Hmm hmm-hmm hmm-hmm! Naden was swimming through the sky in her ryuu form, humming to herself as she went.
I, who was riding on her back, rubbed her and asked, Naden, are you okay? Its not too heavy?
Hm? Im totally fine, why do you ask? Naden replied, as if this really was nothing to her.
There was a reason I was riding on Nadens back. Because Aisha had joined the others riding in the gondola, it beca overcrowded. The gondola was as big as a houseboat, and it normally would have afforded space for ten adults, but we were preparing for the Storm, so a good seven of those ten spots were cramd with things we brought from the kingdom.
I figured the gondola had to be pretty heavy right now. When this gondola got heavy, two to four wyverns would normally be tied together to carry it, but Naden was easily shouldering (even without shoulders?) the burden all by herself. Naden in her ryuu form was far larger than a wyvern, but was this really not heavy for her?
Are all dragons this strong? I asked her.
I dont know about the other dragons, but it doesnt feel that heavy to . Its like Im pushing a wooden board through the water, I guess?
Hmm...
Did that an she was unconsciously manipulating the gravity? Well, she was making her own massive body float, so there might be so magical effect at work.
Hmm hmm-hmm hmm-hmm! Naden began humming again.
Youre in an awfully good mood.
Hmm hmm-hmm! Well, of course I am. This ti, youre riding on my back.
Does it feel different from when Im in the gondola sohow?
Oh, yes. Completely different. But... it might be hard to explain to soone from a different race. I dont know, it just feels right. When Im in my ryuu form, it feels like sothing is sitting right where it belongs, or sothing? Like it scratches an itch, you could say. It puts at ease sohow.
Hmm...
If that was what Naden said, she was probably right. Liscias favorite horse always looked so lively when Liscia was on its back, after all. I really shouldnt be comparing my fiance to a horse, though...
But... Naden added, in a concerned tone of voice, is this okay? Bringing Liscia and the others without asking?
She was apparently thinking about how Madam Tiamat said my companions would be invited to co later.
Well, we dont know what this storm is yet, so Id like to have my comrades at my side when sothing happens, I said. Shell have to forgive us for not telling her in advance.
I guess youre right. But, in that case, I wish we could have brought Tomoe, too.
Yeah... I wish we could have shown her the scenery in Dracul.
The Great Waterfall... the Great Tree of Ladon... there were a lot of impressive sights. I very much would have liked to show them to Tomoe, who was curious about the world.
Naden suddenly said, Huh? Souma, Liscia and the others are saying sothing.
I was riding on Nadens back, so I couldnt overhear their conversation in the gondola. If I wanted to talk with them, I had to use Naden with her telepathy-like ability as a relay.
What do they say? I asked.
Lets see... Look toward the Star Dragon Mountain Range... they say. Theyre making a fuss about sothing.
The Star Dragon Mountain Range?
Naden was flying toward the Star Dragon Mountain Range, so I could always see it straight ahead of us. There hadnt been anything unusual until a mont ago, but...
Huh?! Our eyes went wide.
The Star Dragon Mountain Range was a chain of mountains the size of Mt. Fuji. In the middle of the sky above them, there was a single, big cumulus cloud.
Isnt that over Dracul?! Naden sounded panicked.
She was talking about the plateau where the dragons lived. When I first arrived, Madam Tiamat teleported in, so I hadnt been able to see it, but it really was right in the middle of the Star Dragon Mountain Range. The cumulus cloud floating overhead, and the storm Madam Tiamat had prophesied... I had a bad feeling about this.
In your forecast, there was no sign of a storm coming, was there? I asked.
Yeah. That, and its strange to have just that one cloud hanging over Dracul.
...Its probably not just a cloud. For now, lets try getting a bit closer. Were too far away here, and theres no way to tell what things look like in Dracul.
Got it. Naden swam toward that cloud. It was visible even from a distance, but as we drew closer, its full scale beca apparent.
I was shocked. What the heck is that...?
The cumulus cloud was conical, with a smushed, do-like top. More than that, on closer inspection, there were many clouds gathered, moving from left to right along the surface of the cumulus cloud. Was it possible... the clouds were forming a whirling vortex?
Ive never seen a cloud like this before, Naden said.
Yeah. Ive only seen this kind of cloud in a movie.
Mooovieeee? she repeated the unfamiliar word.
Just talking to myself. Anyway, it seems its just big enough to cover Dracul.
Looking at Dracul, this cloud just covered the plateau, so it was blocking out the light and leaving it dark. It looked like so intense rain was falling, too. The winds sounded violent, so weather in Dracul had to be really rough. Even though, outside the cloud, the weather was good and clear. It was one strange cloud.
This is a little too focused in one place to just be a localized torrential downpour, I comnted.
Why are you so calm?! Theres no way it would be raining just over Dracul!
Haste makes waste, they say. First, we need to observe closely.
While rubbing Nadens back, I inspected the cloud. There was a lot of rain. At this rate, there was the risk that a large-scale disaster like what happened in the God-Protected Forest would happen here, too. The cause there had been rain that went on for a long ti, but this much rain in a single place could have the sa effect in a shorter amount of ti if it continued.
But if we were going to co up with counterasures... Yeah, we wouldnt be able to find out enough from the outside.
Naden, you managed to swim up a waterfall, so rain and wind should be fine, right? I asked.
Y-Yeah.
