"You know, maybe the absence of consciousness and thought is not so bad, and to be expected after getting slammed multiple times by a hammer…"
Or was it a hammer? Did I even say that? I don't know. I could hardly tell what I was doing, or where I was for that matter. All I could hear was a very loud ringing sound with the hum of something else that I did not recognize. I wanted to open my eyes, but it was almost as if they were slammed shut for some reason, or maybe they wanted to stay closed? It's almost as if I was put on some sort of autopilot, and now I'm facing the consequences…
It's not like I had much urgency to open my eyes. From the heavy vibration and feel of my surroundings, I'm on a metal thing of sorts, so I'm not caged up like I used to be, well, I think at least. I felt tranquil and lazy, and while normally I can overcome those feelings, I felt some sort of heavy exhaustion that I did not previously have, preventing me from trying to move.
It's almost as if I was on some sort of… wait, I already thought of that. I decided to just relax and to become one with the vibration, you know? Sort of like how when I used to in elementary school, whenever I was on the bus and leaned against the glass. It was soothing… until I got headbutted by the window when we hit the most minor of bumps. Either way, I felt relaxed, even in my weird circumstances… it feels right… yet… wrong…
I've felt this before… well, not really… well, maybe… I'm not even sure myself anymore… I wanted to find out why I was feeling like this, but there was something soothing in not knowing… maybe I'm dreaming..? No, if I was, I would feel… different… not like this… More than even I began to feel another feeling, one of panic… was it panic? I can't recall what panic feels like…
I don't really feel anything actually… well, maybe I just feel everything…? I swear I heard of this before somewhere… I'm not in euphoria, well, maybe I am, but euphoria makes me lose all emotions and feelings…? Most of all sensations…? I feel like I'm contradicting something somewhere, I don't know…
But why…? What was the last thing I remember… oh right, hammer. Was it a hammer? Maybe more like a cinderblock… I remember getting hit by that… Like once… maybe twice… wait, what?
Maybe I should just rest, well, rest if I can. Maybe I'm already resting and I don't know? Does this mean I'm dreaming? Well, I'm not sure, this feels like I'm dreaming but it doesn't, I lack something. A desire… maybe…? I'm confusing myself more… Or am I not? I don't know… Maybe accepting this will lead to me finding out why I'm like this? Maybe… Maybe…
…
I'm awake again, well, not sure if again is the right word considering how I vaguely remember being awake earlier. Or maybe I wasn't awake and more just dreaming it, hell if I know. What I do know is the fact that I can begin to sense a feeling of dread and excruciating pain as I am starting to become more and more aware of myself.
It wasn't an isolated feeling, my whole body felt like it was being cooked and slowly preparing to burst. It felt like it was mostly concentrated on my chest and back, but considering how my whole body was feeling it, I couldn't exactly differentiate from everything else. I think I can remember… sensory overload, my body is pretty much frozen, even though every muscle is screaming in pain.
I want to move, but would that not just make it worse? I definitely was moving in some sort of contraption as I could hear the hum of an engine, which for some reason sounds out of place for some reason. Bits and pieces of memory are missing I think, there is some context that I am missing, yet I just can't remember. Maybe I don't want to remember? Who knows, but I need to do something, this feeling of confusion yet contentment mixed with pain is not something I necessarily enjoy… but also don't dislike.
Senses, I should probably try to feel around more, the only real sensation other than pain is a vibration of sorts clattering my whole body. I moved what I presumed to be my arm around to feel my surroundings, I was hunched down in some sort of box on all four sides. I could feel what I think was heavy wind above me however, as whenever I raised my arm in spite of its pain was a massive gust of wind.
Am I on a building? Maybe I took a nap at the Empire State Building or something… Wait no, I'm not there, wait… another world! Yes, I remember. Wait then… where am I? I jolted myself upwards subconsciously and opened my eyes, something in which moments ago I would have said I forgot how to.
I was met with the familiar gust of wind I already felt, though to my panic I could make out only somewhat blurred items. Before I could ponder my reaction to said blurred visions, the whiplash from all my muscles pushing me upwards even though they are all in massive pain hit me like a truck. I bit my lip and grimaced as I felt a pulse-like feeling of pain reverberate through my body.
