Rawna’s glared at Mystimona and her black aura seemed to intensify. She summoned the Spear of Destruction to her hands. Mystimona stood, arms folded, as elements of water, fire, earth, and wind began to swirl around him.

  Olaysa shouted through the brewing storm. “Rawna, behave yourself. There’s no time for such distractions.”

  Rawna’s spear dissipated with the aura around her receding slightly. She shot a resentful glance at Mystimona but obeyed her mother’s command. Mystimona lowered his arms. The elemental forces dissipated and he gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

  Kintovar stepped forward. “Now let’s get moving. We don’t have the luxury of time to indulge in fights.”

  Outside of Shadowcroft, the group had a brief moment to discuss their plan. Kintovar, Haras, Roselle, Risebelle, Mystimona, Rawna, and Olaysa formed a circle, and Kintovar explained the situation.

  "We've formed an alliance with Olaysa to collect one of the Goddess items," Kintovar began, her tone serious. "But the condition is that Mystimona will be traveling alone to the East Jancito, guided by someone Olaysa knows there. We'll be heading to the Jancito Annual Tournament in the East to seek out the Goddess item there ourselves, but first, I need to make a stop in West Jancito. There is another 'Kintovar' there who could possibly be related to me."

  Mystimona's eyes widened, and he looked at Kintovar with panic setting in. "Wait, did you just say I was traveling alone? What do you mean I'm traveling alone? I-I don’t know my way around the world! That’s insane!"

  Kintovar turned her attention to Mystimona.”I know, I know, Mystimona but Olaysa has arranged for someone to guide you to East Jancito. Her name is Mari, and she practices sword magic. You won't be completely alone. It's just that we can't have you accompanying us to the west, given there is some sort of tension between the South, and West. We don't want to escalate the situation."

  Mystimona crossed his arms. “I’ve been your protector for a while now. It’s all I can remember being these days."

  Kintovar smiled warmly at Mystimona. "I know, Mystimona, and I appreciate everything you've done for me. But we have to trust this arrangement. Mari will guide you, and we’ll meet up in East Jancito. Remember, our ultimate goal is to gather the Goddess items, and we can't do that if we risk open conflict."

  Mystimona sighed, reluctantly nodding. "Alright, I'll do it. Just be careful, Kintovar."

  Kintovar nodded back at him. "I will, and we'll reunite soon enough. Now, let's head to West Jancito, and then we'll continue to the East. We have a lot to accomplish."

  At Olaysa's grand castle in South Jancito, the group stood on the red carpet, preparing for their respective journeys. Mystimona had already departed to meet Mari in the the East. Kintovar, Haras, Roselle, Risebelle, Runebelle, and Rawna were now gathered before Olaysa, who stood on the red carpet.

  Olaysa addressed the group with her usual wicked tone, "Rawna will be your guide to the West, where the other 'Kintovar' is located. West Jancito is a dangerous place where any moment could be your last. You'll need to follow her lead closely if you want to survive."

  Everyone nodded in understanding except Risebelle, who eyed Rawna with a glare. Rawna returned the gaze but remained composed. "I'm only here to protect you if you stick to the mission. If you go anywhere else, it's your funeral," she stated flatly.

  Roselle stepped between the two and smiled. "We'll stick to the mission. Let's focus on getting to West Jancito and finding this other Kintovar."

  Risebelle reluctantly tore her gaze away from Rawna and turned her attention back to Kintovar. "Fine. But if she tries anything, I won't hesitate to put a hole in her chest."

  Olaysa chuckled with amusement. "I like your spirit, Risebelle. It’s ‘refreshing’ to see someone so unafraid to speak their mind."

  Kintovar, however, felt a knot of unease tightening in her stomach. She had gotten the feeling that Olaysa's approval was not a good sign. "We have a lot to accomplish and not much time."

