Part 1 –

The airship ploughed through cloudless sky, riding the sea of blue. Its mirrors perfectly hid it from plain sight, although there were some Demi-humans along the plains that noticed the disturbance.

Animal-like ears would twitch, and tails would softly wag as they instinctively felt its presence.

The fog of the Shallows was long forgotten as a peerless rocky plain surrounded them from every direction.

Giant rivers left the emerald forests at the far end of the plains from the west and formed massive lakes. It wasn’t uncommon to find a small town or a few settlements surrounding them.

There weren’t any significant landmarks for them to follow back to Saicry, so Black utilised the colourless compass. The tiny orb on the black hand pointed north-west as she expected.

It wasn’t necessary to check, but Black didn’t want to risk treading into the neighbouring region; Endo. Not that she was afraid of them – she had plenty of confidence that they could deal with whatever came their way.

She was simply impatient.

The afterburners have been on full thrust for a while now. White, and partly Exrite, wondered if it was a good idea to burn through the airship’s energy reserves.

But Black digressed. After all, the massive lump of limeite was more than enough to keep the magical thrusters active for at least a week straight. And plus – limeite was a renewable energy source.

White shrugged it off and quietly sighed.

Only a few hours remained until they’d reach the Golden City of Saicry.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if it’s just to get to Saicry.” She spoke to no one in particular as she stood at the front of the airship, staring ahead with crimson-slit eyes.

In the background, a wandering Frosty devoured the scenery around them with a vibrant face. It was refreshing to finally see the girl in an exuberant state.

She’d pull a shaky Khaos around with her, dragging him as she pointed out into the distance like an innocent child. The beauty of the world was something she loved, so she couldn’t help but to feel excited.

A pair of eyes watched them with intrigue. The golden pupils of the Demon seemingly softened when she saw Frosty’s innocent face. As odd as it was, she found joy in watching the woman prance around and dodge the busy Demi-humans with a giant Khaos lumbering behind.

Exrite smiled at the sight and was glad to see Frosty in high spirits. In a hand, she nonchalantly munched on plain loaf of bread, which was offered to her by the Demi-humans.

Because she was the Exrenity, they would often flock around her with awed faces and words of flatter. A wry smile would form whenever someone went over the top, and she’d have to remind them to just treat her like everyone else.

The attention wasn’t something she really wanted, but it was enjoyable for the most part. As a race that acts on instinct before thought – it couldn’t be helped that they admired her.

They’d tell her about their stories and life in Cryo before it was turned upside down. Exrite remained sombre throughout; whether it was the wails of a father, or the angered growls of a man who recounted the times he spent at his now desolated village.

It was saddening, and she realised where their hatred for the humans of Endo came from. Exrite would offer head-pats to some of the Demi-humans.

Comforting them was the least she could do.

They seemed to enjoy it and feel prey to her calming touch as their tears would quickly subside. Animal-like ears would flatten while tails would playfully wag behind them.

Exrite felt like she was petting animals, but she kept that thought to herself. They were far different from mere animals. If anything – they were just like humans.

So why do the humans of Endo and beyond despise them so much? Whether it was because of their Gods will, their animal-like similarities or the fact that Cryo had no inhabited God – Exrite couldn’t arrive to a satisfying conclusion.

She sat there for a while, enjoying their company with a vibrant smile.

But soon – the winds became rough.

White perfectly stood her ground as Khaos immediately fell flat on the ground, pulling Frosty with him on top. With the clamours resurfacing on the deck behind White, she noticed a strange scent in the wind.

It was an irony scent – one that she immediately recognised.

“Blood… from ahead, is that right?”

Her appetite was stimulated. She hadn’t had a drop of blood since they left Cryo, and the nape of Exrite that she so dearly desired was something she managed to put on hold.

Such a tasty meal would be wasted here. Like perfect wine – she needed the perfect setting to complement it.

White spun with an emotionless face and headed straight for door at the end of the airship. Her mere presence, and the squeaking of her leather boots caused the Demi-humans to cease their pointless chatter and pay their respects to the superior being.

As nothing but the roaring winds filled the deck – White issued an order with a commanding voice.

“I apologise for interrupting you all with this message all of a sudden, but please understand that we’ve yet to reach the Golden City. Stay vigilant and keep your eyes peeled and your ears open – we may have some trouble ahead.”

They were on edge. Or at least the Demi-humans were. Uru didn’t pay a single heed to White’s words and quietly hummed to herself.

As White passed by Exrite’s shoulder, the girl asked her something.

“Did you see something out there?”

“Something indeed. But I’m not one hundred percent sure. Just stay here and watch over the deck for me. I’ll be back soon enough – or at least Black will. You’ll hear her voice on the ‘amplifiers’ for further instructions.”

So there is something ahead… but what?

Exrite didn’t want to inquire any further.

The answer would come soon enough.

Staring at the back of the striding White, she noticed that the Demi-humans around her were slowly heading towards the weapons stationed around the edges of the airship.

With Frosty jabbing Khaos in order to get him back onto his feet, Exrite turned her gaze towards the expanse far ahead of them. There was nothing she saw that set off any alarms.

But what did she know?

The deck became noisy again, and with it, emerged an air of tension. The Demi-humans were aware of what White’s words entailed and remained on edge.

Weaponry were being passed from the tents that littered the deck. Bloodlust spread like a plague as they brandished their axes and swords. Before White could even confirm what was ahead, the Demi-humans prepared themselves nevertheless.

