*Boooom!*
The massive moon sized meteor that was slowly falling suddenly sped up and smashed into the ground. As if hundreds of nuclear weapons from Earth had all gone off at the same time, a wave of heat and magma swept through the area. Kana stood there facing it all without moving. Although Kana had made its impact point many hundreds of kilometers away, the energy released still swept past her. The air was so hot that the bodies of those still alive or dead turned to nothingness. There wasn't even ash left as the wind, dust, and debris swept by. Kana looked down at the crystal she had clenched tightly in her hand and watched as the numbers continued to rise. She knew there would be many dead on her side as well, which would reduce the numbers every once and a while.
But even still, the numbers rose more than they fell. She had only just entered the battlefield and had already gathered more than enough points for her request for a meeting with the king. But the points still did not stop. She had aimed her attack towards the rear side of the enemy towards the middle, hoping to wipe out the main part of the forces. From the numbers she was getting, she could only assume she had accomplished her goal.
"Aoi, Naru…. Let's go..." Kana took one more look at the destruction she had caused without even a hint of emotion on her face. She turned and walked back towards the base camp. As she walked: she hoped that maybe the other girls were able to pull through. But looking at the destruction in front of her, she knew the odds of them surviving were slim. It all depended on a request she made to Aoi.
As Kana walked away, a ways away from where she was, three girls sat inside their hiding spot. Sweat dripped from their brow as they hugged each other, waiting for the end to come. The sounds of the explosion and the heat from outside as the energy from the blast passed by scared them half to death and almost cooked them alive.
"Is it over?" Yori asked, her voice quivering as she spoke.
Pel and Mina both shook their heads. They both had no idea if it was over or not. "We can only hope it is..." Pel squeezed out. Her throat was dry, but her eyes were wet with tears. She did not like the idea of not being in control of her life. If not for Mina pulling them along and finding a place to hide, they might have just died a gruesome death.
"Is this why Kana was being so indifferent? Was it because she was going to use such crazy spells?" Mina still remembered the emotionless expression Kana had given when she warned them to run away. She now understood why Kana was being so distant as well. She truly did not know if she would end up killing them or not.
"I would say yes. But we can not let this slide! I need to give her a piece of my mind." Pel suddenly burst out with anger as she yelled. "She could have said something more to us instead of being so vague."
"I think she did it because she was afraid of wavering. She seemed to be forcing her resolve. I think if she talked about it anymore, she would not have gone through with it. I mean, she was putting people she considered friends into danger that could kill them by her own hands." Mina had noticed that any time Kana spoke, she seemed very stiff. Although she showed no emotion, she couldn't hide her clenched jaw.
"Since we survived, that is a good thing. It will let us tell her off! Then we will make her buy us dinner!" Pel snorted as she said this.
"By the way, when will you two stop hugging me so tightly I can't breathe well..." Yori complained. She was stuck in the middle of the other girls who had put her safety over their own. She can't say she was not a little happy that they would protect her, but the two girls' breasts were suffocating her more than the hot air.
"Ahh, sorry!" Pel and Mina both blushed as they sat back. The space they were in was small but was still space enough to move around.
"Pel, stick your sword out and see if it heats up at all." Mina decided to take charge of the group and see if it was safe for them to leave yet or not.
The small opening they took shelter in was only accessible near the ground level and they each had to crawl inside in order to enter it. It had one small opening, which Mina covered with her large sword. Pel nodded her head, unsheathed one of her swords, and slipped it through the small crack that Mina made between her blade and the rock. Pel left it there for a while before bringing it back in. When she found it to be cool, the girls decided to venture out. But what they saw was beyond what they ever imagined...
"Were you able to do it?" Kana asked.
"Mmm… I was able to shield them when they entered a hole in a rock. It was easier to surround the rock with my water barrier to ward off the extreme heat. That rock acted as a secondary ybarrier aginst the heat." Aoi answered.
"Thanks..." Kana let out a sigh of relief. As she continued walking forward. She was glad she was able to keep those girls who she had become friends with alive.
A day later…
After rushing forward for an entire day Kana had already returned to the capital. She was going to stop in and say hi to Cia and the rest but decided against it. It seemed more natural to allow them to think she was dead. Currently she was now standing in front of the king himself. Who this time was not dressed in beggar clothing. The king looked at Kana and let out a long sigh. "You really…. Not even a full day has passed and you have already accomplished your goal..."