Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ １９-𝖀𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝕬𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊

Flora couldn't believe what she just heard.

Flora: “Y-you want us to team up?”

???: “That gives me a weird look? Not team up. But it would be annoying if you guys died so easily. And I really don't want to keep guarding you.” He put her down.

Flora: “Why are you helping… You're so quick to kill Lily, but why not us? What are you after?”

???: “Look, I can't tell you shit, because of reasons. But I saved you earlier, didn't I? So you owe me.” He opens a menu and clicks something.

Suddenly a notification pops up in her menu.

+------------------------------------------------------Flora--------------------------------------------------------+

 You have obtained an ultra-rare item.

Crimson Blood Armor.

Would you like to obtain -ꈼꁷꐇꂑꉣ-

Armor equipped.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Flora looks down to see her attire changed to a new armor. It looks like it should be heavy, yet her body never felt lighter. Yet the only thing that bothered her was that it was exposing her cleavage and thighs while still covering her legs. She blushes, frowning.

Flora: “Hey, you! Did you do this with my consent? Why does it look like this!”

The man frowns as if offended.

Because we don't have time for this. Do you want to live or not? And if you're close to dying in this battle, just call out my name. Kazuyuki.”

Flora repeated his name, thinking it sounded foreign.

He then goes to Mochi, who slowly backs away barking.

Kazuyuki: “Shut up already, filthy dog.” 

He put his hand on Mochi, and his hand glowed, making the dog luminous. Flora watches as Mochi transforms into a different shape. And there stood Mochi his mane and body like that of a lion with light armor.

Kazuyuki: “For the time being, I will mod your body into a higher level-  Ow!”

Despite Mochi's body changing, his voice and face were still the same as he bit Kazuyuki's hand. Mochi glares at him, growling. Kazuyuki slaps Mochi away, making Flora snap at him. 

Flora: “Hey! Don't hit him! You'll hurt him.”

Kazuyuki: “I barely hurt him. I boost his defense seriously, just like yours. So you're going to use that wand of yours?”

Flora: “I… it's not really good.” 

Kazuyuki: “Well, just don't cast some water spell, and you should be fine.” Kazuyuki didn't allow her to finish talking and already ran towards the trio.

Tanya: “Come forth, my water is weird!” An aquatic serpent shoots towards him. Kazuyuki  grins and kicks his feet hard, shocking the creature afterward into thin air.

Tanya: “My servant! You damn monster. Shana! Summon yours too!”

Shana: “No way! He's obviously going to kill mine too!”

Tanya glares at her sister, clearly angry.

Kazuyuki: “You know. You should pay attention to me.”

“Huh?” They both said they saw his shadow getting closer to them and him swinging his electro kicks again, making them burst into water.

The waters float past him and towards Mochi and Flora. 

Flora: “Get ready, Mochi. You should hide behind me-”

Bark, bark!

Mochi ran toward them with increased speed, and Flora felt mana seep from Mochi as some  sort of veil surrounded his body.

Mochi, quickly check her menu.

+------------------------------------------------------Flora--------------------------------------------------------+

Mochi is using Super Duper Zoomies.

The armor of Skylard boosted his defense, and his attack increased by 800 pts

The armor of Skylard's special abilities is activated. All Mochi's attacks will be laced with the element of wind.

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

The moment Mochi hits one of the floating waters, it immediately transforms back to Tanya, making her yelp. She, of course, gets back up. 

Tanya: “You will pay for this…”

She watches as the dog runs around and nearly hits her every time with her dodging.

Meanwhile, Flora notices the other water flowing towards her. Flora immediately pointed her wand towards her. She then realizes most of her spells are water-based. The reason is because she wanted an element that is less harmful than the average.

Her mother was a water mage for some time. And that if she does mess up the spells, it usually has less of a consequence. Now, as for other elements, she had learned according to spells. Just not correctly. Which was why most spells in her menu had a “(?)” next to them. She barely uses other elemental spells, so she never remembers the steps. She quickly opens her menus and looks at her spells.

+------------------------------------------------------Flora--------------------------------------------------------+

֎ Bauberis Aqua(?)    ֎ Elio Cortev(!!!)

֎ Aquara Blast(?)       ֎ Maximus Stike(?)

֎ Eroze Blues(?)        ֎ Elect Xis (?)

֎ Horizon Eyis(?)       ֎ Parry arts (?)

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Wait, why is Elio Cortev having a “ !!!” ‘In the end? Wasn't that the healing spell that turned into an explosion during lecture with the mushroom creatures?’

‘No time to lose!’ she decided. ‘I think the system is telling me to use it.’ She pressed on the spell. It gave her the instructions on how to perform it. She usually doesn't need instructions, given that she's memorized most of the spells she uses. This spell was only used once, so she barely remembers anything. She says the spell out loud.

“ELIO CORTEV!!!“

And half of the room exploded, making a huge sound with fire burning.

Across the room, Kazuyuki turns around even when his blade makes it to Sherry's axe in which she had summoned to defend herself. 

Kazuyuki: “FLORA! DAMN IT! YOU GOT ME AND YOU BROKE MY BARRIER!”

Flora fell on the ground not expecting the explosion to go that big but it definitely sent the Nereids flying. Tanya's body even flew out the room while Shana this time grit her teeth from the pain. Mochi appears unaffected and completely unharmed.  He went to Flora to lick her leg. 

Kazuyuki and Sherry continue to swing their blades like waltzes of steel. They put their weight into their attacks, not stopping for a break. Yet none of them seem tired or sweaty. 

At some point their blades nearly scrap the skin making the fight look more deadly. Swift and heavy blades go. Almost difficult to follow by the eye. Nobody wanted to get in their way, as doing so might lead to demise. No words were exchanged between them, only blows.

‘They both are strong…how could Sherry be this strong?’ Flora wonders

Sherry: “Shana, get up. Your job is not yet.”

Shana struggles to stand up, so she summons her water weird

Shana: “Servant…heal…” 

Suddenly the water weird disappeared, making Shana stare confused. Her head suddenly turned to Sherry's side. She widened her eyes. In Kazuyuki's hand was a shawl. Not just any shawl, it's hers. She can feel her soul from there. He must have swiped it somehow.

Sherry: “Give it back—”

The shawl from Kazuyuki starts burning, and Shana cries in pain.

Shana: “Make it stop! Make it.” Her body starts burning as well and collapses to the ground, turning into dust. 

Flora widens her eyes and hugs Mochi tight, facing him away from what's happening. 

At the same time, the door opened, and there stood Indigo and Tanya with her human skin back. Yet Indigo looks furious, and Tanya looks in shock. 

“Yures Vino” Indigo shouted with his wand making the Moderator back away as the vines hang in front of Sherry like a shield 

Indigo: “Flora… how could you?”

Flora looks at Indigo, looking scared. She never saw him so angry and fuming. 

‘What did Tanya tell Indigo?’

Tanya turns into the flow of water and moves to the remaining ashes of Shana. 

Tanya: “I don't sense my sister anymore… Who killed my sister…?” She looks at Flora, angry and hurt. 

Sherry: “Oh, Indigo, thank the gods you're here. I was so scared. I had to face Flora and the Moderator by myself. They killed them. They killed Shana and Lily. They are guilty.”

Indigo could feel his hair covering his face as he gripped his hair.

Indigo: “Is this true, Flora? Have you killed them?”