Chapter 3
The day began and the heat in the room was noticeable, the sun's rays made it uncomfortable to touch through the only window in the room. Sherlock was lying down and had not yet opened his eyes, but he began to feel something in his hands, it was soft, round and <<... Soft?>>. The girl opens her eyes and looks at what she is touching, which leaves her embarrassed.
—Ah...—her scream stopped abruptly.
They were Rin's breasts, or rather Rin's large breasts. He quickly looked up, praying that she wasn't awake. And he met his partner's gaze with a mischievous smile.
"You're so daring... I like that," Rin says with a mischievous face.
—It's not what you think! —He quickly removes his hand and grabs his clothes, to start getting dressed.
—Hehehe..., I know, don't worry—he stands up, but a slight blush appears on his face as he began to dress in the armor—. We better start having breakfast.
—What are we going to eat for breakfast? There are no fruits or berries here. The only edible thing in this place is the meat of the beast...—she watches as Rin looks at her with a certain malice—...This is going to be disgusting.
15 minutes later
In the living room they were, each one's hands holding a piece of meat roasted with fire that Rin had created.
"This is very ungourmet," Sherlock says with some discouragement, as he watches the girl eating the meat as normal.
—The flesh of creatures of darkness for some reason has a very slow rotting time, which makes it still edible. And besides, aren't you the one who said that the less we think about ourselves the better? Well, this is the same thing—she says while devouring the meat.
—No, it's not the same thing. One thing is to take a life in self-defense, another is to devour it knowing what it is... Waston would have a heart attack if he saw me. He bites into the meat and the taste is not as unpleasant as he expected. —It tastes like rex meat. That's what cannibals should feel like then.
—At first I was also upset, but I understood that if I wanted to help my brother it was necessary.
It's true, you're here because of your brother, but why exactly? Sherlock asked curiously.
—You woke up very sociable today, yesterday you only spoke to me when necessary, is there a special reason? —A smile appears on his face.
-Curiosity.
Rin, understanding this, began to talk a little about her life, hoping that her partner would open up a little.
—He has a very serious illness, the normal doctors and healers have no idea of a possible cure, so at a key moment they looked for me because I was the only one capable of resisting the mist, and I was taken in in exchange for helping my brother, and here I am, that's basically all—she says in a carefree way—. But even so, they told me that my brother's chances of being cured were less than 40%, but even so, it's a possibility and that's enough for me—Her way of speaking seems like that of a worried and frustrated sister, but Sherlock observes more closely and asks her.
-AND?.
—And what? —she says confused
—Yes, it's true, you are an observant person, I can't hide anything from you—Rin doesn't understand how Sherlock knew she was hiding something else from him—. As a child they told me stories and one of them was known as, the king of winter, the tale itself is not important, but what captivated my heart as a child, the snow. Flakes of cold fall from the sky with the color of purity, and to the touch they leave an icy sensation on the skin. A spectacle continued that those who appeared have only described with one word, beautiful—Rin's heart seemed captivated as she told this and her eyes were lost, imagining an image she had never seen—. I want to leave the country, to go to a place where there is a magical area that makes it always snow, I've had opportunities to go before, but I haven't done it.
-Because?
—I've had my brother sick, work, a monotonous life and fear.
-Fear?.
—It's a bit personal, but I'll just say that I've had opportunities to fulfill my dream and I haven't done it because I'm stupid, possibly because I'm living for someone else's dream.
—What nonsense! —Sherlock looks away. —If I were in your place, I would pursue my dream without thinking twice! —The atmosphere became tense when Sherlock said those words.
I think for a moment what I just said and said.
— Sorry, I shouldn't have said that, I don't know what you've been through to make me comment like that—Rin had been a little upset by what Sherlock said at first, but his apologies felt so sincere that she said.
—Apology accepted—She didn't look at his face, she was still upset by her comment.
Sherlock realized that he had upset her and didn't know how to deal with the situation. He had only had arguments like this with his former partner, but she was always the one who took the first step to end the fight.
"We better get going," Sherlock didn't know how to react and just said those cold words.
—Desert—Magical domain.
The desert was just another desert, most of it was sand and the occasional rock formation. The presence of creatures from the mist was non-existent along the entire path, so there wasn't much to highlight, or at least at the beginning.
—30 minutes later.
