DICORE [NO LONGER UPDATING]

Chapter 10

After a short pause to think, I come to a conclusion. "My sword. I'll use my sword."

Ectumus puts his tense hands over his face, and lets out an exhausted groan. "Kid, I don't know where the hell that is..."

I look around. Oh, I...don't know where it is either.

But then, Ectumus turns around to listen to the frantic footsteps patter-pattering down the hall, running towards the office, and a soldier bursts into the room with a loud BANG of the door crashing open!

"SIR! SIR! THE OBJECT IS A TALISMAN!" He shouts. On a second glance, the soldier is Andy, from earlier.

"What object? What talisman? I don't remember issuing any survey involving a talisman." Ectumus questions, moving with such purpose towards Andy that even a lion would cringe in fear. 

"Uh...uh...You know, the one found at the house we left standing. We...we p-picked it up because, uh, it was so peculiar...We'd never seen anything like it, sir." Andy takes a step back from the commander, visibly sweating.

"Oh. May I see this strange talisman?"

"S-sure! Give me just a second!" Andy staggers farther back into the hallway, away from view. "SEVEN! ECTI WANTS TO SEE THE STICK!" 

A distant voice shouts, "Geez, Ando, I'm RIGHT HERE!"  And another, shorter soldier arrives at the door, out of breath and panting like no tomorrow. He hands Ectumus a fake bamboo stick, with blue string wrapped around the-

Wait a second, that's my sword!

"Hey! That-"

Ectumus hisses, "Pipe down! The adults are talking!"  flashing cat-like eyes in my direction. He turns back to the pair. "Right, this is the talisman? Looks like something one of my old friends would make."

"Odd. Well, readings show that this is-"

I start again, "IT'S-"

"What did I just say?!" Ectumus scolds. "Sorry boys, she's delusional. I just eliminated someone very close to her..." 

He grits his teeth and slowly turns his head towards me, then he snaps back towards Seven and Andy. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

"Okay. Uh, readings show that this talisman conducts primarily blue mana, and-"

"879-D, please address it by its formal name. You are a scientist, after all, hmm?"

"Oh, uh! Sorry! Power mana! It conducts power mana, which is very interesting, you see! Conductivity of this level is usually only found in Great-swords made by demons, and..." 

Andy stops. "...Uh, why don't I let Soldier, uh, Seven talk about this...! Heh..."

"This sword is rare and all, but doesn't appear to be working properly due to the sheer level of mana concentration, sir."

"Hmm...And this was found at the death site?" Ectumus asks, inspecting the sword carefully.

"Precisely, sir." Soldier Seven affirms.

"Huh." Ectumus says, and turns toward me again. "Hey, Pyro, this yours?"

"Yes! That's what I've been trying to-"

"I don't care. Shut up."