“Umm…….”
Airlights stumbled as he walked.
Perhaps he still hadn’t fully adapted to his new body—his steps were unsteady.
Hio was supporting Airlights by his side.
“If you hold me a bit closer, I think I could walk just fine…….”
At those words, Hio simply let go of the arm he was holding.
“Tsk!”
Sure enough, Airlights started walking perfectly well, as if nothing was wrong.
“Stop messing around and focus on using your ability. Think you can manage it?”
“Umm… It’s hard, honestly. But I feel like I might get the hang of it soon.”
“Then hurry up and get used to it. Sirbert will cry at this rate.”
Standing in front of Hio and Airlights was Sirbert, looking blankly at them.
It wasn’t by his own will—he still hadn’t managed to break free from his petrified state.
His expression was extremely complicated.
“Is that really… Airlights?”
He had heard Airlights had come back to life, but he wasn’t sure whether to believe it or not. Still, seeing a monster’s corpse rise up and start talking made it seem true, but was it really okay to just accept it? That’s what his face seemed to say.
“Anyone can tell it’s Airlights.”
At Hio’s words, Airlights tilted his head slightly to the side.
He flashed a tempting, playful smile.
With graceful hands, he lightly covered his lips.
No matter how you looked at him, he was the classic Airlights.
“Yeah… I don’t know anymore. You’re even reviving dead people now.”
Sirbert let out a small sigh.
If he could move his body, he would have shaken his head in disbelief.
Hio Pavlenko, the Jijoncheonma.
Was this guy really trying to become a god?
Reviving the dead, using Holy Power, and not just any Holy Power, but the kind suspected to be a top-level skill.
Common sense no longer seemed to apply to him.
“Reviving the dead is nothing. For Hio, it’s not even hard.”
“…Yup, you’re Airlights all right. The persistent Jijoncheonma stalker.”
“Hio, should we just leave Sirbert behind? He seems fine as he is.”
“Sorry. Please save me.”
The two seemed to be getting along suspiciously well as Hio cut in between them.
“Hurry up and practice. We don’t have much time.”
“Not much time? Why?”
“We have to go find a Dragon.”
“A Dragon? Sounds fun.”
“…Do you even know what that is?”
“Doesn’t matter, I’m coming with you. It’ll be fun.”
“Hmm… Sure.”
Luckily, it didn’t take Airlights long to get the hang of his ability.
It was originally the power of the noblest of elves.
The power to manipulate plants, and to turn those he looked upon to stone.
Now, it was Airlights’ power. Even if he was still unskilled, he had to master it.
“Okay, look at me.”
When their eyes met with Airlights,
[Minor psychic attack detected.]
[Passive – ‘Can’t Live Without Style!’ activates.]
Instead of a bright crimson, a grayish light seeped out.
The elf’s petrification ability had manifested, albeit weakly.
“Oh, looks like it’s working….”
Just as he was about to praise Airlights for learning it so quickly—
[Strong psychic attack detected.]
Behind the gray, a crimson light surged in, hidden until now.
This was Airlights’ original ability—Enthralment, spreading its light.
“…What are you doing?”
“Hehe. Guess it doesn’t work on you.”
He had pretended to test another ability, but had secretly tried to Enthrall Hio—and failed.
Looking around nonchalantly, Airlights spoke, “Anyway, you want me to use my ability to turn those things back from stone, right?”
Brazen as always, but that’s what made him so typically Airlights.
So Hio just nodded.
“Think you can do it?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
The place was surrounded by statues.
Every one of them, until just moments ago, had been living people.
If Airlights could use his power to undo it, they’d return to normal.
“Like this.”
Airlights’ gaze swept the surroundings, eyes flashing gray.
Wherever he looked, the statues began regaining their original color.
The gray melted away, color returned—an almost miraculous sight.
Slowly, the gray stone melted, and people began to breathe once more.
“Haah…!”
“Th-there was a goddess here?”
“Over there, over there! The wicked witch!”
“Monster…? No, that’s a person!”
“But those ears are…?”
As countless people woke from petrification, the plaza became chaotic.
All eyes turned to Airlights.
Looking uncomfortable, Airlights’ brow furrowed slightly and a deep crimson light flared from his body.
“So noisy.”
As soon as the petrification was lifted, he tried to dominate everyone again with his Enthralment.
[Strong psychic attack detected.]
Hio’s staff tapped Airlights’ head.
Thunk!
“From now on, no more habitual Enthralment.”
“Ow—”
If they were going to travel together, they’d have to fix these bad habits—no, Enthralment habits—step by step.
They bustled through the Academy, restoring all the petrified people.
Most of the professors and security forces had gathered at the site of the Gate, so that was where the most people could be restored at once.
It was probably because most of the forces had gathered near the Gate that the breach happened so easily.
A plan meant to be as efficient as possible ended up being a misstep.
Anyway, thanks to that—
Casualties among the forces weren’t so bad, and since they were turned to stone, the students weren’t as badly affected as expected. The previous attack by Heuka had inadvertently helped.
And as Airlights used his ability more, it became more natural. At the same time—
“Long time no see, little Claire.”
Claire and Airlights met.
It was the first time they had met face-to-face, not through Enthralment.
“This is… Airlights? That weirdo from before?”
“Weirdo? If Hio heard you, he’d get the wrong idea. Want me to turn you to stone?”
“Hmph. Do it if you can.”
“Don’t fight! (ᄋ)』
“Hey, Airlights. I still have some stone dust left on the back of my hand. Mind finishing the job? My shoulder feels stiff too—is the petrification not fully gone?”
“Pr-Professor. Good morning… no, good evening? Anyway, you were probably worried about Roland, but as you can see, I managed to handle this crisis just fine….”
