POV: Ghislaine Dedoldia
The explosion of light was all I saw before the world around me disappeared. Instinctively, my body reacted. I held Eris tightly, shielding her with my own body as the overwhelming energy enveloped us. My sharp hearing and keen senses were overloaded by a deafening sound, and for a moment, everything went blank.
When I opened my eyes, the scenery was entirely different.
We were in a gigantic cavern, so vast and dark that the ceiling seemed to merge with the horizon's shadow. The walls, hundreds of meters away, glimmered faintly as light reflected off sparse crystals, just enough to reveal the cavern's immensity. The ground was uneven, covered with sharp stones and massive claw marks. The air carried a metallic scent, mixed with something damp and putrid, as if this place had not seen sunlight for centuries.
I carefully placed Eris on the ground. The young girl was stunned, looking around, unable to comprehend what had happened. "Stay close to me," I said firmly, drawing Hiramune.
The sword gleamed faintly in the crystal's light, its blade reflecting the cold determination in my eyes.
I tried to understand where we were. My trained senses, sharp as those of a beast, caught the oppressive silence around us. It felt as if the entire cavern was watching. A shiver ran down my spine.
Suddenly, a heavy presence dominated the space. My gaze instinctively shifted to the top of a rock pile a few meters away. Two pairs of yellow eyes shone in the darkness, fixated on us. Pupils narrow like a serpent's studied me with an intensity that made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Slowly, the creature emerged. Its massive silhouette became visible as it moved into the dim light. Its breath produced a faint, icy mist that dissipated into the air. Enormous teeth, shimmering blue scales like sapphires, and long membranous wings projected its dominance. It was a dragon. A blue dragon, at least forty meters long, the apex predator of the entire world.
I kept my expression serious and stoic, though my heart beat faster. This was no ordinary foe, and I knew it. I took only a moment to adjust my stance. Every fiber of my body, trained to the limit, was ready to kill.
The dragon tilted its head slightly, its eyes evaluating the warrior before it. Its long, muscular tail moved slowly, dragging stones across the ground.
But I didn't waste time. In the blink of an eye, without giving it a chance to react, I launched myself forward. My speed was devastating, impossible to track with the naked eye. Everything around me seemed to slow as I advanced with lethal precision.
The dragon tried to retreat, realizing the danger too late. I slashed through the air with Hiramune, its blade resonating with fierce brilliance as I executed the signature technique of the Sword God style. When I stopped, I was already on the other side of the creature. The dragon remained motionless for a moment before its head flew off, crashing to the ground with a deafening thud, its eyes lifeless.
The impact of my speed was so immense that stones were hurled into the air, and my hair rippled with the wind displacement. There was no hesitation in my movements. I spun on my heels and ran back to where Eris was without stopping to admire my work.
"Ghislaine! Where are we?! Where's the mansion?!" Eris shouted, her voice filled with confusion. Her scream echoed and reverberated throughout the cavern.
The scream was a prelude to something even more terrifying. Guided by my sharp senses, I sensed the danger before it materialized. Without hesitation, I didn't stop as I grabbed Eris by the collar and dragged her away, just moments before a colossal claw struck the spot where she had been standing. The ground trembled with the impact.
A deep roar echoed through the cavern, so powerful it seemed to make the ground vibrate. I stopped on a higher rock and placed Eris behind me. My expression was serious but controlled.
"Young lady, do not leave my side under any circumstances and do not run off. We are in a very dangerous situation," I said, my voice firm but calm. It was an unquestionable order, and Eris, though scared, trusted me completely and would not disobey.
Before I could plan my next move, more roars began to fill the cavern, each louder and closer than the last. The darkness was suddenly filled with dozens of golden eyes, all fixated on us.
I tightened my grip around Hiramune, preparing for battle.
----
The smell of blood and burnt flesh lingered in a small section of the massive cavern, now littered with debris and steam rising from nearly molten stones. Four blue dragon corpses lay on the ground. I had taken cover with Eris in a small alcove, a crack in the wall of the vast main cavern. The space was about three cubic meters, just enough for us to squeeze in and wait in silence. The dragons were far too large to fit through the narrow opening, but safety was far from guaranteed.
