Chapter 651 - Chapter 3: The Demon Lord's Temple ③
"Everyone, close your mouths."
Preparations complete, it's finally time to depart.
I firmly bite down on the hand towel I've stuffed into my mouth.
Harold-sama, with both palms held at face height and facing down, pushed them down to his waist with lightning speed. Instantly, the scenery before my eyes disappeared.
"Guuuuuuuu!"
Since I'm clenching my teeth, only a muffled sound comes out.
Next, when Lyudmila made a similar gesture, even more pressure than before was applied downward.
The impact is being suppressed to a range without pain by Fiona's effort, but my back is bent and my head is being pushed down and down. My waist area is creaking. I might end up with a strained back.
When I realized it, we were above the sky. The sudden ascent must have ended, as we were hovering. This is probably the skill of Eleanor-sama, who controls the main body. She must have practiced with Wilson-san.
Clouds can be seen diagonally below. Even though it's at full power, I didn't think the magic control of a Vampire quarter-blood would be this much. If Fiona hadn't been there, my height might have shrunk.
Lyudmila seems to have given it her all and is wheezing. I hurriedly cast [Hand Over] and [Refresh] on her. But was it necessary to go this far?
"Bonnie, how was it?"
Eleanor-sama called out to Bonnie, who was holding a wooden tube horizontally.
"When we were level with the mountain peaks, the number I was counting was two hundred and fourteen!"
"Close. We still can't break the record of two hundred and nine set by Wilson."
Eleanor-sama, hearing Bonnie's reply, is playing with a small leather bag that makes a clinking sound in her palm.
"Tch!"
Harold-sama looks frustrated.
"Even though we worked so hard."
Lyudmila sighs.
"It's because it was the first time for this combination today. If we polish our coordination from now on, we'll surely make it."
"Yes. I'll do my best."
"That's the spirit. With Jeanne and Fiona's cooperation, your waist will be fine too. Let's do our best next time."
What on earth are you guys doing?
The ascent speed record of the delinquents aside, it seems certain that we've come to a place higher than the mountain peaks. Perhaps even the record for the highest point reached set by Paul-san has been overwritten.
At this height, we should be able to find the target cloud-like object.
When Bonnie checked below with the wooden tube, we were drifting slightly southeast. Harold-sama is muttering that it's because of the wind, but it doesn't matter. Eleanor-sama adjusted the position of the bowl while having Bonnie check directly below.
"Is that it?"
Harold-sama found it. There is indeed a cloud in the direction he's pointing. Directly above. We still have to ascend. There are other clouds around, but they are all thin ones, and only that spot has a dense white color. There's no way anyone would notice this from below. It's already October. It's cold even though I'm wearing the autumn/winter Green Marble. The delinquent elderly's waists will probably suffer, so I cast [Warm] on everyone as we ascend.
As we approach, it's unexpectedly small. About the size of a small shrine. Such a thing, whether there are thin clouds around or not, would never be seen without [Sight].
"In other words, it can be seen if one has [Sight], right?"
I was surprised by Harold-sama's words. That's true. Five Black Stones are necessary, and one must become ultra-high-level, but if those conditions are met, it can be seen. Provided one knows the spot directly above the temple.
"Now, we are entering the cloud."
We slowly plunged into the cloud. It's small, after all. If we're not careful, we'll come out. We transformed the bowl into a deep dish and all crouched down. Fiona also stopped radiating spiritual pressure. I can feel her heart pounding. And finally, the whole thing, including the deep dish, entered the cloud. It's pure white and nothing can be seen around us.
"Jeanne, it's okay."
It was Will. Will and Bonnie are the ones with experience from that time. Using their experience, they tied everyone with a rope.
"Here I go. [Light]!"
I held both hands above my head and made them glow at full power.
But nothing happened...
If so.
"Lyudmila, [Dark]."
"What should I do?"
"Anyway, just chant it."
"Yeah. I understand."
I canceled [Light] and clung to Lyudmila. Until just now, Lyudmila had been clinging to me to support me.
"[Dark]!"
She held both palms high and made a ball of black mist in her hands.
Suddenly, it became pitch black.
"I-Is it okay like this?"
Lyudmila's voice can be heard in the darkness.
"Continue!"
At the same time I called out, the ground beneath us shook. It shook so much I thought the deep dish would flip over.
"What is it? What happened?"
"It's okay. Calm down. Don't let go of the rope."
"I'll maintain it so it doesn't flip over somehow, so make sure you don't fall out."
Eleanor-sama, while controlling it desperately, made the edges of the dish higher to prevent us from falling.
"Please look for the window!"
Until now, when I radiated the light of [Light] toward the window, we could go to the spirits' dwelling. It looks like there's nothing anywhere, but there should be. In Dune's case, it was the water surface. In Mel's case, it was in the air. In Salamander's case, it was in the flames. In Gnome's case... the opposite side is delicate, but it was in the ground. If it's the Demon Lord... it would be darkness. Surely, in the darkness... wait? Darkness in darkness? There's no way that would be visible.
"Hey, Fiona. I want you to put out the flames of spiritual pressure. At full power if possible."
"Okay. Everyone, please be careful not to fall."
"I-In this situation?"
I understand Harold-sama's point.
"The window is probably darkness. If it's the flames of a ghost, maybe the difference between the surroundings and the window of darkness can be seen."
After taking several deep breaths, Fiona put her spirit into it.
Pale blue flames rose from my head with a "bou." Perhaps because she was gradually increasing the pressure, the people right next to me were momentarily separated from me, but they hurriedly braced themselves and clung to me. Gradually, the pale blue light illuminated the surrounding darkness. Thanks to that, the faces of everyone and the edges of the bowl, which had been completely invisible, became visible. The original area is narrow. It should be clear. In fact, the pale blue flames, perhaps because they illuminated the black mist-like haze that was probably surrounding us, made a place a little further away look blurred. If we plunge into that haze, we should return to the original place.
While everyone was cheering for Fiona, who was groaning, I saw a part that was even blacker standing out in the darkness. The window is connected to the outside. In other words, only there the pale blue flames of Fiona do not reach.
"That's it! Lyudmila, can you hit that with [Dark]?"
I can't grasp the distance, but it shouldn't be that far. I know the direction. If she's ultra-high-level, she can guide it.
"I'll try my best."
I don't know exactly what she's doing, but since her hands moving diligently are illuminated pale blue, the ball of darkness must be moving toward the window.
"H-How is it?"
At the same time Lyudmila said that, the vibration stopped.
"What is that?"
The darkness where the window was was cut out, and the scenery can be seen. No, it's better to say I feel it. A black forest spreading in pitch darkness, and a black fortress in the center... it's quite large for that. The buildings are also in shapes I've never seen before.
"Is that? A royal palace somewhere... no, a palace?"
At the same time Eleanor-sama said that, the scenery approached before our eyes, and our vision blurred.