Chapter 1

*Aldan’s Diary*

—Entry 1—

I almost could not believe it.  Though I devoted my whole life to this cause, I never thought I would succeed.  I’ve found it.  The truth of this world, which none of us knew.  The real reason summoned heroes have soul fragments, and what it means.  I am one step closer to my ultimate goal.

Though I do not have the power to do anything, I must avenge our mother.  At the same time, I must not be rash in my decision.  My younger siblings’ lives are at stake.  For now, at least.  To break out of this endless loop, I need to obtain power.  Untouchable power, one unrivaled by anything else.  Several theories have been said about it, but none are accurate.

This does not mean I shall take this new development as a failure.  Not at all.  In fact, due to this new information, I know how to move on from here.  My path is chock-full of danger, this is how I know I am headed in the correct direction.  After all, an empty house has no guards…

“Ugh!”  I groaned for the umpteenth time, my hands furiously scribbling down all the information I knew.  It did not help that the driver thought it necessary to make sharp turns.  Just like the one he was currently making.

“Seriously, how did a stupid psycho like this even obtain a permit?!”  Though the bus was almost empty, the few passengers on it were inclined to agree with me.  Short-tempered I may be, but this was too much.  They, however, did not voice their discontent.

I turned over all the information I had gathered from Aunt Melda.  Surges of mana in seven different locations.  While it may have been something else, I was fairly certain three of them were Hilia.  Which meant someone else had awakened.  All that was left was tracking down their locations.

“Silence!”  Said a man just out of my field of vision.  I sighed exasperatedly.  What I got in reply were several gasps of surprise.  What?  Never heard of a girl dissing an armed hijacker?

“Are you testing me, girl?!”

My eyes snapped to the screen.  Huh?  This is a pattern, isn’t it?  I marked the seven locations on the holographic map, my eyes widening.  If I am correct, then…

“Hey! Stopping harassing a child.” 

I ignored the armed men and started tracing the origin of the power surges.  Pressing my hand on the screen projected a hologram of towns I suspected.  Hovering my hand over the western side of Zyliane expanded the map, and I zoomed in on all the towns near Sorvia Forest.  The closest town to the impassable forest barely had enough power for appliances, so it was nigh impossible to have a power surge in such a location.

That location was a sure bet.  I marked it and moved on.

“So, factoring in the distance and intensity, I’d say it is around the Tymal region.  However…”  I continued muttering to myself.  I might have been mistaken, and if I was, finding them would be a lot harder. 

“If it was around Tymal region, then that must mean…”  My mind told me to focus on the men, but I had long since registered them as harmless.  Why should I pay any heed to morons with fancy weapons?  They were more likely to shoot themselves before they shot anyone and therefore posed no threat.

Though I had (mostly) ignored them, none of the men seemed willing to hurt a ‘child’.  With this in mind, I poured all my attention and effort into the map displayed in front of me.  I was uncertain about all the other towns since they were more developed than Fidsa.  “Ugh!  This is more work than I realized!  They should be grateful I am putting in all this effort.”

How come none of them looked for me?  It was totally unfair to dump all that responsibility on me.  I’m only twelve!

Though, I guess the other could be the same if not younger.

The men standing inside the bus began shouting something.  It wasn’t at me this time, but their patience must have worn out.  Maybe I should have paid more attention to what they were saying, but beyond the man with some anger issues, they had left me alone.  Possibly because of my school uniform.  The rest of the passengers had been moved to the right corner of the bus.

More angry voices came from behind me as some demand was made.  I, however, remained fully concentrated on my speculations.  My busy mind finally snapped attention when a high-pitched scream tore through the air. 

I sighed tiredly and finally looked up.  Several men wearing masks had their weapons pointed at one man.  From what I could gather, not all of them were men.  I spotted three women at the very back of the bus, all armed.  What made me double-take was the weapons they carried.

Sure, I had seen them when they boarded the bus, but that was it.  A glance was all I had gotten before I lost interest.  However, these wannabe gangsters had restricted weapons, the type even real soldiers may never see in their lifetime.  That was enough to give me pause.  What the hell is going on?

Why is it that my mind seems to stray at the worst of times?  That should have been the first thing I noticed.

“I’ll ask one more time.  Which of you is from the house of Elyana?”  All the passengers were frozen in fear, not even attempting to speak.  The silence was understandable.  Myrinia’s lastborn daughter had been kept secret.  Well, I know it’s a girl, but let’s keep silent about that.  None knew her, or if ‘she’ even existed.  This was one strange situation.  Why were they so sure the noble was here?

