Binary Soul

> Narrator PoV <

What would eventually become known as the [Fallen Star] had just passed over the city of Runetap, but the crisis had yet to pass. Parts of this unknown object had fallen onto the city, endangering its citizens

One female adventurer reacted by erecting a [Grand Barrier] and took three of these so-called [Starshards] head on. Although one had bounced off the barrier and smashed into the nearby church, the second and third hit it full on and threatened to break through it.

Reacting as any reasonable person would, the mage in question reinforced her barrier, holding up the giant slabs of burnt metal until the people beneath them were able to evacuate.

Many lives were saved that day. The citizens all felt relief wash over them. They would then undoubtedly celebrate by hoisting their savior in the air, showering them with praise! Well, they would if this were any city other than Runetap. Though if that were actually the case, there wouldn’t have been a crisis to begin with. Only this place had such absurd things happen around it.

So, the people picked themselves up, dusted themselves off and prepared to resume their daily lives. The danger had passed and the City Guard would handle all the reports and paperwork regarding property damage. Business as usual so far.

That is when the mage who had worked hard to save them moments ago started writhing around in pain. She collapsed on her knees next to the splintered remains of her staff. Clutching her head and screaming at nothing in particular, the jaded citizens simply regarded her as yet another nutjob that was inevitably drawn here. Some of them were familiar with the infamous red-haired troublemaker, and simply scoffed at her tantrum.

However, the girl called Kiressara did not stop, her distress grew rapidly until it exploded outwards.

"I SAID! LEAVE! ME! ALOOOOONE!" (Kiressara)

*ZUDONNNN*

Literally.

An invisible steel-like wall expanded in all directions with her in the middle. It wrecked her surroundings. Rubble, dust, bystanders, benches, even the very pavement itself was torn up and thrown away in an instant. It’s as if all these objects and people were rejected from her immediate presence and denied entry into her personal space.

Although rookie mages would sometimes lose control of their spells and cause the mana they built up to explode violently in a similar manner, this was different.

To begin with, no mage in their right mind would believe the one who performed such a high-tier spell just moments ago was a rookie. Of the shielding-type magic that only humans could wield, barriers were a particularly popular group of spells due to their reliability and flexibility. Starting with the weakest [Basic Barrier], there were also [Lesser Barrier], [Barrier], [High Barrier] and finally the ultimate [Grand Barrier]. Just being able to perform a Grand-tier spell successfully meant she had both the mana capacity and control over it to be considered a master wizard.

But still, only other mages would be able to recognize this was no mere accidental discharge. Other mages who were not present in the crowd that stared intently at the epicenter of this incomprehensible event.

And right there was the figure of a terrified, curled up woman who was clutching her head. Bits of the cobblestone pavement were suspended in the air around her, floating lazily in place.

The luxuriously long scarlet hair was no longer tied in a loose ponytail, but spread outwards and upwards as if it were underwater. It glistened in the sunlight, creating the illusion of a roaring flame.

Her well-worn armor made of White Basilisk Leather was badly damaged and in tatters - the strain of that unknown discharge had ripped sizable chunks out of the outfit. Although her modesty was protected, many parts of her fair skin were left bare. Any more than this and she would risk being arrested for indecent exposure.

The beautiful face was dripping with blood from the nose, eyes and ears. However, the blood did not run down her face. It floated ominously around her as perfectly round crimson droplets that glistened in the sunlight like rubies.

Much like her surroundings, the person herself was also floating in the air. She stared blankly at the ground underneath and struggled to process what had just happened. She was either unwilling or unable to realize the fact that she and everything in a 3 meter radius around her had unanimously decided that gravity was overrated.

Someone in the crowd whimpered, breaking her out of her stupor. She moved her gaze upward, looking at the scene around her.  At the people who were staring quietly in her direction. Some in apprehension, some in fear, some in awe. Unknown to her, what demanded their attention most of all were her eyes. The pale blue irises were now shining with a bright purple.

Several breathless moments passed before gravity finally remembered it had a job to do. The woman and the debris around her fell onto the cracked ground, landing roughly on all fours. She started coughing after finally remembering to breathe. This is where one would normally check on the poor woman to make sure she’s alright.

However, those shining eyes of hers were a problem. Such a thing was regarded as a tell-tale sign of being possessed, and several people in the crowd recognized it as such. These well-informed individuals started backing away while shooting fearful looks around them. This behavior quickly infected the crowd that had been stunned silent until now. Panic seemed to break out and spread like wildfire once more as everyone started running away with all haste. In truth, not all of them were actually that scared - they just wanted to get away from the disturbance. After all, it was not their job to deal with this sort of thing.

Inexplicable and potentially dangerous situations like this happened regularly in Runetap. The citizens, merchants, adventurers and mercenaries who lived here all lacked either the willingness, ability or authority to deal with these incidents. It was in fact the Runetap City Guard that possessed all these qualities . These men professionals well-versed in dealing with the absurd happenings that threatened public order.

And eight of these armored soldiers arrived on the scene just as the people they had sworn to protect were fleeing from a single woman. The Squad Leader immediately recognized her as the perpetrator of this particular disturbance and ordered his men to form a shield wall. After all, it was highly likely she would get violent.

