The Floating City

The violet spear floated in the air for a few seconds, then before it fell to the ground, Yule quickly grabbed it. The moment he touched the spear, he could feel some kind of familiar feeling from it.

The spear had the same length as Yule which was about 176 centimeters.

He also saw some intricate designs covering the body of the spear. The diamond-shaped blade at the top was shining due to the moonlight.

Yule was about to swing the spear just to feel it when he remembered that the aswang was inching closer to Sanna.

Without a hint of hesitation, Yule charged at the aswang.

The aswang felt the immense presence from behind. It stopped its track, forgetting the unconscious girl and faced the incoming attacker.

Yule thrust the spear at the aswang which was blocked by its formidable arms again. The aswang just laughed at the boy.

The aswang thought that the boy was just wasting his energy. The creature was stronger when the moon was at its full height.

Their kind is in full power when night time takes over the sky, and they are immensely powerful when it's full moon.

Yule leaped back when his spear didn't penetrate the skin. He ran next on his side, planning to hit the aswang from his back.

The aswang was unmoving, examining his next move. When Yule was behind it and the aswang remained unmoved, he hastened his leap and aimed his spear at the back of aswang. But the aswang turned and charged its right arm, colliding against the tip of the spear.

With all his might, Yule yelled and put much-needed force in thrusting his spear. Then, words started appearing on his mind. With nothing to lose, he voiced out those words.

"First Form! Crescent Light!

Yule slashed his spear, and a crescent-shaped light fired from it. The light cut off the right arm of the aswang, and blood sprayed out from what remaining of it. The aswang howled in deafening voice and tried to nurse its cut off arm.

Yule landed on the ground after firing the light. He remembered what Sanna told him that aswang has thick skin except on its back and chest. Yule recalled Sanna's energy arrows just disintegrated when they tried to penetrate the skin of its arms, legs, and head. Now, what changes? he thought.

He saw that the aswang was still trying to stop the blood gushing from its cut-off arm. Then, it saw Yule which made the aswang back step, looking cautiously at the boy this time.

Yule changed his form to attacking stance and look at the eye of the aswang.

"I don't know what happened. But I guess you are no longer invulnerable despite basking from moonlight." Yule sent his smirk at the aswang.

The aswang just growled at Yule in reply to him, then like a mad creature, the aswang charged angrily at the boy. Yule waited for the aswang while remaining on his attacking stance. When the aswang was close enough, Yule leaped again in the air and swung his spear.

"Crescent Light!"

Another crescent-shaped light released from Yule, and this time aimed at the left arm of the aswang. The light hit directly the left arm and cutting it from the aswang's body. The left-arm fell off and lying limply on the ground.

Since the aswang was charging at Yule, it lost its balance after losing both arms and fell on the ground.

Yule landed a few inches away from the body of the aswang and released a huge sigh after seeing the collapsed form of the monster. He left the area and assumed that the aswang died from blood loss. Yule returned from where he left Sanna, but when he arrived in the area, it was empty. He started to look around, but to no avail, she was gone.

His eyes roamed the area again just to check if he missed anything. But he was the only living person within the vicinity. Yule started to feel his fatigue from the fight. Luckily, he found big rubble to rest, and when he was about to sit on it, the spear glowed and returned to his chest.

Yule looked at the moon again and think about how his day turned out. From dreaming the mysterious violet dressed girl, then sucked by a mysterious light transporting him in this apocalyptic world, and to make it worse, he faced and ran from a creature he only heard from tales, and surprisingly killed it.

While Yule was immersed with his thoughts, he heard a familiar howling sound above him. This made his heart beat faster. Yule looked grimly above him and found the source of all his misery today. The aswang was headed downwards to Yule, and it planned to smash the boy in pieces with its feet.

Yule knew that it was too late to move away from his spot, and he was not sure if he can summon his spear again. He can only face his fate and be killed in this strange yet familiar world.

When his body was overshadowed by the Aswang's towering form, Yule simply lowered his head, praying silently that if he dies here, hopefully, he can be returned to his world.

Then -

"Zuna! Weaponize!"

Sanna arrived at the area and found Yule standing alone on the ground, facing downwards while the eight-foot aswang looming above him. She noticed that the chest was now vulnerable after losing both arms. Sanna quickly aimed her bow at the chest and fired her energy arrow.

The energy arrow pierced straight to the chest, causing the aswang's body to fly across the building.