One of them briefly glanced in my direction.  A shiver racked my body, and I had to cover my mouth to stifle the yelp rising in my throat.  The idiot grinned and struck a pose as if he thought I was staring in awe.  I wasn’t even interested in him to begin with.

I am the hunter.

A deep voice echoed inside my head.  This presence was one I hadn’t felt in a while, and it just about filled my mind.  Too long.  It has been too long since I heard that chilling voice.  I groaned.  This situation was turning ugly quickly.

Yep.  Warning signals went off my head.  Yep, I better stay away from this situation.  I turned back to my phone and tried to block out the sound.

These pathetic attempts are pitiful.  I’ll show you what happens when prey decides to hunt.

“I’ll shoot!  I swear upon my mother’s grave, I’ll shoot!”  I closed my eyes, and even then, I could practically taste the terror in the air.  The

Ha-ha-ha!  Why are you doing nothing?  It’s been ages since I felt absolute terror of this magnitude.  This fear calls to me!

I gritted my teeth.  All this fear is making me lose control…!  Why now?!  I refuse to take responsibility for what happens next!  I am innocent and anyone who says otherwise is a two-faced liar…!  Bet I looked unsettling just about now.

With a silent sigh, I stood up.  All eyes except the guy with a gun to his face snapped to me. 

“Sit down and stay quiet.” He said, face twisting into a grimace.  “We’ll drop you off at the next station.”  The nerve of this idiot.  I’m supposed to be a normal twelve-year-old girl, right?  If I were normal, there is absolutely no way my mind would be functioning well after this incident.  Then they dump in the unfamiliar capital?

Is it just me or is that plan kinda messed up?  I cocked my head to the side, feigning confusion.  “You will?  How will I get home after that?”

I was met with blank stares.  “I live in Utalo.  How do you expect me to get home when I don’t have money?”  We were long past any place I had been to.  In this body, at least.

I could get home just fine, no matter where I was dropped off.  I knew this place long before it was developed.  I was making small talk while taking in the situation I had landed into.  Reason?

When I fully processed the situation, I could not help but find it odd.  None of the hijackers were all that impressive.  Even their mana levels were nearly sub-zero.  So why were the passengers practically shaking like leaves?  From my perspective, it was nothing but peculiar.

No wonder I had dismissed them.  Something about them just screamed mediocre. I doubt they could fire those high-tech weapons, and even if they could, the initial shot would knock them out.  Despite that, none tried any funny business.  So why?  What was making this many mana-efficient people cower?  I spread out my senses and froze.  It was enough of a shock that the voice in my head laughed cruelly.

My, my.  It would seem you need me after all.  Come on, just say it.  We both know how this will end.  Unlike me, you have no means of defending yourself, right?

S-shut up!

I immediately regretted not paying attention.  In my excitement, I failed to notice a highly mobile bomb slipping into the bus.  Were they planning to detonate the bus? 

I tsked.  It was a good plan, only if one was suicidal.  Public buses were reinforced with Daelindite, which was the hardest substance on the planet.  Almost nothing could dent it.

This bomb won’t even scratch its surface.  Of that I was certain. Ironic, though, that its passengers would be obliterated and only the vehicle will remain intact.  How could I miss something with so much mana? 

Ugh, I doubt the idiots were even aware of what they are carrying.  Those with strong senses must have felt the enormous amount of mana and kept still to avoid the worst outcome.  Even she couldn’t survive the blast of such magnitude.  I distinctly remembered what they were demanding.  A noble from the house of Elyana.

Me?  Nah.  I might be closely related to nobility, so close that one could even call me a noble, but that’s it!  Surely I was not the target in this situation, right?

Right?

I mean, my mother might be Queen’s sister, but that doesn’t mean anything.

Right? 

Right?! 

For some reason, they seemed to be leaving the residential area.  Was I looking at this all wrong?  Could this be a kidnapping attempt?  This is all that geezer’s fault!  I knew leaving the feudal system intact would be the wrong move! 

“Listen up!  I will not ask again.  Which of you belongs to goes by the name Elyana?”

Silence.

The man raised his voice again.  If he wanted to intimidate us, he would have loosed a warning shot.  The fact he had not done so further solidified my theory.  Doesn’t this mean I could take them out, even with my meager power?