Not just the two of them, but others with faint connections started to gather as well.
A ring of ties formed around Hio Pavlenko.
Connections that had all but disappeared from the outside world.
“Alright, looks like the Academy is more or less sorted out. Sirbert, I’m trusting you to take care of the rest.”
What Hio had to protect was right here.
“It’s really time to go now.”
They had to hurry.
Airlights’ resurrection and the increase in strength were great gains, but the Dragon still remained, and who knew what disaster it might be causing.
And—
He had no idea what feelings Regarda was facing it with, so he really had to hurry now.
“Something’s up again, isn’t there.”
Claire, with her red hair, spoke to Hio.
She had grown noticeably stronger since he last saw her.
Her magical senses had sharpened, and her increased power was clearly felt.
For someone not possessed, such growth was almost unheard of.
“Just wait a little. In three years… no, two years, I’ll be by your side.”
Meeting Hio’s gaze directly, Claire’s eyes blazed with determination.
“Alright. I’ll be waiting. You’re more than capable.”
He meant it.
With Claire’s growth rate, she was on par with other top rankers.
She had a natural talent for mastering and evolving her fire skills—so Sirbert had said.
One day, she’d grow strong enough to truly become Hio’s strength.
Hio was happy to become her goal, and Claire pledged herself to a future together.
But just as the atmosphere grew warm—
“Oh my. I’m already at Hio’s side.”
It was, of course, Airlights.
Clinging tightly to Hio’s arm, he shot a mischievous smile at Claire.
“What can you do? You’re still a little kid, Claire. It’ll be hard for you to come with us.”
“…Get lost.”
“Hmm. If I’m getting lost, I’ll just take Hio with me. We’re going together.”
“Why are you going with Hio?”
“Well, we hold hands, hug when we’re bored…”
“What?”
“And Hio and I have even shared our most secret places (memories hidden deep in the soul), you know?”
Airlights’ teasing skills against Claire were extraordinary.
Despite how much more mature Claire had become—
“You… you…!”
She turned bright red and, just like the old days, burst out angrily.
“You perverted freak! I’m coming with you too!”
Why the conversation turned that way was anyone’s guess, but Hio squeezed between Airlights and Claire, calmed them down, and set out for the imperial palace.
By his side were Airlights and Freya.
***
In the audience chamber of the palace, Sylvia greeted Hio with a weary face.
“You really are having a hard time, becoming Emperor in times like these.”
“No… It’s precisely because of times like these that I have to do even better. But thanks to you, the Academy is finally safe. Thank you, Hio.”
“Anything odd on the other fronts?”
“Yeah. The Royal Knights handled it well. Sir Mahel seems to have found his motivation again, thankfully.”
Apparently, the only boss-level appearance nearby was at the Academy.
That was a relief.
Because Hio was there, the worst was avoided.
Plus, by finding a body that worked perfectly with Airlights and successfully summoning him, they now had someone who could use both the noble elf’s powers and his own.
“We’ll have to begin purification work. Gate… Abyssal energy must have spread in the area where the incident occurred. It would be best if a priest who could use Holy Power came by, but…”
“Short on manpower, right.”
A high-ranking priest capable of Holy Power was rare in these godless times.
“For now, keep ordinary people away from the area… I’ll try to purify as much as I can when I get back.”
“Back? Are you leaving again?”
Nodding at Sylvia’s question, Hio started explaining.
“Remember when we talked about Arilleia before…”
In one corner of the audience chamber, while Sylvia and Hio talked, two others held their own conversation.
“You’re the Dragon’s soul?”
“Yes! Just a tiny, tiny part!”
It was Airlights and Freya.
Airlights, curious, did most of the questioning; Freya mostly answered.
“Your thoughts and feelings turn into text? That’s quite the Artifact.”
“Yes! They said it’s an ancient treasure from my homeland! (20≦)]”
“So you can’t speak?”
“No… Maybe it’s because I’m such a weak soul. ᅮ_ᅮ
“I see… But do you think I’d pity you for that?”
ᅲ…Yes?
“A new tactic, huh. Trying to win Hio’s heart through pity.”
[Yes…?]
“But it won’t work on me. Cunning thing.”
“(。・w..)?”
“So what if you can’t talk? If I wanted, I could go all day without speaking. I could do it, just choose not to. Got it?”
(°°)
“Speechless, huh. Well, you couldn’t talk in the first place, right?”
“(TT)
That strange conversation ended as soon as Hio and Sylvia finished talking.
“Anyway, as long as I’m here, you won’t win through pity. Give up, alright?”
From the side, it looked exactly like Airlights was bullying Freya.
So when Hio finished talking with Sylvia, he picked up Freya and addressed Airlights.
“What are you doing?”
“Hm? Nothing special. Call it early education? These things have to be drilled in early, or they’ll get funny ideas later.”
“…Just talking nonsense again, I see.”
At any rate, Hio got an overview of the situation in the capital and confirmed there were no issues.
He even gained Eos’s cooperation.
“Let’s go, Freya.”
[Yes…!]
Now, they had to find the Dragon.
“Can you sense where it is?”
“Yes! It’s far, but I can feel it clearly!”
Freya herself was surely the most anxious of all.
She was, after all, a part of the Dragon’s soul.
“If we go straight this way, we’ll find it! It doesn’t feel close, so it must be quite a distance from here.」
Freya stretched out her hand, pointing in one direction.
They spread out a map on the desk and, together with Sylvia, tried to figure out where that direction pointed.
Soon, they had their answer.
“This place…”
A strong sense of foreboding welled up inside him.
“The Holy Kingdom.”