No one's POV
Sand stretched on as far as the eye could see. Sora and his companions had finally arrived at the Gruen Desert. The grains of sand were so fine that the whole thing looked like one unbroken brown sheet. The incessant winds had covered the sky in so much dust that even it looked brown. Anywhere one looked, all they would see is sand.
The only thing breaking the monotony was the dunes that undulated through the desert like waves. The wind pushed them along at a steady pace, giving the desert the semblance of one massive living creature.
The sun's harsh rays heated the sand below until it glowed red. It was easily over 40 degrees Celsius. With sand flying everywhere too, it made for an inhospitable environment.
For normal travelers, anyway. Brise tore through the dunes like it was nothing. And because it was completely enclosed, none of the sand or the heat bothered Sora and the others. Furthermore, the magnetic compass Hajime had installed into the dashboard kept them from getting lost.
Shea: It looks pretty hot outside. Good thing we're not in a carriage.
Tio: Indeed. I'm not so weak that a little heat and wind would hinder me, but... it certainly is more comfortable not having to brave it.
Shea and Tio stared out of the window at the unforgiving wasteland they were currently traversing. Tio may have been a masochist, but even she wouldn't welcome that kind of discomfort.
Myu: It's so different from the last time I was here! It's so cool, and my eyes don't hurt! Big Brother Hajime is just as awesome as Papa!
Hajime: Just as...? Does that mean, Sora's better than me, Myu?
Myu: Yes!
Hajime: Ugh 😣!
Aishia: Ouch.
Myu: But your still awesome, Big Brother!
Kaori: That's right! Papa Hajime is awesome. Myu-chan, do you want some cold water?
Myu: Yeah! Thank you, Kaori-oneechan~
Myu was sitting happily on Kaori's lap. She was excited at how different this trip through the desert was compared to the first time, when she'd been abducted.
Her reaction was only natural. For an aquatic species like Myu, the desert crossing must have been doubly harsh. Considering how young she was, it was a miracle the trip didn't kill her. However, she was traveling in completely different circumstances this time. Brise was air conditioned, and it kept the wind and sand out.
Not only that, he'd stocked up on chilled provisions for the trip. It still bothered him a little that his opinion had been completely ignored when Yue had agreed to let Kaori join their party, but he was getting used to having her around. Kaori pulled a bottle of cold water out of the mini-fridge Hajime had added to Brise.
Hajime: Hey, Shirasaki... I mean, K-Kaori. Could you please stop calling me, "Papa Hajime". The Papa in this group is that sleeping boy in the back.
Everyone immediately glance at the sleeping boy who is laying on Aishia's shoulder at the back of Brise snoring soundly. Sora Yatagami. The same boy who also fallen towards the abyss with his Best Friend Hajime.
Kaori: Why though?
Hajime: It feels weird being called Papa by my classmate.
Kaori'd always been good at looking after others, so she'd ended up taking on the role of Myu's caretaker. However, because of that, she'd also taken to using Myu's nickname for Sora but was saying that to Hajime.
It was acceptable, if still a little awkward, to have a little girl calling him Papa, but it was another thing entirely when a girl his age was doing it... As an aside, the reason Hajime was calling Kaori by her first name was because she'd insisted both him and Sora until Hajime had finally given in. Sora on the other hand didn't particularly mind and he immediately called her by her first name much to her excitement. She'd thought it was unfair that he called everyone else by their first names, but only her by her last name.
Kaori: Really? Well then, I won't say it, but... Until we actually have kids of our own, at least...
Kaori trailed off, blushing furiously. An awkward silence descended upon the car. Hajime pretended he hadn't heard anything, but Yue wasn't about to let this go.
Yue: Too bad. I have a previous engagement, already promised.
Kaori: Hajime, what's the meaning of this!?
Hajime: Is it really that surprising? It's not like I'm planning on having kids anytime soon, anyway.
Yue: An introduction to his parents, already promised.
Kaori: Wha—?!
Yue: Our happy family life plans are all set.
