Surrounded

Today has been weirdly quiet. I mean, no one has shown up! I've been guarding this conference for a while, and while the previous times a couple of assassins showed up, there has been no action today.

I went over the top and everything. I set barriers, put a bucket of water above the door, and put a banana peel near the entrance!

Okay, those last two were long shots, but you never know, right? Maybe the assassins are allergic to water? Or bananas?

Well, nothing has happened. I guess they just realized how awesome I am and got scared away.

In all seriousness though, something feels off. This could be a good thing and mean they've given up, but I don't feel like these guys will give up so easily.

To be fair, the last time I had a serious fight with bad guys, they sent a mech to kidnap my family, so I might be a little paranoid.

Well, it looks like the conference is over; I'll open the barrier to let them out and then head on my way home now, I guess? I'll check the outside of the building first.

Except nothing is ever that simple, huh?

The moment I leave the building where the conference is happening at, I see the entire place is surrounded by members of the Magic Liberators. Man, they are irritating.

If they are here, I guess they were the ones supplying the assassins with artifacts.

That is pretty strange, though. People who are supposed to be "liberating" magic are blocking it? That sounds backward.

"Oh, it's just you guys again? Do you all have anything better to do?"

"You keep stopping our plans, and now you've gone too far! Open the barrier to the diplomats!"

"And if I don't?"

"You die."

Oh great, how perfect. Such a kind fellow.

There are at least fifty people surrounding this building. If they are weak, I can probably do this, but if they are all really strong, I'm kind of doomed.

"Turn on the artifact!"

Oh great, now they are activating that giant suspicious machine that probably cancels out magic. I don't know why it is so big, though; those smaller ones seemed more practical.

Maybe it has more range?

And there goes all my magic. Now I have to be extra careful, barriers are impossible to pull up, and I can't directly attack them with gravity.

"You are probably thinking that you can still teleport like how you defeated that assassin, but you are wrong. The artifact the assassin was given had to be activated while magic was being used or cast to cancel it, but this artifact cancels out magic the moment it is cast. This means even instantaneous teleportation won't work. You have nowhere to run."

Well, that's just great. I guess I have only one choice now.

"Hello, 911. What's your emergency?"

"Yeah, well, there are a bunch of crazy Magic Liberators trying to kill me and all the diplomats I'm currently protecting. Could you possibly send some help?"

"Please don't prank call this number."

"Hello!?! This isn't a prank call! Hello!?!"

"Well, sh-"

"Seems like backup isn't coming, huh? Get her!"

Hah, fools. They thought that was my only plan out of this! Actually... that was my only plan. What am I supposed to do now~!

"Seems like my little sister needs help!"

"Kari! What are you doing here?"

"No time to talk! Nanobots, protocol G2!"

Suddenly black particles gather out of her skin and form a Gatling gun in her hand. That's sick! And a little gross... but sick!

"Set bullets to stun! Fire!"

Suddenly the entire group of Magic Liberators is twitching on the ground.

"Don't worry, they won't be able to stand for weeks. I think I can turn them in for more if they are alive..."

Is she drooling?

Suddenly, the Gatling gun disperses back into particles and enters her skin. The next thing I know, it's like the gun was never there. That is some pretty sick technology. Imagine if she made a nanobot sword she could pull out from anywhere. That would be sick.

"Jess, you're drooling, and I know what you are thinking. A sword would be so inconvenient. Guns can shoot from a distance and still do damage up close. Why would I need a sword?"

"Let a ma- I mean, let a woman dream, okay? I guess those nanobots don't function off of MP because they worked in the anti-magic zone."

"They function off a portion of the ATP my body produces, so they don't function off of MP."

"You use ATP to power technology; how does that even work?"

"It's kind of like biotech, the Nanos are like artificial living creatures."

"Okay, most important question, can you make me a nanobot swo-"

"Absolutely not."

She didn't even let me finish. Wow.

*BOOM*

Uhhhh... what was that? Why are giant pillars rising out of the ground? Don't tell me the fifty people surrounding this building were a distraction.

"AUGHH! MY HEAD!"

All of a sudden, the pillars started emitting this awful sound! My head feels like it is going to explode!

"Jess! Wh... happen... get..."

What is she saying?

The last thing I see is Yggtrasil in the distance, glowing a soft yellow.

===

Unknown POV:

"We've confirmed the existence of the first branch."

"What? How?"

"Remember that girl who keeps getting in the way of our plans? We had planted those suppression devices to deal with the second branch, who was among the diplomats, but the girl had a violent reaction to the devices and collapsed."

"How do you know she is the first branch and not the third?"

"It's the type of magic she has. She seems to still think that she is a normal Gravity magician. However, no average magician, even with an innate talent, would be able to pull off the feats she does. If that was the case, I'd be worried."

"Did you manage to kidnap the first and second branches?"

"No, some crazy girl stopped the collection process and destroyed all the suppression pillars. It was the first branch's sister."

"This mission was still a success, we managed to discover the identity of the second branch. Our wish is that much closer to coming true."

===

Jess' POV:

"You awake?"

"CHIRON! Ahem, I mean, Your Majesty!"

"I see you are awake. Now, there is something I need to warn you about."

"What is it?"

"It seems the Magic Liberators have discovered something important about you. I must tell you about what they are trying to do and what exactly the branches of Yggdrasil are."

"Huh?"

"You see, a long time ago, three branches fell from Yggdrasil. These three branches took different forms and taught people how to use magic. Each one of them had its own special properties. The most important one for you to know is the property of the first branch."

I guess he's going to go off on a long monologue now.

"The first branch had an unreasonable amount of MP and the ability to use Spacetime magic. Spacetime magic was too complicated for the average person to use, so the first branch broke it into three kinds of magic, Space magic, Gravity magic, and Time magic."

"Eventually, the branches withered away because they lacked the energy from their parent tree."

"Why is this important?"

"Because seventeen years ago, three branches fell again. You seem to somehow be related to the first branch. The Magic Liberators found out somehow and believe if they gather the three branches, they can get Yggdrasil to grant their wish to purge the humans."

"Will that work?"

"Absolutely not. At best, nothing will happen."

"What is the worst thing that can happen?"

"They'll anger the tree and they, along with anyone around them, will die."

"Ah."

"The reason you collapsed is because those giant towers that came out of the ground had the ability to suppress the blood of the three branches. That made you faint."

"Hmm... if I have the blood of the first branch, can I use Spacetime magic?"

"Absolutely not. You are still an Elf, even if you have the power of the first branch. Your body would not be able to handle the power of the spells, and you'd be crushed under the pressure."

"Sounds fun."

"Your Gravity magic is special, though. Im sure you've noticed, but your magic is much more potent than even the most talented Gravity magicians."

"That's a plus, I guess."

"Well, you must take care; now that the Magic Liberators know about your relation to the first branch, they'll be after you even more than before. Also, take this."

He hands me a document mentioning... a direct admission to Spectrum University! SICK! With paid for tuition!

"This is the least I can do for someone related to the first branch. Please do be careful."

Well, that was a lot of information to take in, but it does explain a lot, such as my magic and such. I wonder how I got the power of the first branch, though?

===

Chiron's POV:

I hope she bought that story. It's more than her having the power of a branch. She is one herself. It seems like her soul merged with the branch. This allows the branch to live away from the mother tree, but it also puts great strain on her body. She must have already felt the effects of that, such as the soul becoming temporarily detached from the body.

I'm also worried about these 'artifacts' that I've been hearing about. Once Osiris' research is done, I'm going to have to ask him about this.