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...

 

With all the force he could muster in his body, Priest Cleary had stabbed the gleaming pure silver kitana toward Nox's chest in hopes of finishing him in one blow.

 

However to his and Lucy's surprise just as the blade finally made contact, it became apparent that he hadn't stabbed Nox or his heart but instead the space ring on Lucy's hand which had shielded said area in the nick of time.

 

In the next few seconds multiple changes happened at once as the dark forest lit up from the Low Grade magic item on Lucy's finger promptly exploding under the force of the Priest's attack.

 

"Aghh" grimaced Lucy in pain

 

The power of the explosion caused by the space ring's destruction spilled the ring's dimensional pocket contents around the trio and destroyed Lucy's hand from the wrist up.

 

These developments all happened within the blink of an eye leaving everyone present completely shocked.

 

Before the three combatants had a chance to gather their wits however, another startling change happened as a brilliant and shimmering gold light began to rapidly spread from a spot of Lucy's blood that had landed on the expelled Great Forest map .

 

The shimmering gold glow quickly increased in it's brilliance and magnitude, eventually  extending to a range of 10 meters as Lucy and party's form became lost in its brightness.

 

Seemingly in a flash, just as quick as the mystical gold light appeared, it then disappeared.

 

And with it's absence the night was painted back to black, save for a section of the forest floor that shone with the glare from the silver kitana in Priest Cleary's hand.

 

For several moments the sword laid limply in his grasp while he laid unconscious on the forest floor before suddenly his calloused fingers moved to close around the hilt.

 

"T-Those demons managed to escape...urgh" he managed to mutter, "But how?"

 

'It must have been that white haired one!.... She was more experienced and she had many abilities I'd never seen before in all my years as a Purifier...'

 

Once the priest stood to his full height he glanced around the dark woods for any sign of the mysterious light or Lucy and party. But there were no signs of either of them, and even the contents from the destroyed space ring had disappeared.

 

"For the first time ever...I-I failed! And now they could be making their way to anywhere in the Hale kingdom... Urgh I am left with no other choice, I must tell the king to put the country on high alert at once!" he decided immediately.

 

...

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