Ultimately, the issue always boils down to me acting without bringing Shion along.
After all, since the incidents of rebellion and assassination attempts using the Saintly Swords, led by Sineraria and Amaranth, the king and other dignitaries have become even more reluctant to let Shion leave the royal capital.
Essentially, they want Shion to stay close for protection.
And Holly isn't exactly enthusiastic about working with Shion either.
But the biggest problem is that I've been too accommodating to those who want Shion to stay put, and that's why I keep getting involved in these troublesome situations.
"From now on, I'll definitely bring Shion along. I've had enough of these troubles."
"…! Crow!"
Instead of responding to my resolution, Holly suddenly let out a scream-like shout.
"What's wrong?"
I tilted my head in confushion, but when I followed Holly's gaze,
"Gah!"
I let out a scream myself.
From the Pegasus Sword, looking down on the land of Greedragon, there was a figure who remained in view despite our rapid aerial speed.
Matching the Pegasus Sword's velocity on the ground was a being clad in full plate armor.
Despite the heavy armor, they moved with superhuman speed across the ground.
"That's… that's her!"
Amaranth, the exceptional Saintly Swords wielder acknowledged by both the Oni God Sword and the Rakshasa Sword, was running after us.
Why was she chasing me?
I had to escape at all costs.
I needed to get Shion back quickly; otherwise, both Catolea Instructor and Platanus were in danger.
Above all, I was in the most danger.
"Holly! Can't we fly any faster!?"
"It's impossible!"
"Then increase our altitude!"
"…Crow!"
Holly screamed again, not responding to my suggestion.Before I realized the reason, I felt the blood drain from my face.
Amaranth, having leaped from the ground, was now right in front of me. The level of her jumping power was unbelievable.
With speed matching the flight of the Pegasus Sword and the ability to leap over mountains, this must be the power of the Rakshasa Sword, capable of the highest physical enhancement. Truly, her physical abilities were on par with Shion's.
Amaranth, having leapt onto the Pegasus Sword where I was, clung to me.
"You're Crow, right? Lend me this Pegasus!"
"What!?"
"I have no intention of harming you right now! Just lend me this Pegasus!"
I instinctively looked at Holly, wondering if it was even possible to lend the Pegasus Sword to someone else. Amaranth's combat abilities were comparable to Shion's; resisting her would be futile. Well, I would have no chance against any other Saintly Sword wielder either, but still, resistance seemed pointless.
"The Pegasus Sword is exclusively for the Hero, normally only allowing Shion to ride it. Your ability to ride it is an exceptional case," Holly informed.
"It's impossible... The horse can't be operated by anyone but me..."
"Then take me up into the sky! I have business above these clouds!"
Confused but realizing she truly meant no harm, I decided to lower the Pegasus Sword to the ground. It must be tiring for her to cling on continuously.
As soon as we landed, Amaranth knelt and crouched, seemingly exhausted.
"Now's your chance, Crow! For some reason, this woman is extremely fatigued! Let's escape!" Holly urged.
While it made sense, I couldn't help but ask, "Amaranth, was it? What business do you have above the clouds? And are you alright?"
As I asked, Amaranth's armor – the Rakshasa Sword – suddenly transformed into the shape of a cloak.
"The Rakshasa Sword takes the form of armor when possessed and a cloak when in its normal state. It seems she's struggling to maintain the possesshion," Holly explained.
For the first time, I saw Amaranth's face as her armor transitioned into a cloak. I knew she had white hair from seeing her from behind at the tea shop, but I hadn't seen her face until now.Amaranth's face was, in a way, beautiful, but it also gave an impresshion akin to a handsome man.
In summary, she had a masculine beauty. Though not as tall as Heath or Platanus, she was still quite tall for a woman.
"This black rain from the dark clouds... I want to stop it."
"Really?"
I couldn't hide my surprise. Our goals aligned.
"This black rain weakens humans and turns flora and fauna violent, eventually transforming them into monsters. If left unchecked, even golems formed from rocks and sand will arise from the land."
"We also want to stop this rain. That's why I was going to fetch the Hero."
"I see. Then our interests align. Take me above the clouds."
"If I take you up there, will this rain stop?"
"We won't know until we try. However..."
Amaranth grasped the handle of the Onijin Sword she carried on her back.
"If this sword reaches its target, it's possible to defeat the dungeon's boss in the sky."
"The dungeon's boss is in the sky?"
"Were you not aware? This very black cloud covering the sky of Greydragon is the dungeon's boss."
"What!?"
I instinctively looked up at the sky.
The black cloud enveloping Greydragon, casting down black rain, was the dungeon's boss that had emerged from the labyrinth.
"We are partly to blame for this situation..."
"What do you mean?"
"We were attempting to control the dungeon's boss using Cineraria's Hades Sword as part of our training. But we took too long, and the boss escaped from the dungeon, growing into this massive form."
Amaranth spoke with a solemn face.
It was unexpected. She was a suspect in the king's attempted assassination, allied with Cineraria wielding the Hades Sword and Jasmine with the Healing Sword. I had thought she was the kind to misuse the Saintly Swords for personal gain.
Yet, she felt responsible for the human casualties caused by the dungeon's boss.
"Why then don't you join forces with Shion, the Hero? Instead, you've even declared that you'd kill him."What exactly was going on with Amaranth?
"I've been fighting to protect the nearby residents from the monsters that have emerged, but I'm reaching my limit. I can't fight any longer."
I was struck by her words and gazed at Amaranth in silence.
Enough with wondering why Amaranth wanted to kill Shion, what she and her allies Cineraria and Jasmine were plotting, or the identity of the mastermind she referred to. Those things didn't matter now. At this moment, Amaranth was far nobler and more admirable than someone like me who could only go fetch Shion.
"I understand. I'll take you up to the sky."
"...I appreciate it."
"But in return, make sure to eliminate the dungeon's boss. If this fails and I die, there'll be no one to tell Shion about this."
If I failed, it would endanger Platanus and Cattleya, who were evacuating residents and exterminating monsters.
"Very well. Leave it to me."
Holly expressed concern as I prepared to take Amaranth aboard the Pegasus Sword. "Are you sure about this, Crow? I think it's wiser to go get Shion."
But Holly's proposal was wrong. It wasn't that I should go fetch Shion; I should have brought him from the start. Shion could have single-handedly dealt with the dungeon's boss in the sky, swiftly and surely. Now, my teaming up with Amaranth, who wielded the Onijin Sword with destructive power akin to the Holy Light Sword, was a gamble with uncertain success. Yet, if this risk could reduce the number of people killed by monsters and secure the safety of Cattleya and Platanus, I had to take it.
But I wouldn't repeat the same mistake. From now on, I'd make sure to bring Shion along on any expedition.
"Amaranth, you said this black cloud itself is the dungeon's boss, right? Can we really eliminate something as massive as this cloud?"
"We don't need to eliminate it entirely. Just its core... the central part. Cutting that should dissipate the cloud and eradicate all monsters on the ground."
"The core?"
"It's like the heart of the monster... its vital spot. Destroy that, and the cloud will vanish, taking the monsters with it."
"Got it. Let's head above the clouds for now."
I gripped the reins of the Pegasus Sword, steadily increasing our altitude.As we ascended rapidly with the Pegasus Sword, the ground quickly receded beneath us.