Kaori: Huh?!
Yue: We also have plans to go on a date in Hajime's hometown.
Kaori: AH!
Yue's words were like daggers, stabbing through Kaori's chest one after another. Still, Kaori was a strong girl. She wouldn't break from just this. She'd spent the better part of her time in this world believing in Hajime's survival, and had even had the courage to stand up to Yue. If someone hit her, she hit back.
Kaori: There's so much that I know about Hajime that you don't, Yue! Like his future aspirations, his hobbies... and even what genres he likes the most! I bet you don't know what his favorite anime and manga are, Yue!
Yue: Hmph... his favorite manga and anime is the one that Big Brother made. His most favorite is [The Flash] where the main character is a half human, half spirit... And does it really matter? None of those things exist here. I just have to learn about them when we go to Japan.
Kaori: Oh, but they do. Just look at Hajime. His appearance practically screams anime character.
Hajime: Gah!?
Though Yue and Kaori were the ones arguing, it was Hajime who was suffering. That last statement had gone right for his jugular.
Kaori: White hair, an eyepatch, even a magical fake eye... I'm pretty sure Hajime's favorite character had all of those too... Even his weapons, those Cross Bits. They're definitely based off of the ones in Gundam... It doesn't matter what world we're in, Hajime will always be an otaku!
Hajime: uGh!? K-Kaori...
Yue: U-Ugh... To think Hajime's weapons were based off entertainment...
Kaori: Hehe. You don't even know what kinds of things the man you love likes.
Sora: Good grieve. I can't even have a normal sleep because of those two.
Aishia, Shea, and Tio all look back at the boy who just woken up due to the rivalry between Kaori and Yue. It was also the reason why he had sat in the back with Aishia, Shea, and Tio, just so he could avoid the two love fighting girls.
Tio: There they go again.
Shea: Let's just leave them alone.
Aishia: Well, their rivalry is all forms of the old and new Hajime.
Sora: They just can't go a day without arguing about Hajime, can't they?
Yue: You've got guts, Kaori. But do you know what kinds of positions Hajime likes in bed?
Kaori: Wh-Wh-What!? In bed!? Ugh, you've already gone that far...
Yue: Fufufu. That's how big the gap is between you and me.
Everyone had gotten used to ignoring Kaori and Yue when they started arguing like this. At first Shea had fussed over the two of them, trying to mediate and make them get along. Eventually, however, she'd come to realize it was more trouble than it was worth. Especially since the two didn't seem to actually hate each other.
In fact, the only person really suffering because of their arguments was Hajime. As almost all of their arguments were centered around him, many of his embarrassing secrets were turned into ammunition to make a point. All the things he was self-conscious about were poked and prodded at until he couldn't take anymore.
Kaori covered her ears, trying to shut out the truths Yue flung at her. Painfully gripping his heart, Hajime tried to break the two of them up. However, before he could do anything, Myu spoke up.
Myu: Yue-oneechan and Kaori-oneechan are always fighting! I don't like when you two fight!
Myu hopped off of Kaori's lap and crawled to the back where Sora was sitting. She glared, pouting all the while at the two girls in front. They both looked at each other awkwardly. Having a little girl tell them she hates them was a surprisingly effective weapon.
Sora: Sheesh, you two. You could at least stop when Myu's around. You're a bad influence on her. We get it, you both loved Hajime, but you could at least act like adults about it.
Yue: Sorry, Big Brother.
Kaori: I-I'm sorry, Myu, Sora...
Sora: Geez, I can't even tell which one is the adult in the group.
The moment Sora said those words. They all glance at him. It wasn't a surprised that Sora is the most adult at this group. Everyone knew that Sora was acting like a Big Brother to Hajime. Always making sure he doesn't overwork on his artifact. While Yue, even though she's older than him, Sora's acting more like an adult. Sora also treated Yue like a younger sister. Sora loved Yue just as much. It was a slightly different relationship than the one Sora had with Kaori.