Eris was lying on Ghislaine's lap. Her young body was marked with bruises and burns, signs of the battle they had faced. Ghislaine held the young girl firmly, but her heart weighed heavy with shame and guilt. She had fought with all her strength, yet Eris had been injured and had come close to death. Protecting a life amidst the chaos of a cave infested with blue dragons was an almost impossible task. Even as a Sword King, Ghislaine thought that not even the Sword God, her master, could protect someone in such a situation.
Her serious expression reflected her frustration. Ghislaine knew she wasn't skilled in complex strategies or deep reflections. She didn't bother questioning where she was or why she was there; her only priority at that moment was ensuring Eris's safety. Her strength lay in combat, but fighting against dozens of A- and S-rank blue dragons while protecting someone was a challenge she had never faced before.
Her body bore multiple wounds. Even so, giving up wasn't an option. Nor did she count on anyone coming to rescue her from a cave filled with dragons.
"Young lady," she began, her voice calm yet firm, "I won't be able to carry you while fighting our way out. You'll have to run with me. I'll hold your hand."
Eris opened her eyes, her gaze filled with confusion and fear. She had silently cried for a while when she thought Ghislaine wasn't looking. But upon hearing Ghislaine's words, a spark of hope ignited within her. Staggering, the young girl stood, barely able to keep her balance.
"I-I won't hold onto you!"
Ghislaine smiled faintly, a rare expression of pride on her face.
"Let's get out of here."
They left the shelter, running quickly through the rocky formations, dodging dragons that roamed the area. Their small size helped them remain hidden for a time.
But every step was a fight for survival. Ghislaine was swift and precise, slicing through the head of an approaching dragon with a devastating strike. Yet with every blow, she felt her strength waning. The dragons kept appearing, their roars as overwhelming as a shadow of death.
As she fought, Ghislaine released Eris for a moment and advanced, leaping between rocks and cutting down a dragon with a lethal strike. She then returned to grab Eris and continued their escape. With every moment, it became increasingly evident they were surrounded, and the exit was still far away.
After a long time, Ghislaine let go of Eris again to deal with an opponent in front of her. But another dragon targeted Eris. After defeating the dragon, Ghislaine rushed back to Eris, shielding her with her body. She felt the blue dragon's claws tear into her back as it roared and prepared a fiery breath. Ghislaine ignored the severe wound and hid with Eris behind a rock.
She continued to fight as the dragons amassed due to the noise. She was losing a lot of blood and could feel the cave's exit was still far away. She prioritized fleeing, but the dragons kept coming in dozens.
As her strength began to falter, a loud crash echoed through the cave. Ghislaine stopped, her sharp senses detecting a new danger. The dragons also paused, their watchful eyes turning to the ceiling. A massive opening began to form, with chunks of rock falling as if the world were collapsing.
In this critical moment, Ghislaine didn't stop to question why it was happening. Her instincts screamed that this could be their only chance. She changed direction, running toward the highest rocks near the fissure with Eris. Her plan was clear: leap to the outside, even without certainty she could reach the exit.
What she saw next, however, was something she would never forget.
From within the opening in the ceiling, a young beastman descended, floating as if he were strolling. His silver hair shone under the light invading the cave, and his golden eyes calmly surveyed the environment as though he were merely passing by and decided to take a look. His aura was overwhelming, his mana immense—the greatest she had ever seen. It was visible to her Magic Eye.
As the rocks moved to form the opening, she noticed with her Magic Eye that he was manipulating the stone with magic and seemed to be the one responsible for the fissure. Although genuinely surprised, Ghislaine didn't hesitate for a second. She kept running, ignoring the mysterious figure, focused on reaching the exit.
The young man looked at them with interest and, in a seemingly casual gesture, raised his hand and said, "Lightning."
A streak of blue lightning shot from his palm, striking a dragon that had been approaching from behind her. The dragon's roar of pain echoed through the cave, drawing the attention of the others and causing them to roar even louder and more ferociously.