  Olaysa nodded in approval. "Good. The fate of the Goddess items is in our hands. We must collect them all and usher in a new era. Remember, I'll be watching closely. Don't disappoint me."

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Mystimona cautiously approached the small town between East Jancito and South Jancito, his long purple hair flowing in the breeze. Upon entering town, he looked around. Not many people stood out among them, but soon he noticed the vibrant purple hair of a girl standing in the distance. Intrigued, he made his way towards her.

  "Mari?" Mystimona called out. "Are you the one they call the temptress?"

  Mari turned towards Mystimona, her innocent nature evident in her sweet smile. Her fully developed figure, accentuated by her big breasts and curvy body, made Mystimona slightly flustered. "Oh, you must be Mystimona," she replied.

  "Yes, that's me," Mystimona confirmed, "I've been told I need your guidance to reach East Jancito. But I must admit, I've never encountered a temptress before. What does that term even mean?"

  Mari giggled and playfully twirled a strand of her purple hair. "Well, Mystimona, a temptress is someone who can tempt others with their charm and allure. But don't worry, it's not always a bad thing. Um… I was told that I would be meeting someone, but I wasn't given any instructions on where to wait..."

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Mystimona observed Mari closely, noting the way she moved and spoke with an effortless grace. “You are quite a beauty, I must say."

  Mari's cheeks flushed a light pink. She beamed at him with a smile. “Thank you, Mystimona…although I try hard to be myself, despite what others might think."

  She twirled a strand of her purple hair. "Just the other day, I helped some people in town. They were struggling to find their way, and I was able to guide them to where they wanted to go. It feels good to be of help."

  Mystimona smiled, feeling a sense of kinship with her. "Well, I should let you know that i’m the guy you were supposed to meet today. I'm Mystimona."

  Mari's eyes widened in surprise. "No way, really?" Inwardly, she thought, ‘He is so handsome…’

  She began putting her hands together, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. Mystimona noticed her unease and asked, "Is something wrong?"

  Mari quickly shook her head with her smile returning. "No, nothing's wrong. I just... I forgot my sword at home. I'll need to go and get it."

  She paused, then hesitantly looked at Mystimona. "Would you... want to come with me?"

  Mystimona chuckled softly. "Of course, lead the way."

  While walking through the streets, Mystimona's curiosity got the better of him. "Mari, why don't you carry your sword with you at all times? It seems like it would be important, especially with where we are going next."

  Mari glanced at him. Her cheeks tinted slightly pink. "Well, it's pretty big. I can't really sheathe it properly all the time. It's a bit... cumbersome."

  Mystimona raised an eyebrow. "I don't get how that's possible. From my understanding, people who fight with swords can use their magical energy to deal with sheathing their swords. Isn't that something you can do?"

  Mari's cheeks deepened in the color, and she laughed softly. "I know, I know. It's just that my sword is... special. It doesn't always respond well to my magical energy. It has a mind of its own sometimes, you could say."

  Mystimona looked at her with intrigue. "A sword with a mind of its own? Now that is something I haven't heard before."

  The duo reached Mari's apartment. Upon entering, Mystimona was greeted by the sweet scent of perfumes. The walls were painted a soft pink, adorned with all sorts of suggestive artwork. One picture, however, caught his eye—a cheerful image of Mari dressed in a Santa Claus outfit. He found it endearing and couldn't help but smile at the picture.

  While he was distracted by the artwork, Mari called out to him nervously, "Mystimona, could you come here for a moment?"

  He followed her into her room. Mari was rummaging through a drawer in a hurry. She finally pulled out her sword and presented it to Mystimona. To his surprise, it appeared to be just a regular sword, with the exception of its golden hilt.

  Mystimona raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "This is your sword? It looks... normal."

  Mari nodded, sensing his confusion. "I know it seems ordinary, but it's not. The sword's true power is hidden until I release it’s sword magic.."

  Mystimona examined the sword more closely, still intrigued. "How does it work?"

