Chapter. 15 - Le Glaive du Lac

A peaceful road that seems devoid of precense.

The only indication of activity are the tracks left on the road by men, and those of animals or even monsters, are nil.

Miyata walked along the peaceful road, thoughts hovered around her head, she felt anxious as her heart wound pound uncontrollably.

Memories seem to flow into her. Memories that do not belong to Makoto.

What seem to be a silhouette of a knight fighting for her life. Wings on her back shrouding and fighting alongside a brilliant light.

And yet, in the end she fell. Her adversary unidentifiable and strength greater than demons, laughed as he watched the knight fall to her death.

Every step Miyata took as she closed onto the sword's location, more of the battle's memory were invading her mind, she walked normally yet her consciousness remained elsewhere.

*Slash*

*Break*

*Whoosh*

The sound of battle rung in her mind, the knight stood before the heaven filled with darkness.

She slashed, she dashed and her body never faltered nor had it shown any sign of exhaustion.

Even when what seems to be a hundred thousand more demons rushed at the knight she readied her sword, her smile visible through her helmet, she took on an elegant form and *SLASH* thousands of her foe separated from their bodies.

A hundred thousand, half a hundred thousand, half of a half of a hundred thousand.

Her sword, though cutting a countless bodies had shown no sign of damage nor blemishes. Just like its owner, one thought echoed in Miyata's mind.

Unstoppable

What seemed like a year has gone by as memories, yet the scenery has mot changed. The knight still fought, and fought and fought. Her foes grew stronger and so did their size, yet they all ended the same. Dead within a slash faster than a moment.

"Master?"

"Master!"

"Huh? Stella?"

Stella's face puffed red all over. Her eyes seems like they were about to cry.

"What were you thinking?! You've been staring at this tree for an hour!"

Miyata was surprised and looked around.

"I... Some things came up into my head."

She sat on a nearby rock, held her head—searching for words to describe the memories.

"I think I saw the past memories of this body... A knight with unparalleled strength and seemed like years, she had fought. She was like a God of war, she fought and fought and fought yet her strength never waned even against demons and instead, grew stronger. She looked as if she was unstoppable yet... She fell."

Miyata held her head as recalling the memories put a strain on her.

Instead of asking more questions, Stella grew bigger and hugged Miyata.

"Okay. Master, please rest for now."

"Un..."

From their walk starting from the village to the edge of the lake's forest, the sun had already began setting and the night had taken over the day. Miyata looked as if a fever had come across her and Stella in turn instantaneously set up a camp from her dimension.

She nursed Miyata for a moment and when she fell asleep, returned into the spirit realm, yet kept a close watch on her precious Master.

♦

*Chirp* *Chirp*

"Mmmh....~"

From the peaceful and desolate roads to the luscious and life brimmed forest, it felt as if one were sent into a different world.

The birds and smaller animals flocked around Miyata as if she were their master.

The Goddess and her subjects... Is what it would seem like if one were to see the picturesque scene.

But the rustling and sounds were just enough to wake the sleeping beauty.

She picked up a small squirrel that played around her hand.

It was shook but became instantly tamed as Miyata began caressing its head.

She let him go and called upon Stella.

A gray mist began to form and out comes the small spirit.

Her face puffed and pouting, she was really worried for Miyata.

Miyata felt this and held Stella in her hand while giving hear a mini headpat and thanking her for last night.

She smiled at her master and her spirit which seemed to be down had made an instant recovery.

She puffed up her chest and said.

"Yosh! Alright Master! Let's go and get that sword!!"

Happy that Stella got her spirit back, Miyata headed off into the middle of the forest.

Which is said easier than done.

The forest had an illusionary field casted inside of it which was confirmed by Stella and now Miyata has returned to her starting point for a second time...

"Haah... Are these forests serious?"

Seemingly at a loss Miyata who does not know how to navigate through the magic and Stella who does not know how to deactivate the high level magic, the two's burning spirit at the start began to flicker out.

As Miyata started to rest on a stump and pondered, the small squirrel from this morning came up close to her again and caressed his head on her feet.