………

……………

…………………

Let’s not get too hasty.  This situation may yet be salvageable.

“Are going to remain silent?  That won’t save lives.  In fact, we may just end up killing everybody, excluding the girl in the corner there.” 

Stop stirring my heart!  The innocents should die for all I’ve been through.  So yeah, no matter what you say, I’ll just remain silent.

Some people eyed me with what I could only describe as envy.

The silence remained, and the hijackers seemed ready to fulfill their promise.  They leveled their weapons at the passengers gathered at the back of the vehicle. 

Despite myself, I could feel the mirth stirring within me.  My vision was a bit blurry, but I had no choice.  If she appears, it will be their fault.  Chances of survival are in the negatives with her around.  It’s times like these I curse my body.  If I were just a little more developed, I would have taken these guys.

And no!  I don’t mean my chest!  I don’t!!

Curse this small body!!!

My mouth went dry.  I’m slowly losing control over my body, huh?  Guess I’ll do the honorable thing and save their lives.  These fools are about to experience hell after all.

“I’m Estelle Elyana, the third daughter of Myrinia Elyana.  Your business is with me.”

The moment I spoke, everybody froze.  The passengers were looking dejected, probably wishing they could help me but valuing their lives more.  Whatever.  I just saved your lives, y’know?  It would be a waste for one of you to play hero at this point.

The armed men, on the other hand, looked genuinely shocked.  “A child?  We were sent to kill a child?” 

I lifted a brow.  Reservations, eh?  Aren’t these people dumb?  Was I really their target?  Or was it one of my sisters? Why would they accept a job without even knowing the target?  Granted, I’ve been living my life in incognito mode. It didn’t bother me because I liked to keep to myself.  Even in my school, none knew of my social status.

“I might be broke, but I have principles.  Boss, I want out.”

“I have kids too.  I get the feeling killing this girl will just tempt fate.”

“SHUT UP!”  The leader glared at all his men.  “If you have forgotten, we were promised a sum which would last one a lifetime.  We were ordered to kill a noble, weren’t we?  Fate has nothing to do with this.  This girl is the only noble here, therefore, prepare to do your job.  You’re willing to let this opportunity go just because of principles?  Think of this girl as the final sacrifice to make your dreams a reality.  Think of all the lives which will be saved once we leave this profession.  If one measly life can make that happen, I won’t hesitate.”

Harsh.  I would have done the same thing, however...  This is my life you’re talking about.  At least show some remorse.  I’m valuable, much more valuable than you’re making me out to be.  Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine.  The same man who had been threatening the passengers had silently pointed his weapon at me.  “I’ll give you the mercy of a quick death.  Any last words?”

You’re useless.  Guess I’ll take over.

The man had unwittingly sealed his fate.  Good luck.  Not that it’ll do you any good against her even with all the luck in the world.  You’re as good as a dead man walking already.

Oh, well.  I tried.  I really tried to squash the burning sensation coursing my very being.  I tried to keep back the sweet, sweet sensation of power now filling my body.  Even the voice sounded convincing when it promised to relieve me of my pain.  I could feel control of my own body slipping through my fingers.

She, or rather, I let out a mocking laugh.  “A quick death you say?  I am the Goddess of death!  How dare you, a pathetic mortal being threaten me?”

The atmosphere turned chilly as every eye turned toward me, bug-eyed in terror.  My body was a living conduit, thrumming with nothing but mana.  No…

Yesss.

“Bwahahahaha! Does a mere mortal think he can kill me?  Figures you would become cocky and arrogant a scant few centuries after I left.  I would love to see where your confidence comes from. What are you waiting for? Come at me!” 

The man’s hand started to tremble.  “Oh?  You recognize this feeling, don’t you?  This icy fear spreading through your system until you cannot think, cannot speak.  This is death!”

I took slow steps toward the only person with a weapon pointed at me.  Terror danced in his eyes, his finger trembling on the trigger.  I took another step.  And another.  And another.

A thunderous blast echoed in the silent bus.  The shock was clear on his face, though it was not because he had fired.  No, it was because of the mana blast which had dissipated before it even touched me.  Shocked did not even begin to explain it.

A playful smile played on my lips.

“Boy, you are centuries too young to earn the honor of killing me.”  I flicked her hand at two of his female companions, and they went down, hands on their throats.  “I am death!  Nothing in this mortal realm can harm me.”  Shadows danced on my hands.

