Volume 3 Chapter 77: The Infiltration

Sierra Arlens, overwhelmed by a searing sense of urgency that threatened to burn her resolve away, soared through the night sky toward the Floating City, Pharmament, clinging to her self-control with all her might.

Flying alongside her was Milis Albama, using her Longing Sky. Accompanying her were Fiona, with her silver wings gleaming in the moonlight, and the Spirit Wind members, propelled by the powers of Elshan Farsheed. Mounted atop the Witch Hunter, Sierra’s aerial combat form, were Noel Sialsa carrying their supplies and Alice Hellsight, who was pouring her energy into a massive, top-grade Mana Stone provided by Milis.

The group had encountered Alice just a few hours prior. As they raced toward Pharmament at top speed, a mysterious flying object appeared before them. Milis, deducing it to be related to the Floating City, slashed it apart without hesitation using her White Road. The strike had been so swift that even Elshan’s attempt to stop her had failed.

For Alice, the situation was nothing short of catastrophic. Despite the destruction of her spherical vessel, she was rescued unharmed. Instead of directing her anger at Milis, Alice had frantically yelled at Elshan, “Your precious one is in serious trouble!”

Learning of Noil Arlens’ peril, the group collectively steeled their resolve. They refocused on their goal, heading toward the Floating City. Sierra, though repelled by the idea of carrying a woman who reeked strongly of Noil’s scent to the point of nausea, suppressed her disgust. There was no time to dwell on such matters.

Finally, they arrived.

Hovering in the night sky was an enormous cloud. It blended so naturally into the atmosphere that, had they not known about the city beforehand, they might have overlooked its presence entirely.

The journey from the Kingdom of Elist to this northwest plain had taken over ten hours. Noil had been abducted at dusk, and now it was the dead of night. The first light of dawn might soon appear. Normally, the distance they traveled would have taken an average person three days, but their urgency had brought them here with remarkable speed.

“It’s not just a cloud—it’s perception disruption. On top of that, it’s slightly suppressing mana flow,” muttered Alice, opening one eye as she perched on Sierra’s back.

“Annoying,” Elshan said simply as she stopped in front of the cloud and stretched out her arms.

“Oh spirits of the wind gathered here, take as much of my mana as you like. In return, lend me your strength.”

A tremendous gale erupted across the area, and Sierra gasped. The clouds concealing Pharmament were swept away in an instant, revealing a massive white sphere floating serenely in the night sky.

“You’re as reckless as ever… damn it,” Alice muttered bitterly, closing her eyes again to concentrate her energy on the Mana Stone.

“Here you go, Master,” said Sophie as she handed a Mana Bottle to Elshan.

“Thank you, Sophie,” Elshan replied with a graceful nod, quickly drinking it before issuing instructions. “That’s the defensive barrier… Letto, it’s your turn.”

Letto, who had kept his eyes closed since leaving Elist, now opened them. Normally boisterous and talkative, he had been uncharacteristically silent throughout the journey.

When wielding magic, the key lies in converting mana into magical power and maintaining focus to shape the desired spell. Without sufficient concentration, even the most powerful mana is wasted on weak, ineffective magic.

For this reason, barring unique individuals like Milis, the longer the preparation, the more powerful the magic becomes.

Letto’s focus was now at its peak. He had converted the majority of his mana into magical power, ready to unleash it.

Still, Sierra couldn’t entirely trust Letto’s abilities. After all, she had once defeated him with ease. Even accounting for their difference in compatibility, his power hadn’t been impressive enough to pose a threat.

“Flame Bullet.”

Letto’s choice was his signature spell. But what appeared at his fingertips was far beyond its usual scope—a massive flame compressed into the form of a projectile. Its intensity rivaled that of a miniature sun.

Sierra revised her assessment. Against such overwhelming power, even the Witch Hunter’s famed resistance to magic would be meaningless.

Feeling a twinge of unease, Sierra adjusted her evaluation of Letto’s combat capabilities upward.

Letto responded to Elshan’s command, unleashing his attack upon the Floating City, Pharmament.

With untraceable speed, the miniature sun collided with the protective barrier that veiled the city.

In an instant, the darkness of the night was illuminated as though it were broad daylight. The explosion of fire spread out ferociously, its intensity so immense that even Sierra, clad in her Witch Hunter gear and positioned at a distance, could feel its searing heat.

The strike was flawless—undeniably powerful.

Surely, nothing could have withstood such an assault.

“…What?”

Sierra doubted her eyes.

As the flames subsided, the barrier came into view—still intact. True, there was some damage. Cracks marred its surface, but only slightly.

Impossible. Just how impenetrable was this defense?

“Meena,” Elshan’s calm voice broke through Sierra’s shock. Turning toward her, Sierra saw no hint of concern in Elshan’s expression.

Letto, too, remained composed. He accepted a mana bottle from Sophie, drinking it without haste, unfazed by his attack’s limited effect.

This was the difference between experience gained in the heat of countless battles and mere raw talent—a gap that couldn’t be bridged easily.

And most importantly, it was a display of trust in their comrades.

“Black Claw of Devastation,” Meena muttered.

The gauntlet on Meena’s arm began to transform. What had previously covered only her forearm expanded, enveloping her entire arm. The claws extended grotesquely, taking on a ferocious, monstrous appearance, as though they were the very embodiment of destruction itself.

