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Arc I Chapter 9

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11^th Anima Lunar 753 AAC

 

“So, what shall I do with you⁓? Any suggestions⁓?” Aurora tilted her head, playing for time. Her cute headsie worked really hard, like really, really hard. Her singsong voice taunted the enemy while maintaining her cute act. Teasing them was so much fun and prolonging the fight was in her best interest as time was on her side.  

 

Her mana adapted and stabilised. Coursing through her veins, its subtle presence grew stronger. Deep within her, her magic slumbered buried. Dormant, unresponsive, her magic ignored her call in these dire times. Her powers, so close, yet so far. Her attempts to access her powers, to break them free from their stasis, failed. Her new body rejected her mana.

 

“You were naughty, naughty boys⁓. And naughty boys need to be punished⁓. Attacking a little girl in the middle of the night, how despicable⁓.” Aurora shook her head. “You truly disappoint me, have you no honour left⁓?” Her words incited the enemy.

 

The sea of deadly glares she received were wonderful. The wish to see her buried beneath the ground was palpable. They really wanted her dead. Quite understandably so.

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Guenther clenched his fist. His knuckles turned white. Undiluted hatred burned inside him. Bottomless hate devoured his heart and clouded his mind. This girl ... Confronted with such arrogance, he felt nothing but utter disgust. They were Arcadian royal knights, and they were played by a bloody little girl. ... unacceptable. They had their pride. He would kill her and he would savour every single moment.   

 

“Stop ... messing ... with ... us!” Guenther glared. Passionate hatred banished his exhaustion. Captain Alarich always said that a knight should retain their professional calm under all circumstances. He was wrong. He never met this girl.

 

“Unfortunately, I fail to see as to how I am I messing with you⁓? I am not sure what you are talking about⁓?” The girl tilted her head, mocking them.

 

“...” Guenther fell silent.

 

“In fact, you vastly overestimate your own importance, my friend. I am not messing with you. Not at all. Minor existences such as yours are not even worth to be messed with to begin with. You are like the dirt beneath my heels, utterly ... irrelevant. Know your place, plebeian scum. Don't waste my time and get lost.” 

 

Guenther maintained a semblance of control. His hand gripped his sword. “Who do you think you are?”

 

The girl answered his question with a smirk, her index finger caressing her lips. “Just wait and you will see. Be a good boy and be patient⁓. Because it's my turn⁓. I will show you fools the power of true magic.”

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Aurora raised her arm. Her enemies held their breath. They waited for her to make her move. All their attention was focused on her. It was her time to shine. She made them wait. She kept them wriggling, trapped in their limbo of uncertainty. Seconds passed amidst the falling rain, seconds that felt like eternity. Time came to a halt.

 

“Watch and learn.” Aurora snapped her fingers.

 

...

...

...

 

Nothing happened. Her magic misfired ...

 

Aurora snapped her finger again.

 

...

...

...

 

Nothing happened. Her magic still malfunctioned ... Problematic. Third time was the charm. Aurora snapped her fingers.

 

...

...

...

 

“... dammit.” Her annoyance was written all over her face. Her results remained the same. Still no reaction. No magic at all. Her dysfunctional mana produced only tiny sparks. This wasn't ... exactly ... planned. Maybe this was the right time to execute a tactical retreat.

 

Her eyes glimpsed sidewards. Running appeared like a good option. The tree line was close. Her legs could easily reach the safety of the forest if she timed her escape well. A few moments of distraction were everything she needed.

 

...

...

...

 

Aurora offered an uneasy laugh. “Listen, guys, maybe you can wait a moment⁓. Just give me a few minutes and I will be ready, promised⁓.” A wall of deadly glares met her. Unsurprisingly, they showed her little sympathy despite her current plight.

 

...

...

...

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“Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!” The enemy charged her in frontal assault, foregoing any sense of tactical finesse.

 

Yet Aurora remained calm despite the plausible prospect of being chopped into little pieces. This wasn't her first rendezvous with death, nor would it be her last one. She knew her luck only too well. Even by her standards, the odds were rather ... unfavourable. The enemy closed in. The enemy was fast, significantly faster than her, leaving her with no choice but to fight.

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