Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Chapter 204  [Island Of Drath] [19] [Moshel's Sword Maiden]

The dagger was inches away from her neck.

Arianell's face hardened as she stepped back, raising her arm in front of her face.

A white cluster of energy covered her hand, her body levitating in the air, propelling her backward.

CLANG!!! n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The sound of Kurt's dagger colliding with a hard surface echoed within the forest.

His body spun, dodging a skeletal arm, the same size as his body, sweeping from the left.

Dust and debris rose around the place where the hand moved.

Kurt gently moved back, leaping onto the tree as he looked at Arianell.

She stood inside a large, skeletal, humanoid figure with glowing red eyes and two horns on its head.

The skeleton appeared translucent and was composed of white, bone-like structures, with ribs and an imposing, ghostly presence.

"A Tengu?" Kurt whispered, his eyes squinting at the being who conjured it, "...You can use a Tengu at this age?"

Arianell looked at him... to the place from where the voice was coming.

Her pure white eyes shone brightly, the veins around them pulsed like they would burst any second.

Ignoring the pain she felt, she stayed on high alert.

Even though she knew he couldn't sneak attack her, her uneasiness never faded.

"...Makes me wonder, princess," Kurt whispered, squatting down on the tree branch, "...Why were you chosen with such talent when you had a sister much worse than you?"

"...You talk too much," she replied, the exoskeleton's hand blurring as it extended forward, turning into a thick blade.

"I have known the Uzume family for a long time," his voice echoed as he gazed at the thick blade, "...Never thought they would make such a decision—."

His voice halted abruptly as his body leaped up, dodging as she swung her hand, the exoskeleton following her movement, cutting through the tree branch where he stood.

Her ears twitched, her body moving to the side as she swept the blade.

The sound of trees crashing and being roughly chopped echoed, the blade cutting through everything.

"But it doesn't seem like you are good at controlling it," Kurt said, standing over a fallen tree opposite where she looked, his gaze boring into her, "...How long are you going to keep it up?"

Arianell took a deep breath to calm her burning head and eyes.

Without panicking, she turned around, her other heightened senses working properly.

She raised her hand high, the sword following her movement as she looked at Kurt.

She swung the sword down; Kurt jumped back to dodge but was a second too slow.

BOOM!!!

The ground split as her sword dug deeper.

The shockwave that followed was enough to throw Kurt away.

Without much delay, Kurt stood up and leaped towards her.

...He knew it was hard.

But it's not impossible to break a Tengu's exoskeleton.

His hand curled into a fist, he pivoted and dodged all the swings of the sword thrown at him.

Reaching closer, he jumped up high, retracting his hand as he threw a punch at the face of the exoskeleton.

It connected, the exoskeleton moving slightly, a small crack appearing.

"...Why are you even fighting, maiden?" Kurt asked, standing atop the exoskeleton's head, looking down at her, "...You are going to die either now or later."

Arianell's heart started beating faster as her mana and Chi consumption spiked.

She leaped back, unbalancing him as he fell before stabilizing himself on the ground.

A burning black flame made of Chi appeared on the exoskeleton's forearm as she punched where he stood.

The punch landed, hitting nothing but the ground.

A bluish blur rushed toward her side, hammering into her and pushing her aside.

Another crack appeared on the ribs, panic rising within her.

Kurt slid back five yards away from her as he looked at her.

Her condition worsened from excess mana consumption, and she supported her exoskeleton on a tree beside her.

"...Why bother, princess?" Kurt commented, gazing at the cracks forming on the exoskeleton, "...When you already know there is nothing but death awaiting you?"

Panic cut through her gut as she felt the Tengu starting to crumble.

Kurt walked forward, eyes staring at her, "...Not death, but something worse than that."

Arianell's feet gently landed on the ground, the exoskeleton now gone.

"I heard Moshel's Sword Maiden has to protect its tomb until the next one arrives," he mumbled as he stood before her, "...How long will it be? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? Hundred ? How long will you live in solitude?"