Blinking a few more times, my vision cleared up a bit and I could make out that I was on a… plane! Oh right, Faith, me, and her, and… Nickoli went and escaped from… I forgot, oh and Conrad too I can't forget. We were escaping, but then something went wrong, wait I just realized, are we not up in the air then…?
How high are we…?
I turned to my side and looked down to see… white… well more of a gray haze but mostly white. There was a large dark grey square but I just ignored it for now, I mentally tried to refocus my vision to hopefully clear up some of the blur from my vision, which surprisingly did work as I was able to see… clouds. Though it was not just a cloud it was more like a sheet of clouds that covered the ground so to speak. It was still dark out from the very dark shade almost everything has to it. Reminds me of whenever I rode in airplanes…. Wait airplanes… oh shit I'm flying.
I could begin the panic to set in as my heart began to thump rapidly, though it was offset by the feeling of more pain starting to well up from my chest. That was alongside an already present but now increasing headache that is starting to enter the realm of a migraine in pain. I tensed and teared up a little unconsciously but there was nothing to comfort me other than my own struggling to operate my brain.
I hit the side of the box I was in an attempt to output some of the pain I was feeling, though it was only met with more pain as the feeling of me just hitting solid metal reverberated up my arm.
"Shit!" I shrieked in pain.
As I was beginning to try to rub my hand to alleviate some of the pain, I was interrupted by a familiar voice ahead of me.
"Looks like somebody is awake, took you long enough," they continued.
"Faith…? Is that you?" I questioned as I turned my head up to see her sitting down facing away from me in a cockpit of sorts.
Her voice sounded kind of muffled, probably due to the heavy gust of wind flying by muting some of the sound. I assume she knew as she seemed to be forcing herself to speak louder than normal, which I followed suit.
"Well who else would operate a plane in medieval Europe? Well, more like… never mind forget it," she grumbled without even turning to see me.
"Right…," I sighed.
I am remembering a little bit more, we were escaping from a nation of sorts. Then I got into a fight… I got hit a lot, then I just went to sleep? Felt more like I was knocked out, I can't recall exactly. It's all a haze sort of.
"How long was I out?" I said, rubbing my face and assessing myself.
"Only 4 months or so," she responded nonchalantly.
"Wait what the hell?!" I yelled, sitting upright once more only to feel another familiar feeling of pain creep up my body.
"Just kidding, only a couple of hours," she snickered.
I untensed my muscles as I melted back into the… seat? I was in.
"Never took you as the joking type," I mumbled in pain.
For a split second, I felt my mind race to imagine what the hell could have happened in the span of four months to lead to me being here. Along with that who or what hit me so hard that it would lead to me being unconscious…? Asleep…? Whatever, being unable to do anything for that long. Speaking of which… what did hit me…?
"Well, nothing else to do. Nickoli and Conrad are still dangling below us. And you have been taking your beauty sleep for the whole time we were up here, it has been pretty uneventful," she sighed.
"Are you implying that you wanted company…?" I said with a small grin growing on my face.
"No, just something to entertain me or to keep me awake as I sail the infinite white ocean," she said with a bit of scorn.
"Uh-huh," I responded in a sarcastic tone.
Now back to what I was thinking, what hit me? I vaguely remember a hammer, though I doubt a small hammer would be able to give me so many injuries… oh right! The status menu! I was almost oblivious to my status which was displayed in the top left the whole time.
Looking up, I saw that my health bar was only around a third of the way full along with… a weird spiral that was glowing orange. I'm not sure what that means, and I don't really feel like exerting the small amount of mental strength I have left to scout- oh right! I forgot these are status effects, like poison, or something. I forgot the specifics but I remember reviewing them in between my training bouts with Conrad in the forest.
Faith, Nickoli, and Conrad on the other hand seemed fine, Faith only being mostly full health with Nickoli and Conrad having full bars. It looks like I was the only one affected greatly by whatever went down in our escape from… a capital… forgot the name already to be honest. I just know that whatever hit me so hard it made me forget half of my surroundings and intentions that I should probably avoid.
Though now that we are upwards to… actually I'm not sure how high we are, nor do I want to find out. I should think of something else, like right now.
"Hm, oh right! Where are we going?" I yelled over to Faith.
I quickly, however, felt a heavy weight on my chest as I coughed a little. While the coughs were nothing crazy, it felt like being punched in the chest every time I took one due to the already existing pain being amplified by them. Clenching my chest did nothing, though I guess it would make sense of my shortness of breath due to the altitude and such, or so I think at least.
