Burst_Swords to the Skies

by Adam Wan

  I opened the door and looked inside. The scientists were all lying on the ground. They were alive but hurt. I didn't see any bleeding though.

  I saw a figure in black clothes running up the metal stairs. I began to chase after the person.

  He reached the second floor and continued running to another room. I followed the person through it.

  It was room that was empty. The walls had blue prints and sketches pin to it.

  "Hey!" I called out.

  He turned around and looked at me. His face was obscured by the black scarf that was covering his mouth and nose. His hoodie hid his hair and forehead. He had a glove on his right hand. I was sure that he stole it.

  He activated his sword and tried to attack me. I activated mine and blocked his attack immediately.

  His sword was a black colored one. The color was almost see through. The whole hilt was black too. It may be a simple design but it looks cool, I really liked it.

  I kicked him off of me and started attacking him. He got up and blocked the attacks. Some of my attacks cut his clothes a bit.

  He was a good sword fighter but his skills seemed quite like a intermediate fighter. If he wanted to be a knight, he would need more skill.

  He did "Heat Blast", it knocked me back a little. "So, you could use magic with this, eh?" I thought.

  I did the "Flameblade" skill, which required magic. My blade become a burning one as it slashed at him.

  He used "Ice breaker" to fend off my flame attacks. The attacks were neutralized.

  I did "Rapid Fire" at him. He started to fumble. He seemed like he lost control of his balance and his grip on the sword.

  He tripped and fell. The sword fell out of his hand and disappeared in a burst a light.

  "Surrender" I said.

  He seemed to have surrendered. He stood up and faced towards the back of the room.

  I decided to take his glove off. He kicked me with his foot and ran away. I got his glove though.

  "Ugh... Damn it" I muttered.

  I tried to find him but he was a goner. After the failed search for him, I returned the the TRC room to meet up with the rest of my friends.

  "Cel!" called Sora as she ran towards me.

  "Hey" I replied.

  "Did you get him?"

  "He ran away... I got his glove though" I said looking at the glove.

  It was a left handed glove, the guy just now was a left handed person. I decided to put it on my left hand.

  I activated it and started reminiscing the past. I remembered the times when I used the Sword of Demise. "I miss duel wielding" I thought.

  "Oh, that's Oblivion. It's one of the few left handed swords that we made. You can keep it if you want" said a random scientist.

  "Oh, thank you" I thanked.

  "Seems like you're back to duel wielding now, eh?" Sora said.

  "Yea, I think so"

  "Cool!" she replied.

  "I would need some practice though"

  "It's fine! You'll get great at it in no time! Muscle memory does return quite quickly anyway" she replied.

  "It would take a while but yea" I said.

  Spica entered the room. She seemed to have noticed that I had two swords.

  "Cel! You're back! You can duel wield again?"

  "I'll try. It's been a long time since I last duel wielded"

  Ayla then entered the room. She said "Come and follow me to the throne room. The king wants to inform something. AAA... Cel, you can use two swords?"

  "Yea, I don't want to explain it again so let them explain" I said pointing at Spica and Sora.

  "I'm fine with explaining!" said Sora cheerfully.

  I rubbed her head. She seemed to like it. She was also blushing a little. She might be embarrassed.

  We headed to the throne room together. Sora was explaining to Ayla along the way. Spica joined in too.

  CLO 6: The Escapee

  Footsteps were heard in the hallway. The sound's volume increased as we approached the throne room.

  The torches passed by one by one on each side as we moved forward. Even with the royal red carpet, the footsteps still made the sound.

  The sounds of chatter echoed slightly. Sora and Spica were talking to Ayla about my dual wielding ability.

  "I would have to practice dual wielding again..." I thought as I walked in front of everyone.

  "He literally killed a goddess!" said Spica with a pretty high pitched voice.

  Ayla catches up to me and tapped my shoulder. "What is it?" I asked turning around.

  "Are you ambidextrous?"

  "Yea, but it has been a while since I used both hands together"

  "Ooooh..."

  We eventually arrived at the throne room's door. The door was made of a red colored wood, the outlines were made of gold and decorated with shiny jewelry.

  We entered the room and walked to the throne. There were two thrones, one was the king's while the other belongs to Sora. Sora's throne was pink while the other was maroon.

  The king stood up and approached us. His arms were behind his back. Step by step he got closer. He eventually stepped in front of us.

  "There were some events happening in the castle. First was that attack on the TRC. Second was the escape of Kohaya, his cell was empty"

  The moment I heard Kohaya's name, I felt a chill on my back. The mad scientist was free, this meant trouble.