Pondering, Exrite failed to notice a small group of Demi-humans begin to surround her. An outsider would undoubtably believe that Exrite was about to be pounced by the armed Demi-humans.

But that was far from the truth.

“… please watch over us in this fight.” One uttered.

It was the one-eared bunny-girl.

“Hm?”

Exrite lightly jolted out of her trance, surprised to see so many faces all of a sudden.

“Oh- sorry. Did you all want something?”

She didn’t quite catch what the girl said.

The bunny-girl awkwardly stared at Exrite for a short while before asking again.

“We… want you to watch over us in this fight.” Her voice was considerably lower than before.

Exrite wasn’t so dense as to not understand what she was asking for. They sought for her protection as the Exrenity. From what she gathered – this group in particular consisted of the youngest and the newest recruits.

It was only natural for them to seek for protection from someone powerful. This would be their first fight as part of Black and White’s crew.

No matter their hatred and willingness to avenge their race –

They were still afraid of death.

A warm hand found itself on the bunny-girl’s head. Exrite softly smiled as she watched the girl’s eyes broaden.

“If it’s only just protecting you guys, then leave it to me. But I’m not as powerful as you think I am. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m inexperienced as the Exrenity.”

The bandaged ear of the girl felt stiff and cold, and just touching it caused her to lightly wince. It wasn’t due to pain however – but rather because of the stigma her ears carried as a Demi-human.

To her, the bunny-ears were disgusting.

But Exrite didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she thought it was cute.

And it was a shame that her ear was reduced to a stump.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re the Exrenity.” Someone softly whispered.

“Yeah. I’m still the Exrenity through and through. Just not a very good one.” Exrite quietly laughed at herself. “You know, I’m not really the best person to rely on. But I’m glad that you guys think otherwise.”

The Demi-humans held their breath for a moment. They were seemingly so entranced by Exrite's words that they entirely ignored the approaching Demon.

By the time Uru stood behind the smaller Exrite, a few of them had already dispersed. Exrite left a lasting impression on them. Their expectations of the Exrenity being more or less like the Commanders shattered in an instant.

They were unexpectedly glad.

“… Uru, did you want something as well?”

“Do I need a reason to be by your side? I didn’t think so.”

The woman lightly pressed herself against Exrite, her bosom squeezing against the back of her neck.

Annoyed, Exrite apologised as she let the thankful bunny-girl go. As she returned with the others to prepare for the upcoming battle they expected – Exrite looked up at Uru with tired eyes.

“And you don’t need a reason to push your chest against me like that?”

“Of course not~ I promised you my body since the very beginning, so this is only expected. Or perhaps you wanted something mo –?”

“That’s definitely not what I want.” Exrite interjected nonchalantly and sighed. “Anyway, was there something you wanted?”

She had to ask again.

In all honesty – Uru was simply bored and wanted Exrite to amuse her. Frosty was too lost in her own world, and Khaos would probably break the airship if she provoked him.

Exrite was unfortunately the only option she had left.

Hearing that this was the case – Exrite dropped her shoulders and mumbled “That’s what you were thinking about? Aren’t you worried that we might have to fight soon?”

Uru brushed a strand of hair away from Exrite’s face.

“Be at ease, Exrite. This region has nothing that can attest to my power. You’d be lucky, or rather, unlucky to find something as powerful as a Demon here. Aren’t you glad I’m on your side?”

It was stupid on Exrite’s part to ask. It should’ve been obvious that Uru’s power was indomitable in these regions.

But still – Exrite was cautious. This was a region she had never been to before, and with the Maiden of Time ‘gone’, she didn’t know just how much Six Point was affected by her departure.

The thought was interesting, because no one really knew about the Maiden of Time or what her true influence on Six Point was. Apart from regulating ‘time’, of course.

And as she delved into the thought – a finger poked her cheek.

“You doze out quite easily, you know that?” Uru murmured, drawing a circle into the girl’s soft cheek. “It makes it hard for us to tell if your Eye of Despair’s manifesting or not.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.” She sheepishly smiled. “I was just thinking about something… hey, how much do you know about the Maiden of Time?”

Uru’s face suddenly lit up.

“Many things. I can tell you everything I know if you ever desired it. Although – why are you asking me now of all times?”

“… no reason. I was just curious.” Exrite hummed. “Let’s go. I want to prepare myself just in case… Hm? Uru?”

The Demon suddenly slid a hand underneath Exrite’s chin and brought her gaze up to her.

“But this isn’t your fight. It should be left up to the Demi-humans. If it’s people from Endo ahead, then it makes all the more sense to let them have their taste of vengeance.”

Uru’s words were sharp and dangerous. She wanted to see their faces when they drove their weapons into the ones who had robbed them of their lives. Their desire of bloodshed would also fuel her unquenchable mana reserves.

It was necessary to start stockpiling mana before their inevitable journey into the Shallows.

“That’s why I said ‘just in case’.” Exrite sighed and pushed Uru’s hand away.

But when she tried to move from the breasts that encased her neck – she was suddenly tugged back.

“… are you still bored?” Exrite groaned, wryly smiling.

“Unfortunately. But I’m sure you’d rather this than to have Khaos destroying the ship, hm?”

She didn’t know whether that was a threat or not and gave up trying to escape the voluptuous Succubus.

Underneath the faraway sun, the benevolent airship remained on a steady course of Saicry.

