In the sky, a wyvern flew from the direction of Kamioda Shrine, soaring through the howling winds toward a distant destination.
"Hold on tight—don't get thrown off."
Rozen knelt on the wyvern's back, speaking to the two girls behind him.
There, the two girls clung tightly to each other, their faces pale.
"Y-You better not let go, okay, Yuiri?!"
Yukina trembled, her voice on the verge of tears.
"I-I won't let go! Yukina!"
Yuiri could only hold onto Yukina tightly, equally close to tears.
The difference was that Yukina was like this because of her fear of heights, while Yuiri had been startled by the sudden appearance of the wyvern.
After all, the girl had never expected that, once they decided to set out, Rozen would summon a wyvern out of nowhere, toss them onto its back, and have it carry them away.
During their earlier discussion, Yuiri and Shio had decided that Yuiri would accompany Rozen and Yukina, while Shio would remain at Kamioda Shrine to maintain contact with the Lion King Agency and watch over Nagisa and Avrora.
The reason for this choice was simple: Yuiri was closer to Yukina, while Shio and Yukina had a more distant relationship.
At most, they were acquaintances—nothing more.
At least, that was how Yukina put it.
"Even though we were in different grades, since Sayaka and I shared a room, and Sayaka and Shio were both Shamanic War Dancer candidates, we had some interactions."
According to Yukina, during their time at High God Forest, Sayaka and Shio often quarreled.
Since both were Shamanic War Dancer candidates with strong personalities, they constantly competed whenever they had the chance.
In truth, the main reason was Shio.
"Shio was an exemplary student at High God Forest, but… well, compared to Sayaka, who had monstrous talent in jujutsu, there was still a gap."
Yuiri had hesitantly mentioned this.
Even among Shamanic War Dancers, Sayaka's talent was extraordinary.
Take the Heavy Demon-Purging Bow Type Six she wielded, for example. Though not as legendary as the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven, it was still one of the Lion King Agency's top-tier Sacred Arms, capable of simulating spatial faults—granting it the ability to cut through anything and provide absolute defense—while also enabling large-scale jujutsu bombardment. Its sheer performance made it an incredibly difficult weapon to master.
Rozen had obtained all the magical knowledge passed down by the Lion King Agency, except for the secrets of the Three Saints. He was well aware of the details of the Heavy Demon-Purging Bow Type Six and knew that wielding it required not only immense jutsuryoku but also strict compatibility. Combined with its dual-form complexity, mastering it was something only Sayaka had achieved in the entire Lion King Agency.
Thus, while Sayaka might wield Koukarin as if it were nothing, even casually using it to slash at enemies, it was actually an unexpectedly delicate weapon—more difficult to handle than Sekkaro.
This alone spoke volumes about Sayaka's talent.
As a result, Shio, the model student, saw Sayaka as a rival, while Sayaka found Shio's relentless pursuit irritating. The two had been at odds since the beginning, clashing fiercely whenever they met, leaving Yukina and Yuiri—their roommates—to constantly mediate and smooth things over. Over time, Yukina and Yuiri grew closer.
In other words, Shio was actually more familiar with Sayaka, while her relationship with Yukina was more superficial. Only Yukina and Yuiri, as their roommates, had grown close through repeatedly playing peacemaker.
With this in mind, it was decided that Yuiri, who was closer to Yukina, would accompany them, while Shio remained at Kamioda Shrine.
Of course, Rozen also left Kinu behind to protect Nagisa and Avrora.
Now, the three of them were flying toward the dragon at the bottom of Shinjin Lake.
Originally, finding the dragon shouldn't have been an easy task.
No one knew exactly where it had gone—only that it was still somewhere nearby. Otherwise, the Lion King Agency and the Self-Defense Forces, who had cordoned off the area, would have detected its presence.
Thus, locating it would require a thorough search of the surrounding area.
But Rozen had simply declared:
"I know where it is. Just follow me."
Yes.
Rozen knew where the dragon was.
While still at Kamioda Shrine, he had already dispatched countless shikigami to conduct a sweeping search, ultimately pinpointing its location.
"It's hiding in a cave deep in the mountains—probably because it just woke up and doesn't dare act recklessly."
To the dragon, the world it saw upon awakening after who knows how many years of slumber was completely unfamiliar.
It needed time to observe and understand this new world before taking action.
"Let's head there now and find it before Vatler and Iblisveil Aziz do."
With this plan in mind, Rozen had unceremoniously tossed Yukina and Yuiri onto the wyvern's back.
Now, riding the wyvern at breakneck speed, the group raced toward the dragon's location.
After some time, Rozen's Wise Eye detected the creature's spiritual energy—or rather, its draconic aura.
"We're almost there. Get ready."
Rozen warned Yukina and Yuiri.
"U-Understood, Senpai!"
"I-I got it!"
Yukina and Yuiri responded in trembling voices, as if they planned to stay frightened indefinitely.
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Rozen raised an eyebrow.
He noticed that around the draconic aura he had "seen," several other spiritual energies had appeared.
Some were unfamiliar, while others he had encountered before.
"Looks like someone beat us to it."
Rozen glanced around, noting that between their current position and the destination, only a few barrier and protective spells remained.
"To save time, let's just teleport through the barriers."
Thanks to his Wise Eye's analysis and deciphering since entering Tanzawa, Rozen had already grasped the structure of the barrier's spells. With a bit of effort, spatial teleportation should allow them to bypass it.
"You two, we're moving."
Rozen placed a hand on Yukina and Yuiri's shoulders.
The two girls had no time to react.
Bzzzt—!
A spatial ripple surged, and in an instant, Rozen, Yukina, and Yuiri vanished from the wyvern's back.
As they disappeared, the wyvern dissolved into mana and faded away.
The sky returned to silence.
---
At the same time, deep in the mountains, within a dense forest, three figures materialized out of thin air.
"W-Where is this…?"
"Space Manipulation Magic...?!"
Yukina and Yuiri were stunned at first, but quickly realized what had happened—one scanning their surroundings, the other gasping in shock.
But Rozen didn't give them much time.
"Look ahead."
He lowered his voice, directing the girls' attention forward.
Only then did they realize—a fierce battle was unfolding before them.