Well, then... Im not that keen on doing it, but will you plunge into the middle of the cloud?
Whaaaa?!
Naden was surprised, but it didnt feel like we were going to get anywhere just looking at it from the outside. Fortunately, there were no cracks of lightning, so it was probably best to get a look at the inside.
Its hard to understand the situation from outside, I explained. Well go inside the cloud to investigate, and also make our way toward Crystal Castle at the sa ti. Of course, if you feel its dangerous, pull out imdiately. Tell Liscia and the others in the gondola to brace themselves.
O-Okay.
Naden slowly moved toward the whirling clouds. After hesitating for just a mont right in front of them, she seed to make up her mind and slowly swam in.
It was like being in a fog at first, but as we progressed, it gradually beca darker. The wind and rain striking my body rapidly increased in intensity. Not one minute after entering the cloud, my body was being pounded with torrential rain and sideways winds. If it hadnt been for Nadens protection, Id have long since been blown off.
Naden! Are you okay?! I spoke up, trying to remain undefeated in the face of wind and rain.
Yeah! I dont know why, but I can see sothing like a flow! Naden responded.
True, Naden was swimming through the sky, no different from how she had been before. I should have expected no less from a ryuu, said to be able to travel through wind, clouds, lightning, and rain. Even this fierce wind and rain wasnt enough to intimidate her in the least.
Normal dragons or wyverns, on the other hand, wouldnt be able to fly in this. That was because their big wings would be affected by the powerful wind.
Could this be... why it had to be Naden? I wondered.
Naden had to be about the only one who could fly in this. Madam Tiamat said I was the key. Then, saying there was a being that would carry , she arranged for to et Naden.
Then is this rain and wind the storm Madam Tiamat was worried about, after all? I wondered.
I tried looking around, but it was dark, and with the rain coming down like soone emptied a bucket overhead, it was getting in my eyes and making it impossible to see much of anything.
Naden! Do you see anything?! I called.
No! Its too dark!
It looked like Naden was in the sa boat.
Then Naden shouted, Souma! Im all right, but Liscia and the others in the gondola may be in danger!
We were getting pounded by this wind. There was a rattling sound, and Liscia and the others inside the gondola had to be having a scary ti. The rectangular gondola wouldnt be able to cut through the wind, and if it broke midair, wed have a huge tragedy on our hands.
Well need to try again later... Lets land at Crystal Castle for now!
Got it! Naden began smoothly descending.
When she did...
...nt...
Huh?!
I was sure Id just heard sothing.
Hold on, Naden! Did you just hear sothing?!
Huh? I didnt hear anything.
Wha... are you... goi... to do... bout... thi...
There! You heard it, right?!
Youre right... It looked like Naden had heard it this ti, too. This was... a voice, maybe? I heard so words clearly.
It seed it wasnt that way for Naden. Yeah, but... I dont know what theyre saying.
Huh? She doesnt know? Even though she can hear it?
There was a you in there... Didnt you hear it?
Is that what they said? I couldnt pick it up at all.
What was going on here? Was it possible that Id be able to hear, while Naden wouldnt?
Sothing was wrong. Besides, this voice... Sothing about it bothered . It was too high to be male, but if it was a womans voice, sothing felt off about it...
If thats sti... not... nough...
I heard it again. This voice... Was it coming from above?
Looking upward, I glimpsed, if only faintly, a black shadow through a gap in the clouds. With the clouds in the way, I only had a hazy view, but that shadow looked big for how far away it must have been. It may be fairly massive.
I... ll... destroy... to have...
Destroy what?!
Destroy. Id heard that dangerous sounding word very clearly.
That black shadow was hidden by the clouds. Naden must have gotten out of them, because I could see the rain-drenched plateau of Dracul spread out beneath us. The static-like sound of the rain grated on my ears.
While being lashed by the rain, I looked up to the clouds we only just left. From outside Dracul they looked pure white, but from directly below they felt dark and heavy.
That voice I heard, speaking what I recognized as language... There was no questioning it.
Sothing was in those clouds.
In the rain, we landed in front of Crystal Castle.
Though it must have been beautiful in the light, when it was gloomy like this, the castle looked dull.
As Naden began to take human form, I jumped down off her back and rushed to the gondola. When I opened the door, wondering if Liscia and the others were all right, Liscia, Aisha, and Kaede crawled out, their faces pale. Hal and Carla followed. They all looked fine.
I rushed over to them. A-Are you okay?
Liscia and Aisha both leaned against .
Blech... Souma, youre too reckless, Liscia mumbled.
The wind shook us so much, I feel sick... Blech.
Oh... Er... Sorry.
I rubbed their backs to comfort them as they vomited. Kaede had Hal and Carla looking after her.
Unlike those three, Hal and Carla seed right as rain.
You two are fine? I asked.
I was in the Air Force, and I flew on wyverns often, said Carla.
It beats getting dropped out of the air, said Hal.
Carlas Air Force experience and Hals dratooper training must have gotten them used to this sort of thing.
It bothered that Hal seed to be staring off into the distance, but... Anyway, it was probably better to get inside sowhere with a roof, rather than keep getting pounded by the rain.
Hal and Carla, tie the gondola down so that it doesnt get blown away! I called. Everyone else, were going inside! Naden, you lead the way!
Roger that!
We went inside Crystal Castle. Once Liscia and the others cald down, and Hal and Carla ca back, I asked Naden, I want to et with Madam Tiamat. Where do I go to do that?