But it seemed like there would a bump before their arrival.

* * *

An arrow found its mark in the head of a soldier. The Demi-human children shivered, filled with nothing but terror as the body dropped dead in front of them.

The child’s face was painted red with blood. The two fox-eared children were petrified and desperately clung onto one another.

They were saved at the last second by a whizzing arrow. The human adventurer was ready to hack them into pieces with their axe, when a cry suddenly erupted from the smoky forest, followed by the arrow.

A familiar figure then ran up to them and scooped them from under the arms as they ran with everything they had. Nothing but despair filled the fox-children – even after they were saved.

Their saviour screamed and yelled as the world around them burned to cinders. The emerald leaves were replaced with a blazing inferno that licked the skies and spat its toxic haze.

The escapees grew hazy as they ran through the blaze. The trail that once led to the other villages was now a perilous trek, where flaming logs and branches fell from their surroundings.

In the mere span of an hour – their world had spiralled into hell. Screams and crackling filled the air as the group ran through the flaming path, never looking back at their ravaged village.

Earlier, the air quaked to the horns of an encroaching airship. Ears fiddled in the air as all attention was drawn to not one – but three human airships. Lumberjacks dropped their logs, housewives began to hurriedly gather their children while those who could fight beared their arms.

Pandemonium was all that could describe their restless shuffling and attempts to flee to the other neighbouring villages in this forest.

However –

Smoke rose from the emerald boundaries along with galloping thuds. A large ground force of human adventurers and mercenaries emerged from the surrounding trees and caught them before they could all successfully escape.

The resistance of the Demi-humans couldn’t even be considered a ‘fight’.

It was a one-sided slaughter. On the backs of blinded Demi-human horses, they were unmatched in speed and cleaved those who even tried to resist their might.

Wooden huts and farms were set alight by fire magic while possessions were stolen, alongside the Demi-humans who were brutally beaten, tied and thrown into the backs of wagons and caravans.

Some suffocated underneath the bound mass and died there, crushed underneath their families and friends.

The neighbouring villages suffered a similar fate, and it was uncertain at this point if the western forest had already fallen.

It was a blind hope the figure held as they ran with everything they had.

But soon, their hope was replaced with despair when thunderous gallops emerged from behind. The children panicked when they saw the masked face of the horse-man, who was driven by a man in heavy armour.

He laughed in the distance, enjoying the cruelty as he gave chase and began chanting a spell. It was a [Second Tier] [Ice Bolt], which materialised beside him before it was fired at the adult figure.

It skewered his left leg, splitting the bone in two as he hoarsely cried and fell flat with a painful thud. The children rolled in the scorched ground before the smaller one scrawled in front of him with teary eyes.

“N-No! Papa! Get up!”

“G-Go…! The village ahead… should be safe! Go! LEAVE! I’ll be fine!”

The pain made it difficult for him to talk.

He shoved the kid away and drew the only arrow from his fallen quiver. Taking aim, the child muddily cried as the older sibling proclaimed that they couldn’t go on without him.

But as the fire spread and the crackling branches fell around them – they knew that if they stayed there any longer; they’d all die.

With the arrow taught, the adventurer laughed again and simply allowed himself to be open to the attack. After all, what could a mere arrow do to steel armour?

The children cried as they reluctantly ran away. Hearing their patters disappear, the father broke into a pained smile and released the arrow.

It bounced off the adventurer’s armour, leaving him laughing hysterically as he spouted insults at the foolish Demi-human, making promises to slaughter the children after he was done with him.

All hope seemed lost. With his final mutters of goodbye, he closed his eyes and waited for the thuds to pass by him…

Only a miracle could save him.

And that wish was seemingly granted.

As if answered by some omnipotent being – a flash of yellow burst past him, extinguishing the flames before the murderous adventurer had his entire chest plate caved in.

The force of the invisible strike caused him to launch into a flaming tree, which collapsed and crushed him to death.

In the place of the now docile horse-man, was a golden woman. Her majesty was unlike anything the man had ever seen, and thought it was an angel who had arrived just before his death.

But her crude remark made him reconsider the thought.

“How fucking weak. I wanted to test the waters with a soft punch, but if that’s all it took, then it’s no wonder why they needed those giant airships.” She closed a fist in front of her face with explosive speed before turning to the man.

From her face to the yellow hair that was like a lion’s mane – this was undoubtably Yellow.

“You came from this path, didn’t you mister!? Did you see anyone else in the village!?”

She quickly tended to his wound as the children scrambled back to him in tears.

“It-it was just us- ARGH!” He growled when Yellow pulled his shaky hands over his wound to apply pressure.

Because the wound was near his groin, Yellow grew wary that he’d bleed out within the next hour if went untreated.

“Just you!? You didn’t see any other humans around there!? Or did they already leave the forest!?”

She wanted answers.

Yellow only just arrived in this forest. The blankets of smoke and the unnatural flow of the wind drew her here by chance. As a Colour and partly a ‘Demi-human’, Yellow’s senses were unmatched.

Even now, her wolf-like ears were constantly pointing towards a strange, low frequency rumble in the distant sky.

It was far different from the three airships.

“T-they went to the other villages! I saw them pull everyone out on their caravans and wagons –! Ack! S-shit! What did we do to deserve any of this!?” He clawed at his wound and writhed in agony.

“Hold still! You’re going to bleed out if you keep moving around like that!” Yellow went off to the side and grabbed a glowing stick. She blew on it for a second before she knelt down, pushed his hands away with utter ease and cauterised the wound.

