Bofuri (The Strongest Shield Of Tensura)

_EARLIER_

Kirara's breath came in short gasps as she led the group across the war-torn fields, her eyes darting between her virtual map and the distant horizon. The group of prisoners stumbled behind her, some leaning heavily on each other, their faces etched with exhaustion and fear. The ragged procession was a far cry from a well-coordinated escape, but they had no choice but to press on.

"What the hell is this?" Kirara muttered under her breath as her map flickered, its digital display showing a green marker just beyond the horizon. Her brow furrowed. "This doesn't make sense… There shouldn't be anything there."

The faint outline of a forest came into view as they crested a shallow hill. It loomed in the distance like a shadowy wall, its trees dense and towering, their branches reaching into the moonlit sky. Kirara slowed to a stop, her heart pounding for reasons she couldn't quite explain.

"Wait," she said, turning to the former villagers who had been trailing closest to her. "That's not right. Was there always a forest there?"

The prisoners exchanged uneasy glances. An older man, his face lined with age and hardship, shook his head. "No, miss," he said, his voice hoarse. "That was farmland last we knew. There's never been a forest there."

Another prisoner, a younger woman clutching a child to her chest, nodded. "He's right. We lived near these parts… That forest wasn't there before."

Kirara felt a chill run down her spine. Magic. There was no other explanation. But whose magic? And why?

"Great," she muttered, glancing back at the group. "Well, unless anyone's got a better idea, that's our way out. Keep moving!"

The group hesitated for a moment, but Kirara's sharp tone spurred them forward. They trudged toward the forest, its shadow swallowing them bit by bit as they drew closer.

As they neared the treeline, Kirara couldn't help but notice how unnatural the forest felt. The air was heavy, almost oppressive, as if the trees themselves were alive and watching. The underbrush rustled softly, though there was no wind. The paths ahead, if it could be called that, were all narrow and overgrown, forcing them to move in separate single files.

"This place is giving me the creeps," Kirara muttered, her hand drifting toward the pulse grenades on her belt. "But it's better than getting caught in the open."

Suddenly, a shout rang out from behind them.

"They're catching up!" one of the prisoners cried, his voice trembling.

Kirara spun around, her heart sinking as she saw the faint glow of torches in the distance. The soldiers Folgen had sent were closing in, their silhouettes growing larger as they moved with grim determination.

"Damn it," Kirara hissed, believing that they had resisted her skill somehow. "Alright, everyone, listen up! Into the trees, now! Spread out and stay quiet. If they can't find us, they can't catch us."

The group surged forward, disappearing into the forest's shadows. Kirara stayed at the rear, her eyes locked on the approaching soldiers. She gritted her teeth, her mind racing. They wouldn't be able to outrun them.

As the first of the soldiers broke into the clearing at the edge of the forest, Kirara pulled a pulse grenade from her belt, her fingers trembling slightly. She activated it and hurled it toward the oncoming troops.

The grenade detonated with a blinding flash of light and a deafening crack, throwing the lead soldiers into disarray. They stumbled, clutching at their eyes and ears, their formation momentarily broken.

"Keep moving!" Kirara shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.

The prisoners scrambled deeper into the forest, their fear propelling them forward. Kirara lingered for a moment, her hand hovering over her last grenade. She could hear the soldiers recovering, their shouts growing louder as they regrouped.

"Not yet," she muttered, backing away slowly. "Not yet…"

Just as the soldiers began to advance again, a low rumble echoed through the forest. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the trees seemed to shudder as if reacting to some unseen force.

"What now?" Kirara muttered, her eyes darting around.

From deep within the forest, a faint light began to glow, its hue shifting between green and gold. The oppressive air seemed to lift slightly, replaced by a strange sense of calm. Kirara stared at the light, her instincts screaming at her to either run or investigate.

The soldiers hesitated as well, their movements faltering as they too noticed the light. One of them muttered something under his breath, his voice barely audible over the rustling leaves.

No one would ever find out though as a massive vine burst out of the forest, ripping through the ground as it passed, before slamming in the group of guards.

The guards, in full panic, scattered, although two of them were too slow, when the attack hit, leaving them as flattened metal in a splotch of blood.

From within the small forest, multiple slightly smaller vines burst out with blistering speed, skewering through the rest of the soldiers before they even do anything.

The villagers were now panicking, as they were within the killer forest. Kirara though, had a look of thought on her face. "That looks familiar. Acer is that you?!" She yelled at the forest.

The forest suddenly trembled as if it was shaken from a massive wind, suddenly every tree in sight parted, creating a path that all the villagers and prisoners took, to large clearing in the middle of the forest.

Kirara was the first to enter the clearing, and she froze upon getting there. "What the hell?" Because right in the middle of the clearing was a massive black cargo plane. A tiny vine waved from the top of the plane, upon looking closer, the vine was connected to Acer.

---

With a flash of light, Kaede appeared behind Kirara, who was standing near the aircraft, her arms crossed and her expression a mix of confusion and irritation.

