A pencil drew the image of a realistic eye, controlled by a nimble and gentle right hand as small as a girls'. The paper was pressed against the edge of a chimney, hinting at the roof of a house.
It was detailed with plenty emphasis on the shading for the iris and the eyelid.
The artist hummed with a girlish voice, consistently swiping the pencil left and right in controlled lengths. She paused from the quick tapping of boots and clangs of metal alongside bangs akin to fire spells, cracks like shattering bricks.
She folded the paper smaller than her hand, hiding it within the top of her detached sleeve. Her silhouette stood out by the edge of the chimney as the tilted smiling moon lined up above her–yet, her presence was ignored as a fast and mysterious hooded figure passed by beneath, tailed by a swarm of armored men with yellow cloth atop. She turned around and extended her left hand, revealing three rings in her index, middle and ring finger.
"Kage no yubiwa." a black gemstone glowed grey atop her left index fingers' golden ring, a white X glowed within the black gem. "Niseru." a few houses away, a black gas-like object materialized as a cashew wall in-between the street similar to the houses.
The mysterious hooded figure jumped high over the wall, her trace disappearing into thin air as she descended.
That's my cue. the girl vanished likewise.
.
Armored men in yellow cloth halted at a dead end. Looking back, their traces had been filled with holes and debris here and there at the empty roads and houses.
They observed their surroundings intently, failing to notice anything out of the ordinary–a sign of a person besides them.
One of them sighed and stomped on the ground. "DAMMIT! We lost her again!" the upset knight stood out, wearing blue pads on his shoulders while the rest had none.
"Captain, she has to be somewhere here, perhaps watching us." said a cool-headed knight as he sheathed his sword.
The captain kept silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "For all we know, she could be waiting for the perfect time to strike." he looked up at the crescent moon, noticing it smiling from ear to ear. "Keep your swords at the ready, men–"
"You all really should~" spoke a mysterious figure materializing behind the captain. Her attire, a blend of grey and burgundy matched the subtle elegance and the pressing weight of her presence. Her flintlock pistol, mirroring her dress, pressed against his nape, she conveyed authority and a touch of amusement. Her voice, smooth as honey yet laced with a hint of pleasure, carried a measured pace despite being muffled behind a black mask.
The knights readied themselves, fireballs growing from their palms and the tip of their swords.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" protested the captain, his voice struggling to fight desperation.
She nodded. "You guys heard your captain, if you try attacking me then I'm blowing up his head. Keep your weapons."
Much to their hesitance, they slowly sheathed their swords. "We weren't expecting to meet you here, One Shot." said the captain.
A pleasant chuckle escaped her mouth. "I saw you chasing the Crimson Girl, so when she widened the gap, I decided it's my turn."
"..What do you mean turn?"
"She killed five of your men, right~?" her tone matched a curious childs' despite already knowing the answer. Everyone froze as if her question struck a chord within them.
"Hey taichou, are you ready to join them?" his muscles moved in hopes of escaping, a piercing bang erupted and blood splattered. He fell to the ground face-first and lifeless, no longer able to realize the weight of his blunder.
"ATTACK!" yelled one of the knights, she disappeared into thin air, leaving them on the edge as they looked around. "Where is she!?"
"Right here~" she appeared behind the knight and opened fire at his head, disappearing again as the bullet pierced through his skull.
The remaining knights tensed up–they couldn't see the enemy, but the enemy could see them. "Have someone guard your backs!" yelled another knight, the rest did so protest. They pressed against each others' backs in pairs, their swords poised outward and eager to fight.
At last, she materialized from a distance. She balled her free hand and extended her arm forward. "Tamashii no yubiwa." the eye holes of her mask glowed purple with the unidentified gemstone atop the golden ring. In-between glowed the white symbol of a circle and a star.
Tentacle-like objects gushed out of the deceased bodies, linking themselves to her gun. The knights on the other hand pointed their weapons at her, sending forth a plethora of fireballs like volley fires.
A purple gas-like wall formed before her and fended off against the fire. "How impatient." she aimed her gun up, cocking it. "Shuukaku." she pulled the trigger, the gun rumbling rather than popping.
The bullet flew to the sky glowing purple, leaving a trace similar to a ray.
As it reached a certain height, it emanated a bright, purple and translucent glow akin to magic spheres. The knights ceased their fire and looked up, bewildered.
"The more you men stay here, the more I harvest your life force," she giggled, "nobody can live without a life force, right~?"
They glanced at each other, nodding like they spoke just through gazes. They braced themselves and charged forward with a battle cry, their weapons lighting up on fire.
She kept her composure as the entirety charged at her, opening fire with their ranged spells. A sigh escaped her mouth. "You guys are recruits, aren't you?"
She flipped an object beside the barrel–a narrow bayonet holster, poising forth the long and one-sided bayonet about three-fourth the length of the barrel. It expanded as she held the gun close and swung it down
They approached with the intention of swarming her and swung their swords, she blocked and ducked their strikes and fought back, flaunting her agility that outdid the knights, stabbing their armor gaps with relative ease.
