‘Akira, I think I found her,’ Yuki sent.
[I’m on my way.]
“Hey, don’t ignore me,” the person Yuki assumed the Witch said. “Talking to other people during a conversation is rude you know.”
'She can detect my communication with Akira. Interesting.'
“My apologies,” Yuki replied. “I’m inviting my friend over to chat with us if you don’t mind. Anyway, you said that you were expecting me?”
“Well not you specifically but someone at least,” the Witch clarified. She spoke slightly choppy, almost as if she was thinking about every word she said before she said it. “I knew someone found me so I was waiting for anyone to come. And now you’re here! But it took you awhile.”
“Yeah, I had some things to do. My apologies.”
“Oh? Like what? I know I was really busy,” she said. “Had to move my house. It’s a bit stuffier than it was, but it’s quite cozy.”
“I know a little about rooms underground,” Yuki replied. “But anyway. You called me rude but you aren’t even here in person. Isn’t it normal to have a conversation face to face?”
“Oh, I would, but I’m in a bit of a predicament,” the Witch said lightly. “I know why you’re here. I can probably guess what you’re going to do.”
“Mmm, that’s quite smart of you then. But you do know that I’ll probably find you right? This is just delaying.”
“Yes, I know. But I can make your life annoying and difficult before you do that.”
“Please don’t do that.”
“Well I don’t want to.”
Yuki sat down next to a tree and kept track of Akira’s position. She was closing in on where he was.
“If you don’t want to, then why not just come out now?” he asked. “It’ll make both of our lives easier. I probably know where you are.”
The Witch giggled. “Probably isn’t the same as certain. Why go for an eighty percent chance if you can know for sure where I am?”
“Are you telling me that you’re going to show me where you are?”
“I might~,” she replied playfully. “But that depends on you. I see your friend has arrived.”
“Yes she has,” Yuki said.
Akira jumped over one last bush and landed beside him, her hair bouncing. She gave him a curious look as he talked.
“Would you mind including my partner into this conversation?” Yuki asked.
“No, I would not. Hello there,” the Witch greeted.
“Oh, hi,” Akira replied. “You are the Witch?”
“That I am. But my real name is Sophie so feel free to call me that instead,” she said. “Anyway, I was just telling your friend here that I might reveal myself if he passes some tests.”
“Tests?” Yuki said.
“Tests. So, chimaera. Is this person your girlfriend?”
“Wha-what?” Akira spat out. She seemed to choke a little on her words. “Where did that come from?”
“Oh, I just was curious. I can see you all and wanted to know your friend’s gender,” Sophie explained. “I can’t get a clear reading on them.”
“I’m male,” Yuki said. “And my name is Yuki. This is Akira.”
“Oh, nice to know your names. But back to the main topic now. Tests. Or more like games. Are you up for it?”
“I don’t mind as long as they aren’t more of a hassle than finding you,” Yuki replied. “What are the games?”
“Just two easy little games,” she said. “For someone like you, they should be trivial. Of course, you’re the only player here so you won’t have help.”
“What are the games?”
“The first is a little survival game. There will be waves of enemies and all you need to do is defeat them. Ready?”
“What’s the time limit?”
“No time limit,” she said. “It’s until you kill them or you die. I’ll determine if you passed though.”
“I see,” Yuki nodded. “And the second game?”
“I’ll tell you that later,” Sophie replied. Yuki heard a clap. “Now let’s get started, shall we?”
The ground shook and Yuki stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. Around him, the trees were blasted away and walls rose from the ground. The area flattened and doors appeared in the walls, bars blocking Yuki from exiting. Yuki glanced around and noticed that Akira had disappeared.
[I’m up top,] she said. Yuki looked up and saw her in a viewing box at the top of the arena. [I’m was carried up here in the box. I guess that’s what she meant when she said you were the only player.]
“Welcome to the Arena!” Sophie said, her voice echoing like an announcer. “The rules are simple, folks. Kill the monsters before they kill you!”
“You already said that,” Yuki interrupted.
“Let’s begin!” she continued, ignoring him.
Yuki heard creaking and turned his attention to the five golems that were rising up from the ground. They were made of the same material that the previous golems he had but these seemed to have been upgraded. They were more human in shape and size and now held weapons. They spread out in a formation and began to slowly march towards him.
‘This won’t be a pain, she said,’ Yuki sighed.
