We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A Desperate Crisis.
“Alice-sama, please wait!”
“Please, reconsider!!”
“Don’t leave me behind!”
Black pegasi are chasing after Eve, running behind her. The Miko-sama riding them are shouting one after another.
Among them, the young Miko-sama riding the black pegasus at the front is more desperate than anyone.
However, this is not the time to persuade Alice!
We were relentlessly pursued by wyverns, and before we knew it, we had reached the skies above the North Sea.
If this continues, we’ll be caught between the wyverns and the Ruler of the North Sea, and there will be no time to persuade Alice and bring her back!
Then, I felt something was wrong.
Alice-sama is a strong Miko Knight, truly like a warrior. Therefore, she accurately grasps the situation they are in, and even I, who just met her, understand that once she has made up her mind, she will not easily change it.
So, what about the pursuers, the Miko-sama?
I’m amazed at their skill in tracking us so stealthily that Alice-sama and Eve didn’t notice. It’s also astonishing that they easily broke through the Bewildering Technique that Grandma Yuuri and I cast.
However, they stumbled upon the Old Dragon in the Dragon’s Mausoleum and were toyed with by the wyverns and winged dragons, even though there were many of them.
Alice-sama easily repelled the wyverns’ attacks, didn’t she?
Moreover, with the North Sea right before them, they don’t seem to feel any anxiety or confusion about it.
“Could it be that Alice-sama and the other Miko-sama have completely different abilities?”
Eve reacts to my muttering.
“Of course. My mistress is a chosen Miko Knight. But those others are merely Battle Priestesses. Unlike my mistress, they know nothing of the world outside the sanctuary.”
“Huh? Then, are the pursuers just normal Battle Priestesses!?”
It occurred to me, and I looked back at the pursuers over Alice-sama’s shoulder.
The women on the black pegasi were indeed different from Alice-sama in their attire.
Alice-sama wears armor over a pure white Miko’s Attire. However, the pursuing Battle Priestesses, while holding naginatas, are not wearing any armor.
In fact, the pursuers were wearing the Miko’s Attire of “Battle Priestesses” that I am more familiar with.
“So, other than the special condition of riding pegasi, the pursuers are the same as the Battle Priestesses serving in the temple?”
I understood the true nature of my unease.
However, that doesn’t mean my anxiety has disappeared.
Wyverns are approaching from behind the Battle Priestesses, and the North Sea stretches endlessly in front of us.
“Alice-sama, what should we do!?”
If this continues, we will all be in danger.
Even if we enter the North Sea airspace again. Will the Ruler of the North Sea let us go this time?
There’s no guarantee of that anywhere.
What’s more, the lives of the black pegasi and the Battle Priestesses chasing us should be in far greater danger!
If we only focus on the wyverns and intrude into the North Sea airspace, we might be caught off guard and killed in an instant.
Nevertheless, the only path left for the Battle Priestesses fleeing from the wyverns and for us to escape from them is through the North Sea airspace.
Chased by wyverns, we were once again trying to enter the North Sea airspace.
“May you become prey to the monsters of the North Sea.”
“If it’s the rumored Dragon King, he should be able to get through this, right?”
“Hahahaha. It’ll be a sight to see.”
The mocking roars of the Dragon Race echo from behind us.
The wyverns knew how terrifying the airspace ahead was.
That’s why the wyverns didn’t chase us all the way to the North Sea airspace.
And we, being chased, entered the North Sea airspace.
When the wyverns saw us entering the terrifying territory, they turned back at the boundary of the sandy beach below and distanced themselves from us.
Seeing this, the Battle Priestesses behind us grew careless.
They loosened the reins of their pegasi and let their guard down. Some even tried to give commands to their pegasi to stop and observe the situation for now.
Just then, the terrifying breath of the wyverns attacked from behind!
The pegasi and Battle Priestesses, who had let down their guard thinking the wyvern pursuit was over, screamed and fled in a panic.
Damn it. The wyverns intend to toy with us even now?
They plan to watch us get attacked by the Ruler of the North Sea from the land. And if we try to escape back to land, they’ll threaten us like that to prevent us from returning.
I was reminded anew of the utterly malicious thinking of the wyverns, that such opponents exist.
However, I was unable to resort to violence because of that.
I inevitably feel a sense of guilt.
It was we, or rather the Battle Priestesses, who disturbed the rest of the Old Dragons. Therefore, we are the ones who should apologize, and we cannot choose to solve it with violence.
Nevertheless, if our lives are in danger…!
Just as I was about to make up my mind and resolve myself!
A chilling, overwhelming killing intent that seemed to crush my entire body was felt.
“This is bad! I’ve touched the consciousness of the North Sea monster! What do we do!?”
“Damn it! If this continues…!”
Eve and Alice showed signs of panic.
Of course, I was also at my wit’s end.
If this continues, not only we who intruded into the North Sea airspace, but also the Battle Priestesses who chased us will be attacked!
However, the situation was developing into a worst-case scenario beyond our anxiety.
The oppressive killing intent, as if crushing us who had entered the North Sea airspace. On top of that, immeasurable magic power filled the world.
And then, the moment the North Sea below us began to glow golden.
“Grrr!”
“What is this!?”
“You don’t mean you’re going to attack even us, who haven’t entered the airspace!?”
The exasperated roars of the wyverns came from behind.
“Aaaahh!”
And then, one after another, the screams of the Battle Priestesses and their black pegasi.
The killing intent and immeasurable magic power filling the North Sea and its airspace turned into giant blades of gale-force winds, attacking the black pegasi!
They generated violent winds, and whether they dodged or took a direct hit, the black pegasi were swallowed by them.
Furthermore, countless whip-like tentacles rose from the golden, shining sea surface and attacked the wyverns who had been mocking us from outside the North Sea airspace!
