28 Awakened by a chill

"Come in!" I accepted her inside the barrier and saw one of those Arrow Drills getting through my barrier, only to be deflected by Aunt once more.

I saw the thing get deflected and flipped towards the ground. Observing the object, it was made of something that looked like wood and was twisted in a coil. There was a red glow on its tail where the coil ended. The head looked like a pointed beak and it disintegrated before I could see more details.

So that's an Arrow Drill? Sure it looks like a drill bit...

Having that idea, I tried to copy one of those using Origin, and modified it for a bit. If I'm correct, it was somehow made like that for more penetration.

"Girl, you take care of them while I guard Kaff. They're too many and too fast for me alone."

"So you admit to me being better?" Kirllia replied, while puffing her chest, her nose upwards.

"Khkkh.... Just do it!"

Kirllia got out of my barrier and went towards the distance, I couldn't see her anymore but I only heard muffled screams and grunts from afar.

Aunt kept deflecting the Arrow Drills, and if I could only dissolve the barrier then I would, but we would get engulfed by the snow so I still kept it up.

The Origin Screw is finally done, and... yep, it fits the name Origin Screw instead of drill. The only problem is how to launch this thing---maybe I could also use a swirl?

I tried to spin it horizontally as fast as I can, and I can hear the winds whipping from the sides. The Origin Screw is trying to move by itself, but I'm holding it back. I continued to spin it, and the more speed that I add, a faint pain was being added somewhere in my head.

I don't use any more Origin, but what is this pain? So I could also have a limit to the control?

If I'm correct in estimating this spin... It's probably doing about ten thousand rotations per minute.

Just in time, I could see another incoming Arrow Drill towards the barrier and let go of the Origin Screw, aiming at the general direction from where the projectile came.

*shwffffff*

Aunt was about to deflect it but hearing the sound from behind she instinctively flashed towards the side and dodged the Origin Screw. As if she had superhuman eyesight, I could only see for an instant that she tried to follow it using her eyes before it went deep into the forest.

After exactly a second, a tailwind followed through the path of the Origin Screw went, almost as fast as it.

"What's that!?"

I glanced towards the side and saw Kirllia with a few bloodstains on her right hand that was holding the icepick-looking dagger, but everything else on her body looked clean.

"I tried making an Arrow Drill and... that's what happened."

Huh?

I'm feeling dizzy.

I gathered Origin towards my body, it looks like all the enemies lying in ambush are already gone so I sat for a bit and rested.

***

Kaff cancelled all of his Origin and gathered everything towards his body, confusing the two women.

Kirllia instead created a barrier made of silver, and surrounded Kaff and herself.

"Your turn." She said towards Arc, which instantly dashed off towards the other side of the forest, leaving a single word.

"Thanks."

Kirllia looked at her behind until she was out of sight and focused on Kaff instead.

His breathing was unstable, and he was just gathering golden light towards his body.

She only gave a sigh before she let out a red light from her fingertips.

"This is why kids are troublesome."

The red light circulated around her hands, and formed into a circle with a few unknown characters, and she put it above Kaff's head.

"You don't even know of soul control, yet you can somehow use it."

Kirllia let out a wisp of white light that came from her forehead, and added it onto the red circle that was hovering above Kaff. Seeing that, Kirllia let out a deep breath and sat on the side.

"This is for saving me the first time. But you also somehow saved us from that Meteor-guy or whatever."

She continued to stare a bit at the kid's face, and noticed that his frown disappeared.

"I bet you'll grow up to be a fine lad."

Another Arrow Drill came coming for the silver barrier, but it didn't pass through.

"Annoying flies."

From the distance, a few flying beasts could be seen, accompanied by a few white beasts that were mounted by demons on the ground. Seeing this made her frown, and instead carried Kaff upwards the mountain.

Arc could be seen going back and following her along from her behind and asked.

"Why are there alot of them?"

"Of course, it's wartime you dope! I bet you somehow alerted them and brought more of them here!"

"Alerted? I just saw their camp and finished them off before a few mage-levels came, forcing me back."

Kirllia could only stay quiet for a while...before her eyes rolled as she saw another group of mounted units upwards.

"We're trapped."

"I could see that, you know."

Seeing them stop, the mounted units continued to chase near them but slowed down to a stop upon reaching them near. The flying beasts also caught up with them, and there were also demons that rode them.

Kirllia lowered her head and wore her hood, and Arc also readied herself by transmitting white light from her hands onto her blade. Kirllia let out a silver barrier over them and repeatedly glanced over the front and the back.

White light gathered towards Arc as she stood holding her blade upwards. The light seems to be transforming into a white flame, and her hair slowly rose along the light.

"Forlorn... Might."

A series of white light gathered in front of Arc, then slowly shaped into swords before hovering high up in the air about eight times her height.

Her eyes closed, then a bit of blood could be seen flowing out from her mouth that also slowly floated above along her long hair.

More swords were produced and also floated upwards, and for each round of sword light floated, a trace of blood kept flowing out from her mouth and nose.

Of course the demons didn't hesitate to attack as soon as they saw her prepare a large scale attack, but Kirllia was there and was defending Arc.

She took out a rusty fork from somewhere inside her coat, and it enlarged into three meters as soon as she threw it in front of her...transforming into a trident. Silver light gathered on her hands and gently fired themselves towards the floating trident.

