──GURaAAAAAAAAAH!!
A roar. Tremendous amount of miasma gushed out from the black dragon. Unlike with the saloupa-lookalike, the miasma didn't spread to the surrounding. The emitted miasma was compressed to envelop its body.
The black dragon's body instantly became not visible with only blurry outline visible. The huge body that was already the size of a battleship before this now expanded even more, but its dragon traits like tough limbs, tail, wings, and long neck were still comprehensible.
It looked like a dragon's shadow that was displayed on a wall.
Perhaps it should be called as shadow dragon mode. The monster had become a size bigger than BD. It was radiating an aura that would chill the guts of those who saw it while, instantly, it moved.
It switched to top speed from standing still in an instant.
What a terrifying acceleration. It rapidly closed the distance like a cannon shell.
In the first place it didn't show any sign of manipulating gravity or wind, and yet the huge body was flying freely. In addition of that mysteriousness, its explosive conduct could only be called as astounding.
「How the hell does that work?」
Kouki muttered in puzzlement. Even so he immediately reacted with composure.
BD also moved to top speed in the blink of eye. However this side was moving backward with the method of "free fall". It continued to maintain the distance from the shadow dragon with a backward run that was ignoring physic.
At the same time sunlight convergence laser was fired from BD's dragon head.
The glowing flash that was fired by an existence with very similar shape like itself caused the shadow dragon to show a shocked reaction, even so it immediately tried to take evasive action. But, it was laser. There was already no time to dodge when the emotion of shock occupied its mind.
──GURAAH!?
The glow of sunlight pierced through right at the center of the shadow dragon. A short scream echoed through the sky. The shadow dragon burst and dispersed.
「Don't tell me...」
Moana's eyes widened. Was it because the monster was taken in one blow? No. It was because her common sense had gotten betrayed so easily once more.
「Kouki! It looks like the miasma is its own body itself!」
「Looks like it. That's also the trick of how such huge body move so fast. It sending the miasma flying is no different than making itself flying.」
「Aah geez! This is another unprecedented monster! Just what's going on here! Koone want to yell cut it out! Cut it out」
「Ku-chan, you said it nano.」
The miasma burst and dispersed before immediately converging into the shape of the former shadow dragon. Then it charged forward as though nothing had happened.
The astonishing thing was that its flesh body couldn't be seen when the miasma was dispersed.
No wonder Moana and Koone looked like they were at their wits' end. After all they never saw or even heard of anything that could convert their own body into miasma itself.
Before this, it gushed out miasma wasn't to cover up itself. It was nothing more than the result of the dragon transforming into miasma.
「A dragon that's immune against physical attack...if Nagumo is here will he say something like "What a romance! Capture it! Experiment it!"?」
「Is this the time to say that, Kouki-dono! What're we going to do!」
Nervousness was also wafting from Spenser and others from facing such unknown monster.
The shadow dragon accelerated even more at the other side of the camera. It gushed out miasma like jet behind it to increase its speed.
Furthermore it opened its jaw and fired a breath of super concentrated miasma from there in no time at all.
Originally, even if it was just the waves that remained from the aftermath, it would instantly invade the target's body and took away their life force entirely. A fiendish attack that ended the life of the target.
Perhaps it should be called as Drain Breath. The target would be turned into mummy and crumbled into dust.
「Please calm down. It's alright.」
But, even when faced with the breath attack that stimulated a living thing's sense of danger to the maximum, Kouki wasn't perturbed.
The pitch black breath stopped around five meter in front of BD's prow. It was the space isolation barrier.
「Yeah, there isn't any sign of it breaking through.」
「Amanogawa-sama. If there is little danger, it will be helpful if you notify us before testing something like that...this is bad for the heart.」
Hinata pressed her hand on her chest while letting out a relieved sigh. Kouki let out 「Ah」 and looked around inside the wheelhouse. Other than Myuu, everyone was looking terribly flustered.
Even if the barrier that isolated the space had been mentioned, other than Myuu and Kouki who had seen the barrier in action many times, normally anyone else wouldn't really understand what such barrier meant instinctively. That should be obvious.
After all it wasn't a barrier that was clearly visible to the eyes like "Holy Severance" or the like.
「Sorry, everyone. I wanted to test out some things in consideration of what's waiting for us in the future. I'll be more considerate next time.」
Kouki apologized while looking forward once more. He was observing.
At the other side of the camera, the shadow dragon roared angrily seeing its breath didn't work, then it split into four.
Perhaps it thought that the attack would work if it came from different direction. It showed no sign of pulling back even after seeing its greatest attack got blocked easily. Rather it hostility kept increasing.
「Isn't it too aggressive to call it animalistic?」
Animal, especially the wild one should understand instinctually. If they weren't a match against their opponent, that their life was in danger. Animal that felt that should choose to escape and hide.
「The sea snake monsters also didn't run away until the very end nano. Even when they had no more friend around them, even when they became completely alone there was only hostility from them nano...」
Myuu was unusually looking hesitant. Even though she was cheat level when it came to befriending mysterious creature, now she was looking somewhat fearful, as though she instinctually understood 「It's impossible to get along with this one」.
Kouki firmly engraved Myuu's impression in a corner of his head thinking that it was important even while touching his bangle.
「I don't want to move too far away from this area. Let's keep the observation in moderation.」
「Kouki-oniisan, here nano.」
「Can you put away the controller? I'll do it with the bangle.」
「There's also gaming mouse. The keyboard can also be turned into gaming mode nano.」
「Yeah, I also don't know that-. Aa, it's fine! You don't need to make it shine like rainbow!」
「It actually has gun shaped controller too yeah, nano.」
「The additional options that I don't know about, tell me after this! All of them! Thoroughly okay!?」
Cannons protruded out from both sides of the ship and locked on the miasma clusters that approached from four directions.
Kouki thoroughly displayed his hero spec that enabled him to grasp the trick immediately no matter what he was made to do. He locked on the targets with incomparable smoothness compared to yesterday.
He also adjusted the enemy's speed by slowing BD's speed slightly, luring it close enough──Fire.
The warheads accurately rushed to the middle of each part of the divided shadow dragon.