“W-WAI- FUUUUCK! AAAAAAAAHHHH –!”

His screams terrorised the children, who trembled as their father suddenly blacked out.

Yellow threw the stick away with a sigh.

“C’mon, that was just first aid. I thought in a world like this, using fire was normal to heal wounds… hah~ maybe I should’ve asked White to heal him… or just used something to compress it… Milk’s going to get mad at me again, isn’t he?”

A small pout came when she imagined the face of her strict accomplice. The man in question could use healing magic, so she could’ve opted for the more ‘painless’ route of healing the Demi-human’s wound.

But as per Yellow – instinct before thought.

Her ears picked up another signal before she brought her attention to the children. They jumped lightly, wondering who the strange woman was. She put on a bright smile in an attempt to reassure them.

“Don’t worry~ he’s just resting because of the wound… Umm… think you can bring him back with you?”

The older one shook their head.

Given their small size, it should’ve been obvious.

Plus – she realised just how perilous the path was. The trail of fire would engulf them, or they’d die from the heat. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help them – she just didn’t want any more people to die needlessly.

With her mind made up, she carried the man over her shoulder and tapped the horse-man’s encased head.

“Then get ready to start running.”

Her voice suddenly deepened.

* * *

For now, the remaining Demi-humans found a secure location. The western-most village was the only untouched part of the forest network and would undoubtably be their last stand.

The flames were kept at bay with a constant stream of water magic, and some helpful teens who threw pails of water into the firestorm.

Every other village at this point was ravaged and consumed by the flames. For all they knew, the humans could’ve given up on pursuing their last village. It was likely that they had more than enough of them to satisfy their needs.

Or the three airships weren’t enough to hold them all at once.

Sombre. Grief. Suffering. Sadness…

There wasn’t a single person who wasn’t going through an intense outburst of emotion. Even the mages screamed and yelled as they put out the flames in desperation while mothers wept for their loved ones.

A lone figure draped in long, robe-like clothing oversaw the Demi-humans from a lone tree in the centre of the village. The man never opened his eyes, yet it was as if he could clearly see the despair unfold around him.

As saddening as it was – he believed in Yellow. The strange woman who had appeared more than a month ago took Cryo by storm with her indomitable power.

Her strength was peerless as far as he was concerned.

And that claim was on the basis of him being a Frostbitten.

Milk, the Frostbitten, stayed here in case there were still any residual humans wandering in the forest. He couldn’t afford to lose anymore of the race he vowed to protect.

Two golden orbs orbited him as his tall, fuzzy ears picked up a strange sound in the sky.

And it wasn’t just him.

One by one, all attention gathered to the skies. The combined clamour of their cries and the crackling fire did little to drown the ultra-low rumbles.

Something apart from the human airships was out there.

Milk shook the bells on the scabbard of his katana and watched the air behind the centremost airship violently distort.

And there, as if entering from a different plane of existence, emerged the familiar airship that boasted nothing but benevolence and might.

The orbs swelled as he vibrantly smiled.

But before he or anyone else could catch their breath –

The middlemost airship suddenly exploded.

* * *

Part 2 –

About thirty minutes prior – the clamours of the airship reached new heights as the crewmates ran into their designated positions for the upcoming battle.

They were now close enough to see the airships of Endo and the human forces that occupied the boulder-infested plains below. It seemed like they had finished plundering and kidnapping the forest dwellers.

The airships were stationary for the most part, dropping rope nets in preparation for their haul.

Black lowered their altitude significantly to match the enemy’s airships, which caused Khaos all sorts of trouble.

“Ahem. This thing on?” Black’s voice sudden appeared as Exrite and Frosty eagerly helped the crew uncoil a fresh batch of Octanid threads near one of the giant crossbows.

“Huh? What kind of magic is that?” Frosty muttered with a perplexed face.

“[Amplification]. It’s supposed to be a low tiered magic that can make sounds louder, but I’m not too sure how she made it sound like it’s coming from up here.” Exrite wondered for a second.

Normally, [Amplification] worked with proximity to the noise. But Black was deep in the heart of the airship. It was either a network of inscribed [Amplification] circles, or, it was a higher tiered variant; [Remote Amplification].

“Good, good~ Now, let’s straight into this, shall we?”

Black licked her lips and watched the world outside through the magical displays. She glanced at White for a moment and gave her a small nod, prompting her to press a strange button.

“Listen up! Ever since the birth of Six Point, your race was always despised by the humans, the Demons and the Beastkin. And why? Because your beautiful lands holds no God? Because you’re a mixed breed? Or – are they jealous of your freedom from the Gods that shackle them?”

The Demi-humans were riled.

“We’ve got new faces and members on board, so look out for them! There’s no one else in this world who’ll do the same for you all – apart from us of course. Show the humans that you’re not a race to be trifled with! Show them what happens to those who think they can drive you into the mud!”

Many cheered exuberantly as blood rushed to their heads. The cruel sight of the burning forest only bolstered Black’s speech and their bloodlust.

“And most importantly – don’t spare a single one of them. No one deserves your mercy.”

She allowed them some time to vent their anger and complete their preparations before turning to White with a cunning smile. And by ‘coincidence’, White matched her gaze and left the control room with shrewd eyes.

“We’ll greet them with an inferno of our own! Standby until we’re sandwiched in between them!” Black slammed a fist onto a button and began interacting with one of the displays.

