A couple of firefights weren't enough to make Morvian the perfect marksman. One who could hit his target on the move.
That was why his bullet flew past the blue-haired girl, punching a hole in the wall.
Morvian's heart clenched at that moment, for his opponent had already pointed the barrel of his gun at him and the silver bullet flew out with a flash of fire.
Apparently the stranger was no master of gunfire either, however, and her bullet only cut through the air, missing its target.
Morvian fell to the floor and a dull ache pierced his shoulder, but he could not be distracted by that now.
The unknown woman cocked the rifle and the cartridge case flew out of the bolt, drawing circles of smoke in the air.
The delay was enough for Morvian to point his weapon at the enemy again and fire.
The carved bullet flew swiftly toward the girl, but she instinctively moved to the side.
The bullet hit the rifle, damaging it and flying outward.
The sparks from the ricochet illuminated her twisted face-not just anger, but personal hatred. This was no longer a gunfight, but a duel to the death.
The blue-haired girl threw the wreckage of her rifle at Morvian and flicked her tongue outward.
Morvian kicked the debris away and stared at his opponent. A late realization came to his mind as to what exactly she was going to do.
For the air in front of her palm had begun to shrink and crack, and the oxygen in the room was more saturated than before.
'That flick of her tongue wasn't a sign of irritation. It was a catalyst! Does she really have a relic... that spear!'
Morvian sprang back, aiming at his opponent, but the bullets for the revolver had traitorously run out. All he could do was watch as the beautiful girl summoned the mystical weapon.
Sparks of lightning lit up the room, licking the wooden floor. A few freehand drawings from the electricity remained on the bare wood.
The lightning bolts struck in different directions and nearly hit Morvian, but he dodged with grace, watching grimly.
The shaft of a silver spear appeared first, and a few moments later the magical weapon appeared in all its glory.
It fell into the girl's hand and she brought it down to the floor with a thunderous sound, small sparks of lightning running across it.
The spear itself was made of incredibly pure metal that seemed to glow in the semi-darkness. Blue engraving adorned its shaft, shimmering with the glow of blue sparks.
A smug grin froze on the girl's lips, replaced by momentary confusion. Her opponent - that mad, golden-haired dwarf - was lunging at her despite the deadly weapon in her hands.
Morvian threw a fist forward, but the blow was too slow, too predictable. The blue-haired woman deftly dodged, and the next moment the cold shaft of the spear was at his throat, pressing him against the charred wall of the ship.
"Are you... crazy?!" - she exhaled, pressing the shaft harder. The metal iced her skin, cutting off her breath. The engraving on the shaft glowed through the shroud of darkness in Morvian's eyes.
Morvian twitched convulsively in her grip, legs kicking helplessly at the air. His eyes grew dark from lack of oxygen, but his consciousness clung to a single thought - Dyla's ring.
'Dragonflies... daggers... no, too long...'
Suddenly an insight - blinding and simple. Through a constricting throat, a wheeze squeezed out:
"Are you... a test subject?"
The girl's eyes widened. The shaft of the spear trembled, the pressure on her throat eased. Then it stopped altogether, and the unknown woman stepped back a few paces.
Morvian inhaled the air in bliss, falling to the floor. Being able to breathe had never seemed so pleasant as it did now.
The blue-haired woman studied the pale stranger for a while, then sat on the bed near the wall, leaning on her spear.
She sat like that for a few moments in complete silence, then started singing again.
The pleasant voice shimmered into a hideous symphony of ineffectual shouting, echoing off the walls of the cabin.
Panting for breath, Morvian wrinkled his nose at the awful performance and looked at the strange girl.
"What are you doing?" he asked in bewilderment.
The blue-haired singer looked at him with the corner of her eye as she continued to sing.
The screams of hell continued for a while longer, until the girl finished the song with a satisfied smile and a snort.
Morvian was too exhausted by this time and so simply slumped against the wall, exuding his last breath.
"Finally finished? Are you cursed or something?" he mumbled.
The girl looked at him, tsking.
"Cursed? More like blessed by heaven for being able to sing in this place! Besides, isn't that confirmation that I'm a goddess?"
Morvian was either too tired to understand the meaning of her words. Or her words were devoid of any meaning.
"What are you even saying..."