"Kaede," Kirara began, the moment she saw the flash of light, her voice sharp, "what is this? I thought you were sending a carriage or something, not… whatever this is!"

Kaede raised an eyebrow, stifling a laugh. "Oh, come on, Kirara. You've been summoned to another world, and you're surprised by a plane? I thought you'd appreciate the convenience."

Kirara huffed, her golden eyes narrowing. "Convenience, huh? Do you even know how to fly this thing?"

Kaede smirked, holding up a small control device. "One word. Autopilot."

As if on cue, the Spirit Drone hovered closer, its visor flickering as it scanned the plane. Kirara eyes widened, taking a step back. "Holy... It's Eve!"

Kaede turned to the trembling girl. "Huh? What's an Eve?"

Kirara suddenly had a large smile. "It's actually Eve! You know, Eve! From that one movie, Wall-E. Where two robots fall in love, it was so romantic. It was a very popular movie like a year before I was summoned, so three years ago."

Kaede shrugged. "Huh. That's a spirit I accidentally got from Razen. If it looks like a robot from a movie, I wouldn't know, I'm not a movie person. Besides three years ago for you, huh. That means the movie was released in year 2009, that's fifteen years ago for me, I was just four years old back then."

Kirara still smiled though. "Still, I'm telling you, that's Eve right there."

The spirit drone hovered, in a bobbing motion, as if pleased with the attention.

Kirara squealed. "See it likes the name. Don't you?"

The spirit drone bobbed again. Kaede suddenly had a bad feeling. "Hey Kirara you shouldn't try to na..."

Kirara wasn't listening though. "Yep, your name is Eve!"

The spirit drone suddenly shone with a golden light that brightened up the entire forest. Kaede groaned. "Is this how Shifu felt, when I did the exact same thing?"

Kirara suddenly groaned as she staggered. "Whoa, I feel dizzy. Spinning, everything is spinning." She was also glowing a golden light as she fell down in her butt, before losing consciousness.

The spirit drone, or Eve, finally stopped glowing. It looked largely the same compared to before, only it was much smaller than before being the same height as Kaede now, it also had a golden semi circle like insignia on its chest where its core used to be.

The same insignia, also appeared under Kirara's right eye, although nobody was aware of that just yet.

"Artificia, what just happened?" Kaede asked.

Kaede groaned, running a hand through her hair. "Great. Just what we needed. And what do you mean by 'connection'? Is this going to cause problems?"

Kaede glanced down at Kirara, who lay sprawled on the ground, faintly glowing. "Yeah, she looks really enhanced right now," she muttered sarcastically. "What am I supposed to do with her like this?"

Eve, or rather the newly evolved Automara, floated closer to Kirara, emitting a series of soft, melodic hums. Its golden insignia glowed faintly, and the surrounding air seemed to grow warmer and more serene. Kaede's irritation gave way to a mix of curiosity and concern as she knelt beside Kirara.

She gently picked up the unconscious girl, carrying her in a princess hold, forcing down the blush on her face. "Let's go, Artificia open the hatch."

The hatch of the large plane came down with a hiss, and Acer started leading people inside, with Kaede headed straight for the pilot cabin.

The interior of the cabin was surprisingly sleek, with cushioned seats and a faint blue glow emanating from the control panel. Kaede settled into a seat , while placing Kirara on the seat beside her.

As the plane's engines roared to life, She tapped the communication orb, her tone light. "Shifu, status update. You better not be making me wait."

The orb glowed faintly before Shifu's voice came through, his tone laced with amusement. #I'm almost there. Don't get your hair in a twist. Ran into a bit of resistance, but nothing I couldn't handle.#

Kaede rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a grin. "Good. We're leaving as soon as you get here. Don't take too long."

#Wouldn't dream of it,# Shifu replied, the connection cutting off with a faint crackle.

Kaede leaned back in her seat, her arms crossed as she waited "So I just declared war on a kingdom. It's like I never left. I can already imagine the looks on each of their faces. Sally would go "I took my eyes off you for one second and you do this." Chrome and Iz would just laugh, saying. "At least she's on our side." The twins would cheer for me. Kasumi would smile. And Kanade would just keep reading his weird puzzles."

A word from Shifu, confirmed that he was aboard the plane, and she gave Artificia the green light. From within the plane, Acer parted the forest again, creating a runway for the plane.

The plane ascended into the night sky, leaving the capital behind when the sky suddenly lit up with thousands of runes and lines, as a circle spanning miles appeared above the plane.

"Artificia," Kaede muttered, her brow furrowing as she analyzed the magical signature. "This doesn't look like a standard circle."

---

In Falmuth's capital, hundreds of sorcerers had gathered in a massive circle. Their chanting resonated through the stone walls, filling the air with a strange, unnatural rhythm. Razen, on one knee at the center of the circle, his arms raised high, was the conductor of this arcane symphony.