Both were passing in front of large rock formations, which had craters of various sizes in their centers. There were 5 formations in total, but only 4 were pierced.
—...—Sherlock just looked and analyzed, he wanted to share his deductions with his partner, but he didn't know how to start, as if nothing had happened or it simply wasn't the time, maybe she's still upset.
—They were made by someone, but who could be the monster with such brute strength? —Rin spoke with complete naturalness.
"Maybe it was someone with no conscience or little reasoning," Sherlock said, showing self-confidence, although a part of her was still wondering if Rin was still upset.
—What is the reason for your deduction? —Sherlock is surprised not to see Rin upset, or was she just being professional, not being able to see her facial expressions and only deducing from her voice, which was distorted by the helmet, made it more difficult.
—Easy, do you see all the craters? —I look at the other girl again with curiosity—. No, you notice something different.
—The sizes, I guess—she didn't seem very sure.
—Apart from that? —There was only silence in response—. Well, I'll tell you. Each character is not only a different size, but is also made in disorder— Rin still does not understand him completely—. Look, if we follow the logic, it is supposed that the one in front started hitting, then the one on the left further back, then the one on the right and so on, but the last one does not have a hit, and if we follow the order from start to finish we see, a strong hit, a medium hit, another soft one and finally a stronger one. As if he only attacked just to attack, since if he had been upset each hit would have had to have been equal or more intense than the previous one. And if he was trained, why such an uneven routine of hits, leaving only the last one without hitting? As if he had calmed down, I'm gone—his long explanation was heard by his partner, who is trying to process all the information.
—Maybe, but I highly doubt it because the formations of each blow seem to be produced by the same object, like the difference between a cut and a hammer, although what you say is still a possibility—she remains thoughtful in her own world.
—I think... I understand a little, your observation is impressive Sherlock, I would have only guessed one deduction from all the ones you have drawn—Rin with a drawn-out tone said those words, which gave off a certain air of pride in Sherlock, it seemed that she likes to be flattered.
—Thanks. Hey, by the way, I know this is off topic, but... sorry again about last time—His good humor probably made it easier for him to apologize.
—Yes, don't worry about that, but I have to tell you something about that—the other girl looked at me—. I don't really mind living other people's dreams.
10 minutes later
They continued walking. At this moment they were passing through the rockiest area of the place, as it had more formations of various sizes and the sand in some points began to take on a reddish tone and lose its yellowish color.
—We're close—Rin says.
—The formations have increased considerably, that is a sign that the catalyst is close. Since the creation of structures is greater around here—Sherlock looked in all directions.
They begin their walk again, when suddenly. A devastating blow, from one moment to the next, hits at a dizzying speed and sends the girl without armor flying, who disappears crashing several times with the rocky slopes, losing sight of Rin, who does not have time to try to help her companion by defending herself from another blow, which makes a great impact slingshot in the place, and sends her a few centimeters away from her position. The attacker moves away with a somersault and his figure is seen. Imposing above the insignificant sand. An armor in its entirety with a dark silver color, which was relaxed by the light of the furious desert sun, with various square formations throughout the armor, surely decorative. He had a long and thin one-handed sword, of a normal thickness, but which looked less heavy at first glance, surely because of the ease with which the warrior held it or because the mobility he demonstrated with the armor, it was as if he were totally naked, without any extra weight. Rin, took his sword and shield in Each hand was ready to wait for an attack from the opponent, but he remained calm without showing any aggressive intention. Then she moved from her hiding place just a little, and was immediately attacked by a furious and countless amount of rival sword cuts. Each one was stopped at the last minute by their shield, without the possibility of counterattacking due to the speed of their rival's cuts. The sound of metals clashing and the sparks from the clashing of swords demonstrated the speed at which the battle was related. Rin seemed to get used to the immense amount of cuts, little by little, since she moved more freely than when she started, varying to change between attack and defense as it was better, but her speed was still insufficient to give a cut. The enemy armor was thrown back from one moment to the next, and Rin took advantage of this moment to take out of her pocket what looked like emerald-colored jewels, which she threw against the sand, and these began to come off. a gentle breeze of air that quickly turned into a whirlwind of furious wind, lifting the sand and creating a cloud that impeded the opponent's vision. When the sand disappeared, he found himself with the absence of the sand that provided the whirlwind, and the armor only looked in all directions.
—In a cave near the battlefield.
