8 Another Rika

Two weeks have passed since Eli and Leo's stay at the fortress. At this moment Leo was being taught by Rika in one part of the library. "So that's the end of today's lesson... Really now, I don't want to sound rude but, what are you Leo?"

Rika was surprised on how quickly Leo was able to learn. Not only was he able to fluently speak elvish now, he could even write, in the old human language as well as the current one. He even learned how to write in elvish.

"Hahaha, just a weird little human. See you later Rika, Eli's probably waiting for me." Leo dashed out of the library running toward the training grounds.

"Hello Leo, you and Eli going to practice again?" The one who greeted Leo was an elf who resembled a human old man only in personality.

"Yeah Gilland, is Eli already there?"

"Hahaha the young lady has been waiting for you for quite some time now. You better hurry," Leo nodded at Gilland's response and hurried along. Upon arriving, an Eli devoid of expression was waiting for him. It was like their first meeting the air around her was like cold ice. "Oh, Leo you've arrived?"

"Ah yeah... Sorry Eli. Rika's lesson ended longer than I expected." Eli's eyebrows twitched a little "Hoho who is it that begged me to teach him some spells?"

"Well I didn't actually beg." Due to that comment Eli glared at Leo "You begged right?" Leo straightened his back and answered "I'm sorry I did beg. I humbly apologize please forgive me Eli." Leo prostrated in front of Eli.

"Hm very well then I'll forgive you this time." The queen has given judgment. Leo was actually afraid for a while. Eli's was getting good in intimidating him. "So let us begin."

†

Later that night Leo was looking beyond the walls of the fortress. He was feeling the breeze of the night wind, as he gazed upon the crescent moon. "This world truly is exhilarating."

As Leo was lost in his thoughts he saw a figure enter the forest beside the great plain. With his eyesight all he could determine was it was a woman wearing a hooded cloak. It was suspicious so Leo decided to follow.

He was about to jump when, "Hey where do you think you're going?" Eli questioned. "Well I was going to have a little fun."

"A little fun?" Seeing Eli's confusion Leo started to explain what he saw to her. "So after spotting this unknown person you decided to follow, because it seemed interesting."

"Hahaha you know me so well Eli. So you're going to join me right."

Eli sighed "Ever since I met you I keep on sighing. I'll come with you."

"Can you jump from here Eli?"

"Who do you think you're talking to? The night is my domain." Eli jumped down first, while Leo followed "right your race gets stronger during the night. I read that in a book here."

Both of them landed on the ground, Leo started running and Eli followed. The two of them followed the hooded woman at full speed. Though both Eli and Leo were extremely fast the hooded woman was no slouch either.

They couldn't see the hooded woman from this distance, so Leo and Eli followed using her hardly visible tracks. The hooded woman was really good, in hiding her tracks making both Leo and Eli barely able to keep up with her.

Once she was visible in their sights both kept a safe distance so the hooded woman wouldn't sense their presence. The hooded woman's movements were swift and agile more so than Leo or Eli. While following her the hooded woman suddenly stopped, she then started hiding. Both Eli and Leo lost her at that point. "What the hell are you two doing?"

The hooded woman suddenly appeared behind them. Wait this voice sounds familiar. As Leo was thinking, the hooded woman showed her face. "Rika!" Both Eli and Leo exclaimed.

"Really you idiots what are you doing here?" Though they were seeing Rika's face the personality was completely different. "Are you really Rika?" Eli inquired.

"HUH? Of course I'm Rika who else could be this beautiful?" Rika answered with an angry tone. "Oh wait. This is the first time you idiots would see me like this. How bothersome... How about if I say I was Rika at the same time not Rika. Would you understand that?"

Eli tilted her head "Rika yet not Rika? What is that? Are you her twin?"

"Not exactly something close to that but different."

"So if you are not Rika but still Rika are you perhaps another personality of Rika?" Leo asked "Haha as expected of Leo. No wonder the other Rika has taken a lik..."

†

"Haha as expected of Leo. No wonder the other Rika has taken a lik..."

'Hey don't tell him that.' The other personality of Rika suddenly spoke.

'Eh why even I think his quite a good catch so why hide it?'

