand.
*Bwoon!*
‘That stupid rat!’ Regan cursed in his mind upon being interrupted by the spell, turning his head to the source, seeing it was Iri who interfered.
‘I will have your head for that!’ Regan thought furiously as he glared daggers into Iri, and then horizontally swung his blade at Qoo still in midair.
But the moment he swung his blade, Qoo used her own attack’s rebound with Nova to push herself away from Nova’s sword and avoid Regan’s next attack by leaping high into the air towards Iri.
“I hate fighting midgets…hahaha…” Regan exclaimed ironically while placing his broadsword over his left shoulder.
On the other side, Qoo landed near Iri while she started activating multiple chained, magic sequences and then shook her left hand at Regan while her staff’s runes shone.
“Tredobbelt erkefiende!” Iri exclaimed as she shot a yellowish projectile from her left hand, leaving behind a yellowish ethereal trail in its path.
*Zzzzim!*
“Is that all?!” Regan deflected the projectile with one swing of his broadsword while running towards Iri with building ire.
The deflected projectile soon after being deflected, exploded behind Regan.
‘This is bad, one of those and it is over.’ Regan thought in his mind, as he kept running towards Iri.
“To!” Iri accelerated her sequence upon seeing Regan closing in on them meanwhile Nova disappeared from their field of view.
Iri pointed her staff straight forward, holding it with her right hand, and fired another powerful projectile, once again leaving a yellowish ethereal trail in its path.
*ZZIIIM!* *Boom*
This time, Regan avoided it with a small leap and then kept running towards Iri upon landing, while Qoo prepared herself to intercept Regan.
“Tre!” Iri shot the last projectile of her complex magic spell with both hands, but Regan became intangible, now one with the shadows as her spell passed through him harmlessly and exploded a few meters behind him.
Iri stood there for a second, analyzing Regan’s high-level display of skills while Qoo positioned herself in front of her, ready to fight.
“Nova is behind us,” Qoo informed while looking at Regan.
“I already know,” Iri replied shortly and turned around.
Regan then approached and lifted his broadsword with both hands and swung his blade vertically aiming for Qoo.
But this time, Qoo diverted Regan’s broadsword to her left with both of her swords and side-kicked Regan’s right and then moved behind him swiftly preparing her swords to stab Regan’s back.
However, Regan turned around in a blink of an eye and kicked Qoo’s hands, knocking her swords away to the sand behind her.
“Too naive, midget!” Regan channeled strength into his arms and then gave a fast vertical swing, trying to cut Qoo in half.
But to Regan’s surprise…
Qoo used her own arms to divert his broadsword to a side and then without delay, stomp kicked his chest, pushing Regan back while using him to propel herself towards her swords behind her.
‘What.…Where’s the blood? I can’t smell it! And her body... it felt as if I clashed with an iron shield…’ Regan thought in his mind, as the only thing he cut was part of Qoo’s tunic.
He was an expert assassin long used to tearing flesh and bone with his weapons...but this time…Regan felt like he struck metal wall upon hitting her arms.
“Hm? A mana shield?” Regan muttered as it was the only answer to his question he can think of, but he was unable to see any magic trace or either the slightest mana signature around Qoo’s arms.
Qoo by her side gave no response and picked up her swords, ready to keep fighting.
Meanwhile…
Nova was locked in combat with Iri, swiftly dashing from side to side trying to reach Iri with her swords, but her blades were only met small concentrate mana shields, blocking each attack with calculated precision.
Suddenly, Iri used her mana shield to divert Nova’s next attack and knocked off her balance.
“Kh…” Caught off guard, Nova was harmlessly knocked down on the floor, but it gave enough time for Iri’s next move.
“Endelig…”
In response, her staff vibrated emitting loud crackling noise, and then Iri spun once and twirled her staff in her hands generating momentum to create extra energy for her spell, and then she bent down and swung her staff down aiming for Nova’s center torso.
Within her swing, her staff vibrated while emitting a high pitched crackling sound, similar to the sound of electricity.
*TRIIC TRIIC TRIIC*
“...represalier!...Ahhh!” Iri exclaimed upon her spell’s completion.
When her staff hit the sand, a visible repulsor field exploded from her staff, which would react against any other mana sources within a two-meter radius, severely damaging any living being holding different magic frequencies than Iri’s.
*Paff-bwweeen!*
But before her staff landed, Nova got on her feet and jumped backward, moving out of the field’s range, as the repulsor field briefly scattered electric sparks and grains of sand before dissipating shortly after.
“Impressive, I have never seen such a formidable flash spell-caster after my Highness.” Nova praised after retreating to a safe distance.
After Nova’s words, Qoo landed near Iri breathing slightly heavily from her energetic fight with Regan while Iri stood back on her feet.
