Chapter 8 Arc 2 The Ring of Andrea

Chapter 8

Arc 2

The Ring of Andrea

“Alexia… Alexia, wake up, dear. It’s time for your practice.”

A little girl stirs in her bed. Alexia sits up and sees a silver-haired woman with teal eyes standing beside her. “Aww, is it my first day of training already?”

The woman nods warmly. “Yes, dear. It’s time. Go grab your Fairy Bow. You’re eleven now, and your father wants you prepared.”

Alexia hops out of bed, takes her golden bow, and follows the woman outside. A gentle wind sweeps across the royal courtyard.

Alexia glances up. “Hey, sensei-lady… do you think I’ll ever be a strong princess? With a tall, handsome knight by my side?”

The woman smiles. “Oh, Alexia… I’m sure of it.”

Koro stares at his mangled hand—pinky, ring, and middle fingers gone. Shock hits him like a wave. “AHHHHH!!!”

He screams in agony and leaps back beside Sophie. As she nocks a fire arrow, two figures emerge from the shadows.

A pink-haired man in golden armor, blue eyes gleaming, grips a long sword with a golden hilt. Beside him stands a dark elf with black hair and yellow eyes, clutching a wooden staff.

The dark elf’s gaze locks on Sophie. Her eyes widen. She whispers, “Ohh… finally,” a revelation dawning. The pink-haired man notices. “Something wrong, Kahlani?”

Kahlani smirks. “Nothing, Kazuya. I just realized I want to crush that little elf girl.”

Kazuya grins. “Well, I’ll take the guy with the glowing eyes. I already sliced off his fingers.”

Koro, recognizing the name Kahlani from Crimson’s dying words, draws his sword with his left hand. Sophie fires her arrow. Flames explode—but Kahlani blocks with a dark magic shield conjured from her staff.

One minute later, Kazuya unleashes a flurry of sword strikes. Koro dodges each one with Hyper Sway. “Stop moving so damn much, you worm!”

As the technique fades, Kazuya kicks Koro square in the chest. Koro crashes into the wall.

Kahlani fires dark magic beams at Sophie. Sophie slides under them, leaps, and shoots a light arrow that pierces Kahlani’s arm. “Ah, you bitch!”

Kahlani charges, swinging her staff. Sophie blocks with her bow, but Kahlani slips underneath and blasts her with dark energy. Sophie skids back—then Kahlani drop-kicks her in the face.

Koro evades another sword projectile from Kazuya. The slash explodes behind him, blasting him through a temple pillar. Kazuya dashes into the debris. “Come on out, little coward. You can’t run forever.”

Koro emerges from the smoke. “You wanted to see me? Well, here I am.”

He charges his fist with blue flames. “Soul King’s Flame!!”

Kazuya blocks effortlessly. “Ha—this attack is pathe—”

Koro vanishes in lightning and reappears behind him. “Whirlwind Kick!!”

SPHEESO!!!! The wind-charged strike slams into Kazuya’s back, launching him into the ceiling.

Koro lands, clutching his bleeding hand in pain.

Sophie slams against the wall, then springs up, running along it. Kahlani unleashes a barrage of dark energy blasts. Sophie leaps between pillars, firing a blinding light arrow into Kahlani’s eyes, then follows with an ice arrow that freezes her solid.

Sophie lands and approaches the frozen Kahlani, nocking an explosion arrow. Her expression is deadly serious. “Why are you here? Talk, or I’ll blow your brains out.”

Kahlani laughs—Sophie cuts it off by pressing the arrow to her eye. “Okay, okay—fine. Geez, you’re no fun.”

Sophie glares. “Yeah, well, you sliced my partner’s fingers off. So answer me, you psycho.”

Sophie studies Kahlani’s face. Something feels eerily familiar, but she can’t place it.

Kahlani smirks. “Well, this might surprise you, but Kazuya and I are S-rank adventurers from the Soul Shock guild. We’re here for that ring.”

Sophie narrows her eyes. “Soul Shock? That corrupted guild in the capital? And if you’re S-rank, it’s pathetic you’re struggling against A-ranks like us.”

Kahlani’s smile widens. “Struggling? It seems you’re delusional if you think S-ranks like us would lose to you two.”

Kazuya drops from the ceiling and slashes Koro across the chest. Blood sprays. Koro coughs violently and collapses.

Sophie’s face twists in horror. Kahlani shatters the ice. Sophie fires the explosion arrow—Kahlani swats it aside. Sophie throws a dagger; it slices Kahlani’s cheek. Kahlani touches the blood, turns it into a dark magic projectile, and pierces Sophie’s hand.

Koro vanishes into lightning, grabs Sophie, and slams his palm into the ground. “Narukami!!”

The temple erupts in a blinding explosion. The blast carves a 937-kilometer-wide crater. Koro and Sophie are hurled two miles into the sky.

Kahlani and Kazuya stand unharmed inside her dark magic barrier. Kazuya holds the Ring of Andrea. “Huh… that move probably could’ve killed us.”

Kahlani nods. “Maybe. But my barrier was infused with cursed vitality. His Narukami couldn’t touch us. Still… how does an A-rank have enough mana to cast an S-rank spell like that? Fascinating.”

Sophie clutches the unconscious Koro as they rocket through the air. Blood pours from his wounds. She presses her hand to his chest, trying to stem the flow. “Shit, shit, shit—Koro, please don’t die. Not here. I promise I’ll get you back to the guild. Alice can heal you once we land.”

A faint blue mana flickers over Koro’s body, slowing the bleeding—but the wounds remain. Sophie holds him tight, resting her chin on his head.

Twelve minutes later, they crash-land fifteen miles from the crater. Sophie takes the brunt of the impact to shield Koro. She rises slowly, hoisting him onto her back.

“Ahhhh… fuck… which way is Sierra Village?”

She carries him onward.

Late at night, a little girl sneaks out of the castle, clutching a small wooden sword. She slips through the courtyard gate and into the kingdom streets.

She stops when she sees a dark elf working in a dimly lit field. The dark elf notices her. “Huh… the princess? What are you doing here, Your Highness?”

The girl tilts her head. “Miss? Why are you still working in this dingy field? Isn’t it really late?”

The dark elf sighs. “I don’t like it here either. But I can’t leave. It’s the kingdom’s law. I have to work for them… for your kind.”

The girl frowns. “Huh? We’re both elves, right?”

The dark elf looks down at her. “You’ll understand when you’re older. And when you do… please change this place for the better. Now run along back to the castle. I’m not allowed to speak to royals—or even look at them.”

The nine-year-old princess nods, confused. Alexia hurries back to the castle, sneaks through her window, sets down her sword, and climbs into bed.

Her gaze lingers on the golden Fairy Bow displayed in her room. Her mother had warned her: don’t touch it until she turns eleven and they find her an instructor.