He flicked his wrist and his black knives shot out of his hidden sheathes. He analyzed the formation of the golems as they crept towards him. There were three upfront with swords drawn, their positions forming a semicircle. Behind them were two golems wielding spears.
‘Let’s split them.’
Yuki ran off to the side of the formation, the golems turning their heads as they tracked him. Winding up his arm, he infused one of his daggers with earth magic and launched it at the left most golem. It clanged off of its head but managed to do its job of distracting it. Yuki sighed as he caught the retracting blade.
‘She did something to the golems.’
He hopped backwards and channeled mana into his eyes. The world lit up and the mana within it shined with it. Yuki focused onto the golems and was greeted with a shimmering aura around them. Looking closer, he realised that it seemed to resemble armor with multiple plates overlapping each other.
‘That’s impressive. I wonder how she did that. And the material of the golems seem to have been tweaked.’
Yuki decided to change tactics. He stopped running and slammed his foot down onto the ground. Through his magical eyes, he saw the ground shimmer briefly before earthen walls shot up from it. The golems scattered as the walls grew around them. Within seconds, a maze had formed that divided the golems.
He rushed towards the location of the first golem, located a couple feet away from him. With his eyes, he located areas around the golem where chinks were formed due to the medieval way the magical armor around them was designed. He flipped his daggers, holding them inverted, and targeted these weak points. Once his blades passed the armor, the body of the golem was shredded like paper.
‘This isn’t going to be hard. Might take a little time.’
A few minutes later, Yuki collapsed the walls of his hastily made maze. All that was left in the arena were the chopped up remains of the golems. Yuki glanced up at the spectator box and saw that someone had appeared inside of it while he was fighting. The person who Yuki assumed was Sophie was clapping with what looked to be a delighted expression on her face.
“That was a beautiful job! Well done!” she praised. “Now let’s see how you do with the next wave.”
Yuki heard something clang and he turned toward the direction of the sound. Three trolls stared right back at him, the sound of their snorts reaching his ears as he watched each heft up a giant metal spiked mace.
“Have fun!” Sophie said.
‘How is this less annoying than chasing her around?’
He sighed and lifted his own blades. Staring directly at the red eyes of the charging trolls, Yuki rushed forward to meet them head on.
‘Akira, I think I found her,’ Yuki sent.
[I’m on my way.]
“Hey, don’t ignore me,” the person Yuki assumed the Witch said. “Talking to other people during a conversation is rude you know.”
'She can detect my communication with Akira. Interesting.'
“My apologies,” Yuki replied. “I’m inviting my friend over to chat with us if you don’t mind. Anyway, you said that you were expecting me?”
“Well not you specifically but someone at least,” the Witch clarified. She spoke slightly choppy, almost as if she was thinking about every word she said before she said it. “I knew someone found me so I was waiting for anyone to come. And now you’re here! But it took you awhile.”
“Yeah, I had some things to do. My apologies.”
“Oh? Like what? I know I was really busy,” she said. “Had to move my house. It’s a bit stuffier than it was, but it’s quite cozy.”
“I know a little about rooms underground,” Yuki replied. “But anyway. You called me rude but you aren’t even here in person. Isn’t it normal to have a conversation face to face?”
“Oh, I would, but I’m in a bit of a predicament,” the Witch said lightly. “I know why you’re here. I can probably guess what you’re going to do.”
“Mmm, that’s quite smart of you then. But you do know that I’ll probably find you right? This is just delaying.”
“Yes, I know. But I can make your life annoying and difficult before you do that.”
“Please don’t do that.”
“Well I don’t want to.”
Yuki sat down next to a tree and kept track of Akira’s position. She was closing in on where he was.
“If you don’t want to, then why not just come out now?” he asked. “It’ll make both of our lives easier. I probably know where you are.”
The Witch giggled. “Probably isn’t the same as certain. Why go for an eighty percent chance if you can know for sure where I am?”
“Are you telling me that you’re going to show me where you are?”
“I might~,” she replied playfully. “But that depends on you. I see your friend has arrived.”
“Yes she has,” Yuki said.
Akira jumped over one last bush and landed beside him, her hair bouncing. She gave him a curious look as he talked.
“Would you mind including my partner into this conversation?” Yuki asked.
“No, I would not. Hello there,” the Witch greeted.
“Oh, hi,” Akira replied. “You are the Witch?”
