"You can't kill it normally you need to banish it!" I yelled at the robed figure standing between us and the demon.
"I know." The girl answered drawing out the long curved blade. The sword looked surrounded by faint magical darkness rendering the blackened metal blade almost invisible, the demon for the first time stepped back in shock.
The Demons eyes began to scan around quickly darting around looking in all directions his body physically quivering and turned to run. Before it could even make two steps all of its limbs were severed with a clean-cut flying through the air, before it could scream out in pain the robed girl decapitated it, with one final stab into its body as it landed on the floor, although severed of its limbs, the remanents of its body began to violently convulse as it slowly deteriorates into ash making a series of runes illuminate red along the side of the blade.
"Sorry for taking so long," The robed figure apologised to us walking towards us. "I'm Anna nice to meet you all again." She smiled taking off her hood and revealing a Caucasian girl wearing large round glasses with golden blonde hair.
"Thank you!" I involuntarily cried as everything began to calm down and all the built-up emotions came flooding out.
"Are your friends okay?" She questioned looking worried.
"Umm, I'm not sure I think we need to head to the infirmary," I answered.
"Again sorry for taking so long. I'll escort you all and make sure you're all safe." She answered.
"Thanks for finishing it off," Helen said once she was finished bandaging Daisy's arms to pieces of wood she made magically grew beside her.
"Yeah, thanks for saving us." Jay thanked her.
"Are you okay?" I asked helping Grace up.
"Yeah, I think it cracked most of my ribs, is Daisy okay?" Grace questioned.
"Is Yuna okay?" I yelled out to Jun who was checking up on her.
"Shes her breathing is faint and unconscious." He answered back.
"Yeah... I think did some real damage to my arms," Daisy answered us her face and voice made it obvious she was holding in the excruciating pain she was in.
"Yeah, I never imagined it to be so strong most of us couldn't even hurt it," I replied.
"It was a pretty strong Demon, you should all be proud of yourselves." Anna smiled.
"Umm, Helen or Morgana, can you change into something to help carry Yuna and Daisy?" Jay questioned.
"Sure!" Helen and Morgana answered changing into a giant majestic Elk and knelt down whereas Morgana changed into a giant Crocodile.
"Okay was expecting something a little more welcoming..." Jay replied seeing Morgana transform, together with Jun they both placed Yuna on Crocodile Morgana's and sat behind her making sure she wouldn't fall off.
"Let's go, Daisy," Grace said helping Daisy onto Helen and jumping on behind her making sure she wouldn't fall off.
"So you're Anna, Paul's friend right?" I questioned as we made our way to the infirmary.
"Yup!" She smiled.
"So what is it you do exactly? We haven't met properly yet." I asked her trying to strike up a conversation.
"Umm, nothing special, I just help here and there." She answered.
"If you don't mind me asking how did you banish the Demon?" I questioned.
"Banishing Demons are very hard, there are several ways to kill a Demon. One way is to use a banishment spell that will banish them back to the hells, another way is to destroy their hearts, demons range from having two to seven hearts depending on how strong they are. The stronger the Demon the more hearts they have. Then lastly the rarest way to kill a Demon using a soul sealing weapon, item or spell." She answered.
"So I guess yours was the last option?" I questioned.
"Yes even when you defeat a Demon they will simply reincarnate back in the hells unless you speak their true name when you destroy their last heart. Whereas with my cursed sword Muramasa, anything that dies to Muramasa will have their soul sealed within the blade thus stopping the reincarnation process." She answered.
"Ohh so is that why it showed some fear when you drew it?" I questioned.
"I guess so, It probably sensed the curse of the sword," Anna answered.
"So what does it mean by cursed?" I questioned.
"It's cursed because once you draw it a soul must be sealed one way or another." She answered.
"What happens if you don't seal a soul?" I questioned
"Then it will seal the soul of the wielder." She answered making me gasp in shock. "Yes it's why I don't use Muramasa often, I normally keep it hidden well so that's why it took me so long to arrive.. Sorry." She answered and apologised again.
"So what if the soul of the Demon you killed previously was a human?" I asked curiously.
"What do you mean?" She questioned.
"It used to be a student of Atlantis student called Gregor." "I answered her.
"And he became a Demon?" She questioned.
"Yeah, he drank some kind of potion," I answered her.
"Regardless of human or demon
"What happens to their soul once they are sealed in your sword?" I questioned feeling sad for Gregor.
"I have no idea, all I know is his soul is now banished or sealed into my sword regardless of being human or demon." She answered.
"So how did you meet Paul?" I questioned curiously.
"It's a bit of a funny story actually. My crew actually stole from him one night when he arrived in Millcliff, He and Ashley got pretty drunk. The next day when they realised they got robbed, Scarlet remembered our scent and caught us. Paul was impressed when we tried to defend ourselves so he bought our freedom from the Thieves' Guild." She explained.
"Ohh there are others?" I questioned curiously.
"Yes, Paul moved us to his orphanage in Perpetua." She answered.
"Ohh an orphanage?" I questioned further.
"Yes, Paul is very kind-hearted he tries and helps everyone he sees, especially orphans. He would only punish those who deserve it, only those that he believes are beyond redemption. He tried to explain it to me once, he said there are ones that have something he called a psychopath, something along the lines of lack of empathy or morality." She answered.
"Were you the only one in your group to get into Atlantis?" I questioned.
"Yes sadly, But my brothers and sisters aren't as interested as I was, given a second chance they wanted to lead a peaceful normal life." She smiled.
How many of you are there in total?" I questioned.
