Myuu’s Spring Vacation What’s With Yaa! Ya Wanna Have a Go Uoon!?
「Everyone, to the wheelhouse!」
Kouki yelled an order. At the same time he made BD ascended all of a sudden. In addition he also deployed barrier. It wasn't a barrier just for blocking sea spray. It was a space isolation barrier that was completely for battle.
BD's rapid movement and Kouki's urgent order made the dumbfounded Moana and Koone to return to their senses with a gasp.
「Ku-chan, over here nano!」
Koone got her hand pulled by Koone. She stumbled at the start, even so she ran with all her strength. Hinata followed behind them. They were heading toward the center of the deck.
「Impo, ssible...what in the world is that? Even the miasma far surpassed the Dark King...」
The unknown
Its speed was rising even more, perhaps because the water resistance was decreasing. Even though it living in the sea was already unprecedented, now it could even change form. Moana's eyes opened wide in disbelief.
The miasma that was spurting out from its body was also like volcano eruption. It was ejecting miasma in the amount that was covering the sky, so it looked like a wall of miasma was approaching them.
Everything about it was just outside the common sense that Moana and Koone believed all this time, to an astonishing degree even.
「Do your observation later.」
Aularodde pulled the hand of Moana who couldn't hide her bewilderment even after coming back to her senses. She followed after Myuu. It was so Kouki could focus on steering the ship and maintaining the barrier.
Usually she was an unfortunate existence who had corporate slave disposition already seeping deeply into her every being, but as expected from the former goddess who had continued to fight hard for five thousand years by herself. The level of her composure was different.
Myuu and others arrived at the center of the deck. At the same time a warning came from Kouki.
「An attack is coming! It'll be a bit shaky!!」
Myuu and others crouched down. Right after that, the ascending BD tilted greatly to the right.
It wasn't likely that the space isolation barrier was breached. Even so, there was just too many unknown. Kouki too into consideration that this was an emergency and there were children on board, so he chose to dodge the attack rather than taking it.
「Myu!? Something really thick and big flew at here just now nano!」
「Is that, spear?」
If Hajime heard Myuu said that during normal time, he might reflexively say 「Whaa-, is it a pervert!? KILL-」 in vigilance. Hinata calmly described the multiple huge black objects that almost grazed the ship's hull from below.
They seemed to be spear shaped objects that were created from compressed miasma, fired randomly like anti-aircraft fire. The spears scattered around miasma residue behind while possessing a terrific momentum that made the air roared.
Normally anyone would scream and also crouched down depending on the situation. Especially if it was children who weren't even ten years old yet.
However, Myuu and Hinata showed no sign of losing composure. If it was carnage then both of them had already experienced it. Their bearing was different from the run-of-the-mill children.
Seeing them made Moana and Koone to change their expression too. The unknown fate of the people of Siltrayte Kingdom, an encounter with an unknown monster where it was dubious if it was even a
At the same time, a black spear that burst out of the sea and flew up stopped in the air.
「As expected, it looks like it can't reach us when we're a kilometer high huh!」
Kouki said that while leaping toward the center of the deck in one go. He operated his bangle. A magic circle formed up on the deck.
It was a teleportation circle to the central of BD, the wheelhouse that was the sturdiest place in it.
The next moment, the field of vision of Myuu and others switched.
「I'm activating the camera. Moana, Koone, tell me what you think.」
The wheelhouse looked like one that could be found in a Middle Age's sailing ship. But, it was only in appearance.
Kouki ran toward the steering wheel that was placed on a higher floor at the ship's stern side of the room──not, but to the center of the room where a large table was placed.
He pushed the button that was right behind the edge of the table. A front part of the table flipped and a keyboard and display came out. Apparently it was a PC that was integrated into the table.
As expected, it would be inefficient to receive Kouki's investigation report only verbally and his recording data every time, so this PC was prepared so he could type a written report and sent it.
Kouki didn't use the keyboard and touched a part of the display that also functioned as touch panel. The wall, ceiling, and floor inside the room instantly projected the scenery outside as though they turned transparent.
It was the camera footage just like Kouki said. However, it wasn't a transparency function like in the observatory or the ship's bottom. It was projecting the image from external camera through midair projection display.
It was because the wheelhouse was designed to be specialized in defense using alloys made from azantium enchanted with various age of god magic. Even if space crushing magic "Quaking Sky" was hitting the room, it would hold as long as it was supplied with magic power.
※However nobody said that it could endure Yue's serious attack. Yue-sama's Quaking Sky evolved a step higher as the result of both sides getting stubborn during the endurance test. Hajime sat on the floor hugging his knees at the corner of the room, while Yue-sama was looking smug at that time.
「...Even if you ask us for our opinion, just as you can see Koone doesn't know anything except what Koone see.」
「Yes, it's the same with me. I never saw or heard about anything like that.」
Below, there was the monster swimming in high speed underwater right below the sea surface, following after the circling BD. It looked like a predator waiting for its prey to run out of strength and fell.
Also, it seemed that the miasma it was spouting didn't reach until BD's current altitude, so most likely around 600 meter was its limit. Even so the miasma at the low altitude was thickening as each second passed. The figure of the monster was gradually getting harder to see.