"What?" she asked back.
"Do you know where you are going?" I yelled once more, this time not emptying all of my lung capacity to hopefully avoid another coughing fit.
She took a bit to respond, but she did in a rather assured tone, "Yeah, Conrad told me to just fly in this direction before he got in the tank until I pass by a border of sorts," she explained.
Ah, so Conrad told her, are we flying to a different country? Well, it's probably a friendly nation if Conrad is the one directing us there. Wait a border, does she even know what a border looks like, and it's not like it's going to be super apparent due to us being, you know, in medieval Europe with magic basically.
"Did he say if there was any indicator that we have arrived or…?" I questioned.
"Yes, he said there should be either a large wall or a large open charred stretch of land, either one is where the border is," she elaborated.
I looked down to see, more clouds, and the large grey box was Nickoli's tank dangling from a wire attached to the plane. Physics doesn't seem to apply to both the plane or the tank so I'm not going to waste my time trying to rationalize it. Wait, if we are supposed to look for landmarks, how are we supposed to find them if we are above the clouds?
"Um, Faith," I spoke up.
"You said we need to find this border, but how are we supposed to find it if, well, we are above the clouds and can't see anything?" I asked her, rather confused.
She again did not respond for a moment. Though I could see her put her hand up to her face. I think the cogs are finally turning in her head.
"We could go lower, though that would risk getting spotted," Faith finally responded.
"Well true, but it's not like anything would be able to hit us. I mean from what I remember, nothing was able to trail us or shoot at us, I think at least," I said as I tried to remember anything from before I went lights out.
"True, though remember what they were calling my plane? Iron eagles. Maybe they have some sort of giant eagles that are of a similar or same size as my plane? While the plane has weapons, who knows if they will be enough since this world is rather odd in its systems and operation," she analyzed.
"That sounded a bit smart coming from you, Faith," I said, raising my eyebrow as best as I could even though she was not even facing me.
She turned to slightly face me. I could feel the glare coming from her practically stab me as she spat, "Well I'm rash but not stupid," She paused for a moment before continuing, "At least not stupid enough to do simple correlations."
"Well sorry, sheesh, didn't mean to push your buttons, Faith," I said, rubbing the back of my head.
"What do you take me for? An idiot? It's not like you are any better with your plans that don't seem to work out half the time," she snarled, still maintaining her piercing glare.
I wanted to say something, something pretty nasty, but I didn't have the energy to say it or deal with the aftermath. I just relaxed my muscles and laid back down into my small little square seat of sorts. She took that as a sign of giving back as I could hear her scoff and then turn back to the front.
Wait, but this doesn't even solve the issue I brought up with her to begin with. We need to be lower to the ground to find where we need to stop or if we are nearby, but she does bring up a fair point… I don't want giant eagles or whatever attacking us. It already happened with the giant bugs… and it ended with me falling from the plane and slamming into a building… yeah.
"Um, Faith," I spoke up once more, a bit more timidly.
"What?" she practically growled as she turned to slightly face me once more.
"We never really figured out what we would do, since, like I said before, we can't exactly look for any landmarks," I continued.
There was a long silence. I presume she is probably thinking of a response. In the meantime, I opened my menu on the side of my view to see if I stashed any food before we left, to which I then found out I did not, sadly. Guess I'll starve. It's not like the weird soup porridge leftover… thing I was fed when trapped… I don't even remember if it tasted like anything remarkable, now thinking about it…
"Well, it's not like we have much choice now, do we?" she grumbled.
"We could also just wait for these clouds to clear up, but it's probably going to take a day or so for that to happen. I don't think we have enough food to stay up here for that long. I'm already hungry, plus how long are you able to keep flying up? Do you need fuel or anything?" I asked her.
"Look at you being all interested in my flying now," she scoffed, "If only you had the same interest whenever I was practicing in the forest."
Well damn, who is pressing her button? No point getting mad, I suppose, she is quite literally the only reason we are alive, for not at least.
"Well sorry, I also had to practice with my own stuff as well. It's not like playing video games prepared me to actually fire weapons in real life," I remarked.
"Video… Games…?" She questioned as she slowly turned to face me.
Oh right, forgot, alternate universe and all that fun stuff.
