Today, is it unusually bad weather?
As if a gigantic hole had opened in the sky, white snow poured down to the extent that I couldn’t clearly see the sky when I looked up.
If this world were a nation obsessed with religion, it would be at the level of causing a commotion, claiming that the gods were angry.
However, where I stood had several rugged cliff formations that acted like umbrellas, preventing the snow from falling here, so seeing ahead was not a big problem.
Thanks to that, I could see what was happening very clearly now.
Swish! Swish!
When I was young, my father would make a sound while sharpening her knife before preparing fish she had caught. The noise had now morphed into something even sillier, echoing in my ears.
It was the sound of Asti, the modest maid, who was risking her life for me, clashing swords with the Dragon Slayer, rather than an assassination psycho.
Smooth and rapid movements while fighting the Dragon Slayer.
It was definitely not a gesture one could expect from an ordinary child.
Of course, thinking about her strength when she tried to cut me made it clear why she could fight so well even now.
“Asti! You need to roll to the side!”
Following my command without a reply, Asti managed to evade the Dragon Slayer’s blade that was flying toward her neck by a hair’s breadth.
The Dragon Slayer, an Outsider, frowned as she glared at Asti.
Could it be that her autonomous coordination and my instructions were creating an even greater synergy?
Nonetheless, Asti’s skill in wielding her dagger like a piece of performance art was on a level that was unbelievable.
“Foolish tricks!”
However, the opponent was an Outsider.
It wouldn’t be easy for Asti, being human, to properly confront the Dragon Slayer.
“What are you to interfere with this empress!”
The Dragon Slayer spoke with a voice full of annoyance, but Asti was still swinging her sword toward her without any sign of being intimidated.
When Outsiders raise their voice, usually people cover their ears or complain of mental pain.
But what about Asti?
She displayed an even calmer demeanor, subtly shifting around the Dragon Slayer, looking for angles to land effective strikes.
Is that the level of a human?
Even the White Mask had shown vulnerability to the roar of an Outsider.
What on earth is Asti that allows her to do this?
“Asti, now!”
At my words, Asti immediately leaped toward the Dragon Slayer.
The Dragon Slayer anticipated the trajectory that Asti was approaching from and swung her blade, but ultimately, it was a poor decision.
It was as if Asti already knew that, and she kicked the ground, instantly changing direction.
“What the…!”
Surprised, the Dragon Slayer gaped as Asti closed in on her in an instant.
The spheres shot by the Dragon Maids completed in that fleeting moment.
Pshuuu!
A rainbow beam shot directly toward Asti.
Fortunately, it seemed like Asti was able to shift her body sideways just in time to evade it.
From a human perspective, even this movement was undoubtedly in the realm of the absurd.
Indeed, from a human perspective.
“Cough…!”
Taking advantage of the brief opening created by her own beam, the Dragon Slayer swiped her palm at Asti, hitting her shoulder directly.
As a result, Asti was sent flying far away from the impact.
“Asti!”
Seeing Asti rolling farther away, I tried to run toward her.
But I couldn’t do that.
The Dragon Slayer was keeping a close watch on me and was gradually approaching.
“Nothing matters. For the trouble you’ve caused this empress, I shall punish you! So you will come with me right now.”
I had no idea what kind of punishment she wanted to inflict as her face flushed, but that wasn’t important right now.
How am I supposed to get past her here?
I could see Asti curled up, expressing her pain.
It might take some time for her to regain her stance.
Before I knew it, the Dragon Slayer had taken a few more steps closer, coming within reach to grab me.
As her hand moved toward my collar, ready to snatch me up…
“Don’t touch Leydan!”
A scream, almost like Muyun’s, echoed, and an axe came down on the Dragon Slayer’s arm.
“Yikes!”
The Dragon Slayer exclaimed in surprise, yanking back her arm in an instant, causing Muyun’s axe to crash down onto the ground.
Boom!
A tremendous sound, like a boulder falling off a cliff, reverberated, making my body tremble from the impact.
Muyun, who had done that, casually lifted her axe again and gritted her teeth as she swung it toward the Dragon Slayer.
“Hyaah!”
Beep! Beep!
As Muyun’s axe clashed with the Dragon Slayer’s blade, something like an impact effect occurred.
Perhaps it was due to her overwhelming talent as a knight.
While it didn’t conjure the overwhelming imagery of the White Mask, she was holding her own fairly well against the Dragon Slayer.
“Stop trying to do things your way!”
At that moment, something fell around Muyun.
The droplets fluttering in the air seemed connected to the corners of her eyes, indicating she was still haunted by fear.
Mental and physical fatigue, anxiety—everything must have been tightening around Muyun’s mental state.
Yet, with the single belief of wanting to protect me, it seemed like she was moving her body.
What a heartbreaking and noble sacrifice this was.
“Muyun.”
The White Mask looked on with a voice filled with sorrow and regret.
I could dare to assume that the emotion the White Mask felt was the same as mine.
Or perhaps even more intense.
In a way, how extremely extreme this situation had escalated was partly due to the White Mask’s impulsive actions.
Yet, I understood her situation.
Her face, her subordinates, her companions—
Having lost all of these things was enough to ruin a life, let alone the train that held all her memories would explode.
I thought it would be even harder for the White Mask to keep her sanity intact.
Crash!
With a loud crash, Muyun’s body flew into the air.
“Ah!”
Ultimately, even Muyun couldn’t hold her ground, falling softly over the eyebrow of the White Mask, making a pained expression before closing her eyes quietly.
“Muyun!”
Calling her name loudly, there was no response.
It seemed the unbearable fatigue had finally overwhelmed her mind.
“I almost left a mark on my lady’s body. Why are humans so eager to torment me?!”
The Dragon Slayer voiced her dissatisfaction and began to approach me with heavy steps.
