Manowa - Chapter 417: Let's Fall Through the Sky

Yumika’s mind had gone blank.

(What is this? I’ve seen this… on TV…)

She could see the ground below. She could see the horizon. She could see the sea. She could see clouds.

Then Yumika realized where she was, and she felt like her whole body would freeze. In fact, the current temperature was negative 75 degrees Celsius. It was truly freezing cold.

Then Yumika looked around. Jinrai was a little distance away, but the distance didn’t look to be as far as it was when they were inside the barrier. Lyle, Emily, and Shippuu were together. Yumika grasped that the three people were being protected by Lyle’s Divine Protection of Wind. It looked like Jin Bahar had been unsummoned. Likely because the battle was over and Jinrai was no longer in the proper state to maintain it.

Also, inside the Indestructible Carriage, Tiara was unconscious, and Louise was looking after her. Louise’s face inside the carriage was astonished. As was natural. Inside the carriage, she had a limited view compared to Yumika and the others, so she shouldn’t be able to understand what was currently happening.

And Yumika was still using her Complete Dragon Transformation, but she would soon run out of Dragon Spirit. In any case, at this altitude, it would be difficult for her to keep flying even if she had a full tank.

And considering the current situation, Yumika switched from the Complete Dragon Transformation to Dragonoidization in order to maintain her Divine Protection of Wind for as long as possible. She wanted to avoid being tossed into this space with her natural body.

(However, that’s just maintaining the current situation)

If she didn’t find a way to survive before she fell, her life would end anyway. However, her Complete Dragon Transformation could no longer be used, and since Kazane currently had the Angel Bracelet, she couldn’t use Angelization or the Complete Bird Transformation. Using Masamune’s Blade-body Unification in this situation was meaningless.

Also, Lyle was now shrouded in Dragon Spirit like a dragon, but he didn’t have wings. Setting aside whether or not it could fly at this altitude, Tiara could summon a Flame Bird, but she was unconscious. They had no other means of flying in the sky.

(I can’t think of anything. What to do?)

Despair began to emerge in Yumika’s heart. She wanted to do something. But it was hopeless.

(I … I have to do something)

So she thought, but she couldn’t think of anything.

Perhaps if we’re inside the Indestructible Carriage… she thought, and it was certainly highly likely that the Indestructible Carriage itself wouldn’t be destroyed. However, there was probably no chance the human beings inside would be safe. They would die from the impact inside when they crashed.

Nothing.

There was no means.

As Yumika looked at the ground below, something crossed her mind.

It was the face of her best friend.

That shorty.

「… Sorry, Kazane. It might be hopeless.」

As she apologized to her best friend for being unable to protect their companions, Yumika started to fall through the sky.

Yumika and the others did not yet know that below, in a place far away, something was currently approaching with tremendous momentum. At this point, the fact that help was imminently approaching was as yet…

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

『UWAaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!』

And Kazane flew. She kept flying.

At full speed, with wings spread, using Divine Protection of Wind to the maximum, that dragon body pushed onward.

Kazane and the others had passed through the Vessa Plateau, where the Issenman Buffalos were located, and arrived at the highway near Jiran City, then followed Yumika and the others’ trail. Yumika and the others’ scent disappeared along the way, but they noticed a different scent at the place where it ended and followed that trail.

While Kazane herself used Dragonization so they could fly, she had Yuuko-nee search for them with『Dog’s Sense of Smell』. Occasionally, she dowsed with the Infinite Key to decide their direction as they continuously searched.

Along the way, Yuuko-nee got wind of Lyle’s scent.

It was the lingering scent from when Lyle temporarily died and his soul was about to be sucked into the Magical Power River; while Kazane and the others had no way of knowing that fact, that helped them grasp the right direction.

Subsequently, the Ruby Griffon’s intense magical power passed through the barrier into the surroundings, making it possible for them to identify a more detailed location. Thanks to that, Kazane and the others were able to realize that their companions were in the sky far above.