The great hall, I think. When theres a crisis in Dracul, the dragons have been told to gather in Crystal Castles great hall.
Okay, I said. Then lets head there.
We decided to have Naden lead us to this great hall. It only took an instant when Madam Tiamat teleported , but moving around in this ridiculously huge castle was a real hassle. We were all running, but it was taking a while to reach our destination.
When we reached the great hall after five minutes of running, there were two surprises waiting for us. One was that hall was so massive that great simply wasnt enough of a word for it. The other was that, upon closer inspection, the great hall was actually the space I had been teleported into when I first ca to the Star Dragon Mountain Range. It seed that the great hall was the place where I t the mountainous Madam Tiamat.
When we entered the great hall, there were about a hundred people in the center. They were all sprouting horns and tails, so they were probably dragons in human form.
From what Naden told , there were only about three hundred people (dragons?) living in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, at most.
Even considering their massive size, that was an incredibly low population density for a country.
Because that three hundred number also included young dragons and priestesses in the service of Madam Tiamat, that ant the hundred or so here comprised all of the grown dragons that could actually move around.
The mont we entered the great hall, we sensed sothing nacing in the air. In a space that could have fit tens of thousands of humans, the dragons were all gathered together in one compact area for so reason.
It sounded noisy, and no one took any notice of the people who just entered the room. It looked like Madam Tiamat wasnt here anymore, so what could have happened?
Whatever it was, we approached the group. When we did...
Naden! A girl in a white one-piece jumped out of the group. That was... Nadens friend... Pai, was it?
Naden caught her friend, who hugged her tight. Pai! Thank goodness. Youre safe.
Naden had a relieved look on her face, but the desperation on Pais was undiminished.
Naden, where have you been?! I was worried!
Oh, sorry. I was making a little trip to Soumas country...
Soumas country? Who?
Oh! Right, I only ever told Pai my alias, huh. It looked like Naden realized that, too.
Maybe youll understand if I call it Kazumas country. The Kingdom of Friedonia.
Friedonia?! That far?! How...?
Ahaha, its a long story, but...
Wait, we dont have ti for this!
Naden tried to explain the story so far, but Pai imdiately cut her off. Pai had a serious look on her face as she clung on to the dissatisfied Naden.
Please, Naden! Stop everyone! At this rate, Rubys going to...
Ruby? Ruby was... the red dragon who kept picking fights with Naden, right?
Pai explained the current situation for us.
Here, the story turns back a bit.
It turns out that mysterious cloud suddenly appeared in the skies above Dracul this morning.
Even though the skies had been clear up until then, that cloud suddenly appeared and brought violent wind and rain to Dracul. The heavy rainfall made the lakes overflow, and knocked down the trees.
In response, the dragons gathered in Crystal Castle.
I was silent.
So, how are you going to make up for it? Theres stuff in this world you cant make up for, sure. But if you can, youll want to do that, so you can puff your chest out with pride, right?
Make up for it, and puff my chest out with pride...
Make it up to the person I wronged, you an? I asked.
No. To yourself.
Make up for what I did wrong. So that I can approach myself with pride. I didnt know why, but for so reason, I found myself easily accepting this young mans words. Then...
What are you acting so important for, Hal? a fox-eyed girl asked.
Wha, Kaede?! Wheres the harm? Im just showing so compassion here!
Hmm...
The fox-eared girl looked at him coldly, and the red haired young man began desperately trying to explain himself. He looked a little cool until just now, but his panic ruined it.
Sotis he was cool, and sotis he was goofy... He was interesting to watch. And besides...
Youll want to do that, so you can puff your chest out with pride, right?
To yourself.
I felt like this young mans words had given direction. I got my aching body up.
Ah! Hey, are you sure you should be getting up? the young man asked.
If it hurts, you can stay lying down, you know? the fox-eared girl said.
True, my body hurt all over, but... If I just lay here, I wouldnt be able to puff up my chest with pride for my own sake. So I turned to the red-haired young man, the one the fox-eared girl had called Hal. I turned to Hal and bowed my head deeply as I said, Id like to ask you a favor.
Now then, with the dragons put firmly on notice about Naden, it was ti to think about the actual issue of what we were going to do with the storm.
In deference to the thoroughly beaten dragons, we left the great hall, which was filled with the sort of atmosphere youd expect at a wake, and relocated to a smaller room.
From what Naden said, this was like a waiting room for those who would be having an audience with Madam Tiamat. In that room, I addressed my companions.
Naden and I saw sothing in that storm.
Saw sothing? Liscia asked.
I nodded. I got just a glimpse of a black thing through a gap in the clouds.
Youre sure you didnt imagine it, right?
We heard a voice, too, so Im confident. I only really picked up fragnts of words, like you and destroy, though. You heard it, too, right, Naden?
So, why exactly are you wearing that thing, Souma? Liscia asked, staring at with distaste, while we were preparing to go into the cloud.
I was dressed up in a roly-poly kigurumi costu. In its hands was a naginata; over its shoulder a string of prayer beads; over its face a silk covering from under which peeked two adorable acorn-like eyes. It was one of the Little Musashibo (Large) dolls that I hadnt worn myself since the ti I drank with Juno and her party. This Little Musashibo was one of the pieces of equipnt Id brought with us from the kingdom, just in case.
