The Isekai Game

The Fire Shrine

Maybe it was the next swing, or maybe a few others that she parried, but at some point she found herself falling into the dirt.

Gula launched a tree at the flame Myrmidon before punching it square into the chest. He followed up with an uppercut and tried to pull off its mask. 

The snake-like flam body it had for feet wrapped around Gula's, allowing the thing to slice its blade into his arm. Blood spouted out along with a few vined the latched onto the scimitar.

A tree flung over, hitting the myrmidon in the back of the head. Gula headbutted the creature back before using his latched arm to slam it into the dirt.

Vanessa stared at Gula's evil smile that stretched to his ears, showing off his fangs. The man began stomping the fire creature with his nasty feet until he pulled the sword in his arm away from it.

He then tried to use that sword to chop off the myrmidon's head. But no matter how many times, nor how hard, he slammed that blade in, the damn thing's head wouldn't come off. 

Vanessa used a tiny bit of her remaining energy to enchant Masamune with ice and chop off the flame creature's head. 

As the helmet rolled away, the fire vanished. Not only the flames that made the myrmidon, but also the flames around them. The fire was out, though the cause wasn't clear. To this very second, Vanessa still hadn't encountered a single creature with a dark aura. It made her think that maybe the dark aura wasn't the problem. 

Gula walked in the direction of the shrine, "Come! We have to hurry"!

Vanessa panted her way to his side, "Whaat- Uhu, Whaat... Do you... Mean"? 

"If we don't get to the shrine and protect it, then the darkness will take over".

She tried to ignore his groveling voice, "Buut there is no darkness here. I don't see any the whole time". 

He kept his dead eyes forward, "Not yet. But with the flames being defeated, it's only a matter of time". 

"A-and where's your pole"? 

"It's staked by the shrine. I was sealed away at this post to keep my powers unbalanced from interfering". 

Vanessa thought for a moment, "Mhm, and what were you interfering with"? 

Gula chuckled, "The laws of the forest. The ones that binds us in a never-ending cycle of destruction". 

Nearly tripping, Vanessa rose a finger, "Aaah, so you're doing bad too". 

"I will set my differences aside for the sake of illuminating that which harms the forest". 

With the shrine in sight, Vanessa decided to listen to the advice given by Angelica, "Oki. So you will help me save all of the shrines". 

Gula walked past the trees rising to form life again, "I will stay here and guard the shrine. You will head out to save the others". 

"Buuut, how will I do that"?

Gula sat right on the fire shrine, "First you will need to rest. Tomorrow, when you're ready, you will head out to the water shrine in the east". 

Vanessa thought about the plan. It wasn't bad. But she wasn't sure how trustworthy Gula really was. After all, he was already digging his pinky in his nose and wiping his boogers on the shrine. 

Once she cleared her mind to focus on the shrine, a light came into her body from it as before. Again, there was no feeling involved. The light was merely resting inside of her without any activity. 

"Useless," said Gula. 

Doubt filled Vanessa's heart as she couldn't figure out what was going on with this place to save her life. It was while looking down that she found another letter. As she picked it up, Gula kept his mouth shut about the misfortunes that followed Angelica prior. 

Vanessa calmly read to herself, "Hey Vanessa, you know this curse. I learned something. It's old. It lingered around for ages. Nobody knows where exactly it came from. But it thrived because there are a few people in this land that maintains it. In order to get rid of the curse, you need to get rid of these people". 

Vanessa stared up, more confused than she was before, "Gula, do you know who maintains the curse".

"It could be many. Though with how big this land is, the choices are few. The source of this curse is at the heart. If you head there, you will find the creator". 

In the distance stood a spirit, watching over them. Once Vanessa and Gula spotted it, he disappeared. 

"Useless," growled Gula, "You should get to sleep while you can. Near the shrine is the best place". 

Everywhere was covered in ashes. Surely sleeping in this filth would give her a disease of some sort. A couple of trees formed bedding for her in the dirt. She happily laid down, looking into the sky. It was here that she could see again flashes of bright light shining through the forest, restoring life to it at a slow pace.