The residents of the city were venting their panic wildly. Children born in an era of peace were experiencing this kind of terror for the first time.
They huddled helplessly in their parents’ arms, staring in fear at the barrier that was close at hand, which looked like a shimmering film of water that might shatter at any moment.
One child could not keep up with her family’s frantic pace and tripped, her hand slipping from her parents’ grasp. Her hurried parents did not notice.
They simply grabbed the hand of a nearby stranger in their panic and continued to run forward. The child could only watch helplessly as her family disappeared into the endless, flowing crowd. Terrified, she instinctively closed her eyes.
Suddenly, a pair of warm and powerful arms scooped her up from beneath the heavy wheels of a carriage, holding her tightly. The child opened her eyes in surprise, seeing a sister with red hair.
Andrea looked into the child’s eyes.
She did not know why she, a non-human, had suddenly picked up this human child, but she read a profound sense of unease in those tear-filled eyes. As if possessed, Andrea gently patted the child’s back, comforting her in a tender tone she never imagined she could use.
“It’s all right, it’s all right.”
“I’ll take you with me.”
Andrea continued to carry the child as she followed the mass of evacuees. After handing the lost girl over to the staff from the City Hall, she finally set off for the emergency assembly point. She ran wildly toward the familiar Pivot Garden, the former ranch of the Green family and the place that connected her to Ailaira.
At this time, the members of the visiting delegation were all gathered there. The situation earlier had been critical, and Yukla’s spatial teleportation could not be fixed to an exact geographical location.
Therefore, Ailaira had designated this ranch — located east of the city and near the forest — as the meeting point.
This was also to avoid any further conflicts between non-human races and locals during such a tense situation.
When Andrea arrived at the Pivot Garden, she found George kneeling before the tallest fruit tree, her hands clasped in prayer. “Great Goddess, please be magnanimous and take back your divine powers…”
“Even though my Miss is usually a disrespectful person, she actually has a very kind heart! She just says those things. How could you actually send someone to punish her!”
“Please forgive the Miss this time. I will definitely make sure she keeps her mouth shut in the future. I’ll even… I’ll even build a church for you in the city! I’ve saved up all the wages the Miss has paid me over the years!”
Seeing that if George continued her prayer she might end up promising to become a nun, Andrea hurried to pull her up from the ground, catching the little tail of the housekeeper’s frantic concern.
“Right now, an avatar of the Goddess is fighting that woman in the city. Be careful, or your words might actually be heard.”
George brushed off Andrea’s hand, her eyes filling with tears. She sobbed indignantly, “Then what choice do I have! This is all I can do!”
It was true. George had no talent for magic, and she had no interest in fighting or killing. Her only wish was to take care of the Green family’s little world. Prayer was currently the only way she could protect her world.
Andrea remained silent and powerless, loosening her grip. George slumped back to the ground, closing her eyes to continue her prayer.
Andrea shifted her gaze to Kabellin, who was standing nearby with an equally grim expression. The Elf stood with her back to the city, not daring to look back, hoping only that she could provide some small bit of good news. “How is the situation? Is Ailaira coming?”
Kabellin nodded and then shook her head, her voice laced with uncertainty.
“I can only sense the intensity of the battle from the magical aura leaking through the barrier. Judging by the current magical suppression… Her Excellency the Witch has the upper hand.”
“But the truly troublesome part is that the divine aura belonging to the Mother Goddess of All Things is becoming more concentrated. Her Excellency the Witch is still human, after all. If the time continues to drag on, I’m afraid she will find it difficult to resist… the infection stemming from her bloodline.”
Kabellin glanced at the red-haired girl beside her, who was full of hesitation. Characteristics were appearing in those gemstone-like eyes — pupils changing due to intense emotional fluctuations. This undoubtedly revealed her true identity.
Kabellin saw it but did not speak of it, only offering a subtle warning. “If things truly reach an irreversible point, even non-human races won’t be able to resist the divine calling. Everyone will be affected and turn into mindless believers of divinity.”
“This is the difference between mortals and the Gods. When a God steps upon the earth, it is a catastrophe.”
“So, my suggestion is to hurry and retreat back to our respective races.”
Kabellin actually felt a sincere sense of regret about this. The Royal Princess had intended to come personally to discuss the alchemy potion business with Ailaira, but that plan would likely be scrapped now.
To be fair, if Ailaira’s opponent wasn’t the Mother Goddess of All Things, or if Ailaira weren’t human, her attitude would not be so pessimistic.
No matter which race it was, when facing their own God… that sense of powerlessness was beyond words.
Hearing this, Andrea’s gaze searched through the crowd, finally landing on the deeply unconscious Kuchierkan.
This was a deep sleep induced by magic, which Ailaira had used to prevent any further trouble. Andrea clenched her fists, remembering how Ailaira had shoved her into the space gate without another word, scolding her harshly for the first time.
“Your mission is to look after Kuchierkan.”
“I don’t need you here. Don’t stay and get in my way.”
‘I don’t want to be a burden to her…’
In the moment Andrea lowered her head, a deafening explosion erupted within the city, accompanied by the loud sound of a glass curtain wall shattering. The defensive line that seemed to separate heaven from hell finally failed to hold.
In an instant, the surging divine aura swept out like a golden wave. The sky was pierced by soft beams of light, bringing dawn to the earth.
A sacred hymn echoed in everyone’s mind under the illumination of the light, washing away all thoughts. The spirituality in their eyes was occupied by the phantom of the God in the sky. Tears fell uncontrollably as they opened their arms and cheered passionately.
“Oh no!”
Kabellin hurriedly pulled out an amulet, and a jade-green barrier instantly enveloped her, isolating her from the transformation of the foreign God. Other races also displayed their own divine powers to resist this aura that reached deep into their bones. Perhaps out of a sense of shared sympathy, Kabellin moved a few steps to the side, including George and Andrea within her protection.
However, there was one person who did not receive protection from their own ancestors. When the light of birth fell upon Kuchierkan, a patch of light suddenly lit up within her body, like a lighthouse attracting her.
Kuchierkan’s unconscious body slowly stood up. She took a step forward, her clothes tearing as dragon claws hit the ground. A huge, deep-blue dragon wing beat against the earth, kicking up a wild wind. Kuchierkan, now in her dragon form, flew toward the battlefield in the city.
“Why wasn’t Kuchierkan affected by the Dragon God…”
Before Kabellin could finish, she saw Andrea step out of the safe zone as well. In the next moment, an equally massive but more beautiful crimson dragon form appeared before everyone. Unlike the puppet-like Kuchierkan, Andrea’s will was firmer than ever before as she flew closely after the blue dragon into the sky.
“I am the greatest Red Dragon! if I’m this timid here, how can I ever defeat that Witch!”
“Wait for me, you bad woman!”