Rawna’s gred at Mystimona and her bck aura seemed to intensify. She summohe Spear of Destru to her hands. Mystimona stood, arms folded, as elements of water, fire, earth, and wind began to swirl around him.

  Oysa shouted through the brewing storm. “Rawna, behave yourself. There’s no time for such distras.”

  Rawna’s spear dissipated with the aura around her reg slightly. She shot a resentful g Mystimona but obeyed her mother’s and. Mystimona lowered his arms. The elemental forces dissipated and he gave a small nod of aowledgment.

  Kintovar stepped forward. “Now let’s get moving. We don’t have the luxury of time to indulge in fights.”

  Outside of Shadowcroft, the group had a brief moment to discuss their pn. Kintovar, Haras, Roselle, Risebelle, Mystimona, Rawna, and Oysa formed a circle, and Kintovar expihe situation.

  “We’ve formed an alliah Oysa to collee of the Goddess items,” Kintaone serious. “But the dition is that Mystimona will be traveling aloo the East Jancito, guided by someone Oysa knows there. We’ll be heading to the Jancito Annual Tour in the East to seek out the Goddess item there ourselves, but first, I o make a stop i Jancito. There is another ‘Kintovar’ there who could possibly be reted to me.”

  Mystimona’s eyes widened, and he looked at Kintovar with panic setting in. “Wait, did you just say I was traveling alone? What do you mean I’m traveling alone? I-I don’t know my way around the world! That’s insane!”

  Kintovar turned her attention to Mystimona.”I know, I know, Mystimona but Oysa has arranged for someoo guide you to East Jancito. Her name is Mari, and she practices sword magic. You won’t be pletely alo’s just that we ’t have you apanying us to the west, given there is some sort of tensioween the South, a. We don’t want to escate the situation.”

  Mystimona crossed his arms. “I’ve been your protector for a while now. It’s all I remember being these days.”

  Kintovar smiled warmly at Mystimona. “I know, Mystimona, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But we have to trust this arra. Mari will guide you, and we’ll meet up i Jancito. Remember, our ultimate goal is to gather the Goddess items, and we ’t do that if we risk open flict.”

  Mystimona sighed, relutly nodding. “Alright, I’ll do it. Just be careful, Kintovar.”

  Kintovar nodded back at him. “I will, and we’ll reunite soon enough. Now, let’s head to West Jancito, and then we’ll tio the East. We have a lot to aplish.”

  At Oysa’s grand castle in South Jancito, the group stood on the red carpet, preparing for their respective journeys. Mystimona had already departed to meet Mari ihe East. Kintovar, Haras, Roselle, Risebelle, Runebelle, and Rawna were now gathered before Oysa, who stood on the red carpet.

  Oysa addressed the group with her usual wicked tone, “Rawna will be yuide to the West, where the other ‘Kintovar’ is located. West Jancito is a dangerous pce where any moment could be your st. You’ll o follow her lead closely if you want to survive.”

  Everyone nodded in uanding except Risebelle, who eyed Rawna with a gre. Rawurhe gaze but remained posed. “I’m only here to protect you if you stick to the mission. If you go anywhere else, it’s your funeral,” she stated ftly.

  Roselle stepped betweewo and smiled. “We’ll stick to the missio’s focus oing to West Jancito and finding this other Kintovar.”

  Risebelle relutly tore her gaze away from Rawna and turned her attention back to Kintovar. “Fine. But if she tries anything, I won’t hesitate to put a hole in her chest.”

  Oysa chuckled with amusement. “I like your spirit, Risebelle. It’s ‘refreshing’ to see someone so unafraid to speak their mind.”

  Kintovar, however, felt a knot of uightening iomach. She had gotten the feeling that Oysa’s approval was not a good sign. “We have a lot to aplish and not much time.”

  Oysa nodded in approval. “Good. The fate of the Goddess items is in our hands. We must collect them all and usher in a new era. Remember, I’ll be watg closely. Don’t disappoint me.”

