The trio navigated through Ymir at night and reached the outermost city walls.
As it was so late into the night that the gate had been shut for the day, thus they decided to climb the walls and jump down.
Eris had no trouble keeping up with Inglis, however, Rafinha was falling behind the two of them for obvious reasons. Inglis had decided to carry her in a piggyback ride halfway through.
「 …It’s still alright!」
The beast-Rahal was struggling to get back on its feet and inching towards the city walls, staggering with minimal damage on it.「How tenacious. Even though Glis and Eris had kicked it so hard…」
「Not me. It’s mostly her. Ridiculous, really.」
「Wah! You’re great, Glis! You’re being praised by a Hyrule Menace.」
「Fufufu. Putting that aside, normal attacks won’t have any effect on Magic Stone Beasts.」 1
「No, that doesn’t count as a “normal” attack, considering just how much power it held. I mean, just look how far it went.」
「Yeah. But it’s not about power, after all.」
As she had guessed, Magic Stone Beasts wouldn’t sustain much damage when attacked with normal means, even if they fell from a great height.To defeat them, they needed a power similar to the one provided by an Artifact.
Inglis could try her Ether Armor technique, one where she clad herself in a wave of condensed ether but that was a barrier type technique that enhanced her defense and physical abilities, not the kind used for ether attacks.
While weak Magic Stone Beasts could be dealt with using Ether Armor, the Magic Stone Beast that Rahal had transformed into was rather formidable. The injuries on the beast varied but none of them was fatal.
They needed an attack that was more powerful and lethal.
「Eris, would this beast-Rahal be similar in strength to a Prisma?」
「…No. I mean, I think this is quite strong but, honestly, they can’t even be compared. It’s like comparing a child to an adult.」
「I see. Then, if my attack can’t bring it down, it would mean that I won’t be able to even scratch a Prisma. Let me try. Rani, please watch over me.」
Inglis stood alone in the face of the approaching Magic Stone Beast.
She took a stance with her right hand out, palm facing the enemy.
In front of her palm, a vortex of light appeared and converged.
The condensing ether roused the flow of air.
Inglis’ long, silver hair swayed greatly.
The dazzling, revolving specks merged into one gigantic cluster of light.
Its size was enormous, as though it could swallow the entirety of the beast-Rahal.
This technique was Ether Strike, the one she had pulled off a few months after her birth.
However, 12 years had passed since then, and Inglis had never stopped training. Its firepower was undeniably stronger than it used to be.
This is a good chance to see how strong I’ve gotten with my own eyes!
「INNGGGLLIIIIISSSSSS!!!」
As soon as it recognized Inglis’ figure, the beast-Rahal jumped to its feet and rushed towards her.
「Lord Rahal… farewell!」
Inglis unleashed the Ether Strike.
BOOOoOoOOOOOOOOoooooooooomm!
The larger-than-ever ball of light rushed forward, leaving a long and deep crevice in the ground as it went by.
It completely engulfed the beast’s whole body and everything surrounding it.
In the blink of an eye, the beast dissipated into pure white ashes.
While the beast-Rahal was robust and tough, the ball of light was so powerful that it was as though Rahal’s existence was nothing but a puff of smoke.
And just like that, as if there was nothing on its path, the ball of light continued to carve into the ground until it disappeared beyond the horizon.
「A-, amazing!」
「Now that’s my Glis! You killed it!」
Eris mumbled in mute amazement while Rafinha was jumping up and down in delight.
「Phew. That took a lot out of me.」
As expected, she had used too much Ether. A sense of fatigue suddenly overtook her body.
She staggered and fell on her butt.
She was still lacking in discipline and stamina but her body was still in its growing phase, after all.
「Glis!」
「Are you okay?」
Rafinha and Eris rushed over to her.
「Rani… what you said back then, it was true, huh?」
Inglis said to Rafinha, a smile gracing her face.
「Hm? What did I say?」
「Wishing upon the Highland. Today’s battle was quite a tough one. I had the chance to fight various people.」
「Geez, that’s all you have in mind. That’s why I don’t want Glis’ wish to come true since it’ll be a big emergency…」
「Haha. Well, the wish has to be even, you know. Although, it is true that it has become quite the incident… That part really hurts my conscience.」
「Well, to be fair, if it wasn’t for you, things would’ve gone horribly wrong. I would’ve been abducted and brought to the Ironblood Chain Brigade and that Magic Stone Beast would have gone on a rampage in the city without anyone stopping it. I’m just saying, this isn’t the worst-case scenario.」
Eris said, trying to look on the positive side of things.
「Hearing you say so eases my heart.」
「Once I get back to the capital, I’ll report that all of this was Leon’s doing as he double-crossed us to join the Ironblood Chain Brigade. I’ll work with Raphael to find a way so that none of your names will show up, so rest assured. Though, take it with a grain of salt.」
「Thank you in advance! Also, if my involvement is omitted, then… that means that you were the one that repelled the beast, Eris.」
「Well, if that’s what you wanted, that’s how it’ll be. But, you owe me one, you hear? One day I’ll come to collect it.」
With a simper, Eris reached out her hand to Inglis.
「Yes. I understand.」
Taking the Hyrule Menace’s hand, Inglis pulled herself to her feet.
Then, as she checked the perimeter, she saw the Marquis and his knights making their way over in the distance.
♢♦♢♦♢
The next morning. The search for Leon was left to Ymir’s people and Eris was about to return to the capital.
Inglis went to see her off and asked a question that had been bugging her.
「Excuse me, Eris. Can I ask one thing?」
Inglis called out to Eris, who was already astride a horse when they were alone.
「What is it?」
「During the night banquet, you were angry when Leon introduced us to you. Can I ask what’s the reason?」
Now that they had fought together, against each other, and some time to talk, Inglis believed that Eris clearly wasn’t being herself at that time.
Eris wasn’t such a person with undulating emotions.
If anything, she felt like she had a rational and composed character.
「…Sorry. Perhaps you’ll find out why someday, but… I don’t want to answer. And if possible, I don’t want you to know either.」
「I see. I’m sorry for overstepping my bounds.」
「It’s fine. I’m going then. You said you want to defeat Prisma with your own strength, right? Do your best then, I’m cheering for you.」
「Yes, thank you very much.」
「Until later, then.」
「Until we meet again.」
Being sent off with Inglis’ smile, Eris’ figure gradually vanished from the sight of the fortified city of Ymir.