Nova calmly sheathed her katana and disappeared in a puff of magenta, sandy smoke, reappearing next to Regan, who was 25 meters behind Qoo and Iri.
“Haha! That midget is fun as a workout.” Regan exclaimed as he touched the small cut on his right cheek.
Nova remained silent as always for a few seconds, observing her enemies carefully while placing her right hand over her sheathed katana hilt.
“Pay attention to the one behind her. She is a support mage, it will be annoying if we let them act freely together.” Nova advised Regan.
“Yeah, yeah, she’s a pain. Which one do you want to take on? Midget one, or midget two?” Reagan asked, gesturing to Qoo as ‘one, and Iri as ‘two.'
“I will go for ‘one’ as your brute force is better for ‘two.' Let me gather more information about our enemies. Stay here.” Nova replied, used to Regan’s sarcastic speech.
“You just want to hog all the fun…” Regan exclaimed with a false complaint, but as always Nova ignored his words.
“Rasshu dampact.” Nova murmured ignoring her brother as she overcharged her muscles with her spell and then dashed forward with astonishing speed while leaving a white and granular trace behind her.
In a blink of an eye, she then appeared next to Qoo with her blade ready and swung her sword horizontally at Qoo’s chest, but Qoo blocked Nova’s attack with a mana shield.
*SHEN! CLASH!*
Without a second of delay, Qoo started her counter attack, giving numerous blows to Nova with her swords, while Iri was preparing her next spell, as the twins could feel her mana flowing.
Up, right, left, down, up, up.
Nova evaded some swings and parried a few others, trying to open Qoo’s defense.
“You are fast, little one,” Nova mumbled as she parried and diverted Qoo’s dual swords to her left with her katana, opening Qoo’s left side.
Without delay, Nova spun, and side kicked at Qoo’s left torso with all her might, knocking Qoo to his right as Nova looked at him with her leg still raised from her kick.
“Khh!” Qoo groaned by the pain.
Even so, with flawless sync and timing, Qoo’s absorbed half the damage due to Iri’s defensive magic and helped Qoo to regain her balance.
‘There is no doubt, she is a tactical mage.’ Nova thought to herself, as she knew her attack should have broken a few ribs of her opponent but it didn’t. The activating rate of Iri’s sequences were nearly perfect.
After that, Qoo back-stepped and positioned herself before Iri, retaking their formation, once again in defensive stance with her blades.
“We must separate them, or we will never win,” Nova exclaimed after studying her enemies, looking at her brother.
"I know. They work so annoyingly well together." Regan exclaimed while he approached Nova and then stood next to her.
Nova sighed in response to her brother's lax personality, he was unable to take the situation seriously despite his opponents' skills.
Qoo and Iri were a few meters ahead of them, the four were able to hear the numerous explosions and mana fluctuations of Zelel and Quote fighting in the distance.
*BOOM-TWON! BOOM!*
*BAAM!*
A dust cloud was slowly taking place on the battlefield, but this wasn't a problem at all for any of the contenders.
Along that, the hoods of their long brown tunics were taken off by the explosive wave, revealing the short black hair of Qoo and the long, dark pink hair of Iri.
Their animals traits were also revealed, as Qoo had black, long close-set bunny ears and Iri by her side had back, long, deer ears
“Good job Iri, keep it up.” Qoo praised Iri, and she just nodded in response. Then the runes etched in her simple brown staff shone, preparing a new spell.
”Will you praise me too?” Regan asked Nova with a smile as she sighed in defeat.
“Focus. Follow the plan.” Nova scolded Regan shortly.
“Rasshu dampak.” Nova murmured again while striding forward quickly and powerfully, leaving a white sandy silhouette behind.
Suddenly, Nova appeared before Qoo in a split second, but this time Iri was ready, and with no delay, she expanded the mana shield around Qoo shield him from Nova.
“Tsk!” Nova’s sword then collided with the expanded, robust mana shield, knocking her back painfully from the shock.
Seeing this chance, Qoo decided to charge at Nova and finish her off before she can react, but her senses told her otherwise a second later.
Qoo detected Regan sneaking towards them from behind using his advanced, shadow ward and the dust cloud to hide, trying to take out Iri.
“Crap! Iri!” Qoo shouted, as he immediately changed direction and dashed towards Iri at high-speeds as her metallic armor under the brown tunic clanked in synch with her movements.
Iri by her side turned around and immediately surrounded herself with a transparent-blue, kinetic mana dome from her palms, intercepting Regan’s blade with fierce resistance, but a second later it shattered from the overwhelming force of Regan’s strike.
*PHRIIIIIISH*
This damaged Iri’s internal magic flow severely along knocking her down by the pressure of Regan’s powerful attack and bouncing once on the ground, leaving Iri face up on the ground.
