II

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Arc II Chapter 18

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18th Anima Lunar VIII AAC 753

The fluffball brigade advanced into the jaws of death, despite their grim prospects of survival.

"..." The sprites gulped, despite her rooting for them from behind. Her friends had quickly come to regret their decision. Their courage wavered. Their resolve crumbled, but it was too late. It was impossible to retreat.

The beast snapped to attention, his eyes falling on the will o' wisps, his original prey. The wolf snarled, his blood boiling. "RRRAawwRR!!!"

Her sprites began to panic, sweat running down their metaphorical foreheads, which was ... suboptimal.

"..." The wolf flashed his razor sharp fangs, his avaricious grin filled with glee. The beast moved, propelling his massive body forwards.

The will o' wisps realised the danger. RUN! RUN!! RUN!!!

The sprites ran as fast as possible, driven by blank and naked fear. Her fluffballs floated like never before, and never again, racing across the ruins with vengeful monstrosity following them. The distance shortened, and their panic increased. What should they do? They were done for!

In the meantime, Aurora emerged from the safety of the rubble, her little head carefully inspecting the surrounding area, turning left and turning right. No sight of the enemy. "This ... has worked .... better than expected. A flawless execution." Her doll shared her sentiment.

The wolf took her bait, ignoring her, even when her precious fluffballs were forced to serve as her sacrificial pawns. May their noble sacrifice be remembered throughout the ages. At least, until tomorrow.

"..." Aurora abandoned the safety of her cover and advanced quickly, sprinting to the crystal formation. The crystals radiated a powerful aura of lightning aether. Her small steps and short legs carried her forwards. The wolf growled in the distance, while her expendable allies bought her precious time, time which she was well advised to spend wisely.

She closed the distance before reaching the crystal vein. It was time now. Aurora closed her eyes and channelled her mana. Her senses expanded, exploring the crystal vein beneath the surface. Massive quantities of untouched lightning aether were resting below the ground, only waiting to be roused from its slumber. She was eager to oblige.

Aurora gathered her mana and injected a sufficient dose to force a reaction. The crystals reacted instantly, a deep purple glow spreading far and wide. The entire formation, the entire vein resonated with her mana, pulsating stronger and stronger. The crystals flared up, unable to contain the increasingly unstable aether stored within them much longer. It was only a matter of time.

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"..." A smirk crossed Aurora's lips. Her plan was proceeding The fuse was set. The firework was prepared. In the meanwhile, her friends returned. Her fluffballs were luring the beast back to her position. In his rage, the wolf shattered the nearest wall while hunting the sprites.

Her fluffballs swirled around in complete disarray. Their battle plan had fallen apart in the heat of battle like a house of cards. Each sprite fought for their own survival, forsaking any sense of camaraderie. Escape was their only option, but their tactical retreat turned into a full blown rout. Discipline had collapsed, and they were now fleeing with a sole purpose in mind, escaping the beast's vicious fangs. They had little intention of ending up as lunch.

The wild beast did not cease his hunt, yet a certain sight gave him pause. The beast halted, his gaze turning to her. His crimson eyes narrowed and his fangs sharpened with evil intent, his thoughts apparent. May it be folly, or insanity, his prey had returned to him.

"RRRRawrrwwrrr!!!" The wolf growled before exploding into a frenzied charge. A beast, a savage beast made of flesh and tendons. His claws ripped the ground beneath him apart as he charged. The earth trembled.

"..." Aurora smirked with a sense of satisfaction. Her plan had succeeded. Unbeknownst to the beast, the tables had turned against him. His defenceless prey had turned into a hunter. The hunt commenced, her hunt.

After injecting a final pulse of mana, the crystals entered a critical state. They began to disintegrate, decompose, decay, unable to maintain their structure. The frail equilibrium had collapsed. Now all that was left was to run, trusting in her short legs.

Aurora broke into a sprint in a race against time. The crystals would not last forever. The explosion was imminent.

Ten ...

The clock ticked.

Nine ...

The sprites followed after her, realising the danger.

Eight ...

Seven ...

The wolf came closer. The distance between them melted like snow in the sun.

Six ...

Aurora cursed her frail body. Her short legs ... Her small steps ... Her long fluffy hair ...

Five ...

"RRRRawrrwwrrr!!!"

Four ...

Time was running out. She had to take cover.

Three ...

Cover. Cover. Cover. Her eyes scanned the area before identifying a decapitated pillar. Target acquired. Adequate choice. Sturdy basis. Stone. High blast resistance. Limited fragmentation possibility.

Two ...

Aurora checked on her companions. Her fluffballs had followed their mistress, their only possible saviour. "After me!"

One ...

Aurora decelerated, throwing herself behind the pillar. Her eyes closed, her ears plugged, her mouth open, she braced herself for the incoming blast.

Zero.

...

...

...

Nothing happened .... Her plan misfired. Her fuse malfunctioned. In her moment of need, the crystals had failed her. This was not planned. This was not supposed to happen.

"..." Aurora peeked around the corner, her displeasure written all across her face. Two crimson eyes greeted her. The beast flashed his fangs. Her grandiose failure amused him. The wolf even chuckled, ridiculing her efforts. Nice try, lass. Next time, try harder.

"..." Little Aurora clenched his fist, her eyebrows twitching. This rascal. This oversized fur carpet had the impertinence to taunt her! Her! "Do not try me, friend. Because we will see who laughs last."

"RRAaarrwwWW!!!" His amused chuckle subsided, replaced by pure, undiluted rage.

Aurora clicked her tongue and lifted her chin. Her hand beckoned him. The puppy did not scare her. "All bark and no bite, bring it on if you can. I am waiting ..."

"Zzzzzzz. Zzzzzzz. Zzzzzzz. Zzzzzzzzzzzz." The eerie sound of electricity interrupted them, of currents discharging. The crystals suddenly reacted in a cascade of sparks. The orchestra of lightning intensified. The aether stored within the crystals expanded, demanding space. "Zzzz. Zzzzzz. Zzzzzzz. Zzzzzzzzzz."

Bolts of lightning lashed out. The crystals began to glow deep purple before turning gleaming white. The aether levels rose exponentially, far exceeding her original calculations. The aether levels were way too high.

"..." Aurora fell silent. This was bad ... Very bad ... The explosion would be far more potent than she had previously expected.

Aurora hugged her doll and braced herself for the inevitable. This was going to be a rough experience. How right she was. The earth trembled, and her world turned white. Her frail body absorbed the incoming shock wave.

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