Chapter 638 - 625: Onwards again

[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: Dominion of Oz]

[Winkie Country]

"I hardly think this is the time for an attempt at murder." Echidna’s annoyed voice came from the center of the explosion.

Her voice carried through the thick smoke, the irritation in it far more pronounced than any concern for the blast itself. The ground around her had been torn apart, debris and dust still settling through the air, yet she sounded less shaken than inconvenienced.

"If I wanted to kill you, some paltry explosion is hardly what I’d go for." Mikoto’s annoyed voice followed with a scoff.

"So your magic failed?" Echidna questioned.

"My magic doesn’t fail."

"Then I’m sure this lovely explosion was the result of something else."

Paimon slowly looked up as the smoke began to thin.

At first, she could make out only vague silhouettes through the haze. Then the figures became clearer.

Mikoto and Echidna stood within a large crater, apparently at the very center of the explosion.

Neither had budged an inch and either appeared injured.

The force that had sent Paimon flying had apparently done nothing more than disturb the ground beneath the other two.

Echidna calmly brushed some dirt from her dress, inspecting the fabric with mild annoyance before giving the ground another glance. Mikoto, meanwhile, stood nearby with his arms lowered, his beautiful face drawn into a distinctly irritated expression. His white hair remained in place despite the blast, and there was no sign that the explosion had done anything more than interrupt his plans.

Paimon stared at them.

Then she stared at the crater.

("After that explosion, they’re just annoyed?") Paimon internally questioned.

She was beginning to seriously reconsider whether remaining in the company of these people was particularly wise.

It was somewhat unsettling about how casually they had taken the blast. Paimon had been thrown across the ground and left coughing, while the two people actually standing at the center of the explosion seemed more bothered by the inconvenience than the danger.

Mikoto, apparently unconcerned with Paimon’s internal crisis, looked thoughtful for a moment. His irritation gradually gave way to concentration as he retraced what had happened. His red eyes moved over the crater, then slowly lowered toward the ground beneath his feet.

"Ah." His pretty face took on a more thoughtful expression as the realization came to him. "The ley lines absorbed too much of my mana when I activated my spell."

"And that caused the explosion?" Echidna questioned, looking down at the damaged ground. "But the ley lines hardly seem damaged."

"They probably repaired themselves with the mana they took," Mikoto concluded.

His expression remained thoughtful as he considered the implication.

"It’s high quality, after all."

Echidna’s eyes shifted toward him.

Paimon, however, was the one who immediately focused on the more practical concern.

"So does that mean you can’t use magic?" Paimon questioned as she moved toward them.

She brushed some of the debris from herself as she approached, her damaged attire and torn hood making the aftermath of the explosion more apparent on her than it was on either of the others.

"I can," Mikoto replied.

He looked toward her.

"But the excessive mana from my spells would simply cause the ley lines to overfeed again. They absorb more than they should, become overloaded, and then explode before repairing themselves afterward. So I can use magic, but anything that demands too much mana would create the same problem."

"But you used other spells to search for the others." Echidna pointed out.

She sounded more curious now, though the annoyance from earlier had not entirely left her voice.

"Those spells barely take as much mana as teleportation magic does," Mikoto stated. "Besides, I wasn’t actively leaking my mana into the ley lines to activate them. The amount being consumed was comparatively insignificant. Teleportation is different. It requires a much greater expenditure all at once, and apparently the ley lines here decided they wanted to take advantage of that."

"So we travel the conventional way." Echidna sighed.

She looked across the plains, then back toward Mikoto.

"How lovely."

Mikoto’s expression remained unimpressed.

"We’ll be running," Mikoto stated.

His eyes shifted toward the direction in which Goiim had been spotted, his earlier irritation returning as he considered the time they had already lost.

"No telling how long Goiim will stay there."

Echidna stared at Mikoto for a moment after he made his decision; she seemed to be waiting for him to reconsider the ’running.’

He did not.

Mikoto had already turned his attention toward the direction in which Goiim had been spotted.

Echidna, however, remained where she was.

"Are you serious about running?" she questioned.

There was a disbelief beneath the words, her eyes moving over Mikoto from head to toe as though she were trying to determine whether he had genuinely thought through what he had just suggested.

"I am in heels."

She lifted one foot slightly, making the problem apparent without needing to explain it further. The footwear was hardly suited to crossing an open stretch of plains at speed, particularly after the ground had already been damaged by their failed teleportation. The terrain ahead was not a smooth road. It was grass, dirt, stones, small depressions, and whatever other remnants of the wilderness happened to lie between them and Goiim.

Mikoto glanced at her heels.

Then at Echidna.

