Editing Leviathan:Volume 4 Chapter 5 (section)

===Part 5===

Asya went up to the deck after she woke up.

She was on the JMSDF's multi-purpose support vessel. It was yesterday at noon when the trio of Haruga Haruomi, Juujouji Orihime and Luna Francois Gregory had disappeared.

After that, over sixteen hours had gone by. Dawn was gradually approaching.

However, the missing trio's whereabouts were still uncertain.

"I believe they shouldn't be in life-threatening danger..." Asya murmured to herself.

The worst-case scenario did not surface in her mind because of her inborn nature of optimism&mdash;That was not the entire reason.

At least, between her and Haruomi, there was the magical link called the vassal covenant.

Perhaps in the form of "intuition," that link was telling Asya he was still alive.

That being said, she did not have any clue to find the missing trio. Currently, the ship was moored at one of the Izu Islands&mdash;on the coastal waters of Miyake-jima.

Asya had asked the JMSDF to help search for Haruomi and company who had gone missing during the daytime.

However, it did not yield any results. Asya paced back and forth on the deck, frowning. Would a second day's searching turn up any clues?

Soon, 5am would arrive.

The sky was starting to glow. The rising sun gradually peeked out from the eastern horizon.

An emerald serpentine dragon leviathan hovered into the air with a pair of wings shining with golden radiance. It was Minadzuki.

Minadzuki was concentrating, trying to see if magical presences could be detected in nearby waters.

"Hazumi-san, time to switch."

"Oh sure. But Asya-san, may I continue a while longer...?"

The one conversing with Asya was Shirasaka Hazumi, standing in a corner on the deck.

As Minadzuki's partner, the kindhearted girl gazed at the ocean uneasily. Under the morning rays, the Pacific Ocean gained a rosy color.

Hazumi was worried about the missing trio. She would not be able to sleep even if she went to lie down.

Asya nodded silently. Standing side by side with Hazumi, she looked out at the ocean.

"Hazumi-san, please return to Tokyo New Town by the end of today, because the situation has changed. I think at least one witch needs to go back. After all, emergencies could happen over at New Town."

"Y-Yes."

Hazumi nodded in response to Asya's concise notice with a serious expression.

"I'll stay here for a week first to search for them and the octopus-headed monster. No matter what the outcome, I plan on returning to New Town by the eighth day."

"J-Just a week!?"

"Yes. If no clues turn up despite such a long search, I think it'll be time to regroup a bit."

Asya shrugged and tried to explain in as business-like a tone as possible.

"So that's that. Orihime-san seems very resilient while Luna is a talented individual who is destined to live a long time, just like unwanted weeds that just won't die. Haruomi has also turned into someone who can shrug off an elephant's trampling. The situation probably won't get too complicated."

Asya was saying this partially to dispel some of the junior witch's unease.

"Compared to those three, we should worry more about the state of affairs at New Town."

"Y-Yes. Maybe... you are right."

"Besides, with a bit more searching, it's possible we might easily discover that those three had drifted to some uninhibited island."

"L-Like Robinson Crusoe."

"All three of them can use magic and Haruomi is very used to surviving in situations like that. I'd say they've got better odds of survival than the partnership of that guy and Friday."

At that moment, Minadzuki called out "rahhhhhhhhhhh&mdash;" as though singing in the air.

Hazumi instantly widened her eyes and looked up at her partner.

"Are you sure, Minadzuki!?"

"What happened?"

"Minadzuki seems to have detected a magical presence! And it's Senpai's&mdash;The Rune of the Bow!"

"&mdash;! Does Minadzuki have any way of sensing their approximate location!?"

"U-Uh, it seems like the Rune of the Bow is being used some distance away, but the precise position is unclear... But the direction is fine. Minadzuki says it's that way."

Asya looked at the direction indicated by Hazumi and nodded.

It happened to be dawn. The morning sun was rising in the east. Hazumi's index finger was pointed to the south.


Hal and company were currently in a showdown against a martial artist(!) dragon.

The battle had gone one-sided. Glinda kept firing shots at point-blank range but the enemy dodged them one after another. The Gray Aristocrat's punches and kicks were striking the lion leviathan's body accurately&mdash;

This battle had already persisted for more than five minutes.

Wrapped around the gray dragon's hands, the dragon slaying chains were like gauntlets while the chains on his legs served as greaves.