While Kaori claimed that she'll be the one to take care of everyone. It was more of the reverse. Sora was the one taking care of her. Even back on earth, where she would drag him and Shizuku around town just so she could ask Sora advice about getting Hajime's attention. He just ignore the quarreling girls, however, they were so frequent that they grated on the rest of the party. And today, Myu and Sora had finally had enough.
Sora: If you two sisters can't get along with each other, maybe I should just spoil [The Flash] volume 4 to each of you!
Kaori and Yue: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Sora: Then start getting along!
Kaori and Yue: Yes sir!
Normally, Hajime put an end to most arguments by professing his love for Yue, but he'd taken too much damage in a short span of time. He simply stared off into the distance, ignoring everyone else.
Tio: Hm? Master, My King, there seems to be a disturbance up ahead.
Hajime, who'd been muttering "I'm not an otaku" to himself over and over like a dead fish, suddenly returned to his senses and turned to his right. Kaori and Yue stopped trying to show Myu how well they really got along as well, and turned to see what was happening. Sora and Aishia did as well, popping their head out of the window roof to see what's going on. Shea too, craned her neck to get a better look. They all spotted something in the distance.
Tio: Those are sand worms. Sand worms in the Gruen Desert are very common, but...
A large number of sandworms, earthworm-like desert monsters, were congregating on a sand dune to their right. Their heads poked out of the top of the hill.
Sand worms were twenty meters long on average, and some of the really large ones grew up to 100 meters. They could only be found in the Gruen Desert. Normally, they lived underground and only surfaced to swallow their prey with their triple-layered jaws. Travelers who crossed the desert lived in fear of their nigh-imperceptible sneak attacks.
Fortunately, the sand worms didn't have very good perception abilities themselves either. Unless someone was unlucky enough to walk over their lairs, they wouldn't be spotted.
Sora(mind): If they're all surfacing now, they must have found some unlucky sap to prey on. But from the looks of it...
Aishia: Why are they circling around like that?
Had they just come up to feed, Aishia wouldn't have considered it something worth pointing out either. Sora's skills let him sense incoming attacks himself, and Brise could easily outpace a sandworm. What was strange about this particular colony was that they'd surfaced, but were hesitating to attack their supposed target. They simply circled around the hill.
Aishia: They seem uncertain, as if they are unsure of whether their prey is safe to eat.
Sora: Looks like it. Does that happen often, Tio?
Tio: They eat anything, I don't think they'd ever hesitate in front of a meal.
Tio might have been a masochist and a huge pervert, but she had also lived longer than even Yue. And since unlike Yue she hadn't been sealed for most of her life, her knowledge of the world was vast. Including the habits of obscure monsters. So if this had even her confused, it was definitely something worth taking note of. However, it was also true that there was no reason for Hajime to get involved. He decided to leave before they got wrapped up in something troublesome. Just then—
Hajime: Wha—!? Hang on tight, guys!
Hajime gunned Brise's accelerator. A second later a giant brown creature erupted from the earth, grazing Brise's rear. A sandworm had just tried to swallow them whole. It looked like Hajime and the others were on the menu too. Hajime swerved sharply, zigzagging through the dunes. Sandworms erupted one after another from the ground, each of them coming out from the spot Brise had been seconds before.
Kaori: Kyaaaaaa!
Myu: Hiii!
Shea: Wawawawah!
Kaori, Myu, and Shea all screamed. Worried about Myu, Kaori turned around to check up on her. At the same time, Hajime made another sharp turn. Kaori lost her balance and tumbled forward... right into Yue and Hajime. She collapsed with her butt in Yue's lap and her head in Hajime's.
After a few surprised blinks, Kaori blushed slightly and clung to Hajime's waist. Much to Hajime's chagrin. His expression stiffened, and he tried not to think dirty thoughts. The lower half of Kaori's body was still sprawled across Yue's lap.
Hajime: Hey Kaori. You of all people, what are you doing in this situation?!
Kaori: It's dangerous! The danger is dangerous! I'm clinging on because the dangerous danger is right there!
