Chapter 466: Air’s Rescue

Air’s Rescue

* * *

A few minutes have passed since the unexpected encounter between the cursed child illegal immigrant and the distressed Sky King.

King Sekiran, who had been frozen by the unexpected turn of events, finally realized.

(Now that I think about it, this girl…she broke through the labyrinth and entered this place…perhaps she’s a dangerous person who should be eliminated immediately!)

…It’s a little late for that.

It seems that King Sekiran is also quite slow, taking a few minutes to realize that, and Emi, who waited to see what he would do before acting, is also quite well-behaved, but that aside.

This control room is the heart of the Sky Kingdom of Neverfall.

If even one of the machines in this room is destroyed, they’ll lose control of the Sky Kingdom, and it will crash.

Many lives would be at stake.

Only royalty is allowed to enter this room.

It’s not a place where he can allow the presence of an unknown person!

(That’s right… I need to think about things simply here.)

Thump!

King Sekiran, stepping on the floor and jumping with a light sound, began to float in the air again using his wings.

And then, looking down at the mysterious girl, with determination and cold hostility, he spoke.

“Intruders… will be eliminated! I don’t know who you are… but don’t take it personally!”

And then, to activate his magic, he released his vast, innate mana!

“!!”

GOU!!

The mana emanating from King Sekiran created a gust of wind that shook Emi’s hair.

Emi, bracing herself, lowered her hips slightly, and clenched her fists.

Bushuu!

A sound, and haze gushed out from the gaps in her armor.

“…………”

The previous awkward atmosphere was blown away, and what’s left now is a tense silence.

A fierce battle… is about to begin.

Shivering slightly in anticipation, King Sekiran made the first move!

“‘Chains of stars, strengthen your power, bind! 【Gravity Field】!’”

“!?”

The next moment, after King Sekiran quickly finished chanting, Emi felt her body suddenly become heavier, and she lost her balance, involuntarily dropping to one knee.

Yes… what King Sekiran unleashed was the magic passed down in the Neverfall royal family, 【Gravity Field】!

A terrifying, high-level gravity magic, that manipulates the gravity of the surrounding area and crushes the enemy!

…But!

“…………”

Emi is still standing… or rather, kneeling.

Fighting spirit burning in her eyes, she’s glaring at King Sekiran.

She seems unable to stand properly because of the magic’s effects, crouching with one knee on the ground, but… she doesn’t look like she’s going to be crushed and die like an ordinary person!

“…You’re not dead from that… What a fearsome girl.”

His sure-kill magic, it’s only restraining her movements.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, at the mysterious girl’s abnormal durability, King Sekiran raised his right hand to the sky.

To prepare his next move.

“‘Holy light, gather in this hand…’”

As he chanted, a white, glowing light began to gather in the palm of his raised right hand!

The magic King Sekiran is currently casting is 【Holy Lance】!

It forms a spear of holy light, and throws it to pierce through evil enemies!

A high-power, high-level magic, concentrated at a single point!

Even Emi wouldn’t be able to escape a fatal wound if she’s hit by high-level magic, unleashed with the blessed mana of an angel.

But Emi can’t move from her position because of the effects of 【Gravity Field】.

…A desperate situation!

“…Become a spear that pierces through evil! 【Holy Lance】!’”

When he finished chanting, a white, glowing, beautiful spear appeared in King Sekiran’s right hand.

He swung it, and pointed it at Emi.

(Forgive me, girl… Farewell.)

And then, he closed his eyes for a moment, in prayer.

For two, three seconds.

(…Here we go!!)

And then, the moment he opened his eyes, about to throw the holy spear!

The sight that filled King Sekiran’s vision!

Is!

A terrifying, jet-black, giant, spiky fist…

Flying towards him…

* * *

King Sekiran is strong.

His vast, innate mana and flight ability, inherited from the angels.

Powerful, high-level magic passed down in the royal family.

He’s strong enough to destroy even Emi, if he uses them to the fullest.

…But, however.

After all, King Sekiran is a king.

Not a soldier, or a knight.

Fighting isn’t his profession.

Therefore, he makes mistakes in judgment.

He creates openings, like praying in the middle of battle.

And Emi.

This girl who fights every day.

…Never misses those openings!

She bites, and never lets go!!

“RAAAAAAH!!”

Emi roared, and instantly formed a giant 【Black Arm】 from her shoulder!

Without a moment’s delay, while still crouching, she shot it out towards King Sekiran in the air, who was wide open!

BYUGOOO!!

The 【Black Arm】 split the wind, completely ignoring the chains of gravity, and then!

“Huh!?”

King Sekiran’s… body!

Was hit with all her might!

“OGAAAAAHーーー!?”

King Sekiran screamed, spitting blood, and was blown straight backwards!

And he crashed into… the funnel-shaped glass tube that was hanging there!

Gashaaan!!

Although shattering it, King Sekiran’s momentum didn’t stop!

He continued to fly straight ahead…

Megyon!!

And then, with that sound, he was embedded in a corner of the ceiling, which was projecting a view of the sky!

“…!!”

And Emi, on the other hand.

The moment she confirmed that the gravity magic restraining her was gone, perhaps because King Sekiran had lost consciousness, she started running with all her might!

Because the girl who was floating in the shattered glass tube, along with the faintly glowing liquid, was falling!

“RAAAAAAH!!”

Emi lunged at the girl, headfirst, like a head-first slide, but she was a little late!

She can’t make it!

At this rate, the girl’s head will hit the floor!

If it were Emi, her head would just be buried in the floor, and she’d thrash around, but for an ordinary person, it would be instant death!

“AAAAH!!”

So Emi extended her 【Black Tentacles】 from her shoulders!

Like a time-lapsed recording of a plant vine growing, the 【Black Tentacles】 wrapped around the girl.

And gently, carefully, so as not to hurt her…

She caught the girl’s body, and stopped her in midair, just before she hit the floor.

“A-beh-beh-beh-beh-beh-beh!?”

…Emi, focusing on rescuing the girl, landed face-first on the floor…

…And her beautiful face was scraped across the floor for several meters, but.

It’s fine, because she saved the girl.

Emi is, you see, tough.

* * *

Air Neverfall, floating in the glass tube…

Was waiting.

Wrapped in a gentle slumber that felt like her ego was melting away…

She waited, and waited.

The first and most precious friend she had made… Takataka.

She believed in him, and waited.

For Takataka to… rescue her.

“…………Nn……”

Air slowly regained consciousness, feeling the cool air on her cheek.

The next thing she felt was a hard, thin sensation on the back of her knees, and her back.

She’s being held sideways, by someone.

The thinness of that someone’s arms clearly isn’t that of an adult.

So.

“Takataka!?”

Air’s cheeks flushed, and she opened her big eyes wide!

And the person she saw, filling her vision…

Is!

Someone she had never seen before.

A black-haired, black-eyed girl, with an ominous presence.

“…………”

Air’s smile froze, and she stared at the black-haired, black-eyed girl.

And then, she said.

“…………Who?”

…!!

And the black-haired, black-eyed girl, Emi!

While holding Air…… stood tall.

And declared!

“No, who are YOU!?”

And silence filled the space between them.

Once again, an awkward exchange.

But just then!

Beeeen!!

Beeeen!!

Beeeen!!

A deafening alarm blared through the control room, and the inner walls, which had been displaying a clear blue sky, changed to a red sunset!

And against that backdrop… a giant woman’s figure appeared!!