Princess Knight [Dropped]

[38]

Its roar shook their minds. However, this was the sixth time they had faced this foe—now, it was nothing more than a mindless blunter on its part.

Maria raised her weapon, her left hand striding against the blade as her right guarded before her.

The sharp jaws of the beast scrapped in a metallic ring against the blade as she stood her ground.

A figure came forth.

Ashe's accurately landed against its snout, the hardiness of bone creaking before her might.

The Hazard Flame Wolf staggered aback. Its reddish black tinted fur shaking with its body.

"<Flame Rope>."

The ground beneath the beast's four paws quaked into a blaze as a blazing inferno of a rope spurted alive and pounced onto its body. It whimpered as the rope latched onto its body and stung below its fur as its figure was truly bound.

A silver blade drew against the night air, gleaming with the moonlight as it flew towards its target.

A clean slice.

Ais sheathed her blade.

Blood flowed as the head of the beast detached and its body fell.

"Ugh," Arthur was the first to break the silence as he watched Ashe pull the core from the beast's core.

There had already been a silent agreement for her to take all the demonic beast's core they came across.

"I don't think we'll be able to find that temple anytime soon at this rate."

A blaze of blue flames. A low screech of the dying remnant soul of the beast within. The core turned dull in her hand before dropping down in a clink.

"Mhmm." She nodded.

Maria clapped her hands together as her Radiant set disappeared in a cove of light.

"It's time to split up into twos then, anyone against it?" She asked.

Seeing no raises of doubt, she continued.

"Good..."

"Then, Ashe and Arthur will travel together, this brother of mine is physically weak while you are magically weak. Overall, both of your styles are at opposite ends, however, this will make it easier to compliment each other well in battle." She pointed towards the two.

"I and Ais will move as one as....well...that's really the only choice left. She is my personal guard, after all, nothing could be more fitting." She shrug.

Ashe and Arthur looked towards each other.

They both grimaced.

"If you guys find it first, mix both of your flames into the sky. And if we find it first, look for a gigantic floating golden blade. After that, wait for each other and meet up before anything else is decided. Understandable?" Maria finished.

***

The two orbs, one a reddish tint and another a hazy white light, one from the Crimson Reaper and the other from Bultak, lightly played atop her palm to her whim as Ashe walked in deep thought.

'Hmm...'

[...]

"Why haven't you consumed them yet?" Arthur asked, his hands behind his head as he walked leisurely, a twinge of curiosity apparent within his voice.