Yule witnessed everything. He was relieved that Sanna was okay and returned for him. Again, she saved him from the aswang. Yule looked at the aswang, and for the first time, he was smiling. The aswang was nailed on the building by the energy arrow.

"Lesson Number Two: Make sure you stab the chest of the aswang, before you relax and stand there dumbly."

Yule turned and found Sanna and Zuna walking to him.

"I thought you left me."

"Trust me, I can never leave a civilian alone on the Ground. One of our sacred duty as a slayer is to rescue all humans from Aswang." Sanna started crossing her arms and looked at Yule with examining eyes.

"You never told me that you are a holder of the shard. I was already conscious when you summon your spear. Who is your contracted mythical being?" Sanna said coldly.

"I-I didn't know that I can summon that spear! Trust me, Sanna. All I was thinking about that time was to protect and defend you from that aswang. Then this.. this... girl talked to me," Yule defended.

"What girl? I didn't hear anyone aside from you and that aswang."

"Y-You see, before I was transported in this world, I had a dream of a girl in violet dress, asking me to be the hero of her world. When I woke up, I thought it was just a random dream. But then earlier, I heard her again. Telling me, it's time. Then I felt something warm on my chest, then next thing I knew that spear appeared," Yule looked dejected at Sanna.

"I also saw you performed a spell on your spear."

Yule nodded at her. "If that's what you call it, I just saw these words at my mind. I simply voiced it out. I didn't know that my spear can release that kind of power."

Sanna held her chin, pondering everything Yule told her.

"The moment I met you, everything doesn't make sense anymore. From your appearance on The Ground to what you told me that you were transported from a different world. I shouldn't be surprised that you have a shard and weaponize a spear." Sanna just sighed at Yule then she walked closer. She raised her right arm and grabbed his shoulder.

"Congratulations by the way on killing your first aswang."

"Huh? But I didn't kill it! I just cut off its arms. I didn't even make sure that it was dead."

"But without you, cutting off its arms, my energy arrow won't pierce successfully its chest."

Sanna jumped back and started walking to Zuna.

"Let's continue this conversation while riding on Zuna. We have to get out of here. I'm pretty sure more aswang will come after us with these commotions. They definitely heard us. Loudly."

"No-No! I can't deal another aswang. Plus, I don't know if I can summon my spear again. I'm already exhausted."

"Then we have to go. Climb up to Zuna and sit behind me."

Yule did what she told him and climb to Zuna. He was hesitating to grab her on the sides. She might call him pervert.

"You know, it's going to be a bumpy ride, so you need to hold me at my side."

Yule nodded and held her sides. From this view, he can see how long her hair was. He can see the blue streaks hiding, but still visible. Then, Zuna quickly leaped on the air, jumping to higher grounds. It was like Zuna was galloping from buildings to buildings.

Yule had a better look at this world while jumping on the air on Zuna's back. All he can see were wreckages all around. It was like the energy of this world had been zapped by someone else. Everywhere you look is Death.

While Zuna was jumping higher and higher to different tall buildings. Yule saw some giant shadows from afar.

"Those are Aswang. Probably, Level 3."

"I can't imagine facing those. We had a hard time facing a Level 2 aswang," Yule said while cringing at the prospect of facing another monster stronger they faced earlier.

"By the way, I can't help thinking back on how you summon your spear." Sanna turned her head to him. She was holding her hair to avoid smashing it straight to Yule's.

"What about it? I told you. I'm also clueless the same as you."

"Yeah. I know. But you've mentioned that a girl appeared or at least talked to you. Do you know that it's very rare to make a contract with humanoid mythical beings? I think there were at least 10 people recorded in history who made a contract with them. Is there any chance, she mentioned her name?"

"No. All I know is her appearance."

Sanna held her chin again while her left hand held the neck of the white stag.

"Such a mystery. Oh well, we will find more once arrived on Tawalisi."

"I'm excited to see this floating city you keep on mentioning."

"Oh you will love it," Sanna said happily at Yule.

After jumping to various buildings, highways, rooftops, Yule noticed a large shadow mass at the sky.

"What is that?" Yule pointing out at the shadow.

"Finally, we're near. That's the Floating City, Tawalisi."

When they got nearer, Yule finally had a good look. It was a large landmass floating above the ground. He peeked some giant domes and large mountains above.

"Can't believe this. I only have seen this on anime and some movies."