Of course, the shadow dragon also tried to disperse even more to dodge. But, with Kouki's perfect timing in remote detonation, the evasion was foiled by the black vortex the warheads created.
The warheads were enchanted with gravity magic "Absolute Calamity" that swallowed the enemy's attack. The absorption force that wouldn't relent until the enemy was swallowed and compressed was beyond the strength of the lightweight miasma to resist.
「Go pop! Nano」
Myuu yelled out a comical shout. At the same time the shadow dragon was swallowed into the gravity vortex.
「Miasma body can't be killed with compression right? So let's try testing one last thing while finishing it off.」
Kouki said that and went out of the wheelhouse using a teleportation circle. He unsheathed the holy sword on the deck.
It was the final check. He wanted to see whether his greatest weapon, the light element magic would work. It worked against Dark Being, however here...
「──"Heaven's Might – Four Lights"」
The lifted up holy sword was covered in sublime light. The blade shined like a lighthouse and flashed to the four directions at the same time.
Perhaps because his affinity with the holy sword Ua Alto was increasing bit by bit along with the sword's recovery, he became able to make the technique work with greatly shortened chanting. Kouki himself had also trained hard, so each light possessed enough power despite being split to four directions.
The brilliant lights were sucked into the gravity vortexes and vanished.
『Did you get them!? Nano!』
「Can I ask you to stop saying that kind of vaguely unlucky line? That's what you called a flag right?」
Apparently he had somehow gotten a bit knowledgeable about joke material and meme, perhaps because his talk time with Hajime had been increasing regardless whether he liked it or not.
Myuu's voice that resounded through the whole ship from the speaker made Kouki looked disagreeable while he lowered down his holy sword.
The effect of the gravity warheads vanished with good timing.
What was left...was nothing. Dry wind blew, and no miasma or any disquieting presence could be felt.
「...As I thought, its nature itself isn't any different from Dark Being.」
Kouki patted his chest in relieve seeing that the light element magic was working effectively and headed toward the ship's prow.
He surveyed the sky and the desert's land that had been freed from the threat. He carefully observed the area, until the horizon.
「What's the meaning of this?」
Ever since teleporting to this place, a question had been filling his head even more than about the black dragon.
This desert area had nothing at all. That was exactly why his expression turned grim.
「Why...isn't the Blessing Tree here?」
A great tree that pierced the sky. But there was nothing here even though they teleported to this area following the direction of the tree compass. He couldn't see anything that should be very conspicuous like that as far as his eyes could see.
He couldn't imagine that Hajime made a mistake. He was a man who wouldn't make an oversight for that kind of thing. It was irritating but, he believed in him in that respect.
When Hajime used the compass, it should definitely be pointing here.
「Ua Alto. Can you feel it if it's you? Can you guide me with that brilliance of yours?」
Kouki held the holy sword as though embracing it and talked to it.
There was a reaction from the holy sword. It was flickering brightly. However, that was all. It seemed to be trying to tell him something but he didn't know what. He thought that perhaps it would let out a streak of light that pointed him to a direction, but it seemed that it couldn't do so.
「Aula, can you come──」
「I'm already here. Unfortunately I cannot detect any presence of either the goddess or the great tree.」
Aularodde had gone down to the deck through the elevator in the arm part before Kouki could contact her. She shook her head.
『Kouki, we also can't see anything from here. We're also activating all the sensors and expanding their searching range but...』
「I, see...」
Kouki crossed his arms and put a hand under his chin while falling into thought.
『Umm, perhaps Foltina-sama, the Blessing Tree is already...is that perhaps be the case?』
Koone asked with a trembling voice. She mustn't wish to even consider it. That the symbol of this world's life and nature had already withered and expired.
『That's not possible nano! Papa's compass won't detect something that don't exist. We also used it just in case several days ago before departing, so it should definitely exist nano!』
『But Mi-chan. That still means, there are eight days of blank between there and then isn't it?』
『Myu...that's, true...』
『Ku-chan, even if that is the case I think it is strange that there is no trace of it at all.』
Next it was Hinata who talked to the worried Koone. Everyone thought that any opinion would be fine right now so they kept the communication channel open.
『I had been given the chance to see the King Tree in earth and the Treasure Tree inside the miniature garden. They are truly outrageously gigantic. Even if this whole place is a desert, it is hard to believe that something that big would vanish without a trace at all in less than ten days.』
『Theeen, why can't we find a tree that big? As Koone expected, was demon king-sama wrong with the location?』
『Papa's compass is an artifact enchanted with concept magic nano. Myuu think that's not possible but...this is a goddess that we're searching, so perhaps there's an itty bitty chance of the compass got tricked?』
『That possibility seems really likely isn't it? Let's set aside whether it is possible or not for now. Considering the state this world is in, there is a possibility that the goddess has been weakened correct?』
The goddess was the avatar of nature. Even half of mankind's sphere of existence had been turned into desert, and even this continent where the Blessing Tree was located was wholly a desert everywhere their eyes could see. In addition there was even a monster here.
『If that is the case, it might be a different matter if the hero Amanogawa-sama or a resident of this world like Ku-chan contacted her directly, but if an unfamiliar existence attempted to divine her location...』
「It's possible that she would immediately try to mask her location...is that what you're saying?」
Kouki completed the hypothesis at the end.
Moana and the others were blinking in astonishment at the children's line of thought. Kouki smiled wryly.
Certainly it was a possibility that he himself had arrived at, but the three girls arrived at the same conclusion not that far away behind him when they weren't even ten years old yet. These little girls were all utterly out of the norm. As expected environment also granted a chance to people to mature early.
In any case, thanks to Myuu and others speaking out their hypothesis, it made easier for Kouki and others to also sort out their thought and form a plan from here on.
「Just in case, let's try searching the surrounding a bit more. Tortus's great tree also had powerful recognition obstruction up around it, and the Sacred Tree of the machine world was fenced behind fluid metal. We still can't discard the possibility that the tree is camouflaged from our senses. If that's still no good then I'll contact Nagumo. As expected, it'll be better to quickly report it if the compass's result got tricked.」
「Then Kouki-sama, let's land on the ground for now. If I can touch the ground, I might be able to trace the sign of Blessing Tree using my power. No, if this is a land where a branch of the World Tree exist...I will definitely find it no matter what.」
Kouki nodded. Certainly, they should start from there. Nobody else raised any objection.