'Nonononono it's embarrassing.'

'Fine I won't tell him.'

"lik?" While the two Rika's were having a conversation in their head, Leo questioned, the meaning of what lik means.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Rika answered a bit startled.

"So I was right you are another personality of Rika right?" Leo asked trying to confirm his guess.

"Yup but instead of calling me another personality. How about you call me Arika instead. It's short for another Rika."

'What the! That's cheating, giving yourself such a cute name.' Rika shouted in her head.

'Shut up will you, start calling me Arika from now as well, this way you can stop calling me "you" all the time.'

†

Leo and Eli nodded after hearing what Arika said. "Fine so Arika what are you doing here?" Leo questioned.

"Well I was sent to scout the giants' base. You know last time you two killed a lot of giants and base on their organized movements the giants must have a leader of sorts. Knowing that his force was greatly depleted he might change his strategy from a war of attrition into a full scale attack. I was sent to see the status of the enemy and to find out any valuable information. Satisfied? Now that you know this, can the two of you go back to the fortress?"

"No way am I going back! I'm going with you it sounds too interesting to pass." Leo answered.

"Don't try to stop him Arika. Once he gets like that, it's impossible to change his mind." Hearing Eli's comment, Arika scratched her head seemingly displeased.

"Fine you guys do whatever you want. If you can't keep up I'll leave you behind." Arika started traversing through the woods at her top speed, while Eli and Leo followed.

†

'Heh.. They're actually able to follow me as expected of a vampire even if she is a half. But that boy is even more impressive his supposed to be a human, yet he's able to follow me with those two blades dangling by his waist.'

†

The three finally found the base of the giants. The number of natural giants was incomparable to those that had assaulted the fortress. In the middle of the base was a huge rock formation larger than the natural giants. The rock had an audible heartbeat. Hearing that heartbeat it looked like the rock formation seems to have a life of its own.

"What is that?" Leo whispered to Arika.

"That is a Nagir. That's the rock that produces more natural giants every lunar cycle."

Hearing what Arika said, Leo finally understood what Raigar meant. Arika then smirked "If we can destroy that, every natural giant born from it will die."

"Hey that isn't part of your mission. You better stick with your mission of finding the leader." Eli started protesting.

"That's no fun. A way to win instantly, is in front of me and you want me to let it pass." Arika was getting hyped up.

"Even if you did try, you have no way to destroy it."

"What are you saying? Isn't there someone with us, that can destroy that thing?" Both Eli and Arika looked at Leo. "Sure I can, but do you have a plan to get past all those giants?"

"A plan? Of course I have one. Eli and I will be decoys while you pass through their defenses and destroy that Nagir. See nice and simple."

"You want me to be a decoy in a plan that has little chance of success?" Eli questioned but as if she already knew the answer, summoned her scythe. "Eli seems like she's ok with it how about you Leo?"

"Sure let's crush them."

†

Arika and Eli started their assault on the giants. Arika instead of using her bow was actually using her longsword. Her sword style was wild with no form whatsoever. Only killing her enemy was in her mind as long as she was able to kill she didn't care how it looked like.

"HAHAHAHA THIS IS FUN, COME! YOU F*CKING PIGS SQUEAL! YOU F*CKING PERVERTED BASTARDS! YOU GUYS LOOK LIKE YOU'RE IN ECSTASY AS I KILL YOU! IF YOU LIKE IT SO MUCH THEN COME I'LL SATISFY ALL OF YOU! DIE! DIE! DIE!" Eli followed Arika as she continued to attack in a wild daze. This other personality was insane. Eli commented in her mind.

†

Leo gazed at Arika and Eli's battle. "That girl... So her other personality uses the longsword. She's fighting like a wild animal. Hahaha her fighting style looks so exciting! I would like to fight her sometime."

When most of the giants focus seem to be on Arika and Eli, Leo charged forward. Before he was about to reach the Nagir Leo sensed danger and did a backward jump. A huge impact came from the position Leo was before he jumped backward. The shockwave of the impact pushed Leo further back. When Leo looked at the source of the impact he saw a gigantic hand. The hand came from a 13 meter tall giant, yet unlike the others it had a beard.