"Shut up!" she yelled, her vision returning to her, "...I don't need your pity."

"I see," he whispered softly, raising his hand along with his dagger, "...Then I will grant you a quick death."

"Hmm?"

But his gaze shifted.

A silver feather floated past his face.

...

...

...

"Christina!" Avril yelled, running behind the blue-haired girl, rushing through the thick forest.

Her head turned as she looked behind, a light of burning flame reflecting in her purple eyes.

"Christina, what's going on!?" she shouted, trying to catch up to her.

"We don't have time!" Christina said, glancing back at her, "...We don't have enough time."

"What do you mean?" Avril asked, catching up to her, "...And what about the teachers?"

"They aren't dead," Christina replied, biting her lip, "...They should be safe."

Avril rushed past her, blocking her way.

"Why did you ask me to run away!?" she demanded, glaring at her. "Did you know that explosion would happen?"

"I don't have time to explain every damn thing!" Christina yelled, her patience wearing thin, "We will talk later, not now!"

She moved past her, continuing to run through the forest.

The heavy rain drenched her hair and body as she bit her lip in frustration.

Looking up, she saw the lightning flashing across the sky.

"Follow the same route and catch up as quickly as possible!!"

"Christina!"

Avril looked at her departing figure as she jumped up onto a tree branch.

She jumped again and again until she reached the top of the tree.

"Huff... Huff..."

Her ragged breath echoed within the rain as she looked up into the sky.

The rumbling clouds filled her ears, gazing up she took a deep breath.

"...Give me your strength."

She whispered softly.

....A golden mark appeared on her hand, slowly pulsing to life.

The mark extended, forming a circular shape on the back and front of her hand.

It spread across her body, with thick, curving lines wrapping around her eyes, forming a star symbol on her back.

Her hair turned from blue to glowing gold, along with her eyes.

A thunderclap flashed across the sky.

She raised her hand, the thunder changing course, now moving toward her.

It hit her, the sound of thunder echoing within her ears, her body releasing sparks of golden lightning.

She looked in a certain direction, took a step forward, and found herself hundreds of meters away from where she stood.

She stepped forward again, now in a different place.

Taking a deep breath, she started to process all the information... at the speed of lightning.

Her mind screamed in pain from all the information sinking in at once.

But it helped her find the right path.

Turning her body once again, she took her sword before taking another step.

This time forcing her mind to slow down the world as she moved, lightning exploding from her body.

And now she could see.

A girl with silver hair and closed eyes, with a man placing a dagger at her throat.

Ignoring the numbness in her brain, she rushed toward Shyamal, cladding her hand with mana and wrapping it around her waist.

Bradyn's eyes turned towards her as her sword swept below his hand.

The slicing sound of flesh echoed, blood dripping down to the ground.

....A hand fell to the ground.

She covered Shyamal with a layer of mana as she ran deeper into the forest.

The world resumed its normal speed as she found herself hundreds of meters away from her last position.

She roughly threw Shyamal onto the ground, releasing the layer of mana around her.

The rough impact made Shyamal abruptly open her eyes.

Placing both hands over her knees, Christina took deep breaths to control her body, which was screaming in pain, as she glared at a confused Shyamal.

Her hair returned from glowing gold to its usual blue, the markings on her body disappearing.

"C-Christina?" Shyamal stammered, looking at her as she walked toward her.

Without hesitation, Christina raised her hand.

Slap!!

The sound of flesh colliding echoed within the forest as she slapped her hard, the force turning Shyamal's head.

"What were you thinking!" Christina yelled, glaring at her, grabbing her collar, and making her stand,

"You have any idea how much you were going to mess Azariah up!?"

Shyamal stared blankly at her and asked, "...W-what do you mean—?"

"...SHUT UP!!" Christina screamed, making her flinch.

Pushing her aside, Christina looked at the burning flames that started to dim down before vanishing entirely.

Her hand instinctively reached for her necklace as she grabbed it tightly, a pained voice escaping her trembling lips,

"....Qais."