  "Is there a possibility that he was the one who committed the attack on the TRC?" the king asked.

  I thought so. I felt like those two events were connected. "The reason might be that he wanted something from the TRC, it might be the swords" I thought.

  I thought that he wanted the swords because he took at least one of those swords. I also guessed that he only stole left handed swords.

  "I think there is a possibility" I said.

  Sora nodded her head in agreement. "There must be a witness... But who...?" I wondered.

  "Are there any witness? Like someone who is in the cell in front of his" I asked.

  "I don't know. Guards! Ask for any witnesses of Kohaya's escape!" said the king ordering the guards.

  "Yes, Your Majesty!" said the guards as they ran out of the room and headed to the dungeon.

  "I want to check the dungeon out" I said.

  "I'll follow you!" said Sora.

  "Fine" said the king.

  I nodded my head and headed to the dungeon. The dungeon was bottommost floor in the castle. The place was underground.

  In the dungeon, the place felt eerie and creepy. There was a variety of different smells that were unbearable. There were spiderwebs on the walls.

  The place was dark and only slightly lit. There were puddles on the floor. There were the sounds of the prisoners crying, chatting and laughing.

  The guards were asking some of the prisoners about the Kohaya case but I heard that most of the answers were a simple 'No'.

  "This place is like hell..." Sora said.

  "Literally... I somehow feel sorry for... 'That guy'"

  "That guy?" Sora asked in wonder. She tilted her head to the right.

  "Last year..."

  I was thinking about Mia's friend, Vergus. Even though he has done several bad things, I didn't think he deserved staying in a place like this.

  I walked down the dark stone hallway. Sounds of dripping water could be heard. There was also water splashes from below my feet as I unintentionally stepped in some of the puddles.

  I glanced into the cells and saw the prisoners on the floor. Some of them made an angry look at me. "I might be the one responsible for sending them here..." I thought.

  I had a guilty feeling inside my heart. I knew that I didn't do anything wrong but I felt like a place like the dungeon was too harsh of a punishment. Death was only given to the worst people, I won't feel bad for them.

  As I passed the cells, I suddenly heard someone calling my name. It was a young voice, it had a depressed and regretful tone to it.

  "Cel..."<
br />
  I looked around for the person who said it. On my right was an empty cell while on my left was a cell with a single person. He was a young man. When I realized who it was, I was in shock.

  CLO 7: His Plan

  Footsteps were heard in the hallway. The sound's volume increased as we approached the throne room.

  The torches passed by one by one on each side as we moved forward. Even with the royal red carpet, the footsteps still made the sound.

  The sounds of chatter echoed slightly. Sora and Spica were talking to Ayla about my dual wielding ability.

  "I would have to practice dual wielding again..." I thought as I walked in front of everyone.

  "He literally killed a goddess!" said Spica with a pretty high pitched voice.

  Ayla catches up to me and tapped my shoulder. "What is it?" I asked turning around.

  "Are you ambidextrous?"

  "Yea, but it has been a while since I used both hands together"

  "Ooooh..."

  We eventually arrived at the throne room's door. The door was made of a red colored wood, the outlines were made of gold and decorated with shiny jewelry.

  We entered the room and walked to the throne. There were two thrones, one was the king's while the other belongs to Sora. Sora's throne was pink while the other was maroon.

  The king stood up and approached us. His arms were behind his back. Step by step he got closer. He eventually stepped in front of us.

  "There were some events happening in the castle. First was that attack on the TRC. Second was the escape of Kohaya, his cell was empty"

  The moment I heard Kohaya's name, I felt a chill on my back. The mad scientist was free, this meant trouble.

  "Is there a possibility that he was the one who committed the attack on the TRC?" the king asked.

  I thought so. I felt like those two events were connected. "The reason might be that he wanted something from the TRC, it might be the swords" I thought.

  I thought that he wanted the swords because he took at least one of those swords. I also guessed that he only stole left handed swords.

  "I think there is a possibility" I said.

  Sora nodded her head in agreement. "There must be a witness... But who...?" I wondered.

  "Are there any witness? Like someone who is in the cell in front of his" I asked.

  "I don't know. Guards! Ask for any witnesses of Kohaya's escape!" said the king ordering the guards.

  "Yes, Your Majesty!" said the guards as they ran out of the room and headed to the dungeon.

  "I want to check the dungeon out" I said.

  "I'll follow you!" said Sora.

