We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
An icy sky.
Two people stand facing each other, leaving footprints in the snowfield.
I assume a stance, holding the White Sword in my right hand and the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword in my left. My opponent is unarmed, lightly clenching their fists and lowering their stance with alertness.
Their tied-up golden hair remains neat, and their lowered posture resembles a tigress stalking prey. Their sharp gaze alone is a weapon, and the radiating fighting spirit is refined.
Their movements, their gaze, their posture—everything about them is beautiful and cool.
“…Why?”
“…Why are you here?”
As we faced each other, we tilted our heads.
“Why is Sefina-san here?”
“Why did Elnea-kun chase after me?”
“No, no, no, I’m the one asking the questions. You disappeared after going to investigate the ancient ruins in the east of the Yorttenitos Kingdom, so why are you in Dragon Peak in the west!?”
“Oh? So this is indeed Dragon Peak.”
Realizing we were not enemies, we sheathed our weapons. Sefina crossed the snow with long strides, approaching me.
Perhaps judging there was no danger, Ares-chan suddenly appeared and hugged me.
“Should I greet you with ‘It’s been a while’?”
“Is… is that so?”
I took her outstretched right hand and shook it. My left arm was holding Ares-chan, so both my hands were occupied.
A strange, twisting sensation ran through my entire body.
“Ugh. I won’t fall for that trick!”
I gathered my Dragon Energy, blocking the external interference that twisted my senses.
“Hmm. As expected of you.”
“Please don’t do anything strange right after we meet.”
There was no room for negligence or openings. If I hadn’t had the experience of meeting her for the first time in the Armēdo Kingdom, I might have been thrown with Ares-chan in my arms. This person really is the Twin Princess’s sister. She causes trouble for those around her effortlessly and moves with such freedom. Yet, for some reason, I can’t bring myself to dislike her.
“So, why are you in a place like this, Elnea-kun?”
“No, no, that’s my question!”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes.”
Despite her cool appearance and movements, why is she so self-centered?
“As for me… well. I was investigating the ancient ruins of the Yorttenitos Kingdom when I was suddenly sent away.”
“So, you’ve been registered as missing from back then?”
“Perhaps so. But that’s not something new for me, so there’s no need to worry about it.”
“Yes, we should worry! A princess going missing is a major incident. Besides, Sefina-san, you went there for coordination with the Yorttenitos Kingdom, right?”
“It pains me to hear you say that, but there’s no point in worrying.”
“We must worry!”
I’m becoming more and more convinced the more we talk. I mustn’t be fooled by appearances. This person is the Twin Princess’s sister!
“So, why are you in a place like this?”
“Well, about that…”
I proceeded to explain various things to Sefina. The turmoil involving the demon race had subsided, and the Yorttenitos and Armēdo Kingdoms were steadily recovering. And then, we had returned to Dragon Peak. Upon hearing from those monitoring the northern ancient ruins—the very place that could be called the origin of the disturbance—that there were signs of unrest, we came to investigate. In other words, the culprit was Sefina.
Since it gets cold standing, I explained our situation while we walked back towards the ancient ruins. On the way back, I asked Sefina how she had escaped, as she was walking normally, leaving footprints on the snow.
“By using tree trunks as footholds,” she replied casually.
What kind of physical ability does it take to escape at high speed by leaping between tree trunks without touching the ground?
“I understand your situation. I see, so this was indeed Dragon Peak after all.”
“Did you… not know where you were?”
“Shamefully, yes. I was suddenly sent away, but I knew immediately it was an unknown land.”
“Why were you hiding near the ruins the whole time?”
“You say that so lightly.”
Sefina gave me a tired look.
“Of course, I tried to figure out where I was and if anyone lived nearby. But there were the presences of magic beasts and Dragon Race members everywhere, so I couldn’t even move properly. I somehow suspected it was Dragon Peak due to the presence of the Dragon Race, but I had no confirmation.”
“Did you hide in the ruins the entire time?”
“People entered the ruins a few times, but I couldn’t approach someone with such an unusual presence without knowing who they were. I kept hiding and running.”
In an unknown place, facing unknown presences, and moreover, someone who seemed like a skilled warrior. Sefina wasn’t so careless as to reveal herself easily in such a situation. She hadn’t adventured in various places alone for nothing.
“If I had known they were of the Dragon Race, or your acquaintances, it would have been a different story. But that’s why I was searching for an escape while hiding. Then, it suddenly got much colder. At night, I had to spend it inside the ruins to avoid freezing to death.”
“Mm-hmm, winter in Dragon Peak is cold, isn’t it?”
“I can see that.”
Sefina looked me up and down. Even her look of exasperation was cool.
“This is a belated question, but can I assume I’ll be saved if I follow you?”
“Yes, you’ll be alright.”
(Good, good. There were no ominous shadows. Moreover, I found Sefina, who had been missing.)
As I let out a sigh of relief, Sefina uttered something terrifying.
“I see. Then, since there are no loose ends, Elnea-kun, let’s have a match.”
“Hii!?”
I couldn’t comprehend Sefina’s words and stared up at the tall woman in astonishment.
“I was curious about your abilities as the one called the Dragon King. We couldn’t fight together on the battlefield, so show me your strength here.”
“No, no, no…”
What is this person saying? It makes no sense. You are a person in distress. I am a rescuer. The idea that you want to fight me is incomprehensible.
“Come now, draw your weapon. I will attack you even if you don’t take a stance.”