Rin was thinking about a way to defeat that armor, in a narrow place that did not allow her to move freely.
—That armor surpasses me in speed and agility, but I surpass it in defense and offense, its fighting strategies are null since it does not have any reasoning, but that also makes its attacks unpredictable and erratic. Sherlock was right in his deduction— that name made Rin look at the exit of the cave and think—. Is it dead...— his doubts were instantly dispelled when the sound of weak, non-metallic footsteps came from outside and the person who looked out was none other than the aforementioned—! Sherlock!— the impression hit Rin.
—Ssshhh, speak quietly so I can't hear—she said, putting her finger on her lips as a sign of silence.
—Almost, but at the last moment I made a metal object to protect me from the blow and I reduced the crashes against the rocks with empowerment on my body—he lifts his shirt revealing the bruise from the blows—. That enemy is very strong, but all this time I have been watching the battle and I know how to defeat it.
—Really? Let's see, explain.
—First, and something I think you've already realized, is that he acts on instinct like animals and not with any kind of strategy, which makes him have an unpredictable factor at his side, but that in turn is good, because we know that the only thing he will resort to are powerful blows and extravagant aerial maneuvers—Sherlock sat down next to the armor—. Do you remember the spell with my revolver that left the red mass collapsing?
—Yes, perfectly.
—Well, that's my arcane spell known as "collapsed,
"Any of my bullets imbued with that spell causes the structure, whether it is a living being like a person or a non-living being like a rock. It causes that structure to fall and become burnable. For example, something strong like iron loses hardness, or a person's magic system is discounted and falls causing damage and preventing them from casting spells.
—I see, you're saying that we'll have to hit the armor with your arcane somehow, and then give it a finishing blow.
—Exactly! Simple and easy, the armor attacks any living being, then I will become bait and face it with the armor taking it to a direction where you are hiding, I will perform my spell on its very hard armor and you will deliver the finishing blow at that precise moment—Sherlock made the shape of a gun with his hand pointing at Rin.
—Is there a plan B?
—No, for the moment—this didn't help Rin feel more secure—.I'll think of something in the execution of plan A—Rin looked a little distrustful of that—.Don't worry, my plan is foolproof and besides it doesn't make sense to make a highly complex plan with such a primitive being and such an unpredictable nature, don't you think?
—Yeah, well... it's not like we have any other options—his voice was doubtful.
—Exactly, my dear Rin.
The plan began to take shape, Rin hid in the aforementioned place behind a large stone wall that was surrounded by the desert. And Sherlock immediately went to the confrontation with the armor.
-Desert.
Sherlock was walking with his usual firm but carefree style as if he were not at death's door again, with an enemy that surpassed or equaled him in all physical aspects, but still approached with carefree while the sand got between his thin shoes. The armor only looked at her and she with a lifeless look. A strange tension began to generate around these two opponents. Sherlock knew that he could not make a mistake because that would mean his fall, so with enhancement magic he strengthened his muscles and increased his speed with wind magic. Enhancement is that style of magic that allows physical strengthening through magic. Sherlock quickly took out his revolver imbued with wind magic and fired. Not in the direction of the armor, but at the sand near him, creating a curtain of dust below his feet. Then by preventing his field of vision he fired several times at the armor, but the bullets collided with almost no effect, although the intention of, Sherlock was not to harm her, but that the armor, followed her in the direction she wanted. The armor with a great first impulse shot out in his direction, its departure dissipated all the dust around it, with the momentum with which it went in the direction of the bullets. In his field of vision he saw the girl on top of a very high and half wide orange stone column. Upon reaching the front of it, he jumped and began to climb the great wall at dizzying speed, leaving destruction in the rock each time he pushed himself, but when he reached the top of it all, he only saw the girl running at high speed in another direction and again detached himself after her, barely coming out of his jumping state. Sherlock, seeing himself at the tip, jumped, but the speed of the fall was insufficient for her.
—Shit, the armor, logically, weighs more than my clothes, so it will hit the ground at a higher speed—He put his hands on it and performed an enchantment spell on his clothes that considerably increased their original weight, falling at a higher speed.