Yue: Damn you Kaori, a surprise attack to get ahead of me? Well played.
While they were fleeing for dear life, Yue and Kaori were still only interested in winning points with Hajime. Yue spanked Kaori's defenseless behind, but Kaori refused to loosen her grip. Instead, she buried her face in Hajime's crotch.
Having failed their initial ambush, the three sandworms began an overland pursuit of Brise. They moved far swifter than their size would suggest. Had Hajime and the others been riding in a normal carriage, they would have been toast. However, Brise was an artifact with all of an otaku's ingenuity poured into it. Even if they managed to swallow it, it wouldn't suffer a single scratch. Moreover...
Myu: We're running backwards!
Kaori: Papa Hajime is such a good driver.
Sora: Kaori! Save the arguing for later! Hajime!
Hajime: Yeah, I know! This is a good chance to test that thing out, Sora.
Hajime drifted so hard that he was driving in reverse, and then began pouring mana into another one of the attachments he'd put on Brise. A series of metallic clunks reverberated throughout the car. Brise's hood slid back to reveal a quadruple rocket launcher. The launcher swiveled back and forth, seeking out its prey. After a few seconds, it locked on to the nearest sandworm. With a flurry of red sparks, the launcher unloaded its salvo.
A glowing trail of orange followed in the rocket's wake. It sailed through the sandworm's open mouth and exploded. Chunks of flesh rained from the sky, spattering across Brise's windshield.
Sora: Aishia, cover Myu's eyes, please.
Aishia: Already on it.
Aishia had buried Myu's head inside her ample bosom to shield her from the horrors Hajime was inflicting on the monster. Dealing with his own comrades was more mentally draining than fighting monsters. It didn't help that Kaori was still clinging to his waist either. After a herculean effort, Yue finally pulled Kaori off and strapped her into her seat belt, locking her in place. She was blushing bright red, surprised at her own boldness.
Kaori: I'm sorry! I had the purest of intentions! I just wanted to see what it felt like to be clingy!
Yue: And also, if possible, to enjoy Hajime?
Kaori: Yes, correct... Wait, no! Don't phrase it like that! I'm not lewd person like you, Yue!
Yue: You call me lewd? Well, I can't deny that I am, when I'm alone with Hajime.
Sora: Could you two shut up for a second?
Hajime: Also Yue, quit talking about our sex life.
Hajime blasted the remaining sandworms to bits with his rocket launcher. Hearing the explosions, the other sandworms atop the dune turned to look at Brise. He steeled himself for another fight, but Kaori and Yue's arguing distracted him. Their constant bickering was wearing away at his mental fortitude. And now he'd finally hit his limit and snapped at Yue.
Though nothing she'd said had actually been false. Hajime doubted anyone could beat Yue when it came to sexiness. Kaori could tell what he was thinking about, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Yue smiled victoriously and licked her lips. Kaori groaned, lamenting her defeat. Hajime's annoyed outburst had only fanned the flames of their feud. Shea leaned forward and sympathetically patted Kaori's shoulder.
Shea: I know how you feel, Kaori.
Hajime ignored the lot of them and gunned Brise toward the sand dune. He could tell there were more sandworms moving around underground. The ground bulged slightly at their position, so it was clear they weren't trying to be stealthy anymore. Right now, speed would avail them more than stealth. Hajime retracted his rocket launcher and activated a new weapon. This time, a long rectangular box came out of the hood. Metal grated against metal, and the box transformed into a long-range rifle. It looked strikingly similar to Schlagen.
Red sparks ran down the length of the gun barrel. The robotic arm it was attached to adjusted its aim and fired. A dazzling streak of red cut through the muddy brown air. A plume of sand rose into the sky as it slammed into the ground. Chunks of flesh and droplets of blood rose up with it. Hajime's bullet had found its mark. Hajime reloaded and fired again, then again. Each bullet created another eruption of sand and blood. The sandworms were obliterated without even a chance to surface.
Kaori: Hajime, Sora, look over there!
Sora: Is that... a person?