Miyata who was tired and was surprised by the adorable squirrel took him up on her hands and started to ask him instead.

"Sir squirrel... Do you perhaps know the way? Hehe..."

*Sighh*

The squirrel tilted its head, moved out from her hand and into a different part of the forest. It looked at her, seemingly inviting her to follow.

Miyata, a little surprised and on the verge on giving up for the day, followed the tiny critter.

The more she followed him, the more she realizes that she is not going in circles this time. And after half an hour of following, she can finally see the lake.

The scenery, for as long as she can remember, seem to have stayed the same.

Full of greenery with beautiful and flowers to exotic ones, living in harmony as if they were created solely for this forest meanwhile, the lake's water glistens as if diamond was there instead.

"B... Beautiful..."

Stella appeared and her expression filled with sparkles.

"From all the treasures I have attained, none would have surpassed the beauty of this nature."

She floated around inspecting the area. She seemed as if an art inspector carefully examining everything.

After marveling at the beauty, her sights set on the sword, she floated around it, bewildered.

"I... Don't think it'll fit."

Her expression turned gloomy and she shrugged.

A path of gray was created to allow Miyata to walk towards the center of the lake, as she walked forward, it seems as if Stella's expression grows darker still.

"I don't know if you can feel it but this sword is massive. Not only can I feel magic power around it... There's something inside it; greater."

Finally, she touched the sword.

"This! A heart of Origin?!"

"Origin?"

Miyata who was confused on what Stella had described the weapon. Yet she was prepared to hear ubsurd things as this sword is the best greatsword in the game Ascendance Online and is the cause of the transportation to this world if it was anything normal, nothing is.

Miyata shrugged and asked Stella instead.

"I've heard of magic, but what is Origin?"

Stella lost all her playfulness and her facial expressions have gone all serious.

"Origin... Origin is this world's heart and ruler. It is called Origin as it is the root of life and where all living being and none came from. It is the father of all magic. Origin has 12 hearts, 7 of which are guarded by the great races; the Dragonkin, Elves, Dwarves, Mermen, Beastmen, Human and finally, Demonkin. The other 5 were told to be kept by Origin itself. The hearts hold immense power and are each created in the image of Origin's virtues and his elements."

Stella's expression grows grim still.

"And this sword itself is an anomaly."

Stella caressed the sword even more for a minute and looked straight back to Miyata.

"I know because we greater spirits are closest to Origin to observe and protect his heart. And yet, the twelve exist out of this sword. And even more, two anomalies existing in harmony... Origin must know of this and maybe your return to your world might be possible."

"Return?"

Miyata's heart grew heavy. She had a family to return on, friends and even goals. Her stay in this world increased her curiosity for it but her heart yearned for return too. But in what way? Curiosity and anxiety filled her thoughts but this gave hope for her heart.

"I understand! Stella, do you think you can store the sword in your space?"

"Store!? Impossible! We spirits are incapable of doing so no matter how powerful, it is against our kind to manipulate Origin's power, even more so to hold it..."

Stella's facial expressions was filled with shock, she was flustered and nervous.

"Ahhhh!!! How will I explain this!!"

She racked her head and happiness filled her face again.

"Aha! You!"

She pointed straight at Miyata.

"Me?"

She nods furiously.

"Yes! You and this sword are connected through harmony. It is yours!"

She pointed at the sword and spoke.

"Touch it"

Miyata, surprised at Stella's commands proceeded to touch the sword as she commanded.

"Now, think of putting a sword back to its scabbard. Focus and create the scabbard from your mind and return it as you would a weapon. And then apply the principles of spatial magic!"

Miyata understood her commands and as she touched the sword, she closed her eyes and imagined the process in her imagination. She created a space in the form a scabbard.

The sword shrunk until it was akin to an appropriate great sword in size. Miyata opened her gaze, grabbed it by the handle and slashed the great sword as if it was as light as a short sword in one hand, and as the slashed finished, the sword disappeared into a gray mist.

Stella was stunned, her eyes opened, until.... She was filled with shock once again!

"You put it inside of me?!!"

-End-