He concentrates, focuses, and gives it his all. But no matter how hard he tries, he can't do it. Pablo falls on his back, wincing. "Ah!"
Upon opening his eyes, he sees the man about to slam the ground with his fists. "No!" Pablo brings up his fists upon seeing this, a desperate attempt to block it.
He feels something wrap around him and pull him away from the man's wrath. He is dragged across the floor with strings, like a puppet. Hurindo watches from afar, frozen in shock.
"That's enough, Gnev." She says, stepping in front of Pablo to protect him. He breaks free of the strings, confused. But he chooses to see what will happen while he heals himself.
She had short blonde hair that didn't even reach her chin. She wore armor, similar to a knight's. A sword was sheathed on her back as well as a shield.
The man spits on the floor, a mocking grin on his face. "Back off, Yuna. He is a magiborn." He took one step further.
"You heard her, you damn brute." Another person stood up, siding with Yuna. It seemed to be a man of tall and athletic stature, with jet-black wavy hair that reached his neck. He wore leather armor as well as some light metal armor, as well as a bow and quiver on his back. "What is going on..? I'm not a-" Pablo mutters.
Gnev clenches his teeth, unable to step further. He stares at the two protecting Pablo and finally decides to leave. "You too, Seisen? The Big Boss will hear about this."
He leaves the building and shuts the door with all his might, letting the noise echo inside the room. "Big Boss? That's not good." Seisen said.
"I didn't need you guys to save me, but thanks anyway." Pablo groans as he gets up. He decides to sit down, Yuna and Seisen sit down too. "He was going to break your ribs if you took that slam." Yuna said.
Pablo rolled his eyes. "Been through worse." He nervously chuckles. "Why would a magiborn like you come to Thornskar? You guys are walking money for hunters." Seisen pointed out.
"The truth is, I'm not a magiborn. I have a Treasure," Pablo raised his hand and pointed at his ring. "Which was glowing just a second ago." He added.
"That's true. I did see that. I didn't realize it was a Treasure, though." Yuna nodded, fascinated. "What about the mana you're leaking?"
"It's a pretty long story, and that's understating it." Pablo chuckled to avoid his discomfort.
"I can't believe it. A Dawnthinker with mana." Yuna refused to believe what was in front of him.
"That's not new, is it? Nasaki Ryuko could do that too." Seisen said. Yuna nodded with excitement. "Yes! So you're like him. I find that hard to believe but I'm seeing it with my own eyes."
"I'm way cooler. He is just a drunk bum." Pablo waved his hand in dismissal. "Yeah right, like you met the guy…" Seisen laughed. "..." Pablo stared at him, without knowing what to say. "Yeah, I don't know what I'm talking about." He sighed.
"You guys believed me way too fast." Pablo pointed out, Yuna grew slightly nervous at his response which caught Pablo's attention. "Well, we saw your treasure. No matter how hard it is to believe, there is no other explanation." She said.
"Makes sense." Pablo started to stretch his shoulders. Even though he healed them, they still hurt. "Anywho! We havent introduced ourselves, right?" Seisen looked at Yuna, she nodded in response. He reached out his hand towards Pablo. "I'm Seisen, Arrow Of Guidance. I'm from Cindralith." Pablo shook his hands reluctantly. "Cindralith? The place with the workaholics?"
He chuckled in response. "Yeah, but I'm not really a workaholic. I didn't want to spend my life in the mines."
Cindralith was one of the Splitgates of Sub-Terra. The Splitgates is the name given to the 6 large islands leaning onto the End Mountains which is the 'border' of the world.
They are the main living areas of Sub-Terra, with each 6 having their own cities and leaders, though are all united for the United Government.
Their name comes from their weird shape. 6 separate islands that form a 'crescent' shape with seas referred to as 'gates' splitting them, hence 'Splitgates'.
Down south is Kaelthwyn, where most of the extreme elites live. The city is split into two parts; The Upper and The Lower city. With The Upper city towering over the filthy Lower city where everyone lives in poverty. The class difference is like day and night. The island is relatively cold compared to the others, but not as cold as Dreamyr.