As Hajime retracted his rifle, Kaori suddenly shouted and pointed to a spot in front of them. Sora's guess was correct. Some distance away lay a humanoid figure clad in all white. It was likely they were the person the sandworms had been trying to eat. However, from this distance, they couldn't make out anything out of the ordinary. Nothing to indicate why the sandworms had hesitated, anyway.
Hajime: Was that what the sand worms were after?
Kaori: Hajime, Sora, would it be alright to go over there?
Shea: Well, we do have Myu with us.
Yue: Yes. It would be very risky.
Myu: Myu will be fine!
Aishia: As a priest, you want to save him, don't you Kaori?
Kaori: Yes.
Sora: Yes go on ahead. I'm kinda curious, honestly.
Kaori looked pleadingly up at Sora and Hajime. As Sora was interested in why the sand worms hadn't attacked the man himself, he saw no reason to refuse. It was possible he had some unique item that warded off monsters, or knew some unknown form of magic. After all, if things like verdren crystals existed in the sea of trees, who knew what other strange wonders existed in this world. It might even be that whatever this man had been using possessed more potent effects than those verdren crystals.
Hajime made a beeline for the collapsed man. He was wearing something resembling a jellabiya, a traditional Egyptian dress back on earth, and a big hooded overcoat on top of it. The hood was covering his face and he was lying face-down, making it difficult to discern his features. Kaori hopped off Brise, dashed over to the man, and rolled him onto his back.
Kaori: What on...
Upon taking off his hood, Kaori discovered that he was young, probably in his early twenties. However, what had surprised her wasn't that. It was the state he was in.
His face was locked in a painful grimace, sweat beaded down his forehead, and his breath came in short, shallow gasps. He was so feverish that steam was rising off his body. His blood vessels were all straining against his skin, as if they were being pushed out from the inside. Furthermore, blood was dripping from his eyes and nose. There was obviously something wrong with him. And it wasn't just heatstroke.
Sora: Is he alive?
Kaori: Yeah... But he seems to be in critical condition. I'll check him.
Hajime was worried Kaori might get infected with whatever this guy was suffering with, but as she was the healer, he left handling the situation to her. Kaori cast Magical Diagnostics on the man. The spell used her mana to investigate the condition of her target, and displayed its findings on her Status Plate. The results that came back were unexpected.
Kaori: Mana overload? Some sort of ingested poison is causing this person's mana to go berserk?
Sora: What'd you find, Kaori?
Kaori: L-Look. This is what it says...
Kaori showed her Status Plate to the rest of the party. Status: The target's mana has overloaded and he is incapable of releasing the excess. Symptoms: Fever, fainting, body pains, and ruptures of the capillary vessels. Cause: A foreign liquid in the target's body.
Kaori: I'm not certain, but it seems like he ingested something that's causing a state of "mana overload.
Aishia: Mana overload?
Kaori: Yeah. He's unable to release the extra mana, so the forced overload coming from inside is causing pressure on the body, which can't handle it. If we don't do something, his organs and veins will rupture. Heaven providence, grant succor to the doomed— Renewal!
Kaori cast the healing spell Renewal. It was an intermediate-rank healing spell that dispelled status debuffs. However...
Kaori: It had no effect. Why? This spell can cure almost all status effects... If it can't be cleansed, is it that deeply dissolved into his body...?
Yue: Kaori?
Though it had succeeded in preventing the poison's spread, Kaori's Renewal had been unable to actually cure him. The man groaned feebly in pain. His bleeding hadn't stopped either. Kaori ground her teeth in frustration. She couldn't think of a way to cure him, so for now she began to perform emergency treatment measures to keep his condition from worsening.
Kaori: May the grace of light bless you in this holy sanctuary. No evil shall pass so long as I hold the gates. Sanctorum!
Yue: High-ranking light magic, "Sanctorum". It allows the caster to transfer mana from one person to another, to prevent mana depletion.