"Don't worry about it. Now about your flying, can you maintain this for long periods of time or?" I asked once more.
She gave a very audible sigh before responding, "Well, as long as I am somewhat concentrated I can maintain elevation, though I need full focus to maneuver and do other things. Which is probably going to become an issue if I fall asleep now thinking about it…"
"I thought you never slee-"
Before I was able to finish, she again gave me a similar if not more vicious glare from before. I decided to just end it off there but she began once more.
"I'm not immune to sleep, I need it as well," She relaxed her face and turned back forward, "For all I know we will probably go tumbling out the sky whenever I fall to my slumber," she said rather relaxed for some reason.
I imagined myself just relaxing and then seeing the plane just begin to rapidly lose altitude before crashing in some random field. I shuddered slightly and relaxed as best as I could with that on my mind, I'll do my best to remember to check up on Faith every few minutes or so without annoying her. Though the last part I guess I already did huh?
"I'll gradually lower my altitude over time, I don't feel like exerting myself too much for now. You better pray that no giant eagles come and attack us, or I'll make sure they get you before they get me," She stated.
What…?
"What do you mean by that?" I asked curiously and cautiously.
"It means they will have to choose between a small dropping target or a big maneuvering one," she explained.
"Okay but what doe-, Oh, you mean you are going to…," I slightly quivered.
She could probably sense my apprehension as she slowly nodded, rather sadistically if I did say so myself.
I remember seeing a Geographic World documentary on hawks and on how they can dive at breakneck and precise speeds. If they can catch a fish out of water, then how would a giant bird catch a falling human? I shuddered at the thought. I quickly just opened up my menu for something to take my mind off it. … Oh right!
I forgot, I never got the chance, well I did I just forgot, to tell her about the powerup method sharing. But then again… do I really want to tell her? Hmm, I'm being pretty petty right now, but what if I only told her my sharing method? Since it benefits everyone, I can probably convince her it's an exclusive thing with that method.
While her being stronger would be better, I also wish to have some control over her. Even if I'm at a higher level than her at the moment, you never know when that can change, and even now she does a ton of damage.
She can get out of control… sometimes, I glanced at her quickly before looking back at my menu, as if she had eyes at the back of her head. Not at critical times as of yet, but I never know. Hm…
"I can tell her later, I rather not spark conversation for now I guess," I whispered to myself.
Well, now what do I do, other than wallow in the constant pain that I have gotten used to? I could try to sleep, but I doubt I could, I'm tired but not… tired. I don't really know how to describe it other than what I said, I have practically read most of the menu or gone over it at least once. Even if I did miss something I don't have the mental capacity nor strength to try to comprehend it.
I felt around my sides to see which I left my gun on before deciding to take a long nap. I eventually found it on my right side near the back. Pulling it up it was in its base form, I probably turned it into the smallest thing I could before promptly dozing off. I subconsciously made it change its form into my favorite form, that being of the Ore Viper Core.
The revolver-like resemblance it had brought me back memories of cowboys in the West. Like in those movies I and my dad watched together when I was younger, where the sheriff and deputy would catch the bandits and have duels at sunset with their six-shooters. While from the looks of my revolver, it was also a six-shooter the barrels seem to have no actual use.
It was sort of disappointing but it makes sense considering I lack the need to reload said weapon. However, one interesting thing is that the barrels are able to be spun around, so that was a nice distraction whenever I messed around with it. I tried to pull it out but to no avail, I guess I can't load any custom ammo or anything. Though I doubt I would find bullets or anything in this fantasy world anyway.
I tried to spin the revolver around like how many cowboys do in movies, only for it to uneventfully hit the side of my seat and stop in its tracks. I just put it, attached it? To my side after that. Honestly, as ridiculous as I sometimes think such cowboys are, the movie kind at least, with their outfits, I wouldn't mind wearing something like that now. My current school outfit, despite everything, has remained somewhat wearable but is starting to show its scars.
There was the giant slash hole in the back, multiple locations with smaller openings and cuts. These openings practically invited the cold wind to just hit me and constantly give me a chill wherever I go. I'm honestly surprised I have not gotten a cold yet. My shoes are still dirty with dry mud from when I traveled for miles practically in the forest.
