Argent

New Land Arc, ep4

Episode 4: What the devils fear
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Voidspawn: Impossible!

The creature vanished again and reappeared at Tristan's location, only to find his spot empty. Then, it felt a tap on the shoulder and heard a whisper..

- Tristan: Got you..

The creature tried to turn it's head towards Tristan, but he sliced it off with a single stroke of his sword. The creature screamed in pain from it's severed head for a few seconds and then evaporated. He then started walking towards Marielle, who was still staring at him in shock.

- Marielle(thinking): What just happened? I expected him to surpass my power level, yes.. that was obvious.. but this didn't make him equal to this creature.. It made him way stronger..

- Tristan: Hey, helping hand? You can stand up, right?

- Marielle: Sure.. but how did you do that just now?

- Tristan: Do what? Defeat this thing? It's your power added to mine, right?

- Marielle: Yes, but I didn't expect it to make you that much stronger.. The void creature was right to react this way! You really are too strong for what I gave you..

- Tristan: I don't know.. it's just how I felt. I'm the same me, just like 2 days ago, just like before and after my encounter with that first forest devil a few weeks ago.

- Marielle(thinking): That first encounter! His bones were all broken, weren't they? Yet he recovered in a few weeks what normally would've taken months.

- Tristan: I don't understand anything.

- Marielle(thinking): This guy may have powers of his own, greater than mine.. that were simply slumbering until awakened by my sword.

- Tristan: Uuh anyways.. what now?

- Marielle: Hm?

- Tristan: I took your powers, and seeing how your uniform disappeared and left behind only a white robe, I will assume I have your uniform too.

- Marielle: The powers you have gained from me for this victory will wear off in time, it could take weeks or months, but it will happen. Then, they will return to me. However..

- Tristan: However?

- Marielle: Until this process is complete, you will have to take my place as protector of the kingdom from all evil beings, who are trying to do harm to the innocent souls. You will be Tristan Crestfall, a swordman from Northshire, during the day.. and Tristan Crestfall, agent of the argent knighthood, during the night.

- Tristan: When do I get rest?

- Marielle: When there are no evil souls to banish. Also, during the night - while your powers are active, you will be invisible to the average human, as you've surpassed the power level, which makes you invisible to the simple eye. I will remain by your side until my powers return to me.

Just as she said that, her tracking device pinged yet again.

- Marielle: So, are you ready, Tristan?

- Tristan: Born ready.

Ep5.P2

Following Marielle's guidance, Tristan rescued over 15 souls from evil creatures across the kingdom that night. When the sun finally began rising, Tristan made it to his bedroom window and hopped in, exhausted.

- Tristan: What are you going to do now?

- Marielle: Don't worry about me, I will figure something out! - replied Marielle, smiling politely.

A few hours later, with barely any sleep, Tristan arrived at his sword practice on the fields outside Goldshire town, where he saw a familiar face being present and introduced by his trainer, Gerald.

- Gerald: Well, class! Today we have a new participant! This is Marielle, she is 20 years old and comes from the distant human lands of the Northern Kingdoms! She was an elite soldier there, so her proficiency with the sword is unrivalled! Salute and welcome your new comrade!

- Marielle: Nice to meet you all! Ooh---

Tristan ran in and pulled her by the uniform away from everyone else.

- Gerald: I see Tristan already took interest in our new cadet.. (everyone begins laughing)

Once far enough from everyone's ears, Tristan spoke to the confused Marielle.

- Tristan: What do you think you're doing here!

- Marielle: Why, isn't it obvious I'm trying to fit into a social role?

- Tristan: And out of all places, you had to pick my sword practice classes?!

- Marielle: I mustn't lose you from sight, remember?

- Tristan: How can they even see you in the first place? You're not from this world!

- Marielle: You took my powers, idiot. Until they come back to me, I will have to be a normal human girl. I am not invisible to anyone, and I probably can't fight off a dog even. Oh, and one more thing, I'm staying over at your house until I am in condition to return to the Argent Dawn. Afterwards, I am definitely leaving this problematic kingdom to someone else.

- Tristan: Is it because you got your ass kicked by that forest devil?

Hearing this, Marielle's cheeks turned red with anger and she smacked Tristan across the face with her scabbard as hard as she could.

- Marielle: I didn't get beat up!!! I just underestimated him and was caught off guard. That's it.

- Tristan: Yeah, caught off-guard and beat up..- said Tristan with a slight smile and a bleeding left nostril.

Once again, Marielle smacked him in the face with her scabbard. Then, one of their comrades ran up to them.

- Jeremy: Uhm.. Tristan, Marielle.. practice is starting..

- Marielle: We are coming immediately! - Said Marielle, smiling politely while Tristan was behind her, looking dizzy and with both of his nostrils bleeding.

- Jeremy: Alright.. uhm.. See you at camp!

As the sun was setting that day, Tristan and Marielle were going back to Northshire for an earned rest.

- Tristan: Training today was extra fun.

- Marielle: You overdid it.

- Tristan: What? No?

- Marielle: You broke Jeremy's arm!

- Tristan: It was an accident!

- Marielle: Yea, shattering your trainer Gerald's sword without any effort was also not overdoing it?

- Tristan: A little bit maybe.

- Marielle: You need to control yourself, you're not that ordinary anymore. If you don't control this power, you can put your life in danger, mine as well. You have to be more responsible.

- Tristan: Hmm.

Later that evening, Tristan was preparing to go to sleep in his bedchamber and Marielle was preparing to go to sleep in a sleeping bag she made for herself out of a bunch of old pillows and covers.

- Marielle: And remember, if I receive an alert for a nearby voidspawn, I will wake you up.

- Tristan: Yes, sir.

Marielle, however, found herself having trouble falling asleep. She couldn't stop thinking about the latest events.

- Marielle(thinking): That growth of strength last night was unlike anything I had ever seen. Could it be that he is no average human? Could it be that he has ties to the Argent Dawn? That Voidspawn's power level was way over mine. He defeated it as if it was nothing. No struggle, not a drop of sweat. Why.. He mentioned he could see the creatures since he was 16. What could've happened when he was 16.. He also said they looked back at him, they acknowledged him, yet never attacked.. until yesterday. What if they could see the potential within him? I see.. It's not that they didn't want to kill him.. it's that they were too afraid to try..