  Mari responded with her eyes turned to the side. “To be honest, Mystimona, I'm not entirely sure…This sword is said to possess the ‘power of the goddess’, but I haven't quite figured out how to activate it yet."

  Mystimona's brows furrowed in puzzlement. "But you mentioned releasing sword magic earlier. Isn't that supposed to be its unique power?"

  Mari nodded. "Yes, that's true. Sword Magic is a form of magic that allows the wielder to channel their energy through the blade, enhancing their attacks and granting them unique abilities," she explained. "But mastering Sword Magic is no easy task. There are different levels to it, from level 1 to 3, and then there's the ultimate form known as the Sword God."

  Mystimona's eyes widened in fascination. "So, where do you stand in terms of Sword Magic?"

  Mari's cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment. "Well, I have to admit, I'm still at level 1…It's been challenging, and I haven't quite managed to unlock the full potential of this sword yet."

  Mystimona started to question further. "How long have you been training with this sword?"

  Mari sighed softly. "I've been training with this sword for 10 years and only got up to the first stage. It's been frustrating, to say the least."

  Mystimona could see the frustration in her eyes. "Do you think it's because of the sword's unique nature, or is there something else?"

  Mari hesitated, then admitted, "I went to the Eastern Sword School and tried to train, but their methods never helped me that much. I need to find another way to train. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just pathetic for not progressing further."

  Mystimona shook his head firmly. "You're not pathetic, Mari. Everyone's journey is different, and just because you haven't progressed as fast as others doesn't mean you're any less capable than any other Swordsman out there.”

  Mari's gave Mystimona a small smile. "Thank you, Mystimona. Your words mean a lot to me.”

  Mari was handed her sword back from Mystimona. Just then, a sudden change came over her. Her eyes took on a seductive glint, she now had a sultry tone.

  "Mystimona," Mari purred, "you know, there's more to this sword than meets the eye. It holds secrets that only a select few can unlock… do you want to see some…’secrets’ that I have?"

  Mystimona blinked in confusion. "Mari, what are you talking about?”

  Mari leaned in closer. Her body pressed against his. Mystimona could feel his heart quicken as Mari's breath tickled his ear. She giggled.

  Just when Mystimona was about to push her away, Mari's hand moved with unexpected speed, landing on his most sensitive area. Mystimona gasped in surprise. This was not what he had expected when he agreed to accompany Mari on her quest.

  "Mari!" Mystimona exclaimed with surprise. "W-What are you doing?!"

  As if awakened from a trance, Mari's eyes widened. The sword slipped from her hands, clattering to the floor. She stumbled back with a face flushed with embarrassment.

  "Oh no," Mari muttered with her tone returning to its usual high pitch. "I-I'm so sorry, Mystimona. I don't know what came over me."

  Mystimona, still recovering from the unexpected advance, took a step back, his gaze fixed on Mari. "What… What just happened, Mari? “

  Mari's face turned solemn. "I don't know, Mystimona….It's like something took control of me, and I couldn't fight it. But once the sword dropped, I felt like myself again."

  Mari's eyes began to fill with tears. "Do you hate me now?"

  Mystimona shook his head, his expression softening. "No, Mari, I don't hate you. Don't think that for a second."

  Mari wiped her eyes with relif. "Thank you, Mystimona. I promise, I'll find a way to control whatever that was.”

  Mystimona took a deep breath, trying to process the events that had just unfolded. He couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. "I don't understand," he whispered to himself while raising one hand up under his chin.. ‘What just happened? Mari was a completely different person just now.’

  He glanced down at the sword lying on the floor and felt a strange energy emanating from it. He became suspicious. Mystimona crouched down before Mari and picked up the sword, examining it closely. It was seemingly ordinary, but he could feel a faint pulsating sensation coming from the hilt while holding it in his hands.

  "What are you hiding, sword," Mystimona mused aloud. "What kind of power do you possess?"