I'm honestly glad I had a decent amount of conditioning beforehand. If it were off-season, I probably would have been out of breath basically the whole time. Nickoli did not seem that fit, but he was riding his tank most of the time anyway, so it would make sense he would not be bothered. I don't know enough about Faith to know her fitness, but she seems fine, and Conrad, while older, is still fit and ex-military, so it makes sense, I suppose.
I wonder how everyone back home is doing. Whenever I first got here, I always hoped that I would wake up in my bed as if nothing happened, though the possibility of such a thing is seeming less and less likely. Maybe it's going to be like in those animes I sometimes watch where I go through this massive years-long adventure and only like a day has passed in my world… Yeah, never mind, I don't want to imagine that.
I shudder at the thought of me being in my thirties in a body half that age. Also, it would invalidate a lot of my growth, if I even do anything physically. Though right now I wouldn't mind going from practically always hungry to a little hungry from before I got summoned. Man, what I would do to get a little bit of my mom's food right about now…
I was taken out of thought by the feeling of some saliva drooping down my chin. I wiped it off the best I could and mentally reminded myself to not think of food while hungry. Though the constant gust of wind is a good distraction, I suppose. That and the somewhat scenic view before me, even as I can begin to notice the loss of altitude nearing cloud level, I can make out mountains and faraway places beyond the skyline, even through the dark sky-sprinkled sky.
I wonder if I'll ever reach such places… Well, maybe if Faith ever gets faster planes. I mean, she went from basically a big model plane attached to her back to an actual plane, albeit its rather old age. Maybe as time goes on she will unlock jets or something. I wonder how some rural farmer would react to an F-14 or something of that nature blasting by… Yeah, that would be cool…
I was suddenly taken aback, however, by a sudden attack of invisible things as we entered the cloud below us. While the small pellets or whatever was hitting me did not hurt, the reverberation it had with my already existing pain just amplified it. I ducked as fast as I could into the seat I was in, which luckily seemed to mostly stop the pain from barraging me.
Whatever hit me did not do much damage, as my health seemed to have barely changed since the last time I checked it. However, the pain from whatever hit me did begin to throb a bit. The sound of what sounded like pellets rapidly hitting the plane from every angle, but most from the front side, is something almost out of a horror movie.
"Hey Faith, what the-" I began to yell out.
"I don't know, but whatever it is is not letting up," She loudly interjected, "I think it's the clouds or something. I'm going to speed up our descent!"
I don't know what's wrong with this world to have clouds that attack you, but I wouldn't be surprised if rocks eat you as fruit theoretically can. I then, for some reason, felt the feeling of weightlessness come over me for a few moments, and then I realized, I'm rapidly dropping. In a quick movement, I held on to both sides of the seat I was in the best I could to avoid just freefalling.
I felt my bottom rise from the seat slightly, though just as quickly it abruptly dropped and hit the seat with a pretty audible thud. While I was planning on complaining to Faith about the sudden drop, the cloud pellets of pain also stopped barraging us, so I guess she knows what she is doing. I will note, however, now under the clouds it has gotten almost pitch black, even with me guesstimating that sunrise in an hour or so.
"Hey Faith, does this plane come with lights or anything…?" I quickly asked her as I popped my head up from my seat.
I did not need to practically yell at least to communicate with her at least now, it was also easier to breathe, though I doubt she even wants to talk to begin with.
"No, and even if it did I don't exactly think flying around in pitch black as a giant light bulb is going to help us out," she snarkily remarked.
"Flying blind I suppose," I said quietly to myself as I lowered my head slightly once more.
I looked over the side to see if I could make out anything. Which surprisingly I did, as dark as it was I could make out buildings, well less of buildings and more of small huts from place to place. I also could see what I think was a rather large road that winds between the hills and mounds we were flying over.
Looking much much further ahead, however, I could see what looked like to be craters of varying sizes littering the land. There seemed to be some concentration from place to place but most seemed random. Is this place prone to meteors? I mean… I think I remember a rather large one crashing down whenever I first arrived here.
At least now I have a view to distract myself with the view, which was better than the grey and white sheet that basically was the equivalent of static sounds to my eyes. However as we began to get closer to where the craters were, I could see what looked like to be small lights in the distance further along. Though just as quick as they appeared, they dissipated… but then started again in greater quantity.
"Hey Faith, are you seeing those lights further ahead?" I spoke up to ask.
"Yeah I see them, I don't exactly get good feelings seeing them," she answered pretty reluctantly.