I told you I intend to keep myself as safe as possible, didnt I? I opened up the head portion wide and turned to face Liscia.
The one I wore before was the type you enter from a hole in the back, but on this one, the head opened upward like the lid of a rice cooker. It was markedly easier to put on and take off than the previous ones. I was working on even more simple upgrades to it even now.
Even if it looks like this, I spent more money than I should have to make it out of good materials, so its sturdier than your average piece of armor, you know? Its highly bladeproof, bulletproof, cold-resistant, heat-resistant, and acid-resistant. You can fight dungeon monsters in this thing. My Living Poltergeists works on it, too, so its easy to move around in.
Still... Sigh, I feel stupid for worrying. Liscia was holding her head.
Wow, we hadnt done this in a while. When we first t, I felt like Liscia was always being dragged around by whatever I was doing, and she was constantly holding her head.
Well... she had company now...
Sothing is wrong, Naden muttered when she saw in my kigurumi equipnt. I dread of having a knight ride on my back, so why do I have to let this mysterious creature (?) fly with ...? She held her head.
No, no, I dont want to hear that from an actual mysterious creature like a ryuu.
Im going to fly with you wearing that thing?! Isnt it a little too silly?!
...
Dendera, dendera, a ryuu flies through the sea of clouds. On its back is a deeply satisfied Little Musashibo.
...Yeah. Just imagining that, I felt the sense of mysterious fantasy running wild.
W-Well, this is an ergency, I said. Just bear with , please.
Urgh... Fine, I get it.
Aisha, are you ready, too? I called.
Any ti you are! With her usual greatsword over her shoulder, Aisha gave a firm nod.
Because we would be going through wind and rain, Aisha was wearing a rain-repelling cape that covered her whole body over the top of her usual light equipnt.
Now then, with our preparations ready, it was ti to go. To et whoever was in those thick clouds.
And so, the ryuu flew into the storm. On her back rode a dark elf in a raincoat, and a roly-poly mystery creature (?).
The wind roared by our ears.
Naden pushed forward as if it was no big deal, but the wind and beating against our bodies was as strong as ever.
Aisha, are you okay?! I called.
Just fine! The shaking isnt as bad up here as it was in the gondola!
Unlike with , Nadens protection didnt cover Aisha, so she was experiencing the full effects of the wind, rain, and gravity. That was why I had Aisha sitting in front of , tied down with rope, just like Little Musashibo. Though, with the way Little Musashibo was built, it did look a bit like she was strapped into a first class seat.
Still, do you suppose we can find whoever it is out there in this storm? Aisha asked, protecting her face from the rain with her arms. The rain is making the visibility terrible.
True enough, searching for anything in this rain was going to be hard.
...Actually, now that I was already wearing it, I realized this kigurumi suit left with a really narrow field of vision. You might be thinking this should have been obvious, but because my ability, Living Poltergeists, let look at things with an overhead view, it never bothered before. However, in this storm, I couldnt get the overhead view to work properly.
I an, yes, I could see, but it was like looking at the static on an old TV with bad reception. I hadnt noticed it before because I never tried moving things around inside a storm, but did my ability have other weaknesses like this?
With no other choice, I snapped open Little Musashibos head. There was a sudden, powerful gust of wind in my face, but if I couldnt use my ability, I was going to have to rely on my own eyes. Like Aisha said, visibility was still poor, but there might not be any need to search to begin with.
If theyre the one causing this storm, theyre sure to be in the center of it, Naden, I said.
I know. Well be at the center of the storm soon.
Then, all of a sudden, the sound of wind and rain lessened. Had the storm weakened?
The feeling of raindrops striking my face was gone now. The wind was still strong, but the lack of rain made things much easier on . Still, we were surrounded by clouds here.
Nah, if we were inside a cloud, it would feel like we were enveloped in fog. If I could tell there were clouds surrounding us, that ant that this spot was the one place without any clouds.
This is...
Sire! Look up! Aisha called.
At Aishas urging, I looked up, and there...
What is that thing...?
There was a huge, gray mass floating there. It was more or less a cube, with around ten ters to each side. Naden, in her current ryuu form, was around forty ters long, so it was questionable whether it would be possible for her to wrap herself around it once. That massive cube was ignoring gravity and floating there.
Is that what you saw, sire?
...Im not sure. I could only see its shadow.
But thats definitely the thing thats at the center of this current! Naden said, glaring at the cube.
That was... what caused the storm? Kaedes reasoning was that it was a demon, but was that thing even alive? Whether I judged it by the standards of this world, or the standards of my forr one, that thing was bizarre. Then...
Why.... you... not... answer...
I heard that voice again. It sounded broken up, and was hard to make out, but it was high, like a womans voice, only sothing felt off about it. Was it coming from that cube?
Aisha, Naden, did you understand that language? I asked. It was saying sothing about an answer.
Was it, sire? I couldnt hear a thing.
I could tell it was saying sothing, but thats it...
Like we expected, they couldnt understand the words they were hearing. I repeated the words I heard for their benefit.
Tiama... you destroy... my children... so why...
Lets see... Tiama, you destroy, my children, so why, I translated.
Why will you not des... I have no... left...
Why will you not des, I have no, left.
Naden and Aisha both groaned.
Tiama... Thats Lady Tiamat, right? Naden asked. Its gotta be.
It certainly does sound like they have sothing to say to Madam Tiamat, Aisha said.