The Gray Aristocrat would unravel the chains around himself from time to time, swinging them as whips.

Every time the Gray Aristocrat landed a blow on Glinda, the imperishable protection would defend her with a pearly glow, preventing the power of dragonbane from harming the three-headed lion.

However, Hal's heart, i.e. his heartmetal, was accumulating damage.

The pain attacking his heart never stopped, greatly disrupting his heartbeat. Were he to look at a mirror, Hal would probably see the reflection of his pallid face. He was also panting out of breath.

In contrast, the Gray Aristocrat remained calm and confident, using his martial arts effortlessly.

He had only used imperishable protection back when protecting the Dragon Palace Court's heartmetal.

"At this rate, Haruga-kun won't last much longer!"

"He's doing quite a number on us, even though I didn't lower my guard just because he looks so drab..."

Hal whispered to Orihime who was watching with bated breath.

Compared to the two ladies, Princess Yukikaze and Hinokagutsuchi, the former dragon king, the Gray Aristocrat, definitely was not the memorable type in first impressions. Rather, he seemed quite drab.

Judging from the fact that his special skill was ''martial arts'', perhaps one could still call him drab.

"Well, if he were cast in a battle manga as one of the enemy bosses like the four heavenly kings, I think he'd be the middle-aged martial artist as the only unassuming and unpopular character."

In contrast to her frivolous tone of voice, Luna Francois was staring at the Gray Aristocrat with eyes like burning torches.

However, this difficult battle was within calculations too. When fighting against an opponent who used to be as strong as Princess Yukikaze, it was only natural to be pressed into desperation&mdash;

The plan to reverse the unfavorable situation had already been put into motion.

Hal, Orihime and Luna exchanged looks with one another, biding their time for ''that instant''.

Then the Gray Aristocrat finally announced.

"O chain of dragonbane, accomplish my dragonslaying quest through a technique of assured annihilation!"

To deliver a finishing blow against the losing Glinda, he released his magical power completely.

The Gray Aristocrat opened his gray dragon jaws wide to release almost thirty chains as though breathing fire.

These chains entangled the imperishable protection defending Glinda.

Sixteen runes of Ruruk Soun also appeared over the Gray Aristocrat's head, signifying "O jailer of heavenly imprisonment and chain of the executioner, accomplish your second mission."

The almost thirty metal chains tightened around Glinda and the imperishable protection together. Hal noticed instinctively.

This was a barbaric move to bind a target's entire body with chains, thereby twisting off the head and limbs.

"Gah&mdash;!"

Hal felt a sharp pain in his heart. The dull pain so far was nothing compared to it. As though dozens of thread-like blades were wrapped around the heart, constricting it tightly, trying to chop it into pieces&mdash;

He spat out blood, but this was precisely the moment that Hal and his friends were waiting for.

"I'm counting on you two...!"

"Yes! Hold out a while longer, Haruga-kun, I will ease your burden straight away!"

"Glinda, stop using pseudo-divinity! Apply all magical power to strengthen the protection!"

Orihime promised in a firm tone of voice while Luna Francois swiftly issued orders.

The pearl radiance enveloping Glinda&mdash;imperishable protection&mdash;brightened somewhat. The intense pain attacking Hal's heart also eased a little.

Next, as for the Gray Aristocrat who was binding Glinda with the metal chains&mdash;

A nine-tailed wolf-fox suddenly appeared behind his back! Using Glinda's pseudo-divinity of Illusion to make her invisible until now, she had been waiting at the back on standby.

An invisibility spell capable of deceiving even Princess Yukikaze for a moment, they had used the same tactic again.

This was to target the instant when the Gray Aristocrat's defenses were the least secure&mdash;when he was using a technique of assured annihilation.

"Draw your ''blade'', Akuro-Ou!" Orihime instantly yelled out.

Akuro-Ou was a nine-tailed fox-wolf. The tip of her rightmost tail was equipped with the Katana&mdash;''a dragonslaying blade''&mdash;that had suddenly manifested.

The slightly curving blade was dignified and beautiful, closely resembling a Japanese sword.

Equipped with the Katana, Akuro-Ou's tail extended like a rubber band, swinging the new weapon like a swordsman's arm to slash the Gray Aristocrat from behind!

"You came after all, white imitation!"

However, the Gray Aristocrat used his tail to catch the blade strike coming from behind.

