The sword princess' tale

Volume One Chapter 7 - Resolve

There was nothing to say. When I noticed, my vision blurred and wind struck me from the front.

The sounds of leaves rustling. The storm of footsteps. The turbulent winds. I realized Fei was running in maximum speed like a rabbit fleeing after exchanging eye-contact with the wolf. The scenery blurred and yet I felt warm light around me. He used protective spell on both of us? No... this isn't it. This aura didn't feel like mana at all, but......

"AHA HA HA HA HAAAAAAA! So that's how you want to play it! Fine then, let's see if you can escape from my minions!!"

Soon after, I heard various roars and the earth trembled. Fei clicked his tongue as he glanced to the back.

"Ogres, huh...? And rare variant of the three-horned too...!!" He spat out.

What...? I looked at the boy but he was too absorbed in his own thought. What is he thinking? My heart throbbed with an unpleasant ring of sound and-

"GRRROOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!" An inhuman roar tore apart the blurry world.

Coming out from the darkness in front of us, a monster 20 heads taller than me raised a giant sledgehammer. Covered with steel, dented armors, it was like a gladiator handing out final blow upon a lion which was his opponent. Fei's hold over me tightened.

"Close your eyes." He muttered right above my head. "It will be over soon."

"Eh-uh, right..." I responded, faltering in the process.

I tried to close my eyes but an exploding sound stung my ears. With a vibration enough to twist my sense of balance, I felt like I was blown away by a bomb and flying in the air it forced me to open my eyes.

"Variant Arts-" Fei muttered as his grips over my legs disappeared.

What I saw was the blue moon radiating with slight gold behind his back. As if bearing the round satellite of Magnis, his eyes shone with silver light as he drew up his black sword. His left arm holding me, and he raised his right arm upward as we descended down.

I shrieked out of reflex. Then I heard a roar and it brought my gaze down to where the Ogre was. It was right below us...!? Wait, is this guy trying to-

"RRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!" The Variant Ogre howled as it brought the sledgehammer with two hands. Anticipating for our descent into his range of attack.

"It's no use to try stopping me, you lump of malevolence...!" Fei roared as he sharpened his gaze to the limits. It could no longer be called a gaze but a glare and it held an oppressive amount of murderous intent.

The sledgehammer was swung. The blacks sword was swung. As the two weapons clashed-

"Steel Cut!!"

I heard the grinding sound of metal. Then my eyes shot open as the black blade of Fei's sword sliced the sledgehammer into two with blue trail of light following the blade. Fei howled as his muscles rippled, his body trembled for an instance but...

As if watching a slow motioned video. As if time had slowed down. I witnessed it.

The black sword touched the helm of the Ogre. It struck it yet there was no resistance as the blade touched it. Instead, glowing blue line appeared upon contact and the blade ran down from the helm to the face before running down its upper body.

Fei landed softly and my feet touched the ground. Everything was death silent until a grunt was heard. I looked up and-

The Ogre let go of the handle of its weapon. Its body convulsed, then a spray of dark red blood burst into the night sky. With a death throe, the monster fell backward, followed by a powerful shockwave.