AWAKENING (3)

"Okay sword baby, what am I supposed to do? I was defeated by this bear!"

The sword gleamed, "Whatever you were doing earlier, just continue it."

Huh. "What? Didn't you hear me?" Ugh. How do I defeat this bear? I was thrown so hard like a kicked cockroach.

Okay, why didn't I win that time? Think Nina.

The bear started lunging towards me. I ran to keep distance to give me time to think. Good thing the bear's not too intellectual or it might ambush me in front.

And then a lightbulb clicked. Okay how does it click? Alright whatever. I remember I wanted to hit the bear on its neck but his paw reached me first before sword could. Good thing I am wearing an armor or else its claws would have wounded me savagely.

Well, I can't hackle the bear continuously like this. My sword is a little short and I need some distance. I stopped to think as the bear also stopped and watched me.

"I need another weapon. A metal spear would be good."

In an instant, a spear appeared in my left hand, "Woah."

"You have the ability to call on weapons you have mastered using. Use it well," the sword informed me.

Oh wow. This is awesome.

The bear growled, making me shift my attention back to him. I smiled. Come on bear, it's time for a showdown.

I faced the bear and circled it. It was a little confused of my behavior since earlier I just ran blindly away from it.

The bear growled, clearly frustrated of what I was doing. I smirked, yeah bear attack me.

And it did. But I was ready. I sidestepped away from its lunging paw and struck the spear on its right front shoulder - or whatever you call the juncture of his legs to its body.

It howled in pain. The attack left the bear unguarded and in a daze.

My aim was to make the bear unable to walk. So I transformed my sword into another spear and ran around the bear through its back and then struck on its left one.

The bear knelt - or whatever is equivalent to that. Its front legs were now unavailable and its head was now on the ground. I summoned the sword again and hacked its head away.

There was a deafening roar from the crowd and I blacked out.

When I came to, I was floating. I was surrounded by some light leading me upwards. Around me were weapons of different kinds. They circled me like a school of fish. I was fascinated of them, hearing for the first time the melody of their songs praising their wielders. I felt their genuine happiness as if it was my own.

The weapons shoot up and I followed them with my eyes, only to be blinded by an even brighter light up ahead.

I willed myself to fly faster, swinging my arms and kicking my legs as if I was swimming. It proved ineffective, but still I continued doing it.

At long last I reached the light and I heard it say, "Welcome Weapons Master."

I was swallowed by the light.

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"Cellon, guard her and keep her awake."

"But Ren, she's not breathing anymore!"

"What are you blabbering about? You are a goddamn healer! Do something!"

Cellon sighed and faced the girl. He raised his hands, hovering above Nina's body, a faint yellow light slowly going brighter came out of his hands. Ren watched it all unfold before facing the cause of it all, a manticore.

What it was doing here, he really didn't know. But one thing is for sure. The beast was another replica created by the Dark Wizard from his evil experiments. The Dark Wizard has been killed, but his experiments still roam around the world wreaking havoc. The beasts were proven to be more difficult to handle than their creator, a reason why a lot of mages like him were gravely injured and some have died.

He eyed the beast, lingering a little on its spiked, poisonous tail. He conjured an ice spear, aiming to cut the dangerous tail. He sent it flying towards it as fast as the speed of light. But the manticore flicked it away like it was an annoying fly. And annoying it is because it sang - yes you heard it right, manticores sing. Ren's hair all stood on end.

"Cellon, call for back up. We can't subdue this beast!"

Cellon looked back and saw that Ren was in a pinch. His ice magic were nothing compared to the manticore's strength. If he could only freeze the whole beast up, he would have a chance. But that would take too much time. Freezing the manticore's heart is still not an option since all the Dark Wizard's creations do not have one. Death only comes to this beasts through decapitation.

"Cellon!" the call snapped him back to the real world and activated the Association's gem. Activation of it will notify the higher ups of their location.

"Done! Just hang in there, I'm almost done."

"Be quick with it then. My power's beginning to be exhausted."

Mana exhaustion is the worst kind of illness a mage would ever experience. And if it reaches to that, the entire future for them is grim.

Their only chance of survival is for the back up to swiftly arrive.