Chapter 111

“Man, I thought being in the sky would feel safe, but why does it feel so dangerous?”

I didn’t know this before, but Chancellor talks more than I expected. He hasn’t stopped talking since the Artabus Ship took off. I’m starting to worry if he’s even thirsty.

“Being in the sky is relatively safe. Look down there. Imagine walking through that.”

“Even if you wrap yourself in Power Techniques, you’d still end up roasted alive.”

His Holiness the Pope and the Cardinal also chimed in as they looked down at the burning mountain range. Everyone shrugged and shook their heads.

The clouds of ash couldn’t fully block the light from the ground below, letting some of it through. Beyond the red, eerie light, everything was ablaze.

“Ugh, it already feels like I’m soaking in hot water. So stuffy.”

“If we sweat it all out and then down a cold beer, we won’t even need snacks.”

That’s how it was. Everyone, looking at this desolate scene, couldn’t help but mutter something. Their thoughts were overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring sight, and words just spilled out without thinking. It was that devastating, that grand.

‘This is the power of nature.’

Even the King of Monsters couldn’t do something like this alone. This immense power was always there, lying dormant. The Phoenix just stirred it up and let it loose.

‘I need to prepare.’

As the Artabus Ship got closer to the Caldera Mountain Range, the vibrations from the ground grew louder. Occasionally, lava would shoot up into the sky before settling back down, and the smell of sulfur became stronger. We were stepping into hell.

“A place even demons would love to live.”

“Not even demons could live here. Hell is a place even demons fear.”

It wasn’t so much horrifying as it was majestic. It was a sight that shouldn’t exist in this world, but it wasn’t cruel. It was just awe-inspiring, just grand, leaving a deep impression on everyone. But the increasingly loud roars shattered everyone’s thoughts.

“This… the sound doesn’t seem normal.”

A deafening roar, like thunder right next to us, echoed from the ground. From the sea of lava that had become the mountain range, an unusual sound began to rise.

A sense of unease crept in—maybe we were already too late. It wasn’t just me. Looking around, everyone was sweating nervously, their hands trembling.

“I’m not sure if this will help.”

I summoned the Bell of Command and held it, looking through the thick smoke.

Miracles aren’t something I create; they’re granted by the Lord. Only by using them can I understand their purpose.

The Bell of Command has only been used once before, and even then, it wasn’t by me. It was used by Mr. Layton Valencia, so I’ve never seen it in action.

One ring opens the light. Two rings enlighten the living. Three rings bring freedom. This miracle isn’t meant for times like this.

But I placed a sliver of hope in the miracle the bell might bring. The moment I lightly shook the bell, the ship suddenly stopped mid-air.

“Music? A song?”

“What… is this sound?”

It was something different from any music we knew, closer to a melody. Everything around resonated with the bell, joining in a chorus. The melody grew louder, pushing away the deafening roars. The short performance ended, and the explosions were no longer heard.

“Huh?”

Roka, standing next to me, instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes. A bright ray of sunlight, unseen until now, shone down on us. The moment the light touched us, the airship, which had been stationary, began to move again as if the sun itself was pushing it. Above, the smoke cleared rapidly, revealing a blue sky.

“It’s midday. It’s still daytime.”

White clouds returned, and the sun took its place in the center. Those who had lost track of time in the darkness realized it was still midday. With the sunlight returning to the gloomy world, it felt like life itself was restored. It wasn’t just me; Roka also relaxed and shivered slightly.

Sunlight, usually just an annoying source of heat, becomes precious when you can’t have it. The regained sunlight was a treasure that made us feel alive.

As everyone came out to the deck to enjoy the sunlight, someone shouted.

“A rainbow! Look, a rainbow!”

“It hasn’t even rained, how can there be a… Oh, it’s real! Wow!”

Everyone’s gaze turned in one direction, and so did mine. In the sky, a vivid rainbow stood out against the intense sunlight, showing off its colors as if the Lord had hung it in the sky.

“It’s a miracle. This is truly a miracle. We didn’t even need to come this far!”

Haha. The Chancellor burst into laughter. He hurried over to me and, this time, looked at the ground instead of the sky. The smoke had cleared, and the ground was now visible.

