Chapter 209

The sky maintained a uniform brightness, despite it being the time of day where it should change towards evening .

This is the evil domain . I wonder whether stars or magic lights serve as sources to illuminate this world .

While pondering such trivial questions in my mind, I wandered through the prairie with everyone . Probably because we kept walking, the Burning Knights, who marched in front, seemed to be ablaze .

Are they in high spirits?

The two Burning Knights . They make me sense masculinity from their faces . A boney one, though .

Their protruding frontal and nasal bones were covered by their steel helmets . A mana flame was brightly burning within their finely chiseled eye sockets . Jet-black darkness filled the surroundings of those flames . Seemingly having a faint, iris-like mana retina on the surface of those blazing flames, the mana flame swayed slowly in a mysterious way . Their cheekbones were thick as well . Their upper jawbones and sphenoid bones gave them a grim impression .

Their armor was just like a breastplate worn by soldiers of the Roman Empire, matching the muscles and sternum .

As a.s.sociated with their names, black or red vapor coiled itself around their bodies .

The h.e.l.l Knights . Refined and cool .

“I’d like to charge into the enemy lines as a sole rider just like His Excellency . ”

“Adomos, that’s impossible for you . ”

“Didn’t I catch the Sonrissa gathering at the basin when we went to the Gulgan Waterfalls in the spirit world!?”

“That’s certainly true, but…”

They were having a little argument . But rather than their fight, I was slightly interested in the contents of what they were saying . They mentioned something similar to the name of a place in the spirit world and of an animal living in the spirit world .

Is that Sonrissa a horse or some other mount that can be ridden? Or is it a hippopotamus, seeing as it was at the base of a waterfall? I’m curious what the spirit world looks like .

I had a talk with the G.o.ddess of Magic Poison, Misea, didn’t I? It might be fun to try trespa.s.sing into the spirit world through a tear1 and wander around the spirit world .

However, there are also other unknown places I’d like to visit . …Attempting to get into the spirit world also requires the Score of the Demon King . That’s why I’m looking forward to the auction in a few months .

Even if I were to get my hands on a Score of the Demon King, a visit of the spirit world would be a matter for the distant future . In addition, there’s also the search for the mirrors .

And the Radford Empire that’s been throwing its long shadow . Seeing as Oseberia’s Pelneet is peaceful, I think I should also keep in mind that there are wars going on elsewhere as well .

The second prince, no, for me it might be rather Remrona . While lending my a.s.sistance to her and thoroughly talking about dragons…it might also be nice to speculate about her b.o.o.bs .

“――Look! The animal over there! It resembles a Sonrissa in shape . ”

As I was pondering about rude things, one of the Burning Knights had extended his bone arm .

“You’re right . But, is this place connected to the spirit world?”

“It does have similarities…”

Being lured by the Burning Knights’ talk, I looked to the side in front . There I saw a herbivore with a dignified appearance, a combination of a zebra and a rhinoceros . Spreading its big mouth, it pulled seeds of grain ears with a blackish hue that seemed to be rotten wheat ears off the stalks, single-mindedly chewing and eating them together with the husks .

“N, nyaoo――”

Rollodeen began to run, obviously separating from the area which we were traversing . Seeing the movements of the zebra-rhinoceros-like animal, her hunter instincts apparently kicked in .

“You going to scout with Rollo-chan~?” Rebecca shouted from behind, but my partner didn’t stop chasing after its prey .

Her sentiments were to chase after cat powder, no, to chase after prey . No, this is also wrong, I think . I suppose it’s the curiosity typical of a carnivore . A spirit of wanting to enjoy a good hunt, huh?

I’m sorry to my partner who’s engrossed in running like that, but…

“Rollo, stop . ”

The divine beast Rollodeen with her appearance close to a black horse, a black panther or a black lion stopped moving .

The herbivores, which had probably seen the jet-black beast, got startled and started to run . And then completely got away .

“We will return to everyone . ” I instructed her .