The elite dragon's long tail writhed like a tentacle with the dragonslaying chain wrapped around it at some point in time. Perhaps the Gray Aristocrat had foreseen that Akuro-Ou would attack.

The chained tail entangled Akuro-Ou's Katana to stop her from attacking again.

However, Orihime gave orders at this moment.

"Akuro-Ou, the second katana! Use it together with fire magic and chop down hard!"

The Gray Aristocrat went "What!?" in surprise.

This was because another Katana had sprouted from the leftmost of Akuro-Ou's nine tails.

The new katana's mildly curving blade was enveloped in crimson flames. Akuro-Ou's tail swung this blazing katana down fiercely, this time severing the wings on the Gray Aristocrat's back without fail!

Dual wielding&mdash;Orihime and Akuro-Ou were using two katana at the same time, forcing the former dragon king into desperation.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

The Gray Aristocrat finally roared in pain and anger.

Seizing this opportunity, Luna Francois issued orders as well.

"Glinda! Double Cast pseudo-divinity&mdash;'sun-shooting divine bow'!"

Ruohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The lion leviathan possessed the heads of both a black goat and a dragon at the same time.

Mostly on the defensive earlier, Glinda roared courageously in Queen Form, her entire body suddenly covered in blazing flames. The flaming lion turned her own body into an arrow for the burning divine and pounced at the Gray Aristocrat.

"O guardian stars, grant me protection swiftly!" 

The metal chain moved rapidly in front of the Gray Aristocrat in an attempt to trace out a pentagram.

However, the sun-shooting arrow struck the Gray Aristocrat before the pentagram could be finished, thanks to Luna decided to use her strongest attack without a moment's hesitation.

Akuro-Ou also jumped to avoid getting caught in the divine bow's blast.

Thus, the blazing Glinda knocked the enemy's gray body flying straight ahead&mdash;

In the next instant, the gray dragon's gigantic body exploded. Thus, the dragon body was blown apart. Left and right forelimbs, the neck and tail all became enveloped in fire, burned completely within the blink of an eye, turned into dust.

Compared to his combat ability, the Gray Aristocrat's defense was clearly weak.

Soon after, the flames extinguished and the surroundings returned to silence.

"The result was like fighting a temporarily revived zombie..."

"Mobility and attack power the same as when he was alive, but single-digit hitpoints at most... That's how it feels..." said Luna Francois in response to Hal's mutterings.

Finally liberated from the pain in his heart, Hal breathed a sigh of relief.

In contrast, Luna's face was pale and she was standing unsteadily, looking like she would fall over any time. This was the price for ordering her "serpent" to Double Cast pseudo-divinity.

Having depleted her entire body's energy, the blonde Shootdown Ace was stuck with symptoms resembling low blood sugar.

Due to her partner's exhaustion, Glinda in Queen Form also began to disappear.

Taking the lion-like partner's place to support Luna Francois, Orihime swiftly rushed over to catch her.

"Are you alright, Luna-san? Let me treat you to some sweets later when we get back. How about the caramel frappucino strawberry daifuku that they recently started selling at the convenience store in front of the school?"

"Thank you, Orihime-san... But food of such an adventurous nature would be a bit too..."

"Fufu. Haruga-kun said something similar before."

"After all, normal people can't be like Asya..."

The relief of surviving a desperate predicament and the joy of victory seemed to have lightened the two girls' tone.

Hal also nodded vigorously while approaching them.

The dragonslaying bow, which had delivered the mortal blow, and the twin katana that had been instrumental to triggering the reversal. The emblems symbolizing these two types of weapons were now visible on Hal's right hand. First there was the Rune of the Bow on his palm and the cross-shaped Rune of the Twin Katana near his wrist&mdash;

A new dragonslaying power obtained thanks to chance and the goddess of fortune.

Dual wielding had many traits difficult to control. Quite difficult to master. Hinokagutsuchi had said so before, but for now, at least they used it effectively...

Hal called out the magic gun.

Its form had changed. Previously a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in appearance, the gun's body was now fitted with a fifteen-centimeter-long bayonet under it.

This was a temporary form for controlling the runes of the Bow and the Twin Katana simultaneously.

However, the enemy that the magic gun ought to be pointing at had already&mdash;At that moment, Hal gasped. Ten-odd meters ahead, the gray dragon's head still remained and unscathed to boot.

