The TRIBE Chronicles : Forgotten Memories (Completed)

06.3 - Hidden Sorceress Unveiled (Part 3)

To see them all attacking in the same time, Lia quickly reacted. She spun around, making a horizontal slash to deflect every attack that came to her and made distance with them. But one ninja quickly launched another attack at her; he threw his kunai to the girl. Lia detected the attack instantly and quickly unfolded her new fan. Hardening the fan, she used it to deflect the kunai. She quickly turned back as she felt another attack coming.

As she fought, she realized that she had right; those ninjas were not ordinary ninja. From their fighting style, they were highly skilled ninjas that had been trained in assassination; Lia could even sense their murderous intention.

But other than that, she also detected something lurking behind them. It felt threatening; and it increased her awareness. She quickly recognized what kind of something that was.

"Oh, I see."

She swung her stick horizontally, creating wind and throwing the ninjas back. It gave her enough time to cast another spell before those ninjas launched another attack to her. She withdrew herself, closing her eyes as she was standing unguarded in the middle, and then turned her stick upside down as the ninjas launched another attack to her. As she knocked the pointy side to the ground again, a magic circle appeared from beneath her feet, spreading out toward the ninjas. By the time the magic circle touched the ninjas' feet or their shadows, their movement was being halted.

The suspended movement, of course, had surprised the ninjas. They had been warned that their target might have magic power. But they didn't expect that the power would be this strong. They raised their gaze to the girl, trying to find a way to break free from her spell.

"I see that you have been equipped by magic."

Lia opened her eyes. Her gaze now had turned into colder and merciless, making some of the ninjas to gulp hard. She turned her gaze to the nearest ninja; he seemed to be their leader as Lia felt higher level from him, in either skill or charisma.

"You." She approached the ninja. "You are sent by a magic user, right?"

The ninja didn't reply. But Lia assumed that he was saying 'yes'. She then stopped in front of the frozen ninja.

"But for what purpose?" She asked. "To watch over us?" She then continued in colder tone. "Or to kill us?"

As she spoke, muffled groans came from the other four ninjas. The ninjas' leader looked over the girl's shoulder, to his comrades. And he saw them gasping for air. It seemed that the girl had been taking air from them.

And seeing his friends were being tortured and hearing the words, the leader ninja seemed to get cornered. He had somehow felt that the girl could hear his honest thought. Furthermore, he feared this girl; this girl was fearsome in any aspect. But as a ninja, he would rather to sacrifice himself than to get his master to be known by his enemy. It was why he took out the poison pill that he had prepared under his tongue. The pill would end his life as well as to keep his secret.

But before he could even swallow the pill, it had disappeared from his mouth. He quickly lifted his gaze to Lia and saw the girl opening her palm. Just as he had expected, the pill reappeared, hovering above her palm. A cynical scoff then appeared on her face.

"Please forgive me. I have guessed that you will kill yourself by swallowing the poison. I'm also a ninja, myself." She looked at all those ninjas. "But I can't let you die now." A cold smile came on her face as she continued, "Not before I know who your master is." She bent her body forward, bringing her face near to the ninja. "And you have forced me to do it in the hard way."