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“Wh-Who are you…?”
“Who the hell am I? I’m the one asking questions here. You answer first, pink-head.”

The girl spat out the words, lightly swinging a massive hammer as if it weighed nothing.

From beneath her gray hood, I could see her striking mix of gold and black hair. It was as sharp and fierce as her glare—and her canine teeth were just as intimidating. She was so unique that I was certain I would’ve remembered seeing her if she’d ever been in town before.

“Did… did you do something awful? And who is Noah? I can’t understand anything unless you explain!”
“Hah? You some kind of idiot? You think that excuse flies when you’re carrying a dragon gem?”
“Dragon gem…?”

I glanced down at the baby I was holding close. Even after escaping the dragon’s body, the baby was still dyed black. But at least it was breathing steadily. My master had explained that a dragon gem was like a dragon’s heart, and this baby had one implanted inside them.

So, was Noah the dragon? No, that dragon’s name was definitely Claxton, so…

“…You’re talking about the ghost ship!”
“So you do get it. Now die.”

In the blink of an eye, her massive hammer came crashing down toward my head.

I threw myself backward just in time. The moment I landed, the road where I’d been standing exploded into shattered rubble.

“W-W-Wha…?! That was way too close!!”
“Oh? Not bad, considering you’re such an idiot. Nice reflexes.”
“Ugh, why does everyone keep calling me an idiot or stupid?! And more importantly, this is dangerous! I could’ve died!!”
“Yeah, no kidding. I’m trying to kill you, you moron. Hand over the dragon gem. It belongs to us.”

“No way! I’m not giving this child to someone so violent! Put down your weapon, and let’s talk this out!”
“Ugh, you’re so annoying! I don’t care about the kid—I want the dragon gem! Hand it over, or I’ll smash you!”
“――Okay, that’s enough. Gotta say, I admire your guts, but don’t provoke people so much, alright, little apprentice?”
“Huh? W-Whoaaaa?!”

A voice I didn’t recognize called out from above. Before I could react, something invisible wrapped around my legs and yanked me into the air.

In no time, I was pulled all the way up to the top of the city wall. Waiting there was a young man whose arm was bent in a direction it definitely shouldn’t have been.

“Hello there. You must be Momose, right? I’m Axio, your master’s self-proclaimed friend.”
“M-Mr. Axio! Wait, your arm!?”
“Ah, yeah. It hurts like hell, but don’t worry about it. That musclehead girl did this to me.”
“Musclehead girl? You mean the one from earlier…?”
“You called!? That’s me!!” came a sudden response.

The city wall was insanely tall—it had been built specifically to keep out the ghost ship. Scaling it wasn’t something just anyone could do.

But when I turned around, there she was. The girl from before had somehow leaped all the way up here and was now swinging her hammer with all her might.

“So persistent. Sorry, little apprentice, but things might get a bit rough for you.”
“Eh? I have a really bad feeling about this—waaah!”

With something invisible still wrapped around my legs, Mr. Axio began swinging me this way and that to dodge the girl’s relentless hammer strikes.

It was like being on a high-speed amusement park ride, easily rivaling the flight magecraft I’d experienced before. If I’d had breakfast still sitting in my stomach, it would’ve come out by now.

“Hey, little apprentice, is that baby the vessel for the dragon gem?”
“Aaaghhh! Y-y-yes, yes, that’s right! But what does that even mean!?”
“Beats me. Right after providing support fire against Claxton, she appeared amidst a thunderclap and mowed down the exhausted wizards one after another.”
“Mowed them down?! Are they all okay?!”
“I’m concerned too, but this isn’t the time to check. We need to deal with the threat in front of us first,” Mr. Axio replied.
“Ugh, shut up already! Have you made peace with your god yet?!” The girl yelled.

Even while holding onto me like luggage, Mr. Axio nimbly evaded the girl’s furious attacks.

No wonder my master relied on him—he dodged every swing of that hammer, which would cause serious injury if it landed, as if it were nothing.

“Sorry to disappoint, but wizards don’t pray to gods. The only things we trust are our own training and research.”
“Oh yeah? Then try this—O Father Above, bear witness to my strength!”
“Brace yourself, little apprentice. Close your eyes.”
“What?—Gyaaaah!”

The girl slammed her hammer into the ground at her feet, and in that instant, my vision was consumed by blinding white light.

At the same time, a deafening explosion hit my ears, knocking me for a loop.

When my sight finally began to return, though my head throbbed and my ears rang unbearably, the first thing I saw was… electricity.

“So, you’re a priestess of the Thunder War God… no, this must be saint-level magic. May I ask your name?”
“Hah, I’ll tell you—for you to take it as a farewell gift for Valhalla! I’m Ragna, an inhuman being created for the sole purpose of killing you humans!”

Around the girl—Ragna—sparks of electricity crackled and danced.

Even from this distance, I could feel a prickling sensation on my skin, like a far more intense version of static electricity in midwinter. Touching her now wouldn’t just mean a mild shock—it would likely be fatal.

“L-Little Ragna! Why are you after this child… this child’s dragon gem? Please, explain your reason!”
“Don’t call me little, you clingy pink-head! …But you managed to dodge my attack once, so I’ll answer you—just this once.”
“Oh? And how many questions do I get to ask?” Mr. Axio quipped.

“I don’t owe wizards any respect, you idiot. I’ve said it over and over: my target is the dragon gem embedded in that kid. Don’t get it twisted.”
“What do you intend to do with the dragon gem?” I asked.
“Kill humans. For that, I need the power of a dragon. So hurry up and hand it over.”
“…I see. If that’s your goal, then negotiation isn’t an option. So, can you stop spectating and actually help now?” Mr. Axio called out.
“Sigh, you know I’m not your personal handyman, right?”
“—!! Where the hell—?!”

At the sudden voice from above, Ragna immediately raised her hammer. But at the same time, her body flipped 180 degrees in a way that seemed far too unnatural to be a simple slip.

Just before smashing the back of her head against the ground, Ragna caught herself with one hand and forced her body upright again. Her agility was astounding, Olympic-level at the very least.

“…Who the hell are you, pulling off creepy stunts like that?”
“I’m afraid I have no name to give to a berserker of the Thunder War God. Surrender now, and I’ll refrain from using force. What do you say?”
“Master!”

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