Kouki made BD landed while,
「Really, nothing is going smoothly at all.」
He muttered those words with a small voice.
The first world in the World Tree's branches' revival plan. It wasn't like the goddess and great tree here had been lost, so they thought that this would be the easiest world and they could also take the time for the children to come along and sightsee.
If this world was already like this, what would be the case with a world that had already lost either its great tree or goddess or both?
「Looks like this journey will be harder than imagined...I got to pull myself together more.」
Aularodde was staring at the ground with unusually serious gaze. Although the world was different, as expected it seemed she was worried for the safety of her fellow goddess.
Kouki was gazing at her face from the side while thinking of a rude thought that she was really beautiful when she was like this, and yet she was really just a hopeless person deep down. Right after that, he shook his head to wipe away such stray thought and fired up himself by slapping his cheeks.
Aularodde who was displaying her goddesshood in full force was startled by the sound and shrieked 「Hyah!?」 while jumping in surprise. She looked a bit cute.
In the end.
「It can't be helped. There's no other way but to contact Nagumo if it's like this.」
That was the conclusion that they reached. As expected they couldn't find any sign of the Blessing Tree.
「Uu, forgive me for being useless, Kouki-sama. Don't throw me away...」
「No, I'm not thinking of you as useless or anything. That's why, can you stop? Stop treating me like a cruel man who'll easily cut ties just because of something like this.」
At the corner of the deck, Aularodde who at the beginning said 「I will definitely find it no matter what (Sharp look)」 with so much determination and yet ended up unable to find anything was hugging her knees.
As expected, this land of desert was a dead land that had its blessing power robbed away completely already. Let alone sign, even any kind of life and energy couldn't be sensed at the slightest.
In addition unlike Synclea's desert, the sand's quality here was extremely fine and it would sink them quickly if they let their guard down. The wind caused waves of sand to be formed and if they stumbled on that, they would get carried away by the flow.
It would be impossible to even travel here if they didn't have the ship. It was literally a sea of sand.
When Aularodde-san jumped down from the deck ahead of everyone while still looking sharp, she immediately almost drowned. She showed a perfect comedian soul by desperately kicking and paddling like washed up shrimp where in the end a large wave washed her away.
──Desert scary desert scary desert scary desert scary
After she got pulled up to the deck, she sat hugging her knees at the corner like now & continuing to mutter to herself with blank gaze. It was none other than Myuu and Hinata who hugged her tightly or healed her with magic.
The former goddess-sama who would get at least one trauma planted into her no matter where she went...
Coupled with her figure that was covered in sand from here head until her toes, as expected everyone couldn't help but feel sympathy.
In any case.
One hour had passed since they started investigating, but they found no clue at all. Kouki gave up, thinking that it wouldn't be likely that they would get anything even if they tried any longer than this.
「Come on Aula-oneesan. Don't stay at the corner like that. Onee-san had done your best nano.」
「Please cheer up. If you are fine with someone like me, I will listen to anything that you wish to say no matter what. Okay?」
「Uu, uu, kindness is seeping into my body.... To think that the trip of good girls like this might end up in failure with the last objective goes unfulfilled...just how powerless I am even though I'm a former goddess! And at the end I keep making them be considerate to me! Aula is a bad child! Aula is a bad child!」
It seemed that the consolation of two kind girls felt painful instead right now. Aularodde-san finally started punishing herself, like a certain servant elf from somewhere.
She tried to slapped her own face, so Myuu and Hinata moved in the same breath to hug her arms. Myuu got the left arm, while Hinata the right.
Myuu and Hinata looked at each other. In a very, really vee-ry rare occasion, emotion that was like 「This Onee-san, is troublesome...」 seeped out on both of their face.
「Aula, it's okay already.」
「It's not okay! If this Foltina someone is hiding her own existence! That means it's my complete defeat as a goddess!」
「I think you already lost in various senses even before the battle though...」
「Eh? Just now, did you say something?」
「No? I didn't say anything. Even detection system that is based in age of god magic can't detect anything, so perhaps it's not camouflage. There's nothing here. Anyway we got to report to Nagumo. Come on, let's go back to the wheelhouse.」
Kouki forcefully lifted up Aularodde without allowing her to object. It was the so-called pricness carry. Calculatingly, Aularodde's mind recovered slightly with just that. Her cheeks reddened and she became quiet.
Kouki had made BD floated in the altitude of 700 meter just in case. They all returned to the wheelhouse.
「I really don't want to rely him already from this early though.」
「True that. There won't be any meaning to this task being entrusted to us if we keep relying on demon king-sama for every single thing. But, it can't be helped this time with how unexpected everything is. Surely he won't criticize us or anything.」
Using the keyboard of the center table, the treasure chest shaped artifact for communication between worlds that really looked like a fantasy item at the corner of the room activated.
With that, it selected the communicator that Hajime had as the call destination. And when it was about to connect the call...
「Hm?」
「Oh my?」
Kouki and Aularodde were the first one to notice. Kouki's finger that was about to push the enter key stopped. His gaze turned to the north. Aularodde was also the same.
Moana and the others noticed and their gazes got drawn toward the north too. They looked toward the camera image.
A sandstorm could be faintly seen at the far away.
But, the sandstorm of the sea of sand was always whirling up due to the wind. It wasn't like Guryuen where the air would be dyed with rust color, even so the sand still caused their field of vision to become faintly hazy. In other words, it didn't look like any special scenery.
「Kouki-dono? Did you detect something?」
Spenser tilted his head.
「No, that's not the case...but something...」
Perhaps it was the hero's instinct. It was outside the range of "Presence Detection", but the out of place feeling that Kouki sensed was correct.
「It's life reaction! Someone with life is coming from that direction!」
Aularodde's detection ability apparently sensed it clearly.
The distance must be roughly around 60-70 km calculating from the altitude too. To be able to sense something that far, perhaps it was the moment the former goddess really lived up to her reputation.
Myuu quickly used the camera's zoom function.