The cave trembled as he moved the earth, creating steps leading to the opening. It seemed he was helping them. She was still stunned by his use of magic but continued onward. Even as he did this, a winged dragon charged at them.
The young man advanced and used magic from the Doldia tribe. An ear-splitting roar erupted—a Howling Magic she had seen once before. Yet, as with everything else he did, this was on another level. The roar echoed through the cave, disrupting the cohesion of the dragons' unity.
The dragon chasing them appeared to slam into an invisible wall created by the young man. A large crack formed, but the barrier held.
Ghislaine ran as fast as she could, holding Eris's hand. Her body was injured, her muscles burning, but she couldn't stop. She weaved through paths clear of dragons, moving agilely over the rocky terrain.
Finally, they reached the top. The boy had already floated out of the cave, and with a final leap, she gathered all her strength to cross the fissure.
In midair, as she felt blood streaming from her wounds, she saw the boy blocking the dragons with more earth magic and approaching her. He seemed calm despite the chaotic situation.
She raised Hiramune, eyeing the young man. She felt no danger from him but had to be cautious. The blood loss was nearly making her unconscious, and she needed to ensure Eris was safe. He raised his hands and spoke in a reassuring voice:
"You're safe for now."
Those simple words dissolved her tension. And as she relaxed for a second, her body finally collapsed from the severe injuries.
The red-haired girl knelt beside her, tears streaming down her face. "Ghislaine!"
----
POV: Rygar Adoldia
Rygar looked at the crying girl next to the warrior he realized was his relative, Ghislaine Dedoldia. He doubted there could be two beastwomen as strong and skilled in the Sword God Style with the same name. It had to be her. He approached to heal her, but the red-haired girl, noticing his approach, grabbed Ghislaine's sword and pointed it at him. Her hand trembled slightly.
"You there, do something to help her!" she shouted, her tone commanding but nervous and desperate.
Rygar raised an eyebrow and replied:
"Is that how you ask for a favor from your savior?"
She grew irritated for a moment but looked at Ghislaine, bleeding profusely, and spoke, stammering:
"My-my grandfather has a lot of money! He can pay you!"
Rygar chuckled. If he played around much longer, Ghislaine's life would be at risk, and he wanted to leave the area quickly since the dragons could decide to break through the wall at any moment.
"I don't want money. I have enough already. Don't worry—Ghislaine is from my tribe. I won't let her die like this."
That seemed to lift Eris's spirits, and she quickly responded:
"Then hurry!"
Rygar approached Ghislaine. Her wounds were severe, especially the one on her back, which had shredded several organs and deeply fractured bones. If it had been just a bit deeper, he wouldn't have been able to heal it even with advanced healing magic. He poured as much mana as possible into his healing spell, and after some time, he managed to close the wounds. Ghislaine was no longer in danger but was still exhausted and would need time to recover.
Rygar then turned to the girl and grabbed her arm. She recoiled at first and asked:
"What are you doing?!" She almost punched him but hesitated, finally noticing he was using healing magic on her.
After treating the girl's injuries, Rygar picked up Ghislaine in his arms. He looked at the warrior more closely this time.
"This woman is extraordinarily beautiful and attractive," he thought. "I hadn't taken a proper look before, but she has all the right proportions in all the right places."
Shaking off those thoughts, he addressed the girl:
"She needs time to recover. Follow me to a nearby cave. By the way, what's your name?"
The girl looked extremely nervous and worried but eventually replied:
"Eris… My name is Eris Boreas Greyrat!" she finally shouted.
Rygar looked at her blankly and said, "Alright, Eris Boreas Greyrat, stop shouting. You're attracting dragons and beasts. Or I'll leave you in the middle of this mountain for the dragons to hunt."
