#10 - Chasing the Prey

"So... That's all you wanted to ask?"

Noa looked towards Ivona, his lips smiling in satisfaction that this conversation was not going too deep. However, it was still a confusion within Ivona, and now that the girl could no longer force Noa to answer all her questions, it all felt empty.

"Sorry for taking up your time, I'm going back downstairs, there's still some work to do"

But, before leaving the room Noa called Ivona again, this time it was his turn to ask, on that cold night there was something she had wanted to see since she first heard about it.

"Metirium. Can I see it?" Ivona only paused in response, her mouth slightly open and her gaze as if she was confused about whether to refuse or comply with his request.

"It's okay if I can't-"

"Of course, come with me"

Then the two of them walked out of the room towards the 'laboratory' where Ivona conducted all her research and experiments.

"You're really interested in all of this, so what is it that caught your attention?" Asked Noa as they walk downstairs and into the laboratory hidden in the basement of the house.

"I just feel like all this can help me, it does make me feel better every time I do it" replied Ivona.

Once inside, the first thing that can be seen and highlighted was a platform in the center of the room, where Ivona was pulling Metirium in a top-security container. Another thing that caught Noa's attention was the number of books arranged on the shelves until they were scattered on the floor, even her desk was full of piles of notes, papers, and books.

"What a diligent girl" in his heart

"As you can see, every time I do an experiment or trial I always research from two points of view. Science and Magic, I think it can be a good basis for understanding all this, how it works"

The two of them walked until they stood before the object. Metirium, in front of the two. The glowing blue ore, a seed that held many secrets about the world, even the universe was before Noa. But there was something strange about his reaction at that moment

*Kringgggg___* The sound of the telephone rang, Ivona realized it and quickly picked it up, maybe it was from Doctor Arnest or Lula.

"Wait here, please don't touch anything. I'll be right back" The girl left the laboratory and went upstairs to answer the call.

Noa watched the Metirium seriously, the two seemed to be staring at each other. He took a step forward, the air he felt was getting colder. He took another step, his body reacting like he was witnessing something he shouldn't be witnessing. Then in the third step, he was very close to the ore, to the Metirium.

"How long has she been looking for this?" Noa asked himself

"Metirium... This thing must have witnessed many things throughout history, something ancient" he spoke clearly to himself.

***

Meanwhile, upstairs...

Ivona walk to the living room to pick up the telephone that kept ringing. As soon as she picked up the phone, she started talking, apparently it was indeed a call from Lula who was on her way to the central capital.

"Ivona, are you okay?" Lula asked in a worried tone

"Yes, I just finished checking Noa earlier... What's wrong Lula?"

Lula was in a military plane, currently in a hurry to go to the capital of Damacia. Recalling Roger's words earlier, Lula seemed to be very worried about Ivona's condition. What is clear now is that she must immediately report her discovery to the government in the central capital.

"Listen to me, Ivona. It's about the people who are after you" she said

"There may be more of them than we think, you'd better stay at home. I've sent one of my team to stand guard over there."

Ivona was surprised to hear that. Previously she had been hunted by Roger since her return from Libert, that was the main cause of the train hijacking, and also the reason why she previously felt guilty for Noa and the other victims on the train. This time she already understood, this might be beyond her abilities

"And one more thing Vona. Don't give Metirium to anyone, except people you trust" Lula spoke again.

"I understand, thank you for warning sis" After a short and quite stressful conversation for her, Lula hung up the telephone.

She looked out the window, and it was true what Lula had said, several personnel from the special team she had sent had begun to move around the compound in the neighborhood, as if they were combing the area.

"It should be fine, I should go back downstairs and tell Noa" she muttered as she walked back towards the laboratory.

She took a few steps from there, but suddenly her steps stopped. Ivona felt something suddenly change. As an elemental sword technique user, her body was already very familiar and trained with the various temperatures and feelings around her. This time what she felt was something she had never felt before, and it came from below, in the research room.

In response to that odd feeling, she immediately thought of Noa and Metirium. Ivona quickened her pace and rushed into the laboratory, when something very fast and powerful hit her from the side.

"...?!"

Her body bounced to the other side of the room, while the wall on that side was already falling apart, something- maybe someone had broken through the wall and attacked her suddenly.

"Khh- what was that just now...?!"

Ivona tried to stand back up, then walked over to the ruins of the destroyed wall. She stepped over a black silhouette covered in smoke, and when the smoke cleared she saw it, she was completely shocked to see it

"No way... This..."

It was the lifeless body of one of Lula's special team members. Now that everything was clear, it seemed that this person was thrown with such force that it hit and penetrated the wall of the house, and now he was really dead.

At the same time, she heard the noise from outside. The sound of gunshots, swords hitting each other, and people screaming could be heard clearly despite the chaos. Ivona was about to return to the laboratory and immediately take Noa and Metirium to a safer place. But again

"...!"

Her body was hit again, this time coming from above.

"Ughh- again...?!"

Ivona stood up strongly again, now she felt something different from before. She felt the evil aura in front of her, Ivona immediately made a stance and summoned her sword, the cold sword flew from her room to her hand

"Well, whatever comes... I'm ready"

she said while enduring the dizziness from the impact and impact earlier

Something took a step in front of her, and once it came out of the smoke of the ruins, she could see it clearly, she recognized it, and now Ivona began to tremble at the sight of it

"I'm back. To finish my mission"

he said with a proud smile. The man puffed out his chest, moving his two hands that had been 'Enchanted'. And in front of him, Ivona who was still holding her sword technique stance had to endure this person's presence

"Why is he here? Isn't Anhaunsen very strict?! No way! What should I do!" His face, the way he held his body, Ivona was really shocked to death to see it

The girl tried to take a breath and calm herself down, while talking to the opponent in front of her

"Roger."

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Next : #11 - Round two

To be continued...