「Is that...a person? Eh, but, this is a different continent...」
「There are still people other than in our continent? No, but, that person is alone in a place where there's nothing like that?」
「Besides that person, is standing on top of the sea of sand isn't it?」
Koone and Moana looked like they had seen something that was hard to believe. Hinata looked like she was seeing an illusion.
However, the extraordinary zoom function was undoubtedly displaying the scene of reality.
「...A Dark Being? Doesn't look like it. There's also no miasma that can be seen. Or rather, an old man?」
Kouki muttered dubiously.
Certainly, that was how it looked like. The one standing along at the middle of a vast ocean of sand where there was nothing, was an old man wit white hair tied up behind him, and his hands joined together on his back.
The old man showed no sign of sinking or getting washed away by the sea of sand.
His body was turning toward their direction, but his gaze was looking at other direction. He was looking at the right side where sandstorm was whirling up.
Yes, the sandstorm that they caught sight first was bursting up from the old man's right direction.
「K-Kouki-oniisan! Could that be──」
「Y-yeah. This might be bad!」
The sandstorm was approaching the old man violently.
Something was, no, based from their experiences until now the cause was clear. It was another appearance of a miasma monster.
And then its target was that old man.
Just who in the world was he? How was he able to stand on the sea of sand? In the first place, why was he standing alone at such place? Where did he come from?
Questions were flooding up. The old man's suspiciousness score was 100, a perfect score.
But, they also couldn't just ignore him because of that. Perhaps he was a "human" of the world's reverse side that they finally found. They couldn't overlook him.
「Shit, make it in time!」
Kouki rapidly accelerated BD forward. It approached the old man with the speed of free falling.
Weapon's lock removed. The fastest attack method──sunlight convergence laser activated. The targeting and power were adjusted so the shockwave wouldn't harm the old man and it would block the monster's advance──
(No good-. I won't make it in time if I'm also accounting the shockwave──)
Kouki's face was colored with the frustration that he wouldn't make it in time. He was going to shoot with the aim to surprise the monster, hoping that it would make the monster changed direction even though it wasn't a direct hit.
But, it seemed that their anxiousness was unneeded.
Inside the zoomed camera image, the old man was holding up one hand toward the monster. His mouth was moving. A crest that covered half of the old man's face until further below his neck, reaching until even the back of his hand was radiating pure white radiance.
The next moment, a huge body leaped out from the approaching sandstorm. That thing that was covered with super dense miasma looked like a whale shark if an example had to be made.
The huge body that was nearly 200 meter caused splashes of sandstorm. It leaped in the air like a bad dream. Its body was following a parabolic trajectory before going down head first. Ahead of it was the old man who looked like a grain of rice compared to the whale shark-lookalike──
「「「「「Ee...EEEEEEEE!?」」」」」
Kouki and others all widened their eyes like in gag manga.
It was only natural. A gigantic cone suddenly flew out of the sea of sand and pierced the whale shark-lookalike's stomach. It stopped the monster dead on its track midair.
──OoOOOOOOOONN!!?
A scream that sounded like a shriek resounded. The whale shark-lookalike used its whole body to struggle. However, the gigantic cone that grew out from the sea of sand didn't even twitch.
Far from that, the moment the old man clenched his fist tightly, the giant whale shark-lookalike ended up having several more cones shooting out from inside its body.
「N-nasty...」
「I-is that earth element blessing art? There is also the crest...no, but I never heard of anyone who can use the art at such level...」
It was mercilessness that made the expression of Kouki and Spenser and the others to convulse. Moana and Koone were showing their astonishment at the art's scale.
The gigantic whale shark-lookalike was kept crucified in the air while convulsing *twitch twitch*. Even so it kept emitting miasma to resist.
But, this time the cone twisted and lengthened to entwine around that giant body. It was also entwining from the outside. In addition the inside of its body was also getting torn apart even more──the resistance was in vain and strength left the body of the whale shark-lookalike. The miasma dispersed and vanished with the wind.
The giant cone crumbled. The fragments were carried away by the wind just like miasma. As expected, it seemed that the cone was formed from the sea of sand itself.
The surprising thing was the toughness, hardness, and the formation speed that enabled the cone to hold that giant body in place.
The only one who could do something at the same level with earth element might be Yue alone. Other than Yue, at most there was Nomura Kentarou with his vocation "earth technique user", but only after he had gotten properly boosted with magic or artifact.
The gigantic whale shark-lookalike fell on the ground with a heavy sound. The sea of sand was swallowing that giant body bit by bit to its bottom.
The old man didn't even glance at that and turned his gaze.
「H-he's looking this way...」
Koone took a step back because the gaze was far sharper than she expected and it overwhelmed her. She unconsciously gripped Myuu and Hinata's sleeve.
The old man pointed his hand at their direction.
Tension spread for a moment but...*Kui-kui-*, the hand was simply making an inviting gesture.
「What now, Kouki?」
「...Hmm. For now, Myuu-chan」
「Myu?」
「Do you get any bad feeling from that person?」
「...」
At this kind of time, being able to ignore logic and common sense and ascertained the other party using instinct was the demon king's daughter's specialty. That instinct could be trusted to a perplexing level──that was one of the few points that the demon king and the hero could agree with.
Myuu stared fixedly at the old man through the camera. The old man's eye glint that felt like a glare didn't even make her flinch. She continued to stare back, hummed U~nn, then she smiled *grin*. It seemed that the conclusion had come out.
「He doesn't feel bad nano! Rather, he feel like Adol-ojiichan nano!」
「I see. Yosh, then let's try talking to him. Just in case, Myuu-chan and others shouldn't leave this room. Spenser-san and others too, please stay here.」
「We might cause the other side to feel needlessly vigilant by going in a large group after all. Understood.」
With the understanding of the royal guard, Kouki brought BD closer toward the old man.
With the space isolation barrier still up, BD came to a stop in the air around 30 meter high. Kouki stayed on guard so he could react even if that sand cone attacked them while teleporting to the deck accompanied with Moana and Aularodde. He walked toward the prow.
In the end, just who was this old man who possessed extraordinary power for a resident of this world?
