The sight before Yuna was like a fairy tale come true. Those fairy tales where the valiant knights come galloping in their blazing glory to protect the weak and defenseless. Only these knights were three women who glowed with indignant anger as they fanned out to close around the monstrous centipede.

The one who blazed the brightest stood at the center. Her silvery hair sparkled underneath the aura of mana that rippled around her, a dense cloud energy that felt like the complete opposite of the insidious mana of the monster. It felt calming and protective. Safe.

The centipede hissed, curling back as its mandibles widened and its razor blade legs pulsed. The silver hair woman replied with a flick of her wrists, daggers shooting out seemingly from nowhere. 

Then, without a signal Yuna could see, the three women rushed forward together, each targeting a different section of the monster. Erica went for the lower body, Akira to the upper body, and Yuki went to the head.

As the three went forward, a golden glow engulfed them. Lightning began to crackle out from Erica, a purple cage of electricity wrapping her spear. She stabbed straight at the carapace of the centipede, a thrust that Yuna could barely keep track of as it blurred through the air. 

A crack rang out through the air and Yuna’s eyes widened. A thin line snaked through the segment of the monster’s armor. A crack. 

The monster roared, but its screams were cut off by Yuki who stabbed out at the its eyes. It shut its eyes, stopping the blades just moments before it punctured them. But it only encouraged Yuki who let loose a torrent of stabs and slashes to the unarmored face of the monster. She floated in the air, the wind supporting her as she flew about with graceful twirls and bends.

On the ground, Akira did a dance of her own. A dance of one blade as she pranced around in a tornado, unleashing a torrent of attacks against the shell of the centipede. It was violent, yet had an odd beauty. The way each attack was angled perfectly toward the gaps between the plates of the monster’s armor. The careful steps she took to dodge the swiping legs, dodging each with barely an inch between herself and them. 

Yuna watched as the three pushed back the monster, something nine people couldn’t do. The centipede didn’t seem to know how to react. None of its attacks reached its assailants. Its armor was being broken. 

Somewhere in the monster’s mind, it seemed to realise that it was fighting a losing battle. Yuna noticed the switch in thought immediately, the centipede coiling and its mouth shutting closed. The dark mana radiating out from its broken carapace receded as if it was being sucked back in by the monster. 

‘It’s trying to run,’ Yuna thought. She opened her mouth, ready to warn Yuki.

But it wasn’t needed.

The moment the centipede turned to escape, earthen chains erupted out from the ground, wrapping around the monster and drawing it towards the ground, trapping it. The monster screeched as it struggled against its bonds, but the chains only seemed to tighten in response.

As the monster thrashed about on the ground, the three women stood over it, as if they were about to judge the monster for its crimes. Yuki held a dagger out, her head tilted as she stared at the trapped centipede. 

“Good bye,” she whispered, Yuna barely able to hear the words. 

Then with a swift thrust, she stabbed the dagger into the face of the monster. The monster’s struggling intensified, but the chains held firm. Mana began to gather around Yuki again, growing thicker and thicker.

“I’ll be taking that shell of yours. It’s the least you could do,” Yuki said.

The mana flowed toward the dagger embedded in the centipede. The monster shuddered, and tendrils of smoke began to drift out from the cracks in the monster’s carapace. The centipede let loose a torrent of shrill screeches that clawed at Yuna’s ears and sent fear down her spine. It was an unholy sound, but the three that stood around the monster didn’t even flinch one bit. They only continued to stare as Yuki burned the monster from the inside out.

Then it was over. The monster’s struggling ceased, and it collapsed to the ground. The chains that entrapped it dissolved into dust. Yuki turned around and her eyes met with Yuna’s. Yuna stared back. Those grey eyes looked different. They shined with an odd glow in the dimly lit forest. The pupils seemed off, but Yuna couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Yuki blinked, and it was gone. Maybe she was imagining things.

Yuki closed the space between her and Yuna, Erica and Akira right behind her. She knelt down in front of Yuna, her eyes giving Yuna’s body a quick scan. 

“Where are you hurt?” Yuki asked, her eyes locking onto Yuna’s again. Normal eyes. “Your ribs?”

“I think,” Yuna nodded as she began to notice the throbbing in her ribcage. Waves of dull pain pulsed out from them. “I might have cracked a few when I slammed into a tree. Maybe broke one or two?”

Yuki nodded and took Yuna’s hand, her grasp soft and gentle. Yuna sucked in a breath at the contact, regretting it right away as the pain her ribs doubled. 

A whisper came out from Yuki’s lips, a word that Yuna couldn’t understand. Warmth enveloped her, like a soft blanket. A soft groan escaped her as she felt a few ribs pop back into their correct positions, but those moments of uncomfort were washed away by bliss as the magic comforted her. 

“There,” Yuki said, ending the spell. “I think you’re fine now for the most part. Anywhere else you feel pain?”

“No,” Yuna smiled. “I’m feeling good now. Thanks.”

Yuki smiled back and gave Yuna’s hand a small squeeze. Her eyes still had traces of worry, but she seemed to take Yuna’s word. And Yuna was telling the truth. Her wounds were healed and her stress had disappeared.

“I’m happy we could make it on time,” Akira said, kneeling down and giving Yuna a hug. Yuna hugged back, the warmth reaching her chest. “I thought we might have been a little too late.”

