(Re-upload) Exclusive Preview, Mystical Force Vol. 1: Stranger in a Strange Land
Volume 1 preview:
“The descendant of the darkness
will cause the shadows to rise, and
darkness will envelop the world.
Then the one who is not of this world
will seek out the true light within
the darkness, and the shadows will
open the gates to the netherworld.
The true light will shine, removing
all shadows from the world while
the earth seals the shadows within
the netherworld for all eternity.”
Zolida recalled these words as she stood in the forest outside of Teikoku City, the capital of Oyashima. It was a prophecy, dating back about five hundred years ago. It warned of a‘chosen one’, a descendant of an ancient shadow demon, who would bring about the destruction of the world until someone from another world came to stop them. Zolida had tried to bring this someone to this world once before.
Darkness surrounded her, save for the lights of the city, not too far away. The only other light source was the glow of several magic orbs that Zolida had conjured up to illuminate the ground where she was preparing to perform her ritual. She could feel the wind blowing through her long, wavy red hair. She felt a slight shiver run across her tanned white skin. This time, she would complete the ritual. This time, the one who was ‘not of this world’ would come to Earth, and this time, no one—not even she—would interfere. Reaching into the large brown leather sack she had strapped to her back, Zolida pulled out a magic staff and began to recite an ancient incantation she recalled from an old book she read years ago. As she did this, the staff started to glow and soon split into several smaller staves. With a wave of her hand, the staves floated a few feet away before planting themselves in the ground, forming a circle about six feet in diameter.
Destiny will be fulfilled, Zolida thought to herself. All that must come to pass shall pass. She was determined to make sure that happened. She began muttering the incantation necessary to summon the one who was ‘not of this world’. The staves started to glow. Their light spread down into the earth, shooting lines of yellow light outward and across the ground as if someone were painting a picture, crisscrossing each other and coming only to a stop when they reached another staff. Soon a glowing pentagram surrounded by two bright circles of light appeared on the ground. The outer circle emanated from the staves, while the inner spread out from the pentagram’s points. A ring of runes stood between the two circles.
“Now!” Zolida said as she resumed speaking her incantation.
“Zolida, STOP!” a voice called out from the darkness. Zolida turned to look. She couldn’t see anyone, but she immediately sensed who it was via her magic. It was Scarlet Knightwalker, her old rival.
“It’s pointless to hide, Scarlet,” Zolida spoke. “I can sense your presence, no matter where you hide”
Knightwalker stepped out of the shadows, “I have no need to hide from you.” It was easy enough for her to hide in such a dark forest. Her outfit consisted of a loose pair of black pants tucked into black boots with metallic coverings. She wore a kusazuri (a traditional Oyashima skirt of plates) attached to a leather belt that protected her hips and surrounding areas. Her belt also had several pouches for holding various magical items. Her top consisted of a loose long sleeve black shirt covered with a metallic breastplate. Her hands were also covered by black leather gloves. A dark green scarf was draped around her neck, and a black keffiyeh-like cloth covered her forehead, the back of her head, and neck. A charcoal grey helmet, like the kind worn by cyclists, sat atop her head, and a black cloth with flames painted on it covered her nose, mouth, and the lower half of her face. Only her eyes were visible through a narrow slit. Not that it mattered to Zolida, she already knew what Knightwalker looked like. She recalled the day she and her master found
her almost dead, her dark skin badly burned and scarred, red and discoloured from her injuries. Her head, once covered with a sea of silky smooth purple hair, looked more like a rocky plateau, with only random patches of hair scattered between the scars across her scalp, not to mention the scar stretching from her right eye to the side of her head that managed to peek through her face mask. No wonder she chose to keep her entire body concealed; her deformed, mutilated appearance would frighten anyone who saw her.
In contrast to Knightwalker’s covered form, Zolida’s outfit was much more revealing. Zolida wore a loose purple tank top made of Mariposian silk. It was tucked into a pair of tight green pants, which were tucked into a pair of black leather boots. Her arms and hands were bare save for various ornate jewel-encrusted gold rings on each finger, and numerous gold bands running along her wrists. She wore dark red lipstick and heavy eye shadow, drawing attention to her deep blue eyes. Unlike Knightwalker, Zolida was vain and enjoyed showing off her beauty.
Flinging aside her black cape, Knightwalker reached over her left shoulder into a brown leather case strapped to her back, not unlike the one Zolida had. Like Zolida’s, hers also held various magical items. “I cannot let you do this, Zolida.”
“You can’t fight fate, Scarlet!” Zolida replied. “It’s predestined.”
“You know about the future I’ve seen,” Knightwalker said. “If she comes here, if they meet, it will set off a chain of events that will lead to disaster.”
“You exaggerate,” Zolida scoffed. “Besides, you’re too late anyway.” Zolida finished her incantation, commanding, “Bring the one who is not of this world.”
However, nothing happened. Zolida looked around in confusion. She turned to Knightwalker, “What have you done?!”
“A distraction,” Knightwalker answered. “Before you even began, I cast a blocking spell on your incantation. It prevented you from casting the spell in the first place.”
Zolida clenched her fists in rage, and soon they were engulfed in flames. Using her fire magic, Zolida hurled magic fireballs at Knightwalker…