「It's wonderful for you to come here, hero-dono. And also my compatriot who survived at the opposite side of this world.」
The old man was the first one to speak up. Even though there was the difference in altitude, his voice carried really well and felt like it resounded heavily at the bottom of their stomach. That voice made them felt his depth as a person. Perhaps describing it as solemnity would suit it the best.
The old man showed no sign of being condescending or dissatisfied at all and bowed politely.
「I have come here due to Foltina-sama's order to show everyone here the way. I am called Kalagura Sheldo.」
Kouki and others were surprised by his words that said he was a messenger from this world's goddess. They were slightly late in responding back. Meanwhile Kalagura snapped his fingers.
Right after that, the sea of sand vibrated and an unnatural flow formed. At the next moment, the ground right under the old man's feet was rising quickly.
「Wha-, a ship under the sand!?」
Kouki reflexively raised his voice. Yes, the old man was standing calmly on the sea of sand was because he had a foothold.
It was a sailing ship that was submerging barely under the sea of sand's surface. Its size and shape were close to a relatively small carrack. The old man was standing on top of its mast.
The line of sight of Kouki's group and the old man who was standing on the carrack's mast became about the same height.
「This place cannot really be called safe. Forgive me for my haste, but let's depart immediately.」
Old man Kalagura didn't even urge Kouki's group to introduce themselves and quickly turned around after giving out his identity.
Based on the appearance of the whale shark-lookalike before this too, this place must not be suited to exchange words calmly.
Old man Kalagura jumped down from the mast to the prow in one bound. At the same time the carrack ship started moving smoothly.
Kouki and others looked at each other.
In the end they couldn't say even a single word because the old man's dignified atmosphere engulfed them. They smiled wryly about that and nodded to each other.
BD also started moving smoothly, following after the goddess's messenger.
The two ships were sailing in parallel above the vast sea of sand.
BD was flying above the sand surface like a hovercraft. The carrack that was about a third of that BD's size was sailing on the sand, leaving behind sandy splashes behind it.
After observing the old man once more, they could feel the long years he had lived until now from the deep wrinkles engraved on his face. They could especially feel his aura of an expert that was characteristic of a warrior who had struggled through numerous carnages.
His skin color was subtly different from Moana's brown skin. Most likely his skin was simply well tanned. If his white hair was because of his age then his original hair color was unknown, but at the very least he looked like someone of a different race from Synclea people.
Based on how the old man called Moana as 「Compatriot from the opposite side of the world」 too, there was no doubt that he was a resident of a different continent and a different race even though he was still a resident of this desert world.
「Even so it's fast...the way the wind blow and the sand's movement also aren't natural. It's using the surrounding environment itself as its propulsive force huh.」
「Look, Kouki. That person, his body's crest is faintly shining all this time. Perhaps, he's continuously using blessing art.」
「So in a sense, he's using human power to create that high speed huh. Moana, can you do something like that?」
The carrack was moving with speed around 80 km/hour. It was an impossible speed for a sailing ship.
Moana's expression turned complicated toward Aularodde's question. Thanks in part to Kaori, the current Moana had regained her strength in her heyday.
If she applied her heaven's blessing art "Divine Protection" that strengthened her overall ability in full force, she would be able to manipulate both wind and sand, but if she was asked if she could produce this speed...
「It'll be impossible for me to continue moving the ship the whole time. I guess I'll last for an hour?」
She shook her head. Without a different source of power, she would never even consider sailing out to this vast ocean, or rather vast desert that could easily wash away anything on it with its sandy wave.
In other words, the blessing art power that the old man possessed was in a different dimension even when compared to a royalty of Synclea.
There,
「If you have any question to ask, please don't feel reserved. After all it will take some time still until we arrive to our destination.」
「「「!」」」
They were talking in quite a small voice. The sounds of wind and sand were also quite loud so they thought that their voice wouldn't carry that far, but it seemed that the old man's hearing was hellishly sharp.
The gaze that was looking up at them felt really calm. Perhaps the sharp glint that they saw at the beginning was because it was right after a battle. His expression looked gentle despite looking expressionless. It was hard to describe it. He was a personage whose emotion was hard to read.
But, they couldn't feel any feeling of rejection or annoyance from him.
In fact, the sounds of wind and sand that were filling their ears turned considerably smaller when the old man muttered. Apparently he was also interfering with the wind to suppress the vibration of air around them.
「Ah, err...nice to meet you. I'm the hero who was summoned by Foltina-sama previously. My name is Amanogawa Kouki.」
Kouki bowed his head politely. Old man Kalagura's looked slightly pleased seeing Kouki like that. Next Moana and Aularodde also introduced themselves. Myuu and others also introduced themselves through the ship's external speaker.
He showed no sign of surprise when Aularodde introduced herself as a former goddess of other world, or even when he learned that there were children aboard the ship. As expected perhaps Foltina had grasped their situation and told that to old man Kalagura.
But, when he heard Koone and Hinata's polite greeting and Myuu's childish and energetic greeting, her eyes blinked before a smile definitely formed on his face. It was the first time they saw a clear change in expression to his face so he didn't seem like someone with lacking emotion.
(A-as expected from Myuu-chan. Even though she didn't say anything special, she drew out a smile from him with just her voice's mood!! So this, so this is the demon king's daughter's true power-)
Kouki was shuddering inside his mind while engraving it into his memory thinking of it as a lesson in giving a good first impression. And then, Moana guessed what happened inside Kouki's mind and looked slightly exasperated.
Perhaps old man Kalagura somehow sensed that atmosphere, or rather human relationship of the hero party. Apparently he quite liked it and the result was a deepening of his smile.
「S-sorry. It's not like we don't trust you but, I asked the children to stay inside the safe place just in case...」
「Don't worry about it. It's only the natural precaution to do.」
He didn't show any offended look toward the impoliteness of giving a greeting without showing their face.
He might be a generous personage. Kouki thought with a slightly relaxed feeling. Perhaps that was why.
「There are too many things I want to ask that I don't know where to start...」
He unconsciously let his wry real thought to slip out. Old man Kalagula nodded as though he wanted to say that he understood.
「I believe it will be best if you directly ask Foltina-sama about the fundamental of this world, about that "infected species", about the history and the likes.」
In the end he was just a mortal man. He only knew what he had been told about. Old man Kalagura implicitly conveyed that to Kouki while turning his gaze toward Moana.