「Everything that is going on here is without any precedence. At the very least Synclea royal family doesn't have any information about anything that is even similar to that.」
「I wonder how is the sea's situation right now? If it's on land then the ground will turn into desert because of its blessing power getting stolen away, which would be easy to see but...」
They couldn't see such effect from this far. Was the vast amount of miasma taking away the sea's blessing power? If that was the case, it might be fine to call it practically limitless.
「At the very least, no matter how big that thing is, it's unthinkable that it can supply the amount of miasma to swallow the majority of an island country by itself.」
With those words, both Moana and Koone couldn't stop themselves from becoming aware. Their gaze naturally moved toward the island country that was swallowed by miasma everywhere they could see.
「In this state...Siltrayte is already...」
「No wonder there is no letter...」
It was despairing. It was clear to see even without them saying anything. Both Koone and Moana were making extremely pained expression.
There, the red jewel that was embedded on the wheelhouse's door lit up. It was a signal that there was someone at the other side of the door.
Aularodde who had expected that and stood near the door unlocked it. Five royal guards including Spenser came in.
「Kouki-dono, what's the situation?」
「I don't have any idea about that thing's identity. I'm currently asking Moana and Koone about it.」
Also it seemed the monster had no method to attack at enemy in this altitude. At the very least that was the case at the present time.
Spenser patted his chest in relieve hearing that. The other royal guards also regained a bit of color in their pale expression.
「Spenser-san and others too, if there is anything you know...」
「We have no idea at all」
Even a warrior with long military service like Spenser was trembling seeing the monster below through the camera. That trembling must be spurred on by the eeriness and bizarreness of how its figure was getting harder to see due to the miasma it was spouting, and how that miasma's range was gradually increasing.
「Kouki-oniisan, if we don't know anything how about trying to ask it? Nano」
「! That's...true.」
Kouki smiled wryly, thinking that he himself might be a little shaken while reaching toward the speaking tube that only looked ancient in its appearance──the tube looked like a hose made from elastic metal, with a switch to designate where the message would be sent to──that was attached on the table.
He brought it near his mouth like a walkie-talkie and looked below while opening his mouth.
『Who are you? Tell me your name.』
It was a high-handed question coming from Kouki. He couldn't show any weakness because he understood the disposition and sense of values of
However, there was no reply. Even though introducing themselves should be the greatest honor right next to victory for them whose purpose in life was combat.
『What's wrong? Is a warrior who achieved the destruction of a country unable to even introduce himself?』
Kouki felt suspicious, even so he intentionally tried to speak provocatively.
But, there was no reply as expected. The miasma below was already reaching a size of almost a kilometer in diameter, so it was like there were dark clouds in low altitude. That was why, the monster's appearance too was almost couldn't be seen, but even through the camera's zoom function and hero's sight there was no reaction at all that could be seen.
「...Is Dark Being in the sea an untalkative sort?」
「Perhaps it can't talk, no, can't hear because it's underwater?」
Koone and Moana looked toward Kouki.
「No, the speaker also have telepathy function so my voice should have reached it. For it to not even react means that it doesn't have any intention to talk from the start, I guess.」
It might be looking down at them, With that thought Kouki touched the bangle on his left wrist with his right hand.
If it was saying that there was no value to respond to their words because they were an opponent of little importance, he would show their strength to it.
In respond to the bangle's remote operation, the display on the table was quickly showing and erasing various displays related to weapons.
「Err, if I do this with that, after that...like this? No, this huh? Shit, it's convenient that you can do this instinctually, but it's still hard if you aren't used to it as expected huh.」
It was a device to operate BD using one's imagination through the use of soul magic. Rapid operation was possible became there was no need for precise chanting or buttons. Such function would be handy especially for battle, but in exchange it was difficult to operate it.
Kouki tried to control it only with his bangle without using the keyboard before him, in order to also make himself more familiar with it, but he couldn't deny that he was being really slow with it.
「Nngeez. Kouki-oniisan, if you want to practice then you should do it later nano!」
「Eh? Myuu-chan?」
Myuu puffed up her round cheeks and circled around to the other side of the table. And then she gave a hard kick on one of the table's legs.
A pane of the table instantly slid away and it rose out from there.
「Why!? Why is it P*5's controller!?」
I don't know about that! It wasn't explained to me! Kouki said with his eyes opened wide.
「Kouki-oniisan. Is it fine to threaten it with 120mm? Nano」
「Ah, yes.」
*Tap-tap-tap* Myuu clicked the buttons with brisk finger movement. One of the ancient looking cannons at the hull's side jutted out *gashon* and it swiveled to aim below.
At the same time, aiming marker appeared in the midair display. It was aimed below using the stick, the deviation from the swimming target was calculated──
「Targeted and firing! Nano!」
And *click*. The cannon looked like it was something from the Middle Age, in reality it was a tank cannon of romance. The beloved 120 mm shell was fired with a thunderous roar that filled the ear.
Nice aiming. The
「There're a lot of things I want to ask, like why are you even more used to control this ship than me? Or since when there is controller installed here? Or, above all else why didn't I know about it? But for now I'll keep quiet.」
「Kouki-sama, you already said everything.」
Kouki secretly resolved to fill his written report with a lot of complains while flicking the switch of the speaking tube again.
『You should understand our strength now. Now, say your name. That is if you still feel like to fight.』
Even more provocation on top of the display of strength.
