"They're awake. They actually woke up! Do they have any potential?"
"Over there, over there! I can feel a power on the same level as ours. I'm going to fight that person and crush them."
"They only snapped out of it because of the cold. Even if they have potential, it won't be anything remarkable. Not worth worrying about.
That power might be high in energy level, but it lacks endurance. Probably just a one-time burst. Nothing interesting."
The giant's left head was surprised that Yukina Himeragi and Sayaka Kirasaka had broken free from his control. The right head was fixated on the massive explosion from earlier, while the middle head calmly analyzed everything.
Watching the situation, Sayaka Kirasaka quietly pulled Yukina Himeragi and shifted a step to the side.
The next instant, a magic formation unfolded behind the giant. A beam of flames shot out, grazing Sayaka Kirasaka's cheek as it tore through everything in its path.
A drop of cold sweat slid down her face and hit the ground.
That had been too close. If she had moved even slightly just now, she would have died.
"Alright, alright."
"You two, hand over those passes so we can finish our mission."
"I want to go fight now. Forget that third-rate Demon King's mission. We're Evil Dragons. Why should we listen to him?"
The three heads started arguing again.
But Sayaka Kirasaka didn't dare move at all.
The so-called argument was nothing but an act. The burly man calling himself a Heavenly Dragon had never taken his attention off them.
"Let's finish that third-rate Demon King's mission first. Once he finishes making that thing, we'll leave and go get our revenge."
"But I want to fight now. These two in front of us don't interest me at all."
"Just endure it for now. I still need to kill that God of Destruction, Shiva. He actually dared to mock my magic."
After some back-and-forth, the three heads reached an agreement and turned toward Sayaka Kirasaka and Yukina Himeragi at the same time.
"Hey, you heard me earlier. We're going to kill one of you. Whoever has the ID lives. The other dies."
"That's right. Think carefully. Only one of you gets to survive."
"Come on, show me how far you're willing to go to stay alive."
The malice in his voice was unmistakable. The giant was deliberately pushing them to turn on each other.
Sayaka Kirasaka tightened her grip on Yukina Himeragi's hand.
Seconds ticked by.
When nothing happened, Aži Dahāka's expression turned irritated.
"Hey, don't tell me you think I'm joking. Looks like I'll have to prove it to you."
A magical barrier suddenly formed above the hallway, enclosing Yukina Himeragi, Sayaka Kirasaka, and Dahaka inside.
The moment she was trapped inside, Sayaka Kirasaka felt an overwhelming pressure descend on her.
It was like flames were burning inside her body. Her muscles alternately tightened and swelled uncontrollably, and she stumbled, nearly collapsing.
"Five minutes. Within five minutes, this barrier will drain your vitality and Spiritual Energy, slowly stripping away your ability to fight. After five minutes, it will kill whoever doesn't have that ID."
"So I suggest the one with the bow act quickly. By then, you won't even have the strength to stand. You're stronger than the other one, aren't you?"
"If you act now, you've got a good chance of surviving. But if you wait until both of you are too drained to even stand, then you'll just have to leave it to fate."
Inside the barrier, only the three of them remained.
As the three heads of Aži Dahāka spoke in turn, they slowly advanced toward Sayaka Kirasaka and Yukina Himeragi, their faces twisted into cruel smiles.
"Of course, you could try attacking us. But I'd advise against it. That worthless Beastman said he wants them alive, and without serious injuries. If we accidentally kill you, that'd be troublesome for us too."
"Hahaha, so this is the trolley problem that third-rate Demon King mentioned after coming back last time? This is great—really entertaining."
"Forget what that worthless Beastman said. I've thought of something even better. Once these two kill each other, we'll kill the survivor too. That's what an Evil Dragon should do…"
The Beastmen who had been standing silently in the back could no longer stay still after hearing Aži Dahāka say he intended to kill both of them.
One of them, apparently the leader, stepped forward.
"Aži Dahāka-sama, you cannot kill them. At least one must be kept alive. Gardos-sama swore an oath to the Magic Network when he made a deal with the Lion King Organization."
Aži Dahāka stopped in his tracks.
All three of his heads turned at once to look at the Beastmen who had stepped forward.
"Talking to you?"
"Die."
"Bye."