All those events were not by chance. As a result of the continued efforts of both Kazane’s group and Yumika’s group to break the status quo, Kazane was able to locate Yumika and the others.

And Kazane kept flying. The long-distance travel became experience points, which raised Dragonization’s Skill Level to 3 and changed Kazane’s figure into a 9-meter dragon, nearly the size of an Adult dragon.

However, it wasn’t enough. As it was, they wouldn’t reach.

Their height was insufficient. Kazane had already ascended 3000 meters, but Yumika and the others were far above.

And above that, the distance was too far. It was absolutely far. As things were now, they wouldn’t be in time.

「Aneki, as it is…!?」

『Mother!』

While desperately clinging to Kazane’s dragon back, Naoki said that. Yuuko-nee and Tatsuo were also watching with grim expressions. And Kazane also knew. Even if she used her full power, she wouldn’t arrive.

(No, such a thing…)

Kazane continued flying. However, as it was, she wouldn’t be in time.

『No way. I’ll absolutely be there in time!』

After Kazane shouted that, her speed increased further. The bird wings from Angelization enlarged. The dragon seemed to grow even further. But it wasn’t enough. She surely wouldn’t arrive.

(Think. There must be something.)

Superiorization came to mind. Right now, that was the only method Kazane had to immediately strengthen herself.

(If I were an Achromatic Dragon Emperor, would I be able to fly faster? If I were a Thousand Skill Devil King, would my Skills be strengthened? How about Halo Archangel? Evolution Magical Beast King?)

Think. Which was the correct choice? Which was the incorrect choice? Was there a correct choice in the first place?

She didn’t even know if any of them were the answer. However, a decision was urgent.

Like an eternity, the next second approached.

And she felt like she heard a voice.

Kazane felt the apologetic voice of her best friend resonate in her heart.

That opened the final door sleeping in the depths of her soul.

A memory from long ago. Everything started with an apology from her best friend.

It reminded Kazane『how far she had come to get her back.』

Then Kazane looked at her Superiorization options.

(If these are all possibilities for me, then…)

At Kazane’s will, the Window frame displaying the choices disappeared,

(I don’t care if it’s only temporary, give me power! The power to save Yumika and the others!!)

And those words followed one road.

Immediately after,

Kazane’s Dragonization suddenly came undone.

「Hey, Aneki!?」

「Nyaaaa」

『Ooh!?』

Naoki, Yuuko-nee, and Tatsuo were thrown into the air. However, they didn’t fall. Surrounded by some kind of force field, Naoki and the others were floating in place.

「This is?」

「Let’s hurry!」

Naoki had a puzzled expression, but when he saw his sister’s appearance in front of him, he stiffened.

「Aneki, what is that figure?」

His older sister had large horns, fluttering pairs of angel wings and dragon wings, a halo on her back, a cat tail, cat ears, sparkling rainbow eyes, and fangs.

「Figure? Never mind that, we’re flying.」

The moment she said that, a huge amount of magical power spouted from Kazane’s body and was poured into the『Fly』spell that Kazane had activated. The large amount of magical power poured into『Fly』didn’t come from within Kazane, but from the natural magical power flowing through the sky.

In other words, the natural magical power that gave the Magical Power River its name. That meant that Kazane was manipulating the enormous amount of natural magical power used in Guardian Armaments like the White Sword and Ruby Griffon.

Then Kazane kept flying.

Unlike dragon flight, the speed and range of the spell『Fly』could be enhanced by using more magical power. And if the enormous amount of magical power flowing through the Magical Power River was all poured into the spell『Fly』, the speed would increase exceedingly.

Then, with momentum like a bullet, Kazane and the others ascended. The friction from the force field moving through the air made them glow like a meteor as they soared.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Yumika saw that glow. She saw something flying toward them from far away.

Then Yumika realized that the sign she felt from it belonged to someone she knew,

「Kazane!」

and she shouted her name. Kazane also noticed that and waved her hand. But Yumika felt just a little confused and tilted her head.