I tried to evade, but as if reacting, the Dragon Slayer quickly closed the distance and grasped my wrist.
A strong grip.
There was no way I could escape with pure strength.
“Cough.”
“Finally caught you, slippery little thing. Now…”
I didn’t understand why the focus shifted from killing me to capturing me…
Yet again, things didn’t go the Dragon Slayer’s way.
“Such is life…!”
Thanks to Muyun buying time, Asti had regained her strength.
She swung her knife at the Dragon Slayer’s arm, getting her free, and then pulled me back a distance.
The Dragon Slayer seemed to be at her wit’s end, her face turning bright red and unable to utter a word.
“A-Asti… thanks to you, I’m alive…”
Saying that, I looked at Asti and was taken aback.
Her eyes, which had been unclear just moments before,
Had turned bright red.
“A-Asti…?”
“Master, I’d appreciate it if you would listen to what I’m about to say.”
With that, Asti slowly started walking forward.
“You just need to finish things after watching what I’m going to do. I will probably… collapse afterward.”
As Asti said that and lifted her sword again, for some reason, a red aura began to swirl around the blade.
“And…”
She glanced back at me.
Though her expression remained expressionless,
Her eyes held an ironic glint of sorrow.
“What I’ve done, what I’m about to show… all of it must be something you will dislike. Still… please don’t hate me.”
With that, Asti leaped toward the Dragon Slayer.
“Y-You! That power…!”
In a surprising moment, even the Dragon Slayer appeared bewildered.
Asti struck down her sword with great force.
In that moment,
Literally, the space was crushed.
A crimson something distorted the space as it expanded, approaching the Dragon Slayer.
Even as she furrowed her brow in an attempt to evade, that immense power wrapped around her waist.
“C-Cut, let me go!”
The Dragon Slayer twisted her body desperately, but she could not move at all.
Soon, the red shape began to take form.
That red energy transformed in my eyes into a massive, pale-white hand.
“Growl…”
Even the usually cheerful Bell began to growl in wariness at the sight of that hand.
Unlike the earlier situation with the Dragon Slayer, it felt like it would pounce at any moment if anything went wrong.
However, that white hand simply completed its mission, gripping the Dragon Slayer and rising high up.
Boom!
It slammed the Dragon Slayer down onto the ground.
“Huff…!”
As I was startled by the sound for the first time of the Dragon Slayer expressing pain, that one attack made the white hand dissipate into dust.
What on earth had Asti summoned?
What in the world was she…
After this was over, I would have to ask her.
For now, I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
“Let’s go, Bell!”
“Woof!”
I rushed toward the Dragon Slayer as I confirmed that the ominous energy was fading.
I climbed on top of her, who was still lying down.
“Cough…!”
Seeing the frustrated expression on the Dragon Slayer, I was ready to push Bell’s power to its limits.
Yes, the horn surely seemed to be a weakness.
So, that’s why she reacted so sensitively.
If I could push Bell’s power to the brink, I might be able to break that horn.
Therefore, I reached out and grabbed her horn.
“Ugh, ughh…!”
…?
At the sudden strange sound, I raised my eyebrows and looked down at the Dragon Slayer, confirming her expression full of surprise.
What, what is this?
Wondering if I had misheard, I rubbed the horn with my thumb.
“Uh, ahhh! D-Don’t touch me like that…”
…Hmm.
Yes.
What is this situation supposed to be?
Should I say it’s a dignified manner?
The Dragon Slayer, showing such a demeanor, was now lying beneath me, biting her finger with her face turning red and looking away to the right.
Like a woman experiencing her first night with a man, looking shy!
I only touched the horn!
“Um, um…”
“What, what is it?! Are you trying to do to me what you did to my loyal subjects? If you’re going to, just do it!”
Did she see all of that?
Why is she like this if she saw everything?
I simply rubbed her horn, so why this reaction?
The Dragon Slayer’s baffled demeanor had me utterly perplexed.
Now, it truly felt as if I were forcing something.
“…Ugh, I just touched your head…”
What was that supposed to mean?
I didn’t understand what she was trying to suggest.
It already felt strange enough, so be quiet, Bell!
Well then.
If it had been ‘Leydan Tanton’ here, he might have jumped in excitement and pounced on her, but I was not that type of person.
I was one to try to resolve any issue through conversation as much as possible.
I don’t like coercive methods!
Fortunately, the Dragon Slayer’s gaze and demeanor seemed to have turned much milder than before.
In this situation, maybe it would be possible to communicate after all?
“…That’s not it. I just wanted to chat with you.”
“W-What?! You’re saying you just want to talk after coming all this way…?”
The Dragon Slayer seemed taken aback by my words, her eyes widening, and the change in her expression afterward was rather amusing.
At first, there was an expression filled with irritation.
Then, a contemplative look.
Finally, an expression shadowed by a conclusion.
It seemed she had come to a conclusion.
“…Haha, is that so? You’re softer than I thought.”
The Dragon Slayer pushed me aside lightly and stood up, and I kept holding her horn, wondering if she might attack.
Yet the Dragon Slayer expressed a bashful look as she spoke.
“I-I won’t attack you now, so let go of this.”
Could I trust those words? It was doubtful, but since I hadn’t used Bell’s power yet, if it got dangerous, I could just activate it.
Thinking that way, I cautiously released her horn, and the Dragon Slayer walked toward the neatly carved ice to sit comfortably.
With a snap of her fingers, a dragon appeared out of nowhere, swiftly flying in and laying down three layers of fabric on the ice.
Watching in a daze, the Dragon Slayer sat on the ice and said,
“What are you doing? Did you not say you wanted to talk?”
What could possibly be tied to that horn that she became so compliant with just a touch?
I thought to investigate ‘her’ next time as well.
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