Wait what? Does she have some sort of 6th sense? I mean it might also be her gut feeling as well.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked curiously.
"Nothing, just a premonition that I usually get," she shrugged.
I looked back down at the where the lights were to see they were… gone? I mean by now we were approaching where they were. I raised my head from the side and rubbed my eyes since it might just be my eyes adjusting to the dark still for some reason.
Right as I was about to turn my head to the side to look over what looked like a multitude of medium-sized rocks and stones flew by a distance away from us. Then again… then again, but they were starting to get closer and fire more rapidly as time went on.
"Faith what is-"
"I don't know what the hell is happening but-"
She was cut off by what sounded like a direct hit at the underside of the plane as it lurched upwards then downwards.
Are we under attack? I can assume so, unless the planet itself is attacking us then hell if I know. I quickly glanced down to see that the lights that I saw earlier were closer, but they also seem to be the source of where we were being attacked from. The plane began to sway as I assume Faith had begun her evasive maneuvers to dodge.
Now that we were closer I could make out that it seemed to be an encampment of sorts, and as we continued to lose altitude to get a better look at things, we seem to have gotten in their range.
I guess the lights we saw earlier were their fires, or maybe them preparing spells, either way, we need to snuff them out quickly befor-
Multiple lighter but still loud thuds hit the underside of the plane again, we need to do something now. I heard some other sounds bounce off something else nearby, some probably hit Nickoli's tank, I hope the defense on that thing is enough to keep them safe.
"Faith, would it be possible to do a strafing run on them?!" I yelled to her.
"That wouldn't be a bad idea, but that would need me getting lower and closer to them," she yelled back.
"We already are going in a practical collision course with them, we might as well hit them back with something!" I yelled in response.
The plane lurched up then down as we began to pivot downwards at a faster speed. I quickly tried to think of an appropriate weapon form to use. I'm not accurate enough to shoot with the revolver, especially moving, the shotgun is not accurate enough in general, and the long rifles don't have the needed fire rate…
Well I'm looking to suppress and scatter them not to kill them, that would be… be… Dire Wolf Submachine gun it is! Changing its form, I hunched over to my left side as that's where they seemed to be closer to me. As light as my weapon is, it still took a great amount of exertion to move my weapon over, though me rapidly plummeting due to Faith probably did not help.
I calmed myself as best I could, considering the circumstances, and tried to focus on the targets. While the glow they gave initially was rather light now closer it seems to be bright, practically a glowing target, to which I assume Faith agreed as I began to hear the sound of the front machine gun firing rapidly.
I took that as my cue to open fire as best I could. Even with iron sights, I imagined I would be able to hit something even while moving. What was an issue however was holding down the trigger and keeping the aim under control. My sense of balance was pretty off with the rattling of the plane from the guns, the diving, and my own angle and gunfire.
I can guess that the gunfire was working as I saw multiple figures begin to scatter once we began to spray them down. However one was… standing still? No bullets seemed to sputter around them and spray dirt everywhere for some reason, was he blocking them somehow?
Before I could do anything however he moved suddenly and did some weird maneuver. Okay, I don't know what-
A blast of wind blasted us from ahead, practically rupturing my eardrums and slowing us down greatly. Both me and Faith stopped our gunfire as I think we both reflexively covered our ears and faces.
The plane suddenly turned to the right, "Alright we are done here, let's go!' I heard Faith yell as she attempted to pull us away from our crash course with the figure.
Almost as suddenly as she turned, however, I heard a thrashing below us, looking down I saw what seems to be… vines? But not normal ones, unnaturally thick ones with multiple thorns, they have latched on to Nickoli's tank below us and they seem unwilling to let go. Before I could fully process what the hell was going on and what to do, the vines began to grow longer and they began to almost fully envelope said tank.
"What the fuck is that?!" I screamed out.
Faith also took notice of whatever was holding us down as the back machine gun began to rapidly fire to no avail of removing said vines.
"We need to cut them off, if we lose any more speed we will stall!" Faith yelled out from behind me.
"I'm doing my best here!" I yelled back as I also released as many bullets as I could into the vines.
"Too late!"
As she said that I could feel the height of the plane begin to droop considerably. Almost as if we were a paper airplane we began to float down, while not super slow it was enough to not make my organs drop to the ground. The vine luckily could not extend further but they instead began to drag us closer to where the figure was.