The being reflected in Yumika’s eyes certainly looked like Kazane, but her appearance was different from the Kazane that Yumika knew.

She had big horns, a total of 4 angel and dragon wings, and even cat ears and a tail. Her eyes were rainbow, and she had fangs. There was also a halo behind her back. She had a truly inconsistent figure.

(What is that?)

Yumika thought. Explained in an easy-to-understand manner, that figure might be something like『the strongest character』a boy might think up? But even saying that, the cat ears felt particularly out of place. However, Yumika stifled those thoughts with the convenient words「time of emergency.」

After all, Yumika wasn’t a woman so bad at reading the air that she would say such a thing to her rescuer. Thinking she would mention it later, she looked at Kazane.

Kazane approached until she was right before her eyes, then spread the spell『Fly』to envelop everything around. The range even included the bones of the Holy Skull Legion and Tatsuyoshi-kun Normal, which were ejected from the barrier.

「Are you fine doing something that consumes so much Magic Power?」

Yumika noticed the excessive flow of magical power and asked. Kazane nodded in response.

「There’s no problems there… but…」

Kazane replied, but her expression wasn’t calm.

「But?」

「There’s only a minute remaining. I don’t know if that’s enough time to descend.」

After Kazane’s words, Yumika’s face stiffened. Then Yumika timidly asked.

「What will you do?」

「Anyhow, under the influence of Fly, there should be no problems with pressure differences or the like, so we’ll fall at full speed!」

「Eehhhhhhhh!」

Together with Yumika’s cry, Kazane and the others accelerated toward the ground. The facial expressions of all her companions froze at that situation, but Kazane didn’t have the leeway to worry about their reactions.

The Window countdown showed 30 seconds remaining.

「Ah, we won’t make it in time.」

「You’re kidding!?」

「Are you serious, Aneki!?」

Ignoring the screams behind her, Kazane said「In that case…」while grabbing the halo behind her back.

「You can hold that?」

Ignoring that quip, Kazane loaded it with a Skill.

Then the halo, which only had one thing inputted into it, was thrown downward by Kazane and disappeared.

「How about this!」

The next moment, the halo that had traveled to the ground activated the designated Skill in that place. Then, the earth bulged, and with a loud rumbling, the ground started to rise. In that place, something cylindrical was being built and rising at a tremendous speed. Then, the downpour of magical power distorted the surrounding space, and a huge pillar of magical light appeared there. It was probably big enough to be seen throughout the entire nation of Tsuvara.

Furthermore, the surrounding rocks were swirling toward the center like a whirlpool, making it look like an antlion nest.

「Can we make it?」

「Just barely, I think? Ah, that’s right. Yumika. Take my hand.」

「Eh?」

「Quickly!」

After Kazane’s frantic shout, Yumika’s hand overlapped with Kazane’s. Then Yumika’s clasped hand started rubbing Kazane’s hand like a massage.

「Umm, what’s with the gross movements?」

「Er, I’m feeling a little aroused right now. Since I touched a person’s skin, I unconsciously…」

「Why!?」

Kazane shouted, but there was no time. Even if she was worried about it, it couldn’t be helped. Yumika’s lewd feelings had slightly returned due to changing from her Complete Dragon Transformation to Dragonoidization, but this wasn’t the time to worry about something like that.

「Never mind. The『Friendship Tag-team』Skill will cause resonance between Yumika and me. That should raise my power. Gooo!!」

Then, Kazane and Yumika’s clasped hands shone, increasing the speed of Kazane and the others’ fall as well as the rise of the cylinder. When the cylinder reached an altitude of about 1600 meters, Kazane and the others were approaching just above it.

「Just made ittt!!」

When the Window countdown showed 2 seconds left, Kazane rapidly decelerated. The force field created by the spell Fly collided with the top of the cylinder, causing a crackling of electric discharge. Then, when the force field of Fly scattered at exactly zero seconds, Kazane and the others had safely reached the top of the cylinder.

