As the autumnal season approaches, we can expect an extended drought period of chapters. Once the season progresses, we can expect more regular showers of chapters. But for the time being, we’re stuck in this huge low of creativity that you can expect to stick around until November or December.

Episode 90 The Silver Arrow

Tide comes to an echoing halt at last, directly across from Silver. His Zard is clasped at his side, while Otis is humbly perched on his shoulder. Tide quietly surveys the shocked faces of his former comrades for a moment, until he finally speaks up.

“Hey, Silver. It’s been a while, huh? Or, well, I guess not, it hasn’t really been that long, has it?”

Before Tide even stops speaking, an arrow narrowly darts past him, planting itself in the wall behind Tide. Tide rubs his cheek, where the wind from the arrow rushing by slapped across it. “I had a feeling you were gonna do that.”

Silver stomps straight up to Tide, her Asianic Bow fully drawn. An arrow is centered in it, pointing straight at Tide. “Tide…I’m going to kill you!”

Silver fires recklessly again, and Tide just barely dodges by throwing himself to the floor. Tide rises again rather slowly, drawing his Zard. He stumbles into an offensive stance. “Guess I can’t say anything to change your mind, huh, Silver?”

“No,” Silver answers bluntly, “there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise.”

Sasha suddenly lunges forward grabbing her sword, but Shuriken holds out his arm, holding her back. Sasha glances at him questioningly. “You mustn’t,” Shuriken whispers sternly. “This is her battle. We should stay back and allow her to battle on her own.”

“But—!” Sasha protests.

Shuriken shakes his head. “Let her work this out on her own. It is not our place to interfere.”

Sasha sighs, lowering her weapon. “If you insist…”

“At least hear out what I’ve got to say, Silver!” Tide says, as Silver loads her bow with another arrow.

The arrow comes zipping through the air, and Tide wildly dodges the attack, tripping and landing awkwardly on his knees. The next second, Silver comes flying past him, pointing her bow right at his back.

“No discussion!” Silver shouts. “Whatever foolishness you’ve got to say, forget it! You sold out your friends, and put Lily’s life in danger! And for what? Money! I won’t forgive it!”

“Oh crap!” Tide screams, as Silver fires her bow at point-blank range. Four golden arrows emerge, shooting through the air like bullets.

Tide holds up his Zard as a shield in front of him, using it to block the arrows. They hit the metal with a clang, and fall limply to the ground. Nevertheless, several thin cracks appear in Tide’s sword.

With the attack blocked, Tide turns tail and runs, leaping behind a bookshelf for cover. ‘Holy crap! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Silver this angry before. She’s obviously way stronger than me. Damn it! At this rate, I’m a goner.’

Meanwhile, Otis prances around frantically on Tide’s shoulder. “Dammit, dammit, dammit! There’s a scary lady with a deadly weapon out there trying to kill you, you bastard! And I’m stuck with you! If I die, I’m gonna blame you!”

Tide glances at Otis, his eyes lighting up mischievously. Otis freezes abruptly, noticing the gleam in Tide’s eyes. “W-What are you looking at me like that for?!” Otis blubbers.

Tide looks about, peeking out from behind the shelf at Silver. She is striding steadily closer towards him, bow in hand. He suddenly grabs Otis rather roughly, and springs out from behind the bookshelf. “Sorry about this, pal!” Tide hurls Otis straight towards Silver, while the former shrieks fearfully.

Otis lands with a squish right on Silver’s face. He latches on, for fear of sliding and falling off. Silver gasps angrily, grabbing Otis by the shell and attempting to wrench him off. At last, she does so, just as Tide comes sprinting towards her, half-heartedly swinging his sword.

Silver blocks just in time with her bow, and manages to shrug Tide off. She steps to the side, anticipating a stronger retaliation, but instead watches him run away. “G-Get back here!” Silver howls, raising her bow. She glances at Otis, whose face has now turned a dark purple on account of her squeezing him so tightly.

She glares at Otis with disgust, and hurls him screaming far into the air and out of sight. Silver then proceeds to chase after Tide, cutting across an aisle of bookshelves to intercept him.

Tide peers out from behind a bookshelf, spying on Silver from behind as she runs past him. He silently tiptoes away, and glances over his shoulder at her. As a result, Tide accidentally bumps right into a precariously stacked bookshelf, sending a torrent of books tumbling down.

Silver turns abruptly at the noise, and spins to head towards the commotion. Upon reaching the shelf, she angrily strikes it, knocking the entire thing over on Tide.

Tide cries out loud, as the books come crashing down on him, followed by the entire bookshelf itself. The shelf crushes the pile of books, with Tide buried underneath.

Tide gasps, pulling himself shakily out of the wreckage. He forces his arm out, and suddenly feels an intense pain pierce straight through it. He screams out loud, and pulls out an arrow from his palm as a fountain of blood shoots out of his hand.

He glances at Silver, who is still standing with her bow raised. She gazes long and hard at him, a merciless blaze in her eyes. Tide wobbles to his feet, picking up his Zard along the way.

With a shaky step forward, Tide removes himself from the huddle of books, and steps awkwardly towards Silver. She lowers her bow, anticipating his next move.

“Guess I got no choice but to stop ya!” Tide howls, not meeting Silver’s eye.

Before Silver can even react, she feels a whoosh of air float past her, and just barely raises her bow in time. The heavy weight of an iron sword presses against the shaft of her bow, as Silver struggles to suppress it.

However, Silver opens her eyes abruptly, and notices that her bow is holding up remarkably well. Her eyes widen suddenly. “T-Tide!” she whispers hoarsely. “You idiot…why’d you strike with the blunt end of your sword?!”

Tide withdraws his sword, with the sharpened edge of the blade pointing at himself. “Heh…” he smiles, “I was just testin’ to see what kind of resolve you had to kill me.”

Silver loads her bow with a single arrow, a blank look in her eyes. A silence falls between the two, widening and exploding into a metal canyon. Silver raises her bow, and tugs on the bow hair. “To test my resolve…? You betrayed us. What a foolish question.”

Silver’s face suddenly hardens, a dark flare in her eyes ever expanding. “I already said it, didn’t I? I’m going to kill you, Tide, for what you’ve done! This is over!”

“Oh crap!” Tide shouts, his eyes widening. “W-Wait!” Tide calls out, lurching forward towards Silver. He stretches out a hand, but before he even makes it halfway, a single arrow pierces through his heart, and Tide collapses to the ground. ‘She was serious…’