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“Hyaaaaah!”

Inglis, with a fierce cry, kicked off the ice foothold and leaped forward, her Dragon Ice Sword meeting the incoming Magic Stone Beast head-on. The blue blade effortlessly bit into the creature’s face, slicing its entire body in half with a smooth motion. The bisected corpse of the stone beast silently disappeared into the ocean depths.

“Yeah, it has great sharpness…!”

Her voice carried a note of satisfaction. While it might not rival the prowess of Ether battle techniques, this sword was a significant improvement over mere sorcery. It was an excellent creation, even by Inglis’ own high standards.

Black Mask of the Ironblood Chain Brigade, known for creating a sword of ether, was a worthy opponent for a test. Inglis looked forward to pitting her Dragon Ice Sword against such a formidable adversary.

With this in mind, Inglis swiftly and skillfully continued to cut down the onrushing Magic Stone Beasts.

“That’s the last of ‘em, Glis! Finish it!”

Rafinha’s voice broke through Inglis’ concentration. She was right; Inglis was so engrossed in the battle that she hadn’t noticed only one Magic Stone Beast remained.

“Aah…it’s over already? I feel reluctant to finish it, but I guess I must…!”

Inglis expressed her reluctance. She was thankful for their willingness to assist in her training in Dragon Sorcery. Since this was the last one, she planned to put extra effort into her final slash, aiming to dice it in a single, decisive attack. Readying her sword, she prepared for the final strike.

Whoosh!

Several beams of light, sudden and swift, came flying from behind, targeting Inglis’ back.

“…!”

Inglis, sensing the danger, executed a graceful, dance-like dodge. Unfortunately, the Magic Stone Beast in front of her wasn’t so agile. It was pierced by the beams, skewered, and shook violently before vanishing.

“Aah…! What a waste…!”

Inglis lamented the missed opportunity to handle them all by herself. The beam attack indicated a new challenger had entered the fray. She swiftly turned to assess the new threat.

The perpetrators of the beams were the mecha dragons emerging from the Highland. They launched a coordinated attack. Six of them, imposing and menacing, lined up, their gaze fixed on Inglis.

Silence ensued as Inglis and the mecha dragons stared each other down. The intent behind their beam attack was unclear—was it solely aimed at the Magic Stone Beast, or did they perceive Inglis as a threat too?

The ambiguity of the situation made it difficult for Inglis to discern their intentions. She patiently awaited the mecha dragons’ next move, pondering the possibilities.

“Glis~! Come back here!”
“Don’t get too close to them, get away…!”

Eris’ voice called out from the Star Princess, maneuvering to rescue Inglis.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, the mecha dragons roared in unison, their mouths emitting the beginnings of the light that formed the beam attack. It was the same kind of attack that had targeted the Magic Stone Beast, but this time, Inglis was their clear target.

“Good…!”

Inglis voiced her satisfaction, seeing they regarded her as an enemy. She was eager for the opportunity to continue the fight.

““IT’S NOT ‘GOOD’!””

Rafinha and Eris exclaimed simultaneously, their voices filled with concern.

“Don’t worry, Rani! I just need to not break them, right Miss Eris?!”
“Well, that’s right, but…!”

Inglis reassured them, her tone light. She hadn’t started the attack, and since they had attacked her first, there was much she wanted to explore. For Inglis, every situation, every battle, was an opportunity for growth. She then undid the Dragon Ice Sword and reactivated the Dragon Ice Armor.

“Let’s go back to Miss Vilma! Maybe she knows how to stop the mecha dragons!”

Rafinha suggested to Eris, her voice carrying a hint of hope.

“You’re right, let’s do that!”
“Don’t break them, Glis!”
“Yeah, I know that…!”

Inglis nodded, bracing herself for the mecha dragons’ impending attack.

“No, there’s no need for that!”

Someone interjected at that moment. Another flygear descended from above the Star Princess, swiftly approaching the scene.

“Disengage intercept order. Enter sortie standby status…! Calm down, Mecha Dragons…!”

It was Vilma’s commanding voice. Her black armor shimmered, the patterns glowing as if magical. Could that glow be affecting the mecha dragons?

The mecha dragons ceased their attack at Vilma’s command and retreated towards the Highlands.

“AAAHH…! Wait, don’t go back home…! At least let me taste a single attack…!”

Inglis lamented, curious about the strength of their beam attack against her Dragon Ice Armor.

“The mecha dragons are leaving…!”
“Thank goodness…!”
“Thankfully, it didn’t lead to friendly fire.”
“Indeed, and we saved ourselves a lot of trouble.”

Relief was evident in everyone’s voices, except for Inglis.

“…the mecha dragons are programmed to intercept foreign enemies. It’s okay now. Thank you for your cooperation. However, I must say, the way that little girl moves is quite peculiar…”
“Tell me about it…! You could’ve left at least one of them to attack me. What if I had bad intentions? You seem overly trusting of people from the Midland…! As a Highlander, aren’t you supposed to relish the chance to eliminate some Midlander trash…?”
“…h-, her mindset is also peculiar, isn’t it…?”

Vilma’s face showed a mix of bewilderment and concern.

“Hey, Glis! Don’t be so selfish! This makes things easier for us, so no complaining…! Besides, Special Envoy Theodore and Lady Cyrene would never act like that…!”

Rafinha scolded Inglis, tugging at her ear for emphasis.

“O-, ouch, that hurts, Rani…! I thought, since Vufailbane evaded me, maybe receiving their attack would be a good alternative…! It could be a useful experiment for them too, right? Besides, I won’t attack them…!”
“Geez! Even when you’re small, even in the Highland, you’re still the same old Glis…! I said no! Behave yourself…!”

“N-, now, now. Isn’t it good for a child to be energetic? Maybe don’t scold her too much…?”
“No, you’re just spoiling her, Miss Vilma…! Besides, Glis is only temporarily small; she’s actually the same age as me…!”
“…my goodness, you’re quite the handful. Please be quiet once we enter the Highland. Though, there might be even more commotion inside…”

Vilma cast a thoughtful gaze toward the Highlands, now an isolated island in the sea.

“Good thing we’re above the sea. If this were on land, it would’ve been a disaster…”
“…well, you have a point.”

Vilma acknowledged Inglis’ observation.

“Does this kind of thing happen often?”

Eris inquired.

“No. There have been incidents, but nothing like this… We need to find out what’s causing it.”
“…quite the troublesome place we’ve come to…”

Eris sighed, her voice heavy with the weight of their situation.

“Seeing that something unusual has happened, it might indicate an unwelcome presence. Could it be an infiltration by the Ironblood Chain Brigade or the Church’s Union…?! What’s their aim – to steal a weapon of mass destruction, or to unleash a swarm of Magic Stone Beasts…?! This is getting exciting…!”

“…Haah. What does she think we’re here for…”
“Oy, is it really okay to bring this kid into the Highland…?”
“A-, as her guardian, I’ll make sure I keep a close eye on her! It’ll be fine, maybe!”

Rafinha responded, her voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.