Opening his jaws wide, he spewed out three long and thick chains.

Kuohhhhhhhhhh!

Two of the chains first wrapped around Akuro-Ou once, immobilizing her.

"Deploy protection!" Hal instantly ordered the magic gun.

The pearly light enveloped him and included Orihime and Luna as well.

The imperishable protection knocked away the third chain in the nick of time, but like a living serpent without a moment's pause in its movements, it wrapped itself tightly around the shield of the indestructible barrier.

The gigantic chain, big enough to ensnare even dragons, wrapped around layer after layer before finally stopping. However, Hal saw the Ruruk Soun script manifested before them.

The meaning was "O jailer of heavenly imprisonment and chain of the executioner, accomplish your first mission."

If he were to release the imperishable protection, the three of them would be crushed by the chains in the end.

"If that's the case!"

Hal pointed the bayoneted magic gun at the gigantic chain in front of him.

Then he used fully automatic fire. A technique of assured annihilation. The bullets depleted earlier had been replenished. All thirty bullets in the magazine were fired as dragonslaying shots.

However, this merely left behind scratches on the chains of punishment.

"The gray dragon is still alive!?"

"I cannot believe that he still hasn't gone to hell yet. Truly living up to the name of a ghost that has evaded death..."

"&mdash;Nay. My path of conquest has been foiled and I shall be set along the path to the underworld again. O Tyrannos of the Bow, it is a shame but you lot have won."

This was his reply to Orihime's surprise and Luna's sharp tongue.

The voice of the Gray Aristocrat came from the dragon head.

"As a gesture of respect for your prowess, I leave behind two parting gifts. The first is my final mystic technique&mdash;the dragonslaying chain that had captured a thousand dragons in the past."

The Gray Aristocrat's whispering was very quiet.

Perhaps he was already satisfied that he was able to go on a rampage as a ghost even after death. However, in addition to final words, he was also issuing them a challenge.

"The other is a grave to bury you lot. You shall die together with me in this castle."

"...Huh?"

Hal was speechless. He soon noticed.

The cardiac chamber surrounding them&mdash;the walls, ceiling and floor inside the Dragon Palace Court's body had turned white at some point and even turned to stone. The Dragon Palace Court had died too.

Because its heartmetal had been smashed together with the Gray Aristocrat's body&mdash;On further thought, this was only logical.

However, there were five large runes of Ruruk Soun carved on the ceiling that had turned into stone.

"...Symbols for Heat and Explosion? Don't tell me he's gonna blow us up together with the Dragon Palace Court!? He's using this kind of technique of assured annihilation to trap us, preventing us from escaping!"

"Yes. Tyrannos of the Bow, your wits are not bad."

"Getting this type of answer correct isn't going to make me happy!"

The cardiac chamber's floor suddenly began to shake like an earthquake.

Every now and then, there were noises like impacts were colliding upwards from below. Apart from that, low explosion sounds kept coming from afar...

The Dragon Palace Court's explosion and collapse was happening at a frightening rate, no mistake about that.

"This castle will not last much longer. If you have no wish to die together with me, try your hardest to slice through my chain. Farewell."

These were the true last words of the ghost, the Gray Aristocrat.

All of the magic that had resided in the gray dragon's head so far vanished. The former gray dragon king finally welcomed death a second time.

However, the three chains coming out of the gray dragon head were still intact.

The chains continued to bind the light of protection guarding Hal and the two girls as well as Akuro-Ou. Imprisonment from the technique of assured annihilation had not eased up at all!

"Glinda cannot fight anymore while Harry's trump card didn't work..."

Forcing her exhausted body and mind to move, Luna Francois murmured to herself. She leaned her unsteady body against Hal and said in a feeble voice, "In other words... Akuro-Ou is the only one we can rely on..."

"In a way, I think there's still a trump card that can be used in this situation..."

"In that case, there is no time to deliberate!"

Listening to Hal and Luna's murmurs, Orihime declared firmly.

Despite her inexperience, Orihime was a courageous and decisive girl. She turned the cross-shaped emblem manifesting on the back of her left hand&mdash;the Rune of the Twin Katana&mdash;towards her partner.

The white fox-wolf was also bound by two chains.

She had contorted her body many times, trying to struggle out of the chains but to no avail.

"Akuro-Ou! Prepare to use the katana rune for a finishing move!"