I agreed with the two of them. Did Madam Tiamat know sothing about this cube? Co to think of it, hadnt Madam Tiamat predicted this storm?
Could it be... this object was in contact with Tiamat before? While I was thinking that, the quality of the voice suddenly changed.
Even after... still you... dont resp...
Even after, still you, dont resp... huh.
The voice I was hearing was level, with no intonation. But, from the choice of words, I sensed sothing like anger. The full picture of things wasnt clear, but it felt like it was criticizing her harshly.
I feel like I get it, but I dont, said Aisha, twisting her head to the side. I wish it would co out and say it more clearly.
Naden was thinking, too. You is... probably Lady Tiamat, right? Does that an...
Hold on! Theyre still saying sothing. I cut Naden off, and listened.
In that case...
In that case, I repeated.
I... will destroy... your childrens world.
I... destroy. So that you... destroy ...
Wha?!
I will destroy. So that you will destroy . That was what it sounded like to .
Destroying, in order to be destroyed? The owner of this voice didnt want to destroy Dracul, it was trying to get Madam Tiamat to destroy them by doing so. They were mad because Madam Tiamat refused to do it? In other words, this storm was being produced by the owner of the voices desire to be annihilated.
Souma! Naden called, snapping back to my senses.
Ah!
Get it together! Youre the only one here who understands what that thing says, you know?!
Sorry. It seems like that thing is trying to destroy Dracul because it wants Madam Tiamat to destroy it.
Huh? Its the one who wants to be destroyed, but its destroying soone elses land? I admit I dont understand the desire to be destroyed, but arent its objective and thod sowhat disjointed? Aisha looked perplexed.
Even I didnt understand the reason.
Well, whatever the case, that things co all the way to Dracul looking to be destroyed. But Madam Tiamat seems to have refused, maybe for a good reason. Thats apparently why that thing caused the storm. It seems to think that if it puts Madam Tiamats children... that is to say, the dragons... in peril, Madam Tiamat will be forced to destroy it.
Thats a lot of seems and apparentlys, dont you think?
Hey, its not like I can help it. Im working with fragntary information.
Madam Tiamat knew all the details, probably, but, like Hakuya said before, she told she lacked the authority to tell about it, so that was the end of that.
Could the reason Madam Tiamat chose not to destroy that thing have to do with this authority business, as well?
I... destroy. So... you... will destroy...
The voice repeated those words again. Then around twenty small spherical objects flew out of the upper half of the gray cube. Well, I called them small, but they were only small relative to the cube. In terms of size, they were probably a ter in diater. Those spheres didnt float, and were pulled downward by gravity.
Seeing that, Naden asked in a panicked voice, Hey, Souma, are those...?
Yeah. They look like bad news to , too.
Countless mystery spheres had appeared after it talked about destruction. I had a bad feeling about this.
Naden! Can you shoot them down without getting closer?! I called.
Ill do it!
Roaaaaaaaaaaaar!
Naden roared, unleashing an electric strike on the things that had flown out. The electric strike branched out as it went forward, piercing through the scattered spheres. Then...
Boom!
The mont the electricity struck them, those spheres let out a brilliant blue and white flash, and swelled up to beco balls of light. Following the light, we heard a rumbling sound, and the wind pressure that slamd into us after that told us all too clearly how incredible the explosion was.
I knew it... Those black spheres were sothing like bombs!
Aisha turned back to , as if she just rembered sothing. This is bad, sire! Liscia and the others are down there!
I know. Naden, Im counting on you! Shoot them down, no matter what!
That was the plan all along!
While swimming through the sky, Naden unleashed electric shock after electric shock, shooting down the falling objects one after another. But there were just too many.
Madam Naden! I will assist you! Aisha undid the ropes fixing her in place, and stood up. Sire, hold in place, please!
L-Like this?! I pulled my upper torso out of the Little Musashibo doll, and wrapped my arms around Aishas hips. At the sa ti, I controlled the Little Musashibo doll, having it hold Aishas ankles to keep her in place. Aisha, who was now riding on Nadens back in a standing position, readied her usual greatsword.
Now then, sire, keep your head down, please!
S-Sure.
Here I go... Hahhhhhh! With a loud cry of exertion, Aisha swung her greatsword.
The blast of wind I had seen before while watching her training with Liscia flew forth, splitting one of the falling objects in two. Then a sideways swing; a diagonal slash from the left; a diagonal slash from the right. With each swing of Aishas greatsword, a sharp blast of wind would fly forth, cutting down one of the falling objects.
Aisha was always a bit of a disappointnt in her daily life, but on the battlefield she was reliable, and the most powerful warrior in the kingdom.
With Naden and Aisha going to work, the spherical objects dropped by the cube were either blown up or cut in two. However, it kept dropping them, one after another.
This is endless... Aisha groaned.
But if we dont shoot them down, theyll cause damage below, Naden said.
We cannot advance, and we cannot retreat. Well be whittled down to nothing like this.
Aisha was probably right. Damn! If only we could get in touch with the ground, we could warn them of the danger and have them evacuate. I should have brought a Factory Arm to serve as a relay... Well, whining about the things I didnt have wasnt going to help.
Oh, geez. What can we do? I looked up at the cube, wracking my brains.
Then it happened.
Heyyyyyy...
I heard a voice coming from sowhere. It was unlike the voice I had been hearing up until now. This ti, it was a mans voice.