An ultra-low frequency erupted from the front of the airship before the engines began to furiously roar. She put them into overdrive to accelerate the airship sufficiently enough for their grand entrance.

Their destination – the middlemost airship, which appeared to be larger than the neighbouring two.

On the deck, the crew made their final checks; opening valves and chambers on the stationary weapons, particularly the long-barrelled cannons. These would fire explosives, iron bullets or smoke rounds depending on the situation.

And for this occasion – Black wanted the smoke rounds to preserve the airships. They could be used by Saicry in the future.

Exrite felt the wind push her innards back as her hair and coat fluttered like wings behind her. Both her and Frosty relocated to the rectangular hut, where Khaos crouched like a gargoyle statue.

With the speed of the airship and their trajectory – it was painfully obvious what Black’s intention was.

They were going to ram straight into them.

Uru, who stood at the tip of the airship, was tempted to fire an explosive orb. In one fell swoop, she could eliminate the humans – and the captured Demi-humans – if she so desired.

And as she stared down at the rocky plains, she noticed a lone figure zip across the grass like a trail of lightning.

“That’s some speed for a Demi-human. Just how much did the world change while I was gone?”

In the past, Demi-humans were among the weakest race – hence why they were so easy to exploit.

She watched as the woman easily caught up with a horse and sent the rider flying into a boulder, crushing him in an instant.

“… or is that another Otherworlder?”

“That’s a friend of ours.” White emerged from beside Uru and crouched by the short handrails. “Yellow Heart – a Colour like us. She’ll take care of the ground forces just fine, but this is a good opportunity to try something out.”

She held a strange, slender weapon. It looked like a hollow sword with a mounted telescope. It was an Otherworldly invention, fine tuned for her needs by Black.

It was a sniper rifle. A bulky one at that.

Because they had no access to their powers in the Colour Plane, White couldn’t transform her “Moon’s Rhythm” into anything but a barebone handgun and a pale sword.

“A weapon from your world, I take?”

“Not the best one of its kind, though it should do well from this distance. Uru, I advise that you take a step away from here and cover your ears. This thing’s a hundred times louder than Exrite’s weapon.”

Cautious, Uru took more than a single step away. She didn’t want to meddle with Otherworldly technology and weaponry, especially when told that it was dangerous.

White laid the sniper against the rails, stared down the scope and held her breath before firing the giant weapon.

The air exploded and reverberated across the entire airship as the Demi-humans jolted in fright. A searing heat left its barrel, long after the ejected bullet reached its mark.

Below, the furthest caravan lost its driver, causing the horse-men to blindly charge into a boulder.

“Not bad. Recoil’s a bit harsh, but it’s good for a hunk of metal and explosive powder… and it’s only single chambered. Perfect, just what I needed…”

White sarcastically murmured to herself as bewilderment filled Uru’s being from head to toe. Without a chant, without magic and without the enemy’s awareness – she was able to instantaneously kill them in a single blow.

Not even Uru could comprehend the speed of the bullet. For a projectile that required little to no prediction from such a great distance; it was nothing but spectacular.

She briefly recalled Exrite’s warning from the first time they met and bitterly smiled.

Ho. So that wasn’t a lie. Indeed, this kind of power could devastate me if I let my guard down. However – toys can be easily broken, and I doubt the force is anything like Phase’s giant sword that broke through my [Barrier].

Uru believed the weapon to be something useful against the weak and the unsuspecting. But even so, she gave it the praise it deserved.

As White loaded in another finger-sized bullet – she held her breath, and Uru eagerly awaited her next shot.

* * *

Yellow didn’t show an ounce of mercy to those who dared to stand in her way. Because of the mayhem she caused in the back, some of the adventurers were forced to stop and face her head on.

And head on they did…

What a foolish mistake that was.

In an instant, before they could even comprehend the flash of gold that invaded their vision – their helmets were pummelled straight into their skulls. Those nearby flailed at her in a fit of terror, but even those bloodstained halberds and great swords were deflected by her mere hands.

Yellow almost pitied them.

As spontaneous as the girl was, she wasn’t a stranger to her own strength. In the Colour Plane, she was unmatched in close quarters combat.

Even more terrifying was her abnormally thick skin and animalistic intuition.

It would take another Colour to make her bleed.

Her fists were hardened like steel as she crushed the panicked adventurers with ease. Her strikes would either indent their armour and crush their innards, or her arm would penetrate straight through them.

She continued to give chase, the grass shredding like confetti behind her as she struck the horse-man riders with powerful kicks and punches.

Watching their comrades being launched across the field, the mages who rode the backs of the wagons and caravans began forming their magical circles. A concentrated hailstorm of magic filled her vision as she grit her teeth and lunged straight into a boulder.

“Ranged attacks, huh!?” She yelled and used the boulder to thrust herself forward.

The destructive force obliterated the rocky outcrop into hundreds of fragments as she zipped from boulder to boulder. She was like lightning, and the colourful magical bombardment miserably failed to keep up with her speed.

The mini craters the magic left behind made it obvious that they were at least of the [Third Tier]. Something that the adventurers were proud of.

In the continuous attack, a [Lightning Bolt] managed to strike Yellow and the boulder she was about to lung herself from.

Smoke encased the site as cheers and celebration roused from the trailing adventurers.

“We got her!”

“See, I told you [Lightning Bolt] would hit that thing!”

