Crossing the Dragons Nest was much easier for the goliath than for Mori Tsukisa's group.
The monster-class airship couldn't be destroyed by hurricanes and lightning, and Muska, who was familiar with this place, had clearly made many preparations. As if returning to his own home, the Soldiers steered the airship past the lightning barrier without any danger and landed in the middle of Laputa.
"This is our history, Queen Lucita." Muska smiled, opened the glass cover on the table, and looked at the flying stone.
"Please take a good look. I will restore our country and revive the glory of the Children of the Wind Clan."
"You just want to satisfy your boundless greed; you want to rule the World. Stop saying those high-sounding words." Sheeta now had an aura different from before. During the historical narration, with Muska's triumphant tone, the girl's hand had unknowingly approached the glass cover.
Just as the glass was pushed open, Sheeta raised her eyebrows and gritted her teeth, reaching out extremely quickly and grabbing the glowing stone in her palm!
"You will never have it!" The girl stood up with a start and ran toward the outside of the airship while clutching the flying stone tightly.
"Bastard! Catch her! Catch her for me!!"
The Soldiers raised their guns and chased after her frantically!
Sheeta wanted to run to the end of the airship's deck and throw the flying stone far away—just as she touched the cold iron railing, fiery hair caught her eye, attracting her attention.
The little person looked very delicate and cute. She held a finger to her lips, making a'shh' gesture: 'Hey, don't seek death. I'll come find you in a bit.'
With just that one pause, the Soldiers caught an opening and tackled Sheeta to the ground with a thud.
Her braids were pulled high, tugging at her scalp. A pair of leather shoes stepped on the girl's face and kicked her stomach. Then, countless hands roughly pinned her down, and nearly all five of her fingers were almost broken.
Sheeta clutched her wrist and coughed incessantly, struggling on the floor like a fish out of water.
The sound of footsteps parted the Soldiers, and the leading Captain wiped the flying stone on his uniform and respectfully handed it to his boss.
Muska took the stone and looked at the girl struggling on the ground.
"How pitiful, Queen Luoxida." The man laughed mockingly. "I underestimated you. You... have more courage than that queen.
"But equally foolish, right?"
"When you can live, why insist on seeking death?" The man waved his hand, signaling the feet crushing the girl's face to move away.
"The country no longer exists, yet the King lives—isn't that absurd?" Sheeta glared hatefully at Muska. "Which of us is more foolish, 'King' Mister?"
Muska tossed the flying stone in his hand and curled his lip. "I have not violated the agreement between the two clans, as I told you."
"The agreement was to 'find the person who can refine the flying stone mine and inherit Laputa.' Look, Cairo has already discovered two. I am acting according to ancestral teachings."
"Yes, but the refining technique is now lost." Sheeta sneered. "Your family recorded so much history, did it record the technique for refining the flying stone?"
Muska stared coldly at Sheeta. The stubborn girl stared back defiantly. A trace of blood remained at the corner of her mouth, and her fingers were unnaturally twisted upward.
But she maintained that stubborn look.
"Heh, I don't need it. One Laputa is enough to rule the World." Muska couldn't be bothered with this dying Queen. He waved his hand and turned to leave.
The remaining Soldiers received the order, roughly tied the girl's hands behind her back, and carried her back to the prison cell on the airship.
"Muska! You won't succeed!"
...The Black Cell was very narrow. Most of the airship's space was used to load weapons and house Soldiers, with a small portion serving as Muska's rest room. This narrow Black Cell was pitch black, and the sound of dripping Water was right beside Sheeta's ear.
The girl leaned against the corner, tilting her head. Her bound wrists ached—but what hurt more was that her five fingers were likely broken. The slightest movement of her body, scraping against the wall, sent excruciating pain from the base of her fingers.
Hiss... Cold tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Baru..." Sheeta whispered the Boy's name.
In the darkness, rustling sounds grew closer.
Bugs?
"Whoa, did you cry?"
Clang.
A match ignited.
In her line of sight, several Little People, dressed in casual clothes, with weapons tucked into their waists and legs, held matchsticks like torches and sized her up curiously.
Little fellows the size of her palm.
"Y-you guys...?"
"Shh... we are the Attendants of Her Majesty the Queen, the Imperial Guard, the fiercest—"
Noticing Sheeta's increasingly confused expression, Kina covered Arrietty's mouth to stop her from saying more, then turned to the girl: "We are the subordinates of Baru's older sister."
That was much simpler to understand.
"Are you... Little Dwarves?" Sheeta asked innocently, watching the small things jump onto her knees, slide from her shoulder down her back, and finally touch her bound wrists.
"What are Little Dwarves? We are Sprites. Do you know what Sprites are?"
Sheeta shook her head.
"It might hurt a bit, bear with it."
Arrietty drew the Side Sword from her waist, made two gestures, and a silver light slid down from above.
Swoosh.
The hemp rope was cut.
"Thank you... Arrie...?"
"Arrietty. And she is Little Ball Kina." After introducing herself, Arrietty introduced Kina. The other Little Sprites were unnecessary.
Upon hearing this, the girl looked at Kina with a strange expression.
Little Ball Kina? What kind of unworthy nickname was that?
"Call me Big Hammer Kina." Kina seemed used to it, straightened up, and squinted at Arrietty. "And you, 'Nail' Arrietty?"
"The two nails on the hard flagstone, used to pierce and kill all enemies in front of Her Majesty the Queen?"
Anyway, anyone could retort against Arrietty a couple of times, especially Kina, who was slightly older (in age) and spent every day with her.
"Q-Queen?"
The girl was highly sensitive to the title Queen after her in-depth conversation with Muska.
"Oh... not you," Arrietty pouted, directed the Little Sprites to climb onto Sheeta's shoulder, and then had the girl hide behind the door.
She drew her sword and knocked hard on the iron door.
The clanging sound echoed outward—soon after, grumbling and cursing voices responded inside the cell.
"There aren't many Soldiers here." Sheeta analyzed calmly. Having come this far, the fragile and innocent girl was no longer afraid. "Muska took almost all the fighting force."
"There shouldn't be many left here. Can you... fight?" Sheeta looked around, found a sharp-edged stone in the corner, gripped it in her hand, and clenched her jaw.
"Us? Can we fight?"
Arrietty laughed. Just as a short Soldier pushed the door open, a cold, gleaming Dagger pierced the iron door, pierced his eyeball, passed through his brain, brought out pinkish-White tissue and blood, and slammed 'bang' into the corridor wall outside the cell door.
Cracks spread everywhere.
Thud.
The lifeless corpse fell face down.
"See, we can still fight." Arrietty spread her hands.
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