The Beastman who had just been sentenced to death didn't even have time to react before a purple magic array appeared above him.
"Ahhh…!"
White lightning surged down, completely swallowing him. A few seconds later, the array vanished, leaving behind nothing but a charred corpse.
"Alright, let's continue."
"Make your choice."
"Only one of you gets to live."
Turning back to Sayaka Kirasaka and Yukina Himeragi, the three heads of Aži Dahāka wore smiles that ranged from malicious to mild to openly mocking.
Clenching her greatsword, Sayaka Kirasaka assessed her condition and knew the giant wasn't lying. In fact, it was worse than he'd said. At the rate her energy was draining, she wouldn't even be able to stand for more than three minutes.
Five minutes? By then, she'd already be at death's door.
She reached for the pass on her and, without making a sound, slipped it onto Yukina Himeragi.
Though Aži Dahāka had spoken vaguely, she understood what he meant. The Lion King Organization had only given her this one document to prove her identity as an Attack Mage.
Logically, she should destroy it right now. From how insistently Aži Dahāka demanded it, it was obvious they were trying to transport something extremely dangerous. Destroying the pass would be the safest choice.
If she were alone, she would have done it without hesitation.
But Yukina was here.
…So she could only apologize.
After making that decision, Sayaka Kirasaka finally felt a bit calmer. She forced herself to focus, her gaze sweeping across the barrier in search of any weakness. As long as there was a chance to live, she wouldn't give up.
As for fighting the giant, she didn't even consider it.
If this man who called himself a Heavenly Dragon wasn't lying, then even if everyone on the island joined forces, they still wouldn't stand a chance.
"Heavenly Dragon" was a title from World No. 1, reserved for dragons ranked within the top fifteen in power. Beings at that level stood on the same tier as the Three Primogenitors.
While Sayaka Kirasaka searched desperately for a flaw in the barrier, Yukina Himeragi stepped forward, stopping in front of Aži Dahāka.
"Aži Dahāka-sama, does one of us really have to die? With your strength, is there any need to target two shrine maidens like us?"
"Yes. One of you must die. That worthless Beastman only needs one."
"That idiot Beastman took technology from us, yet still dares to use it so carelessly."
"And what if we're targeting you? Do you think we're like those hypocritical Gods who stop for the sake of appearances? Evil Dragons prey on the weak."
Hearing this, Yukina Himeragi lowered her head.
"I see… then I understand."
"Yukina…"
Seeing her like that, Sayaka Kirasaka instinctively stepped forward, wanting to comfort her.
But her expression suddenly changed.
She pushed off the ground and leapt back, creating distance in an instant.
A silver spear pierced through the spot where she had just been standing.
Yukina Himeragi stood there, gripping Sekkarou, staring straight at her.
"Yukina… you!"
"I'm sorry, Sayaka. I want to live."
Before she even finished speaking, Yukina Himeragi lunged forward, thrusting her spear. The silver tip cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
"Yukina Himeragi… I misjudged you!"
Rage flared across Sayaka Kirasaka's face at the betrayal. She swung her greatsword, blocking the incoming strike and immediately counterattacking.
The right head watched the scene with clear enjoyment, savoring the drama it had orchestrated.
The left head curled into a grin as a soundproof barrier silently formed around them.
"They think they've fooled us. Should we move now? Let's not give them any more time."
"No. Wait until they make their move. Then we'll stack a few more layers of barriers and push them into despair."
"Alright, alright, let's do that. By then, they'll really end up trying to kill each other."
"That silver spear feels a bit off. Should we keep an eye on it? We can't let them actually escape."
"No need. They're just two little girls who aren't even qualified to receive an invitation to the Gods' gathering. In the Second World, aside from the Three Primogenitors, no one is worth paying attention to."
"Don't worry. The presence of a single Heavenly Dragon-class Evil Dragon is enough to handle everything. There's no way they can escape."
While the three heads of Aži Dahāka briefly discussed among themselves, the two on the field seemed to have truly turned on each other, unleashing their finishing moves at the same time.
A faint light bloomed at the tip of the silver spear as all of Yukina Himeragi's remaining Spiritual Energy poured into it. She bent her knees and launched herself forward with full force, charging straight at Sayaka Kirasaka.