Many veteran guardsmen were familiar with this person. To say she was a troublemaker would be an understatement. Her temper would often flare up and she would lash out at those who had wronged her. While not a crime in and of itself, she had a bad habit of lashing out with magic and regularly going overboard. A habit that would cause a lot of headaches for everyone involved. A habit that this particular Squad Leader was intimately familiar with.

“Miss Quasse! Surrender peacefully and you will not be harmed!” (Squad Leader)

Kiressara’s instincts reacted before her reason did. She ran. Not away from the guards, but through them. She dashed right into the shield wall. The guardsmen prepared themselves to subdue her, but were suddenly flung to the side by an invisible force. They stared dumbly at the retreating suspect. People, carts, chairs, debris - everything in her way was shoved aside. She kept running straight towards the south gate at an almost impossible speed. It was obvious to them it was too late to apprehend their suspect - she would undoubtedly escape the city.

After getting back to his feet, the Squad Leader from before simply stared at the trail this woman had left behind.

“Ah… it wasn’t a K-18 after all… Jenkins! Go check the damage to the church, that S-3 did a number on it! Hart - go double-check for any wounded and/or casualties. The rest of you - on your guard! Make sure nobody tries to do any looting in this confusion!” (Squad Leader)

“Yes sir!” (Guards)

The Squad Leader calmly gave out orders to his men. Rampaging mage or no, once she was out of the city there was nothing they could do. All that was left now was to deal with the aftermath and file a report to the Guard Captain.

Besides, he knew Kiressara would probably return later to make amends on her own. Despite acting like a borderline hoodlum, she was still a good person deep down. No matter how many times she was arrested or fined, there were always circumstances which led to her being released without much issue. Sometimes she would be fined or held in jail for a few days, but the charges towards here were nothing more than misdemeanors. When compared to the stuff he usually faced, dealing with that young woman’s outbursts was almost like a tiny vacation.

* * *

Kiressara kept running for hours. Her consciousness was caught in a blur as she dashed through the inhospitable Eagle forest at frightening speed, seemingly surpassing her body’s limits.

She came across many monsters and wild animals, even a few bandits that crossed her path. All of them were blown away like leaves in the wind. Trees were uprooted, bushes were flung away and grass was trampled into the dirt. Her mad charge left behind an odd tunnel-like path through the dense forest.

Something inside her mind was guiding her, urging her to hurry.

> Kiressara PoV <

Haaah, haaah, haaah. I'm way too tired for this... At least I'm finally here.

Where's here?

Good question! Unfortunately I have no idea! I can make a vague guess though.

The thing that had fallen from the sky had crashed in the forest. I'm in a forest, and a smoldering metal building is in front of me. Therefore, I’m at the place where that thing fell. This much is obvious.

How did I get here?

Another good question! Unfortunately I still have no idea!

The last thing I remember is feeling like my head exploded, then an odd floating sensation and then running in a state of absolute panic all the way here. Everything else is a blur. For whatever reason I couldn’t calm down until I saw this thing with my very own eyes.

The sun's already setting though, pretty soon this forest will be pitch black. I must’ve been running for hours, yet my body doesn’t feel tired at all. What’s up with that?!

Well, it's my loss if I mind it. These things just happen.

I turn my attention back to the mass of metal that fell from the sky. Smoke, fire and sparks fly out randomly from the hulking wreckage. By my estimate, it seems to be over 800 meters long.

How did this pointlessly huge thing even make it up that high?! The sheer amount of mana required to float this thing - I cannot even imagine! Judging from the deep trench it dug out of the ground, it’s also immensely heavy! Well, as if something of this scale would be that light.

It’s definitely hollow and some sort of man-made structure. Just like I thought earlier, the outside is riddled with holes and practically ripped in half.

Okay, let’s decide this is a good thing for me. I can get inside easily!

Of course I’m going inside! This thing is clearly related to the ‘headache’ I had earlier! Therefore, if there is a cure or a solution, I’ll find it here! Let’s take care of that before I have to go back and face the Guard Captain again.

If I have another outburst like that, people will definitely think I’m insane! No they definitely think that already, don’t they?

“Haah. Just my luck.” (Kiressara)

First my route to Rank A gets cut off and now this. Maybe I should move to the capital after all? Ah, a return trip is way too long, I can’t exactly leave Runetap behind.

I climb up the small dirt hill that had formed underneath this thing and enter through one of the bigger holes. Now that I’m looking at it closely, this outer shell didn’t seem to suffer much from the impact itself, nor the flames it was covered in. I mean it’s singed in places, but it’s not molten or warped even in the slightest.

The inside is a dark and creepy metal corridor. Of course. What else would the inside be like?

Actually, it’s not as dark as it seemed. The path is illuminated by strange lights in the floor. I’d light my own way, but I can’t cast spells without a staff.

Well, I won’t get to the bottom of this by standing around! I start walking down the corridor as my eyes get accustomed to the darkness. After a while I enter some sort of chamber. Strange metal boxes and their contents are all over the place.

At least, I think they’re boxes. They look like metal cubes, but several of them are clearly opened up. They were obviously thrown about, but they’re still perfectly intact. This chamber is also full of holes, I see the last vestiges of sunlight trying to peek through them.

Someone clearly did a number on this thing. Was it really done in by an Elder Dragon? Haha. Yeah, right! One of those hadn’t been seen on this continent in centuries! Something like Elder Dragons are impossible, right?!

...

No, that's entirely possible. Anything can happen around Runetap, after all!