Orravale is to the east of Kaelthwyn. Orravale has the easiest entrances to the dark world, making the United Government extremely protective of it. Every few months there is a mandatory quarantine where every resident is forced to stay inside their homes, and the homeless are given temporary shelter. Looking out your window or seeing the outside world by any means is illegal during this quarantine. Other than that, it's a pretty regular city where honesty and dignity prevails.
And to the east of Orravale is Cindralith. Cindralith is an island where work is held to highest respect. The island is filled with natural resources and deep caverns. Currently Cindralith is thriving and having their greatest economy yet.
To the north of Cindralith is Veythar. In Veythar, money is everything. The city is extremely up ahead in terms of technology and progression. It has no poverty because everyone there is already rich anyway. Their economy is built on Intergate trading, which is trading with the other islands.
And surprisingly, the north-west of Veythar is where Thalorien resides. Kaelthwyn has higher poverty, but Thalorien suffers from it more. Everyone in Thalorien is barely getting by, with a few exceptions living prosperously like Doctor Arzt. Thalorien is extremely dirty, and it's air is barely breathable for people that weren't born there. Thalorien has the highest crime rate compared to the other Splitgates, with Treasury being the most common crime.
And finally, to the west of Thalorien is Dreamyr. The coldest city by far. The living conditions there are harsh, but people there get by. Scientific discoveries are valued in Dreamyr and most scientists prefer to live in Dreamyr. A notable example was the Faerr family who were a dynasty of alchemists, only to be purged by the United Government in 495 AS due to conspiracy against the United Government and attempts to search the Dark World. Only their daughter Miriam Faerr lives, who is being hunted by the UG and is deemed as the biggest threat to the United Government for reasons unknown to the public.
"I'm Yuna," She smiled. "I'm from Cindralith too, we are dating." She looked at Seisen, he smiled back. "I see…" Pablo placed his hand on his chin. "I'm Pablo Drake. I'm from Thalorien. Also if you don't mind me asking, why did you leave Cindralith? Because of him?"
She nodded. "That is one of the reasons. But even if it wasn't for him, I couldn't stay in Cindralith after our family died in an accident." She looked solemn.
"Yeah, same for me. What happened to our family was just… horrible." Seisen looked away to hide the sadness in his face.
Awkward silence filled the conversation, the only thing heard was the other people inside the guild speaking, crying, yelling and laughing.
Pablo looked speechless, in disbelief, in shock and disgust all at the same time. "That's… tragic." He can barely speak.
He stands up, ready to leave. Or to put it more accurately; ready to get the fuck out of here. "I should get going-" She holds his arm politely.
"Hey, we have an offer." She stops him using her words. It catches his interest. "I'm listening." He looks at her. "There have been sightings of a Magibeast outside the city. Nobody is willing to take the job, but…" She adds.
"But..?" Pablo raises an eyebrow.
"They are very fragile to high-concentrated mana attacks-" Pablo doesn't let her finish and stands back up. "Okay, I see why you saved me now." He grunts in frustration. "I guess the only idiot who would save someone like me without expecting anything back is him." Pablo grabs his sword that was on the ground as he leaves.
As he leaves the guild, he notices Hurindo waiting outside. "We're going." Pablo says, Hurindo follows him nervously. "Listen, man!" Seisen pleads. Him and Yuna follow Pablo.
"We'll give you the money, the- whatever you want!" No matter how much he pleads, Pablo doesn't budge. He keeps walking, ignoring them. "No, go fuck your sister." He bluntly says.
She gasps as Pablo says this, Seisen loses his cool and starts yelling after him. "HUH?! THIS ISN'T OVER, PABLO DRAKE!"
He keeps ignoring him and walks away, leaving Hurindo shocked. "What was that about..?" He asks. "Just a couple of nobodies who wanted to use me. I can't trust anybody here if everyone thinks I'm a Magiborn. Do you know any other way I can get some money?"
Hurindo placed a hand on his chin and pondered. "Well, there are the Magibeasts. From what I've heard there is condensed mana in their core that hardens upon being slayed. Very expensive thing. Of course, you'd have to beat… one- Wait where are you going?" He realised Pablo already started to walk. "To slay a Magibeast. I want to prove that drunk bastard wrong." Pablo tsked.
