"Hurry up so we can get down to the Treasure Hold!" a deep yet croaky voice called out from beyond the room.

Both Miwah and Yalch turned their heads away from the weapon in Miwah's hands to the corridor that led into the Treasure Hold. "Hurry up and hide," Yalch whispered. He pointed to an ornate chest in the corner of the storage area. Miwah stashed away the small sack containing the necklaces among the fabric of her new clothing.

More soggy footsteps sloshed towards the storage room. Miwah held her breath as the footsteps became louder. Then they paused. Coins and other metals clanged against each other while the sound of heinous cackling drowned out the crashing of the tides outside.

"Don't get too greedy," the same voice from before whispered. "Don't wanna end up like Siglik, do ya?"

"No, no. Of course not. Just grab what we can fit in our pouches and then we head out," a different voice replied. “That’s the plan, right?”

"No! The plan was to only grab what you really wanted before Eijnar gets his hands on it."

Miwah stuck her head out past the corner of the chest just enough to get a glimpse of the other two in the room with her. Both men’s backs were to her as they rummaged through the mounds of ill-gotten treasure. She could only see them from the waist down as their upper bodies were bent forward while they scoured fervently for the most valuable items in the pile. Long brown pelts of fur were wrapped around their waist and dangled down below their knees. Long leather boots covered their legs up to their shins.

"Be careful, Miwah!" Yalch whispered in her ear. "They look strong, but I think you can take them!" The young woman turned her head and mouthed the word "what" slowly.

"You can! You just have to use the one Spell that Liberator comes with," Yalch replied.

Miwah remained silent, only maintaining a look of utter confusion.

"Remember? Aura Drive?"

"Oh..." Miwah whispered.

"It's not hard to do! Just focus the same way when you cast Insight and you should be able to use the spell. But don't forget to keep track of your Mana! You can't just keep using it, especially at your current Purifier rank."

"I know how Mana works!" Miwah muttered in annoyance.

"Good! You can use Aura Drive to—" Yalch cut off the middle of his sentence to watch Miwah close her eyes and take in another deep breath as she positioned herself away from her hiding spot. She then angled the tip of Liberator forward. In a single elegant motion, she brought her right arm back and followed up with a forward lunge. "I didn't mean now!" Yalch exclaimed as he watched Miwah propel forward with a leap.

The woman became surrounded in a spherical storm of radiant purple energy. Both other men turned around, staring at Miwah as she soared across the room. One of the men jumped out of the way. The other backed against the mound of treasure as he put his arms over his face.

Miwah's Spell went uncontested. The magical aura surrounding the attack connected with the plunderer's exposed chest. An explosion of violet magic engulfed both individuals. The force created a deafening boom as gold, jewelry and other treasures were scattered across the room.

The plunderer that that took the brunt of the attack lay in a near-motionless in a heap on the ground as only his stomach contracted and expanded slowly. The other man looked at his friend and then Miwah. She twirled her weapon by the handle before holding it steady in front of her with the blade covering her chest. The man’s expression of fear immediately shifted to anger as he unsheathed the short sword that was holstered onto his hip.

The attacker sprinted forward while letting out a loud war cry. He held the hilt of the weapon with both hands and began with an overhead slash. Miwah reacted by lifting her weapon upwards and intercepting the attack. The metal clanked as the man lifted his weapon again and followed up with another attack from the same direction. Miwah remained calm and kept her guard up, successfully defending against the second swing.

"Run, Miwah!" Yalch exclaimed. With their weapons crossed, Miwah pushed the edge of her weapon against that of her opponent. "You don't have time to fight everyone on this ship!"

With both weapons still interlocked, Miwah landed a push kick to the stomach of the other man. He was floored with one hit, landing on his back with a crash against the wooden floor. "Now go through the door and take the steps up to the main deck!" Yalch said. He flew underneath the frame of the entrance and waved towards Miwah. "Come on! I'll guide you."

While the man she had just kicked lay squirming on the ground with his arms clutching onto his stomach, Miwah sprinted to the exit. She followed Yalch up the creaking steps. "I saw a small boat hanging for the side," he whispered before reaching the very top. The wooden hatch that covered up the exit was closed. Miwah pushed her free hand against the door, only to have it nudge a small distance.

"Locked," she said.