“Hahaha! Take that you Demi-bastard! Should’ve stayed put like the animal you are!”

The same adventurer struck one of the bound Demi-humans in the wagon before pulling out a knife.

“Finally, we can start getting rid of their ugly ears and tails, boys! Maybe they’ll look more appealing and human without them!”

A distressed mother was ruthlessly kicked aside when she tried to protect her daughter. The terrified girl was suspended by her rabbit ears as the man prepared to hack them clean off.

However –

His vision went dark as something bored through his head. Without any warning, his body lifelessly fell off the wagon before a thunderous boom echoed from above.

The bunny-girl, who was drenched in her perpetrators blood, fell and hoarsely cried through the cloth gag.

“W-w-what is that!? What just happened!?”

“The thunder again!? But the skies are clear!”

Indeed. There wasn’t a cloud in sight. As they watchfully stared around them, they noticed that the rays of the faraway sun were considerably stronger than before.

“Throw the [Barriers] up! We’ve lost too many men already because of one measly Demi-human! Our adventurer ranks depends on our haul today! We cannot afford to go back with a result any worse than –!”

“H-how is it still alive!?” One yelled in utter terror and pointed at the dispersing smoke in the distance.

Yellow’s unscathed figure caused all sorts of dreadful murmurs to leave their lips. As the smoke dispersed, Yellow appeared to them like an angel of death.

Her piercing gaze was intoxicatingly deadly.

“K-Kill her! What the fuck are you all waiting for! Start chanting already!”

“H-homage to the Gods – please protect our kingdom from these unholy abominations –!”

“That noise –!”

An ultra-low frequency reverberated from above, shaking the world around them as muffled cries came from the Demi-humans across the wagons and caravans.

“Morons! Stay focused on the chant! She’s still standing there, so the [Lightning Bolt] must’ve paralysed her! Don’t fucking waste this opportunity to put down the wolf-woman!”

The man managed to hold himself together. They had three airships on their side. No matter how strong the woman was – it would be impossible for her to even consider fighting against their kingdom’s mighty airships.

Nervously chuckling, he began a chant of his own. With his renewed confidence in their victory, it seemed their worries were all for naught.

That was until a thrashing roar erupted in the direction of their airships.

And in that moment, Yellow broke into a vibrant smile.

“Blackheaaaart~! Whiteheaaaaart~! You’re finally heeeeeeeere~!”

Looming behind the airships of Endo, was the Commander’s benevolent airship.

* * *

With the pull of a lever, the mirrors that lined the underside of the airship retracted and were replaced with black-steel panels. The rudimentary camouflage left Exrite and the others speechless as another booming sound came from the front of the airship.

Black sinisterly smiled. This would be the first time she’d get to use her latest weapon, so she couldn’t help but to be thrilled.

“I promised an inferno – so let’s give ‘em hell!”

Her voice sent a chill down Exrite’s spine as she passively watched everything unfold around her. The Demi-humans gathered at the edges, ready for their inevitable battle.

They were only a good two hundred metres away from Endo’s airships.

The wind roared and spread the scent of explosive powder across the deck. At the front of the airship, just beneath the massive ramming-blade; a metal hatch opened.

And there – two giant rockets fired with an incredible blast. The giant cylindrical objects were propelled faster than the airship, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

The payload inside was nothing but pure explosive powder. With that amount, one could only imagine the destructive force it carried.

Better yet – no one had to imagine anything. It was only a matter of seconds before they’d reach their mark.

Exrite’s heart sunk. Before she realised it, she was already running straight for the front of the airship. Her instincts kicked in all of a sudden as a surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins.

A rapid chant was uttered underneath her breath.

“Exrite!? Where are you going!?” Frosty called out to him, and was about to give chase before suddenly –

The world in front of them was engulfed with a seismic explosion.

“– [BARRIER]!”

Exrite screamed, the light-blue magical circle making it just in time as wooden debris and the ravaging flames were flung their way. A blue cone-shaped, [Physical Barrier] encased the front of the airship as they entered the chaotic inferno.

Surrounded by nothing but the glowing darkness and flames, the Demi-humans lay patiently in wait for it to clear up as Exrite grit her teeth and maintained the [Barrier] at all costs.

The mages began a choir of chants, preparing to disperse toxic haze as the airship lightly rocked. Black lowered their speed to a near grinding halt and watched the destruction unfold through a magical display.

The mounted ramming-blade sawed the blazing airship in half, destroying whatever was left of it as dangerous debris hailed above and under them.

Black was filled with delight when she heard the rackety snapping of wood. There were probably screams and cries drowned in there as well, and it was a shame that she couldn’t hear any of it.

When the constant grinding subsided – the mages initiated the next stage of the attack.

“– [Wind Storm!]” A symphony of voices exclaimed before the fireball was dispersed by a sudden gust of wind, revealing the carnage in all its glory.

The enemy airship was utterly destroyed and shredded into hundreds of giant, tumbling chunks.

“Hahaha~! You were right, White! Two payloads worth of explosive powder was too much for them~! Ahahaha! This takes me back to the Colour Plane!”

Black broke into hysterical laughter; giddy that her toy turned out better than expected.

“… what a waste of biomass. I hope you happy with this, Black.” White muttered with a weak sigh.

Every last bit of debris was caught alight as it fell onto the plains below. Anyone that was still alive most certainly died in the following crash, which irreversibly scarred the grassland.