She’s a battle maniac! What kind of ruffian talks about settling things with fists?
“It’s alright. I won’t hurt you.”
Her eyes are serious!
Sefina took some distance from me, raised her fist, and lowered her stance. She’s fully motivated!
“I won’t hurt you, I won’t hurt you.”
From within my arms, Ares-chan repeated Sefina’s words with a smile.
“Wha-…!”
However, Ares-chan’s eyes were not smiling.
“Foolish one. Know for yourself against whom you have picked a fight.”
Ares-chan’s tone has changed! I quickly let go of her. Ares-chan, who escaped from my arms, was enveloped in light. Then, Ares-chan, who landed on the snow, changed her form.
As Sefina watched, stunned, not understanding what was happening before her eyes, Ares-chan transformed into Ares-san.
“It’s alright, I won’t hurt you.”
Ares-san smiled alluringly. Sensing danger in that smile, Sefina leaped backward with all her might, taking evasive action.
However, Ares-san, the Spirit Tree Spirit, had an incredibly wide attack range. Without moving a step, Ares-san raised her right hand. The accumulated snow turned into sharp crystals, and a fierce blizzard began to blow. A gale attacked Sefina as she fled. In an instant, the visibility ahead turned completely white, and a pillar of snow rose far into the sky. A sound that amplified the unease, like the creaking of ice, echoed through the forest of Dragon Peak. The snow pillar, connecting the white earth and the clouded sky, froze everything it touched. The ground transformed from snow into an icy world. Even the clouds above froze, creating a localized frozen world.
“Tired tired.”
As if a “pop” sound could be heard, a young girl Ares-chan returned to my arms.
“…”
As Ares-chan shrunk, the gale subsided, and the swirling ice crystals fluttered down, sparkling.
“Did you… kill her?”
“It’s alright, she’s alive, she’s alive.”
Where Ares-chan and I were looking, Sefina was frozen solid at the center of the pillar of ice connecting heaven and earth.
“What are you two doing?”
Sensing the anomaly in the sky and Ares-chan’s release of power, Revalia flew in. Was she worried about an unforeseen situation like a battle?
“Revalia, I have a favor to ask as soon as you arrive.”
I pointed at the frozen Sefina. Revalia, after confirming, let out an exaggerated sigh and glared at me resentfully.
“Should I roast her?”
“No, no, that’s incorrect. Please rescue that woman without harming her.”
“…Is she alive?”
“Pr… probably…”
With a “well, well” attitude, Revalia exhaled a fiery breath towards the ice pillar. Gradually, the ice pillar melted, and I rescued Sefina. Sefina’s entire body was cold, but I could feel a faint heartbeat. I channeled my Dragon Energy into Sefina, attempting to warm her from within. It’s an application of my incomplete protection against the cold. Receiving my Dragon Energy, Sefina’s skin gradually regained its color.
However, we should have thought a little more deeply. The pillar of ice connected the frozen ground and the frozen sky. When that pillar melted… With a deep rumble like an earthquake, the sky fell!
“Uwah, run!”
We scrambled to escape. Holding Sefina and Ares-chan, I leaped onto Revalia’s back. Revalia flapped her four wings, large and small, with all her might, fleeing from the falling ice ceiling.
“Danger danger.”
Only Ares-chan seemed to be enjoying herself. It seems her influence from Priscilla-chan is growing stronger. Revalia, narrowly escaping the falling frozen sky with a roaring sound, returned to the base where Milly-chan and the others were waiting, letting out a dissatisfied roar. From the cave leading underground, which served as our base, Milly-chan, Wol, and Id came out, looking up at the sky falling towards the ancient ruins.
“We’re… home…”
I dismounted from Revalia, who landed roughly. Seeing my exhausted state, Milly-chan rushed over with concern.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Somehow.”
“What on earth have you been doing…?”
“Various things…”
“It really is you, Elnea-kun. You always exceed our expectations by a mile.”
“Grumble. I can’t refute that.”
I handed the rescued Sefina over to Milly-chan. The petite Milly-chan, with surprising strength for her cute appearance, hugged Sefina and entered the base cave. As I thanked Revalia, Wol and Id sighed in exasperation behind me.
“We shouldn’t have left it to you.”
“Is that so? I thought Elnea-kun was suited for the job. A human wouldn’t normally wander this deep into Dragon Peak, so I was sure it was someone related to Elnea-kun.”
“So, you all realized Sefina-san’s true identity?”
“Naturally. What do you take us for?”
“She was cautious and ran away even when we approached.”
“I even managed to catch up.”
“But if you had met her before, there wouldn’t have been any further trouble, right?”
“No, there was further trouble!”
Following my gaze, everyone looked in the direction of the ancient ruins. A giant mushroom-like ice mass tilted and crashed onto the ground.
“What you said before you left, that if we didn’t hurry someone would die, it was for Sefina-san, wasn’t it?”
“Dragon Peak will only get colder from now on.”
“Stop being so roundabout!”
“Hahaha, isn’t it more interesting if it’s not straightforward?”
“I love straightforwardness…”
I complained to Id, who laughed violently, but it was no use.
“At any rate, we were able to help a stranded person. This is also thanks to Elnea-kun’s efforts. Another heroic tale, perhaps?”
“Saving a single stranded person caused the sky to fall, huh.”
Id’s laughter echoed through the snowy landscape of Dragon Peak.