The guide froze dead in his place and started to shake. "Are you coming?" Pablo asked once more. "Do you even know where you're going, sir?" His voice shook as he reluctantly followed him.
"I mean, the incest siblings said the Magibeast was seen outside the city. You'd surely know, right?" Pablo started walking towards the city gate, he hoped that the guards wouldn't question him while leaving.
"Maybe. Many say they saw it in an abandoned village outside the city." Even though he sounded very scared and hesitant, he followed him nonetheless. Pablo too was scared but he tried to hide his fear.
"I've heard they are weak to mana attacks. After a dream I've had, I got better control over my mana. Though it's still very sloppy, but I think it'll do."
The two walked through the streets of Thornrest with constant stares from bystanders in response to Pablo's leaking mana. "I better learn to control this." He thinks to himself.
They make it out of the city and walk through the wilderness, Pablo lets Hurindo guide. "I'm curious, you keep following me even when you literally don't have to. I'm not even paying you. Why?" He asks.
"I… I'm a bit excited for adventure I guess." He mutters, Pablo watches him cautiously. "Right. You remind me of a girl I know."
"Really? In what way?" The man stutters in embarrassment in response to Pablo's comment. "Forget it."
He leads Pablo to an abandoned village. Some would argue it would be more appropriate to call it a ruin. Due to the constant earthquakes of Thornskar, these old villages stood no chance.
Some turned to dust, some completely ruined and some still falling apart. Pablo unsheathes his Zweihander but struggles to do so from his back. "This is really unpractical." He says to himself. "Stay behind me."
Hurindo nods and stays behind him. The two slowly walk through the ruins and watch every corner. "What do these Magibeasts look like anyway?" Pablo asks. Hurindo shrugs. "I don't really know. You must be very brave to do something like this." He accidentally says outloud.
Pablo pauses and sighs, not really knowing what to say. "Not really. I'm just doing this to spite someone, there are probably safer ways to earn money."
"To spite someone? You're taking on a Magibeast just because of that, sir?" Hurindo is left perplexed. "I think that's…"
"Reckless, I know." Pablo rolls his eyes. "I was going to say selfish." Hurindo corrects him. Pablo stops and turns around to face Hurindo. "Selfish? In what way? I'm risking my own life here. If anything, it's selfless."
"Risking your life, saving yourself from a situation you created… Is that really what you call selflessness?" Hurindo can't help but ask.
"Tch. What is it to you?" Pablo starts to get angry, but catches himself as Hurindo flinches. "Not like you'll be the one to-"
Pablo's sentence is left unfinished, as an arrow pierces Hurindo's throat right in front of him. It hits him right in the artery, a fatal strike. Pablo gasps and is left frozen in shock for a second.
He gets back to himself and immediately takes cover behind a stone pillar, guarding himself from the angle Hurindo was shot in. He calculated the angles in his head and took his cover according to that.
String suddenly covered his right hand and left him unable to move it. "These are…" Pablo raises his sword and cuts the strings, freeing his hands. He notices Yuna charging towards him with her sword. "It's you!" Pablo yells.
She swings her sword, but Pablo parries it. This action leaves him open for the archer who tries to shoot him only for it to graze his shoulder. Completely surrounded, Pablo bites the stone pillar and activates his Treasure. He shoots stone from his mouth while running back to pressurize Yuna and hide for a moment. Yuna brings out her shield and protects herself, but loses sight of Pablo.
He enters an abandoned building, with no roof left standing. "Shit… shit." He catches his breath. He moved with sheer adrenaline, as the fear kicks in now.
Seisen points at the building Pablo entered, gesturing for Yuna to enter it. "Of course you'd try to find the Magibeast for yourself. You should've taken our offer, Magiborn or whatever you are! Because of you an innocent person died." Yuna grins, trying to get a rise out of Pablo.
She checks every corner to find Pablo but to her surprise Pablo is right across her, facing her. "Didn't even bother to hide? Give it up, you got cornered. If you help us-" She asks.