“That I am. But my real name is Sophie so feel free to call me that instead,” she said. “Anyway, I was just telling your friend here that I might reveal myself if he passes some tests.”
“Tests?” Yuki said.
“Tests. So, chimaera. Is this person your girlfriend?”
“Wha-what?” Akira spat out. She seemed to choke a little on her words. “Where did that come from?”
“Oh, I just was curious. I can see you all and wanted to know your friend’s gender,” Sophie explained. “I can’t get a clear reading on them.”
“I’m male,” Yuki said. “And my name is Yuki. This is Akira.”
“Oh, nice to know your names. But back to the main topic now. Tests. Or more like games. Are you up for it?”
“I don’t mind as long as they aren’t more of a hassle than finding you,” Yuki replied. “What are the games?”
“Just two easy little games,” she said. “For someone like you, they should be trivial. Of course, you’re the only player here so you won’t have help.”
“What are the games?”
“The first is a little survival game. There will be waves of enemies and all you need to do is defeat them. Ready?”
“What’s the time limit?”
“No time limit,” she said. “It’s until you kill them or you die. I’ll determine if you passed though.”
“I see,” Yuki nodded. “And the second game?”
“I’ll tell you that later,” Sophie replied. Yuki heard a clap. “Now let’s get started, shall we?”
The ground shook and Yuki stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. Around him, the trees were blasted away and walls rose from the ground. The area flattened and doors appeared in the walls, bars blocking Yuki from exiting. Yuki glanced around and noticed that Akira had disappeared.
[I’m up top,] she said. Yuki looked up and saw her in a viewing box at the top of the arena. [I’m was carried up here in the box. I guess that’s what she meant when she said you were the only player.]
“Welcome to the Arena!” Sophie said, her voice echoing like an announcer. “The rules are simple, folks. Kill the monsters before they kill you!”
“You already said that,” Yuki interrupted.
“Let’s begin!” she continued, ignoring him.
Yuki heard creaking and turned his attention to the five golems that were rising up from the ground. They were made of the same material that the previous golems he had but these seemed to have been upgraded. They were more human in shape and size and now held weapons. They spread out in a formation and began to slowly march towards him.
‘This won’t be a pain, she said,’ Yuki sighed.
He flicked his wrist and his black knives shot out of his hidden sheathes. He analyzed the formation of the golems as they crept towards him. There were three upfront with swords drawn, their positions forming a semicircle. Behind them were two golems wielding spears.
‘Let’s split them.’
Yuki ran off to the side of the formation, the golems turning their heads as they tracked him. Winding up his arm, he infused one of his daggers with earth magic and launched it at the left most golem. It clanged off of its head but managed to do its job of distracting it. Yuki sighed as he caught the retracting blade.
‘She did something to the golems.’
He hopped backwards and channeled mana into his eyes. The world lit up and the mana within it shined with it. Yuki focused onto the golems and was greeted with a shimmering aura around them. Looking closer, he realised that it seemed to resemble armor with multiple plates overlapping each other.
‘That’s impressive. I wonder how she did that. And the material of the golems seem to have been tweaked.’
Yuki decided to change tactics. He stopped running and slammed his foot down onto the ground. Through his magical eyes, he saw the ground shimmer briefly before earthen walls shot up from it. The golems scattered as the walls grew around them. Within seconds, a maze had formed that divided the golems.
He rushed towards the location of the first golem, located a couple feet away from him. With his eyes, he located areas around the golem where chinks were formed due to the medieval way the magical armor around them was designed. He flipped his daggers, holding them inverted, and targeted these weak points. Once his blades passed the armor, the body of the golem was shredded like paper.
‘This isn’t going to be hard. Might take a little time.’
A few minutes later, Yuki collapsed the walls of his hastily made maze. All that was left in the arena were the chopped up remains of the golems. Yuki glanced up at the spectator box and saw that someone had appeared inside of it while he was fighting. The person who Yuki assumed was Sophie was clapping with what looked to be a delighted expression on her face.
“That was a beautiful job! Well done!” she praised. “Now let’s see how you do with the next wave.”
Yuki heard something clang and he turned toward the direction of the sound. Three trolls stared right back at him, the sound of their snorts reaching his ears as he watched each heft up a giant metal spiked mace.
“Have fun!” Sophie said.
‘How is this less annoying than chasing her around?’
He sighed and lifted his own blades. Staring directly at the red eyes of the charging trolls, Yuki rushed forward to meet them head on.