The wyverns tried to escape from the golden whips. However, unable to read the unpredictable movements of the whips, one wyvern was ensnared.
“Gyaaaaaaaahhhh!!”
The wyvern screamed.
The ensnared wyvern let out a death cry and then lost its strength with a thud.
Wings, tails, and necks peeked out from between the whip wrapped around its body, hanging limply.
The golden whip dragged the ensnared wyvern to the bottom of the North Sea.
Then, as if searching for its next prey, new golden whips sprouted from the sea surface, targeting the wyverns!
The fearsome wyvern was defeated in an instant and swallowed by the sea. The Battle Priestesses who witnessed this fell into a state of panic.
Screaming, they gave nonsensical orders to their black pegasi.
The black pegasi were bewildered by their mistresses’ nonsensical orders. Even though they themselves were finally aware of the terrifying nature of the North Sea and were trembling with fear, receiving meaningless commands in such a situation was bound to cause confusion!
The black pegasi, who had managed to block the giant wind blades and the raging gale, were successively falling into the hands of the Ruler of the North Sea.
“Ahhh!”
It was then that Alice let out a cry of despair from the depths of her throat from behind me.
Terrible magic and golden whips were also attacking us. However, we were barely managing to hold on with Eve and Alice’s abilities. In front of Alice’s eyes, one Battle Priestess became prey to the Ruler of the North Sea.
A pegasus, struck hard by a golden whip, screamed and was blown away into the sky. With that impact, the Battle Priestess was flung from her saddle!
Those without wings cannot fly in the sky.
This applies to everyone, even Battle Priestesses from a special region called a sanctuary.
The Battle Priestess, flung into the sky, fell towards the sea, screaming. If this continues, the Battle Priestess will be smashed against the sea surface and die!
Even if not, she will die, becoming prey to the terrifying magic wielded by the Ruler of the North Sea!
Alice gave Eve orders and tried to pursue the Battle Priestess who had fallen from her mount and was falling towards the sea.
But the pegasus’s speed would never be enough!
I moved on impulse.
I released Alice’s arm from around my waist and leaped into the sky.
Then, without hesitation, I activated Spatial Jump!
The scenery changed.
But I was still in the sky.
I separated from Eve’s back and fell towards the sea surface!
Still, I didn’t falter and activated Spatial Jump again!
The scenery changed further.
The sea surface rapidly approached.
And I got closer to the falling Battle Priestess.
Just one more time!
For the third time, Spatial Jump.
The golden, shining sea surface approached.
The Battle Priestess and I fell straight into it.
From the distant sky, Alice and Eve were shouting. But with the roaring wind in my ears, I couldn’t hear anything.
I reached out my hand.
And I caught the Battle Priestess who was falling with me!
I held her tightly to prevent us from being swept away by the raging storm.
But if this continues, both the Battle Priestess and I will fall into the sea and die!
And yet, I cannot fly either.
So, what if I use Spatial Jump to go upwards?
If I keep using Spatial Jump upwards until Eve catches up, I might be able to avoid falling to my death.
But can the Battle Priestess withstand consecutive Spatial Jumps?
The Battle Priestess in my arms had already lost consciousness, perhaps unable to bear the terror of falling headfirst from the sky.
What happens when you use Spatial Jump for the first time on someone who has lost consciousness?
Will they be overcome with severe motion sickness?
I feel like the burden on the body will be even greater because they cannot resist with their minds. Considering that, I can’t easily use Spatial Jump. But if I don’t use it, I’ll keep falling and eventually be smashed against the sea surface and die!
There’s no time to hesitate, is this a situation where I should use Spatial Jump!?
However, the Ruler of the North Sea wouldn’t just stand by and watch us escape.
No matter where we use Spatial Jump, it will be a world filled with the Ruler of the North Sea’s magic.
If the Ruler of the North Sea wills it, wherever we jump using Spatial Jump will become our deathbed.
Whether I use Spatial Jump or not, the outcome of our fate cannot be changed!
So, what should I do!
We were falling towards the sea surface. From the distant sky, I saw Eve descending rapidly, chasing us.
Below us, the golden, shining sea surface.
I lost all sense of distance in the endlessly spreading golden sea.
I couldn’t even tell how much time was left before we would be smashed against the sea.
But I will never give up!
No matter the situation, I will get through it and return to the place where my family is waiting!
That’s right.
No matter what happens, if there is even a sliver of a chance, I will choose that path!
So, I shouted.
Without choosing the option of Spatial Jump.
Believing in the unease I felt when I first entered the North Sea!
“Please, Charlotte! Save us!!”
I shouted with all my might.
Towards the golden, shining sea surface.
It was then.
Whips, sprouting numerously from the golden, shining sea surface, extended towards us who were continuously falling.
Faster than the approaching sea surface, the shining whips closed in on us.
And like they did to the wyverns, the golden whips lashed out to ensnare us.
The whips approached my eyes, and my vision turned golden.
But I did not resist.
The golden whips, not with the ferocity they showed the wyverns, but gently, ensnared us.
The golden whips wrapped around my entire body.
Suddenly, the falling momentum slowed.
The golden whips that had ensnared the Battle Priestess and me swayed slowly.
As if debating how to deal with us.
In my golden vision, the golden whips were also attacking Eve, who had been chasing us, not just us.
“Charlotte, please save everyone?”
I said, pleading towards the golden whips.
Then, from far below the sea surface from which the golden whips had extended, a smile-like presence was conveyed.
I entrusted myself to the golden whips.
The golden whips, still entwining us, swallowed all those who had intruded into the North Sea airspace and those who had used the Ruler of the North Sea’s power, dragging them to the seabed.