He said this and walked off without waiting for her reaction. The girl almost yelled, "Wait!" but lowered her voice at the last second. Rygar ran toward the mutant dragon's cave, carrying Ghislaine and with Eris tagging along. His pace was slow, as Eris couldn't keep up. Rygar helped by creating platforms of earth for her to cross the mountainous terrain more easily. Even so, she nearly shouted many times, growing impatient and asking about Ghislaine. However, a single glance from him reminded her of his threat to leave her behind.
He quickly realized Eris was an extremely energetic and temperamental child with an incredibly strong personality. Even surrounded by dragons, the situation seemed to affect her only superficially, failing to traumatize her—or perhaps she processed trauma differently. He also noticed how much she cared for Ghislaine, which made him curious about their relationship. Was she her daughter? They looked nothing alike.
Finally, they reached the mutant dragon's cave. Its scent still lingered, keeping other beasts from daring to approach, and Rygar intended to use this to his advantage. He fashioned a makeshift bed with soft sand and placed Ghislaine on it before turning his attention to Eris.
He then stared at Eris, analyzing her until she lost her patience and shouted, "What are you looking at?!"
Rygar rubbed his temples, already irritated. "Can you stop shouting? I hear perfectly well. I want to know what you two were doing inside a cave full of dragons."
Eris seemed to think of the cave as a safe place. Perhaps that was why she felt somewhat at ease. Even so, she replied defiantly, as if to provoke him:
"I have no idea!" she yelled, as though not knowing was some sort of achievement.
She yelled even louder this time.
Rygar narrowed his eyes, a thought crossing his mind. She reminded him of Linia as a child, but Eris seemed like an even worse version—spoiled, extremely aggressive, and noisy. Fortunately, Linia had learned some lessons to curb her behavior. Perhaps it was time to try something similar? Without a word, he moved in the blink of an eye.
Accelerating instantly, Rygar grabbed Eris by her collar and carried her out of the cave to a cliffside. Before she could react, he held her by the leg and dangled her upside down. For a moment, she was stunned. But then she began screaming as she saw the height.
"AAAAHHH! Let me go! Ghislaine!! Ghislaine! Help me! My grandfather won't let you get away with this!"
Rygar ignored her screams, keeping her suspended as she tried to grab his arm. She was dressed in training clothes, so he didn't worry about her discomfort in that position. Still emotionless, he said again:
"Stop shouting."
Then, he briefly let go of her leg before catching her again. The motion made Eris let out a terrified scream.
"Ghislaine! Ghislaine! Let me gooo!"
Rygar was surprised by her determination, even in such a situation. He decided to let her go completely. Eris screamed, her voice growing fainter as she fell. He watched for a few seconds before jumping after her.
During the fall, Rygar created a stone platform to stop their descent. He caught Eris midair, cradling her like a princess. The girl was pale, clearly frightened this time. Rygar looked at her firmly and said, "Do you think I wouldn't dare let you go? Not another scream."
Without waiting for her response, he jumped back to the cave with fluid ease, landing gracefully and setting her down. Walking back inside, he remained silent. Eris, now mute, followed with a burning glare and a barely concealed murderous intent.
Despite this, Rygar was impressed. The girl's strong and determined personality was remarkable. Any other child would have been utterly terrified after what she had been through. This was a point in her favor. She's even more stubborn than Linia.
Unfortunately, Rygar wasn't known for his patience with irrational children. Upon returning to the cave, he sat on a rock while Eris stood next to Ghislaine, still unconscious.
He repeated his question: "How did you end up in there?"
Eris hesitated but replied, less aggressively this time: "I-I really don't know! We were in the mansion, and then a white light appeared! And we ended up here!"
Rygar raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Mansion? Eris, right? Where are you from?"
She replied aggressively but stopped herself from yelling at the last second: "What are you talking about?! We're from Fitoa, obviously!"
Rygar was stunned and stood up abruptly. "Fitoa? You mean… in the Kingdom of Asura?!"
Eris frowned, visibly confused by his reaction, and hesitated before answering: "W-where else would it be?!"
Before Rygar could fully process what he had just heard, a movement nearby caught his attention. Ghislaine was starting to wake up, much earlier than he expected. He decided to wait for clearer answers from her directly.