The transformation wasn’t without cost. The magic gear on her other arm vanished entirely.

Meena’s Black Nail wasn’t merely for enhancing her physical capabilities. It allowed her to amplify either speed or destructive power, depending on how it was configured. The gear covering her limbs could be adjusted to prioritize one trait at the expense of the other.

Normally, Meena invested most of her enhancements into speed. Increased speed naturally translated to greater impact force, making it far more practical than sacrificing speed for raw power. She would only prioritize destruction during the moment of impact when her strikes connected.

Though her control was still imperfect, it was strong enough to shatter Noil’s Guardian defenses when necessary.

The Black Claw of Devastation was a technique that channeled all the Black Nail’s power into raw destructive force. It abandoned everything else, concentrating its energy into one arm for a single, devastating blow. The cost was immense mana consumption and the loss of her usual agility.

In truth, the technique was so unwieldy that it rarely succeeded in hitting its target. On its own, it was virtually useless.

“All set, Elle,” Meena called out, bracing herself as though her arm had grown unbearably heavy.

Elshan nodded, raising a hand toward the Floating City.

“I’ll hold nothing back. I’ll launch you with full force,” Elshan declared.

“Do it!” Meena replied.

The moment Meena crouched and raised her arm in preparation, her body shot forward at blinding speed. Naturally, this wasn’t her own power—Meena had entrusted her movements entirely to Elshan.

This synergy transformed the Black Claw of Devastation into a devastatingly effective technique.

Meena, now the embodiment of destruction, approached the Floating City. She brought the Black Claw of Devastation down on the precise point where Letto’s attack had left cracks in the barrier.

Though the strike itself was slow, Elshan’s timing aligned perfectly, allowing Meena to land her blow with unparalleled precision.

The resulting sound of impact was deafening, reverberating through the air as the ground seemed to shake. Finally, the previously unyielding barrier gave way, leaving a gaping hole.

Having completed her role, Meena returned safely, accepting another mana bottle from Sophie.

It was an impressive display. Spirit Wind had dismantled Pharmament’s formidable defenses with remarkable speed and efficiency.

“Brilliant,” Sierra admitted to herself.

While one of them seemed to be merely striking a pose, their coordination was flawless. Although she had been informed beforehand that Spirit Wind would handle the city’s defenses, she hadn’t expected them to achieve it so smoothly.

There had been no need for her to act at all.

The city’s defenses had proven far sturdier than anticipated, but the strength of Elshan’s team exceeded expectations as well.

However, Sierra’s sense of urgency remained undiminished. The expressions of her companions, too, bore the same tension.

“Well then, shall we proceed?”

Milis’s words prompted everyone to nod in agreement and move closer to the city—before scattering immediately.

Something hurtled toward their previous position with terrifying speed, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound. Barely, everyone managed to escape unscathed.

As if dividing the members of Spirit Wind and White Road into two groups, two massive white giants appeared in the gap. They were mechanical soldiers, hovering in the air by emitting something from their backs and legs.

Sierra gritted her teeth at the sight of them. She had been briefed about their existence beforehand, as well as their strength.

But seeing them in person, she realized they were far beyond what she had imagined.

These were not opponents she could handle quickly. And yet, they couldn’t afford to waste time—Noil needed them urgently.

“Fools…! How dare you damage this sacred land of the gods, this city created by Lord Lumelherc…!”

One of the mechanical soldiers bellowed in a frenzied, mechanical voice.

“Your blasphemy deserves death!!”

As it roared, yet another mechanical soldier descended from above.

Alice, her eyes still closed, let out a sharp click of her tongue.

“Tch… This one too, huh…” she muttered.

Though Sierra didn’t understand her words, she shared the sentiment. She was even more frustrated than Alice.

While the other two mechanical soldiers seemed manageable given their combined strength, the one speaking was—

“You all go on ahead. Spirit Wind will handle this,” came a firm voice, cutting through Sierra’s growing anxiety.

“I hate to admit it, but this one’s not going down easily. I—no, apart from Milis, only I can manage it. Our priority is Noil. We can’t afford to waste time here,” Elshan said with conviction.

In the next moment, a barrier of wind enveloped the mechanical soldiers and Spirit Wind.

One of the soldiers extended an arm toward the barrier, launching it forward. However, it was stopped short of reaching Sierra and the others. At the same time, Elshan’s face contorted slightly in pain.

“You insolent fools!” the soldier shrieked in a maddened tone.

There was no hesitation. Sierra surged toward the city at maximum speed. Milis and Fiona moved almost simultaneously.

“Leave it to us,” came Elshan’s voice from behind them.

She didn’t need to be told. Sierra would save Noil no matter what. Her brother—he was helpless without her.

Even so—

“Thank you, Elle,” came Noel’s soft murmur from behind her.

“…Yeah, that was helpful,” Sierra replied, even though she doubted Elshan could hear her—or would even care for such words.

“Tch… Always trying to look cool,” Alice grumbled irritably.

Hearing her complaint, Sierra pressed onward with the rest of White Road, determined to infiltrate the Floating City.

◇

“Ugh…”

A cold, hard sensation on her cheek roused Tesea from unconsciousness.