Alright. Time to try riding a pet like they do in anime.
Lam Huy Trường struggled to cling to the blood-red crystal spikes protruding from the Red Serpent's body.
After quite a bit of wrestling, he finally managed to climb onto its head.
Standing there and looking down from above, he could only utter a single word.
"Wow."
To be honest, it felt like he was gripping the helm of a massive ship.
Not riding a creature.
But commanding a battleship across the open sea.
The wind howled past his ears.
Rain lashed against his face.
Suspended high in the sky, he took the full force of every raging gust.
Yet strangely enough, he didn't feel cold.
Quite the opposite.
An indescribable thrill surged through him.
"Come on, come on. Let's set sail on a grand voyage—"
He suddenly coughed.
"Ahem... I mean, let's go, little snake. Fly. Let's fly higher."
His voice sounded like he was humming an old song he used to love.
As for its name...
He had no idea what to call the creature.
So for now, "little snake" would do.
Even though there was absolutely nothing little about it.
Hearing his voice, the "little snake" slowly raised its head.
Higher.
Then higher still.
Its enormous wings spread wide through the rain.
Lam Huy Trường could clearly see every vein running through the dark crimson membranes, making them look like a gigantic pair of bat wings.
And then—
It took flight.
Its colossal body shot straight into the sky.
Lam Huy Trường had no idea how it could understand what he was saying.
Did he secretly know Parseltongue or something from that series-that-everyone-knows?
But none of that mattered.
The snake understood him.
That was enough.
A wide grin spread across his face.
Now then...
He finally had an A-Class weapon at his disposal.
---
## Shelter B
"Are you sure it's okay for both of you to come with me?"
Holding the little blue service robot in her arms, Sora looked toward the two Security Personnel members walking ahead.
As they moved, they kept watch on both sides while clearing away chunks of collapsed walls blocking the passage.
One of them, a tanned man, turned around.
A bright smile spread across his face, showing off a row of strikingly white teeth. He pointed at himself.
"Always happy to be of service, milady."
The other man was just as large.
He kicked a boulder out of the way before glancing back at Sora.
His booming voice instantly drowned out his companion's.
"As long as I'm here, you'll get there and back safely."
"What? You think you can guarantee that?"
"What? Got a problem with that?"
The larger man glared at him.
"Why didn't you just stay at your guard post? Why come along and get in my way?"
"What did you say?"
The tanned man immediately rolled up his sleeves.
"You wanna fight?"
In the blink of an eye, the two lunged at each other again.
Forehead against forehead.
Their hands locked together as if they were about to start wrestling right there in the corridor.
Sora let out a soft sigh.
The moment they noticed her expression, the tanned man immediately released his opponent.
He straightened up, dusted off his clothes, and adjusted the Security Personnel badge on his chest.
"Don't worry, Miss Sora."
He pointed at his companion.
"This guy might look a little dumb, but he's almost as reliable as I am."
He paused.
"Well... maybe a little less."
The other man immediately shot him a murderous glare.
Then he adjusted his posture as well, brushed the dust from his boots, and lifted his chin proudly.
"That's right."
A confident smile appeared on his face.
"If what you need is safety..."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"And a warm shoulder to lean on..."
"I'd be more than happy to offer one, Miss Sora."
But before he could finish—
He suddenly cried out in pain.
Clutching one foot, he hopped around on one leg.
While he had been rambling, the tanned man had quietly stomped on his foot.
"You bastard! You—"
"Bleh."
The other man stuck out his tongue.
"That's what you get for showing off too much."
And just like that, the two continued their noisy bickering as they walked down the corridor.
Sora watched their backs.
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
In her mind, two familiar figures gradually appeared.
Small.
Yet incredibly clear.
Back then...
The two of them used to be just like this, didn't they?
Kai.
Emily.
The smile on Sora's face slowly faded.
Then she quietly continued forward.
---
Lyra sharply maneuvered the Flying Carpet through the air.
Crimson lightning tore across the sky again and again.
Yet the Flying Carpet slipped past each strike by mere inches, charging straight toward the grotesque mass of flesh suspended within the giant pillar of red light.
There.
A terrifying amount of energy was continuously gathering.
"Kai, we're almost there."
Kai didn't answer.
He slowly closed his eyes.
His left hand opened.
A purple aura began to gather above his palm.
Streams of energy twisted together.
Then condensed into a pitch-black sword.
Kai opened his eyes.
His pupils had once again turned violet.
"Just a little closer," Lyra said quietly.
Her gaze remained locked on the grotesque mass ahead.
Within the violently swirling currents of energy, she thought she could see a familiar figure.
A brown-haired little girl from many years ago.
Someone she had never forgotten.
The sound coming from the mass grew louder.
~Low.
Heavy~.
Like the heartbeat of a monster slowly awakening.
The energy surrounding it continued to expand.
The crimson pillar spun faster and faster.
Like a colossal drill stirring the entire sky.
Kai looked up.
He noticed that the pillar of red light was beginning to contract at an astonishing speed.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Good."
"If you're that rushed..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"This time, I won't miss the center."
He raised his left arm.
The sword pointed straight toward the heavens.
Purple lightning began racing along the blade.
Crackle.
Crackle.
Bolts of electricity danced endlessly around the black sword.
Kai turned his body.
Lowered his stance.
And prepared the strongest finishing move he possessed.
His eyes locked onto the target.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Everything around him seemed to slow down.
The sound of the wind disappeared.
The thunder vanished.
Even time itself seemed to freeze.
In that instant—
The sword in his hand trembled slightly.
As if eager to strike.
As if craving the final blow.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
A violet slash erupted.
Brilliant~.
Perfectttt.
It tore through the sky, pulverized everything in its path, and shot directly toward the crimson pillar.
The distance between them rapidly shrank.
Just a little more.
Just a little more.
But at that exact moment—
A terrifying shockwave suddenly exploded from within the pillar of red light.
BOOM!
The air shook violently.
The shockwave surged forward and collided head-on with the violet slash.
The two forces crashed together in midair.
Neither side gave ground.
They pushed against each other with savage intensity.
The space between them twisted and distorted.
But then—
The shockwave grew stronger.
And stronger.
Beyond all limits.
The violet slash began to retreat.
Then it started to break apart.
Then it was completely erased.
The crimson eruption continued forward.
Its next targets were Kai and Lyra.
The Flying Carpet's shield immediately flared to life.
It struggled to resist.
Struggled to hold against the raging storm.
Lyra raised an arm to shield her face.
Her silver hair whipped wildly in the wind.
Behind her, Kai placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from being thrown from the Flying Carpet.
But it was useless.
The first cracks appeared across the shield.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
The fractures spread at an alarming speed.
Until—
Crack!
The entire shield shattered.
The Flying Carpet lost control.
Kai and Lyra could only widen their eyes.
Disbelief filled their faces.
The next instant, both were swept away from their positions.
Engulfed by the colossal shockwave that was tearing across the sky.