Artificial Guardian

Sona opened the gate door, revealing a hallway lined with clocks on both walls. She hesitated before stepping into the corridor. As she did, the last tick of the clocks echoed, and the gate door slammed shut behind her. Walking down the mysterious yet strangely familiar hallway, a sudden bell rang, its sound striking an eerie resemblance to the last time she had heard it. The area grew brighter, until all sight was consumed by a blinding light.

When the light faded, Sona found herself standing in the middle of a forest on a floating sky island. The view was breathtaking—other islands, suspended in the sky, could be seen in every direction.

Out of nowhere, an unknown voice called to her: "Who are you? How did you enter my domain?"

Confused and alert, Sona spun around, searching for the source of the voice. "Domain? Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about," she responded.

"Oh... acting ignorant, I see," the voice retorted.

Sona suddenly felt a sharp danger from above. An object descended toward her with lethal intent. Reacting instantly, she dodged to the side just in time. The object struck the ground with a force that caused a massive explosion.

"Well then… I need to find the answer to this myself," the voice declared ominously.

Sona quickly recovered, entering a fighting stance as she waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, standing before her was an imposing figure. It was a machine, like Ultra from the ruins of Ashra's Temple, but this one was made from earth, not metal.

The machine introduced itself as Logan, an Artificial Guardian tasked with protecting the sacred scriptures from intruders. Without wasting a moment, it attacked, summoning large stone spikes to erupt from the ground. Sona's sharp reflexes kicked in, and she leaped backward to avoid the deadly spikes. Logan, unimpressed, conjured a large, wooden war-hammer and charged toward her. Swinging the massive weapon, it barely missed as Sona quickly formed a barrier focused in one direction. The impact deflected the blow, but the force was so strong it sent her flying for miles.

On her knees, blood pouring from her mouth, Sona glared at Logan, who was slowly walking toward her with a menacing air.

Sona knew she was in a dangerous situation, but she couldn't afford to hesitate. She wondered what she could do next.

Meanwhile, in the village of Feroa, townsfolk and adventurers were facing off against the evil prince and his men.

The prince, seeing their resistance, asked the village chief, "What is the meaning of this, Chief Juragan?"

Dema, recognizing the chief, gasped in shock. "What!? You're the village chief!?"

Juragan stood tall, his voice unwavering. "Your Highness, I suggest you leave this village at once."

"Why should I?" the prince sneered.

"Because you are disturbing the peace and harmony of this village. And don't think that because you're a prince, you can do whatever you want. The true duty of a prince is to protect their people and their land," Juragan replied.

The prince smirked. "What nonsense... I'm here for business with her, not for you or this village. Now, get out of my way."

The townsfolk glared at the prince, assuming fighting stances. Seeing their determination, the prince's smile twisted into something more sinister. "Rebels need to be punished." With a signal, his knights, most of whom were B-rank or above adventurers, advanced on the villagers.

Juragan quickly realized the disadvantage and ordered the children, Dema and Greg, to flee. "Go! Now!" he urged.

Without hesitation, the two ran, shouting a quick thank you to the chief as they escaped.

"WAIT!" the prince shouted in frustration, attempting to chase after them, but was blocked by the villagers, who taunted him.

Growing impatient, the prince called upon his general, Sufol, an S-rank adventurer, to clear the way. Sufol swung his massive battle-axe, using a devastating skill called Ground Splitter, knocking the villagers down in an instant.

The prince, seeing his path clear, continued his pursuit. Juragan, his strength fading, cursed the prince under his breath as he lost consciousness.

Back with Sona, she was doing everything she could to survive, dodging and countering Logan's relentless attacks with swift, calculated motions. Logan was impressed by her quick thinking and reflexes, noting how she sensed his attacks and countered them in split seconds. Her tactical intelligence in using the environment to her advantage also did not go unnoticed.

Logan lashed out with a vine, but Sona skillfully dodged it, grabbing the vine and yanking it from the ground, causing Logan to trip. Seizing the opportunity, she cast a powerful level-10 spell, summoning a large magical circle to prepare for Divine Judgment. However, Logan hurled his weapon at her, intercepting her spell. Sona raised a barrier in time to block the projectile, but Logan followed up with a kick that caught her off guard, knocking her once again to the ground.

Sona used her barriers to defend against Logan's continuous vine attacks, but she could feel her mana reserves running low. The sense of dread was overwhelming.

At the same time, Dema and Greg were cornered at the edge of a cliff, with the prince and his men closing in. "You two are really annoying," the prince sneered, his patience wearing thin. "Capture her, and punish him!"

Just when it seemed all hope was lost, Kasandra and Rain arrived on the scene. Rain effortlessly sliced through the ground to block the prince's path. "Prince Kuzuki! I am here for your judgment!" Rain declared.

Kasandra followed up with an Ice Lance spell, but the general used his shield to block the attack. Rain attempted to strike him, but Sufol, with his superior skill, parried the blow.

The prince was suddenly informed that his brother was on his way, which greatly irritated him. "Why now?" the prince growled, before ordering a retreat. "You're lucky this time. Better luck next time!" he taunted, before he and his men withdrew.

Back to Sona, who was sent flying once again, she wondered if this was the end. She whispered an apology to her friends and sister, thinking she would never see them again.

Just then, she found herself face-to-face with Ultra, the automaton from the first ruin of Ashra's Temple. "Tell me, human... What is your true desire? Power?" Ultra asked.

Unexpectedly, Sona stood up and demanded, "Who are you? And why are you helping me by lending me your power and wisdom?"

Ultra's response was cryptic. "That is not a question I can answer. You must find the answer for yourself... After all, you are Arry, the Goddess of Time, and daughter of Ashra."

Sona was stunned. Before she could react, a bell rang again, and ominous energy surrounded her.

In the distance, Logan was thrown back by an explosion, landing gracefully. As he observed Sona, he realized something. Her eyes and hair had turned yellow, glowing with an unmistakable power. He finally understood. She was Arry.

Sona, now filled with newfound strength, cast a spell: "Magical Weapon: Blazing Sword!" Her wand ignited in flames, transforming into a fiery sword. She channeled her energy into the weapon and unleashed a Meteoric Strike, instantly defeating Logan. The scene around her disappeared, leaving only the sacred scripture behind.

Sona approached the scripture, recognizing it as another piece of the puzzle she had been piecing together. It told the tale of Ashra's betrayal, of his creation of ten Artificial Guardians to protect the scriptures and guide his two children, Arry and Arfred—the Goddess of Time and the God of Space.

However, Arfred, seeing how mortals had dishonored Ashra after his sacrifices, grew to despise them. He allied himself with the God of Destruction, intending to bring retribution upon humanity. Together, they created a black hole larger than the sun. As Arfred controlled the black hole, Arry confronted him, arguing that they should not interfere with mortals. Their differing beliefs led to a battle between the siblings, which ended in a draw—and both gods perished in the process.