"Again, go fuck your brother. I'm here by choice. He has no angle to shoot me now, it's just me and you. He either has to get off from his hiding spot or just let you die against me. Let's see how much he loves you." Pablo can't help but grin as he feels the cold wind hit his neck.
Yuna is shocked at his plan, and realises they underestimated him and mistaken him for a helpless person. "You think you can win against me?"
"I don't need to win against you." He chuckles, relieved. "You'll see."
She points her sword toward him with her shield ready. Pablo feints a step to the right, getting a reaction from her that makes her shift her weight to her right. Pablo then goes straight at her and swings his sword.
She blocks with her shield just in time. Pablo thinks of his next move but hesitates for too long, showing how inexperienced he really is. She swings her sword to slice his legs off, and Pablo tries to dodge it but ends up with a slice on his right thigh.
He ignores it, knowing he can regenerate. Pablo swings his sword again, but is blocked by her shield once more. "You and your…" In anger, he swings his sword right towards the shield. His mana is directed towards his sword, and shatters her shield. "That works!"
He then takes a step back then thrusts towards her stomach. "I'm… trying to kill her. That's right, isn't it? Then why don't I feel even a single ounce of guilt for a woman I'm about to kill?" He thinks to himself.
IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST.
Pablo gasped upon hearing the voice, which gave her an opening to retreat. She unleashed strings from her hands using her Treasure. Pablo couldn't really point out what was glowing and guessed her Treasure was hidden somewhere across her body.
Her strings grab the torch holder behind Pablo and she swings herself towards the wall. Pablo cuts the strings but it's already too late. She hops off the wall towards Pablo and spins in the air.
The memories of his spars with Nasaki surge his mind once more.
"I think I got the hang of it." Pablo inspects his sword and swings it in the air to practice. Nasaki rests his feet towards the campfire, and they stink so much that Pablo can smell them all the way from there. "Eugh."
"Yeah. Just imagine some scenarios in your head and practice what you'll do. I'm not swinging any sword, that's for stupid people." Nasaki yawns.
"What should I do if… I don't know, someone spins at me with their sword? That seems like a scary attack." Pablo looks at him.
Nasaki chuckles. "Well then you're fighting a fucking dumbass. Who leaves their back open in a sword fight?"
Apparently, her.
Pablo slices her back with his sword and pins her to the ground with his Zweihander, piercing his stomach. She yells out in pain and agony, blood gushing from her mouth and back. Her screams hurt Pablo's ears.
"...Damn it!" Seisen gives up on trying to find an upperground, and hops down to enter the building and help his sister. "I'm coming, hang on!"
"It still isn't here?" Pablo mutters, breathless. As he hears this Pablo quickly points his sword to her neck, surging with adrenaline his hands shook. "Don't move!" He said.
"Seisen…" She pants out, unable to think straight due to the pain.
Seisen entered the building with his bow drawn, pointed at Pablo from the back. "I wouldn't shoot. I can regenerate, even if I am shot in the head." He bluffs. (Or maybe it's true, he doesn't know.)
"Bullshit." Seisen says.
He grins nervously, looking at him. "You want to find out?"
Their eye-contact lasts for a few seconds, both sides shaking violently. After a while, Seisen reluctantly lowers his bow. "What do you want?"
"Drop your bow, your bag, basically everything you have on you." He gulped. Seisen slowly dropped his bow on the ground. "I swear, if you lay a hand on her…"
"I did more than just a hand, dude. Also you can't be talking about laying your hands on her." He giggles to himself.
Instead of letting go of his bag Seisen starts to get angry and takes a step further. "I'll have you know, me and her-"
A giant hand seemingly made of big stones held together with sheer magic breaks through the wall and grabs Seisen. "Holy shit!" Pablo yells, he raises his sword and takes guard out of sheer instinct. "So now you're here?!"
Yuna screams as his brother is taken away, so does Seisen. "Oh god, shit!" Poor choice of last words, because the giant crushes Seisen between his hands effortlessly. His body parts scatter across the room.