The covenant's bond had probably informed Orihime how to use the rune.

To help his classmate, who was issuing orders decisively, Hal also entrusted the greatest power to her.

"Use the queen's power as well, go all-out!"

Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Akuro-Ou roared loudly in response. The ruby armor suddenly appeared, equipped on the white fox-wolf's back and flanks. The armor on her back even had metallic arms with ruby coloring.

Two ''arms'', resembling robotic arms for industrial applications. A right arm and a left arm.

The two arms on Akuro-Ou's back each wielded a dragonslaying katana. The two blades were spread to the left and right like a pair of wings. This was Akuro-Ou's dual wielding.

However, the dragonslaying chains were still restraining the fox-wolf and the twin katana&mdash;

"First sever the chains then attack that dragon head!"

In spite of the situation, Orihime still commanded. Akuro-Ou growled ferociously.

Orihime immediately motioned to Hal with her eyes, blushing as though trying to convey something difficult to bring up. Orihime's intent was very clear.

What was needed next was a technique of assured annihilation rivaling the sun-shooting divine bow.

Orihime on her own was unable to produce the necessary magical power for a technique of assured annihilation. Hal instantly nodded. Orihime glanced at Luna and hesitated for an instant, but even so, she still committed her determination and hugged Hal&mdash;

"Counting on you, Juujouji!"

"Yes, leave it to me!"

Jumping into Hal's embrace from the front, Orihime pressed her voluptuous bust against him.

Naturally, it was pressed against Hal's chest&mdash;the heart. The Crimson Queen's heartmetal! Instantly, his heart released magical power in extraordinary quantity, delivering it into Orihime's heart.

"Nn&mdash;nnnnnn!"

Painful panting and what sounded like a sweet voice escaped from Orihime's lips.

In this manner, Hal's magical power was transmitted to Akuro-Ou through Orihime's heart. The white fox-wolf's savage countenance suddenly calmed down while her entire body was enveloped in golden radiance.

The two chains binding Akuro-Ou gradually disintegrated under the light. This was an exorcism technique, an evil-dispelling light of righteousness for blessing sacred beasts.

Nineteen runes of Ruruk Soun were shining over Akuro-Ou's head, signifying "I summon the twin blades of exorcism, to deliver seraphic punishment to nefarious evil dragons."

Using this arrangement of runes, Akuro-Ou regained her freedom then&mdash;

"W-Why aren't you moving, Akuro-Ou!?"

Hugging Hal, Orihime was very distraught.

All she had to do was pounce and sever the chain surrounding Hal and the two girls, but Akuro-Ou only stared calmly at the Gray Aristocrat's remaining head without budging the slightest.

"...This won't work, Orihime-san. Akuro-Ou has currently become too similar to a deity."

Luna Francois walked over to Orihime's side and whispered suddenly.

Her physical energy should have been depleted to the point that she could not stand on her own. The blonde beauty leaned herself against Hal and hugged him like the Japanese girl, pressing their bodies tightly together.

"You have to draw out more of her murderous intent. The technique of assured annihilation needed next is the atrocious act of wielding a sacred and blessed divine blade for slaughter&mdash;Contradictory magic of this sort."

The Rune of the Twin Katana also surfaced on the back of Luna's left hand.

It was presumably the rune combined with her knowledge as a master-class witch that allowed her to comprehend the key to dual wielding. Like a priestess who had received a divine oracle, the blonde American girl spoke solemnly.

"Holy and evil, right and wrong, yin and yang, demonic and divine... Entrust opposing elements to the twin blades so as to produce an attack embodying the rivalry of complementary opposites. Since this magic requires such complexity in execution, perhaps it might be too challenging for a downright honest person like Orihime-san..."

"U-U-U-Umm, umm, Luna-san. I think your lesson was very informative!"

Orihime hugged Hal tighter, pressing her ostensibly F-cup bust against him.

Always lively and cheerful, she was casting a gaze of confusion and reproach at Luna Francois who was up close. Her tone sounded quite displeased too.

"B-But why are you doing something like this to Haruga-kun!?"

Next to Orihime, Luna Francois was leaning against Hal with her bust that was even bigger than the glamorous Japanese girl's. Due to putting all her weight on Hal, the ostensibly G-cup bust was also pressed on Hal's chest...

