Chapter 10: The Silver Woman

Chapter 10: The Silver Woman

Amphere Harrison

As the bullet ricocheted off Estoff's broadsword, I finally registered what had just happened. The cloaked man had fired a gun in the middle of a crowded hall, aiming for the duchess. The shock of it all had left me frozen in place, but Estoff's quick reaction had saved her life. The sound of the gunshot still echoed in my ears, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Panic started to spread through the hall as people began to realize what had happened. The cloaked man disappeared from sight, and chaos ensued as everyone tried to make sense of what was going on.

"You okay?" Estoff asked the duchess, who's eyes are currently widened in shock. In response, the duchess nodded silently.

As I thought, Estoff's reflexes are on a whole other level compared to mine, or anyone else's for that matter. That bullet was nothing to him. It was as if he could sense the incoming impact of any projectiles within a kilometer radius. I guess it's no surprise that he's a Pentagram Knight, with his exceptional abilities. But what's even more impressive is that he's the leader of Arcadia, a group known for their tactical skills and expertise. His swift action saved the duchess from a fatal shot, and now I can see why he's so respected among the Dragon Knights.

The entire hall fell silent, and all eyes were fixed on the duchess and Estoff. The stunned crowd could barely comprehend what had just happened. A few of the knights unsheathed their swords and began to scan the surroundings, their faces etched with concern. But it was clear that they had no clue as to who had fired the gun. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone waited with bated breath for the next move.

What's worse is that the masked man is no longer where I last saw him.

"Amphy, second floor aisle to the left!" Airi shouted. "He's getting away!" Adrenaline surged through my veins as I charged towards the wall. With a burst of energy, I kicked off the ground, using the wall as a launchpad to propel myself to the second floor in a single, seamless movement. My eyes scanned the area frantically, searching for any signs of the masked man. As I moved closer to the window, I noticed the shards of broken glass strewn haphazardly on the ground below, indicating that someone had already escaped through it. The culprit must have been quick to make their exit, leaving me with no choice but to give chase.

As I landed on the castle wall, I quickly scanned my surroundings for any sign of the silver-haired woman. She was still running on top of the wall, heading towards the edge of the castle. Her hair swayed wildly in the wind as she ran, her cloak billowing behind her. It was clear that she was trying to escape, but I couldn't let her get away.

With a deep breath, I launched myself forward, my feet pounding against the cold stone of the wall as I chased after her. I could feel the wind whipping past my face, and my heart pounded in my chest as I closed in on her. As I got closer, I could see that she was wearing a long silver dress, which flowed behind her like water as she ran.

The silver-haired woman, dressed in an elegant yet mysterious outfit, fixed me with a piercing stare. Her eyes were an intense shade of crimson, sending a chill down my spine. Without warning, she twisted around and hurled three icy kunai-shaped projectiles towards me. Reacting quickly, I reached behind my back and unsheathed my photon saber, expertly parrying each shard as it flew towards me. But the woman was not finished yet. She continued to hurl more and more of these dangerous ice shards at me, each one forcing me to block or dodge to avoid being struck. I knew that I had to be cautious and focus on defense before I could even think of chasing after her.

As the battle continued, I realized that I couldn't evade all of her icicle shards. Two of them pierced my left shoulder and right leg, causing a sharp pain that made me wince. I could feel the blood flowing from my wounds, staining my once-pristine white uniform with red splotches. But I refused to let the injuries stop me from chasing down this silver-haired woman. Despite the pain, I knew that I could still fight her, although my movements would be slower than normal.

The silver-haired woman leapt off the wall with an agile grace that hinted at her experience with such escapes. As she landed on the ground, she quickly disappeared into the maze of abandoned and crumbling buildings that made up the ghost town below the castle. I knew that finding her would be a difficult task, as she could be hiding anywhere in the labyrinth of ruins. The desolate town was filled with debris, overgrown weeds, and shadows that could easily conceal her presence. My heart sank as I realized the enormity of the task before me. Nevertheless, I couldn't let her get away. I had to track her down and find out what she knew about the assassination attempt on the duchess.

"Amphy!" Airi approached me after running so hard. This idiot, she didn't use her wings to chase the culprit! "You okay? Totally?"

"…Yes." I said. I grabbed the ice shards that has been stuck in my body parts and threw it away. "I need your dragon form."

"Totally!" she said jollily while raising her two fists.

Airi and I stood face to face, and I could feel the intense energy flowing between us as we prepared for what was to come. With a deep breath, we closed our eyes and focused on synchronizing our heartbeats. I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins, making my chest pound with an almost feverish intensity.

As we continued to focus, a golden light began to radiate from our hearts, bursting forth and enveloping us in its warm glow. The light was blindingly bright, but somehow it felt comforting and familiar, as though it was a part of us all along.

As the light subsided, I opened my eyes to see Airi's body surrounded by a shimmering aura of golden white. She smiled at me, and I felt a rush of warmth and comfort flow through my body. Without hesitation, I reached out and took her soft hand in mine.

With a single bound, we leapt away from the colossal castle wall, our synchronized hearts beating as one. The rush of air was exhilarating as we flew through the sky, our bodies weightless and free. It was a moment of pure joy and liberation, and I knew that with Airi by my side, I could face anything that lay ahead.

