Chapter 32 - For Anemus - No Time 1/2

Three days ago.

Emissaries from Elsna knocked on the door of Gion Castle.

"The Emperor is not well and said that only you, Saint Gion, could save him." They said and Gion went with them.

In Gion's absence, the fear of approaching the castle that the desert monsters had, disappeared.

On the first night without Gion, they could hear the roars and squawks of monsters surrounding the castle, but nothing happened.

On the second day without Gion, the monsters got braver and started to scale the outer walls of the castle, being knocked down by the golems.

That night the monsters started to invade the castle and the golems did their best to stop them, but it wasn't enough.

The monsters made their way into the castle as if something called to them and they destroyed more than half of Gion's golems in a short time.

In an attempt to keep Fotiá safe, Anemus stayed on the stairs, between the monsters and the entrance to the wing where the higher rooms were.

Anemus did her best. When Gion returned on the morning of the third day, he followed a trail of shattered monsters to the room where Athena was staying, and found Anemus standing in the doorway maintaining a wind-shredding barrier.

The nymph was covered in sweat and blood, her red cheeks and forehead showed her fervor and in her face the clear exhaustion showed how much she had struggled and her eyes showed how much pain she was feeling.

Behind Anemus, Neu and Eun who had less mana than even a normal person tried to keep a barrier on the porch and windows.

"Y-you took…" Anemus said with a crooked smile and passed out at Gion's feet.

Gion was going to bend down to check on Anemus' situation, but felt the nymph's mana flow change and then ran to protect Fotiá and the others when an energy explosion occurred.

***

Vitia laid Den at the foot of a tree and walked back to Athena. Her slow steps sink into the sand that makes a dry sound.

The moons illuminated well the new clearing that was created there and from where Vitia was it was possible to see Athena lying on the ground.

The Slayer wields her daggers and her steps get faster and firmer until she finds herself running towards Athena.

On her face there was only hatred and grief as she faced Athena who was sleeping peacefully on the sand. Just as Vitia was about to slit Athena's neck, a black shield resembling a dragon's face appeared in front of her and blocked her attack.

"I don't know what's going on, but you won't hurt my friend." Lunnia said.

The knight emanated a strong murderous aura, making Vitia instinctively put distance between them.

While Vitia looked at Lunnia without looking anywhere else, Kima fell from the sky on her, but Vitia dodged at the last second.

Amidst the dust that appeared at her landing, Kima flew again and then saw from above another person lying down and like a diving eagle, the grimera flew towards the boy.

Seeing the direction the animal was flying, Vitia's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed.

"Not!" Vitia screamed and ran to Den.

But Kima was faster and the sand didn't make it easier for Vitia to get around.

Kima landed brutally in the sand above Den, caught the boy in his mouth and turned to Vitia with a menacing look.

"He won't kill the boy." Lunnia said. "As long as you don't try anything against his master."

"You keep getting mixed up and don't even save what happened here. Get out of my way, I have to kill this woman to avenge Horx and for the sake of the rest of the world!"

Lunnia sheathed her sword and fastened her shield to her waist, not caring what Vitia said.

"Very noble, but she is one of the few friends I have." Lunnia laughed at the thought of Vitia's words. "If she decides to destroy the world, all I would do at the very least is watch."

"You don't know what you're talking about. I don't know what she is, but she has to die!"

"Umhum! Kima, bring the boy." After that Lunnia whistled, calling for Achilles, and then looked back at Vitia. "If you manage to kill her in a fair fight, I won't say anything. Otherwise, I will kill even this child out of revenge."

After that, in the camp of Athena and Lunnia. Lunnia laid Athena on the bed beside the fire and Kima kept Den close to him.

Lunnia sat on a log, away from Athena and the fire, with Vitia in front of her. Both women were serious and were studying each other.

Lunnia studied Vitia's body and every movement with her eyes.

From the short, dark brown hair to the black boots with silver toe.

Vitia was a pretty girl with pink lips and very dark blue eyes and a slim yet muscular body.

She was dressed in light blue gray leather armor with metal plates over her breasts, black shorts and tall boots with small metal plates in strategic parts.

She moved like she was an Assassin, looking for where to hide and looking which way the wind was, but her breath gave her away, making Lunnia come to a conclusion as she looked at the girl's mana.

"You are a Slayer, aren't you?"

"How do you know?" Vitia asked. His wide eyes showed his fear.

"That's rare... What was the reason for abandoning Assassin's path? Your breathing is too fast and your mana is practically all converted into martial energy, and you have too many muscles..."

They kept talking inane things while keeping their eyes on each other all the time until dawn.

When Athena woke up, her head ached like she had a hangover. She got to her feet, sputtering to death, and walked to a bush behind Kima, taking off her armor on the way.

After doing her morning chores, not minding Vitia's presence, Athena sat beside Lunnia, in front of a new fire.

"He slept well?" Lunnia asked and handed Athena a mug of something black.

"Hm? Coffee?"

"You do not like?"

"I love coffee!" Athena said and Lunnia smiled. "Who is this and the kid inside Kima's mouth?