「For the time being, is there something that you wish to confirm? My compatriot from the far away land?」
「Tsu, that's...yes, there is.」
The "human" who they encountered when coming here to meet the goddess.
In truth, old man Kalagura's existence itself was the biggest shock. Especially for Moana and others, the people of Synclea.
It was truly an unanticipated encounter. Therefore, certainly this was something that she wanted to ask the first thing.
「Is mankind, still surviving even in this land?」
「Yes. Though there aren't many by all means. There is the one and only town in this continent at the side of Foltina-sama.」
The answer was easily given. Moana gulped. The stir that Koone and Spenser and others were making right now could also be heard from the speaker.
「So it's not...just us. There are other survivors. That's great...」
With the Dark Being's objective being the domestication of mankind, humans wouldn't be exterminated in its truest sense even if they lost the war. But, what difference would there be with death in living without any dignity?
Their defeat would be mankind's defeat. After all, they were none other than the last remaining mankind──
Moana and others had fought while thinking like that. To them, the information that mankind was surviving in a faraway land was a joyous news that made them wanted to cry.
Of course, now that they had been victorious against the Dark King, the sense of urgency as though they were standing at the cliff edge was gone. But, even so it was a great joy to learn that there were other humans than them.
Even just knowing this made it felt like their journey until this other side of the world was worth it.
Old man Kalagura was looking at Moana who was like that as though he was looking at something radiant. He then spoke with a voice that was exuding respect.
「I should be the one who say that rather. All of you have done wonderfully surviving until now. Although the majority of the "pure breed" are being sealed in this land, many has successfully escaped the continent, especially the "mutated variant"...many generations of my ancestors had greatly regretted and grieved of that all this time.」
Kouki asked in confusion. There were too many concerning words that came out just now that he couldn't keep up with the conversation.
「Err...pure breed, mutated variant? You also mentioned infected species just now...and generations of ancestors? Are you saying that you're from a clan that has been succeeding something?」
「Oh, my apologies. That was careless of me. I seemed to be too worked up from being able to meet my compatriots from distant land.」
No, even if you said that with a practically expressionless look...Kouki somehow swallowed those words and looked toward Moana and Aularodde. As expected, it seemed the two of them were also unfamiliar with those words.
「Infected species is referring to the living being that is violated by that miasma. Pure breed is referring to the species that doesn't have any clear will among the infected, while the mutated variant is the opposite.」
「P-please wait, Kalagura-dono. From what you're saying it's like the Dark Beings are...」
Moana's eyes widened. Her imagination was forming a single theory just from those words.
She thought that the answer surely could be found east of Synclea. The fundamental question that they had harbored for so many years.
Just where in the world "Dark Beings" came from?
「Dark Being...that's a perfectly fitting phrase. Yes, it's just as you imagined, they originated from here. Long time ago in the past, the mutated variants escaped from this land and became their ancestors.」
『Dark Beings...came from here...』
The one who unconsciously spoke up and entered the conversation was Koone. That was just how shocking the revelation was.
「Umm, that's──」
「Hero-dono. Regarding the detail, just like I mentioned before, please ask it directly to Foltina-sama. Rather than me who simply knew this from second-hand story, asking the goddess who was present there during the age of myth will be the most reliable.」
「Ah, that's, true...」
Anyway for now, they had learned that this land was where everything began and divided the world into two and turned it into desert. Kouki glanced at Moana who was taking a deep breath in order to calm herself before changing his question.
「Can I ask who are you? That power you displayed, and the fact you are here under the direct order from Foltina-sama, you must not be someone ordinary at all.」
「I'm a descendant of the hero.」
「I see, the hero's...hm? Hmm-!?」
Another shocking truth. Kouki unconsciously said 「Eh? Mine?」 while pointing at himself. Seeing that inflicted additional blow on Moana whose confusion still hadn't abated and she became even more confused.
「K-Kouki!? What's the meaning of this!? Since when you had a child!? With who you did it!?」
「Calm down Moana. It's strange age-wise. In other words──」
「In other words, you had gone back to the past behind my back and impregnated someone! Kouki often got summoned to who know where! It won't be strange even if you got sent to past without my knowledge!」
「No, that's strange Moana. The direction your imagination ran to is just too out there.」
「That's right. There's no way something like that can...no, perhaps he got dragged into demon king-sama's experiment? T-that's possible! It's possible if it's that savage demon!! He considered even a former goddess like me as a convenient guinea pig or something mon! If it's with Kouki-sama who he is on very bad terms with...no way...Kouki-sama-, what's the meaning of this!? Do you think that you can do anything if it's in the past!?」
「It's a big mistake if you think that you can say anything if it's to me you know? That's a harmful misinformation that will give me sure win in defamation case if I sue!」
A lovers' quarrel that suddenly broke out. Old man Kalagura looked slightly troubled. What's with this situation...he looked like he was thinking that while scratching his cheek.
And so, the capable little girls asked him in the place of the useless adults.
An energetic voice 『I have question!』 came out from the speaker. Old Kalagura formed a smile while answering 「Yes, ask the question」.
『Err, is Kalagura-ojiisan a descendant of a hero who lived in this world in the past? Is that why you're especially super duper strong? Nano』
「Yes, exactly. My clan has been bestowed with great power for generations due to the bloodline of the founder who was picked by Foltina-sama. In accordance to that founder's will, we have been protecting Foltina-sama and the world's cornerstone for generations.」
『This world's cornerstone, it's referring to a large tree isn't it? Koone and everyone here are calling it the Blessing Tree though.』
「Yes, it's exactly as your majesty speak.」
『It's safe isn't it?』
「It has weakened horribly but, for now it's safe.」
『Kalagura-sama. We had pinpointed the Blessing Tree's location before coming here. However, the actual coordinate greatly differed from our search. Is that because of the security that Foltina-sama is putting up?』
「No. Rather Foltina-sama has been waiting impatiently for everyone's arrival. Apparently Foltina-sama expected for hero-dono to immediately depart to here immediately after saving Synclea Kingdom but...」
『Aa, because of the Kouki-oniisan and papa got summoned too muchhh! case!』
「I'm not aware about that circumstance but, it's a fact that hero-dono vanished from this world and missed the timing. There is a simple explanation for the coordinate being different.」
Myuu and others were asking their questions one by one without digging too deep, only enough to understand the outline of each question.