Left with no choice, Pablo shoulders Yuna's body and leaves the building by creating a hole in the already fragile wall. "Just so you know, I'm not saving you!" Yuna is too weak to respond, and can't protest either.
The Magibeast who just killed Seisen starts to chase the two. Pablo struggles to lift her, but luckily for him the Magibeast is pretty slow.
He looks behind him to see the monster. A giant behemoth, 20 feet at least. It seems to be made out of big rocks holding onto each other with the magic core glowing in the monster's chest. It has no face, but has a fairly humanoid shape. Between the gaps of the rocks, a purple light glows. The color of mana.
Pablo starts to get tired as he is running around, but quickly gets to the place he was looking for. He gets the monster underneath a roof that is very unstable. He drops Yuna, and takes a gamble. "I can… I can do this! If I can't, I definitely can't save Tsuyoi!"
The monster swings his fist towards Pablo, he comfortably dodges it. The fist slams into the stone pillars holding up the building and it starts to crumble but doesn't fall yet. "Another one!"
Pablo gets ready for another swing, but the monster kicks his feet this time. Pablo barely dodges it and lets the monster destroy the pillar behind him.
As the roof is collapsing on them, the monster grabs his right arm due to Pablo's sloppy dodge. "Agh!" He tries to break free, but the monster is too strong.
But he keeps trying.
Dust falls from the roof above them, indicating that the building will collapse on them any second. "...Ugh…" He grunts.
"Damn it… I don't wanna die here! I should've listened to him…" Pablo's eyes tear up with pain, fear and grief all at once. He doesn't notice, but the monster struggles to raise Pablo.
"I've let my ego control me. Ego killed Sanita! How could I let this happen to me?!" He yells in pain, he keeps trying to break free. The roof above them starts to fall.
"How could I?!" With one last surge of adrenaline, he swings his right arm. He dislocates his shoulder as mana bursts out of his arm. The monster is lifted into the air, swung onto the falling debris like a baseball bat.
The swing redirects the debris but also pierces apart the arm of the beast, exposing its core. This buys Pablo time to grab Yuna and avoid the roof falling on them. He grit his teeth through the pain and tried to hang on.
The monster fell, unstable due to it's exposed core. It slowly lost it's glow and stopped moving. Pablo sighed in relief. He slowly pointed his sword towards Yuna, ready to finish what they started.
Just in time, she regained consciousness and looked at Pablo. "..." She couldn't say anything, he didn't understand why though.
Pablo expected begging. Maybe she could beg and convince him to spare her life, he wanted that to happen. Realising that's not the case, Pablo got ready to kill her and attempt to move on. "I'm sorry-"
He doesn't get to finish his sentence, she starts sobbing. "I should've listened to my mom. She told me this would happen." She said to herself, loud enough for Pablo to hear.
At the mention of her mom, Pablo went pale. "...Shut up…" He said.
"I shouldn't have ran off with him! I should've stayed home!" She cried outloud. Whether she was acting or telling the truth, Pablo couldn't really care.
His hands started shaking, his nose started bleeding. "Stop talking…" He barely was able to say.
"I'm going to die here, aren't I? Oh god..!" She yelled in fear and tried to crawl away, tears pouring down her face.
Pablo clenched the handle of his sword, his veins started to glow purple. "I told you to stop talking!" He screamed and swung his sword with rage, slicing her head off.
Realising what he just did, he drops his sword and stares at her corpse. He went pale. "I didn't mean to- I'm sorry…" He mumbles.
He keeps screaming in anger and sadness all together, unable to control his emotional outburst. Seeing her corpse, he immediately closes his eyes and starts to run away. With the strength he lacks he falls on his knees and starts to crawl away.
He doesn't know what just came over him, but he keeps screaming like an animal. He eventually reaches Hurindo's corpse, and notices the papers in his backpack have fallen off. On the verge of unconsciousness, curiosity wins and he uses his last energy to grab the paper and look at it.
To his shock, his own bounty paper was in his backpack. With the indicator 'ONLY ALIVE.'
"So that's how it is, huh?" He breathes out. His eyes finally close as his own body gives up. He drifts in and out of consciousness, the last thing he feels is him being dragged by someone he can't identify.