Heyyyyy! Soumaaaaa!
This voice was coming... from below?!
When I leaned over Nadens side to look down, I saw a red dragon driving toward us at an incredible speed. Her wings were folded, and she was in an almost arrow-like shape. Hold on, wasnt she flying awfully fast for not beating her wings?
Furthermore, Halbert was on her back, holding on for dear life.
Hal?! I shouted.
Ruby?! Naden cried out at the sa ti.
Ruby shot past us with Halbert riding on her back. The two of them continued to ascend vertically like that, but eventually they lost inertia, and started falling upside down. Her wings werent spread... Oh, that was it! Because if she spread them, theyd be affected by the winds, huh!
Naden! I called.
I know!
Naden got underneath the falling Ruby and caught her. From there, she wrapped her body around Ruby and fixed her in place. Ruby sounded relieved when she said, This thod of flyings... not easy on the heart.
Ruby, how did you...?
Save the chitchat for later! We cant let those things reach the ground, right?!
With those words, Ruby inhaled deeply, and set loose the flathrower known as a dragons breath. The flas stretched out like a blowtorch, frying the objects and making them explode.
When she saw that, Naden spun her body around flinging electrical shocks in all directions. With that, Rubys breath went around like the hands of a clock, setting off the falling objects across an even wider area.
The area around us was filled with brilliant flas, electricity, and explosions. It irritated my eyes.
By triggering all of them to explode at once, it had given us so leeway until the next set were dropped.
So, how are you here, Ruby? Naden asked Ruby, who was breathing a little raggedly, when things settled down. Now that she ntioned it, hadnt we talked about how a winged dragon couldnt fly in these wild air currents?
I had this person here cooperate with ... and did so crazy things to fly up here... Ruby said while trying to catch her breath. Stretching out her long neck, she used her snout to point to her back.
By this person here, did she an Hal?
Hal, just what on Earth did you do...? I asked, feeling thoroughly exhausted.
Hal pointed behind him. Souma... You brought this, didnt you? We used it... to fly right here.
What Hal was pointing at as he said that was the Maxwellian Propulsion Device affixed to the back of his saddle, the Little Susumu Mark V Light.
My eyes went wide.
So this was what Kaede was talking about!
Earlier...
Id like to ask you a favor. I sat my aching body up, corrected my posture, and then bowed my head to the red-haired young man.
When I did, Hal exchanged glances with the fox-eared girl... Kaede, was it? Im not sure this is the ti to suddenly be asking for favors...
First, Id like to hear what that favor is, you know, said Kaede. Is there sothing youd like to ask Hal for?
I dont care what it is. Just give sothing I can do! I said pleadingly. I bowed my head again deeply. I dont want to rely on Naden to fix this situation! If I leave the fate of Dracul to Naden, while I do nothing... I wont be able to have pride in myself anymore.
I couldnt fly in this storm. Even so, if I let Naden do all the work, I wouldnt be living up to the reputation of the dragons of the Star Dragon Mountain Range.
That wasnt all. If I made Naden take all the risks, and then sothing happened to her, Id never be able to forgive myself.
Youre that king, Soumas, vassals, arent you? Theres nothing we can do, but since you two have co from outside the Star Dragon Mountain Range, I thought you might have so way of doing it.
I dunno... said Halbert.
I dont care how dangerous it is. I want you to let do sothing, too. My feelings were tearing up inside.
Hal scratched his head with a troubled look on his face. Hmm, I dont have any idea how to fly when the skies are so bad that even a dragon cant fly. Kaedes magic manipulates gravity, but even with that, she can only make things float off the ground a little. Right?
Yeah. I dont think earth magic is going to be able to do anything here, Kaede nodded.
Was it like I feared? Was there nothing I could do?
When despair was beginning to set in, Kaede suddenly said, But its not like we dont have any way at all, you know.
Y-You have sothing?!
Its dangerous, but... if your wings are going to catch the wind, you can just not open them, you know.
Not open my wings? She was telling to fly without flapping my wings? That was... sothing only Naden could do.
Hal also had a dubious look on his face. No, no, how is a winged dragon supposed to fly without her wings?
However, Kaede just looked at him with exasperation. Have you forgotten, Hal? The thing we have in the gondola.
In the gondola? Lets see, theres that weird kigurumi thing that Souma uses, and... Oh, that! The propeller, that Little Susumu whatchamacallit!
Propeller? I had no idea what they were talking about, but they seed to think it would work.
Kaede pointed at my back and said, Dragons and wyverns are different sizes, yes, but their overall shape is similar. If we put the Little Susumu Mark V Light on her back, like we do for the wyvern cavalry, then fire it up to full power, even with her wings folded, I think she could climb straight up from the ground.
I get your reasoning, but... isnt that dangerous? Hal asked dubiously. She can only rise straight up, right?
Kaede nodded, affirming his concerns. Of course. Theres no way to change direction. Its only able to go up. Besides, we havent tested it in storm conditions, so I dont know if what I was just saying is actually possible. Kaede looked concerned. However, as things stand, if she wants to do sothing, this is about the only way...
I dont mind, I said firmly. Im well aware of the danger. Let do it.
Ruby...
Aw, geez! Looks like Ive got no other choice! Hal scratched his head, a grin on his face. Im the one who got you fired up to do this. Ill have to go with you.