"Now might be a good time to use your Spell!" Yalch said with excitement. "You saw what Aura Drive did back in that treasure room, right?"

"You have a point." Miwah brought her right hand back like before, preparing her weapon for a forward lunge. Liberator began to glow with the same purple glow. With a single punch, Miwah used the tip of Liberator to shatter the wooden hatch to bits. With the door gone, rain fell through Yalch and onto Miwah. A loud wind roared across the surface, obscuring all other sounds.

"You did that quick!" Yalch shouted with a smile. "You're a fast learner!"

"Thank you!" Miwah replied.

The ghost pointed behind her. "That way. There's an escape boat in that direction." Miwah nodded after glancing behind her. With a new goal in mind, she dashed up the steps as rain continued to douse her. Once she reached the surface of the ship, she scanned the surrounding area of the deck. The storm made visibility low, but she could still see other men scattered across the boat, most of whom were attending to a break on the far side.

She climbed up the last of the steps before turning around in the opposite direction. As she moved closer to the edge of the ship, she noticed a pair of men by the edge of the boat that she was running towards. One's upper half was entirely bare while the other had on a long fur cape. Her run slowed to a skid as she hid herself behind a barrel.

"You don't have much time left, Miwah!" Yalch said just loud enough to overcome the sound of rain and crashing waves. "Once you run out of Vigor, you'll be back to your normal self. You won't have access to any of your Spells, your weapon or any of your enhanced abilities."

"How much time do I have left?" Miwah shouted back.

"Two and a half minutes at most!"

Miwah slapped her forehead with her hand, making a loud and wet smack. She shook her head, took in another deep breath and resumed her sprint. The distance to the edge of the boat was relatively short; the speed buff she received from her Purifier transformation allowed her to clear the distance in a matter of seconds. She kept Liberator low and to her side, primed for a rising slash.

The caped man turned around, taken back by the rapidly approaching woman. He muttered obscenities under his breath as he stepped to the side. The accompanying man held his position, brandishing a double-edged battle axe. The second man swung high, forcing Miwah to roll onto the ground to avoid decapitation. She ended her roll on her knees, staring at both the caped man as well as his accomplice.

"A stowaway, huh?" The caped man said with disdain.

"I'll make quick work of her, Captain Eijnar," the man with the battle axe he replied. He performed a vertical chop at Miwah, forcing her to lunge to the side to avoid getting hit.

The two combatants locked eyes. Miwah stood herself up, slowly retreating as the man with the axe inched forward. Her vision darted downwards for a split second when Yalch poked half of his body through the wooden flooring. "The boat's right behind them!" the ghost said as it phased up from the ground. "Try to get past them!"

Miwah looked back at the furious plunderer again. He held the axe by the bottom of the handle with both hands to maximize its range. He swung with a hefty diagonal cleave to which Miwah responded with an upwards slash of her own. The edge of Liberator's blade sliced through the wooden shaft of the axe, sending the head tumbling through the air. The man became stunned, staring at the remnants of his weapon in disbelief.

With her opponent unarmed, she positioned Liberator in front of her and continued her run. The man with the headless axe stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding the edge of the tonfa as Miwah darted past him. Eijnar blocked the way to the escape boat but soon changed his mind when he saw Liberator poised for a rising slash. He stepped out of the way, giving her clearance to hop over the railing and land on the emergency vessel.

Miwah landed on the escape boat with both feet, shaking it on impact. It rocked back and forth, swaying from the pulleys that kept it secured to the hull. Miwah then took Liberator and began to saw away at one of the ropes that suspended the craft above water.

"You can do it, Miwah!" Yalch shouted as she cut the first rope with Liberator. The boat shook as the strands snapped, forcing Miwah to spread both her arms and legs to maintain balance. "Not much time left but I know you've got this!" She continued to saw through the cord on the other side until the boat juddered violently from a sudden shift in weight.

"Look out, Miwah!" Yalch shouted. She turned around upon hearing her name. The man she had sparred with landed on the other end of the escape boat. He stood up straight from his landing position while still holding onto his new axe. He stretched one arm across his chest as he slowly advanced towards the woman. The man held the staff of the weapon with both hands, staring at Miwah with a deep hatred. Miwah held Liberator at an angle in front of her, taking a defensive pose as she watched the plunderer inch closer.

Art Spotlight: Captain Eijnar