Hitting the ground then with greater speed, and only about two seconds before the armor, she decided to lower the weight of her clothes then, but now the weight was very little for each garment giving greater speed. The attacks of the armor that threw weapons at her while running were powerful. Sherlock knew that he was not going to withstand even one if it hit him directly, but he had to somehow dodge them while running without turning his head. At a certain point just a few meters from where Rin was hiding, she created a shield of rocks with material that she had absorbed and enhanced her hardness while increasing the strength of her muscles, while she turned in the direction of the silver armor. The armor immediately directed a devastating blow towards her with the power and speed almost of lightning, shredding the air and cutting off the breathing of her enemy, who by the time the blow hit.
Boom! A curtain of smoke forms at the scene.
The shield held. The impact destabilized the armor for a few brief moments, and Sherlock quickly took advantage and took out his revolver, instantly firing a bullet that hit a few moments after crossing the desert. The sound of metal and metal passing through the armor that unlike the others, was noticeable the damage to the armor, which collapsed when he felt the tearing of the flesh and his magic system being pierced by the bullet that threw his entire being out of control.
—!Rin¡.
Quickly the other woman came out of where she was hiding and a red, orange and even purple flame began to wrap around her sword in a spiral of madness that went out in a straight and spiral shape with speed and intensity in the direction of the armor, with Sherlock already away from him. The spell was such that when it collided with the armor, it created an explosion that created air currents that moved Sherlock's jackets erratically, while raising a curtain of smoke that left them in doubt as to whether they had won. The smoke went away slowly, but the girls' enemy could be seen collapsed on the ground. His armor had been broken in several places and movement was null, they had won the battle.
—Aaahhh—a deep sigh came from Sherlock who had proven his worth, but he felt his heart and breathing stop.
—You're amazing, Sherlock, you kept your cool throughout that entire moment—Rin's praise reached Sherlock's ears, recovering so as not to look down.
—Well... of course I did. What did you think? That I was going to break down over something so simple, hehehe—He didn't even believe what he was saying, the embrace of death was so close to her that she thought for a few moments that she saw the grim reaper herself.
—You are impressive, very worthy of you, but you better start looking for the catalyst—he says while pointing in the direction of the source of magic.
—Calro, just give me a moment—Sherlock gets up and walks towards the enemy's body.
—!For what?—she screams, while watching him walk away.
—You'll see.
Sherlock puts his hand on the corpse, the enemy's weapon, and begins to copy its properties with one of his magical abilities, Analysis, which allows him to store in his mind the properties or components of a weapon so that he can later recreate them with the transformation. It takes about 5 minutes, but as soon as it's finished he heads in the direction of his partner.
—What were you doing?—she asks curiously.
—Copying the properties of the weapon to recreate it in fruit battle.
—Oh, I see! But from what I understand, that takes much longer than it took you—he points with the finger of his armor at his companion.
—It all depends on the person Rin, my magic ability is...—she fell silent at the last minute—. Maybe, one day I'll tell you, it's still too early.
—...—they just looked at each other awkwardly, there was still some distrust between them.
They set off again towards the core of it all. And soon they came across it. It was a floating sphere with a golden glow of extreme beauty, which if it weren't for everything it helped to provoke would be more so. Both girls approached enchanted.
—We should destroy it—Sherlock says.
—It's a shame, its beauty would be infallible if it weren't for the fact that it helped provoke the infernal whiteness of the exterior—Rin raised her sword and cut the sphere in two with a single blow.
—...
Nothing seemed to happen, but a whiteness began to flood the place that covered the entire view of the protagonists and when both of them closed and opened their eyes they were already back in the foggy forest.
—...—is it all over?
—I was expecting something more dazzling... I'm disappointed—said Sherlock—.Let's get back to our journey, Rin.
—Yes, I'm coming, although everything was very strange—Rin's curiosity was great, but he had to continue walking.
—And where exactly are we going, Sherlock?
They both then began to walk again through the dense fog.
—To the village, obviously. My innovator will be waiting for us there and will give us more information about all this—he brushes the sand off his jacket.
-...I guess.
—Yes, how lucky that we are together on this trip, don't you think? —she bends her head until she is on top of her companion.
—You suppose? —he walks away—. Well, it doesn't really matter... you are a strange being, you know, Sherlock.
—Yes, they told me that a lot—she didn't seem offended by that comment.
Then both girls went towards the village that had survivors, maybe wizards, but what was certain! Answers! from all this white hell that was lurking "the kingdom of Azalot".
—It wasn't a compliment.