「It, was in time.」

While saying that, Kazane limply fell to her knees on the spot. The other companions also collapsed in the same way. It seemed Louise in the carriage also wearily sat down on the spot.

「I don’t really understand what happened, but we’re saved. By Kazane’s power?…」

「Uu, my head is spinning」

「Mm. It’s cold.」

「Aah, she was able to manage? As expected of Aneki.」

『Mother is amazing.』

「Nyaa.」

The companions respectively uttered relieved voices and looked around.

「So then, what is this?」

Yumika knew that this was some kind of building, but as might be expected, without a bird’s-eye view, there was no way to know where they were or what this was. And the place where Kazane and the others alighted was the rooftop of a tower. It was the rooftop of a huge 1600 meter tower.

As a matter of fact, Kazane loaded the Skill Golem Maker into the halo to create a tower. Pouring in all the magical power from the Magical Power River that she could, she simply single-mindedly continued to increase the number of floors by copy and pasting the essentials.

The height of the tower was thus completed at 1600 meters. That was 406 floors. But in addition, to secure the tower to the ground, underground floors were also created at the same time. Just like above ground, there were 406 floors underground, so this building actually had 812 floors in total.

Also, unless mountains were in the way, it was huge enough to be seen from a considerable distance. Thorough use of Coating made the outward appearance pure white, and the surrounding walls were decorated with magnificent objects like statues of goddesses. Kazane had simply selected the very first tower sample from the Library to use, but it seemed its workmanship was unexpectedly extravagant.

The people of Tsuvara were dumbfounded when they saw the huge tower that day. For what reason did a white tower suddenly appear, and what effect would it have on them? It was said that more than a few people were scared that it was an omen that the country of Tsuvara would disappear.

In any case, the largest building in the world was created in this way. Without any particular usage.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Dragon and Beast Ruling Tenma Monarch (Apprentice)

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner, Rea King, Liberator, Guardian

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Draghorn Tonfa x2, Dragon Eating Ogre Army Armor (True), Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, White Magic Accumulator (Revised) ×2, Rainbow Necklace, Rainbow Dragon Ring, Angel Bracelet

Level : 40

Health: 156+20

Magic Power: 378+520

Strength: 81+45

Agility: 83+39

Endurance: 45+20

Wisdom : 75

Dexterity : 53

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』『Golden Dusk「Dragon Exclusive」』『Mirror Shield』『Rabbit Speed』『Flare Mirage』

Skill : 『Apprenticeship Cancellation』『Nil Principle』『Skill Hand』『Halo』『Evolution Hand』『Kick Devil』『Kick Decapitation Wave』『Warrior’s Memory: Lv2』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog’s Sense of Smell: Lv2』『Golem Maker: Lv4』『Aegis Shield』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition: Lv2』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield: Lv2』『Information Link: Lv2』『Optical Camouflage』『High Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization: Lv3「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Hand Placement』『Thunder Chariot: Lv2』『Sturdier Teeth: Lv2「Dragon」』『Crystallization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Devil King’s Intimidation』『Stone Minotaur: Lv2』『Mega Beam: Lv2』『Space Expansion』『Pseudo-Silver Creation』『Poison Claw』『Fireball「Dragon」』『Cuticle「Dragon」』『Arms Creation: Black Flame』『Ingredient Connoisseur: Lv3』『Dragon Pheromone「Dragon」』『Boost』『Monkey’s Strong Arm』『Two-sword Style』『Boobies Plus』『Living Armor』『Alarm』『Six-sword Style』『Mental Attack Complete Protection』『Spider Web』『Wire Cutter』『Flexible』『Magic Power Absorption』『Red Body Transformation』『Friendship Tag-team』

Naoki: 「Aneki collapsed once it was over, and we had to stop Yumika from attacking her, which was quite difficult.」

Yumika: 「… I will never take that medicine from Louise-san again. Absolutely.」