Like this he thought that the Dark Being wouldn't be able to keep ignoring them as expected, but it seemed this Dark Being was also outside the common sense in the aspect of reacting to other.
──JaA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-
A weird shriek that sounded like hundreds, thousands of discordant sounds piled up over each other. They could only feel anger and hostility from it.
And then it replied with attack.
「What the...」
Huge black spears were fired from the sea of miasma cloud like a thick spear line. The thickness was like a squall that was reversed in its up and down.
The dark clouds of miasma must be to close the distance. If it couldn't reach the altitude of a thousand meters, it would simply expand its clouds of miasma until a position where it could reach, then moved its firing point to there. What a brute force method.
「Kouki-sama!」
「Kouki-dono!」
Koone and Spenser's voices were filled with fretfulness.
After all, the dark clouds below had the diameter of 1 km. No matter how fast BD was, and even though it could move freely at will no matter how sharp the turn it made due to the inertia and gravity control inside the wheelhouse, it wouldn't be able to escape from the firing range before the attack reached it.
Although,
「It's fine. We have barrier, and in the first place it won't hit us.」
He was already aware of the attack method of forming miasma in a distance and firing directly from there. Kouki hadn't forgotten his battle against the Dark King. He was on his guard from the start.
His slow operation of the weapon system was also because he was preparing for this in parallel. He immediately activated that function.
「──Activate "Short Range Teleportation"」
That incantation was accompanied with a faint shine from the dragon head at the ship's bow. Kouki made BD rapidly took off while manifesting a gigantic membrane of light──"Gate" in front of it.
The ship came out outside the range of the dark clouds. Furthermore it was underwater.
The area there was dark because the miasma above the water was blocking the sunlight, even so it was easier to see the monster's figure from there than from above the sea. They could see a gigantic silhouette around the sea surface diagonally above in front of them. The ship had completely moved behind it.
For some reason the tentacles' movement looked lively to them. The tentacles were stretched far away to every direction and also swiveling busily around its gigantic body. It seemed that it was desperately searching after losing sight of them.
「Looks like it doesn't have any intention of letting us get away.」
「Kouki...」
「Kouki-sama...」
Moana and Kouki were looking at Kouki with some glare in their gaze. Of course, it wasn't that they were feeling angry toward him. Their gaze was a type of pleading.
「Yeah. There might still be survivors in Siltrayte Kingdom. ...This guy can't be left unchecked.」
He said that and made a decision with his own will even while taking the two's feeling into account.
There was no doubt that this abnormal monster had driven the island country into destruction. If there were still people surviving within that despairing situation, they would need rescue as soon as possible.
There was no time to leisurely ascertain the monster's true identity or leeway to capture and interrogate it. Attempting to persistently talk with it was out of the question.
That was why, while also taking into account the two's feeling of "Please avenge Siltrayte", Kouki made a decision on his own will.
「An unarmed vehicle is dangerous. At that time I thought that he was spouting some insane idea again but...」
There, see, it's necessary right? The demon king's smug face flashed at the back of his mind. Even though he was feeling a smidgen of frustration, Kouki operated his bangle once more.
「Myuu-chan, I'll take back the control.」
「Is that alright?」
「Yeah. From here on it'll be my role.」
He would kill it. Even if the opponent was an enemy who wouldn't respond to conversation, there was no way he could allow for a child to take another's life in his place while he himself was present there.
It was great that the enemy still hadn't detected them. Kouki concentrated deeply and carefully activated the weapons he was thinking of, one by one.
The side of the black dragon part slid open. Eight spots opened at just its single side──there were sixteen spots in total.
「Ku-chan! Hina-chan! Prepare for impact and cruel reality nano!」
「「Eh?」」
By the way, the wheelhouse was designed so that impact wouldn't be transmitted inside it. But, naturally it wouldn't protect anyone inside from the mental impact of watching filthy firework.
At the same time with Myuu's warning, sixteen torpedoes were fired out with surprising silence. All of them had the painting of a grinning shark with bared fangs painted on their head.
「I won't ask for forgiveness. This is my choice.」
Kouki looked up to the monster at the sea surface with a solemn face.
The torpedoes swam not using propeller or even jet, but by creating water stream themselves. They were truly silent killers inside this sea where its creatures relied on sound.
When the monster noticed the sixteen silhouettes approaching it silently but swiftly from below, everything was already too late.
「「「「「Uooh!?」」」」」
「「Kyaaah」」
The former came from Spenser and other royal guards, while the latter came from Koone and Hinata.
Even though they didn't feel any impact, the gruesome result from behind the camera screen apparently made their body reacted automatically.
It couldn't be helped.
The sea was compressed in a way that made it looked like the trick of the eye. The space warped like jelly with the monster at the center, then right after that it expanded out explosively. The sea was blown away instantly.
The warhead pulverized the target without letting it got away using the impact of space compression and decompression.
No matter how outrageously huge the monster was, ten torpedoes spread out to surround it while the remaining six hit it from below. The effective range had completely swallowed it whole.
「Hey, Kouki. Demon king-sama, doesn't want to make Kouki ivade other worlds doesn't he?」
Despite his resolve, Kouki hadn't gotten used to killing at the slightest. As expected, he was watching the sight with tightly knitted eyebrows. Seeing that Moana asked him half-jokingly and half-seriously.