Looking at the demons striking at the barrier, she waved her hand and the trident launched itself towards outside the barrier, targetting solely the demons and sparing the mounts. Every demon that got pierced instantly vanished and various weapons and equipment dropped to the ground at the same time of their deaths.

The various beasts had their red eyes flicker only for the red shade to slowly disappear, then these beasts ran away at the distance.

"Stop. Focus on a single point on the barrier."

One of them loudly exclaimed, then all of them gathered on one side, and surely enough cracks formed on the barrier, only to regenerate again.

"Still not done!?" Kirllia looked over Arc but her eyes were still shut, her face and lips pale.

From above, the flying beasts just hover, and the demons above threw spears of red that aimed at a single point, making more cracks on the barrier.

"Tch... Is this the end?"

A spear got in and pierced Kirllia in the shoulder and the barrier fully broke as it made the sound of breaking glass.

About two spears hit Arc on the back and one by one her body got filled with scratches, wounds, and another spear stabbed on her foot. She grit her teeth upon receiving the damages to her body but she was still not done casting the skill she started. Her face paled even further and her knees shook.

Kirllia however kept dodging and stabbing every demon that went near her and her body was also filled with lots of cuts, until one spear hit her back, slowing her down and a demon landed a kick to her gut, sending her off a few feet away rolling on the snow until she hit a tree.

"Stop, stop. Don't hit the human anymore, I'll take her in."

It had the same voice that commanded them earlier, and the demons opened a path leading to Arc, and displayed a man with a white robe which reached over the feet. His red eyes were gleaming all over Arc's body, his pale face had a faint hint of red on his cheeks. He licked his lips as he slowly went near Arc still standing.

"If my eyes aren't correct, this woman is of superb quality!" With that, she tore off Arc's robes and tossed them to the side near Kaff. Her body was littered with a few cuts here and there, but the demon's eyes travelled from her top to bottom and stopped here and there.

"It's a good thing she's not blessed by Hamion, I can keep her at home and no one will know!"

"Saaaaalaaaaax!"

Kirllia woved through the wind flying in a spin as she dashed towards the demon near Arc, but she was only deflected away with a slap.

"Hmph. A mere mage-level. What's with your aura?"

Curious enough, the demon named Salax went near Kirllia and a touch to the coat was all he needed before his eyes opened wide in alarm.

"You're... one of the Emperor's..."

"Go away!!" Kirllia shouted, with her trident in hand, and once again attempted to stab towards Salax, only to be slapped once again after he dodged the trident.

"You really ran away? Don't you know? The Emperor doesn't want you anymore... HE TOLD US TO KILL YOU!"

With a stab to the side, Kirllia let out a loud scream, and a few demons jumped in fright from the ear-piercing voice. Along with her screams was the sound of frantic laughter.

"Just...kill me. Let them go."

Salax glanced over between Arc and Kirllia, then widely smiled.

"Why should I?"

He let go of the hand that stabbed her sides, throwing her like a rag. A red light gathered above him, and a red orb appeared within it out of thin air.

"The Emperor might kill me if I kept you instead, so I'll finish you off."

Red light gathered on his palms and formed into a circle with unknown characters, before it formed a dense line of red light that headed for her chest.

"Master..."

Before the red light could reach her, a white sword of light instantly appeared between it and Kirllia, then series of flashes of light danced within the air around her, along with splattered blood.

"Forgot about me?"

Arc finally opened her eyes, and all of the swords danced everywhere on the field, tainting the white snow red. Over a hundred swords formed in a circle after that, and slowly converged on her hands to a short sword the same as the one she uses.

"I like strong women!"

With the same manner of laughter as before, Salax sent another beam of light towards Kirllia before heading over Arc, his hands instantly forming a red blade of light.

Arc slightly slanted towards the side and parried Salax' sword, but he instantly formed another one at his other hand and sent it falling over her head. Arc dodged backward in a flash, and blood seeped out from her wounds. Without warning, her speed vastly increased and she instantly closed the gap enough for their noses to touch.

Without any time to react, her white sword pierced Salax' chest before she whispered something that made him smile and loudly exclaim, "So strong!!"

"He has three cores!"

Kirllia let out a warning but her words were slower than actions. Arc got punched to the gut, less blood spurted out of her this time as she rolled over the snow and tried to stand up. There were a few tears in her eyes as she gritted her teeth.

"NO!"

They both shout at unison as the man picked up Kaff lying on the ground. There was still a red circle hovering above him, but Salax waved his hand and it vanished into the air.

"Why is he so important to you two?"

Staring at the kid, he held him at the head and observed his body as he tossed him around the air, only to catch him by his foot. Arc's eyes widened and her pupils narrowed as she saw how the man handled her nephew.

"What a weird kid. He has no source spirit but he could be the only one that wiped out half my battalion."

There was only one thing Arc could do to save him, and that's if she surrendered. With that, she dispelled her white sword of light, more blood came flowing out of her wounds and mouth, and her face let out a faint smile.

"Please let him go, I'll go with you."

"No, d----" The man kicked through the air and somehow hit Kirllia, cutting off her words.

"Useless bitch. Now where were we? Ah..." He held Kaff towards his front, and before staring at his face, tossed him off a few feet away.

"Ugh... what..."

His eyes somehow opened from that roll, but the cold feeling on almost half his body made him slowly get up before he felt a blow to his side, sending him flying again.