Chapter 3
Light meets its Shadow
The Count glared at the Solar Girl with his crimson red eyes. For the first time in nine long years, someone actually wounded him with an ordinary weapon. And the worst of all, that wounds were caused by an eleven years old girl who is the daughter of his lifelong rival.
Everything about this girl... It irritates him. The way her sapphire blue eyes stare at him, the she stand there preparing for his next move, the way she curved those lips... Everything that he can see about her made his blood boil. And when someone made him rage like this, he always do the same thing...
Kill them.
Spreading his arms as wide as he could, blood colored smoke appeared right below Sol's feet. Sol, of course was confused to this at first. But for some odd reason, her mind told her to step back. Following the orders of her mind, she jumped from behind, creating a two feet distance between her and the crimson smoke. The smoke suddenly fade and a spike made out of rocks appeared from her previous location. The spike sink back to the ground after a second.
Her eyes widen as she realize that the crimson smoke was following her. Ignoring her enemy for a while, she start to run as fast as she can dodging the spikes that tried to kill her from below. But that's not all of it. While she was running, she saw something in the corner of her eyes. It was once of the Count's swords, flying on her direction. Learning from her sudden actions earlier, she counter the sword by swinging her own sword at it without even stopping to run. Like before, the sword flew back on the Count's chest.
He's getting more angrier and angrier when Sol made his own sword stab on his body. He spread his arms once again and the spikes stopped. Sol stopped running for a bit and wonder why did he stop his attack. She turned around and finally realize why. The Count, and his remaining two swords were charging on her direction. Seeing that the two swords are more faster than him, she used her own sword to swing them out of the way before throwing her own at his direction and doing that cartwheel move again to dodge. His two swords stabbed on both of his arms while her sword stabbed on his stomach.
'Huh... I think I understand why they are called Immortals...' She thought and stared at the Count.
Right now, there are actually five swords stabbed on his body. Two to the chest, one in both arms and one on his stomach. However, even in this condition, he was still breathing and moving like nothing happened.
She stared at the Gun Del Sol, her final weapon, which was resting on her left hand.
'Looks like this is the only weapon that can beat him... But I wonder... Can I power up this swords with Solar Spread?'
Without any signal, the Count charged at her once again. But unlike the last time, he actually got her. Sol gasped on the sudden action and felt that in a snap, she can turn to a vampire snack.
Thankfully, her left hand can freely move, before the Counts fangs touch her neck, she pointed the solar gun on the Count's chest. She find it kind of hard because of those swords but when she do, she quickly hold the trigger creating a close up Solar Spread.
"ARGH!" the Count shouted as loud as he can. Because of the burning feeling of the Solar Spread, he let go of the Solar Girl and kneel into the ground. His body start to release black smoke over it and burn marks appeared everywhere. She didn't stop firing the Solar Spread. And it looks like that the only thing that can stop her is when the battery run dry.
"Well... It maybe too much but bathing in venom feels a lot like that." Sol said rather playfully. Noticing that some part of the Count's body start to turn to ashes, she pull out the blue card on her pocket and held it above her head without stopping her attack.
"Elefan!" She shouted and the whole room was covered with white light.
As the light disappeared, only the five swords that was stabbed on the Count's body earlier where left to the ground.
Part 2
The Count's body were sealed inside the Living Coffin, Elefan. And now, Elefan was currently waiting for her to drag it to the Pile Driver. But before she do so, she grabbed her sword from the ground and walked closer to the young boy sitting unconscious on the chair.
Using her sword, Sol cut the rope that tied him, letting him free from his small prison. Because of the force, he finally opened his emerald green eyes and stare at the Solar Girl.
"Huh? What... Who are you...?"
"I'm Solana. Most people call me the Solar Girl. But you can call me Sol if you want to. The Count had you as a hostage. But now you're free. Tell me, are you hurt?"
"Ahh... Oh yeah... I remember now. Thanks for saving me, Master Sol."
She was taken aback by that. "Master Sol?"
"Well, you saved me from the Vampire Lord, so you earn my respect. I'm Gaea's Son, Lito."
"Wait." Otenko cut out and appeared beside the Solar Girl. "You are Gaea's Son?"
"Oh, Master Otenko, messenger of the sun! I'm pleased to met you. Yes, I am Gaea's Son. Most of the people address me like that."
