Chapter 16
"Alright, maybe you're not that dull after all!" grinned the pixie, turning around as a spiral of flames formed around her hands, that were now holding dual crimson fans with decorative gold details and ta.s.sels hanging from the bottom.
"It's been a long time since I was able to unwind. Let me show you the power of my flames~!" With just a single wave of her fan, a whip of fire lashed out and cut the golem right in half. Its dismembered rock body fell to the ground as the number one appeared on Maria's watch.
'Wow, didn't think it would be taken out so easily with just one attack. Then again, this is just a training exercise for elementary students.' Maria stared at the chunk of black rock the lied resting on the ground before turning her attention over to Ruby.
"Thank you for saving me and my friends," she said to the pixie, who couldn't help but sigh in pity at how easily the golem was taken out by her attack.
"Please, even if you didn't call me, that thing was never going to do any real damage. I can sense the intention of its owner. It was probably only ordered to scare you into using your magic to defend yourselves. Tch, and here I go thinking that after so many years I could finally have a worthy challenge!" snapped a not-so-happy Ruby as Maria sweatdropped at the pixie's att.i.tude.
"Are you guys okay?" Maria asked her two friends, only to be engulfed in a hug by Mai.
The girl was bawling as she said, "Maria~! I didn't know you felt that way about us! I'm also happy to have you as a friend! You're the absolute best!" Maria smiled softly at Mai, watching as Julian walked up to her next.
"Thank you both for saving me... Though it is my fault that you almost got hurt. S-Sorry. Sorry for being so useless-" Julian suddenly felt a smack of pain that landed upside his head which came from Maria's hand.
"You're not useless; never say that about yourself as everyone's got their own strengths and weaknesses," Maria sternly told Julian, looking him face to face as Mai retracted herself. "You just got to work a little harder and find your own true potential. Besides, that could've been any one of us." Maria smiled warmly at Julian, patting the little blus.h.i.+ng lamb on the head, who felt touched by her words.
"What Maria said is true, Julian. You are one of us now, so we always got ya back no matter what! Only real friends stick together no matter
"Mmm, I love this excellent show of true comrades! You may be youngsters, but your hearts are in a good place." Both Julian and Mai jumped a little when Ruby appeared in the middle of their group.
"Um, guys, say h.e.l.lo to Ruby, my Celestial Pixie," Maria introduced Ruby to both Mai and Julian, who had their eyes glued to the floating pixie, who merely smirked as she did a dramatic presentation of summoning her dual fans, flames dancing around her, before striking a pose.
"Nice to meet my master's honorable comrades!" grinned Ruby.
"Nice job, Maria, you finally awoke your Celestial Summon!" Mai pumped her fists in the air, congratulating Maria.
"I'm very happy for you, Marichan~!" smiled Julian as Maria, upon hearing such praise, couldn't help but feel a little bashful.
"Maa, it's thanks to you guys that this happened in the first place. Now, let's go and see if we can discover some more golems that are hopefully much smaller than the gorilla," advised Maria. The group set off and indeed ran into a few more golems. Mai took out a tiger golem with yet another light spell.
When asked, Mai replied by saying, "These are only D-Rank: Light Spells taught to me by onee-sama. If you want to see something really cool, you should watch her train as she can even perform B-Ranks despite not being a Middle School student." Just by hearing Mai talk, one could tell that she really looked up to her older sister.
'I expect nonetheless from the future 'Empress' and Diamond Academy's most talented female student.' Maria thought back to how the book spoke of Isis's peerless abilities and wasn't that shocked by the information she learned from Mai. After they ran into a few bird golems, that annoyingly kept pecking their heads, Julian managed to put them to sleep by using his Sound Magic.
"This is the only spell that I know, and this is my first time succeeding in using it," Julian embarra.s.singly told them, scratching his head. By now all of them had the same number of defeats which was one. Though they were once again on the run for their lives as this time chasing them was a cheetah golem that was fast on its feet.
Even when Ruby attacked it with fire, it was fast and agile enough to dodge her attacks; neither did Julian's one Sound Magic spell put it to sleep nor could Mai's Light Spell land a hit. Before either noticed, they soon found themselves cornered; the cheetah ran in to attack, only for a voice to call out just in the nick of time.
"Bullet Aqua!" The group watched as bullets of water shot right through the golem cheetah, which soon turned into mud. Looking towards where the attack came from, walking forward they saw that their savior was none other than Elsa Snow. Maria was first to notice the digital number her wrist.w.a.tch band was displaying.
'Wait a sec... She took out nine golems on her own?! When it took most of our efforts just to take out one?!' exclaimed Maria, confused whether to feel awed or frightened at the girl's outstanding abilities. While Maria was in her own thoughts, Elsa showed no regard for the three she just saved, until she saw that Maria was amongst the three. Seeing those emerald eyes brought back flashbacks to the night of the banquet.
Recalling how the dear Richard-sama she admired interacted with Maria, a girl who was rumored to be obsessed with the Crown Prince. Yet she could not understand why Richard seemed to act so close to this strange girl, briefly having a flashback to the other day when he even visited Maria and her group of friends around lunchtime. These memories brought forth an unpleasant feeling to Elsa who stalked forward in Maria's direction.
"When I asked at the banquet, I did not get a reply. So I'll ask you. Just what is your relations.h.i.+p with Richard-sama? Answer me!" the Ice Princess demanded as Maria flinched from the look of hate that was brewing in Elsa's eyes.
"Richard-sama and I are only friends! That it!" answered Maria yet this did not disperse Elsa's feelings, if anything it only ignited them.
"Lies! Ever since I first laid eyes on Richard he always acted n.o.ble, elegant, and despite his kindness, kept himself at a distance from other people. But with you... there is something different. The n.o.ble Richard that I admire has never looked at me the same way he does with you!" yelled an angry Elsa.
'Oh no... I don't like the direction of where things are headed,' dreaded Maria, feeling an ominous premonition as Elsa glared at Maria.
"I don't know what you've done, but I refuse to let my dear Richard-sama be bewitched by a fool like you! I challenge you to a match, Maria Rosendrey!" boldly declared Elsa as Maria couldn't help but think,
'd.a.m.n it! I knew it!'