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Mystimona cautiously approached the small towwee Jancito and South Jancito, his long purple hair flowing in the breeze. Upoering town, he looked around. Not many people stood out among them, but sooiced the vibrant purple hair of a girl standing in the distance. Intrigued, he made his way towards her.

  “Mari?” Mystimona called out. “Are you the ohey call the temptress?”

  Mari turowards Mystimona, her i nature evident in her sweet smile. Her fully developed figure, atuated by her big breasts and curvy body, made Mystimona slightly flustered. “Oh, you must be Mystimona,” she replied.

  “Yes, that’s me,” Mystimona firmed, “I’ve been told I need yuidao reach East Jancito. But I must admit, I’ve never entered a temptress before. What does that term even mean?”

  Mari giggled and pyfully twirled a strand of her purple hair. “Well, Mystimona, a temptress is someone who tempt others with their charm and allure. But don’t worry, it’s not always a bad thing. Um… I was told that I would be meeting someone, but I wasn’t given any instrus oo wait...”

  Mystimona observed Mari closely, noting the way she moved and spoke with an effortless grace. “You are quite a beauty, I must say.”

  Mari’s cheeks flushed a light pink. She beamed at him with a smile. “Thank you, Mystimona…although I try hard to be myself, despite what others might think.”

  She twirled a strand of her purple hair. “Just the other day, I helped some people in town. They were struggling to find their way, and I was able to guide them to where they wao go. It feels good to be of help.”

  Mystimona smiled, feeling a sense of kinship with her. “Well, I should let you know that i’m the guy you were supposed to meet today. I’m Mystimona.”

  Mari’s eyes widened in surprise. “No way, really?” Inwardly, she thought, ‘He is so handsome…’

  She began putting her hands together, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. Mystimona noticed her unease and asked, “Is something wrong?”

  Mari quickly shook her head with her smile returning. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just... I fot my sword at home. I’ll o go a.”

  She paused, theantly looked at Mystimona. “Would you... want to e with me?”

  Mystimona chuckled softly. “Of course, lead the way.”

  While walking through the streets, Mystimona’s curiosity got the better of him. “Mari, why don’t you carry your sword with you at all times? It seems like it would be important, especially with where we are goi.”

  Mari g him. Her cheeks tinted slightly pink. “Well, it’s pretty big. I ’t really sheathe it properly all the time. It’s a bit... cumbersome.”

  Mystimona raised an eyebrow. “I don’t get how that’s possible. From my uanding, people who fight with swords use their magical energy to deal with sheathing their swords. Isn’t that something you do?”

  Mari’s cheeks deepened in the color, and she ughed softly. “I know, I know. It’s just that my sword is... special. It doesn’t always respoo my magical energy. It has a mind of its own sometimes, you could say.”

  Mystimona looked at her with intrigue. “A sword with a mind of its own? Now that is something I haven’t heard before.”

  The duo reached Mari’s apartment. Upoering, Mystimona was greeted by the sweet st of perfumes. The walls were painted a soft pink, adorned with all sorts of suggestive artwork. One picture, however, caught his eye—a cheerful image of Mari dressed in a Santa Cus outfit. He found it endearing and couldn’t help but smile at the picture.

  While he was distracted by the artwork, Mari called out to him nervously, “Mystimona, could you e here for a moment?”

  He followed her into her room. Mari was rummaging through a drawer in a hurry. She finally pulled out her sword and prese to Mystimona. To his surprise, it appeared to be just a regur sword, with the exception of its golden hilt.

  Mystimona raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “This is your sword? It looks... normal.”

  Mari nodded, sensing his fusion. “I know it seems ordinary, but it’s not. The sword’s true power is hidden until I release it’s sword magic..”

  Mystimona examihe sword more closely, still intrigued. “How does it work?”

