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“H… How…”

The distance from this mountain to the sea was close, yes, but not close enough for this. Besides, a high wall of rock separated the two. And even a dragon wouldn’t recklessly approach the ghost ship, risking contamination by that cursed presence.

All the desperate hopes that flitted through my mind shattered against the stark reality in front of me.

This dragon’s body had been unmistakably possessed by the ghost ship.

“Aaaaah…”

A trembling whimper escaped me as I watched the tendrils inch closer. Anyone born here knew what it meant to touch that accursed mass—a piece of all the malice in this world, condensed into a physical form. Frail human bodies would be twisted into oblivion within moments.

This wasn’t a matter of living or dying. A quick death would almost be a mercy compared to what awaited those who came into contact with it.

The ‘end’ was right in front of me, and yet, terror gripped my throat, leaving me unable to mutter even a single line of incantation.

I’d never realized this, but when human fear exceeds its limits, even the instinct to struggle for life shuts down. My frozen body rejected the idea of escape entirely.

So, this was how my life would end. I didn’t need that final chance after all; I should’ve died back then…

“—Explode!!”
“Huh… Kya!”

With an explosive shout and a wild incantation, the air in front of me ruptured, shredding through the tendrils just inches from my face.

While the dragon’s tough hide remained unscathed, the blast granted us a brief, precious moment of reprieve.

“Now’s our chance, missy! We’re running!”
“Roger that! Hang on tight, Ms. Kusuf, and keep your mouth shut or you’ll bite your tongue!”
“Wha—Hey, wait, you—Gah!”

In an instant, my collar was grabbed by the pink-haired girl who’d appeared from behind the blast. My surroundings blurred as we hurtled away. If I hadn’t reflexively wrapped my neck in protective magic power, I’d have been out cold from the pressure alone. This fool… she’s not getting away with this.

“Cough… cough—ugh! Y-You’re… you’re alive?!”
“Master trained us well in handling ridiculous crises! But seriously, what is that thing?!”
“I haven’t a clue! All I know is we’re out of our depth here!”
“I’m with you! We have to alert Aldebaran—this dragon’s been taken over by the ghost ship!”
“GRUAAAAAAAARRRGH!!!”

The dragon’s scream, like air forced through a mangled throat, tore through the air, slicing at our eardrums. All around us, the earth heaved and lunged toward the pinky who was carrying us.

This wasn’t magecraft—it was the raw force of the dragon’s will. Its scream was laced with magic power, and the very mountain responded to it.

Even as it lost all dignity as a dragon, its primal nature remained intact, resilient and terrifying. And now, the ghost ship wasn’t about to let us leave this mountain alive.

“Get ready, kid! Explode!”
“You don’t have to tell me! Pierce, swift first wind!”

Together, we unleashed spells to counter the earthen spikes lunging at us. Thankfully, each one crumbled with a quick incantation.

But this was only a stopgap. As long as we stayed on this mountain, the terrain itself was that monster’s territory. For now, we were holding steady, but at this rate, our magic power would be the first to give out. One slip, and we’d be overrun and consumed by that curse. We couldn’t let that happen.

“Pinky, you just focus on getting us out of here! The old man and I will cover our backs!”
“But… our escape routes are disappearing fast!”

The earth’s assault closed in from every direction, an onslaught that the two of us could barely hold back—and it was only getting worse. Our spells weren’t fast enough; even with shortened chants or silent casting, we couldn’t keep up this rate of fire.

“We’re getting overwhelmed here! Can’t you dive us underground again?”
“Not a chance. I don’t have enough magic power left to carry three of us…!”
“Then two should be manageable, right!!”

In a flash, Pinky skidded to a halt, then hurled us forward with all her strength. She timed it perfectly, launching us through a narrow gap in the rising earth wall that had almost encircled us completely. If I hadn’t been the one thrown, I might’ve applauded her aim.

“You—what do you think you’re—!”
“I’ll figure something out! You two go back and warn the city! Good luck!”

Her last words echoed just as the walls of rock sealed shut behind us. We had barely made it out—if she’d hesitated even a second, we’d all be trapped in there together.

But she didn’t waver, choosing to sacrifice herself without a second thought.

“Deep Ones!”

For the second time today, I completed the spell, and the old man and I plunged into the earth below. Judging by my remaining magic power, it was just barely enough to carry us to a safe distance. There was no time to waste.

“Hey, what are you doing?! Are you just gonna leave her behind!?”
“It’s too late—she’s beyond what we can save. You know that.”
“So what? We’re just supposed to abandon her…?!”
“If you go back, you’ll make her sacrifice pointless! If that’s what you want, then go ahead—die out there like a fool with her!”
“You b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲!”
“We don’t even have time for this! Make your choice… now!”

This unique magecraft wasn’t designed for ferrying others, nor for multiple uses in a single day. Every breath taken within it drained more of my mana, and the more we wasted time arguing, the lower our chances of survival became.

“Don’t act like some noble hero—you’re just as bad as me! If you’re so eager to die, do it on your own and leave me out of it!”
“Tch…!”

The old man, fists clenched in fury, looked ready to strike, but he stopped short. At least he had enough sense to hold back. If he had actually punched me, I wouldn’t have hesitated to cut him loose and leave him stranded above. After all, anyone who still valued their life would cling to it—even someone who went around begging favors from the Astraea bunch.

So Pinky’s sacrifice was something to appreciate. A moment to say, “Better her than me.”

“…Let’s go. We’ll carry out that fool’s last words.”
“…Damn it.”

From that point on, we didn’t waste any more air on words, focusing only on escaping the mountain. By some miracle, we found our wagon intact and pushed it as fast as we could, finally reaching the city three hours later.

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