Seeing her like that, Orihime was shocked. Luna simply said, "Simply stated, my reason is the same as yours, Orihime-san. Hey Harry, link up your heart and the rune with my heart and synchronize with my magical nature, then transmit it to Orihime-san and Akuro-Ou..."

"I get it now. That might very well work."

"Haruga-kun too, don't make weird expressions in this kind of situation!"

Two bosoms with astounding volume and elasticity were pressed against Hal&mdash;

Tightly pressed against him. Tightly pressed against him. Tightly pressed against him. Tightly pressed against him. Moved almost to tears, Hal found it difficult to calm down instead. Were he to allow his emotions to explode, he might very well faint from excessive joy.

Hence, he turned his mind into an immovable rock. It was time to be a sage who could think calmly no matter what the situation.

Perhaps this could be considered an expression of survival instinct. Meanwhile, Orihime asked in shock, "Besides, this method was supposed to be the secret belonging to us only! Why does Luna-san know about it!?"

"Sorry, many things happened when Harry and I established our covenant. However, it was thanks to Harry and I putting this method into action that I was able to reduce energy consumption. So please forgive me, okay?"
[[image:Leviathan 04 245.jpg|thumb]]

"H-Haruga-kun! Last time, you said you would exercise greater prudence with other girls&mdash;Ah...!"

"Mmm... Accept my feelings, Harry..."

"Enough! You keep glossing over the issue using this kind of method&mdash;Mmmmmm!"

Luna whispered with an expression of ecstasy while Orihime glared at Hal while blushing intensely.

The two girls were tightly pressed on Hal, squeezing themselves against him as though competing to see whose body felt more wonderful. What a surprising stroke of fortune. Who knew if something like this would happen even once in a lifetime?

In addition, Hal sensed it as the mediator between the two girls.

The heart of the brilliant strategist&mdash;Luna Francois&mdash;and Orihime's heart that was ablaze with anger and fighting spirit were swiftly synchronizing by using Haruga Haruomi as the medium&mdash;

Murderous intent and savagery returned to Akuro-Ou's face and she roared loudly.

Thus, she instantly attacked the Gray Aristocrat's head. The white fox-wolf's entire body was enveloped in golden light. Her countenance and movements were brimming with feral sharpness.

Then the twin katana on her back glowed golden as well&mdash;

Akuro-Ou used the right katana for a horizontal slash, then chopped vertically down with the left katana. The twin katana traced out a mark on the gray dragon's head in the form of a cross-shaped scar.

Thus, the Gray Aristocrat's legacy was destroyed.

The dragonslaying chain trapping Hal and the girls gradually crumbled into dust&mdash;


The Dragon Palace Court was a super creature reaching a kilometer in body length.

However, with its heartmetal already destroyed, it was reaching the end of its life.

Until earlier, despite its slow movements, the Dragon Palace Court was still swimming leisurely in the vast ocean. Now, its gigantic body had turned into a unmoving corpse. Rendered completely white in color, it had turned to stone.

The entity formerly the Dragon Palace Court slowly sank deep into the ocean.

However, one beast escaped from inside its body.

It was Akuro-Ou. The white nine-tailed fox-wolf. Akuro-Ou had deactivated Queen Form and returned to her normal appearance.

She escaped from the gradually sinking Dragon Palace Court to float up to the sea surface. The fox-wolf's snout was pushing a small pearly sphere, roughly two meters in diameter.

Akuro-Ou carefully pushed the sphere up with her snout as though handling treasure.

A minute or two later...

The gradually sinking Dragon Palace Court suddenly exploded, blown up into smithereens.

Akuro-Ou had escaped in the nick of time, pushing the pearly sphere to swim towards the sea surface.

However, when the sea surface was still some distance away, Akuro-Ou suddenly vanished. This was because her partner's energy had been depleted too fiercely, making it impossible to keep her materialized.

Now that the giant beast pushing it upwards until now had vanished, the pearly sphere began to sink.

However, something caught it.

It was the serpentine dragon leviathan, Minadzuki. She reached out with her forelimb to grab the sphere.

The wyvern leviathan, Rushalka, also appeared in the water, staring at the pearly sphere uneasily. Of course, the sphere was imperishable protection.

Even when sunk into the sea, it remained an indestructible sanctuary to protect the people inside.

This protection became Hal, Orihime and Luna Francois' lifeline. Using her forelimb to support the imperishable protection, Minadzuki began to swim to the sea surface&mdash;

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