"Umm... Mind if I ask but what is the meaning of the title 'Gaea's Son'?" Sol, who was the only one in the group who can't relate on their conversation, finally asked.
"Gaea's Children is a title given to someone who has the power to grow and protect the Solar Tree, the shrine of all lives." Explained Otenko. "If you, a Solar Child, are in charge on killing Immortals, Gaea's Children, on the other hand, are in charge to protect the earth that you save."
"I see... But I still wonder what the Count wanted for him to kidnap you..."
"That's the question I don't know how to answer."
"Anyway, speaking of the Count, Sol, we better drag this coffin to the Pile Driver. Purify him in the light of the Sun and maybe we can ask him where Mani is."
"Understood."
As the three of them finish their conversation, Sol walked back to Elefan's location and grabbed the end of its long chain. The living coffin prepared itself for a long walking distance but before the Solar Girl took a step, something stopped her.
"Argh..." She felt something so painful inside her body. She closed her left eyes and put a hand on her head.
"Master Sol!" Lito hurriedly walk to Sol's direction and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? What's happening."
"Don't worry... I'm fine... The battle made me tired, that's all..." She replied, forcing herself to smile.
"If that so, I'll accompany you. It will he bad if undead saw you in that state."
"Thanks..."
'This is bad...'
Part 3
The coffin was really heavy if you ask, though. But since Elefan was a living coffin, he made his best to lessen the weight that Sol was dragging by walking on its own. All these time, Sol's mind were focused more to the sharp pain she felt everytime she move or the very painful headache she felt every now and then rather than finding the exit. Still, even in that condition, Sol managed to drag the coffin back to the front gates of the mansion without making Lito or Otenko notice her current condition.
"Where here, Sol." Otenko's voice snapped her back to reality. She lift up her head and saw Otenko right in the front of her and Lito moving to the fountain nearby. "If you are still tired, we can postpone the Battle Drive and continue tomorrow morning. After all, the Sun will set in another 40 minu-."
"No..." She cut his sentence. "I can still keep on. If we do it tomorrow, someone might come to free him up."
"Alright. If you say so. But don't push yourself too hard, Sol. No one can replace you yet."
Actually, Sol didn't follow Otenko's advice. Even with a worn out and painful body, she still drag Elefan to the center of the Pile Driver. Like the Pile Driver in the Fog Castle, four green colored generators appeared in the four corners of the Pile Driver. She pull out the Gun Del Sol and shoot all generators without even leaving her current spot.
*WHEEN, WHEEN, WHEEN...*
The Pile Driver let out its usual warning. Moving to the glowing emblem below the field, she rise raised her right hand in the sky.
"TAIYOU!" she yell out as loud as she can before taking deep breath.
The four generators shoot out a laser like beam of sunlight at the living coffin. Because of the force, the lid flew off, exposing its content to the large beam of sunlight.
"IT'S HOT!" The Count's voice echoed around the whole place. Sol just turn around to face the coffin and watch the Count burn and at the same, she was waiting for him to make his first move on shutting down the generators. However, before he do so, the same crimson smoke appeared below her foot.
Sol quickly realize this and jumped out of the way before the sharp rocks appeared. The crimson smoke keep following her and she don't have anything to do than to run for it. However when she do so, a strange sound catches her attention.
*Wheen...*
The first generator shut down. Sol looked at the source of the attack and saw an ectoplasm was starting to shut down the next generator.
She fired a Solar Shot at the ectoplasm... But for the first time, she missed. And because of that simple mistake, the second generator shut down.
'Darn it!' She cursed inside her head. 'Why in all times, it has to be right now!? My vision... Its getting blurry! If this continue on, I may lose my consciousness right here and now!' She continue to shout inside her head.
She's not an idiot so she can realize everything. Every step she took, it feels that she's slowing down. Everytime she move her body, she can feel like she's losing strength to carry her own weight. Every seconds that pass, she notice that her vision start to fade. But still she continue on running, trying to outrun the spikes that was trying to kill her. Running while trying to chase after the ectoplasm.
And with her last piece of strength, she pointed the Gun Del Sol again at the ectoplasm's location, firing another Solar Shot. This time, it hits and its enough to push it back to its coffin. Sol knew that this Battle Drive wont end this easily since two generators have been shut down. So she continue to run back to the same emblem and rise her right hand once more.