"Oh! So you're the ones that attacked my servants." It was talking in a loud audible voice.

"You can talk so that means you're a changed." Leo took a stance as he questioned the giant.

"That's right boy."

"So why are you attacking the elves?"

"Why? Well because my servants need food and there's no better delicacy than elf meat. Especially the old ones, their meat is juicier and tenderer than others." Leo tried to slash the legs of the changed but it was able to evade.

"As expected of a human who gave up his humanity and his loved one. You're nothing more than trash." while saying this Leo used chaos to slash apart the changed but was unable to do so.

"Hahaha I know what you're capable of. I saw you slaughter hundreds of my servants with that sword. As I am now I can't hope to beat you."

"So do you plan to surrender? If you do so now, I might kill you painlessly." The changed smirked at Leo "So you'll kill me no matter what. But can you kill me if I do this?" The changed waved his hand and from behind him two natural giants stepped forward they were holding something. It was Eli and Arika!

"I'm sorry Leo they got Arika so I had no other choice." Eli hanged her head in shame. "YOU F*CKING PIGS! HOW DARE YOU HOLD ME! I'LL F*CKING KILL YOU ALL!" Arika was resisting violently.

"So what are you going to do boy?" The changed was smirking as if he already won.

"Let them go." Leo's voice was cold, as the pressure he emitted made the surrounding giants tremble in fear. He tightened the grip of his swords and asked again "Let go of them." Feeling the intense pressure the changed panicked.

"If you don't lower your weapons I'll crush this two girls." The giant holding Arika was about to twist her arm. "THAT HURTS! THAT HURTS! DAMN YOU F*CKING BASTARDS I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"

"See it's easy to crush their bones so drop your weapons before I order them to..." Before the changed could finish his sentence the two giants that were holding Arika and Eli turned into a pool of flesh and blood.

†

Arika and Eli after escaping hurried toward Leo. "You two run away now! I can't control it anymore." Leo was sweating a lot as he gripped chaos and serenity.

"Leo are you alright? Let's retreat for now." Eli looked at Leo in worry. She couldn't understand what was happening, all she knew was Leo was in pain.

"No! Eli you two go now!" Leo looked at Eli's eyes as he said this.

"No not without you Leo!" Eli was about to drag Leo when Arika pummeled her fist into her stomach. Eli immediately lost consciousness, "We'll be going now Leo."

"Thank you Arika" As Arika was carrying Eli and about to escape she looked at Leo once more and said "Come back to us alright." Leo smiled as he sweated profusely. Arika escaped to higher ground carrying Eli.

†

Leo's mind was going blank because of the anger. When he saw Arika and Eli being tortured something in Leo snapped.

"DAMN YOU! EVERYONE ATTACK THE BOY KILL HIM! EAT HIM!" The changed shouted his command. All of the giants in the base started lunging toward Leo. Every one of them that came close was slashed down without mercy. Leo's hands grew hotter, he couldn't think straight anymore. Wanting to save his friends, wanting to destroy his enemies. These two feelings engulfed him.

He pressed chaos and serenity together. The twin blades that were two different extremes started to blend together forming a large grey sword, if you could still call it a sword. The blade of grey was larger than any greatsword and longer than any longsword. If one would ask somebody to describe it, they would simply say it's a large sword. Leo slashed forward, and the ground along with the giants were pulverized.

The changed started to scream "MASTER! HELP ME! PLEASE MASTER!" The changed felt danger and started to evade. Yet even doing that he still wasn't able to avoid his fate. Half of his body was blown to pieces. Still he screamed for his master.

†

Arika was watching the horrible scene from a distance. The two blades of Leo became one large sword. With it he pulverized everything "What a monster! So he was hiding something even more ludicrous." Arika grinned sure of Leo's victory. When suddenly the night sky turned cloudy. The air changed and out of nowhere thunder struck. Within that thunder stood a giant like no other.

"This is a joke right? How could that thing be here?" A 40 meter giant stood there wearing a silver helmet and armor. In his left hand was a large shield on his right was a hammer. "How could a Titan be here?!" Arika fell into despair.