A Tale of the World **HIATUS**

Chapter 6: Four Minutes

Allie walked toward Gin. "You are a surprisingly handsome man," Allie smiled flirtatious at him. Gin had a blank expression. Allie caressed his cheek. "Ah, how beautiful, that cold stare. How about we trade huh? Rolan and that pitiful girl, and you and I?" She smiled bending down to reveal her cleavage. He didn't even care. She made a face and threw a slap to his face, "No man has ever ignored me like that, you insolent fool!"

Gin turned back his cold gaze to her, which made her nervous. "Hmph. All weak spirits should just die,"

.................

Nina laid still, no more movement, no more stuggle, just motionless, thinking.... Vinettra felt that Nina was no longer moving. "Oi, are you dead yet?" She asked in her high pitched voice moving closer to Nina.

Then, Nina heard, "All weak spirits should just die" Nina's eye shot open, taken by surprise, Vinettra moved back, but it was too late. Nina grabbed it's arms like vine, pulled herself upward, head butted Vinettra in the face and did a round kick slamming Vinettra's face to the ground. Allie, Rolan, the celestial spirits and everyone else there, turned and faced the girl within their circle. The wind blew as Nina's black hair flowed with the wind. Her aura changed; she was no longer grunting in pain, just calmly breathing as if it was normal.

"How dare you. How dare you say such things with your filthy mouth," Nina said, furious. "Celestial spirits or not, they all deserve the same respect. They have feelings, they have their own brain, they have their own beating heart. No matter how weak one is, as long as they have heart, they are strong, stronger than you,"

Allie was taken back. The same tall brawny man stood before her extending his left arm protecting her and nodded his head towards his men who summoned their spirits.

"These spirits, they're not meant to be shields for humans. Yes, they protect their contractor, but they are not shields," Nina said shrugging off the remaining vines on her as she walked forward. The celestial spirits surrounded her. "Maybe I should discipline you summoners," she smiled.

"Discipline you say, with what?" Allie snickered.

"That's right. I'll just show you how weak you are without your guardians,"

"Is that a challenge? Do you really think you can win? Don't make me laugh, you'll die" Allie remarked.

"Who knows. I didn't say I was going to win. But, I didn't say I was going to lose either," Nina smirked sending a chill down Allie's spine.

The man signaled and the celestial spirits engaged. They ran towards Nina. Vinettra whipped her vines but Nina simply moved over and bent backwards doing a back flip. The tiger rushed at Nina while she did her back flip, the placed one palm on its forehead and used it to push her away. The ripper charged in next, swinging his butcher knives recklessly. As he swung down the knife in his left hand, he brought his other knife around Nina. Not even within a split second, she halted both his hands, and lunged forward with her knee to his nose. He flew back. The warrior and sorcerer charged together. The warrior swung his mighty sword around but Nina swiftly moved around the blade as though she was dancing. The sorcerer conjured magic but wasn't able to activate it because Nina was already in his face. The scene moved slowly, but the only person who moved quickly, was Nina. A smiled crawled onto her face as he stared at her. She quickly jumped and round kicked the sorcerer on left side of his head, sending him 15 feet away. A strong kick.

The viewers were frozen with fear. There's never been a person to challenge a celestial spirit and live. Especially one her size.

The warrior swung down his sword furiously. Nina ducked down and lunged forward punching his chest area. Although he wore an armor, the punches were taking affect. She punched him multiple times; her hand movements almost difficult to catch. With a final punch she sent him flying towards the direction of the tiger. They made impact with a loud crash. Unaware, vines burst out from beneath the ground and wrapped around both Nina's wrists pulling her down towards the ground kneeling. The Ripper appeared before her. "Do it!" She heard a voice yell out. But even before he could move, she head butted him in the face. She wrapped the vines around her wrists a few times and whipped out the vines causing them to burst out completely from the ground; they connected back to Vinettra's vines. The tiger and warrior charged again. Nina used her strong legs to make her run forward. Grabbing the tiger by its head, she brought her right knee to its jaw, then lifted it's head upward punching directly on its airpipe. The tiger gagged and whimpered. She quickly twirled around and slammed the warrior onto the ground and pushed herself up. The sorcerer blasted fireballs in her direction. She jumped from side to side. She picked up a few stones and chucked it at the sorcerer with control and complete accuracy. She flicked two stones, one hitting each shoulder, another stone, disabling his grip on his wand and the last one, direct hit on his forehead, smack in the middle. He stumbled backwards. But the fight wasn't over. As she turned around, a punch came swinging in her direction, the warrior. She was able to block the punch sliding back able few feet. Her arms that protected her face flung to her sides. She was in a crouching position.

As she flung her hands outward to her sides, she summoned her weapons, dual wielding swords, each in one hard. The warrior looked at her in shock. Nina lifted up her head, and they saw the glistening jaded color of her eyes shine.

Nina lunged forward and fought with her swords. Evading attacks, returning attacks. Within her attacks she added close combat movements that threw her opponents off. She was now fighting against all five of them.

Sparks flew, dust scattered, the sound of swords clanging on one another, the sound of whips and grunts, it was unbelievable.

Nina was able to kick the tiger, sorcerer and Vinettra away in the same direction. The ripper behind her, the warrior in front. They made contact, but Nina stopped both of them, one in front, one in back.

The ones who were struggling were the warrior and ripper. Nina lifted her head upward to see the warrior's face as he struggled. She shifted the sword behind her letting the ripper fall forward. She moved out of the way, the ripper crashed into the warrior and with one full swing of her powerful leg, they were sent flying in the same direction where the other three laid with a direct impact.

Her audience watched. A small girl in stance, holding two swords that were held underhanded, one leg bent in the air from her kick, the other, completely balanced, the position of a fighter. Her face darkened, her black hair flowing across her face and behind her vigorously, her jaded eyes now looked like a burning flame.

She set her leg down and shook the swords, they transformed back into her cards. She tucked them away, then said, "Well, let's finish this," stroking her hair back.

The five got up and charged at her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She listened. She opened her eyes halfway and then snapped them open disappearing from where she stood to in between the five who came charging, their reactions were too slow. Thi-this is, Shadow Step?! They all thought to themselves horrified. Nina struck. Fast moments, no time for one to react. She then grabbed the ripper by his collar and slammed him to the ground and hollered, "Return!" And he scatter into glowing golden sparks.

She turned, her eyes leading a trail of light, the others flinched. She dashed to them. She grabbed the tiger's jaw as it opened and tossed it's large body to the ground yelling, once again it's body disperse into golden sparks. Vinettra whipped her vines; Nina countered, punching the vine body right in the abdominal area twisting her fist. A burst of force exploded from behind her body and she disappeared. The sorcerer blasted a magic orb at her. With one arm, the orb dispersed before her. His eyes widened, before she could continue, he already returned. All that was left was the warrior. A bit frightened, he charged. She took one step an appeared before him grabbing his face within her palm, tucked her left foot behind him and pushed him down and he dispersed as well.

The small girl stood up amongst the rubble, turned and face her audience and smiled proudly.