“Nya, nyao～”

It felt as if she’s saying, 『I want to chase after them nya～』 .

“Not now . ” I reigned her in .

“Nnn . ” Rollodeen made her long ears dent in . It was cute, but she used her peculiar, throaty voice indicating her discontent .

I pulled the rein tentacle ― turning my partner’s head towards our friends .

Having accepted my order, Rollodeen began to walk like a good child . However, she transmitted 『Sky』, 『Sky』, 『Fly』, 『Play』 to me .

――The sky, eh? Can’t be helped!

It will allow her to satisfy her urge to hunt while at it .

“…Rollo, I understand . I guess we will go on a scouting trip just like Eva did . ” I yielded to her wish .

“Nyaoo . ” Rollodeen delightfully pointed her face upwards like a wolf, who was about to howl, and roared .

She extended several tentacles to the left and right, affixing them by stabbing their tentacle bone swords into the prairie’s ground . Multiple tentacles spread like artificial muscles, seemingly also possessing the special effect of spider threads .

Just like that she kept on running as if accompanied by a swarm of tentacles alongside a stretching sound, making use of her powerful limbs . The tentacles affixed to the left and right continued twisting flexibly . The forceful motive power of my partner, who was running without minding those tentacles, was amazing .

What I felt from her muscles beneath my thighs told me that her muscles were working vigorously . The feeling of her thick divine beast fur, which exceeded the mana of a horse or lion, felt really pleasant .

If she took part in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Rollodeen would definitely come out as the winner .

As I was sensing the speed while caressing my partner’s fur on her back, Rollodeen stopped moving, and turned around in the opposite direction .

She probably intends to release the ama.s.sed power in one go by giving the stretched tentacles free reign .

I was speechless during her acc.u.mulation of power with my heart beating fast out of fear as if right after climbing to the peak of a roller coaster ride .

As I embraced such a feeling, the swarm of tentacles that had been continuing to stretch on the left and right side, suddenly contracted back towards the bottom of her neck and chest . The twisted, stretched, steel-wire-like tentacles looked as though they were attacking Rollodeen . No tugging sound was audible, but with that kind of terrific recoil ― after grazing the ground’s surface ― Rollodeen flew up into the sky in once . 2 She broke through something like a thin, mana layer in the air . At the moment when the wind tearing my ears weakened down, she spread her black wings to the left and right .

We slowly rode upon the winds . The pa.s.sing wind felt as if it was gently stroking my cheeks .

It’s obvious, but…I guess this world has wind as well .

『Your Excellency, it’s strange . It feels no different from the surface . 』

『You’re right…』

We scouted the vicinity while revolving in the air . As I kept watching the distant scenery, I spotted various kinds of monsters such as huge raging bulls, monster flies, moose-shaped monsters, a humanoid monster, gargoyles, monsters consisting of two tied eyeb.a.l.l.s, a group of orcs, and plant monsters, just as Eva had pointed out .

After armies, monsters next, huh? Should I watch the lives of the unknown monsters by using the beam rifle’s scope?

Immediately following, a swarm of double-eyeball monsters, which was flying in the distance, spotted us . They wriggled their two eyeb.a.l.l.s, glaring at us while widening their disgusting pupils .

Are they doing something like a camera zoom-up? Oh? Those ugly b.a.s.t.a.r.ds raised their speed and are now closing in on us .

They were shaped like biplanes, with their two eyeb.a.l.l.s at the position of the engine . The number of airborne monsters is high .

The eyeball’s pupil of one flying monster at the front of the formation squirmed around again . As if releasing tears, large amounts of gray liquid were released from that eyeball .

The emitted liquid transformed into a group of pointed stakes . Those stakes turned into missiles, approaching us .

“――Rollo, evade . ” I instructed her .

“Nn――”

My partner reacted immediately . She raised her speed, and flew diagonally upward .

The gray stakes didn’t have a tailing function . They pa.s.sed through the spot where we had been just now .