"I, Sword Shaman of the High God and priestess of the Lion, beseech thee. Dawn light of exorcism, spirit wolf of snowy mist, grant me the divine might of thy steel, that I may smite a hundred evil spirits!"
At the same time, the greatsword in Sayaka Kirasaka's hands unfolded into a Western-style bow. She drew a precious enchanted arrow from her inner thigh, set it to the string, pulled it taut, dropped to one knee, and aimed at Yukina Himeragi.
"I, War Dancer of the High God, as a dancer of the Lion, beseech thee... Enku of the Aurora, Qilin of radiant light, thou who doth rule thunder and the heavens, come clad in raging fire to pierce Hell's monstrous demons!"
In less than a second, Yukina Himeragi had closed the distance, the spear tip stopping less than ten centimeters from Sayaka Kirasaka.
At that critical moment, Sayaka Kirasaka didn't release the arrow. Instead, she twisted her body and leapt aside, narrowly dodging the strike while adjusting her aim midair.
Yukina Himeragi didn't stop. Her spear shot forward and struck the barrier. Under the surge of Spiritual Energy surrounding it, cracks spread across the barrier.
"Surprise!!!"
Several additional layers of barriers instantly formed around the original one, stacking on top of each other. The Spiritual Energy required to break through multiplied several times over.
"Hahaha, did you think we didn't notice what you were trying to do?"
"How does it feel? Despairing yet? With your current strength, you can only break one layer at most. There are still plenty more waiting."
"You still have time to kill your companion. Our offer still stands. We can even help you recover your strength."
Ignoring Aži Dahāka's mocking laughter, Yukina Himeragi poured out every last bit of Spiritual Energy into her spear. With a sharp crack, the innermost barrier shattered.
But beyond it, several more layers remained.
A scene that should have driven anyone to despair instead made Yukina Himeragi smile. She raised her hand and caught an arrow tied to a rope flying in from the other side.
As the Spiritual Energy around the spear dissipated, the aura surrounding it faded, revealing a faint glimmer at the spear's tip.
"!"
The central head sensed something was wrong.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The remaining barriers shattered like thin paper the moment they touched that glimmer of light.
"A demon-bane weapon!"
Boom!
Before the words fully left his mouth, another explosion erupted on the opposite side.
Lightning-like Spiritual Energy blasted through the wall. The remaining layers of barriers absorbed most of the excess force, preventing the building from collapsing.
To ensure the attack would break through the wall without being weakened by the barriers, Sayaka Kirasaka had poured nearly all her Spiritual Energy into it. With no energy left to protect herself, she was struck by the explosion's aftershock.
Ignoring the pain, she felt the pull from the other end of the rope. Using the last of her strength, Sayaka Kirasaka accelerated and leapt straight down.
At that height, she wouldn't die.
Pulled along by the rope, Yukina Himeragi followed, flying toward the opening.
"Slash!"
A wind blade cut through the air as Aži Dahāka reacted and severed the rope.
Without the pull, Yukina Himeragi fell straight to the ground. The pass that Sayaka Kirasaka had placed on her slipped free and dropped as well.
Aži Dahāka ignored Yukina Himeragi entirely. All three heads twisted with fury as they rushed to the hole, only to find that Sayaka Kirasaka was already gone.
A phantom of a black dragon flickered into existence as Aži Dahāka nearly transformed into his true form.
"Calm down. Do you want to attract Shiva here? He still remembers the grudge from when we raided the Indian Pantheon."
"Calm down? How am I supposed to stay calm? We mock Rizevim as a third-rate Demon King every day, and now we've become the kind of third-rate villains he talks about!"
A Beastman stepped forward, pointing at Yukina Himeragi.
"Aži Dahāka-sama, the mission is complete. You can go after her. We'll handle taking this one back."
The central head gritted its teeth and spoke.
"He's right. Stay rational. The most important thing now is to keep an eye on that worthless Beastman. Whether we can kill Shiva and take revenge depends on Rizevim's plan."
"You lot, go after her. She can't have gone far. I'll take this one back."
Forcing down his anger, Aži Dahāka ordered the Beastmen to give chase. He then grabbed Yukina Himeragi by the collar and, carrying her along with the blood Sayaka Kirasaka had left behind, left the scene.