「...Y-yeah, I think. According to the person himself, apparently he has "filled this ship with the minimum required standard to make it a safe vehicle". For that guy, this much is still just in the level of "barely safe".」
「Just what is the definition of safety?」
Kouki nodded with an expression that really didn't know what to say. Of course, the expressions of Spenser and others were greatly convulsing.
「Although, as expected this amount is just excessive huh. I fired as many as possible simultaneously in case it tried to defend using some kind of unknown method.」
As far as he could see, it seemed that nothing was remaining of the monster. Apparently there wasn't even a scrap to mark its watery grave.
「Umm, Kouki-sama. Normally something like spatial interference is impossible to do. It's everyone of Nagumo family who is abnormal.」
That's why, doing overkill with the demon king family as the standard was just...Aularodde chided.
Although.
The opponents that Kouki faced recently were the divinity class of the fairy world and Mother and her robot soldiers in the machine world.
The former were existences that were born from legends of other worlds, so divinity who could normally interfere with space were walking around in droves, while the latter too was a world where it was possible to do something in the level of age of god magic normally using science.
And if he went further, the named demons from the hell world could also use such thing.
「No, isn't existence that can use it, is relatively a lot?」
「...Now that you mentioned it, that's true.」
The divinity class of the fairy world who was born from human's imagination and faith. The power of science that was created from human's tireless inquisitive mind. Furthermore, considering that the demons in the hell world were originally humans from the age of myth...
「Human's scary-」
Aularodde-san unconsciously muttered. She hugged her own body and shivered.
But putting that aside.
「The miasmashouki also got blown away nano! As expected a sunny sea is the prettiest nano!」
「Eh? The sanityshouki too? Ah, you mean miasma? But, Myuu-chan. Should I say that the sea surface is raging greatly...I am afraid, this, might create tsunami later on...」
Hinata-chan was always sharp no matter the situation. Kouki hurriedly made BD surfaced.
The sea surface that was blown up by the impact was greatly collapsing down. Sea water flooded in to fill the empty space which made the sea surface even choppier.
Certainly it felt like a tsunami would be formed. BD was flying using gravity control and it approached the sea surface to attempt to settle down the waves forcefully using gravity field.
「? Kouki-dono...the monster is undoubtedly defeated isn't it?」
「Eh? It should be...Spenser-san, is there something bothering──」
Kouki, and also Moana and others also noticed while he was asking.
「What's the meaning of this? Siltrayte's miasma...hasn't cleared up?」
The island country was still being enveloped in miasma.
If a
But, the miasma at the very least wouldn't be able to resist the shockwave and wind. The miasma should be dispersing because its controller was gone.
And yet, the miasma that was covering Siltrayte was still there in its dome shape. Even though the shockwave from the space distortion warhead should have definitely reach it, the coastline was still not visible like before.
In other words.
「That's...tsu」
「Kouki-sama! Zoom it!」
Kouki zoomed the camera so the scenery that the hero's high-spec eyes had seen was also shared with Koone and others.
What came into sight were countless tentacles coming out from inside the miasma as though they were crawling on the sea surface. No, that was──
「Are they, snakes? They are like saloupa...」
Hinata said while narrowing her eyes gravely. It was just as she said, it was a swarm of hundreds, thousands of snakes. If details like the aura covering them and their size that was in different level were excluded, they certainly would look strikingly similar with the friend at sea for human──the large sea snakesaloupa that was introduced to them at Parablerro.
「Could it be, the monster just now, was made from those children combining into one nano?」
「Tsu, Myuu-chan, it looks like you hit the bull's eye.」
The saloupa-lookalikes were gradually, gradually entwining with each other the further they advanced out of the coastline. It was hard to see with the miasma covering them, but it was clear as day from watching the process.
「Kouki-sama, what should we do?」
Kouki couldn't answer Koone's question. In exchange he took the voice pipe once more.
『Surrender! I repeat, surrender! All of you should have seen how overwhelming our strength is! If you all still wish to fight even then, we will begin a battle of extermination against you!』
He wasn't thinking of any naïve thought of offering mercy even after things reached this point.
But, seeing that the enemy was like a colony, Kouki thought that things would be resolved faster if the enemies surrendered and removed the miasma on their own rather than doing an extermination battle while they still didn't know how many of it still remained throughout the island. He tried calling out for their surrender again just because there was nothing to lose by trying.
In addition, there was one more thing.
「Kouki, asking for Dark Being to surrender is...」
「I know, Moana.」
With the eyes that had hero spec and zoom function, and thanks to the enemies still being separated from each other, Kouki could see the enemies' eyes which made him felt a terrible discomfort. Based from what he saw, he felt that every single specimen was different somehow compared to the
『Say your name if you have any pride as a warrior!』
He asked, once more. If it was Dark Being that prized honor as ruler then there was no way they would stay quiet when their enemy told them 「You have no shame. You aren't a warrior」.
But, what came back in respond was,
──Jaa-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-
As expected it was only shrieks that were like a concentration of discomfort. There was no specimen among them that responded back as a mere individual.
Anger could be felt. The hostility was tremendous. To a degree that those emotions were conceived even from behind the camera.
But, that anger wasn't because their pride was trampled. Surely it was because Kouki had blown away a part of them.