『Rollo-sama is definitely fast!』

While agreeing with Helme’s telepathic message, I held out my left hand towards the flying monster that had unleashed those annoying projectiles .

I aimed as I pressed my index finger against my middle finger like a dancer, who concentrated on expressing his form down to the fingertips, and activated the advanced water spell, 《Frozen Snake Arrow》 at the same time .

Snake-shaped ice arrows with the size of human arms were created around Rollodeen . They looked like extras floating around mainframes appearing in shooting games .

I won’t do anything like “up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, x, ○ . ”

The 《Frozen Snake Arrows》 flew off towards the monster with launching sounds . The monster took evasive maneuvers while letting its eyeb.a.l.l.s look around restlessly . However, the arrows chased after it .

The two eyeb.a.l.l.s were hit by arrows in succession, were penetrated, frozen in no time, and broke apart . Its biplane-like body was put in ice as well, resulting in it cras.h.i.+ng head first .

Seemingly comprehending that one of theirs had died after it went down, the remaining flying monsters started to counterattack . All of those disgusting things emitted gray liquid from their eyeb.a.l.l.s at once . Just like before, that liquid turned into gray stake missiles .

Ugh, no matter what one might say, there’s quite a lot of them . Should I s.h.i.+ft to defense by creating a s.h.i.+eld with ?

At the moment I considered that, Rollodeen raised her speed, and advanced ― in a spiral motion ― from the front, she took the trajectory of a fighter plane as if instantly drawing a semicircle ― uwaaaaahh! ― and performed a barrel roll . She splendidly dodged the approaching stakes .

“Hahaha―― Rollo! Have you been dancing with angels?” I shouted in exaltation .

Rollodeen completely avoided the stakes with magnificent, fighter plane-like maneuvers . And immediately afterwards, she started descending upon the monsters from above with an acceleration that would make you hear the exhaust sound of an engine .

Yahoooo!

“――Fire at will . It’s payback time!” Having gotten excited, I yelled this spontaneously in English .

Her black tentacles transformed into missiles that seemed to leave a trail in their wake . The bone swords, which appeared out of her tentacles, struck into the monsters, making it look as if they had been caught in spider threads . The monsters stabbed by the bone swords burst and scattered in an instant .

I was sharing sensations with my partner, and shot down many monsters while feeling like an ace pilot .

One after the other went down . The monsters scattered in all directions and crashed towards the prairie . As they impacted on the ground, they exploded .

Once their numbers had dwindled down to just one, my partner entwined her black tentacles around the monster’s whole body, and pulled it toward herself by reeling in those tentacles .

“Nyaoooo――”

What a happy voice…so it had to end like this, I suppose .

Rollodeen tightened her hold on the monster with its conspicuous eyeb.a.l.l.s, obviously breaking it with a snap at the monster’s center . And then she brought it to her mouth just like that .

I couldn’t see from my position, but she had probably spread her mouth . Rollodeen shook her head, and then the sounds of her eating with a crunching could be heard .

“Are the monsters in the evil domain delicious?” I asked curiously .

“Nyaon . ”

Eyeb.a.l.l.s…might be unexpectedly delicious, but I had no intention to try it .

The dog fight had come to an end . As I was enjoying the tranquility of the sky, a human-shaped monster showed up next .

I wonder what it is .

The humanoid wore a black helmet covering the upper part of its face . It had five brightly s.h.i.+ning things at parts that seemed to be eyes . Even from far away, it had apparently spotted the flying Rollodeen with its eyesight or demonic eyes .

That flying monster came approaching by making its black wings that grew out of its back flap .

Different from just now, it didn’t show any intention to attack .

It held a s.h.i.+eld in its left hand, and a morning star made out of red and black metal in its right hand, but those were still lowered . That’s why I decided to check out the situation first .

“――This is mine domain, the domain of the sky’s bonfires . Oh, one possessing beautiful, night-like eyes…what are thou?”