Halberts proposal made Kaedes eyes go wide. Hal... you do understand what youre saying ans, dont you?
That Ill be in danger? Yeah, Im ready for that. Besides, the dragon wearing the propeller cant control it. She needs soone to ride her and steer it, right?
Thats not my only concern... Oh, geez, theres no other choice, is there? Kaede muttered. Fine. Ill find a good way to tell His Majesty.
Kaede shrugged her shoulders in resigned exasperation as she approved the idea.
Thank you. Hal, Kaede.
I bowed my head to the two of them again. I couldnt have been more grateful.
Here and now, an impromptu red dragon knight was born.
While Naden and Aisha continued intercepting the falling objects, I gave Hal and Ruby a quick rundown of the situation.
This cube was causing the storm, the objects it was dropping were bombs, and it would be dangerous to let them fall to the surface. I didnt ntion that the thing was apparently trying to destroy Dracul so that it would be destroyed itself. I had no proof, and I didnt want to take the ti to explain it.
When they heard my explanation, Hal and Ruby nodded in unison.
Got it, Hal said. Well handle contacting the ground.
The other dragons can fight from down on the ground, too. Ruby stretched her neck, bringing her face closer to Nadens. So, Naden, dont worry about things down below. Head straight for that thing.
Can I trust you to handle this? Naden asked.
Your job is to carry Souma, right? As a dragon of the Star Dragon Mountain Range, I may not be able to clear the way for you, but Ill at least cover your back.
...Okay.
Naden uncoiled herself and released Ruby. The mont they were set free, Hal and Ruby let gravity take its course and fell straight down.
I shouted after them, Hal! Take care of Liscia and the others!
Count on it! You do your thing, too!
The opposite of the way they ca, Hal and Ruby fell headlong to the surface. Even as they were falling, Hal threw the spear he was holding and took down one of the falling objects. It looked like his dratrooper training had paid off. Red-haired Halbert, riding on a red dragon, and throwing a spear... huh.
Theyre doing the whole dragon knight thing properly, huh...
You can say that again, said Naden. anwhile, were all weird.
Now, now, sire, Aisha said. Theyre them, and were us. Why cant we just leave it at that?
Pfft! When Aisha sumd it up like that, Naden and I cracked up laughing. When she dismissed it in such a carefree way, even if Dracul was in danger, it felt like it wasnt a big deal.
Yeah, I was starting to feel like we could do sothing about this.
Haha... Now then, lets leave the falling objects to those on the ground, and go take a look at that cube ourselves, I said.
Yeah. Lets go, Souma, Aisha.
Okay! Aisha cried.
With a burst of acceleration, Naden began to climb.
When Halbert and Ruby returned to the ground, the dragons had all gathered in front of Crystal Castle. They could see Kaede, Liscia, and Carla standing at the feet of those huge creatures, so Halbert and Ruby landed next to them.
Hal, how were things up in the sky? Kaede asked.
Halbert pointed upward and said, There was this weird blocky guy up there. Souma and the others are heading to make contact. More importantly, though, therere going to be bomb-like things dropping. Weve gotta intercept them.
Youre talking about intercepting them, but with all this rain, flas are going to be only half as powerful, Carla, who also used fire magic, pointed out.
The flas that dragons could spew were powerful, but they would probably be weakened and blown away in all this wind and rain.
Liscia nodded bitterly. My ice isnt sothing I can shoot into the sky, either.
There is a way, you know, Kaede said, then crouched down and ran her hand over the ground. Youll have to forgive a little change in the topography, though.
With that, the ground began to swell up, and masses of rock and sand about a ter across rolled around all over the place. Kaede used her earth-type magic. Even at a glance, there had to be around a hundred of those masses. It must have taken a considerable amount of magical power.
As might be expected, Kaede stumbled, having overexerted herself, and Liscia hurried to catch her.
A-Are you okay?
Sorry. I overdid it a little.
With Liscia supporting her, Kaede explained the strategy to everyone.
I want the dragons to throw these masses of dirt at the falling objects. With a dragons strength, you should be able to throw them fairly high. As for everyone else, Id like you to use bows enchanted with magic. The priority is to protect Crystal Castle and the dragon eggs lying dormant beneath it. Even if you have to ignore the others, please prioritize intercepting any objects falling toward Crystal Castle.
Got it... You heard her, everyone! Liscia helped Kaede to stand, then shouted to her companions and the dragons. Because she was the princess of a nation, she naturally ended up giving commands here. Were going to support Naden and Souma from here!
I will destroy. So that you will destroy .
I heard it clearly. The voice was too high to be male, which made it seem to be female, but there was sothing off about it. Now that I heard it clearly, sothing caught my attention about it.
This voice...
Id heard it sowhere before. For so reason, that was the sense I got. But where?
I tried searching my mories, but the cube wasnt going to give ti.
Tiamat... if this is not enough to make you destroy ...
There was a sound from the bottom of the cube.
Naden, head down! I called.
You got it!
We moved down, and the bottom face opened up like a box. Sothing shaped like a telephoto cara lens grew straight out of the bottom.
This telephoto-lens-like thing... I had a real bad feeling about it.
I really will destroy everything of yours.
The lens sticking out of the bottom began to emit light. It was a pale light at first, but it gradually grew brighter.
This scene... Id seen sothing like it in an old-ish sci-fi movie. The bottom of the massive saucer from space opened up, it gradually filled with more and more light... and then the light flooded out and blew away the buildings and cities beneath it.
