30 Chapter Six - 5 || True Knight-Mage (2/2)
The fox clicked her tongue and continued, ”Items created purely out of magic will eventually dissipate into the magical atmosphere. But they can remain intact for a long time depending on its creator and the effort used. Anyone can use them, but they can't directly hurt the creator. The weapon will just sink back into the body.
”The only way to possibly cause harm to creators is if the amount of magic returned by the weapon greatly exceeds their magical control and capacity, including any amulets or magic storage devices. The sudden over-abundance can cause them to overheat and faint while the body tries to expel excess magic.”
Essairyn let out an enlightened breath. ”So that's why I couldn't maintain two magical objects like the flying disk and scythe. My body wouldn't allow it because of the magical strain.”
Akari gave an amused scoff. ”That's only because you're creating the magic circle through an unconventional means by first creating a flying disk, an object as you said. You can actually cast the flying spell directly and be able to equip any weapon too.”
”Oh. Ahahah…” Essairyn felt like she lost some smarts. She was doing everything the hard way instead of the easy way. She really needed to learn about how to properly cast magic.
Seeing the ruffled girl, Akari tittered. ”Anyway, let's finish up this investigation. There has to be something leftover from yesterday's wolves that attracted the demonically possessed ones to go after the barn instead of chasing after the previous wolves.”
”So it's not at all because you're here?” Essairyn couldn't help asking the question no matter how distrustful it sounded. She needed to know in order to prepare for future incidents.
Fully expecting the question to be eventually asked, Akari calmly replied, ”No. I do suspect that the valguarkin from yesterday was sent after me. They sure are quick.” A glint of resentment flickered in her orbs. ”But these wolves aren't related to my pursuers or even the fact that I'm a spirit. We might naturally oppose one another, but that doesn't mean we can't live in harmony like most in the Spirit-Demon forest.”
For a moment, Essairyn felt abashed for interrogating her. 'Didn't you decide to trust her for now?' But she was glad that the fox was nonchalant about it. ”That makes sense. So what should I be looking for in here?” She surveyed the dimly lit barn and resting animals.
The fox trotted over to a pen and jumped up on the fence. Sniffing the area as she walked forward from pen to pen, Akari suddenly halted. ”Essairyn!” the fox seethed as her hackles rose. ”There's a demon in here!”
At her shout, the ragged outline of a shadow manifested in the gloom. Unblinking crimson eyes opened and a sawtoothed smile spread across the face of the demon. ”Ah-kar-ee? Ss-pir-it? W-weak?! Hehehe!” The demon lurched toward the fox in delight. Akari leapt away onto the ground while Essairyn sprinted at the unveiled demon in alarm.
”Akari!” the girl shouted as she hurtled a blade of magic at the demon who narrowly dodged the abrupt attack.
The demon frowned with serrated teeth showing. ”H-human, m-mage?” It confusedly edged back from the girl and then cast its gaze back on the retreating fox. ”M-must eat, ss-pirit! Strength!” It charged at Akari with a cavernous mouth.
Essairyn raised a barrier in front of the demon's beeline toward the tiny fox. But Akari had managed to leap away at the last second even without the girl's help.
Granted, Essairyn was successful in injuring the demon which had crashed through the barrier. The demon roared out in agony and spun around in wary fury. Red cuts were sprayed over its body, and a seared splotch smoked in its center.
”E-elmental?!” The demon cried out and darted toward a spooked animal. The poor cow bellowed in fright as the demon latched onto it and began ripping through its side.
Absolutely appalled, Essairyn dashed toward the aggrieved cow. She couldn't send any magical attacks from afar without possibly hurting the animal, so she materialized her sword.
Vaulting over into the pen, she whisked her blade onto the gorging demon. It swung over onto the other side of the cow and grinned tauntingly at the girl who missed. Frustrated by the speedy demon, she hooked the sword up by the handle and stabbed it on the other side. But the snickering demon evaded and latched onto another animal a few pens away.