"TAIYOU!" she yelled once again and a strong ray of sunshine centered at the Pile Driver itself. Because all of the generators are powered by sunlight, the two remaining generators shoot out the most powerful laser it ever let out. A laser enough to burn the Count's ectoplasm.
"NO! I've been Pile Drivered... TWICE THIS DAY!?" the Count's voice echoed once more, making Sol and Otenko look at the coffin.
"Tell me! Where is Mani!?" Sol asked, still in a weak state.
"If you wanted to know that bad, then head to the floating city on the north. You will find your answer there... And maybe more than you can expect. Mwahahaha!" It was his final words before his ectoplasm dissolved in the thin air.
All generators went back to the ground and Elefan revert back to its card form. However, Sol didn't even pick it for some reason. She just stood there, motionless like a statue.
"That was cool! So this is what the Pile Driver can do!" Lito, who was watching all the time, said in amazement and walked near the Solar Girl. "Hey, Master So-"
He didn't even had a chance to finish his sentence. A sound of a falling body made him stop. He looked at the direction of the sound and saw the Solar Girl lying and breathing heavily.
"MASTER SOL!" Lito hurriedly walk near her and tried to put her head on his lap. But once he touches her cheek, he quickly withdraw his hands. Her face felt so hot like he just touch the generator of an overheating refrigerator. "Master Sol, you got a fever!?"
"No way!" Otenko said while picking up the blue card on the center of the Pile Driver. "She arrived here in Istrakan perfectly fine just 7 hours ago!"
"Then how did she... ! Wait! I think I know! Did she face any green colored spider and she was hit by some kind of green liquid, stuff like that?"
"Well, yes. Earlier with the Count."
"Then this must be poison! Good thing I got an antidote in my bag. But this is not the right place to cure her."
"Then where?"
"I can sense a Solar Tree not too far from here. That's the most safest place I know to bring her." Lito explained before he carry the unconscious Solar Girl on his back and dashed to the location of the Solar Tree.
Part 4
Far above the sky in Istrakan, there is a giant floating village close to the sun. It was a normal village back then, where everyone allied with the Sun lives. However, today, that village is abandoned and only undead and Immortals live there. Most of its parts are destroyed but for some odd reason, this village still float in the sky like it usually do.
Inside the room located at the most highest point of the floating village, the young vampire from before look in the sky while sitting on the glassless window.
"As expected..."
"What is it?" Asked the girl behind him. She had a short black hair with a rather emotionless face, wearing a simple blue dress that reach below her knees.
"The Count was defeated." The vampire boy answered. "What an stubborn vampire. I already give him a warning and now this? Its okay if he died. But the Solar Girl freed Gaea's Son."
"The Queen wont like that."
"She's probably mad again. And I don't want to visit the castle when she's mad. It'll be too noisy."
"So, what's your next plan then?" The girl asked making the young vampire boy look at the setting sun once more.
"I'll give the Solar Girl a little visit. But maybe I'll do it when the sun completely sets."
Part 5
The sun rise slowly through the mountains of Istrakan. It was the sign that a new day has come once again. Sensing the warm sunlight that shone on her forehead, the Solar Girl finally opened her eyes from her sleep.
"Huh?"
She looked around, trying to recognize the current place she was in. There are lots of plants around her and a giant tree with some small amount of leaves on every branch.
'This doesn't look like the Bloodrust Mansion...'
Unable to recognize her current location, Sol slowly sit up from her lying position while wondering how she ends up here in this unknown place. Soon, that thoughts escaped once a something wet dropped down from her forehead to her lap. Or should I say, the blanket on her lap. It was a piece of cloth. A thing that remind her that she was not the only person here.
'Oh yeah… that reminds me…'
"You're okay?" A voice snapped her back to reality. It was Lito, Carrying apples on both hands.
"Yeah… pretty much. Anyway, Lito, where are we?"
"We are next to the Solar Tree. Not too far from the Bloodrust Mansion. Good thing this place had a river nearby."
"Solar Tree?" she asked and finally stood up from the ground. She walked closer to the giant tree right in the middle of the area and put a hand on its bark.
"Yeah. It's the shrine of all life. It has the power to drive the undead away. But on sadly, on this state, The Solar Tree is weak to drive the undead away from Istrakan."
"Is that the reason why there so many undead here?"