Normally, Kaori used it to transfer her mana to her allies and support them if they didn't have enough left to continue casting large-scale spells. However, there was no restriction on who could transfer mana to whom. Furthermore, the caster could forcibly transfer mana from one target to another, if they so wished. In other words, it could function as a mana drain. But it took more time to drain mana from a target than it did to transfer mana to them. Because of that restriction, it wasn't suited to be used as a drain spell in combat.
Tio: It can also be used to forcefully drain mana from someone. I guess she's using it to drain out the overload mana from this man?
Thanks to Kaori's extensive training, though, she'd shortened the incantation to the point where it was fast enough to be practical even in combat. Sora and Hajime could tell just how hard she'd worked to reach that point.
With Sanctorum in place, Kaori could begin siphoning mana from the young man. Though the Status Plate had said it was impossible to release his excess mana, Kaori hoped a powerful light spell would be able to forcibly drain it out of him anyway.
Purplish-white light enveloped the young man, making him look ethereal. It made for a wondrous sight. Kaori closed her eyes and placed her hands over the man's chest. After a few seconds of furious concentration, Kaori too began to be enveloped in the same lavender light.
Yue and Tio murmured in exclamation at Kaori's impressive display of skill. As fellow mages, they were even more appreciative of her abilities than Hajime.
Myu: So pretty...
Hajime: And that drained mana goes into the Holy Crystal ring I gave her. I see.
Sora: She's been training well, ever since we separated. And it was all for our sake.
Myu muttered in Shea's arms. Kaori didn't even notice her new comrades praising her. She was focused fully on her task. She diverted the mana she drained from the man into the mana-absorbing ring Hajime had gifted her with. It appeared Kaori's magic was able to overcome whatever symptoms were preventing him from venting mana normally.
The man's breathing began to sound less labored. The swelling of his blood vessels stopped, and he stopped bleeding from his eyes and nose. Once she'd siphoned off most of his mana, Kaori dispelled her Sanctorum and cast Heaven's Blessing on the man to heal his internal injuries.
Kaori: I don't think he's in immediate danger anymore, but the root cause hasn't been resolved yet. If I drain too much of his mana, he might die from emaciation, so I've only drained enough to ease the pressure.
Aishia: So, he's still...
Kaori: Unless we do something, he'll go into mana overload again, or the fatigue could cause him to weaken and die. I've never seen symptoms like these in anything Professor Celia taught us. Aishia, Yue, Tio, do you have any ideas?
Kaori turned to Asihia, Yue and Tio for help. A temporary fix like this was pointless if they couldn't cure the underlying cause of his symptoms. Aishia didn't have a clue and the two other girls searched their vast memories, but nothing came to mind. In the end, they still didn't understand what was wrong with him.
Kaori: I see.
Sora: Kaori, could you check us too, just in case? It's possible whatever he's sick with is infectious. Well, if it's something that just makes your mana go berserk, at least Myu's safe.
Kaori: Yes, that should be the case.
Kaori nodded and began diagnosing the rest of the party. Fortunately, it seemed none of them were infected. Whatever the disease was, they were certain it didn't travel through the air. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Around the same time, the young man groaned and opened his eyes. It seemed he'd recovered enough to regain consciousness. He looked around slowly, his gaze stopping on Kaori.
Kaori: Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?
???: A goddess?! I see... I must have died, and I'm going to meet God...
Kaori: Uh... No you're fine. I—
???: No, this must be heaven. Because a goddess like you is right before me.
He reached out a shaky hand toward Kaori. Annoyed, Hajime kicked him in the stomach. The heat and sand had made him even more irritable than usual.
???: Urgh!
Hajime: Wake the hell up already.
Kaori: H-Hajime!?
Hajime ignored Kaori's outburst and asked the man what had happened to him. From what Hajime remembered, the man's clothes were the traditional garb of the Ankajians. Ankaji sat at the largest oasis in the desert. All that knowledge he'd amassed when he'd still been "useless" was starting to come in handy now. If Ankaji had been struck by some unknown disease, that made Hajime's crossing much more perilous. He was a lot more interested in the man's circumstances now.