  "Fine" said the king.

  I nodded my head and headed to the dungeon. The dungeon was bottommost floor in the castle. The place was underground.

  In the dungeon, the place felt eerie and creepy. There was a variety of different smells that were unbearable. There were spiderwebs on the walls.

  The place was dark and only slightly lit. There were puddles on the floor. There were the sounds of the prisoners crying, chatting and laughing.

  The guards were asking some of the prisoners about the Kohaya case but I heard that most of the answers were a simple 'No'.

  "This place is like hell..." Sora said.

  "Literally... I somehow feel sorry for... 'That guy'"

  "That guy?" Sora asked in wonder. She tilted her head to the right.

  "Last year..."

  I was thinking about Mia's friend, Vergus. Even though he has done several bad things, I didn't think he deserved staying in a place like this.

  I walked down the dark stone hallway. Sounds of dripping water could be heard. There was also water splashes from below my feet as I unintentionally stepped in some of the puddles.

  I glanced into the cells and saw the prisoners on the floor. Some of them made an angry look at me. "I might be the one responsible for sending them here..." I thought.

  I had a guilty feeling inside my heart. I knew that I didn't do anything wrong but I felt like a place like the dungeon was too harsh of a punishment. Death was only given to the worst people, I won't feel bad for them.

  As I passed the cells, I suddenly heard someone calling my name. It was a young voice, it had a depressed and regretful tone to it.

  "Cel..."

  I looked around for the person who said it. On my right was an empty cell while on my left was a cell with a single person. He was a young man. When I realized who it was, I was in shock.

  CLO 8: Crystal Power

  There was a sound that I have no idea of. The shattering sound was still there but there was something after that.

  "Cling*"

  It sounded like metal. It was like the sound of rattling chain. My eyes were closed, so I didn't know what it was. I was actually in the middle of a blink.

  In those split seconds, I opened my eyes. Through the small opening of my eyes, through my eyelashes, I saw Vergus.

  I had no thought in my head. I was completely blank there. It was the confusion of suddenly getting hit in the head when you were spacing out or the feeling of getting thrown into a place that was unknown. Actually, it was both shock and confusion.

  Vergus was in a weird pose. It was like he was jumping forward. The guards were preventing him. The guards were holding on to his arms.

  His chain was up in the air, it was towards my left side. There was a sound that came from my left side.

  "Tss*"

  It actually sounded like shattering and the sound of metal hitting something. I knew that the castle was under attack from something.

  "Cel! Run!"

  Vergus protected me from something. The debris on the ground looked like glass and shattered crystals.

  I activated my sword. I looked through the window. Suddenly, the blast of crystal like things were shot through the broken window. It was the process of crystallization in motion.

  I slashed at it to protect Sora. I didn't want Sora to get hurt.

  "Sora! Run!" I shouted.

  "No! I won't let you do this alone! Let's do this together!"

  I was worried about her but I knew that she can manage herself. She's an independent woman, and the girl who brought me the happiness.

  "O-ok..." I said.

  Sora also activated her sword. I was ready for the next attack. I was listening carefully for any sound.

  "Pstsshh"

  The window next to Vergus was breaking from an attack. I jumped in to hit it.

  "Hyaa!!!"

  "Tiing!*"

  The sound of not only the crystals shattering, the sound of metal snapping was present too.

  Vergus's chain was cut in half. The guards immediately grasped his hands.

  "Let him go"

  I looked at Vergus. The guards let him go. He seemed to be confused. Especially the guards.

  "I trust you. So don't break it" I said pointing my finger at him.

  I jumped out of the window and decided to take on the attacker head on. "Cel!" Sora shouted as she followed me.

  Outside, I looked around the place in search of the attacker. I saw crystal in some areas of the place. The garden seemed clear from it.

  I noticed a trail of crystals that led somewhere behind me. I quickly turned around and saw...

  "Cel!!!" shouted Sora.

  A crystal like creature was not too far behind me. It was a near transparent creature with a hint of blue. It was a humanoid like being.

  "Hyaa!!"

  The creature seemed to be hit from behind. It was not Sora because she was not close enough to hit it. The sound that came from the attack was like metal. There was a voice of a male in the background too.

  It was Vergus using his chains to attack it. The chains that were cut in half became like a weapon. It was like he was using two whips.

  I activated Oblivion and started attacking it. Crystals were flying in the air from every hit. The body of the creature was shattering.

  Sora attacked it too. She was hitting with
rapid slashes. Crystals were in air like confetti.