“Aagh!” Iri cried in pain as blood involuntarily spilled from her mouth, although Regan was just able to see a thread of blood dripping from Iri’s neck.
On Regan’s side.
His broadsword wasn’t stopped by the weak Iri’s mana shield, as his downward swing was still going down and was about to reach and cut Iri, killing her in a single blow.
“I got you!” Regan exclaimed in berserk.
But before Regan’s broadsword was able to touch Iri.
She lifted her bottom torso along her legs and feet, blocking Regan’s broadsword for a half of a second, more than enough to divert it to her right as Regan’s broadsword landed dangerously near her right torso and lodged in the sand.
*CLASH!* - *TUFF*
“You too, midget?! No matter! I won’t miss next time!” Regan shouted slightly annoyed already by the fact that two of his death-blows were fended off by their...unusually dense limbs.
Immediately after, Regan tried to stomp Iri with his left feet at the same time as he took out his sword from the sand.
On the other hand, Iri rolled to her left and then swiftly tried to stand up, but still dangerously near Regan, who won’t let her flee so easily.
“No running!” After shouting his displeasure, Regan then spun and reverse slashed Iri while she is still on the sand, hoping to cleave her in two from her torso.
Meanwhile, with swift wits, Iri instantly raised her lower body while Regan’s sword cleaved the sand missing her by a small margin as Iri rolled back to her own feet and immediately casted another spell.
“Eksplosjonbolge!” Iri exclaimed while she swung her hand diagonally at Regan, throwing a light-blue mana blast.
*PAFF*
“Agh!” Regan groaned although he managed to deny a slight part of the spell by blocking it with his broadsword.
“Kkh!” Regan groaned again as Iri kept throwing mana blasts, one after another, slowly pushing back Regan more and more, as his feet slid across the sand from the impacting force.
“I am done!” Regan shouted as he retreated a few feet; thus he got out of the range of Iri’s spell, and then he exclaimed.
“Menggagahi!” Regan exclaimed annoyed, as Iri felt a sudden spike in his mana flow and aura, and began casting a defensive spell.
At that moment, in less than a second, Regan took his broadsword hilt, crouched to concentrate all his energy and then jumped towards Iri in an incredible high-speed along his broadsword.
“Tsk!” Iri lifted both of her hands forward, shielding herself in a conjured magic dome once again, despite knowing it won’t last against Regan's broadsword.
“You’re running out of tricks, useless midget!!” Regan exclaimed as the broadsword cleaved through her dome like butter, and was about to cleave her in two as well.
*SHIN-CLASH!*
Qoo arrived however, crossing her mana-reinforced blades with Regan’s broadsword with their blades violently grinding orange sparks upon collision.
“Atghh…” Qoo groaned, holding her swords tightly with her arms already trembling from the heavy force, as Regan kept pushing downwards to break Qoo’s defense.
*Schliiik-Schliiik*
“Ho? Surprising for a midget! Where’d you learn to build that tiny body of yours?” Regan asked mockingly upon seeing Qoo’s arms and legs trembling from her excessive effort.
Qoo, however, gave no response, only concentrating all her focus and strength trying to fend off Regan.
Meanwhile, Iri swiftly turned around on the ground and stood up while simultaneously preparing a defensive spell sequence knowing that Nova near them.
Iri knew that her opponents were experienced assassins from their initial bout; thus, she knew that Nova was somewhere near trying to flank them.
But her long, back deer ears were unable to hear any sound or feel the slightest abnormal mana fluctuations around her, leaving Iri confused as her eyes can’t see Nova as well.
“What?!” Iri shouted upon realizing Nova just a meter away from her, as Nova slipped past her senses by hiding her being within the shadows.
Nova and Regan were the first foes that can bypass their highly honed senses, giving the two the first difficult battle for years.
‘I won’t make it!’ Iri thought in despair as her magic sequence was still half-completed.
She saw how Nova held her black katana’s hilt with both hands, about to sever her chest.
Qoo by her side, right at that moment, felt her partner’s intense ‘fear’ for her life.
“Tsk…SISTER!” Qoo yelled with concern, and seeing no other way, she decided to take dangerous risks to save her sister.
“Livsfarlig satse!” Qoo shouted with anger, as blue light sparkled from her wrists and then raw mana engulfed every part of her body. Immediately after that, Qoo quickly pushed back up Regan’s broadsword with ease, catching Regan off guard as he left a fatal opening around his torso.
Qoo’s strength multiplied several times, easily surpassing Regan’s raw might by driving her physical and magic body beyond her limits, but not without a price, as she suffered severe damage in return from her spell’s backlash.
Immediately upon, Regan was able to see a reddish glint from Qoo’s eyes, a flash of murderous intent; and without wasting time, Qoo lunged her dual blades towards Regan’s stomach.
Credits to I4MD347H and LechnerPR for editing!