It was painful to be there. Kouki and others had become as quiet like a borrowed cat in the middle of that. They were listening carefully to the precise questions of the little girls. To repeat, it was really painful to keep being there. Also, they felt very pathetic.
Old Kalagura's expression was becoming very conflicted seeing Kouki and others like that, even so he spoke the method that outmaneuvered the compass in a sense. It was certainly something simple.
「Because the place had moved.」
「Moved?」
A lot of "?" floated above the head of Kouki and others. They couldn't understand what he meant for a moment before their eyes widened. It was something that they couldn't believe right away even though they had guessed it.
「Eh? Please wait. Could it be, you're saying that the Blessing Tree itself moved after we pinpointed its location?」
「That's right. To be more accurate, the Blessing Tree moved along with our town around it.」
「...So the World Tree's branch can move」
Kouki reflexively looked at Aularodde.
「Certainly, it's not impossible. It's not like the tree is surviving by obtaining nourishment from the land. Of course, there is the optimal place for circulating that world's unique energy, so it's not like anywhere is fine though...」
In the first place the surrounding was a dying desert area. There was no optimal place anywhere here.
「It's also possible to interfere with the great tree itself for a goddess or someone the goddess recognize.」
「On top of that, it'll be relatively easy to do on this sea of sand with its fluidity...I guess that's how.」
「It's ironic but, this area has become the best environment for running away and hiding exactly because the land has been dried up completely by the infected species.」
So that was how. Thinking carefully, even Tortus's great tree was a dungeon inside. It had sunk really deeply from its former height.
「The infected species might invade if we stayed in that place, so we were forced to move away.」
The tree had apparently moved away to a distance that they would arrive at around afternoon. Perhaps it would be around four, five hours from now. Calculating from their current speed, it meant that the tree had moved for about 350 km.
「Could it be, it was also Kalagura-san who did the moving?」
「Yes, hero-dono. Foltina-sama was fatigued and spent most of her time sleeping until just recently, so this too is a role of my clan.」
Certainly with that way it was no wonder they didn't find it. Kouki and others got a look of understanding while sighing deeply.
To think that the world tree's branch itself was moving to run and hide.
「It's shocking but, it's understandable. So that's how Foltina-sama is able to be safe until now even with the continent's desertification advancing to this degree and also monsters like that around.」
In that case, Kalagura's clan that had continued to protect the Blessing Tree until now could be said as one of the messiahs in a sense. It was a worthy performance for the descendant of hero. Just how many years and month had he spent fulfilling his duty?
Synclea already had no record of when Dark Being first appeared. The war had continued since that long ago in the past.
「Eventually it all connected to Kouki's summoning that brought salvation to us. ...Considering that, Kalagura-dono too is one of our country's savior. I don't know how should we thank you」
「Please stop. In the end we are the people who abandoned the those outside this continent. All of you survived until now is solely because you had never given up and continued to fight hard no matter what. Something like gratitude...it's something that we ought to give you instead. Truly, all of you have done wonderfully surviving until now.」
Kalagura said that and turned his face to face forward once more. Perhaps he didn't want his face to be seen. His voice sounded like it was trembling slightly.
Perhaps, that was the feeling of guilt that Kalagura's clan had felt for generations until now.
What happened in this world? They would be able to hear the details from Foltina, but at the very least they could understand just from the fragments of words until now that something dangerous had occurred.
And then, surely that was the cause of the Blessing Tree and Foltina's weakening. Because of that old Kalagura and his clan had to protect them for generations until now.
They couldn't go running to the help of their compatriots in the faraway land even if they wanted to. After all the world could end in the truest sense if they did so.
Somehow it was conveyed how they had continued to feel such dilemma until now.
「Can I also ask a question of my own?」
After the silence continued for a while, this time it was old Kalagura who spoke up. His gaze was turning toward Moana.
「What kind of country, is your country?」
It was a simple question. It seemed that he hadn't heard everything from Foltina.
To be honest there were still more things that they wanted to ask, but it was just as old Kalagura said, they could ask it from the goddess.
There was no doubt that old Kalagura was also as happy as them for being able to meet compatriots of the same world. No, if he at least knew about the existence of survivors out there, then surely this encounter was something that he had been continuously waiting as though each moment was like an eternity until now, far more than even Moana and others who didn't know anything.
「Let's see, my country is──」
Moana started to talk happily about Synclea Kingdom.
About its culture, creed, the warriors, one by one.
Her words never paused. Old Kalagura's questions also never stopped. Before they realized it, Koone and others had also come down to the deck. Then Synclea group and old Kalagura got absorbed into their conversation.
Kouki, Myuu, and Hinata were watching them from a step away.
It was a warm sight that washed away their heart that was somber after seeing the disastrous sight yesterday. There was a warm smile on their face.
They never even imagined at this point, that when they arrived at the destination, they would think that even that tragic reality still had a little bit of salvation.
When the sun had slightly moved passed the zenith, Kouki and others arrived at their destination just as calculated.
Apparently.
「Um, Kalagura-san? Is it here?」
Kouki asked in confusion. Moana and Myuu and the others were also looking around in confusion.
It was only natural. After all there was nothing here in a glance. There was only the vast desert as far as their eyes could see.
「The Blessing Tree and the town are covered with small sandstorm so it cannot be seen. That is what hiding us from the infected species.」
The crest that was drawn on old Kalagura's right hand shined. Immediately, wind blew gently. It seemed to be a signal to the town for a partial release of the sandstorm barrier that was hiding the place.
「Is it Kalagura-san's art?」
「No, it's Foltina-sama's divine protection. It's one of her protections that she continues to apply even while asleep. Our clan is given the right to interfere with it.」
Several minutes passed. There should be nothing at all 500 meter ahead of them, but suddenly, the space there warped. Like a stage's curtain being raised, the swaying space was lifting up bit by from the ground. A different scenery came into view behind the interval between that veil and the ground.