What's more, it wasn't anger from feeling of camaraderie. Kouki couldn't help but feel like it was pure anger as though he had attacked them personally.
And most of all, even though he had erased a colony that gigantic all at once, the enemies still charged forward without any hint of tactic in their action. It was as though...
「Kouki-dono...are those, really Dark Beings?」
Spenser spoke his doubt with a hoarse voice. He was representing what everyone here was thinking.
「...Yeah, this is the source of my uneasiness.」
「Kouki-sama? What do you mean?」
Kouki put down the voice pipe. Koone asked him to confirm the answer that the others had also half arrived at.
「Seeing their eyes made me thought. ──I don't understand their will.」
They must have "will". They also had emotion. But, he didn't feel from those saloupa-lookalikes the clear "will" that he felt from all Dark Beings.
I'll be the one who become the ruler. I'm obeying the Dark King right now but I'll definitely grasp a special position! Achievement! Honor! I'll make my military exploit to thunder all over the world! Such will and determination that Dark Beings burned their life for couldn't be felt from those snakes.
Kouki felt slightly confused, even so he ran his gaze on Moana and others for a second. Then he spoke his conclusion.
「Those...aren't Dark Being. They're just animal with the same ability.」
Was such thing possible?
It was similar with living together with miasma that should be a deadly poison for living creature. Both were similarly abnormal. Then in the end, which one was strange? Was it
Unprecedented things kept happening one after another. Koone and others felt like their head would burst.
「In any case, what we must do remain the same.」
The bangle shined. The black dragon's jaw opened to fire the sunlight laser. A total of twelve ports to launch missile opened on its back. The cannons at both sides of the hull also got aimed toward the target. Various types of heavy weapon like Vulcan or rocket were also on standby. In addition magic circles of age of god magic were forming on the ship's bow, stern, and bottom.
「Myuu-chan──」
「It's fine nano. Myuu will evacuate directly to the palace using gate in emergency nano. Myuu won't leave Ku-chan and Hina-chan's side.」
A key was held in Myuu's hand. It was tinged faintly with crimson light. It was in a state that could activate anytime.
「K-Koone can't possibly leave from here! As the queen of Synclea, Koone can't possibly turn her back on this situation, and most of all toward Siltrayte that might need reinforcement!」
Even Koone said that she had no intention to evacuate.
Kouki's expression turned troubled.
A completely unforeseen situation had occurred. And most of all he wanted to prevent the young children from seeing the state of Siltrayte. If possible he wanted them to evacuate to Synclea's palace right now but...
「I'm also thinking of searching for survivor. If there's any, they might be in a horrendous──」
「Kouki-oniisan」
Myuu had no atmosphere of curiosity or even indignation from feeling left out. In her eyes were determination and resolve. Hinata beside her also looked the same. She was looking at Kouki with a straightforward gaze.
「We won't get in the way nano. When push comes to shove Myuu will take Ku-chan to run away even if Myuu need to carry her on Myuu's shoulder. But, as long as Ku-chan wish it, Myuu want to be with her at where she wish to be.」
「Myuu-chan...」
Apparently her decision to remain was made after thinking of Koone's feeling from the start. Kouki didn't know what to say to persuade her after she said that. Conversely Myuu didn't let go of that chance and made an additional persuasion.
「Besides, nano. Kouki-oniisan, to begin with」
「Hm?」
「There's no place safer than this wheelhouse nano. This is unknown enemy right? There's no guarantee that they won't sense us teleporting and chase us until the palace nano. It's something that mister Dark King could do so Myuu think it's possible. If Kouki-oniisan said that you weren't near us...papa, will be super ang──」
「Thank you for the appropriate decision, Myuu-chan! Everything from start to finish is exactly as you say! It's better that you are here!」
A hero who lost an argument against a six years old girl.
The tense atmosphere loosened up a little. Kouki pretended to not notice the lukewarm gazes from Moana and others and turned forward.
Countless saloupa-lookalikes were crawling out from the island. They were forming the second monster with astonishing speed.
「Nagumo, I'm thanking you at least for this. Without this, just how much time would be wasted to break through here...」
He was muttering to himself while aiming all the weapons toward the monster and making BD ascended.
And then,
「I pray that as many people as possible survive even if just by one more.」
Kouki prayed as he unleashed the full power of the demon king's quality products.
The last day of the scheduled trip──the seventh day's morning sun was gradually climbing to the zenith from low position. In other words, it was around the time a whole day almost passed facing against those saloupa-looklike monster.
Currently BD was mooring on a cliff top at the north side's coast of the island where Siltrayte Kingdom was located. There was nearly 200 meters of distance until the sea surface, so it was possible to take an unbroken view of the sea at the northern side from there.
It was truly peaceful. Even the sky was so sunny to a hateful degree.
It was unthinkable that tens of thousands of huge snakes were lurking and scattering miasma in there just a day ago.
However, speaking of the inside of BD that had exterminated those saloupa-look alike monsters, the atmosphere was far from being bright. The word "mournful" was perfect to describe it. The inner thought of anyone other than Myuu and Hinata were especially dark that the word cloudy had to be replaced with dark cloud to describe their feeling.
