Back at the inn, we found Kotoha sipping a cup of tea as she read a book. "I didn't know you liked reading; what's it about?" I asked as I took a seat at the table. The cover read, The Tale of the Evergreen.
She looked up after a moment before speaking. "It's an old tale of the high elf who founded the kingdom of Mina. I don't really find it too interesting myself, but I needed something to pass the time."
"Fair enough. By the way, we may run into trouble in this town. There are bounty hunters looking for the missing princess." I replied as I lazed on the table and gazed out the window at the bustling crowds going about their day.
Her eyes narrowed as she thought that news over. "We should be fine if we mind our speech. Your hair is parted so that your emerald eye is visible as well. For now, don't go anywhere without at least three guards, for your own sake." Then she added telepathically, Not that we need to worry about you if you were alone, considering your celestial origins.
Yeah, about that, I still don't recognize myself as a goddess, so let's not act like I can obliterate all threats. Besides, if I am Izunami; I don't think I could do much beyond an average C-rank adventurer at the moment. The divine power and memories would both be sealed until I become strong enough to handle and process them. I noted using the telepathic channel she created between us.
Kotoha raised an eyebrow and shrugged. I suppose you're right. Sorry, I was being careless.
No need to apologize; I'm sure everything will work out. Even if we have to take on an army to make it so. Though, now that I think about that, let's avoid the worst case if we can. I trailed off my communication as I heard a familiar voice. "Gods, what a hassle. I cannot believe there were so many monsters on that path." It was Athena's voice, so I sat up straight and listened close. Next to speak was the merchant. "Thank you for all your help as usual, Athena. I hope nothing happened to the little lady. May the Silver Owls find their blessings in the stars."
"Thank you, and we do as well. She is pretty strong, so I am not too worried." That was Iris.
"Ahaha, I can't wait for a stiff drink of ale to wind down. This inn has some of the best alcohol on this side of the country." That was Artemis.
Makes sense that Hecate wouldn't say anything. She never talked much while I was with them. I am very glad nothing bad happened, though. As I listened in, I heard footsteps racing towards the inn from the far side of the street. I twitched my right ear to warn my guards and materialized my spear. It formed from a mist that was black as night. Metal clashed as a fight broke out, and Kotoha sent three of the squad to investigate.
I ran upstairs, though, contrary to how it looked, I wasn't running away. Sylphet followed behind me with Flora and Undine. I ran at top speed and transitioned from the floor to the wall as I picked up speed. My unique skill, omnidirectional movement, wasn't something I used outside of emergencies or to gain an edge in a fight. Now counted as an emergency, though. I thrust out a hand as I sprinted along the wall and spoke an incantation. "Puisse ce feu brûler vivement et réduire mes ennemis en cendres, Fire Lance!" Multiple elongated spears of molten fire formed above me as I strode along the vertical floor. "Release!" I commanded, unleashing a hellish fury as I blew away the window and raced into the air, now upside down as I manipulated the remaining fire lances to rain down upon our foes.
Undine rained down a hail of ice spears without an incantation. Naiads are water spirits, so that wasn't too unusual. Sylphet drew her bow and fired off a duplication arrow. It rained down a sharp hail of steel and forced the enemies to scatter for cover.
Flora began a sleep spell to knock out a few enemies from the second story. "J'invoque la sombre brume des rêves, Slumber!" I stood in the air, observing the situation. An unknown group of attackers seems to have rushed out of an alley and attacked the Silver Owls. I glared on as I listened to the chaos of the streets as civilians fled to shelter. In that case, let's cut off their escape. I started another chant from my bird's-eye view. "Je t'invoque, ô déserts gelés. Scellez mes ennemis dans une glacé impénétrable, prison de glacé!" A sweeping blizzard stormed through the battlefield as my enemy's joints were encased in ice. A few of them broke free regardless and fired back with a rain of fire lances. Though they never reached me, thanks to my future sight. They turned their focus on breaking the ice and freeing their comrades. So, I jumped down from my position in the sky, and as I fell, I returned fire with more fire lances. As soon as I was in the middle of the group, I pushed off the air again and darted towards who I assumed was the strongest. I thrust Achlys. They parried skillfully, forcing me to back off and raise an ice wall between us to cut off his pursuit. I note that I might have bitten off more than I could chew with that one engagement and go on the defensive as I fall back to my allies. The man burst through my thick ice wall and brought his sword down to cleave my shoulder, but I parried it and cast a fireball spell to earn some space. "Oh, grandes flammes du soleil, formez une tempête de feu et tombez dans une tempête de grêle brûlante, Fireball!" A hail of fire swirled around me and rained down from the sky. Fireball is a low-level spell, but with skillful use, it can be used like this. The man backed off like I wanted, and so I took to the sky once more.