The girl threw her arms up, planting one foot on the other. A smug smile appeared on her face, and the spear vaporized in sparks.
"I'm talking about having the ability to set my own ability. That is, to create something out of nothing that only higher powers can control. Doesn't that make me a goddess? Yes, definite!"
The girl continued to speculate about her divinity, and Morvian stared at her, wishing he hadn't gasped.
At that moment, however, he remembered something.
'Hey, Elias. Are you alive in there?
He waited for a few seconds and the frightening silence in his head was alarming.
After a couple more moments, however, the pleasant voice blossomed back into his thoughts.
'Yeah, I'm fine... I guess. What's going on over there? Did you kill her?
'No, but I'm already regretting it. You'd better get up here to see for yourself.
After these words, there was a rustling and rattling of boards somewhere in the lower part of the ship.
The girl stopped speaking and became wary, then clicked her tongue irritably.
The beautiful spear reappeared in her hands and her heels tapped the floor as she left the cabin.
Morvian hurried after her, wrinkling his nose in exhaustion.
"Hey, wait. That monster..."
"Still alive and needs to be finished off!" the girl finished.
"Oh no, he's a test subject too."
Nameless stopped and turned to Morvian, looking at him strangely.
"Has the ordeal already damaged your mental health so badly. Poor child..."
Saying that, she walked over to Morvian and hugged him tightly.
She had to crouch down to do so, as she was quite tall compared to the golden-haired one.
Morvian cringed at the sudden kind gesture and tried to break free of the grip. He failed, however, and simply hung in the girl's embrace.
At that moment a creak of boards and heavy breathing was heard behind the nameless one.
The girl immediately came to her senses and let Morvian go, turning around with her spear ready.
The hunched monster stood a couple meters away from them and filled the entire hallway.
Sharp claws scratched at the walls, leaving marks on them. And a cloud of vapor came out of its bony mouth.
The spear wound on the armor caused a few cracks, but it had no effect on the monster. While the scarlet eyes glowed in the semi-darkness.
The girl raised her spear and took aim at the enemy.
A few electric arcs licked the metallic shaft, illuminating the corridor slightly.
Elias gave Morvian behind the girl a strange look, then prepared to attack.
In the next second, a bloody battle unfolded that destroyed the remains of the ship.
At least that was how it was supposed to be.
However, the moment Nameless was already ready to attack.
Her eyes widened slightly, after which she lowered her weapon and stared at the monster in surprise.
"I'm sorry for my words little one. I think I'm already going crazy myself. I feel like there's this incredibly pleasant voice in my head that says he's this monster." she said, touching her temple.
Morvian sighed and walked towards Elias.
The blue-haired woman wanted to stop him, but he shoved her hand away, continuing on his way.
"I already told you this is a test subject, just like me and you. And he talks using this ring." he said, pointing to Elias' ring.
Morvian studied the nameless woman's surprised face, wondering what to do next.
'In the real world, she is definitely an aristocrat. Since only people from the upper classes can afford relics. Though her spear doesn't seem to be very high-level yet. However, getting a nobleman to ally with her in the future will come in handy. Besides, isn't there much else she has stashed away from her rich parents?''
At this moment, he heard Elias' voice in his head.
'I think we should team up. You're well aware of her potential usefulness in the future. Besides, she might know something about the true purpose of the trial.''
Morvian couldn't help but agree with his partner's reasoning, but something was preventing him from fully making a decision.
After looking at the monster and the golden-haired girl, Nameless exhaled in relief and relaxed.
"Thank the gods I finally met someone else."
There was obvious relief in her voice and it was as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
She looked at the strange couple again, straightening up.
"You just don't know how hard it's been for me here alone!" she said, half crying. She even squatted down and covered her face with her hands.
Morvian and Elias looked at her strangely, but she continued.
"Oh, forgive me. I'm just too excited."
Morvian hesitated for a few moments, then walked over to the crying girl and stroked her head.
It was a lot more embarrassing than he thought it would be, so he was a little speechless.
"You'll tell me all about it on the way. We need to hurry into town."
The blue-haired unknown wiped away her tears and looked at Morvian. After which, she smiled faintly and nodded her head.
Thus on this day, three souls who were bound by the chains of fate that bound them together met.