「This is just to be expected...but, still」
Moana was planting herself deeply on the wheelhouse's sofa while bringing her steamy mug to her lips. It was filled with hot milk tea. It was the drink that she liked the most during her stay in Japan.
The light sweetness and faint bitterness speed into her gloomy heart.
Beside her was Koone, holding a mug filled with the same beverage like her sister, however, she didn't drink it and only continued to stare fixedly into it. It could also be said that she was hanging her head.
Spenser and others who were continuing to be on their guard just in case while focusing their gaze to the image of the external camera were also looking gloomy.
The reason needn't be said.
After taking care of the saloupa-lookalikes that numbered so great it felt foolish to even try counting them, the miasma over the island finally cleared up. Kouki and others spent the whole night going around the island.
It was to search for anything alive. The saloupa-lookalike, and also the human survivor.
But, the result was just as expected perhaps.
It was something they already guessed when they saw the thick miasma covering the whole island, but the number of survivor──was zero.
Originally,
The former Siltrayte Kingdom, from its capital at the center until the fishing village at the coast had been overran. The nature was turned into sand, and not to mention human, even animals were exterminated thoroughly.
Kouki and others hoped that perhaps there were people still waiting for rescue in places like underground shelter for emergency evacuation or deserted place like in the few mountainous regions on the island, so they kept searching without rest but...
BD's functions──various kinds of sensor to detect heat, presence, the energy that corresponded to the current world (like blessing power if it was in the desert world), soul, sound, etc were working in full force, and yet it could only detect the few remaining saloupa-lookalike remnant.
It was an investigation in wide range through the sky with age of god magic used to search until deep underground. Because of its title as a research ship, Hajime put much effort especially for those functions.
It was to the degree that unless someone was a divinity or greater demon then it would be impossible to sneak past it.
In fact, no matter where the saloupa-lookalikes were trying to hide, the sensors found them all without exception and they were taken down with certainty. At first BD circled the outer edge of the island while gradually going inland in a spiraling route. During the process it also left behind relay sensors that could do remote sensing so at the very least it seemed that it was certain all the monsters had been exterminated unless there was specimen that ran away immediately during the battle.
In short, if not a single human or animal couldn't be detected even now──
Siltrayte Kingdom was ruined. That was the hard truth.
That cold fact had more than enough strength to pummel Koone and others badly.
「Ku-chan」
Myuu who was sitting on a chair across the sofa called out apprehensively. Hinata who was beside her was also looking at Koone with a gaze filled with grief.
Koone weakly lifted up her face. She showed a faint smile that looked troubled, as though she was forcing herself to smile.
「I'm sorry, Mi-chan, Hi-chan. Even though you two have taken the trouble to travel here, you got dragged into something like this instead...if only Koone didn't ask to stop by here...」
Myuu couldn't hold back and ran toward Koone and hugged her head tightly.
「There's nothing to feel guilty about nano. If you apologize again then Myuu'll tie your twintails into dead knots so you'll never be able to untie it again, so prepare yourself nano.」
「Tsu, that...will put Koone in a binddd」
Hinata slowly approached. She sat down at the opposite side of Moana and placed her hand over Koone's hand that was holding the mug.
「We think that it is fortunate instead that we are able to stay at Ku-chan's side during this kind of time. That is why, please do not force yourself to smile.」
「Hi-chan...」
The rhythmical sound of Myuu's beating heart and the warmth that was mysteriously transmitted to her from Hinata's hand made Koone's completely sinking heart to float up a little.
Strength left Koone's body as she let herself be spoiled by her friends.
Seeing that scene made the stiff expressions of Moana and Spenser and the others to relax slightly too.
「I wonder if Kouki will get back soon...」
Moana turned her gaze toward the external camera. It seemed that the atmosphere made her longed for him.
Yes, Kouki actually wasn't there. Aularodde too. Just to make sure, the two rode one of the Grim Gryphons stored inside BD to head to the half-destroyed capital.
There were two reasons why only the two of them went.
The Synclea group was tired mentally, while Myuu and Hinata were still children. They had also stayed up the whole night so they required rest. Also, Kouki didn't want Myuu and Hinata to see a lot of corpses within touching distance.
Everyone was already seeing the disastrous scene below when searching using their own eyes (through various functions like transparent ship's bilge and zoom function). Perhaps this was just a needless consideration considering the experiences that the two had gone through until now, but it was something that Kouki couldn't concede.
Spenser replied to Moana's muttering that she was saying to herself.
「The royal family of Siltrayte is also users of heaven's blessing art. The possibility that they were able to slip through our search cannot be discarded...if we also take into consideration the possibility of special environment that can be used as emergency evacuation place like Synclea's lake, it might take them a bit long to completely search the place.」
「That's true...it'll also depend on whether Aularodde can accomplish her role properly.」
It would be great if she didn't fall into her hopeless state again, Moana said jokingly with a wry smile. Spenser and others also replied with a faint smile to that.
She was a former goddess no matter how rotten she was. Even if she was in a different world, her ability in detecting the presence of life was extremely excellent. If she touched the ground, she would be able to trace the flow of energy of the respective world to anywhere. And if she had the time she could even interfere with it.
And most of all, Aularodde had a unique ability that no goddess of other world possessed.
Conception.
Unseen energy that existed in all world──human's thought.
It was what made the fairy world as it was. It was something that could only be sensed by the goddess of the fairy world.
If there was survivor in Siltrayte, they would definitely pray during their despair. To the one who brought about miracle, the legendary existence──to Foltina.
No matter how skillful their hiding method was, even if the age of god magic couldn't detect them, Aularodde would be able to sense that "feeling". Because even though she had stepped down from her seat as goddess, that ability had already taken root inside her soul.
Of course, with her being in a different world, the range of that sensing ability had limit. There was also a case where the target might be unconscious. In that case, her precision would decrease the further the distance was.
That was why Kouki was accompanying her.
「Mu? It seems they're returning faster than expected.」
Spenser saw a black dot projected from the external camera. His lips relaxed slightly.
The black dot was gradually growing bigger. The figure of Kouki riding on gryphon was becoming clearer. Aularodde was also riding behind him. They didn't look injured or anything.
A relieved atmosphere flowed inside the room. The gryphon landed on the deck before long. The gryphon then got transferred to the ship's hangar while Kouki and Aularodde got teleported directly to the wheelhouse.
「Welcome back, Kouki. Aularodde too.」
「We're back Moana.」
「We have returned.」
Kouki and Aularodde's expression was──poor. It eloquently told them more than word could that they didn't find the result they were hoping for.
「Kouki-sama. Thank you for taking your time from your original objective to give it your all for this. It's enough already.」
「Koone...yeah, I don't think there's anything more we can do here.」
Kouki threw himself heavily on a chair near the wall with a solemn expression. Moana briskly prepared drink both for him and Aularodde and handed it to them.
「Let me say thank you too, Kouki, Aula.」
Both took a sip of the warm milk tea. The gentle sweetness loosened up their expression.
A second later, Kouki matched his gaze with Aularodde's gaze. Aularodde nodded.
「What's wrong Kouki? Was there something concerning you?」
「Yes, I think. There was something that bothered me a little. You guys also saw the half destroyed palace from the sky right? The west side was greatly crumbling with only the east side has some buildings remaining. Inside that east side...how should I say it, it wasn't destroyed...」
「Well, that's, you mean that it's only half destroyed right?」
Moana looked bewildered. Aularodde opened her mouth to add to Kouki's words.
「While searching, most of the corpses we saw from the sky had turned into skeleton. In other words, I estimated that quite some time has passed since the attack.」
「...Yes, that's true. The number of the corpses themselves is few but, there were that many snake monsters. Surely the majority of the people got swallowed whole.」
「Perhaps. But, a considerable number of the populace should have escaped to the palace. We managed to find a place that seemed to be the evacuation shelter. There were traces of people living there to show that.」
「That's natural. If it's a danger to the whole country then the safest place would be the palace. Koone understand that should be the same for any country.」
So in the end what was bothering the two of them? Koone thought while tilting her head. Both Aularodde and Kouki were looking similarly troubled. Kouki opened his mouth once more.
「There wasn't any sign of violence there. Neither sign of the door getting destroyed, nor any sign of fighting in the corridor and on the wall...the place was a bit dirty though.」
「That's...strange. Normally, if a solid wall broke down, the enemy would invade from there.」
Spenser tilted his head. Moana and others also looked like they understood what he wanted to say. Their eyes shined with hope for a moment, but then they remembered the fact that Kouki and Aularodde returned with empty hand and their confusion deepened.
「By the way, we didn't find any skeleton inside the shelter.」
「The saloupa-lookalikes didn't attack the room, and they also didn't die from hunger in the end of a siege? Just what happened?」
Aularodde's additional explanation made Moana and others to look even more confused.
Kouki's expression was vague as though he didn't know what to say. Moana and Spenser guessed from that expression and reached the same thinking with Kouki, at the same time Myuu and Hinata spoke up.
「Could it be, they went out to have the last battle...or something?」
「...Or perhaps, they gambled on their last ray of hope and attempted to escape from the island?」
「Perhaps so.」
「If, if that was the case! It's unthinkable that even the children would also go out to fight, so their last battle would be just a diversion so the non-combatants could escape──no, it's pointless even if we try guessing it now.」
Koone stood up with sparkling eyes. She was about to suggest to look if there was another island nearby and search for survivor there. But that sparkle immediately vanished. Her expression became as vague as Kouki and Aularodde.
「The possibility isn't zero. But, it's exceedingly close to zero. After all those saloupa-lookalikes had surrounded this island.」
Moana went out of her way to speak what everyone had noticed. It must be her consideration as a big sister. Moana gently caressed Koone's head while speaking up the realistic conjecture.
In the first place, if they were hoping for a definite rescue then they should head toward Synclea rather than a nearby island. However, there was no report of any such evacuees drifting ashore from the coastal territory.
It was understandable why Kouki and Aularodde were putting on a vague expression. This was a talk that couldn't even be called hopeful.
「Should we, try searching the nearby island?」
Kouki asked. His gaze was turned toward Koone. Koone hesitated just for a little bit before she shook her head.
「We don't know the precise location of the surrounding islands. The searching range would be too vast.」
「Ku-chan, if you're worried about us then you don't need to nano.」
「Yes, if it is sightseeing then we have enjoyed it enough. Please speak out what do you want to do without holding back.」
Koone smiled happily at her two friends' consideration even while shaking her head.