Wait, Liscia and the others were under this thing!
Aisha, Naden, attack that part on the bottom! I cried.
O-Okay!
Roger that! Hahhhhh!
Aisha launched a blast of wind from her sword, and Naden fired off an electrical attack. However, despite the loud noises, the telephoto-lens-like thing was unaffected, and it continued to gather light.
At this point, I could only imagine a future where that light was fired down at the ground.
Stooooop! I scread, despite myself, as loud as I possibly could.
S-Sire? said Aisha.
Souma? faltered Naden.
I kept shouting at the cube. If you want to get busted, then go fall sowhere, or sink into the ocean, and break on your own! Dont get other people... dont get my family caught up in your self-destructive urges, you dummy!
Com... lang... detected... abling functions.
With that, the light suddenly stopped gathering, and the telephoto-lens-like thing sticking out of the bottom gradually lost its shine. Eventually it vanished completely, and the cube tucked that lens back inside itself. Had it... stopped?
Looking at it carefully, the cube stopped dropping those objects, too.
Do you suppose its stopped? Aisha asked.
Did what Souma say stop it?
Aisha and Naden were both perplexed. Like Naden was saying, the timing with which it happened suggested it listened to my shouting. Maybe my words got through to it? Co to think of it...
Sup... lang... detected... abling functions.
That was definitely what the cube said. There had been noise interrupting it, so I couldnt pick up everything it said, but was disabling functions what it said?
If so, the first half, Sup, lang, detected, interested . Detected seed pretty straightforward, but sup, lang ant... Huh?!
This cube stopped because I shouted. If this cube detected my words, and disabled its functions as a result, then this sup, lang was in reference to what I said.
In other words...
Supported language...
Supported language detected. Disabling functions.
Had that been what the cube said?
A supported language... the language I was speaking... Japanese?!
Had this cube shut down because I used Japanese?
Was Japanese the key...? No, it was saying supported language, so it might support languages other than Japanese, too. Thinking more broadly, had the cube shut down because I used one of the languages of Earth, or because I used a language from a different world?
When I reached that conclusion, the shards of various mories inside started to connect.
The reason Madam Tiamat called the key and invited to the Star Dragon Mountain Range. Was it not because I was a hero, but because I was Japanese, or I was from Earth, or from another world?
The language I used... I didnt know whether it was because it was Japanese, because it was a language of Earth, or because it was a language from another world, but Madam Tiamat must have known it would be the key to stopping that cube.
It could be that Madam Tiamat is familiar with your world to so degree, Hakuya said. If Madam Tiamat was certain that youd know about ryuus, that ans she must have known that the world you ca from had a concept of what a ryuu is.
Madam Tiamat... knew about the world I ca from? I murmured.
I had this conversation with Hakuya just a few days ago.
We inferred that Madam Tiamat might know sothing about my world. I was becoming convinced of that now. Madam Tiamat, the cube, and the world I ca from.
If there was so link between them, did that an this world and that world were connected in so way, too? In other words...
This world, which I thought was another world, might not actually be another world.
Oh, geez... I just dont know anymore.
I had a lot of different speculations flying around in my head, but none of them were any more than speculation.
Even if I wanted to make a judgnt on it, I lacked the information to.
There was just one thing I knew about this world, and it was that I still knew nothing about it. Just as my mind reached an extre state of confusion...
I see... Thats why Tiamat...
The cube started saying sothing again.
The fam... are still... not... lost...
Its voice was cutting out. It was hard to make out what it was saying like that, but it didnt seem angry, or sad. It sounded lonely, but almost like it was praying for sothing.
...iliar one... I have... request...
The fam... iliar one? Oh, familiar ones? But what is this request? I asked the cube.
Perhaps because it understood , the cube began to explain.
Please... familiar one... before your li... to an end... beg you... ease... give my children peace... days...
Damn! We were finally holding a conversation, but there was too much being lost in the middle. It seed like the cube was speaking fluently, but the static was so bad that I couldnt figure out what it was saying.
I cant hear you when you talk too long! I called. Tell what you want, as briefly as possible!
The cube answered in one breath.
Go north.
Go north, huh?
With that, the cube vanished.
I-It disappeared... I murmured.
It didnt fly away, or anything like that. It just vanished in an instant. Most likely, it used a teleportation technique, like Madam Tiamat.
When the cube vanished, the storm that had been raging so hard turned into a simple mass of clouds that eventually spread out and dissipated. Before I knew it, we were left beneath a sky with the sun going down. The clear air and the red of the setting sun sparkled to an almost blinding degree.
It feels like we dread the whole thing, Aisha said in a daze. It was the kind of abrupt change that would do that to you.
But it wasnt a dream, right, Souma? said Naden. What did that blocky thing say at the end?
I answered her, in as much of a daze as Aisha. ...Go north. Thats what it sounded like.
North? By north, that has to an...
The Demon Lords Domain... I guess?
I felt like I had gained a lot of information from this incident. However, it created more questions than it solved. About my world, about , about the connection between the world I ca from and this one...
The only thing I could say with any clarity was that none of the answers were going to be coming anyti soon.
Whatever the case, the storms passed... I said. Lets head back to the others.
Naden nodded. Yeah. Im feeling really exhausted.
The situation was more or less resolved, but we didnt feel fully satisfied as we returned to the ground.
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