NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Chapter 7: Nora
Well, new chapter, I'm going to say this now because I know someone will ask it in the comments, if the protagonist didn't hide that he has powers, why would he? Garnet can see the future and if he wanted to influence the plot he had to use them, Anyway, in previous chapters the same protagonist admitted that they would discover him sooner or later he was just waiting to have good control of his powers.
Anyway, it's not like I would tell the gems everything about their power, that would be a little silly plus it would go against the personality I'm giving the mc. Moving on, I tried to make Nora's personality similar to Steven's, which was easy considering how effeminate or sentimental he was It's in the series, if you feel their interaction is strange, tell me I'll try to improve.
The grotesque doll was slowly advancing toward the pink-haired girl, but its tentacles moved with alarming speed, thrashing through the air erratically, leaving behind a grotesque echo of flesh slapping against flesh. Nora stood firm, blocking the blows with her pink light shield, while the last people fled out of sight. Only when she was sure that there were no more civilians around did she let out a brief sigh of relief.
Her eyes quickly scanned the area, expecting to see one of her Gem companions approaching to help. At first, she thought it might be another Gem, but quickly dismissed the idea upon noticing the strange dark silver armor covering his arms and legs up to his knees. He appeared to be a young human, wielding a warhammer that seemed larger than what should be possible to handle effortlessly.
The light of her shield flickered for an instant when their eyes met. He didn't look scared or even concerned about the creature. He observed the monster with a mix of curiosity and calculated intrigue, as if trying to understand how it worked.
He's not a Gem, Nora told herself.
"I see you could use some help?" he asked calmly as he continued walking toward her, not quickening his pace but remaining constant.
Nora didn't take her eyes off the monster, deflecting another strike with her shield.
"You shouldn't be here" she quickly responded through gritted teeth. "This is dangerous. Get away before you get hurt!"
The young man stopped a few meters from her, still holding his hammer. His expression didn't change at all, and for a moment, he seemed to consider what she had said. But then, with a slight nod, he spoke:
"I see." There was no mockery in his tone, just an acceptance of the situation. Nora glanced at him, confused by his attitude. At that exact moment, one of the monster's tentacles shot directly at him. Nora felt a jolt of panic, but before she could warn him, she saw something that left her frozen.
The tentacle stopped inches from the young man's face, as if it had hit an invisible barrier. Nora watched, astonished, as he raised his hand slightly, unhurried, and the monster writhed in the air, trapped by a force she couldn't see. "But I'm afraid that's not going to happen" he said calmly, focusing on the creature.
Nora watched, still trying to process what had just happened. "That was... incredible" she murmured to herself before a smile formed on her face. Her eyes began to shine, filled with wonder. "How did you do that?"
"I just stopped it" the young man replied, his expression of calm unchanged, not really answering her question.
The tentacle remained suspended in the air. With a firm motion, he lifted his hammer quickly and, with a downward swing, slammed it onto the monster's bulbous tentacle, tearing it apart and forcing the creature to retreat with a piercing shriek. Nora still stared at him, bewildered. It was clear he wasn't an ordinary person, but there was no time for questions in this situation.
"Alright" Nora said to herself, adjusting her stance as she blocked another attack from the crazed doll, now enraged by the loss of one of its limbs. "Then keep those tentacles away from me. I can handle the rest" she expressed her plan with extreme confidence.
The young man didn't respond immediately, but she saw his eyes shift toward the monster, and then it began retreating even further, as if being dragged to the ground. Nora seized the opportunity and rushed toward the creature, throwing her shield at one of the tentacles that managed to move freely. The pink light shield struck with force, causing the tentacle to fall to the ground, limp.
"Nice shot" the young man commented, to which Nora just nodded.
The monster, now even angrier, launched a new attack at both of them, but it was ineffective due to the constant pressure exerted on its body. The armored boy kept his distance, his cold, calculating eyes never leaving the enemy or Nora. With quick steps, he jumped toward the monster, using his telekinesis to leap higher than seemed physically possible. He raised his hammer with both hands, aiming it at the creature's torso, causing the monster to sink, creating a small crater as it struggled to regain its form.
"Let's finish this" Nora said, seizing the moment.
Without a word, the boy used his telekinesis to immobilize the monster once again, exerting immense pressure, preventing it from moving at all.
Nora watched as the creature's body tensed, struggling against the invisible force that held it with no success. She took the opportunity and threw her shield with precision just as the young man raised his hammer once more, now glowing with a silvery light. He then brought the hammer down on the beast.
The hammer strike echoed through the air at the same moment Nora's shield collided with the monster. There was a flash of pink and silver light, and the doll collapsed, writhing in sacred fire until all that remained was a strange, shattered crystal. An eerie silence fell over the place.
The girl, before doing anything else, picked up the broken crystal and placed it in a semi-transparent pink bubble. With that done, she turned to her helper.
"That was amazing! How did you do it?" she asked with stars in her eyes as she approached the boy. "What's your name?" she followed up with another question, her expression cheerful, a stark contrast to the serious look she had maintained for most of the battle.
"Slow down a bit, please. My name is Adrian de la Rubrica. Nice to meet you, Miss…?" he calmly replied, while returning the question. However, as he watched her eyes turn starry, he became more fascinated by that than the conversation itself.
Adrian observed how Nora's eyes sparkled with admiration. For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or feel uncomfortable. He wasn't used to receiving that kind of attention, but he decided to set that aside in favor of more important thoughts, like the girl's eyes.
"How on earth do her pupils change shape?" that question formed in his mind as he metaphorically scratched his head, trying to find the answer.
"Nora, Nora Quartz Universe" she said as she extended her hand for a friendly handshake, which he returned. But since Adrian hadn't answered her initial questions, she decided to insist again, "How did you stop the monster? And that silver fire? So cool" she said, still with stars in her eyes.
The boy gave a practiced smile, waving his hands in a silly gesture, and said, "Magic," while the word "magic" slowly formed in the air in golden light.
To which Nora could only let out a "Pft- hahaha."
Extra:
In the distance, a tall, garnet-skinned woman with an afro in a square hairstyle and clothing resembling latex was watching the entire battle with a slight smile on her face, humming, "Mmm."