"Probably." He answers before throwing one apple at her direction. Sol catches it using only one hand and took a bite. "That's why I'm here. As Gaea's Son, my mission is to protect all Solar Trees planted all over the world."
"I see…"
"I guess I'll be staying her until the Solar Tree fully recovered. What about you Master Sol?"
This question made Sol think. She just stared at the bite mark of the red apple on her hand with a serious face, recalling what happened back there in the Bloodrust Mansion. She already killed the Count… she already avenged her father. Why does it feel so.. empty? Sure she was happy, but for some odd reason, she felt like there is still something missing. Like something deep inside her want to tell her to keep going.
But where? She doesn't remember where is that path that she made. It felt like the poison from yesterday turned off the light that she made for that road. . . like she just stood there in the end of an unknown road with nothing more but darkness painted all over the background. . . until Count's final words finally made her snap.
"I will continue on." Was her short reply. "I will go find Mani. I won't stop until I saw her right in the front of my eyes."
Lito only smiled at those words. He don't know why, but for some reason, those words made him do so.
"Alright. If that's what you want to do. Oh and here!" he said and give a small piece of leaf to her. Sol only took it and stared at the green leaf on her hands.
"What's this?"
"It's one of the few leaves that the Solar Tree had right now. If you raise it in the air, that leaf will bring you back here on its tree. Use that if you wanted to visit me- err, I mean the Solar Tree!"
"Okay. I'll remember that."
Part 6
It's been ten minutes since Sol leaved the Solar Tree. She and Otenko were calmly walking on the road that will lead them to the floating city that Count mentioned yesterday.
"Hey, Master Otenko."Sol break the silence between them. "What is that floating city that Count was talking about?"
"That? It was the city created by the Solar Children long time ago. They call it the 'Sol City'. But I believe that the Sol City was abandoned now, considering you, the last Solar Child, was right here."
"Sol City, huh?" she wondered. "I wonder why almost everything had the same name as me."
"Well, I don't really understand why Ringo give you a name so close to Father Sun."
Sol was about to reply to that. But suddenly, their conversation was cut, not by a word, but by a crimson colored sonic wave about to charge at their direction. Both Sol and Otenko dodge this. Grabbing the Gun Del Sol from the gun case clipped on her belt, the Solar Girl pointed it at the direction where the attack come from. She thought it has to be an undead but when she took a closer look at the attacker, she was wrong.
It was the young vampire boy that talked with the Count before they fought. A strange looking sword that was glowing in crimson red color rested on his right hand, signaling that he is the one who made that attack earlier.
"So you defeated the Count. Impressive, Solar Girl."
"Who are you!?" Sol asked, without even putting her gun down.
"My name is Black of the West."
"Black of the West? You are the Vampire Prince!?"
"I see. Looks like you made a little research after all. However, I'm not a foe or a friend for now, at least."
"What do you want then?"
"I just come here to tell you something." Black said as his crimson red eyes darted at her. "You killed the Count. You already avenged your father. Now I will advise you to stop moving forward and ruining our plans."
"No!" Sol shouted and glare at him. "I won't stop until I haven't seen Mani or my brother!"
"If that's the case, I will give you one more chance to change your mind." Black said and rise his sword again. The red glass like part of the sword that was located between the hilt and the blade glowed in crimson color. He swing it downward as fast as he can and the same crimson sonic wave traveled beside him. The sonic wave cut the large rock beside Black and keep on going until it cut the river and only stop when it hit the third tree in the forest next to it. Sol's eyes widen when she saw the huge damage caused by the simple swing of Black's sword. It was far stronger than any of the Count's attacks. But how come this boy was only a prince while Count was the lord? She couldn't understand. . . but she have to be careful. "I won't fight you today."
"Huh?" this made Sol drop her gun.
"Like I said, I'm not a friend or a foe. I just come her to give you a simple warning. However, if you keep on going, you will face that attack head on. And maybe much more stronger than that one. The choices are yours, Solar Girl. Pick wisely because you may lose your life with this." And with that said, Black transformed to a crow and flew out of the way, leaving Sol and Otenko behind.
"Well?" Otenko break the silence between them.
"We'll continue on. If I have to face him just to save Mani and my brother, then I will do it!"
And with the decision was made, Sol and Otenko continue their way to the floating village in the north.