“Ah, if you had something like this, you should’ve told me earlier. I’m getting old. These kinds of pranks aren’t good for my heart. I was so tense for no reason; I think I lost a few years off my life.”

The ground was no longer burning, just covered in ashes and remnants. The earthquakes had stopped, and the magma had seeped back into the ground. On the surface, it seemed like the era of disaster had ended, and happy days had returned.

“Huh, this is what a miracle is. Lord Aldehir, do you see? Can you grant me something like this too? I’ve served the heavens my whole life; shouldn’t I get something in return?”

His Holiness the Pope also laughed, and Roka’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me.

Everyone relaxed and sighed in relief, but then they were startled. Something was tearing through the ground, coming towards us. There was no malice, but sparks flew into the sky.

With a loud roar, part of the ground sank. As it did, molten rocks spilled out. From deep below, something massive began to approach.

“It’s not over yet.”

Even if we stop one disaster, if we don’t address the root cause, nothing will change. We didn’t come here for no reason. If we hadn’t, it would’ve come for us.

Don’t celebrate. This is just the beginning.

A red nightmare rose. It broke through the thick ash and soared into the sky. Everyone fell silent as they saw the massive fireball in the sky. Even I, who had seen it before, couldn’t get used to facing it.

Maybe it was angry because its plans were disrupted by the miracle? It glared at us with crimson eyes, then roared, threatening the airship. The Chancellor sighed and spoke.

“We haven’t even taken the Sunstone out of the vault, and it came on its own.”

“It looks really angry. Though, honestly, we’re the ones who should be angrier.”

Sir Robert crossed his arms and scoffed. He was right. We were far angrier than that thing.

“That’s Grimudo’s crown. The King of Monsters.”

His Holiness the Pope also sighed.

“Truly, it lives up to its name.”

“But the volcanic heat has subsided. It’s not at full strength either.”

“We can handle this. We’re in a better position than the three Masters who faced it first.”

Everyone nodded. If we ran away now, even if it let us go, the same thing would just happen again. Plus, it seemed like it really wanted to burn us to death.

“Ah. This is insane. But we have no choice.”

“Let’s do it. At least we have sunlight, so it feels like a picnic.”

“Just so you know, this kind of picnic is bad for your health.”

An unnamed mage sighed and picked up his staff. Next to him, Mr. Thomas nodded and stood up.

In an instant, the sky near where it stood turned red. Feather-like things began to fall from its body. As it shook off its feathers, Cardinal Omen unconsciously touched his head.

“Did it go bald or something?”

“No.”

We realized what it was shortly after. The feather-like things began flying towards us.

“Those are fireballs!”

Roka shouted. Even without her warning, anyone with eyes could see the flaming projectiles heading our way. His Holiness the Pope, usually calm and composed, shouted loudly.

“Evasive maneuvers! Prepare to fire!”

No. Now it’s my turn.

With it in the sky, now’s the time to bloom the Milky Way…

“No.”

Huh? My vision blurred. Something fluffy wrapped around my arm and pulled me back. I almost fell, my heart pounding.

…Is this Roka’s tail?

Why…?

“Don’t sacrifice yourself. I could tell you were about to do something dangerous.”

“Roka…”

“I can tell what you’re planning just by your expression now. Don’t do it. Just as I rely on you, rely on me too.”

Roka suddenly hugged me tightly. So tight that my back hurt. I always thought of her as a child, but I was wrong. Roka had grown up much faster than I thought.

This… this is just too much.

My whole body tingled, and I couldn’t move properly. Did she paralyze me with magic? When and how did she learn this technique?

‘The power of the moon…’

Did the sword she carries teach her? The child had met many people and grown up so quickly. Roka, standing next to me, whispered in my ear.

“So, leave this to me and rest, Master. Okay?”

But even if she’s grown up, this is too much! Roka forced me to lie down, then stepped into the air and disappeared. She… charged at the Phoenix alone.

“This is reckless. Too reckless.”

As divine power flowed through me, the paralysis began to wear off. I barely managed to stand, my legs trembling, but this wasn’t the time to worry about that. I’m often at a loss myself, but that child… really…

“Roka! Come back!”

This is… really bad.