A knight cut through her most exposed area; the shoulder. Another knight utilized the opportunity and cut her mask–the cut was deep enough to break it off from the whole piece, exposing part of her right cheek and jawline.
She arched backwards as another knight stabbed her in the back, piercing through her body until the crossguard hit the skin. He pulled the bloody blade off roughly.
The knights took a step back as she fell to her knees, glancing and nodding at each other again, They sheathed their swords while one of them kicked her down. "She should be able to die like this." he stepped harder on her shoulder. "Take the wounded back to base.. As well as our fallen comrades."
…
They took a minute to organize themselves, lifting the whimpering men who were fortunate enough to survive, the others struggled to carry the same task with the lifeless bodies, urging for more to help out.
At last, they sorted it all out and checked the area once more in hopes of finding the Crimson Girl, yet it was hopeless.
One of the knights stretched sideward. "Well then, let us make haste to tend to the wounded as soon as possible." he walked the opposite way, gesturing to the rest to follow.
Once everyone was ready, they followed suit, leaving the girl for the cold and lonely breeze to comfort her dying spirit as she breathed her last breaths.
Raising her head, she unveiled her light-skinned face framed by soft pink eyes within as the mask shattered into fragments.
"Kaisei no yubiwa." the ring wrapped on the right index finger glowed green, the white symbol of a leaf followed within.
The brilliance of green light absorbed her wounds as she stood up. "I got you where I want you all to be." she cocked her gun and aimed beneath them.
"Bougyo no yubiwa." pulling the trigger, a yellow light snatched their legs and crept up their shoulders, the solidity as firm as concrete.
Their precarious position kept them close together in a square formation, they struggled for freedom and screamed for help, yet their calls only reached themselves.
"Tamashii no yubiwa." she cocked her gun once more, the purple coated sky glowing brighter as gas-like matter flowed out from everywhere within the radius, it was as if their essence were being harvested and absorbed by the gun.
"One Shot." a growl and a violent surge of purple plasma as wide as the road engulfed everyone and everything in its way.
She released the trigger after a few seconds, the plasma and yellow light disappeared, and the knights fell unconscious. Walking to the closest, she nudged his head up with her foot; pale-skinned and drenched in sweat, his eyes dilated in shock and as much as his mouth.
"So mana is directly linked to our souls, huh?" she smiled. "That's new." her bayonet pulled out his left eye, curious as she grabbed it with her left hand.
The eyeball drenched itself in blood, yet she kept unfazed amidst the eeriness it carried.
"Bad eyes." she scorned then tossed it away, dissatisfaction hanging in her voice.
A sigh followed. "When will I find the perfect eyes?" knowing the answer was elusive, she holstered her gun and left, leaving behind the silent hoard of lifeless bodies to the cold embrace of the silent breeze.
...
A satisfied smirk danced at Ardell's lips. "I knew you were good, but not this much," the air lightened with her approving demeanor, "it's great that I found you–that means I have such great intuition!" she clasped her hands and pressed them against her chest in joy.
"You certainly do," the girl smiled back in acknowledgement.
"That reminds me, weren't you admitted to the WCO?" Ardell asked in curiosity, the girl nodded.
"I have heard lots about Demeter-sama," she clasped her hands behind, approaching the window faintly exposing the city from afar and atop, "that makes me believe he has what I need."
Ardell stood up. "I believe he does, after all I've.. Witnessed a similar scenario."
The girl gazed at her with doubt. "You made it happen, didn't you? Whatever it was."
Ardell giggled in delight. "Right on the money as usual!"
The girl turned back to the window, gazing down as she took in the sheer height they stood compared to the other districts.
"You'll get used to it here," Ardell patted her shoulder, "especially if you actually enroll. You never updated me about your decision."
The former chuckled faintly. "Ardell-sensei, I beg you not to rush me."
"I have to, the school year is ending in a few months. So far, the most recent enrollees are two girls and one boy from about a few months ago."
She folded her arms, ignorant how she could use that information. "I've heard that one boy is Sévir van Doren, am I right?"
Ardell looked at her, surprised. "Who told you that?"
The former gazed her nails, smiling. "I have my ways, not even the secrecy of the Stepan Capital Academy can hide from me~"
The latter sighed in resignation. "You're something else."
She pushed the window, sitting at the ledge while she faced Ardell once more.
"I'll be heading to the WCO, Ardell-sensei."
Ardell nodded. "Happy travels."
The girl leaned and fell off the window, Ardell closed it and didn't bother checking on her as if it was normal.
Her limbs closed as if standing straight as she fell head-first. I will use this opportunity to take what I need then leave. the image of a little boy's back, his hair black and short, his straight-seemed garments yellow and bright flashed before her. Hoh-chan, wait for me. "Kage no yubiwa," the black gemstone glowed grey, "Kakusu." a gas-like shadow engulfed her, disappearing into thin air before she hit the ground.