Hajime's kick brought the man back to his senses, and he took a closer look at his surroundings. Seeing Brise almost sent him into shock again, and he didn't calm down until Kaori explained what was going on.
???: I-I'm alive? I thought I was done for, but it seems God has not forsaken me yet.
Sora(mind): I wonder what he'd think if he learned that god of his was actually a heartless monster? If anything, that disease of his was probably a "present" from his god.
Kaori: Hajime, Sora, maybe we should bring him inside the car.
Sora: Sure. It's way to hot out here.
The poor man was having difficulty even standing. The heat of the desert had left him dehydrated. Sora and Hajime still had questions he had to ask the man, so they couldn't have him dying just yet. Sora put the young man over his shoulder and carried him to Brise. When he laid him down in the air-conditioned backseat, the man exclaimed in surprise.
???: It's not hot... Where am I? Is this a divine sanctuary?
Sora(mind): Looks like he's still got some life left in him.
After chugging down a few bottles of water, the man had finally recovered enough to speak coherently. His expression grew grim as he began to talk.
Bize: First, let me thank you for saving my life. Had I died back there... Ankaji would have been finished. My name is Bize Feuward Zengen.
Kaori: Zengen... Are you the son of Lord Lanzwi Feuward Zengen.
Bize: Yes I am.
Sora: You know him?
Kaori: That's the Lord of Dukedom of Ankaji ahead of us. It's the closest place to Myu's hometown Erisen.
Sora(mind): Well that's a surprise. Didn't think he'd be royalty.
The Dukedom of Ankaji was responsible for transporting all of the marine goods that came out of Erisen. And Erisen was where 80% of the northern continent's marine products came from. In other words, Ankaji had a near monopoly on humanity's supply of seafood. Their nobles were highly respected even within the Heiligh Kingdom.
Bize: I can see that you're adventurers. Do you mind if you tell me your rank?
Sora: Gold.
Bize was just as surprised to hear the credentials of the people who'd saved him. Kaori was one of Ehit's warriors, while Sora, Hajime, Yue, Aishia, Shea, and Tio were all gold-ranked adventurers.
Bize: I see now, God! You sent your messenger down to save me!
Sora: Are you really a damn noble?
The man exclaimed upon learning who Kaori was. She stared at him blankly. She hadn't realized he was addressing her. Hajime activated his Intimidation and once again pressed Bize to explain what was going on. Sweating profusely, Bize cleared his throat and began explaining.
According to him, this was what had happened:
Four days ago, many people in Ankaji succumbed to a fever of unknown cause. It had come out of nowhere and struck 20,000 of the city's 270,000 people on the first day alone. Of those 20,000, 3,000 had symptoms so severe they'd lost consciousness. Doctors worked around the clock to try and figure out what the cause was, but it eluded them. All they could do was delay the symptoms like Kaori had.
As the days passed, more and more victims appeared. Worse, many of the doctors fell prey to it as well. Soon, there weren't enough doctors left to look after all the patients. Finally, casualties started appearing. The remaining doctors were unable to siphon all of the patients' mana, and those who went without treatment for too long died. The city despaired. No one had heard of a disease that killed within two days of symptoms first appearing.
On a hunch, one of the city's pharmacists cast Appraise Liquid on the city's water supply.
Upon doing so, he discovered the wells had been tainted with a poison that made its victims' mana go berserk. Fearing the worst, they quickly assembled an investigation team to examine the oasis. As they'd expected, the oasis too had been poisoned.
For desert cities like Ankaji, oases were their lifeline. They were guarded twenty-four seven, and maintaining them was the city's highest priority. It would have been nigh impossible for an intruder to sneak past the guards and poison the oasis.
The investigation team couldn't fathom who'd done such a thing, or why. However, they had bigger problems to worry about. This meant that the only drinkable water in the city was whatever they'd gathered before the oasis had been poisoned. Plus, they still had no idea how to save the people already infected.
Actually, that wasn't strictly true. They knew of one way that might save those already infected.
