“It wouldn’t be good for you to fight in front of this many people either, would it?”
“Fight?”
Arc told himself to stay calm, as he asked that question. But the girl tilted her head.
For a moment, he saw hope that she had no intention to fight, but…
“You won’t put up a fight against us.”
“Wha…!?”
“T-this…”
“Ah!?”
There was suddenly incredible gravity, that sent the trio to the floor.
There were no movements that lead up to it, and they did not even see the moment the magic energy appeared.
Arc was a hero whose power was top of the class in all of mankind, and his two partners were on the same level. And yet, without any sign of preparation beforehand, they were made to crawl on the floor.
Were they simply no match?
They did not feel such a gap when they faced Cara and Seti. They even thought they could defeat them depending on the situation, and that they could catch up to them eventually and even overcome them.
But this girl…
“Question. Do you know about the lonely island in the end of the world?”
“Lonely island in the end of the world…?”
The gravity eased up a little, letting them speak. But the trio did not have the answer the girl was looking for.
The name they knew was Arcadia, and they did not know it by that nickname.
“Hm… Then I’ll change the question. Apparently you summoned Reina and Xellos, but do you know where they came from?”
“We… Don’t…”
“I see.”
“Gah…!?”
Her voice felt plain and without emotion, but the gravity pressing Arc down, and Arc alone, got stronger.
“Arc!?”
He could not speak anymore, and while the two who were relatively light tried to get him out of it somehow, the girl’s magic did not budge.
“You’re next.”
“I don’t know! We’re trying to find it too!”
“I see…”
“Ku, fuh…!?”
The gravity on Erie increased.
It was the hero party that once fought as the hope of the world, but they were being dominated by just one person. Anyone who knew how strong these three really were would be shocked to see it.
This was a real monster, whose power surpassed even a calamity class monster.
And Ceres tried her hardest to think of a way to escape her.
“Well then, former saint. Do you know something?”
“I don’t…”
“That divine beast summoning magic you have been performing. Apparently that’s what brought Reina and Xellos. Surely that means you know where they are?”
“…I don’t.”
She really did not.
The origin of the power of the divine beast summoning magic was not recorded even by the church.
All they knew was that the saint chosen by god could call a guardian when true danger drew near her.
In fact, every time she used it, different people appeared.
First it was the god incarnate Arata, then the god killing demon king Wilhelmina. And lastly, Arata’s wife and a friend.
All of them had overwhelming power compared to Arc and the others.
And then, Ceres remembered what Wilhelmina said.
‘Oh, but a bond has already been formed. If you really wish to see Arata, I’m sure you can come to us.’
“Bond…”
“Hn?”
“She said if the bond is strong, we can reach it naturally.”
Wilhelmina’s words were very important to her, since she alone seemed to understand everything.
It sounded like she was just playing with her words, but it was also something such a powerful being emphasized.
There had to be a meaning to it.
“I see…”
The girl’s voice sounded as plain as before.
Ceres braced for the gravity to become stronger, but suddenly, her body felt lighter.
“Eh?”
“Thank you for sharing that information.”
Was all the hooded girl said, before she returned to her seat as if nothing happened.
She called the waitress, who was trembling with fear, and ordered more food.
“Ah, eh…?”
Ceres got up, not understanding what was going on, and not knowing how to proceed.
Should they run away? Stay there?
Normally it should be the former, but the girl was eating again like normal.
The others seemed to be used to this kind of behavior, and were not too bothered. They were not even facing them with hostility.
Arc and Erie were baffled, but Ceres figured they were not getting anywhere like that, so she decided to speak. But the girl spoke before her.
“…Leaving by ship tomorrow.”
“Ah?”
Ceres was more surprised by what the girl said than by the foolish sound she let out.
Did she just…
“That means you’re coming with us.”
“Ah!? With you!? What kind of joke is this!?”
“It’s not a joke.”
“…!?”
The girl spoke with disinterest, despite them being close to enemies just before this.
And then she continued eating, and spoke in a matter of fact way.
“You said bond. If that’s the last piece needed to reach the lonely island at the end of the world, you have to come with us, don’t you?”
“I see… That is true.”
Zephir wiped his mouth with a napkin, and understood her intentions.
And as if taking command, he stood up, and approached the trio.
“You heard, saint and friends.”
“And you expect us to agree?”
“What a strange thing to say. Our destination is the same, so should we not go together?”
It did make sense. But getting on a ship with them meant eating and sleeping together.
“We’re saying we can’t trust you!”
Said Erie from the side.
She was right, these were not people they could trust.
Moreover, they had no chance of beating them in a direct confrontation, so how could they travel together on a ship, with no means of escape from them?
“No, let’s go.”
“Eh?”
“Arc!? What are you talking about!?”
“Hm…”
Most people were surprised by what Arc said. Except of course, the girl that was still eating.
“Listen Erie. They’re strong enough to kill us any time they want.”
“…So?”
“They could just make all pass out and forcibly take us to a ship.”
“…!?”
So if they were not doing that, it meant they could trust them.
Ceres thought it made sense, but she could not agree with it so easily.
“And we don’t have a ship to begin with.”
“We could rent one in this town…”
“Who will follow us when we don’t even know how far we’re going? Actually, our destination is a place from where we can’t come back.”
“…”
Erie was silent, not having anything to say back to Arc.
He then faced Zephir with a proud posture.
“You’re all going to the lonely island at the end of the world?”
“Yes, although we did not know how to get there, or where it was… But if what the saint says is true, we should reach it naturally.”
“I see… Then, nice to have you along.”
Arc felt it was natural to bow. It made it so they were not being forced, but the trio was instead asking them.
Zephir and the others most likely did not know the exact location of the lonely island at the end of the world either. But since members of the seven great mages who disappeared were summoned by the divine beast summoning spell, they had to be somewhere beyond this sea.
And if they needed that strong ‘bond’, having members of the seven great mages along would increase the trio’s chances, due to their ‘bond’ with the other members of the seven great mages.
“I see. Hero…”
It was not Zephir who whispered that, it was the hooded girl.
“At first I thought the saint was the key, but… Interesting.”
She had shown little interest in anything other than the food so far, but she looked at Arc with some amusement.
“Zephir. Absolutely don’t let them die.”
“Yes, understood.”
“We’re leaving tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”
The girl then left, probably satisfied with her meal.
Zephir went to the counter to pay, while the other two followed the girl.
And Ceres, Erie, and Arc…
“““Ahh…”””
They slumped on their chairs, as if their strength had left them.
Erie laid her head on the table, and spoke with a weak tone.
“Arc, are you sure about this?”
“Probably.”
“Good then.”
They survived that incredible danger. And they would have to travel with them from that point forward.
A lot was going on, but without life, there was nothing.
“I’m sure this is all Mister Arata’s guidance.”
“He’s really testing us if that’s the case.”
“Hahahaha…”
Looking back, their trials really had been too severe.
But they got over them. And they would get over this as well.
“It’s fine. We don’t know what will happen, but even if it’s a terrible journey at sea, at least it’s with this group.”
Erie said with enthusiasm that she would use the other two as shields if necessary, and Ceres laughed.
And the next day…
Not a single person in the continent saw them, as they boarded the ship provided by Zephir.
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Well, I wonder if they will all arrive, or if the two mages will go missing.