Lunnia looked at Athena with concern and Vitia looked at Athena with anger.

"You don't remember?" Both asked in different tones.

"Huh? Did something happen while Death was in my body?"

***

"...And this is what happened." Vitia said. Her eyes showed suspicion in Athena's words.

Athena made a complicated expression. Not because of Horx's death, but because it wasn't her and now she was taking the blame.

"Well... do what, eh? I wasn't the one who killed your friend, it was Death itself, the goddess I'm currently imprisoned with. Lunnia, I need to go upstairs, are you coming?" Athena pointed to the mountain ranges.

"Yes." Lunnia immediately lectured.

"Wh- Are you going to pretend this isn't your problem?" Vitia was outraged.

Athena looked at the girl with a stagnant expression.

"I won't pretend. It's not my problem. You guys who were following us, this is all your fault. Now if you want to get back at me for something I didn't do, I won't hold back and I'll kill you without any remorse."

As soon as Athena said this, Vitia placed her hands on the hilts of her daggers at her waist. Athena just turned her back on him and started walking towards Kima.

"Kima, drop this."

Kima threw Den to the ground and got to her feet, purring loudly for Athena to brush her mane, but the woman just threw the cell onto his back and tightened the support straps.

Vitia, seeing Athena's disregard for everything that happened, could no longer stand her fury and thirst for revenge and ran with her daggers in hand, towards Athena.

Athena turned to the girl and drew her sword which was still smeared with Horx's blood. Out of respect for what she'd said earlier, Athena didn't attack first and waited.

Vitia looked deep into Athena's serious eyes and began to use her skills.

"[Acceleration]" Vitia went faster than Athena could see.

Athena took three steps forward and remembering the descriptions provided to her by Vitia herself, Athena also used her skill as soon as Vitia appeared in front of her.

"[Death Aura]"

Vitia had dilated pupils and saw everything as if the world had slowed down.

When she saw a black veil cover Athena, Vitia struck twenty-four times in a single strike.

Lunnia watched everything from the side, just as she had promised.

Athena didn't move, but there she had the noise of metal clashing against each other.

Vitia's attacks were all defended by Athena's hair. Vitia complained and Athena smiled.

"Interesting, this skill works as a buff for speed, defense and attack..." Athena said with a smile that she was falling apart and turning into a nuisance. "This is a cheater..."

"Hah!? What are you talking about while fighting me?!" Vitia yelled.

"Eh? Ah! Don't bother with me. Go on." Athena said, calling Vitia closer.

"Do not underestimate me!"

"Impress me!"

Vitia approached Athena in the blink of an eye and landed another twenty-five blows and this time Athena defended with her sword, dodged and retaliated with a punch which Vitia parried and spun in the air using Athena's arm for support.

Before Vitia landed on the ground and started running again, Athena stuck her sword in the ground and used [Hew].

The ground, with the exception of where Athena was standing, split and split into hundreds of boulders of churned earth, raising dense dust.

The moment Vitia stepped on the soft and destroyed ground, the girl's foot turned in a strange way and Vitia fell into a sitting position, in pain.

"Athena, don't overdo it." Lunnia screamed from somewhere in that dust.

"I'll finish this now." Athena responded and dove into that brown fog, cutting where she passed. "That's enough girl. I have someone important to meet today."

Vitia kept silent as she walked away, using the dust-covered curtain to give her pain time to ease.

Somewhere there, Den woke up coughing from the dust. He didn't understand what was going on and started calling out for Horx and Vitia, but the one he attracted was Athena who was covered in [Death Aura] like the night before.

Vitia was crawling anywhere when she heard Den's scream of terror.

"Den!"

"V-Vitia! She's here!"

"Den!" Vitia screamed and ran towards where Den's voice was coming from, forgetting the pain. "Den, where are you?"

"Here…" Athena said, appearing behind Vitia. "That's enough. I really enjoyed playing your little game and everything, but I gotta go." Athena said and threw Den into the girl's arms and disappeared into the dust cloud again.

"Den! Are you okay?"

"Y-yes…Where's Horx?"

In the sky, Athena and Lunnia flew towards the edges of the mountains.

"Are you sure you won't kill her?" Lunnia asked remembering what Athena had said to Vitia.

Athena shrugged and laughed. "I'm in a good mood, that's all it takes and my Anemus will be fine."

"So let's go get what's needed and get back as soon as possible."

The hardest part of this 'ingredient gathering' was facing dozens of harpies at once, but they had a catch-and-run plan.

Athena and Lunnia attracted the harpies and using a rope, they captured a harpy by the wings and kidnapped it away from the band that followed them for some time and gave up.

Harpies had a song that bewitched people and lured them to death and thus gained food for their cubs, but that song, like the mermaids' songs, only works on men.

That day Athena had another confirmation that she was a woman and decided to accept this fact once and for all.

After drawing the harpy's blood and waiting for Lunnia to draw materials from the carcass, the two women sent their mounts flying restlessly for eighteen hours straight at speeds they had never run before.

But all this haste was only to find Gion Castle surrounded by six tornadoes that curved into the castle, indicating its origin.