His expression remained unimpressed.

"Then run in them."

The dismissive answer came without hesitation.

Echidna stared at him.

Mikoto had already turned away again.

It’s almost insulting how little sympathy he had shown her. He had not even entertained the possibility that her complaint might have been legitimate. To him, the problem was simple: they needed to move, and she had legs.

Echidna’s expression shifted.

"I’m only physically strong when reinforcing myself with mana." Her tone became more explanatory, though there was still a trace of irritation beneath it. "Normally, I can reinforce my body with mana and make running through terrain like this trivial. But I cannot do that now. Not if the ley lines are going to absorb my mana as readily as yours. If I reinforce myself and they take too much from me, I could end up feeding the same problem that caused your teleportation to explode."

Mikoto slowly turned his head toward her; he rolled his eyes.

It was a small gesture, but it conveyed his response perfectly.

Echidna noticed.

Of course she did.

The Mother of Monsters had always possessed a particular talent for finding ways to make herself someone’s problem, and Mikoto’s reaction only seemed to encourage her.

"You could always carry me."

The suggestion came smoothly.

Mikoto’s eyes narrowed slightly; he considered it.

His first thought was to shove the responsibility onto Paimon. The blonde had already demonstrated more than enough physical strength to handle difficult situations, and compared to Echidna, Paimon was considerably more earnest about helping others. More importantly, Mikoto had no desire to deal with the Mother of Monsters clinging to him while they crossed the plains.

But the thought lasted only briefly.

He looked toward Paimon, then back toward Echidna.

No.

He could already imagine how unpleasant it would be to have Paimon carrying Echidna while trying to keep pace with him. It would be distracting and, knowing Echidna, probably irritating for everyone involved.

And he certainly could not imagine it being particularly fun to watch.

So Mikoto decided against it; he did not bother saying anything as he moved.

Echidna barely had time to register the decision before Mikoto stepped toward her and easily swiped her off her feet.

His movement was quick enough that there was no awkward struggle involved. One moment Echidna was standing in front of him; the next, her feet were no longer touching the ground. Mikoto had caught her cleanly and lifted her into his arms, holding her bridal style with an ease that seemed comedic considering the difference between his petite frame and the weight he had just taken into his arms.

His heavy gauntlets settled securely around her, one supporting her back while the other rested beneath her legs.

Echidna, meanwhile, seemed considerably less bothered by the abrupt change in position.

Her eyes traveled over Mikoto’s face.

Then she smiled.

"Well, despite that attitude of yours, you do look rather dashing like this." Her voice carried an unmistakable flirtatiousness. She shifted slightly in his arms, settling herself more comfortably rather than attempting to get down. "And I certainly don’t mind if you get a little handsy."

Paimon blinked.

She had been watching the exchange with increasing confusion, her attention moving from Echidna to Mikoto and back again.

There was something about Echidna’s attitude that did not quite make sense to her.

Only moments earlier, she had been arguing with Mikoto about running. Now she was comfortably nestled in his arms, openly flirting with him as though the entire situation had been her intention from the beginning.

Paimon did not understand the sudden change.

Mikoto did not acknowledge it.

He simply ignored Echidna’s remark, his expression remaining flat as he adjusted his hold on her enough to ensure she was secure.

Then his red eyes shifted toward Paimon.

"Keep up."

That was all he said.

Paimon barely had time to react as Mikoto moved. The ground beneath his sabatons compressed under the sudden force of his acceleration, and in the next instant his body shot forward.

His petite frame simply launched into motion with an intensity that made the previous distance disappear almost immediately. Despite carrying Echidna in both arms, he accelerated with ease.

The first burst alone left Paimon momentarily rooted to the spot, her eyes widening before she ran.

She pushed off the ground hard, immediately chasing after them.

"He’s really fast."

The observation came between hurried breaths as she increased her pace. He was running at a speed that forced Paimon to push herself just to avoid losing sight of him.

The plains opened before them.

Mikoto crossed the grass with long bursts of movement, his footing adjusting instinctively whenever the terrain changed.

Echidna remained in his arms.

For all her earlier complaints, she now seemed perfectly content to let him handle the matter. Her body barely moved against his despite the speed at which they traveled, though she did throw her arms around him with a smile. Mikoto seemed annoyed but did not comment on it.

The wind pressed against them.

Echidna’s clothing shifted in the rushing air, while Mikoto’s snow-white hair moved behind him in loose strands around the bun.

Paimon continued running as she pushed harder. The distance between them threatened to widen whenever Mikoto accelerated, forcing her to increase her pace again.

The ruined settlement gradually disappeared behind them as the scattered tin homes became distant shapes.