CH 125

Clever Scheme

Spirits were everywhere, even if you couldn’t feel their presence.

The sun, the wind, the sea. As long as this vast land didn’t disappear, they would fill the atmosphere. They were always close to people.

The inhabitants of Denan Village never forgot their gratitude to the spirits and gods. For this reason, Sheila and the other villagers could use the spirit arts.

Although, unlike the spirits, the gods existed on a far higher plane.

But their vitality certainly lived on in their daily lives.

They were watching over all living things with compassion. That’s right. Surely, even at this very moment.

In the royal capital, there was Felix. Lulu and Richard were also there. Were Hyderion and Toldrid able to evacuate safely? Sheila wondered what Axe and Seiryuu were doing.

Cody and Zechs must still be with the Patrol Corps. She could see them with Isaac and Zola evacuating the people living in the castle. Sheila could also imagine the well-being of Abby, Melvis, and the others involved in the disappearance case.

The faces of the people in the pharmacy also came to mind. Amy, Thomas, Norman, and cheeky little Roy.

…. There were many things Sheila wanted to protect in the royal capital, which was about to be invaded at any moment.

If she could convey this lament to the gods. If she could beg for help.

Sheila knew then what she had to do.

The ancient language was, to be precise, an ancient divine language. It was believed to be the language used by the gods.

She took a deep breath.

“…. O gods who have blessed the earth…”

Just one sentence sent a needle-like pain to pierce her throat. Her body became heavy.

“What’s wrong!?”

Clauschezade rushed over to Sheila, who suddenly fell to her knees.

She could feel his presence beside her, holding her shoulders and supporting her. However, Sheila couldn’t move due to the pain that felt like her body was being torn to shreds.

“Were you injured somewhere, Sheila?! Don’t tell me you’ve been poisoned by a demon!?”

“N-No…. Huff, huff….”

It was painful. Sweat suddenly trickled down her face.

It felt like her whole body was pulsing and her throat felt hot. Was there such a reaction to relying on the gods?

Still, Sheila lifted the corners of her mouth.

Because the more she felt pain inside her body, that meant the more power was given to her.

‘I can do it.’

◇　◆　◇

Clauschezade felt worried for Sheila as she leaned her weight on him.

Jornwerner and Leidyrune also raised their eyebrows quizzically.

He couldn’t stop the delicate body that was staggering and trying to stand up. His arms shuddered at the warmth of her body as it left him.

Somewhere in his head, alarm bells went off. What the hell was she trying to do?

Standing up on shaky knees, Sheila gave off a dangerous, inviolable feeling.

The power radiated from her entire body. Her yellow-light eyes looked as if they were about to kill, yet there was also a clear serenity in them.

“――O Astartute, Goddess of Thunder, who dwells in the hundred thunderbolts that fly across the sky.”

A dignified voice emanated from her small coral-colored lips.

The place was instantly dominated by the intense and clear air. Perhaps she was about to embrace something extraordinary.　

“Prayer is the power of mankind, the very essence of mankind. Please give it to me. Give me the courage to face any adversity. Give me a heart that will never be distorted.”

Sheila fluently spoke the ancient divine language.

He could only watch her figure in amazement.

A long time ago, when he went to the Faril Divine Kingdom, he had seen priests and shrine maidens enlisted in the church.

He was overwhelmed by their upright appearance, but they made an impression on him because of the way they felt so out of this world.

It was as if they were there only to communicate with the gods.

The Sheila of today was exactly like that.　

Sacred and selfless. A vessel of God.

“Once again, please grant me this prayer. O Astartute, Goddess of Fear and Reverence. Give me the strength to overcome all things, hope in despair, and――divine thunder in darkness.”

The long chanting…. No, the prayer ended with a blessing to Astartute, Goddess of Thunder.

Then, a miracle occurred.

◇　◆　◇

Sheila was praying with all her heart.

Words spilled out naturally. It was as if someone other than herself was controlling her body.

The more she prayed, the more her mind sharpened. The form of her wish became clearer.

Sheila was thankful that Clauschezade and the others weren’t trying to stop her. She could focus on her prayer more clearly.

She looked up at the sky as if begging.

The indigo sky was sinking into darkness. Above them all, the evening star was already shining. In contrast, the edge of the mountain seemed to be burning in the afterglow.

Each thought of beauty dissolved into the world. Everything became one.

The dragon was already passing overhead. But Sheila didn’t doubt that a miracle would happen.

She finished her prayer and just stared up into the sky.

It was just then that a bolt of lightning tore through the sky.

A huge torrent of light engulfed the dragon’s massive body. And then, there was a roar.

It was the first time she had ever seen lightning on this scale. It was unbelievable that Sheila and the others who were nearby weren’t harmed.

A tremendous amount of light, as if it had gone back to daytime, and thunder that shook the ground. Both her eyes and ears became useless for a while.

“――I-Is the dragon…?”

After a while, Sheila was finally able to open her eyes and looked up overhead. The dragon that had flaunted so much presence was gone.

She looked around at the ground. Something big seemed to have fallen, but the surroundings were full of demon corpses and it was dark, so it was hard to tell.

After exchanging glances with Clauschezade and the others, Sheila started running.

As she approached, the full extent of the situation became clear.

Sheila, who was the first to arrive, stood speechless. Clauschezade and Leidyrune, who had caught up with her, were also stunned.

The dragon, over 10 meters tall and gliding leisurely in the sky, had lost its original form. Perhaps because it had been scorched in an instant, not even the strange smell of burning flesh could be detected.

A power that was impossible to replicate by the spirit arts, much less magic. ――It was truly the power of God.

“That’s some appalling power…”

Looking down at the huge, charred body, Jornwerner muttered with vacant eyes.

Unable to bear the heavy atmosphere, Sheila had no choice but to defend herself pitifully.

“No. It’s because I thought that it would destroy the country, just like the dragons in the picture books. Heroes and holy swords don’t appear conveniently around here, so I thought I had to do something about it….”

When Sheila confessed tearfully, all three men simultaneously held their heads.

But the expressions on each of their faces were different.

Clauschezade looked as if he had eaten something bitter, and Leidyrune looked like he was just barely holding back his anger.

Jornwerner’s wry smile had lifted her spirits somewhat, but she was reluctant to be saved by him.

At this point, not a single one of them questioned what Sheila had done.

Was it that they had a vague guess from the fact that she was chanting the ancient language, or did they simply not want to know the truth?

Leidyrune let out a big sigh.

“There are no fire-breathing dragon offsprings like in the storybooks, and there is no record of a country being destroyed by a single dragon in the first place. That stuff is fiction, of course.”

“Huh, is that so?”

Sheila’s cheeks twitched as she was corrected for her misunderstanding.

“Ah…. Um, what should we call this power? Is it holy art because it borrows the power of the gods?”

“That’s probably the most irrelevant issue right now.”

She tried to change the subject, but this time Clauschezade opened his mouth.

Sheila felt embarrassed by his curt reply. He didn’t have to strongly oppose the actions of his cute student.

“If I don’t talk about something else, I’m afraid I’ll get scolded.”

“Face it, you got what you deserved.”

“Ugh….”

Jornwerner laughed at Sheila who was starting to get depressed.

And without hesitation, he pointed out the problem that everyone wanted to turn a blind eye to.

“The problem for now is how to explain this situation to the country.”

“….”

Immediately, everyone shut their mouths and looked down at the difficult problem at hand.

The people who had successfully prevented the demons’ attack were in a state of prolonged anguish as they faced each other, their faces thick with fatigue.