「It's like a mirage nano!」
「Amazing...is the sandstorm you were mentioning just now reflecting the surrounding scenery?」
Old Kalgura nodded affirmatively to Hinata's question.
「An astute observation. It's not only the barrier of whirling up sandstorm, the radius of 300 meter of the sea of sand around the town and the Blessing Tree is also under Foltina-sama's control.」
「Are you saying that infiltration from underground will also get detected?」
「Yes, hero-dono. The sand can harden as barrier when it becomes necessary, and it can also trick the detection ability of infected species. There are also a lot of miasma stones mixed in so it's possible to neutralize the miasma. Of course, none of them are perfect.」
「Even so this is an amazing protection. It's completely the superior version of Synclea's lake.」
In reality, they still had to move in order to run, so this camouflage must not be completely effective against infected species that was gigantic or had especially high detection ability.
Even so, as expected from the territory right under the direct control of the goddess. Moana and Koone were completely impressed.
The mirage-like veil rose until around a hundred meter from the ground and stopped.
From the border of the swaying veil, they could see the vast desert and the sky above, and a town below it. It was truly a mysterious sight. Myuu and Hinata's expression brightened. Even the nervous Koone got drawn in by the two and her eyes sparkled.
The carrack advanced with BD following behind.
As they approached nearer, the oasis townscape came into view clearly. Compared to Synclea's capital, certainly it was in a scale that should be called as "town". But, it looked like it wouldn't lose in the abundance of vegetation and water.
Even Kouki and Moana and others showed excitement in their face──but before that,
「Nn? Eh?」
It was Kouki who let out his voice. He doubted his eyes and rubbed his eye with his hand.
But, the reality didn't change.
The expression of Myuu, Hinata, and Aularodde were also getting colored with bewilderment gradually. When it came to Koone, Moana, Spenser and his men, their expression went as far as stiffening.
Because, they couldn't see it. The thing that should be there, the thing that absolutely should be visible still hadn't come into view, anywhere.
Koone couldn't hold back and raised her voice.
「U-umm! Kalagura-sama! Didn't you say that the town is together with the Blessing Tree? Koone certainly remember hearing that!」
「Yes, I did say that.」
「Eh, no, but...there's nothing though!? Eh? Is Koone's sight strange? Koone is the strange one?」
「Calm down Ku-chan. Myuu also can't see it nano.」
Yes, they could only see the oasis town at the other side of the mirage veil. A tree so big that it pierced the sky that should be visible no matter where it was couldn't be seen at the slightest.
Instantly, tense thought that "Are we too late?" spread among Kouki and others. Even if the World Tree's branch itself could regenerate, the goddess wouldn't get revived together with it.
Even though Kalagura said that they were weakened but hadn't perished yet. Kouki and others reflexively turned their gaze to him.
Old Kalagura looked puzzled for a moment. Then he realized something and his face turned awkward.
「That's right. It's something ordinary for us, so it slipped my mind to tell everyone.」
「W-what do you mean?」
「The infected species has this powerful attraction toward the Blessing Tree, so it's necessary to put the tree itself under a rigorous concealment.」
In other words, they simply couldn't see or perceive it, but it was still existing there. Kouki and others almost convinced themselves that it was such case before the shocking truth hit them.
「That's why, Foltina-sama──is hiding herself together with the Blessing Tree deep underground. All this time.」
Everyone's eyes widened in shock. Certainly even Tortus's great tree was in a sinking state, and very deeply at that, so that wasn't impossible but, to think that a tree so gigantic that it pierced the sky was sinking under the sand wholly, from its peak until its root.
As expected they never even imagined such scenario and everyone was at a loss for words, however, they immediately moved their mouth to ask the obvious question of 「How will we be able to have audience with her?」 in a great hurry. But, before they could ask the question.
「Eh, could it be she's...a comrade?」
「「「Absolutely nottt!!!」」」
Aularodde-san's eyes were shining with expectation for some reason.
Is she a shut-in character? A type of goddess who's scared to go out? I found an indoor type goddess comrade♪ Her face was saying that.
The Synclea people instantly retorted in a reflex.
There's no way our world's goddess is a hopeless goddess like her! No way we're gonna accept that! She's not right? I'm begging you say that it's not the truth!! Their face was saying that.
「A goddess friend...I might find one here♪」
「There' s no way I'll accept anything like that! Foltina-sama is different from you! Absolutely!」
「「「「「I don't want this kind of goddesss- I don't want this kind of goddesss-」」」」」
「Kalagura-sama! Give us audience as soon as possible! Koone and everyone won't be able to rest easy unless we see it with our own eyes! After all there's a living example of a hopeless case right here! Now now show us the way quickly! GO-GO-GOOOO!!」
「U-understood」
Old Kalagura's face changed into bewilderment as though to say 「I don't know what's going on...」, even so he sped up his carrack's speed.
They gradually saw a place that seemed like a harbor where many people were gradually gathering. It seemed that there was a welcoming mood being prevalent.
And yet, Synclea group looked like they didn't even notice that. They were all desperately trying to question old Kalagura about Foltina-sama's personality. As for Aularodde, her expression was bright and full of hope.
Seeing that, Myuu started talking with her face looking serious for some reason.
「Is it really that bad? Myuu think Aula-oneesan is cute nano. She also has this side that's a bit troublesome but, that made you want to spoil her rotten instead should I say.」
「Myuu-chan? Your words, they sounded like the speech of the type of opposite sex who made their lover to be no good though? Is that from Nagumo's influence? I'm getting faintly worried about your future.」
Kouki's retort got beautifully ignored. Next Hinata also started talking.
「I agree that is cute. However, Myuu-chan. In my opinion, I wish to properly discipline her instead. If I have to make an example, it is like, polishing a raw ore. Don't you wish to see Aula-sama who has grown into a lovely lady?」
「Hinata-chan!? What kind of perspective are you using!?」
「The development of "This is, me?" while in front of mirror! Fumu, certainly, that also doesn't sound bad nano.」
Kouki sensed something terrifying from the conversation of the six years old and the nine years old while thinking.
Foltina-sama, please be a normal goddess. I think being normal is the most precious thing, he thought.
In the end, the attribute of this world's goddess was──