Chapter 35 – The Guardian Spirit’s Bullyi-Trial Begins!
'An artificial being?!' The little kitten exclaimed with wide eyes. 'Really?!'
The monkey-like beast only nodded smugly in response as the little kitten looked on with a shocked expression.
...
'What's an artificial being?' The little kitten's head tilted innocently.
"Wha-" The monkey-like beast's smug expression couldn't help but fault. "Y-you... Ah, you really are a headache, puny cat. Now listen up, let this Guardian Spirit clear things up for you!"
'How arrogant, a girl doesn't know one thing and you act like its the end of the world!' The little kitten gnashed her teeth in irritation.
"Now, now. Stop yapping and listen." The monkey-like beast waved her off, getting used to her sassy comments by now. "Artificial beings are intelligent forms created by living entities. They can be very low in intelligence, or they can be so intelligent they put human geniuses to shame, like me! (points smugly at himself, getting dagger eyes in response from the little kitten). *cough*, *cough*. Okay, the important thing is, I'm a creation of a higher power that has been created in order to watch over this 'Blessing of the God's'!"
'Ah, so not only are you a freak... You're a designed freak?' The little kitten nodded seriously.
"Y-you!" The Guardian Spirit clenched his teeth, and if he wasn't already a red furred creature, his face would be a crimson red. But eventually his boiling anger calmed down as he let out a long sigh instead of a vocal tirade. "Enough, enough. We don't have time to argue all day. As the Guardian Spirit here, it is my job to put every visitor to this place under a trial!"
'So... Why the long conversation then?... Couldn't you just send us straight into the trial?' The little kitten asked curiously.
"Kekeke. I usually do... Except, I found you to be odd, beyond your personality... and wanted to investigate you a little. Currently, my being has been split into several clones, with each one looking over a single person's trial each. Except, only a few are lucky enough to peak my interest enough for me to make a personal appearance!" The Guardian Spirit spoke with an arrogant smirk. "You should be honoured, puny cat!"
'Teh, more like disgusted!' The little kitten tutted mockingly.
Holding back his anger, the Guardian Spirit continued. "Alright, enough then. Let's see how arrogant you are after dealing with my trial!"
Suddenly, the Guardian Spirit vanished in a flash of azure light, the brightness of this light blinded the little kitten for several seconds. When her eyes opened once more, she found to her shock that the environment around her had completely transformed in those few seconds when they were closed.
Instead of a world of white, the little kitten found herself in a long hallway. This hallway was immaculately designed and several meters wide and when the little kitten looked upwards, she found that the walls seemed to curve in a whimsical manner into the horizon, the presumed roof lost in the fog of the horizon.
The most striking aspect of this new environment, to the little kitten's irritation, were several paintings littering the walls of the Guardian Spirit standing and sitting in various eccentric poses...
There was one painting with the Guardian Spirit standing like an old gentleman with a walking stick, one where he is sitting in a "sexual" manner across a silk covered bed and even one where he held his fingers in an "L" while sticking his tongue out. In conclusion, any pose imaginable could be seen at every turn.
'Is this trial a test to see if I won't vomit my guts out in disgust?...' The little kitten's mouth twitched in vexation. '...Because I think I might fail horribly...'
There was no reply for a long time before the sound of a loud growl suddenly resounded throughout the long, whimsical hallway.
Frightened, the little kitten automatically assumed a battle stance.
'The trial has begun!' This thought instantly came to her and she reacted immediately. A second later, her enchantingly nice sounding voice sang out in a chant.
An azure glow coalesced around her lean body and took form in seconds, taking on the shape of a sleek and strong looking silver armour. It was the 'Ravager Armour'!
In the mean time, the little kitten had yet to notice any motion as she surveyed her surroundings with rapt attention. 'Where is the enemy?'
It was only moments after this thought that she suddenly felt all of her fur spike up to its fullest length. Though low level Magician's and Magical Beast's didn't have the senses of someone at the Spirit Rank who had the power of their Conscious Eye's, most people at her level still had an innate sense for magic in a small area around them. Only, it would pale in comparison to the senses the Conscious Eye allow.
But in this instance, this sense worked perfectly and now that she was alerted, the little kitten reacted without delay. Her small paws cracked the ground beneath her as she leapt with full strength, shooting forward several meters, just escaping the threat of the unknown assailant as it struck from above!
BANG!
A dust cloud struck up in the area where the little kitten once stood, blocking the little kitten's vision of it as she came to a stop and turned to face her enemy.
That cloud of dust had yet to dissipate when a blurred shadow rocketed out of it, straight towards the little kitten. As she watched the quickly moving attacker, her eyes shot up in attention before narrowing in concentration.
'Hmph, too slow!' The little kitten harrumphed arrogantly as her right paw rose from the ground and with quick movements she was already attacking before that blurred shadow could reach her.
The little kitten's delicate voice sung out once more in a familiar chant and at the same time, white lines began to form above her flowing right paw.
The little kitten's old friend, the 'Celestial Claw' was being unleashed!
Four white lines shot out as the little kitten's right paw finished its arc. The 'Celestial Claw' cut forth and struck that blurred shadow within seconds.
The blurred shapes high pitched death throes resounded before the sound of flesh hitting solid as the mysterious beast tumbled on the floor unceremoniously.
When the beast's tumbling came to a stop, the little kitten finally saw the shape of her assailant. This beast was an about a meter and a half tall, voracious looking rabbit-like creature. Its long ears were pointed and on the beast's forehead, were horns that swerved backwards to point to the sky. It had sharp claws that looked as if they could pierce rock and shark like teeth, its canines especially sharp like a vampire.
★★★
"Kekeke, impressive indeed." The Guardian Spirit laughed as it talked to himself, its furry hand clutching its jaw in thought.
Strangely, the Guardian Beast was shockingly sitting on its hovering seat right beside the little kitten, its eyes moving between her and the beast she had just struck down.
"To be able to strike down a Late Stage Minor Beast with one strike, her level of understanding of that claw spell must be quite high. She might be able to perform the spell chant-less soon, even!" The Guardian Spirit nodded approvingly. "I can also see that her defensive spell has also reached a high level. If I remember correctly, this spell should be the widely known 'Ravager Armour'. It may be a common spell for Metal and Earth elemental Magical Beast's and Magician's, but it can be quite formidable with the right amount of insight into it. It looks like she has formed a 'Ravager Armour' with a little more than 40% of metal formed into it.
However, what was most formidable about her confrontation with the Horned Cloud Rabbit was her battle instincts! Forming a defence as quickly as possible and then attacking at the most optimal moment, far enough that the Horned Cloud Rabbit couldn't reach her with an attack, but also close enough that it wouldn't be able to react in time to dodge such a fast acting attack...
How formidable! This is bound to be fun! Kekeke!
Now that I've prodded her potential, it's time for the bullyi-, I mean it's time for this trial to truly commence! Kekeke. Kekeke..."