“Insenra.”  Three men clawed at their eyes, screaming in agony.  Blood dripped out their sockets and they fell still.  Dead.  Of the remaining, I pointed at the leader.  “What was it you said? ‘Think of this girl as the final sacrifice,’ was it?  Well, you and I think alike, one ‘measly life’ doesn’t matter to me.  Why should it?  That said, you deserve a fate worse than death.  Migena!”  A hole opened up at his feet and swallowed him whole.  I giggled joyously. Tapping my finger against my lips, I once again assessed the three remaining hijackers.

“What will I do with you lot?”  The only woman remaining in their group sniffled, slow tears streaming down her face.  “Please…” She begged while kneeling close to my feet. 

“Begging for mercy? You were about to kill an innocent girl for money.”

“N-no!  I was against this plan from the very beginning!  I never wanted anyone to die!”

Then get a freaking job.  Do you honestly think I’d believe something so, I don’t know, untrue?  I sighed tiredly.  “Really?  People like you disgust me.  Ugh!  This world is so wrong!  Come to think of it, it was the same all those years ago when I was gleefully pruning my share of humans.  Lamenting will get me nowhere.  Oh, yeah!  I guess I should have started with you then.”

I raised my hand, however, before I could pass my judgment, something cut through the air and collided with the bus with enough force to shake it violently.  I lifted my eyes and stared dubiously.  Someone was on top of a moving bus?  I got my answer a few seconds later.

The topmost part of the bus caved like bunched-up paper and gave in to the lone person who casually dropped down.  “Lia.  Stand down.”

I stiffened.  I knew that voice.  She knew that voice.

Don’t listen to hi-

The voice stopped when I gazed into his cold green eyes.  All the power left my body, and I collapsed to my knees, gasping for breath.

The hijackers, thinking they were saved, started thanking the silver-haired elf.  He observed them coolly.  Among them, there was one who was pissed that his friends had been killed so easily.  His eyes were glazed as he looked at his gun almost sorrowfully.  He raised it at me once more, his face twisting angrily.

“You’ll pay!  You’ll pay for what you’ve done.”  I didn’t have the strength left to even retort.  I lifted my head to face him from my position on the floor, and the guy had a crazed look about him.  The elf stared at him as if daring him to make the first move.  I was sure he would.  He had lost his marbles after all.  His finger twitched.

“Don’t.” A single word, spoken so coldly that shivers ran down my spine.  If this was how I felt, what the hell were the others feeling?

For all his warnings, the dangerous glint didn’t disappear from his eyes.  It only became stronger.  “Are you gonna stop me?  Huh, are you?!  I’ll just have to fill the whole lot of you with holes!” 

Suddenly, the elf was beside him, his glare piercing through his resolve.  Though it was intimidating, the guy ignored his base instincts.  Or maybe he was already too far gone.  He did not gaze into those green orbs and realize this was not a person to be defied. 

“Don’t.”  the commander repeated.  His words went unheeded.  The burly man squeezed the trigger and waited for the blast that would resort.  It never came.  The only sound which resounded in the deathly silent bus was a wet splat. He looked down at his hand, wondering what was wrong.  Only his hand was no longer there.  The blood pooled at his feet from his severed hand.

The commander sighed.  “For once,” he muttered to himself, “For once, I thought someone would heed my warnings.  Well, whatever.  It seems I have grown soft.”

I agreed, albeit silently.  In the past, he would not have bothered with second warnings.  Hell, it was nothing short of a miracle if one even got a warning.  The commander grimaced when the man crouched and started bawling his eyes out.

“Men like this are always the annoying type.  Better get rid of him and move on.”

The elf moved so fast; it looked like a blur even to me.  Before the guy could even react blood sputtered as something slashed across his throat with razor-edge accuracy.  Frankly, the guy was dead before his body hit the ground.

The poor man didn’t even get to scream.  The elf had finished him off while still wearing an impassive face.  Such a grotesque scene that caused the part of me I hid away to squirm in delight.

“Commander?”  It was the first time I had spoken to him since he came.  His eyes softened for a fraction of a second as he stared down at me. 

“You always get yourself into these types of situations.  That doesn’t seem to have changed after all these years.”  He turned his steely gaze to the hijackers as he extended a hand to me.  I took it and he helped me up.  Their faces turned from relieved to petrified.  They seemed even more scared of him than they were of her.

Huh…  When he was serious he was more mind-numbing than a legit ruler of death?  Scary.

Finally, the commander spoke up.  “Who’s next?”