I couldn't make out any features but they were robed in some kind of cloth with some weird ingrainments of sorts. Probably some… arch wizard or something, it's not like a random person can just summon massive vines every day, it's most likely one of those… alpha spells or whatever that Conrad mentioned once or twice.
Either way, someone who can use these types of spells is probably not someone we want to mess with. But… Don't you need to practically remain almost fully focused to be able to hold such a strong spell? So that means if I just… I retrained my aim, not on the vines but on the person who seemed to be controlling the spell.
I fired only a volley but the effect on the spell was apparent as he panicked to dodge, and with that, the spell dissipated. But because the said spell was also holding us up, we began to freefall and then slam into the ground right afterward. While Nickoli's tank seemed to have no weight, I guess in this instance, it does.
While my head was still rattling, I could see that the figure was trying to cast another spell, but this time, I'm not going to let him. I needed to act fast if I was going to stop him, I don't know how fast this guy can cast, so I'll throw the fastest thing I have.
"Crystal Shot X!"
5 large crystals materialized and rapidly shot in succession from my barrel at the robed figure. They were going too fast for him to react I thought. But right as they were going to make contact, a vibrant glowing orange shield materialized in front of him and blocked all the crystals, making them shatter on contact.
I stood there pretty dumbfounded for a few moments. Before I could follow up Nickoli beat me to it by firing a tank shot at it along with a small hail of bullets. Only for the same thing to happen as the shell seemingly dissipated after hitting it. The vibrant orange shield still standing strong as the dust settled.
"What kind of magic is this?" I yelled out in a panic.
If they could block this kind of damage, then who… or what are we facing? Maybe he can just conjure up spells really fast? But wait does that not mean he has two affinities then or something?
"That's not ordinary magic!" I heard Conrad cry out from my side as he peeked his head from the top hatch of the Tank.
Faith began, "What kind of magic is that then-"
"The hero kind," a loud voice interjected from behind the robed figure.
The shield that was protecting the robed figure dissipated and from the back emerged a heavily armored figure, from head to toe. He had weird engravings on his armor and carried a very large shield, one with… a gem in the middle? Don't tell me…
"It looks like we have some unexpected company, my name's Gorith of the Ironclaw clan, and I am the Mythical Greatshield Emissary. Know it well, it's the last name you heathens will know before I slay you all," he growled.
First, he crashes our plane, then he picks a fight with us? What if we were just some passerby you know…? Hell, this guy already seems less like a hero than I imagined these Mythic guys to be. I already feel like shit, but it's not like that matters now does it, with negotiations off the table the only real thing I can say is…
"Bring it on!"
End of Chapter 21
Authors Notes:
Hello everyone! Sorry for the extremely unprecedented and unneeded long break I took from writing. Lots of stuff happened over that period and along with that, my motivation was pretty much at an all-time low. Though now it seems to be returning so I will do my best to return to posting as best as I normally can.
This chapter is mostly a connecting chapter between a major event which you can probably guess is coming next chapter. I hope you all are ready as I am cooking, will Alex and Co come out on top? Find out later this week.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
[Data Expunged] Transcript:
Commander, we have some urgent reports coming in from Flusio!
What is it, it better be important for you to wake me in the middle of my rest.
It seems that the unidentified airplane that disappeared above the clouds near the capital of Flusio has reappeared not too far from here near the border!
And? I don't exactly get how this pertains to me, just keep an eye on it.
But Commander, it seems that the Mythic Greatshield and his posse have engaged in combat with the crew.
What? Did they shoot it down?
Yes, but for some reason, there was no explosion, it looks like an older model now that it has gotten lower to the ground but it does not explain its lack of implosion.
Hm. It would never hurt to get a closer look at said airplane, plus we might be able to get some of the Greatshield's posse along with them. Send whatever available fighters and ground support planes we can, this might be an opportunity we might not get for a while again.
But Commander, are you sure sending everyone would be alright, I heard how the higher-ups have gotten with the last massive raid you pulled off. We lost a good number of bombers…
Chujo and his lackeys can shove it up theirs for all I give a damn! They can't run this war, they just sit behind a desk and sound smart. Tell him and his yes men to keep their snouts out of my army!
U-um, yes, Commander!
Good, report back to me with any new information as soon as you can.
Date Recorded: [Data Expunged]