  Mari responded with her eyes turo the side. “To be ho, Mystimona, I’m irely sure…This sword is said to possess the ‘power of the goddess’, but I haven’t quite figured out how to activate it yet.”

  Mystimona’s brows furrowed in puzzlement. “But you mentioned releasing sword magic earlier. Isn’t that supposed to be its unique power?”

  Mari nodded. “Yes, that’s true. Sword Magic is a form of magic that allows the wielder to el their energy through the bde, enhang their attacks and granting them unique abilities,” she expined. “But mastering Sword Magic is no easy task. There are different levels to it, from level 1 to 3, and then there’s the ultimate form known as the Swod.”

  Mystimona’s eyes widened in fasation. “So, where do you stand in terms of Sword Magic?”

  Mari’s cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment. “Well, I have to admit, I’m still at level 1…It’s been challenging, and I haven’t quite mao unlock the full potential of this sword yet.”

  Mystimona started to question further. “How long have you been training with this sword?”

  Mari sighed softly. “I’ve been training with this sword for 10 years and only got up to the first stage. It’s been frustrating, to say the least.”

  Mystimona could see the frustration in her eyes. “Do you think it’s because of the sword’s uure, or is there something else?”

  Mari hesitated, then admitted, “I went to the Eastern Sword School and tried to train, but their methods never helped me that much. I o find another way to train. Sometimes I wonder if I’m just pathetic for nressing further.”

  Mystimona shook his head firmly. “You’re not pathetic, Mari. Everyone’s journey is different, and just because you haven’t progressed as fast as others doesn’t mean you’re any less capable than any other Swordsman out there.”

  Mari’s gave Mystimona a small smile. “Thank you, Mystimona. Your words mean a lot to me.”

  Mari was handed her sword back from Mystimona. Just then, a sudden ge came over her. Her eyes took on a seductive glint, she now had a sultry tone.

  “Mystimona,” Mari purred, “you know, there’s more to this sword thahe eye. It holds secrets that only a select few unlock… do you want to see some…’secrets’ that I have?”

  Mystimona blinked in fusion. “Mari, what are you talking about?”

  Mari leaned in closer. Her body pressed against his. Mystimona could feel his heart qui as Mari’s breath tickled his ear. She giggled.

  Just when Mystimona was about to push her away, Mari’s hand moved with ued speed, nding on his most sensitive area. Mystimona gasped in surprise. This was not what he had expected when he agreed to apany Mari on her quest.

  “Mari!” Mystimona excimed with surprise. “W-What are you doing?!”

  As if awakened from a trance, Mari’s eyes widehe sword slipped from her hands, cttering to the floor. She stumbled back with a face flushed with embarrassment.

  “Oh no,” Mari muttered with her tourning to its usual high pitch. “I-I’m so sorry, Mystimona. I don’t know what came over me.”

  Mystimona, still rec from the ued advaook a step back, his gaze fixed on Mari. “What… What just happened, Mari? “

  Mari’s face turned solemn. “I don’t know, Mystimona….It’s like something took trol of me, and I couldn’t fight it. But ohe sword dropped, I felt like myself again.”

  Mari’s eyes began to fill with tears. “Do you hate me now?”

  Mystimona shook his head, his expression softening. “No, Mari, I don’t hate you. Don’t think that for a sed.”

  Mari wiped her eyes with relif. “Thank you, Mystimona. I promise, I’ll find a way to trol whatever that was.”

  Mystimona took a deep breath, trying to process the events that had just unfolded. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of uhat lingered in the air. “I don’t uand,” he whispered to himself while raising one hand up under his .. ‘What just happened? Mari was a pletely different person just now.’

  He gnced down at the sword lying on the floor a a strange energy emanating from it. He became suspicious. Mystimona crouched down before Mari and picked up the sword, examining it closely. It was seemingly ordinary, but he could feel a faint pulsatiion ing from the hilt while holding it in his hands.

  “What are you hiding, sword,” Mystimona mused aloud. “What kind of power do you possess?”