"There were six of us in total." She answered.
"So how old are you?" I questioned curiously.
"Eighteen." She answered with a smile.
"Ohh wow so young.." I replied in shock. "Do you mind if I ask what happened to your parents?" I questioned feeling curious.
"My sister destroyed everything I held dear, killed my father, and my mother and enslaved my uncle and aunt, and now I must avenge my people and family." She cursed balling her fist a clutching her blood-red sword handle in hatred.
"Ohhh no, why did your sister do that?" I asked in total shock finding it almost unfathomable.
"She felt jealous towards me, she always thought I was father's favourite and from there grew hatred towards our father. Something snapped in her and something happened and obliterated our homeland people, as far as I know only I and her survived." She answered.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear there." I instinctively replied to her unable to even fathom the pain she felt.
"It's okay, she will pay for what she did," Anna replied her voice filled with revenge, determination and purpose.
What does Paul think about your... goal?" I wondered.
"He said he will help me, but he keeps reminding me that revenge isn't the only option and that killing her won't bring everyone back." She answered still gritting her teeth making me regret that I even asked.
"So how comes I don't see you around Paul, Scarlet and Ashley as much?" I questioned.
"I must train for my upcoming battle against my sister. I showed mercy once before and as a result, everything was taken from me, next time I can not fail, while I was starting a new life in the thief's guild there's no doubt she continued to grow in strength and power." She answered with seething hatred and regret as if she was crying on the inside.
"Ohhh..." I replied feeling even worse, does everyone who lives here have a troubled past...
"Are your friends gonna be okay?" She questioned looking towards them and surprisingly we all seemed better, we went back to smiling and chatting like everything was normal.
"I think they will be alight, luckily for us, we didn't suffer any life-threatening injuries." I smiled.
"I am really sorry I arrived so late, I really did get to you as soon as I could, I just needed to retrieve my sword." She apologised looking extremely guilty.
"Don't be sorry, you arrived as soon as you could and we all survived." I smiled.
"Say, how did you get that cursed blade?" I questioned curiously.
"Ohh very deadly members of the Thieves Guilds each have their own cursed weapon. it's a big risk, if the weapon doesn't accept you as a wieldier you'd die and your soul will get sealed." She casually answered me like risking her life to use such a sword was normal.
"Why would the Thieves Guild accept to lose a cursed weapon and an important member?" I questioned curiously.
"The Thieves Guild only care about three things Influence, Power and Money at the right price they'd sell anything or do anything." She answered.
"So what do you think about Paul?" I questioned hoping to understand him a little more.
"He has a good heart but he's too soft, he believes everyone can be saved and blames himself if he can't save everyone. He needs to understand that he can't save everyone and some people are evil no matter what." She answered her grim past clearly shaping who she is today.
"So how many years have you been in Atlantis?" I questioned.
"I'm a second year." She answered.
"Wow, so you came in at 15?" I questioned in shock.
"Yes, Paul helped me get in." She smiled.
"Does Paul get to decide who gets into Atlantis?" I inquired.
"Of course," she answered.
"How?" I questioned further feeling extremely curious.
"Hmmm, he told me that each institute takes turns picking the student they want, and In Atlantis, the S-Ranked students take turns picking, so first Paul would get the first pick for Atlantis then Daisy and lastly Travis and then it cycles." She explained to me.
'Ohh so that's why I was picked to come here,' I thought to myself.
"But they say this year he got a lot of flak... because normally the first three picks are very lucrative and pre-decided by the faculty members and Headmaster." She answered.
"No way, Did he pick me first?" I questioned in shock as joy began to fill my heart.
"I dunno." she shrugged, I don't normally get involved in that stuff she answered me honestly.
"So what does the rest of your friend you left behind do now?" I asked making conversation.
"Umm the young ones still go to school learning about the world and things, the older ones have joined the police force using our shady past to be information gather and detective and using his past and experienced to combat crime." She answered.
"Have you enjoyed Atlantis thus far?" I questioned.
"Atlantis is a little boring, to be honest. life is kind of mundane here, but it's a necessary step to take towards my final goal." She answered.
"Have you considered another way instead of murdering your sister?" I questioned clearly overstepping my bounds.
"No, She must be punished for her sins, I forgave her once trusting that she can still be saved and return to being a family again, and in that moment of weakness she took the advantage." She answered I could tell how much she blamed herself for what happened and seeks atonement.
"I'm sorry you have such a horrible past," I replied in the hopes to comfort her.
"Thank you." She smiled at me, "Your group did very well holding that Demon in place, it was particularly very strong." She complimented us.
"You killed it in an instant though," I said to her remembering she ended it in under a six seconds before.
"Don't compare yourself to me, I was trained to fight with a sword and other weapons at the age of five, way before I even joined Atlantis or the Thief's Guild, and I was a high ranked member in the Thieves Guild." She answered casually like she's had a normal upbringing.
"Is this the first Demon you've ever slain?" I questioned.
"Not at all.. I've sealed many demons, ghosts, friends and many other types of immortal beings when Paul takes up a bounty or mission that requires my sword he normally requests my assistance, those missions in particular also pay handsomely." She smiled making me look at her in shock as to how such a young girl is okay with such a life.
"Have you ever considered living a normal life?" I questioned.
"Maybe after I've avenged my family and nation." She answered with a smile staring into the sky in imagination.
As we reached the infirmary Anna bid us all farewell and a speedy recovery. I stared at the young girl as she walked away finding her life so unbelievable, how such a young girl has gone through so much grief and pain with only one singular goal in life.