Chapter 112: Stronger than Me

I was being taken by Precia into her homeland. The land of the elves. I was blindfolded by Precia when she brought me here since their location is a heavily guarded secret.

"We're here." Precia undid the blindfold on my eyes and revealed two huge trees in the middle of the forrest parallel to each other.

"This is your hometown?" I asked.

"Not quite." Precia took a deep breath and began chanting. It was words that I couldn't understand nor comprehend. But bit by bit, the air around us suddenly changed.

The leaves of the trees suddenly detached from itself and began gathering into a single sphere. As soon as Precia touched that sphere, it exploded everywhere. It wasn't dangerous nor harmful. But it revealed something that amazed me.

"Is that..."

"Yeah. Welcome to my hometown Rize. Welcome to the land of the elves."

The moment I stepped into the portal that connected this place and the forest, everything around us changed. We were on top of a cliff overseeing the absurdly large kingdom below us.

"This is incredible." I couldn't help but be amazed.

"Hmm." Precia did not look happy by being back here. She looks... sad? "By the way, anything other than elves and animals aren't allowed here. Alter Body."

My ears stretched even farther than before and my previously light greened skin changed into a white and light skin.

"I look like an elf..."

"Yeah. Anywhere you go there will be discrimination. Let's just avoid getting too much attention."

"Where are we going now?"

"I have to be somewhere first but you need to meet Arka immediately. Tell them you were sent by Precia Edelstein. And also, your name here is Rize Edelstein. Don't say his surname for now."

"Why?"

"I'll explain it to you later. Just go to the Elves' barracks and ask for Arka there. I'll be going now." Precia then hurriedly left.

"Thanks for the tour I guess?" I jumped down the cliff and began walking to the direction of the kingdom.

After a few minutes of walking, I found myself standing in front of the absolutely huge gates guarded by elves.

I was stopped by several guards. "Halt! State your business."

I complied with them and told them what I was going to do, "I'm here to meet this person called Arka."

"Name?"

"Rize Edelstein."

"Hng!?" The guards suddenly formed a line parallel next to each other as if welcoming me. "Apologies for the rough treatment milady. I should've noticed it from your red eyes. You may go in."

I don't understand what's going on but I guess Precia is pretty famous here. I asked around about where the barracks is and finally got to it after a few minutes.

The moment I entered the roaring laughs and cheers suddenly turned into silence when I walked to the front desk. "I'm looking for Arka."

A creaking sound was heard and someone suddenly shouted. "I'm Arka! What do you want?"

She was a big woman, bulky and muscular. She stands out over the rest.

I walked up to her, "Someone told me you could help me?"

"I introduced myself. Wouldn't it be more respectful to introduce yourself too?"

"Ah I'm Rize. Rize Edelstein."

Everyone stood up and dropped the food they were eating and place their hands on their weapons ready to unleash it.

"Maria, here's the payment." She slammed down some coins on the table. "I have some business with this child."

We went at the back of the barracks which was a training ground.

"So about the thing I said..."

"Wait. Are you an idiot or just someone that likes to play pranks? Who would reveal their name as Edelstein in this place." She then followed with an exasperated sigh.

"I was sent here by Precia."

"Ah." The expression on her face changed. Relieved? "She's... she's alive?"

"Yes?"

"Hmm... I don't believe you but there's a part of me that wants to. What did she sent you here for?"

"She said I just need to meet you for some reason."

"I see. Bring out your weapon."

"Huh?" I was confused. "Uhm what?"

"Just do it kid. I don't got time."

"Uhh... Fine... Gazer Armor! Come, Heartpiercer!"

"You're a marksman. Hmm. I'm starting to believe you now bit by bit. Come, Hou Yi's Bow."

"Whoa."

"Rules, if you hit me once, you win, if I hit you once, I win."

"What's the reason for fighting me?"

"I want to check if you're truly sent by Precia."

"Fine. Let's do this."

