—–
This was an artifact they used with me to detect if I was telling lies before. And it worked simply by targeting someone by infusing some mana. If they said a lie, it would be easily detected. This is an ancient artifact that fairies had been held for generations. Nieve managed to get it just for this occasion. The time Florie began to tell lies it happened, and it was glowing red, it meant she was lying.
“T-The lie detection artifact?! Big sis why did you bring something here just for me…?” Florie cried.
“Florie, tell me the truth! Were you the one that sabotaged the golems?! Were you… the one that brought the curse here?!” Nieve confronted Florie, as the girl suddenly backed down, without being able to speak, knowing about the lie detector.
“T-This is a misunderstanding; you can’t simply assume I did those things out of some clues!” Florie cried. “How can you even say such things to me after we have lived together for so long?! Why would I even do that…?!”
“Why are you evading the question?” Asked Nieve. “If you didn’t do anything, then you would simply say “no” and be done with it! Tell me, Florie! If you were the one, there might be a reason why, if it is someone controlling you or something else… Please, trust me! I can help you!”
“I… I didn’t do anything! Please stop saying that! I didn’t do anything! I am innocent!” Florie cried, beginning to cry like a baby. “You’re so mean with me! After I made… After I made lunch for you!”
Nieve looked at Florie heartbroken slowly approaching her as she tried to comfort her little sister.
However, as that happened, I looked at the orb.
It glowed with the color red.
Bright red.
She was lying.
“Nieve… it is red.” I said, quickly standing up, as Achlys and Titan did so as well.
Florie’s face was filled with despair, as she saw all four of us looking at her.
“N-No… I didn’t do it! That artifact must be old… they gave you a falsified one! I didn’t do it! Please trust me, don’t trust an old item that might be broken!” Cried Florie.
Nieve hit the table, furiously throwing the food into the floor as she suddenly took out her rapier from its sheath, covering it in freezing magical aura.
“FLORIE! Why did you do something like this?! Did you spread the curse too?! TELL ME!” Nieve cried.
“I didn’t do that! Why would I do that?!” Florie cried.
But the orb glowed red.
“She’s… lying…” I muttered in disbelief.
“Why…?” Asked Nieve. “Why did you do this? And how?!”
Nieve suddenly grew desperate, trying to make her little sister speak was incredibly hard.
“SPEAK, FLORIE!”
Silence suddenly took over the room, as Florie continued crying over the floor, she slowly cleansed her tears, as she looked back at Nieve, suddenly, her eyes began to glow purple colored, and strange, snake-shaped tattoos began to emerge over her neck, all the way down to the rest of her body.
“F-FLORIE?!”
Nieve cried in disbelief over Florie’s transformation, as the girl continued to cry. ．
“I didn’t… had a choice…”
Florie’s face quickly changed expressions completely unnaturally. As if the little girl we all knew disappeared in front of our eyes.
And then, a sadistic smile emerged, as her eyes began to glow even more purple colored, so bright it was almost blinding.
“Heheh… Looks like I was found out… Though, isn’t it a bit… too late for it, huh? Big sister~?”
Her voice, her nature, and her entire personality changed. She was not Florie anymore. It was as if somebody else or something else took over her… It was shocking.
“Florie…?”
Nieve asked Florie her own name once more, doubtful if she was speaking with her little sister anymore.
“Isn’t it a bit late to call for her?!”
FLAAASH!
“Nieve, watch out!!!”
Suddenly, an explosion of dark energy was unleashed from Florie, unleashing a shockwave that shook the entire room, the furniture was destroyed into bits as I barely managed to protect Nieve and my friends by unleashing the power of Spiritual Shield in time. However, the power that it could withstand was too low at Level 3!
TRUUUMMM…!
The darkness continued to condense, attacking my barrier, and attempting to consume it completely. My barrier was not even working properly! I’ll have to level it up asap!
Ding!
[You have exchanged 14 Skill Points]
[The [Spiritual Shield: Lv3] Skill has increased to Level 10!]
—–
[Spiritual Shield: Lv10 (MAX)]
Call forth the power of the spirits dwelling in Nature to generate a powerful Spiritual Shield around you, which can block up to 70% of all Damage taken in exchanged for MP. This acts as a Passive Skill that can be turned on and off, and the cost of MP varies depending in the damage taken. Additionally, the Barrier can be conjured several times in a row to create layers, and it can also be conjured over party members or friends as a Buff that lasts 10 Minutes. Summons and Tamed Monsters share your own Spiritual Shield.
—–
Woah! Upgraded Spiritual Shield is amazing! It can now block 70% of damage dealt, but it is draining even more MP from me! Ugh good thing I got over 1600 MP though!
FLASH!
The darkness suddenly weakened as it tried to pierce through my barrier. But my barrier still showed cracks on it, even now, this darkness was way too overpowered for our level! Is this a special event we triggered by angering Florie?! Damn it!
“FLORIEEE!”
Nieve cried her lungs out, trying to stop Florie from unleashing this attack, but the darkness kept pushing us away and it wasn’t as if we had any time to actually go fight her with this powerful magic being unleashed!
“Spiritual Shield! Spiritual Shield! Spiritual Shield!”
I constantly used the skill several times, until I managed to create five layers of the barrier, the maximum amount I could make, just in time…!
BOOOM!
Just in time for the moment we were thrown outside of the house, as it was completely destroyed by the darkness that Florie unleashed…
This is seriously bad news.
—–