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I flicked my kitsune ears away, letting them vanish as I hopped to my feet, standing on the shop floor. Irina stood too, brushing off her skirt. "Shiro, we gotta go. Sorry."
She reached out, petting my head gently. I purred, leaning into her hand, my tail twitching happily. When she stopped, I pouted, giving her big puppy eyes. She giggled, and I waved as they headed out, Xenovia giving me a small nod.
I locked the shop door behind them, the click echoing in the quiet. As I turned, a chill ran down my spine, like someone was watching me. Shrugging it off, I started walking home, the night air cool against my t-shirt and shorts. Halfway there, a glowing teleportation circle flared under my feet. "What the, ?" I started, but before I could move, the world spun, and I was gone.
I landed in a dense jungle, the air thick with humidity and the buzz of insects. Twisted vines hung from gnarled trees, and the ground squished under my sneakers. The place felt… wrong. Dark. Like something evil had soaked into the earth.
"This place is corrupted," I muttered, my dragon senses tingling.
A loud crack split the air, and a tree beside me shattered. A massive spider, bigger than a fucking car, burst through, its hairy legs clicking, its eight eyes glinting. My blood ran cold. I turned pale, stumbling backward until my back hit a tree. My heart pounded as I slid to the ground, pulling my knees to my chest. Silent tears streamed down my face. I was a kid again, trapped in that hellhole with my parents, their fake and real spiders crawling over me, their laughs echoing as I screamed.
"Get away from him!" a girl's voice shouted, sharp and fierce.
The sound of metal clashing and monstrous screeches snapped me out of it. I flinched, curling tighter, until warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. "Shh, it's okay," a soft voice whispered. "It won't hurt you."
Another voice, stronger, cut through. "It's dead. I took care of it."
I looked up, my vision blurry with tears, and saw the girl holding me, her face kind, her eyes steady, but unfamiliar.
A comforting warmth wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug that felt surprisingly safe. As the shaking started to subside, another voice, this one calmer and firmer, cut through the quiet of the forest.
"It's okay. I already took care of it."
I took a shaky breath and slowly lifted my head. My vision, blurred by tears, cleared to reveal the girl hugging me.
She had bright, kind eyes and a smile that seemed to push back the gloom. I then turned my gaze to the other girl.
She stood with her arms crossed, her expression serious and her red hair a splash of fire against the deep green shadows. She looked strong, unmovable.
My own eyes were still swimming as I looked between them, my voice just a broken whisper. "R-really?"
"Yeah, really," the smiling girl said, her voice cheerful. "The nasty thing is gone. You're safe now. I'm Pisti, by the way."
The red-haired girl gave a small, sharp nod in greeting. "And I am Morgiana."
Pisti finally let go but kept a gentle hand on my shoulder, as if to make sure I wouldn't fall over. "How did you even get here, little one?" she asked, her brow furrowed with concern. "You're all by yourself."
I wiped at my wet cheeks with the back of my sleeve. "I was just walking home," I explained, the memory still a confusing jumble. "Then this... this glowing circle of light just appeared on the ground right under my feet. It was humming, and before I could even think to run, there was a great big flash. It felt like I was being pulled through a tight space, and then… then I was just here, on the ground."
Morgiana's focused eyes seemed to see right through me. "A teleportation circle," she stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. "So you know of the hidden world."
I just nodded, my throat tight. "Yeah. I know."
"What's your name?" Pisti asked gently.
"I'm Shiro."
As the name left my lips, my instincts took over. In a world like this, information was survival. I focused my gaze on Pisti, letting my power flow forward as I thought the word. Observe.
An invisible screen of text, one only I could see, shimmered into existence.
Name: Pisti
Age: 23
Race: Human
Title: Animal Tamer
Fame: Animal Summoner
Sacred Gear: Mother Nature
Level: 135
...
Whoa, her level is insane, I thought, my eyes widening slightly. I quickly shifted my focus to the other girl. Observe.
Name: Morgiana
Age: 19
Race: Fanalis
Title: Ass Kicker
Fame: Speed Queen
Sacred Gear: None
Level: 130
...
She's incredibly strong too, even without a Sacred Gear. What's a Fanalis?
I shook the thoughts away, needing answers that my skill couldn't provide. "Where are we? What is this place?"
"We're on an island that's been magically sealed off from the rest of the world," Pisti explained, her cheerful expression turning serious. "We can't leave. The spell holding this place together is tied to one very powerful creature."
"It's a giant water serpent," Morgiana added, her voice low and grave. "But it's not a normal beast. It wields magic far stronger than anything we can manage, even together."
Pisti nodded grimly. "There are magical seals woven into its body. The only way to break them, and in turn break the barrier around this island, is to kill it."
"But there's another problem," Morgiana continued, her gaze sweeping over the unnaturally large trees around us. "Lately, the creatures here have been... changing. They're growing bigger, faster, and much more aggressive than they should be."
I glanced around at the massive insects I'd seen skittering through the undergrowth. "No shit," I muttered, my voice flat.
"Hey!" Pisti chided, putting her hands on her hips like a disappointed older sister. "Language! A child like you shouldn't be using words like that."
I looked up at her, my eyebrow arching. "But you're—"
"Don't even go there," she cut me off, a playful glint in her eyes. "I know exactly what you're going to say, and it doesn't count."
"Fine," I sighed, pushing myself to my feet. I brushed the dirt from my pants and started walking toward the edge of the clearing.
"Where are you going?" Morgiana called out, her voice sharp with alarm.
I glanced over my shoulder. "Serpent hunting."
Before I could take another step, two hands landed firmly on my shoulders, one from Pisti and one from Morgiana, stopping me in my tracks.
"That's a sweet thought, but you can't be serious," Pisti said, her tone gentle but firm. "You can't take on something like that alone. We don't even know if you can fight."
"Besides," Morgiana added coolly, "you were just crying over a spider."
"So what?" I shot back, twisting my shoulder. "I have a fear of spiders, not snakes. There's a difference."
"So that's why you just froze instead of running," Pisti realized aloud.
"But it doesn't matter," Morgiana insisted, her grip not loosening. "I'm not letting you go off to get yourself killed."
"Who said you had a say in it?" I grumbled.
Pisti's voice softened again. "Look, I get it," she said, trying to be soothing. "Your parents are probably worried sick about you, but—"
"My parents!" The word ripped out of my throat like a snarl. "They can go to hell for all I care!"
A hot, furious energy surged through me. My vision sharpened, the edges tinting red as my Dragon Eyes flared to life. I could feel my teeth ache as they grew into points.
"It's because of them I almost killed myself! It's because of them that I had the worst childhood ever, living in fear that I would die any second!"
With a furious shout, I shrugged their hands off my shoulders. They were so surprised by my outburst that they let go.
I turned my back on their shocked faces and started walking away again, the forest swallowing me into its shadows. This time, they didn't try to stop me.
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Hey guys if u like the fanfic and want to read ahead by 18+ Chapters or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
http://patreon.com/Marin_kitawaga