It was a female voice . A tone that made me feel a child-like formality .

Her lips were dark purple . She was wearing a neck guard with embedded pretty, red magic gems, which was connected into a single armor with the base of her neck, the shoulder armors, and the upper arm armors . And she had a corset armor hiding her big chest and with red and black patterns that made me sense mana . Seemingly created while capitalizing on a constriction of her waist, it also possessed many bold gaps .

Her b.u.t.tocks were covered by a black and red ap.r.o.n cloth . Her small leg armor only protected the outer parts of her thighs . She wore black, leather long boots that reached up to her thighs while covering her long legs .

The upper part of her face was concealed, but her dark purple lips gave me a bewitching impression .

I spoke up while naturally having my eyes drawn to those lips, “…Domain, you say? I didn’t know since it’s my first time being here . ”

“First time, thou say…thou look like a human, but isn’t the beast thou are mounting a subordinate of Shadow?”

“No, she isn’t . ” I replied .

“Hoh…are thou one of the divine domain?”

Different from the eyeb.a.l.l.s and the armies on the surface, she was a considerably friendly being .

“…No, you’re wrong . I resemble a human, but I’m of a different race . ” I explained .

“That’s a surprise . Did thou maybe descend from above? Does that mean the upper world has been communicating with the surface?”

“I wonder . I think they do . ”

It’s a labyrinth .

After hearing my words, she lowered her face slightly while pondering .

Just what is this intelligent life…?

I don’t have a clue about domains and such, but since I might pa.s.s through others, let’s ask her .

“…Umm, I’m sorry to interrupt your thinking, but I’d like to continue pa.s.sing through the domains . Is that fine?” I asked cautiously .

“As long as thou don’t extinguish the sky’s bonfires, I don’t mind at all . But, I don’t know about the others . If thou are confident in thine strength, thou may pa.s.s through them as thou like . ”

I don’t know what those bonfires of the sky are, but I suppose there are landmarks in the sky .

“What are the sky’s bonfires?”

“Signs burning in the sky and marking mine domain . They are casting a beautiful, red light . It’s a traditional magic handed down among our species . Even in the spirit world, the red light of the Amshabis is lovely . It was a famous as place where even Meliady-sama, who governs over demonic life, had often come to take a walk . ”

Hee… So there are such places in the sky as well . Are they on Sera as well?

“…I understand . ” I said .

Once I did, she released mana from her five, gem-like, red eyes connected to he black helmet, and fixedly stared into my eyes . And then I could hear a sound of her swallowing down her spit from her throat .

“…Rare, human with eyes of the night, I shall teach you mine name . Mine name is Souq . Souq of the spirit world’s Amshabis race . ”

Is it just my imagination that the lower part of her cheeks was tinged with a faint red?

However, she’s a courteous person . Souq-san of the Amshabis race, huh?

Then I straightened myself while sitting atop Rollodeen, and according to courtesy, “My name is Shuuya, Shuuya Kagari . ”

“I see . Shuuya, do thou wish to fight against me?” Souq inquired .

“No, I won’t fight unless you do . You seem to be a beautiful woman . ” I replied .

“…How amusing . I heard there are humans who will be excited because I am a female…” Souq affixed her weapon to her waist, and started to seductively touch her big chest armor with her slender hand .

It’s not like I’m all that excited, but…that gesture is sure nice .

“…Well then, Souq-san, I’m going to return to my friends . ” I said .

“I-I see…how regrettable . ” Souq revealed a disappointed expression .

She extended her tongue, licking her upper lip lewdly . My interest was drawn towards her body, especially that amazing chest which was clearly a case for the b.o.o.b Research Society, but…right now I got to prioritize my objective .

“…Rollo, let’s go back . ” I instructed my partner .

“Nyao . ”

“Farewell, Shuuya with the charming eyes!” Souq-san’s words reached me through the air .

Rollodeen, who had been hovering, changed the angle of her wings and glided downwards .