A mineral known as stillstone. It was a special mineral that could silence mana near it. It grew in small quantities inside the Grand Gruen Volcano to the north, and was extremely valuable. Magical researchers often used it as a safeguard against accidents. By crushing it into a powder, they could feed it to the patients and calm their rampaging mana.
However, the distance between the city and the volcano was great. A round trip would take one month at the least. And all of the adventurers skilled enough to delve the Grand Gruen Volcano had already been knocked out by fever. Most adventurers didn't even possess the strength to make it past the eternal sandstorm that raged around the volcano.
Besides, even if they had capable adventurers left, they didn't have enough water to outfit them for the journey there. Their only remaining option was to ask the kingdom for help.
Of course, hoping the kingdom would provide Ankaji with enough water to slake the city's thirst for a month was a long shot. However, hoping they would dispatch adventurers capable enough to harvest stillstone in the meantime was even more of one. Ankaji may have been a vital outpost for the kingdom, but it would still be normal procedure for them to send an investigation team first. But by then it would be too late.
Hence why it was necessary for someone of the influential Zengen family to personally relay the situation and ask for immediate aid.
Bize: Father, Mother, and even my sister were infected on the first day. We used what little stillstone we had left to cure them, but they still haven't fully recovered from the ordeal. They're definitely in no state to travel. Which is why I left Ankaji with my guard yesterday to head to the capital. Since I hadn't shown any symptoms, I thought I hadn't been infected... but I guess they were just delayed for me. I guess how long it takes for symptoms to appear varies from person to person. I had been so preoccupied with the events happening in the city that the possibility had never even occurred to me. I should have taken some stillstone too, just in case. Every second wasted is another precious Ankaji life gone... I can't believe I was so foolish!
He slammed a fist against his knee, lamenting his own helplessness. Worse, his guards had died protecting him from the sandworms.
Sora(mind): Nice to see that the next duke of Ankaji is someone who cares about his people.
In a way, Bize had lucked out by being infected. It was the only thing that had kept the sandworms from eating him too. The poison had made him collapse, but it was also what had kept him alive, and what had led Hajime to investigating his location. Fate truly was a fickle mistress.
Hajime: If you asked our rank, then...
Bize: Yes. I... I humbly ask for your help. Allow me to make a plea as a representative of the Lord of Ankaji. Please save us... No, our Dukedom of Ankaji.
Bize bowed his head low. Silence fell inside the car.
The sound of sand hitting the windows felt unnaturally loud. As the son of a duke, Bize knew bowing his head to others wasn't to be done lightly. However, this might have been his only chance to save his countrymen, so he couldn't afford to let pride get in the way.
Everyone turned to look at Sora. Though they were leaving the final decision to him, it was obvious Kaori and Shea wanted to help. Kaori especially. As a Priestess, she felt duty-bound to assist those in need. Hajime, Aishia, Tio and Yue didn't seem to care one way or another. Myu was even more direct than the others.
Myu: Papa, we're going to help him, right?
Myu asked with all the innocence of a small girl. She honestly believed that Sora could do anything, no matter how absurd. He was basically her hero. Seeing how both Myu and Kaori were clearly in favor, Sora smile gently.
Sora: You really think I'm gonna say no. Of course we'll help.
Yue: Mm...
Kaori: Sora!
Tio: We're going to get busy again.
Shea: Then let's hurry!
Myu: Yes!
Shea and Tio giggled happily. Hajime just shrugged his shoulder helplessly. Sora turned his gaze to Aishia and found her staring at him with the same emotionless expression as always.
Aishia: I'll support your decision no matter what.
No matter what Sora chose, Aishia would always wholeheartedly support his decision. Even if she didn't say it, he knew that was what she was thinking. He gently brushed Aishia's cheek before turning to Bize and accepting his request.
A/N: Well, here's season 2 of He who defies God. Like I say, I would start. I'll update during my free time in the weekdays. I'm still pretty busy. So please don't ask for update if I didn't upload any. That's all. And always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading.