Stage 23: The invasion of the holy army.

On the northern shores of the Alberon empire, the light sea breeze beats the sails of the ships stranded in the docks, before the parade of the multitude of workers who upload the supplies to the holds while the army officers supervise the assembly of weapons on the hulls of ships.

Since the Medea Forest incident, exactly nine months have passed, and since the imperial edict was issued to march to war, families have spent whole weeks saying goodbye to their husbands, brothers and children who receive the blessing of the emissaries of the holy headquarters, ready to take up arms for the glory of the faith.

The Coalition Army, this is how the deployed operation was baptized with men of all nationalities who appeared before the announcement sanctioned by the ecclesiastical authority. Although among the murmurs of the bars in the port, an additional name was imposed on them in a mocking tone by some dissidents: holy army.

The church of the cult of the goddess Artemis, despite having millions of followers throughout the continent, could not escape the gaze of dissent. Men and women who did not trust the sweetened words coming from the clerics and priestesses at the service of the holy church. Well, they were fully aware that those individuals held the banner of faith, only for personal interest and hunger for power.

"Prince Maximus, the captain of the flagship has confirmed to me that the preparations for the armored ships have been completed. We are just waiting for Prince Leopoldo to arrive at the port to start the deployment." – With a navigation chart resting on some wooden crates on the pier, the prince of Ephesus turned his gaze to his lieutenant, nodding silently as he went back again to inspect the sea routes.

Considering that this would be his first military foray as the future monarch of the kingdom, Maximus felt on his shoulders the enormous weight of responsibility that the subjects of his nation expected of him.

- "As much as I try to find a route that avoids the sea beasts, almost all the tributaries in the North Sea are infested with them. As if something had caused them and the reports from the merchant ships are all a disaster. How do you want us to make inroads in just three months with these conditions?" – Grinding his teeth with courage, the prince clutched in his hand a fine gold locket where he carried the only available portrait of the late queen. Caressing the surface of the lid with his thumb, the young man placed that amulet on his forehead, murmuring to his mother for inspiration in order to have the clarity of thought to solve that crossroads.

- "Looking for answers in a sentence? I see why they usually call him the redeemed prince" - Resting his thick hand on the metal of the armor on the prince's shoulder, Rubelius smiled with an expression of sincerity in his words, trying to convey some tranquility in the troubled young man who let escape a slight laugh from his lips when listening to the monarch.

- "You could say I'm praying to a goddess, but I don't think it's the one you have in mind. Lord Rubelius "

- "Ha, ha, ha, ha. Boy, you're lucky I'm not devoted to the goddess cult or rest assured you'd be ousted from your race for the throne."

- "I may be young and inexperienced in some subjects, but rest assured that I do not speak lightly in front of strangers. I'm only like that with people who are trustworthy" – Rubelius 's face changed in the expression of his eyes, plunged into astonishment at the unexpected response from Prince Maximus. That young man who had experienced all kinds of betrayals and lies by the nobles of his kingdom, managed to overcome those adversities due to his ability to read the environment after losing many valuable people to him.

Being aware of the situation the young man was facing, King Rubelius welcomed the prince's vote of confidence, bowing his face in reverence acknowledging him as one of his peers.

- "It is an honor for me, that you consider me as someone in whom you can trust your neck. little prince"

- "A greater honor is for me that a man as wise as you, bet on a black horse like me" - Laughing in the heat of the camaraderie, the rulers shared their views on the navigation routes for the military expedition. Exchanging opinions with his closest men, finding a solution for the predicament in which they found themselves until a few days ago.

- "Finally! With this we can begin our advance over the northern seas to reach the Eunice shoreline in two months. One month ahead of schedule and it's all thanks to you King Rubelius "

- "No boy, it was the work of two great minds combined that made this possible" – With the looks of their subordinates a bit sarcastic, the officers only shook their heads with a smile at the behavior of their proud king.

- "Officers in port, get ready and prepare weapons for review, the delegation of the Holy See is arriving at the place" - With the sound of the reveille, the lookouts on the dock announced the march of the cavalry that was escorting the small committee coming from the holy city.

Mounted on a brown horse with the emblem on its reins of the empire of Alberon , Prince Leopold wore the dark blue military dress uniform accompanied by a bright red sash, typical of imperial etiquette. While next to him, riding a white horse with the emblems of the Holy See, Cardinal Asmodeus pulled the reins of his neighing horse, raising its front legs, stopping its march.

As he got off his steed, the cardinal walked leading the way in front of him, while those present bent their knees with their faces lowered as a sign of respect for the emissary of the goddess.

- "My lords, raise your heads and stand up. Today I do not come as an emissary of the goddess to worship, but as a soldier like you, lending my sword for a just cause to fight" - With a fake smile on his face, Asmodeus 's expression looked so Cold as always, making more than one of those present feel that their blood ran cold just by looking at that ruthless man.

- " Asmodeus , take me to Prince Maximus" – With that mischievous glint in his eyes, Leopold stood next to the cardinal, who gave him a disapproving look as he tried to keep up appearances in front of the crowd. Beginning their advance along the pier while they talked in a low voice.

- "You are being too arrogant little creature. Remember who it was that saved you from your soul being destroyed and brought you here. When did you even dream of becoming a prince in your past life?"

- "It's true, but what's the use of being a prince only by title if I can't pretend authority. Don't you think I could be considered a wimp if I just act like a puppet in front of you? Also , there should be some benefit to it if I have to consider the fact that I have to pair up with that stupid brat. "

- " Mmmm , I see that what Beatriz told me was true. Is Princess Lucretia too impulsive?" – With a mocking smile, Asmodeus covered his lips with the tips of his fingers, directing a cold look at the young man. Who clicked her tongue crossing her arms while keeping up with her pace.

- "Better tell me if she is in our destination. Will I be able to meet Amelia? My only motivation is to get my hands on the heretic princess" – With the unhealthy glint in his eyes, Prince Leopold seemed injected with rage when pronouncing the princess's name, as if he were suddenly the culprit of his evil.

- "According to what my spies have informed me, the heiress of the nation of Eunice left her palace precisely to meet the heretic. So rest assured that by the time we reach the enemy kingdom, those bitches will come to us" – Asmodeus 's face seemed anxious, as if he coveted the moment to meet again with the woman who had embarrassed him during the battle in the forest. Medea. That incident had not only hurt his pride as an ancestral draconic , but in addition, in the exchange of attacks his curiosity was fueled due to the particular divine essence that he could smell in the young woman's blood.

- "Greetings, Prince Leopoldo. And welcome to you, Your Excellency ; as you can see, we are ready to set off for the nation of Eunice." – Placing his right arm with his body slightly inclined to bow, Prince Maximus could not take his eyes off the ruler of the Alberon empire .

With a very different demeanor than what she had heard of him before, the image of a timid prince was of course the last thing anyone would ever consider if he were on their minds. With a proud air as if he considered his counterpart inferior, Leopoldo barely answered the formality of the greeting with a curt gesture of his hand. Leaving Prince Maximus with his hand outstretched, who pursed his lips with the expression on his face enduring embarrassment.

- "If someone else told me, I could accuse him of being a liar. But since I have seen it with my own eyes, I am sure that this young man is not the prince that I got to know in the past" - Caressing his beard with a frown in his eyes, Rubelios did not hide his discontent at the lack of seriousness with the one that the crown prince of the empire wore. She harbored a subtle doubt inside her, which little by little began to eat away at her mind when she remembered the words with which her good friend Emperor Alexander entrusted her care.

- "It was already too much that he was close to that snake of Beatriz; I always thought that that insufferable woman would end up affecting his character, but now with Asmodeus 's mad dog, even if I wanted to go over and ask the boy, I doubt he would answer me honestly."

- "King Rubelius , we do not know what has happened in the empire since the departure of Princess Amelia. But one thing is for sure, during the raid I want to ask you not to take your eyes off Asmodeus ' behavior . There is something I don't like about the cardinal and I have a feeling that it could bring us a bigger problem in the mission."

- "Oh, I see that you also distrust that unhappy man! Take it for granted, young prince, this old man hasn't been able to take the reins of a nation full of barbarians for a reason" – Slapping him hard on the back, almost on the verge of knocking him over the boxes, Rubelius smiled at Maximus as he he would call one of his men to give him precise instructions during the course of the trip.

- "Be more careful, you vulgar thing! That baggage has too valuable items for a miserable peasant like you to mistreat them!"

- "Im sorry lady! I'm going to lift it up" – A little distant from the prince, a scandal was formed on the pier where two women were fighting heatedly.

- "What is this scandal? What's going on here?" – Dressed in fine purple linen and a half-brimmed hat adorned by a light veil that covered her face from the sun's rays, an apparently noblewoman waved her hand fan delicately, extending the edges to the height of her shoulders. lips.

- "Prince Maximus! Excuse my lack of manners, I am Princess Lucrezia of Alberon . As you can see, I'm just disciplining my maid for being so stupid not to be careful with her lady's belongings" – With her hands on the floor, on her knees and her face bowed; The fragile-looking young woman had an unmistakable hair color that stood out to the prince.

Even though she was wearing the palace maid uniform, on the young lady's neck was a bondage magic device. Making it clear that the way the princess referred to her was a mere euphemism.

- "Miss, are you alright?" – Completely ignoring Princess Lucretia, Maximus knelt slightly, extending his hand to the maiden, who raised her face looking directly into the prince's eyes. Who felt a slight pang in his chest as if a heat ran through his head, captivated by those expressive eyes of the woman.

- "The prince! How can you touch such a vulgar thing with your hands?" – Angrily squeezing her fan with both hands, the princess showed her grievance at the ruler's behavior. Who returned his stern look with a hint of annoyance.

- "Is it okay to consider the young lady a vulgar thing? Is it because of its origins?"

- "Indeed! She comes from a sinful kingdom, it is normal that the faithful believers of the goddess do not have to consider them as humans "

- "Princess, then tell me, am I something that is not human? My hair is the same as hers and my skin tone, the only thing different is our eyes. But our blood flows from the same lineage, except that I carry my father's blood. Answer me!" – With the crowd of soldiers from the kingdom of Ephesus around, the princess did not dare to answer the prince. Who stood up holding the hand of the maiden, while being proud of his lineage despite what the church said about it.

- "I beg your pardon, prince, but I must retire to my cabin. Let's go Eve!"

- "I'm sorry princess, but I can not allow you to take this woman"

- "As you said?"

- "Do I have to repeat it? According to the laws in force within the kingdom of Ephesus , slave ownership is an exclusive privilege of the crown. Regardless of whether it is the empire, the laws of Ephesus have more weight because we have the seal of the Holy See that endorses our legislation. For what you are a slave when you step on the soil of the kingdom, I stop belonging to you "

- "Do you think the empire will tolerate this outrage?"

- "I remind you that, at this moment, the empire has more important matters to attend to. What to guarantee the whims of a young lady who has no place in the line of succession" – Hitting her heel against the floorboards, Princess Lucrecia turned around angrily while the rest of her assistants followed her carrying her luggage with faces pale with fear.

- "You no longer have to fear. Now you will be safe under my service"

- "My Sir! I am deeply grateful to you, if it were not for you I…"

- " Shhh , don't say more Eva. From now on rest assured that no one will dare lay a hand on you while I am by your side." – Giving the order to his escort knights to accompany the maiden to the flagship, the prince put his hand to his neck with an annoyed expression on his face.

Despite having heard the same words over and over again from the nobles of his kingdom, the young man never even considered them as something he should consider to hurt him. But seeing that girl with a similar origin, he couldn't help but think how his poor mother had to suffer such abuse behind the scenes while sitting on the queen's throne next to the monarch of Ephesus .

- "My lord, all men are ready. Already Prince Leopold's troops have sent a messenger falcon informing us that they are en route over land. The rest of the mission we must proceed as we have planned as soon as possible to reach them by sea route "

- "Then let's get going, tell the captains to raise anchor as soon as I give my signal. Let us waste no more time and go to war" - Giving his bow, the officer withdrew to inform the captains as dictated by the prince, while the young ruler prepared to board the ship in order to take his position within the ship's control room.

With the wind in favor and the sun rising on the horizon, the sound of the horns warned the ships that the sea was free of fog banks and it was safe to set sail. Beginning to cut the waves with the edge of the keel that rose above the white foam of that blue ocean.

Meanwhile, at the other end resting with their horses on the plain of Siegfried 's territory that served as the border with the kingdom of Ephesus , the infantry troops of the coalition army were grouped by divisions at the order of their generals.

100,000 horse spearmen accompanied by marksman magicians, 400,000 fifth circle magic archers assisted by 200,000 support magicians. Just between Siegfried's troops and the empire, they added up to 800,000 ground combat troops. Upon their march on the land of Ephesus , arriving from the north, they were joined by a contingent similar in number from the holy kingdom, accompanied by three legions of knights from the holy see assisted by temple maidens, who would serve as healers and support. magical if necessary.

Compared with the detachment sent by ship, the ground troops had an overwhelming number that intimidated as they passed through the towns and villages; causing the women to close the windows of their homes in fear of the imposing procession of the coalition army.

At the head of the procession, a scarlet-armored figure held out his arm to let a weary falcon fold its wings as it extended its leg with a scroll tied to it.

- "My lady, what news do we have of the troops at sea?" – Raising the visor of her helmet, the empress's eyes looked happy when she read the content of the letter. Burning her immediately with a slight spark of magic coming from her fingers.

- " Mikail , dear, it's just good news. Stop worrying, that pathetic eastern kingdom won't stand a chance against us."

- "But Beatriz, cousin, can we fully trust the word of Asmodeus ? Remember that he is too fickle when he has something that makes him curious. Also, that nobleman from the kingdom of Eunice has told me that the princess has been developing a powerful weapon on the top of the mountain together with that mad scientist" - Taking the reins of his horse trying to keep up with the horse's gallop. Empress, Siegfried 's chancellor looked like a skittish mouse compared to the imposing serpentine aura of the empire's ruler.

- "Powerful weapon? Even if by chance that impertinent brat manages to resurrect the ancient technology, that useless town knows no battle. His army is barely a third of the amount that we make up this coalition and above all, but not least. Asmodeus has made our little prince a very valuable war asset. Even if the princess's weapons are resistance, they are nothing compared to that monster" – Closing her eyes for a brief moment, the Empress of Alberon brought to her mind a sinister memory that was marked in her memory from a month ago.

- " Asmodeus , that insolent brat is uncontrollable! At least before he was a pushover who obeyed me almost unconditionally, but now he doesn't even have the slightest respect for me even in front of court. Did you know that I call myself an old hag in front of the chancellor of finance?"

- "Ha, ha, ha, ha" - Taking his hands to his abdomen, the sorcerer walked with tears in his eyes along with the empress through the corridors of the imperial palace. Before the looks of the courtiers who tried to avert their faces for fear of being reprimanded by their mistress.

- "This is serious Asmodeus ! What if this experiment of yours fails?" – Pressing her hands on the hem of the dress, the empress had an expression of annoyance on her face, highlighting the vein on her left temple. Pressing the lower lip with the edge of his teeth.

- "Calm Calm. My dear little sister, when have I failed you? Except for the fact that he's a jerk, the jerk you insert into that weakling's body has an amazing affinity for all kinds of elemental magic. Even his handling of alchemy was amazing to me!"

- "Wait a second Asmodeus ! Alchemy? Are you telling me that that bastard Leopoldo had such a capacity?" – Nodding with a smile on his lips, the sorcerer narrowed his eyes with a sinister expression as he extended his hand in front leading the empress to the palace's backyard.