"Activating Vesryn Pulse!"

As the light enveloped me, I felt myself being lifted off the ground. When my eyes opened, I found myself perched on the head of a magnificent platinum mechanical dragon, its gleaming scales reflecting the sunlight. The dragon's eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as I beheld the majesty of this creature.

As we circled the area, I scanned the ghost town below us, searching for any sign of the silver-haired woman who had eluded us. From above, the dilapidated buildings and abandoned streets looked even more desolate and eerie. I couldn't help but wonder what secrets and dangers lay hidden within its walls.

"Airi, search for heat signatures." I whispered to her.

As a Futuretech Dragon, Airi possesses an array of advanced technological abilities that make her an invaluable partner in combat. I felt a rush of excitement as I instructed her to activate her heat signature vision, which displayed a hologram screen in front of my face. The screen revealed a thermal image of the area, allowing us to detect the heat signatures of any living beings in the vicinity.

As we circled the area, scanning for any sign of the silver-haired woman, we spotted two distinct heat signatures in the shape of humans. They were hiding in a small house in the center of the ghost town. Airi hovered closer to the building, ready to unleash her formidable powers.

But before we could take any action, a sudden burst of blinding light erupted from within the house, disrupting Airi's heat detection abilities. The heat signatures vanished, leaving us with no clue as to where the silver-haired woman or her accomplice might be hiding.

"…What?" I asked to myself.

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the air, and I looked up to see a massive ice boulder hurtling towards us. The projectile was moving with incredible velocity, its surface gleaming menacingly in the sunlight like a crystalline bullet. In that moment, I felt a surge of terror wash over me, realizing that there was almost no way for us to avoid the incoming attack. The icy mass seemed to grow larger and larger as it approached, looming over us like a dark omen of death.

"Hang on!"

Airi's telepathic shout jolted me back to my senses just in time to see her execute a sudden and dizzying mid-air spin to evade the colossal ball of ice hurtling towards us at breakneck speed. The move worked like a charm, but the violent twist left me struggling to hold on for dear life. My mind was reeling from the shock of the attack, leaving me momentarily stunned and unable to react.

As I plummeted towards the earth, my heart raced and my stomach churned with fear. The wind whipped past me, making my eyes water and my hair fly wildly behind me. Panic set in as I tried to gasp for air, but my throat felt tight and dry. I desperately tried to shout for help, but no sound escaped my lips, which were pressed tightly together in terror.

"Amphy!"

With a deafening roar, Airi's Futuretech Dragon body surged through the air and plummeted towards the ground with incredible speed. I felt my stomach lurch and my heart race as we hurtled towards the earth. But just as I thought we were going to crash, Airi's massive metallic arms shot out and snatched me up, pulling me close to her armored body. The force of the catch pushed the air from my lungs and I gasped for breath as she pressed me tightly against her abdomen. In an instant, her powerful wings spread out, shielding us from the impact as we crashed into the ground.

As we crashed onto the roof of the antique house, the sound of breaking wood and shattering glass filled my ears. The impact was intense, and I felt the ground beneath me tremble. A thick cloud of dust engulfed us, making it difficult to see anything. Airi's powerful wings flapped vigorously, trying to clear the debris that had been kicked up by the crash landing.

Finally, the dust began to settle, revealing the wreckage that surrounded us. The rooftop was now a mess of splintered wood and shattered tiles. Airi gently placed me on the ground, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I regained my footing. Despite the chaos around us, I was more worried about Airi. I walked up to her and tenderly stroked her massive head, hoping to reassure her that everything was alright.

"You okay?"

"I'm okay, totally! Though I wanted you to pet me more, we're completely in a dire situation right now."

I gazed up to see what Airi was referring to, and there it was - a colossal ice dragon with shimmering icicle scales, flying high above us. The sight was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. And on top of the dragon was the infamous Black Phantom, the masked dragon knight we were after. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together - that giant ice ball that almost took us out was undoubtedly the dragon's doing. I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread, knowing the power that the Black Phantom possessed.

"I told you we'll meet again sooner, mister dragon knight. Or should I call, Sir Amphere Harrison." The masquerade tapped the tip of his magician's hat. "I came here with two purpose. One is to kill Duchess Corasell and the other…is to talk to you."

I gritted my teeth and abandoned the idea of talking things out with the Black Phantom. Instead, I decided to take action. I scrambled up to Airi's head, gripping tightly as she prepared to launch us towards our enemy. With a powerful kick, we ascended into the air and rose to the same height as the masked dragon knight.

My heart was pounding as I unsheathed both photon sabers from my back and took a defensive stance. The energy blades hummed with power, ready to strike at a moment's notice. I knew this was a fight for survival, and I wasn't going to hold back.

"So a dragon knight's talk is done with the way of the sword. I see that you're a person full of honor. Well then…" He raised his hand in a glamorous manner, making his black cloak flutter. Then he pulled his golden rapier from his waist.

The ground beneath our feet trembled as the two dragons, Airi and the Ice Dragon, charged towards each other with tremendous speed. The sound of their roars echoed through the ghost town, causing debris to shake and small rocks to fall from the ruined buildings. The air around us was filled with an intense energy, as the two dragons clashed, their jaws snapping and their tails whipping back and forth.