They were now sandwiched in between the two remaining airships. Those on board them didn’t know if this was reality or the work of some illusion. They were dumbstruck – speechless, and in utter disbelief.

To obliterate an airship to such a degree was impossible.

Yet it happened before their very eyes.

Before they could even begin to regain their senses –

An array of explosions fired from the long-barrelled cannons.

Smoke rounds landed at their feet and the sides of the enemy’s airship, blinding them with a disorienting haze.

Some were even unlucky enough to have one penetrate them. The gory mess it left only further instilled an unnerving sense of disbelief.

After the firing ceased, it was time for the crossbows. The haze hid the giant bolts that embedded themselves into the hard wood.

The sheer power of the bolts managed to destroy various structures and architecture; as well as a few unfortunate souls who were dragged off the side of the ship when the attached threads were pulled taught.

Without any further delay – the next phase of the attack was set in motion.

One by one, the Demi-humans hooked themselves onto the thick, multi-layered thread and ziplined across with hyped war cries.

“GOOOOOO~!”

Through the empty sky, they brandished their weapons and wore fearless smiles. Disappearing into the haze of smoke, they began to ruthlessly slay the disoriented humans on board.

Yellow was left dumbfounded as she stood there in the middle of the plains, idly staring with a bright smile.

“Looks like they’re having fun up there. Haha~ Now, I can’t let them do all the work by themselves, can I?”

Her gaze was fixed on the escaping caravans and wagons once more. Out of the many ahead, only two of them remained stationary. The adventurers on board had given up, for all hope was lost.

The indomitable power of the Commander’s airship caused them to surrender and offer themselves.

Yellow hummed and fell onto all fours like a professional sprinter.

“I wonder what Black and White’ll do to them… not that I care anyway. Their fault for getting roped into this mess~ Hmm… yeah, it’s their fault.”

She disappeared from her place with an explosive burst like a flash of lightning. Before the Demi-humans on board could finish capturing Endo’s airships –

The Colour needed to wrap things up.

* * *

Part 3 –

“… Uru. Why didn’t you put up the [Barrier] in the first place?” White asked, throwing the bulky sniper aside.

“Excuse me? I didn’t realise that it would explode like that, and don’t blame me for your shortcomings.” Uru sharply spoke with a haughty tinge in her voice.

White couldn’t argue with that.

Indeed, it was her fault for letting Black cram the rockets with as much explosive powder as possible. For some reason, she let the weapon-crazed woman free – and look what happened.

She mentally swore to keep Black in check next time.

In a sigh, she turned to the commotion behind.

“I’ll remind Black to tone it down next time. Even I can’t block an explosion like that. Not as I am now, at least.”

Uru wondered what the woman meant by that as she kept an eye on the arguing Exrite behind.

“Then you should thank Exrite for saving your airship. If her chant was off even the slightest then she would’ve been mana depleted.” She haughtily spoke.

Exrite’s mana reserves were almost refilled, but even so, she still risked a potential mana depletion. The phenomenon was called ‘Phantom Mana’, where someone recovering from a mana-depletion-related comatose needed to wait until their capacity was completely refilled.

They would function fine, even with a sliver of mana – but one false move would instantly shut them down.

Of course – one could just harness mana from other sources.

Such as having a Succubus grant one mana…

… through a rather ‘intimate’ route.

Uru offered the service, but Exrite denied it. If it was in a life or death situation – which Uru wholeheartedly believed it was – then she would consider.

Frankly, that left Uru as annoyed as anything. It hurt her pride as a Succubus to have her seductive grace be ignored like that. But then again, Exrite wasn’t someone who had carnal desires.

Not yet at least; Uru believed.

“I’ll be sure to give her my thanks. A praise is always deserved where it’s due, so long as it’s not to an enemy.” She quietly hummed and approached Exrite with Uru slowly trailing behind.

“I know you didn’t do anything wrong – but we can’t help but worry about you! What if something happened to you again!?” Frosty yelled at Exrite.

“… yeah, but I don’t regret it at all. If I didn’t do anything, then things could’ve been much worse.”

Exrite couldn’t deny Frosty and Khaos’ concerns. Even Uru was worried about her when she casted that powerful [Barrier].

For a moment anyway.

The one-thousand-year-old Demon knew that so long as Exrite understood the contents of her chant – then all would be well. And with Cardinal’s magic training and some of her own, she had no qualms with Exrite proficiently using a mere [Barrier] in her current condition.

It was just [Time] magic that was prohibited.

“No need to argue about the pointless past. If it worked, then leave it alone. Arguing about it isn’t going to change a thing.” White brushed a pale hand by Exrite’s exposed nape. “Hm. The ticking’s still as hypnotising as ever. Makes you wonder just what’s underneath there… and what it tastes like.”

“… er… sorry?” The girl inched away with strange face.

“I’m just talking to myself, don’t mind me. Anyway – don’t push yourself here. While I’m thankful that you protected us from that explosion, this wasn’t your fight to begin with. Save that energy for the Shallows, or Black will unfortunately have to ‘educate’ you a little.”

By ‘educate’, she probably meant something like “Shoot your kneecaps off”, or “Castrate you”. Of course, these only applied for Exrite’s original body; especially the last one.

Scarily enough; these weren’t farfetched thoughts. On the day Black took Exrite into the prison cells, she did just that to some of the noncompliant prisoners.

It made her sick, and even managed to force a tingle from her right eye.