After a moment of silence, we both moved back and hid behind covers. "Bow." I changed Heartpiercer to bow first for an equal fight.

I moved first and shot my first shot behind a pillar on where she's standing on. She revealed herself and shot back. Both our arrows collided but both of our arrows broke.

"Want to test me!?" She then began pouring hordes of shots towards my way. I couldn't interrupt everything. She was way too fast. I could only run.

If I want to win, I will need to use Heartpiercer to its fullest. "Gun." My heartpiercer turned into a rifle and I shot it with her but her insane speed managed to interrupt the bullet. "It's a bullet shot by a gun!?"

"Don't get too reliant on that old technology. Triple Shot!"

"Tsk." I changed back to my bow and tried to interrupt her triple shot but my arrows broke and hers kept on flying through the air.

That's some insane power... That huge body for the drawback of that bow... it must be incredibly heavy. Wait, does that mean she's shooting faster than me despite hers being incredibly difficult to pull?

"Arrow Rain!" one arrow multiplied to another and began falling her way.

"A mere recreation! This is Arrow Rain!" She casted the same spell but it was far stronger and has much more arrows falling.

I hid behind one of the pillars, "Argh... Shroud!" I stood still and has become invisible unless I move. I began to think what to do to beat this monster.

"You see, that won't work on me."

"Huh!?"

I heard her menacing voice. She stood in front of me. I know I'm invisible as long as I'm standing still. But why does she look at me as if she sees me?

"Hey Rize Edelstein. Run."

Fear took over my body and I immediately cancelled shroud and leaped back. I knew I had to run. There was something on her eyes that could see me even through invisibility. "Crossbow." More power but less speed. But the power of this crossbow is the same power as her bow. I shot my chances but she interrupted it again with one shot of her bow.

"Tsk." I began to get even more annoyed. None of my attacks are going through.

"Let's up the pace." Arka readied her bow and pulled it to the very end to the point where her muscles flexed. As soon as she released her grip on the bow, I barely managed to dodge it. It pierced through the roof and continued flying on.

It was no normal shot. That shot far exceeded what I thought was possible. It looked like it was shot by a catapult... no... a ballista!

But power isn't needed here. I just need to land one shot. Nothing more, nothing less. "Gun. Bullet Hell!"

"What's that skill?" She seemed confused.

I shot my rifle and she deflected it again with her arrow. It pierced through the bullet and flew far away.

"It's useless." She seemed content of her victory.

"It's not over yet."

She looked around and more bullets appeared. "When did yo-" She jumped in the air and the bullets followed her. She shot all of those bullets with her insane speed with the bow. But it split again. "What!?" The numbers of the bullets were twice before. She couldn't move in the air so she tried to prevent the bullets from hitting her by intercepting the bullets again with her bow. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Even I was amazed by how she pulled that bow with insane speed shooting multiple arrows in the blink of an eye. Intercepting everything that went near her.

But all that speed was to no avail since the bullets split again and began rushing her. and out of that multiple bullets, she intercepted most of them. Only one bullet hitting her.

"You goddamn cheeky brat..." She was filled with rage. I knew she wouldn't settle for her losing. She was proud of herself. Too much.

"It's going to come to this huh." I readied my Heartpiercer again since this fight is going to be a fight of life and death.

"*sigh* Fine. You win. I believe you that Precia sent you. Where is she now?"

I dispelled Gazer Armor and my weapon. It seems she's calm now. "She said she had somewhere to go."

"I'm here. Sorry for the wait." That voice was none other than Precia. "Hello Arka."

"Is... is it really you?" Arka was overwhelmed by feelings I couldn't tell.

"Yes. It's me. I'm back."

Arka rushed to Precia and held her hand. Tears ran down from her eyes and Precia had a wry smile on her face. Arka kneeled down to her as she held her hand. "I'm glad you're alive... Welcome back Princess Precia Edelstein."

I was merely confused at the sight. "Eh?"