“All that matters is that you made it,” Yuna replied.

“You did good,” Erica said, joining in on the hug. “Standing up to that bug. Your team on the other hand. Well, I guess it’s understandable.”

“Thanks,” Yuna smiled. 

Someone cleared their throat off to the side. Yuna glanced over and saw Carol looking at them with a curious expression. She quickly untangled herself from the group hug and stood up at attention. 

“Princess, these are your friends?” Carol asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I know them, yes,” Yuna nodded.

“What are they doing here in the forest?”

Yuna paused, not sure what to say. Yuki had said that she had a cover, but Yuna didn’t know what that cover was. 

“We were hunting in the forest,” Yuki replied, stepping forward. “We were nearby and heard fighting, so we came to help. I’m glad we did.”

“Hunting? In the Keynal Strip? With three people?” Carol said.

“We're a bit stronger than your average hunter,” Yuki smiled. 

“I could see that,” Carol said with a small grin. 

“Where did you find that king centipede?” Yuki asked, her smile dropping as her tone shifted. “That thing was a mid rank A.”

“It attacked us,” Carol replied. “We couldn’t detect it before it struck. Never seen that before in my life.”

“I see.” Yuki went to the corpse of the monster and rapped her knuckles on its carapace. “It’s because of this thing, I think. It can camouflage and it insulated the monster’s mana from coming out. It’s also really good armor. Good thing it had no real magical abilities.”

Yuki snapped her fingers, and most of the monster dissolved into mana and disappeared. The remaining parts began to ooze out green blood, staining the ground below it.

“That’s your share,” Yuki said. “I’ll be taking the rest since, well, we killed it.”

“Fair enough,” Carol nodded. She tapped her chin for a moment before continuing. “By the way, how did you beat that thing? I’m curious.”

“We just battered away at it until it weakened some, then I burned it from the inside out,” Yuki shrugged. “Took some time, but we wanted to do it as safely as possible.”

“Did you use a support spell?”

“Good eye,” Yuki nodded. “I buffed myself and my partners here. Helped a lot.”

“And you used wind and fire magic.”

“Yes. She made the chains,” Yuki said, gesturing to Akira who gave Carol a small wave. Then she pointed at Erica with her thumb. “She did a lot of the work of cracking that thing’s shell.”

“What rank are you?” Carol asked.

“I don’t want to share that, but I’m sure you have a good idea of what I am. My partners too.”

“Hmm. You seem really close to Yuna. How do you all know each other?” 

“Oh, we’re friends from Junction. We hang out with each other a lot, going places and what not. I haven’t seen her in a while though, so I was really surprised when I saw her here.”

“I see. Well, you should leave this place,” Carol advised. “There’s some suspicious activity going around in here. We’re a squad from the Libra Taskforce and were sent in here to investigate. Until that investigation is complete, I would advise you three to stay away.”

“Investigating?” Yuki repeated. “Investigating what?”

“I’m afraid I can’t disclose that,” Carol said with a tight smile.

“The monsters?” Carol blinked. “I thought so. I’ve noticed as well. I was hunting around here. The monsters seem stronger than usual.”

“You’ve noticed them being stronger? How much stronger?”

“I don’t think I’ve ran into a rank C for a while,” Yuki replied. “Mainly rank B’s and a small handful of rank A’s. That centipede was the strongest so far.”

“I see. Thank you for telling us that.”

“I do have a question,” Yuki said.

“Ask away. I’ll answer it if I can.”

“Are you willing to risk facing another monster like that centipede with a squad that’s hurt and already lost two people?” 

Carol’s face hardened. 

“I’m sure you don’t want more people dying,” Yuki continued. “You need help. Or you should retreat. This will not turn out well if you keep going forward.”

“What are you trying to say?” Carol asked.

“I’m offering our help,” Yuki said, smiling. “I don’t think I need to prove our capabilities. If you just say yes, I’ll go with you and help you all fight off whatever comes.”

Carol frowned.

“You don’t need to tell us anything specific, if that’s what you’re worrying about,” Yuki said. “Of course, anything we kill, we have the right to take with us. But I’ll make sure to leave you all a cut.”

“I can’t do that. It’s against policy,” Carol replied, shaking her head. 

“Then don’t tell anyone,” Yuki shrugged. “No one needs to know. If everyone keeps quiet, then this whole thing will disappear. Otherwise, more of your people will die.”

Carol quieted and stared at Yuki, her fingers drumming a pattern on her thigh. Yuki looked back, her face calm and nonchalant. 

“Princess,” Carol said. Yuna stood up straighter. “How trustworthy are your friends?”

“They won’t backstab you,” Yuna replied without any hesitation. “They’ll be a big boost to us. You can rely on them.”

“Of course you’ll say that,” Carol said, shaking her head ruefully. “Fine. I’ll take your offer. I hope I don’t regret this.”

She reached out a hand, and Yuki took it, giving it a firm shake.

“Don’t worry,” Yuki smiled. “You won’t. Trust me.”

FriendlyDragon

So I'll be taking that break I spoke about now. It'll be about two weeks long. In other news, I finally made a patreon. So if you want to support me, then feel free to become a patron and drop a few dollars. I'm trying to scrap together what I can for new equipment. Every dollar would be appreciated. (＝⌒▽⌒＝)