I am outmatched in close combat, but my magic is enough to get by for now. I noticed someone sneaking up on Athena. Their behavior was suspicious, so without thinking too hard about it, I cast my strongest single target spell. I will protect my friends with everything I've got. "Oh, spear of mythos, I break your shackles and call upon thy power. Unleash the first seal, limit break!" My spear began to glow as power flowed into me. I thrust my spear, and a black bolt of lightning flashed from the clear skies above. Striking the presumed threat with divine wrath, killing him instantly and leaving a charred husk in its wake, "Now, I seal thee once more. Bind your form and return to stand by until I call on you again." The power drained from my body, and my spear stopped glowing. Then, in the next moment that the power drained from me, I felt weakened. I staggered backwards in the air and stumbled towards the inn. I couldn't keep fighting in this state. Unsealing the spear's power was enough to nearly kill me in one use. It's a miracle I can still move. Gods, I'm sore as hell. My spear fell from my weakened grip, and it returned to the misty void. Then my consciousness slipped, and I began to fall from the air.
***
I still remember the day I joined the mercenary squad called the Golden Hawks. That first day of training drove me to the ground, and my sergeant was brutal. I eventually gained enough of a reputation to earn the position of company leader after hundreds of successful missions. One day, we were given the order to locate a run-away princess of the kingdom that had lost the war. Of course, we took the mission; we were based in the Eldraz Empire for a time. We have many connections we want to stay on good terms with. The reward for her capture was a hundred thousand upfront, with the promise of our own company fleet of battlecruisers. We went into this mission with high morale; only the very best mercenary groups had an intergalactic influence, and this was our shot at the big leagues.
Upon our arrival in the city of Alora, we began a thorough reconnaissance of the area and asked around for information. We were told they were on a trajectory to reach the port and even got the estimated date for the Silver Owl's arrival. Our contractor said they got their information from the adventurers' guild in the town of Eden. So, we set up shop and kept watch until the day of their arrival.
We moved to engage them near the inn; they were liable to choose, and we waited for the innocent merchant to leave the area. Then I gave the signal, and the most brutal fight of our lives began. I never expected they would have such a powerful mage waiting for them in the building. Everything was going smoothly until that moment. At that moment, a massive fireball and wooden debris blew through the second-story window of the inn. Then the chaos started.
A sudden rain of fire spears fell from the sky, and following that ominous warning was a silver-haired girl who couldn't have been any older than my daughter. Her bangs covered one eye, and her clear green eye seemed to bore into my soul. She held a decorated magic spear and moved skillfully through the air like a majestic dancer. Following her was a blizzard of frost, which incapacitated my men left and right. I noticed my men being taken out by water magic in the shape of ice spears and some kind of sleep spell, and I ordered my men to scatter for cover. They broke free of the ice and moved to shelter.
The silver-haired entity went straight for me, and I managed to parry her blow and drive her back for a moment. I gave chase, aiming to end the fight in one blow. She managed to parry me and used the force of my blow to jump back and make space. She sent a swarm of fireballs at me in the moment it took for her to fall back, forcing me to back off. After dealing with her fireballs, I began moving to follow her, only to have a wall of ice form in my path. I broke through it and found my target back in the air. It seems she knows when to fall back, though her magic is still a major threat. And though she was a threat, she was still something we could handle. At least until the temperature of the air dropped in an instant. Was it a blizzard spell? No, there's a foreboding prickling sensation warning me that this is more dangerous than that. I looked up and saw the girl and her spear glowing as one. It was a sight that was both captivating and horrifying in the same instant.
There was a thundering crash and a black flash of light that seemed to leach the color of the world around us. When my vision recovered, I ordered the retreat and looked for the girl again. She resembled our target but was missing the vampiric red eyes. I found her plummeting through the air, and as she fell, I saw it. So, she is the target after all. I was never told she had heterochromia; at least we are leaving with a better understanding of the situation and how our target looked. So, I ran after my squad to prepare for our next engagement. What a scary girl.
"Hey boss, the collateral we suffered was three dead and five injured. Most of our men remain unharmed." That was my second in command, Captain Williams. He was a slender man with a good head on his shoulders. He has always had his head on a swivel and a great deal of situational awareness.
"Thank you for your report. As for what that was, that was our target. The second princess of Runellia, Izuna Runellia." I replied with a stiff tone as I thought over that encounter. "We may have bit off more than we can chew if she can unleash that last attack in an AOE. Then again, if we can bait that attack out, she will be easily captured. She fell unconscious after using it."
Williams nodded, then asked. "Do you think that fall was enough to do her in?"
I shook my head. "Wishful thinking like that is pointless. Though I understand the sentiment, If she is allowed the time to grow and get stronger, I don't think there is much a lone squad like ours can do." With that, I gathered my men and began strategizing how to complete our mission going forward.