Dragonfire: Celestia

Chapter 37: The Blade of Legend

Kei took whatever weapons were left in the wagon, and got to work with them back in the cabin. If she was planning to defeat Clauve and however many Snakes he would bring with him, then she needed some tricks up her sleeve. Some of the weapons she dismantled, others she merely modified. All she could hope was that the end result would be worth it. Eventually, she finished modifying her gear and set what she didn’t use, and what she removed, off to the side. She put on Konari’s headband, followed by her own helmet. She looked around the cabin, and found some traps. Her assumption was right, the person who lived there prior was a hunter. Furthermore, there were quite a few of them! She set them outside, preparing for war on all fronts. Once she was prepared, she lit a fireplace within the cabin, sending smoke into the air. Everything was set. All she had to do was wait. And she didn’t have to wait long. After a few minutes, a vast group of Snakes began to approach from every direction! “Showtime.” She said. She emerged from within the cabin, causing the Snakes to stop in their tracks. Her appearance had changed rather…dramatically.

The armor covering her left arm had been removed, save for the shoulder pad and bracer. The bracer now had a large blade protruding from it, with some sort of grip on top of it. The blade was pulled back to her forearm, rendering it useless…at least, useless at that time. Behind her left shoulder, a rifle of sorts could be seen. It was an average hunting rifle, albeit significantly modified. It was attached to her shoulder pad where the trigger used to be. Instead of a trigger, she would use magic to fire the rounds. She wasn’t gifted in it, nor did she have a large Mana supply. Mana being the magical energy that allowed for spells to be cast. Everyone had a limit, and Kei’s was rather small. In place of a large Mana supply, she had a large Life supply. Life being the system that dictated how many hits one could take. She was born with a very large supply of Life, making her a tank in battle. In return, she was born with a tiny Mana supply, barely enough to use basic spells. However, using it to fire a gun was rather easy, and did not take much Mana at all. The rifle was stationary behind her shoulder and aiming up, making it unusable. It was on a joint, which she could use to pull it down and aim it. A curious design, but perhaps one that would work out in her favor.

Over her right shoulder, she had a sickle sheathed. The handle was aimed in front of her, allowing her to easily grab it. Due to its short range, it would likely only be used as a counter weapon, or to extend her grappling range. Her right arm was still armored, with another blade attached to its corresponding bracer. Curiously enough, she also had these blades on the outer parts of her shins. She still had her bow and claymore on her, which when combined with the rest, made her look like a walking armory. One of the Snakes spoke up, though they all maintained their distance. “You made a mistake lighting that fireplace, girl! You wanted warmth, but all you’re going to get is the cold grip of death!” He exclaimed, “Warmth? I lit the fireplace to call you here. Where is Clauve?” Kei asked. The Snake laughed. “You’re either brave, or stupid to call us here completely alone!” He exclaimed, “If you aren’t going to bring Clauve to me, then I’ll just have to cut my way to him.” Kei responded, “Foolish girl! You don’t know what you’re doing!” The Snake exclaimed. He stepped forward…right into a bear trap!

He howled in pain, falling to the ground! “Kill her!” He shouted! The Snakes rushed in, unaware of what they were getting into. For the mission, Kei and the others were supplied not only with weapons, but traps. She paired them with the bear traps, creating a deadly combo. The primary traps they were given were explosive talismans. They were created by adding a fire rune to a sticky piece of paper. Once they were stuck on something, they would explode when someone got close. Fire runes could be stuck on other objects, though these pieces of paper were made to hold them while remaining transportable. This made them ideal for both traps, and explosive attacks during combat. As the Snakes rushed in, they found themselves being blown to smithereens! Kei simply stood in place menacingly. However, her traps wouldn’t last forever. Eventually, ten Snakes made it through! She drew her claymore, wielding it in her right hand. A Snake rushed in, swinging an axe at her! She swung her claymore up with force, tearing into the axe’s hilt! In one powerful cleave, she sliced it in two! The blade fell harmlessly to the ground, and the Snake looked at the hilt in shock. Kei followed up her slice with a swift stab to his head! She proceeded to swing upwards, cutting his brain in half!