Sitting in a lotus position floating in the air, surrounded by a flow of red colored energy, Prince Leopold's body seemed unconscious with the expression on his face unperturbed by any sound from the environment.

- "What are you doing?"

- " Shhh , just stay still here without making a single noise. Let me show you what my toy can do" – With his index finger on the empress's lips, Asmodeus smiled once more as he went to where the prince was. Snapping his fingers to wake the young man from the trance in which he was immersed.

- "Lord Asmodeus ! What is he doing here?"

- "Calm down, don't get excited. I just came to see how you're adjusting to your new body. Tell me, have you felt something strange?"

- "Now that you mention it, lately I feel like my chest is burning when I'm casting the incantations you told me to memorize"

- "Oh! Great! That means your mana core was able to assimilate the fairy gems I got from Medea forest. You are amazing! I expected no less from my best creation"

- " Tch Creation? Stop treating me as if I were an object" – Hitting the sorcerer's hand that was on his shoulder, the young man walked forward a few steps and then turned around completely. Facing his mentor, Prince Leopold spread his hands to his sides, letting flow of mana that solidified into a complete draconic armor , very similar to the one Amelia had obtained by fusing with Faust.

- "How old do you think? Isn't my fighting form amazing?"

- "Ha, ha, ha. Silly brat! I'll give you points for creativity, but I can't even consider that armor worthy of a glorious draconic " – Disfiguring his face making his muzzle emerge, Asmodeus 's body completely transformed into his ancestral dragon form. Roaring loudly while both rose to the sky above the palace, before the eyes of the soldiers who got into position for any eventuality.

- "This is a form that you should have reached wimpy. But you're still pigeonholed in that pathetic pseudo form that can't unleash your full potential" – Raising the notch of his snout showing his fangs, Asmodeus opened his jaws releasing a powerful beam that was aimed at the figure of the prince. Who, in a blink, disappeared from the sight of the sorcerer, who turned his head in all directions trying to find him.

- "You idiot brat! Where have you been?"

- "I'm behind you, overdeveloped lizard!"

- "But what?"

- "That's the problem with players who rely too much on the concept of bigger is better. In a fighting game, the most important thing is that your character has the best attack capacity, not so much its size" – Placing his hands in front of the ancestral dragon, the prince conjured seven circles of magic that combined the principles of alchemy, glowing dangerously purple with darkening red rays.

- "It will be better that I dodge it teacher. This attack is something even you won't be able to deal with."

- "Oh, that interests me! Tell me, how did you name your attack? – With a Machiavellian laugh coming from his helmet, the prince released an incandescent glow from his left eye that reflected off the armor. At the same time, the claws of his armor glowed red hot from the energy that he accumulated waiting to fire his attack.

- "BIG BANG!" – With a sudden silence followed by a hiss in the air, a powerful explosion of energy destroyed the magic circles while a column of pure mana came out towards Asmodeus . Who barely managed to lower his imposing body, freeing by centimeters the destructive blast of the spell. Which, was uprooting the trees and vegetation in its path, splitting the sea in two until it reached a small uninhabited island within the coast near the imperial palace.

With a red glow that flooded the blue sky, the clouds dissipated with the intensity of the resulting explosion until the gusts of wind hit the fishing villages of the coast, capsizing the boats with the fishermen, who incredulous to what they were observing, were dragged by the resulting tsunami.

- "Protect the empress!" – The palace guards ran towards Beatriz, surrounding him with their shields to resist the onslaught of the winds that slowly returned to normal as the prince descended, abandoning his combat armor.

- "Whoa, whoa. But who do we have here? – Walking arrogantly, with his mischievous smile drawn on his face. Leopold licked his lip as he contemplated the empress's fearful face.

- "The prince! That is not the proper way to address the mother of the empire" – The head of the imperial guard stood in the way of the prince, holding his sword in a flank position. With the determination in his eyes to protect his mistress even if it was the crown prince.

