My Daughter Will Kill Me-Chapter 24: Unexpected Blow

Arzoth stirred from his unconscious state. The growing radiant glow of Arisa's mana globe played a significant role in waking him up. His eyes blinked multiple times, adjusting to the light around him. Jerking his body to sit upright, he glanced at his surroundings only to find a strange globe of mana, which could only belong to Arisa, floating in the air at his side. It was soon after that, he noticed Skor staring up at the globe with a deep frown on his usually composed expression.

Arzoth stood on his feet immediately, dusting off the mud from his silken clothes before he walked up to the dragon.

"Why are we still here?" Arzoth asked, staring up at Arisa's mana cocoon just like Skor.

Skor looked at the prince, his gaze unfixed and disoriented as if still in his deep thoughts. Coming to reality, his furrowed brows relaxed, his composure taking up its typical place.

"The time goes faster here; that's why we are still here," Skor replied.

Realization drew on Arzoth's face, just when he was about to say something, Arisa's mana globe burst. Skor was quick enough to secure himself and the prince with his protection spell from Arisa's inhumane mana outburst.

Shock and disbelief echoed on Arzoth's face as he saw the spell cracking with the sheer force of Arisa's mana. It didn't take long for Arisa's mana to break through Skor's protection spell.

The energy hit the prince and dragon with a thud, making them force them back until they hit the dry trees behind. Skor let out a growl of pain as the harsh tree trunk pierced through his back. While Arzoth didn't, his eyes were closed to feel any pain from the fall, yet he felt nothing. Arzoth opened his eyes as he didn't feel the trunk or the ground. He was surprised to see that he was still in the air, just above the ground, and a red protection spell around him.

Instead of lowering, his body soared higher above the ground. It was only then that he saw the figure that stood below. He furrowed. It was an unfamiliar creature; it stood on four limbs, had two glossy eyes that seemed to shine in the dark, a tail swishing behind it, the tail appeared to be fluffer and larger than the body of the creature. Its facial features matched a cat, but its tail and sharp teeth when it growled weren't like those of a cat. The beast was icy blue, like it was frozen.

"A cat? No...it can't be. In this place?!" He wondered.

The red mana energy radiating off the protection spell around him matched the mana energy radiation off the creature below. It was astonishing how the blue appearance of the creature was mingling with the red aura it released.

It wasn't long before Arzoth realized that it wasn't only the aura of the protection spell but also his own mana.

"Is this MY mana?!"

Arzoth's eyes moved towards Skor, who was still on the ground, his hand had a deep cut made by the harsh trunk of the dry tree behind him, but his eyes showed no pain or agony, instead, he was staring at the cat-like creature. Arisa's mana outburst as if forgotten.

"Skor! Are you alright?"

The dragon looked up at the prince and gave a curt nod. He observed the unfamiliar mana burning off Arzoth and the protection spell around him. It was the first time he had seen such unique mana energy. He had anticipated it when he decided to keep Arzoth in this forest. It wasn't surprising that Arzoth could now have unchecked mana in abundance radiating off Arzoth. But the unique aura and beast before him raised queries in the dragon's mind, yet he didn't say anything for a long moment until a loud thud echoed across the forest, gathering both their attention.

It was Arisa in her new form, grown into an eight-year-old. Her clothes were stained with dirt, just like her white, flowy hair. The dry ground beneath her had a threatening crack on it, which was a direct indicator of Arisa's fall on it. She stood unflinchingly, not moving an inch from her place. Her mana, which once consumed her, faded gradually, leaving nothing but the lingering frosty skin of her hands.

"Arisa! Get off form there!" Arzoth said, raising his voice for Arisa to hear from his height.

Arisa didn't waver the slightest; Arzoth's words fell deaf on her ears. She just stared at some distant horizon with an emptiness in her eyes. The small beast hissed at Arisa's form as if sensing some danger. The red aura came out more strongly from the beast.

Skor stood on his feet in a shift movement, his eyes narrowed at the same time, with an intensity he had never expressed before. His body was on instant alert. Long forgotten was his bleeding arm.

There was something about Arisa's changed demeanor that set Arzoth's teeth on edge. He drew his sword and pierced through the protection spell with his newly unlocked skill. Gravity pulled him down immediately, only for him to land on his feet with a thud.

Arisa's eyes remained dull, and her expression unreadable. Her presence seemed menacing. The air felt colder, freezing even, and Arzoth knew with a certainty that it wasn't from Skor. Not this time.

The prince's grip on his sword tightened, making his knuckles turn white.

"What is wrong with her?"