「There are too many things that we don't understand. There's no guarantee that there wouldn't be the second or third monster. Then, Koone think what we should prioritize right now is to gather information.」
Koone said that and looked toward Kouki next. Kouki guessed what she was thinking and nodded.
「Yes, I also think so. What is that thing, and is there any more? Is similar danger approaching Synclea? Seeing that we have an idea of someone who can answer those questions, I think it'll be more effective if we prioritize that first.」
「Besides if it's the goddess, then she'll surely be able to question the soul of the world she is managing. It's unknown if the goddess herself is currently weakened or not but...if there's actually survivor, it's highly probable that the goddess would be able to specify their location.」
「I see. Certainly, if it's Foltina-sama then she might be able to tell us all the answers.」
Kouki looked around and confirmed that there was no objection. Affirmative nods returned back to him.
「Yosh, it's decided then. We'll prioritize having a meeting with Foltina-sama just like we planned from the start.」
Kouki operated the bangle to make BD ascend. At the same time he took out the tree compass from his pocket and stood in front of the steering wheel.
Right beside the steering wheel, there was a pedestal at waist height that looked like a conductor's music stand. There was a hollow at the middle with magic circle drawn over it.
As soon as Kouki inserted the compass into that hollow, the magic circle lighted up with crimson light.
「We're going to teleport in one go to there. Is everyone prepared?」
At first they were cruising over the sea mostly as an extension of their sightseeing. Actually it was possible to teleport right to the Blessing Tree's location using the tree compass and the ship's teleportation ability.
Myuu and Hinata immediately replied with 「Yes!」 to Kouki's question.
Koone and Moana, and then Spenser and others held their tongue for a little. They stared at the ruined Siltrayte Kingdom through the camera display to burn the sight into their memory.
Koone stepped forward. She traced the midair projection display with her slender finger. Naturally she didn't feel anything at the part she touched. Her finger passed through the image.
She took a deep breath.
Koone took a step back and put a hand over her chest as she closed her eyes.
「My brethren at the other side of the sea.」
Moana and others guessed her intention and made the same gesture behind Koone.
「I pray, that your souls shall return safely to nature under Foltina-sama's guidance. Please rest in peace.」
The queen's prayer made Myuu and Hinata, and also Aularodde who could sense that pure feeling better than anyone else to close their eyes too.
「Kouki-sama」
Koone opened her eyes after a short while and nodded with the face of a queen.
「Let's depart. To where the goddess who know everything about this world is living.」
Kouki also nodded back, then BD departed right after that. It flew into the shining gate before it.
And then.
『!!!?』
「「「「「「!?!?!?!?!?」」」」」」
A heinous looking face right in front of them.
To be more accurate, the moment their view changed, that face was displayed in extreme close-up from the front camera.
Jaw that had sharp fangs lined up, scales that looked extremely hard, gigantic body that was clad in miasma, spread out wings. And then, eyes that widened to the limit.
It was undoubtedly a gigantic black dragon that was equally big to BD!
Too close. Evasion was impossible.
Kouki told himself that they should be fine with the barrier while desperately turning the rudder. He was screaming 「TURNNNNNNNNNNN–!!」 inside his heart while the others were spontaneously yelling in surprise──
「「「「「UWAAAAAAAAAAH!?」」」」」
「「「KYAAAAAAAH!?」」」
「HIEEEEEEEEEEH!?」
──GYAAAAAAAAAAH!?
It felt like the black dragon was also screaming (?).
It was a miracle. At the same time when BD turned to right, the dragon turned to the left with an expression that could be seen somewhat as desperate.
They passed each other with both sides turning to the opposite side and showing their stomach to each other. The black dragon's leg and the barrier on BD's bottom were scratching each other with *GAGAGA* sound.
It was a really close and also miraculous simultaneous godly evasion. The feeling was like that. When two fighter jets in a dog fight that were in a course for head-on collision passed each other.
BD glided in the air before turning around in a maneuver that was like half a drift. It then stopped moving.
The black dragon also turned around and flapped its wings once. It hovered in place and faced BD.
Was it just their imagination?
「Doesn't it feels like, that Black Dragon is super surprised?」
Perhaps, Myuu was spot on.
That form that was clad in miasma. Even though its appearance was the very definition of evil dragon, its eyes looked completely shaken. Its limbs were being fidgety.
Hinata spoke while her hand was pressed on her chest that was still pounding really fast.
「P-perhaps this situation, from the perspective of the other side, it is like even though it should be flying through a sky where there was nothing else as far as the eye could see, suddenly a black dragon that looked really similar with itself appeared right in front of its eyes.」
Certainly. It must be startled from that. It would go What in the worlddd!?. That would be how it reacted even if it was the same unprecedented monster like the saloupa-lookalikes.
『A, aa~, sorry to startle you? Can you understand my words?』
Kouki tried addressing it for now. Was it a Dark Being, or else a monster?
The answer was,
──GURaAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Pure fury and hostility. There was no more confusion and bewilderment toward BD in its eyes. Sure enough, it also showed no sign of responding with word.
Everyone looked around. They saw no great tree that pierced the sky.
What they could see was only a desert below, the sky, and then the black dragon that was scattering miasma everywhere.
It seemed that what was waiting for them at their teleportation destination was another type of monster instead of the Blessing Tree.