She was irked by White’s intent gaze that scrutinised her neck. It rubbed her the wrong way, since she couldn’t read White’s thoughts, and those crimson eyes only made it worse.

“– Ack –?” Exrite felt a sharp sting from her neck before White nonchalantly left them there in silence.

She rubbed the site and wondered what that was about.

“Hah… C’mon Exrite, you really need to stop running head-first into danger. You’re not immortal anymore, so please try to remember that.” Khaos sighed.

For some reason, he was laying flat on the deck like a starfish. It seemed like it was the perfect way to ensure that he wouldn’t fall from the airship.

As much as it pissed Frosty off, she left him alone.

“Exrite.”

Her palms suddenly caught the girl’s face with a soft clap.

“Y-yes?” Her voice was filled with surprise.

Frosty suddenly squashed Exrite’s cheeks together and sighed.

“You’re such a handful, you know that. An idiot, but a good idiot. Just please try to look after yourself more so we don’t have to worry about you every time!”

Contrary to her words, Frosty wore moist eyes as she scolded the docile Exrite.

Exrite death in the mountains returned to her. All she could feel was grief and an emptiness she couldn’t describe at the time. The first person in this world to properly see them eye to eye was Exrite.

She was afraid of losing her precious friend.

Exrite wasn’t so dense to not understand that. She knew how much they cared for her, but her habits were forged in vacuum of time; the hellish place she called ‘home’.

Before she could delve any further into it, her eyes softened.

“… yeah. Sorry about that…”

“So long as you get it into that thick skull of yours, then we’re happy.”

They understood that Exrite’s actions were out of necessity, but they couldn’t help it.

Their anger and worry stemmed from a simple, selfish desire.

The world around them blazed in a glorious inferno.

The undying flames of the forest.

The fighting on the airships.

And finally, Yellow’s assault on the ground forces

Exrite couldn’t help but to feel out of place.

However, that one moment of protecting the airship made her feel like a cog in the bigger picture.

It felt… satisfying.

The soft smile she wore was dangerous, especially for the Demon who almost fell prey to her charms. Once again, she refused to believe that was the case.

Her pride as a Succubus wouldn’t allow it.

Afterwards, Exrite broke free from Frosty and began wandering along the edges of the deck, admiring the weaponry that was used for the attack. Uru followed her closely with folded arms, humming a pleasant song in the midst of the battles that surrounded them.

Frosty, who wanted to join them, was pulled down by Khaos who was too scared to be alone at this height. She struck his sides before letting loose of a tired sigh.

“… not you too. Not only do I have to look out for that reckless idiot and protect her from that lustful Demon, but a giant baby as well? Khaos, I sincerely hope this airship crashes.”

“H-hey. That’s not funny, sis.” He gulped.

At a giant crossbow, Exrite investigated the taught thread. Her eyes followed it along to the adjacent airship. The smoke was beginning to clear, revealing nothing but broken architecture and deceased adventurers.

For now, only a handful of Demi-humans occupied the deck while the others searched through every hall, every corridor and every room within the body of the airship.

None could be spared.

She spotted a small wave and wryly smiled, returning on of her own. It was the one-eared bunny-girl.

“It’s coiled, and pretty thick for a thread. Huh… and you can’t even flick it around.” Exrite touched it, mused by its tensile strength. “This was from an Octanid, right? I think Black mentioned that.”

“Precisely. The Octanid’s threads are abnormally strong for something a mere insect produces. Even fire has a hard time in burning it apart. But –“ Uru sliced a small section of the thread, revealing a mushy inside.

“If you start a fire here, then expect it all to burn nicely. A good tip in case you end up being caught by an Octanid – although the chances of that happening is next to nothing so long as I’m around.”

Uru retracted her claw and smiled at Exrite.

The girl was stunned for a moment as she stared at the sting and felt it again. And then, she lightly smiled in self-ridicule.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to get wrapped by this…”

“Hmm? Something wrong?”

“No. I was just thinking that – if this is the web of an Octanid, then I can’t even begin to imagine what other powerful creatures reside in the Shallows… this really does put things into perspective.”

“Ho. So you’ll consider giving up?”

Exrite shook her head and placed a warm hand onto the taller Uru’s head.

“It doesn’t change a thing. If our goal is to beat the Maidens of Six Point, then this shouldn’t be a problem, right?” She laughed and stared out into vast expanse beyond. “I’m weak and probably a moron in your eyes, but I have my sights set on a dream. Even if it’s impossible, even if the odds are stacked against me – I’ll push through.”

A calming silence followed. Uru stared at the girl’s passionate gaze with and couldn’t help but to become entranced by her again.

Not because she was Maiden.

It was because of Exrite’s demeanour to keep moving forward, no matter what.

To challenge fate and the inevitable horrors of the future with nothing but those stern eyes –

It reminded her that Exrite was a human at heart.

A foolish, ridiculous human with a feasible dream.

Yet she envied every bit of that.

With a hand gently placed against the girl’s cheek, she squashed them for the very first time.

“I hope you can remain like that, Exrite. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll one day be able to understand what the world looks like through your eyes.”

Until the day Exrite would break through the moulds of fate – Uru would keep on believing in the inevitable future that awaited them in their perilous journey.

She did not want to believe in false hope.

Even if it was from the Maiden of Time herself.

As time moved on, the battles in these boulder-infested plains would seemingly conclude.

And now; they had to deal with the aftermath.