- " Captain , he is certainly a brave man and loyal to the crown. I congratulate you! I don't think I've ever seen such a gallant heart in the face of danger. Do you want to see it too?" – With a movement of his arm that was imperceptible to the eye, the prince's hand was dyed by a vibrant red fluid on which an object that moved slowly was held.

Feeling a cold in his chest, the captain looked down bringing his right hand to him, feeling a hole where his sternum should be.

- "Sees it! Is not it wonderful?" – Giving a bite to the heart, the prince tasted the blood in his mouth as he watched the captain's corpse fall to the ground. At the same time, the officers of the imperial guard threw themselves at him with their swords, being torn to pieces in the air without hardly noticing a single hair of the prince out of place.

- "You are a monster!" – Beatriz, who had remained silent due to fear, opened her lips cursing the young man, while taking steps back trying to get away from him. Until he felt how his back collided with the palace wall, seeing how Prince Leopold hit his hand on the side of the empress's head.

- "Go! Those are very strong words coming from who is supposed to be the mother of the empire." – Taking the empress's face by the chin, the prince forced her to look at him while bringing his face closer to hers. Kissing her by force, letting the captain's blood flow through her tongue in a deep kiss.

- "Tastes good? The blood of a loyal man who died for you is delicious, don't you think?" – When he was about to let himself be carried away by his low instincts against the Empress, Leopold felt a strong pain that made him take both hands to his chest as he fell to his knees.

- "I think I arrived just in time. Sorry Beatriz, but I had to inspect the damage my toy did in the coastal region of the empire." – Holding a mana crystal in his right hand, Asmodeus arranged his hair, tilting his head as he approached the dejected prince.

- "Certainly I have invested a lot of my time in you, so much so that you are a valuable asset for my investigation. But what made you think that I wouldn't act if you tried to touch my sister?" – Kicking the prince's body forcefully throwing it to the other end of the hall, Asmodeus approached the empress taking out a handkerchief to dry the tears of the trembling woman.

- "Beatrice, I'm sorry. You know that I would never let anyone besides me hurt you, right?" – Passing his hand gently over the empress's cheek, Asmodeus rested his head on the woman's shoulder. Who burst into tears hitting the sorcerer's chest with his fists. Who limited himself to receiving that punishment, knowing that his ego had put him in danger.

- "My lady, the commander of the magical division of the kingdom of Casius is coming to meet us" - Coming out of her trance, Beatriz took the reins of her horse and accelerated the trot to meet the captain of the division of holy knights.

- "Captain Archimedes reporting to the front, Your Excellency" - Slightly inclining his face mounted on his horse, the deputy captain of the kingdom of Casius joined his entourage to the caravan of the coalition army. At the same time that he put himself to the side of the empress, displacing the impertinent Mikail . Who had no choice but to ride behind them, muttering insults under his breath.

- " Captain , have your superiors already informed you how we will start the attack when we reach the border of the kingdom?"

- "Yes my Lady. The legions under the banner of the Holy See will advance on the border towns, occupying the territories, destroying the communication routes of the kingdom with the outside world. Then we will create an extended fence around the perimeter of the Isadora Forest and set up guard camps to prevent any citizens of the kingdom from escaping."

- "Very well commander, the troops of the coalition army will require that the priestesses accompany us in the rear while we lead the attack vanguard to protect us with shields of divine power. Do you have a problem with this?"

- "In no way my lady, the Supreme Pontiff gave us strict orders to serve His Majesty the Empress as much as possible." – Bowing his face again, Archimedes had a gloomy expression in his eyes that he tried to hide from the sharp vision of Beatriz, who raised her smiling face keeping her eyes on the horizon.

Meanwhile, back on the shores of the beach in the ghost town of Philius , Ofelia and Sandra were beginning to store some dried food in the leather bags we made from the skin of the leviathan's corpse. At the time I was at the edge of the beach collecting seawater to desalinate it in order to have a reserve supply on our departure trip to the capital of the fallen kingdom.