"Activate the sigils!" Razen gasped, his voice weary and tired. Around him, the other sorcerers began to weave their own spells, their hands glowing with raw power. Sardyne stood off to the side, her eyes focused on the magic circle above, her expression one of solemn.

"This will be your final lesson, Kaede," Razen muttered under his breath. "A reminder that no matter how much power you have, you cannot escape fate."

Sardyne gave a quiet, her lips curling into a thin, frown. "Forgive me my friend. But this is the only way to save you. Colluding with monsters shows that your heart has been corrupted."

The ritual was nearly complete. The circle above began to pulse with a violent light, the runes flickering as they reached their crescendo.

---

Outside, the sky was a swirling mass of energy as the spell neared its peak. Kaede's eyes flicked to the shimmering circle, and she felt a chill run through her. Through a screen on the controls, she could see the capital and the gathering of sorcerers, with Razen in the middle. "Dammit! Is this what I get for letting you live. Next time, I swear Razen. Next time I'll fucking kill you!"

Among them, Kaede could just make out the faint silhouettes of Sardyne and her holy templars, their arms crossed in prayer, preparing for the final incantation.

"Shit," Kaede muttered. She knew this wasn't just an ordinary attack. Razen and the sorcerers, with the help of Sardyne and her templars, were going to obliterate them in one fell swoop.

"We need to get out of here, now," Kaede hissed, turning her mind to Artificia. "Activate evasive protocols! Full speed! Do something!"

The plane's engines roared to life with renewed intensity as it veered sharply to the side, climbing rapidly. But the spell was already locking onto its trajectory, the vast circle above them beginning to tighten.

The circle overhead began to pulse, its energy building to an impossible intensity. The runes flickered in rapid succession, casting erratic shadows over the ground below as the air seemed to hum with the force of the impending disintegration spell.

"We don't have time," Kaede said, her voice tight with frustration. She glanced at Kirara's unconscious form, feeling the weight of responsibility press down on her. The pressure of the magic in the air had the plane slow to a crawl, gravity frozen in place.

The spell was reaching its peak.

Kaede's heart raced, and she looked out the window at the glowing mass of runes above. She knew she had only seconds left before the spell launched.

With a curse, Kaede gripped her shield before vanishing. Kaede reappeared on top of the plane, her shield raised and her eyes locked on the seething mass of energy overhead. The magic circle pulsated violently, a looming harbinger of annihilation.

[Martyr's Devotion] she whispered, activating the skill without hesitation.

---

Back in the capital, the chanting ceased as Razen grinned a victorious grin, as he yelled. {Disintegration!}

This was the spell {Disintegration} used by the followers of the Luminous faith.

In a bid to destroy the summoner of the demons attacking the capital, Sardyne had instructed the sorcerers on how to perform the spell.

---

The moment the spell launched, it descended like a beam of divine wrath. The air around it warped, and the very fabric of reality seemed to scream under its weight. As it struck the plane, the world exploded into light and heat, but the damage never reached it.

Instead, Kaede bore the full brunt of the attack.

Her body ignited with searing pain as the energy tore through her, bypassing all defenses. Skin blackened, muscles burned, and her vision blurred, but the shield remained steady in her hands. Every moment stretched into eternity, each second an unbearable torment as she held on.

Her knees buckled. Blood poured from her mouth, her nose, her ears even as they evaporated, but she didn't let go.

'Not yet…' she thought. 'Just a little longer…'

But the pain was too much. Her grip faltered, and her consciousness slipped away as the spell continued. Her body collapsed onto the plane.

As Kaede's eyes shut, a soft golden glow flickered in her core.

Artificia's voice echoed softly in the back of her mind.

Kaede's body twitched once, then stilled. A moment later, her eyes snapped open, glowing faintly with an, unearthly red light.

"Primary objective: secure safety of the vessel and allies," Artificia's calm, mechanical voice stated through Kaede's lips, devoid of emotion.

{Zone freeze}

---

Deep within a cave in a section of the forest of Jura, trapped within a barrier known as [Unlimited Imprisonment] Veldora also known as the storm dragon, raised his head as he felt the world around him cease moving.

•A time stop?•

---

At the far east of Jura forest, in the continent that held the eastern empire, within the heaven star palace. A beautiful woman with a veil on her head turned to the west. "Hmmmm?"

---

"Oh? That's interesting." A red haired figure sipped from a glass of wine, the figure was strikingly beautiful almost androgynous.

He turned to his companion, a white haired beauty who laid on a couch. "What do you think Velzard? Is it worth investigating?"

---

Back on the plane, Artificia eyes shone within the black and white world of stopped time. "Connecting the ||Merciful King, Guanyin|| to the ||Lord of Machines, Artificia||. Activating marker. Creating new skill. [Mass Teleport]"

In a flash of white, Artificia and the plane vanished.

The world regained colour, and the spell ended.

---

Back in the capital of Falmuth, Razen grinned as he watched the massive construct disintegrate into nothingness, leaving not even ashes behind.

---

On that day, for three seconds, time stopped.