- "Hey fat cow! The busty one has finished loading the things in the wagon. Hurry up with the water, we must part before sunset arrives" – Creating a pair of golems in the shape of horses, the alchemist tied the reins of the cart on those rock steeds. Playing with his creations as if they were living beings.

Looking at her with a smile, I kept concentrating on my transmutation circle, channeling the purified water into some vessels that Ofelia had created with her acquired knowledge of basic alchemy.

Thanks to the soul link we created that day, the priestess was able to assimilate the knowledge I gained with the help of Sandra's demonstrations. With the limitation that he could only master intermediate level due to his divine power colliding with the elemental strength needed to conjure advanced level transmutation circles. In spite of that, the progress that Ofelia showed was fascinating to me due to the determination that she imposed on herself, fulfilling that promise that she made to me on the shore of the beach.

- "Okay, all set. It's time to hit the road so say goodbye to our vacations" – Adjusting her cape, Sandra jumped into the wagon in the driver's seat while I helped Ofelia into the back of our vehicle.

- "Amelia, I did well" – With an expression on her face like that of a girl seeking approval, Ofelia looked at me like a dog that wagged its tail at its master, waiting for him to congratulate her.

- "Hey, hey. So the breasty turkey became your pet?"

- "Mrs. Sandra, I have already told you not to call me by that nickname"

- "Calm down, don't be angry. I just don't want to lose the habit of making you angry. But how could I have fun on this trip" – Starting the wagon, Sandra laughed out loud as she hit the golems ' reins making them trot on the sand. While that small village by the sea, was becoming smaller in the distance as we advanced on our way.

- "Master, I detect a hostile signal to T-12 minutes heading southwest"

- "Amelia, what did Fausto just say? I think your gizmo has gone bad with so many connected minds. I can't feel anything in the environment."

- "Sandra, keep your guard up! Fausto wouldn't be alerting us if there wasn't a real danger."

- "I tell you that I can't feel anything. Trust me, I'm the most powerful alchemist…" – Without giving him time to finish the sentence, a beam of concentrated energy hit the golems , destroying them on the spot. Making the cart go airborne with our bodies impacting on a bed of rocks on the side of the road.

With the ringing in my ears caused by the explosion, I tried to get up while looking unsteadily for Ofelia and Sandra. With my vision obscured by the thick cloud of dust that was floating in the air with the debris of the rock golems .

- "Master, the enemy is in front of you. Do you wish to take his combat form?"

- "Do it" - Acquiring my full draconic armor , I extended my staff to the front, invoking a wind spell that would allow me to dispel the dust that was blocking my vision. At the same time, he made out a female silhouette on which three machine-like orbs floated, whose centers glowed in an intense blue tone.

- "Who are you? Identify yourself!" - Approaching me dragging the unconscious bodies of Ofelia and Sandra, that mysterious woman smiled at me mischievously with her face stained with soot.

- "So you are the famous heretic princess! Wow , I must admit that seeing you in that form makes my skin crawl. My name is Zayuri , Princess Zayuri of the kingdom of Eunice; but my friends often call me Yuri"

- "You and I are not friends! So if you want to stay alive, let go of my friends right now" – Concentrating my mana flow on the tip of my staff, the rainbow stone began to shine uncontrollably while my weapon trembled from the intensity of the concentrated power.

- " Tch , what a pity. I do want to be your friend, but seeing that you are not going to leave me any options, I will propose a deal. If I win this fight, you will come with me to Eunice's kingdom without question." – Throwing the bodies of my friends aside, Princess Zayuri snapped her fingers and the orbs that floated around her projected a beam of light onto her body, materializing armor very similar to the robots I saw in comics in my past life.

- "And if I win?" – Remaining briefly silent before my question, the princess extended two flaps on her back that began to project a set of wings of energy like those of dragonflies.

- "If you win, you can do whatever you want with me!

- "Done deal" – Throwing ourselves towards the firmament that was darkening with the sunset, the light that our powers emitted gave the impression of two stars that moved furiously across the sky.