"Sister, have you sent me to the Underworld?"
"Why does it still feel like I'm in the village?"
The little girl spoke softly, blinking her adorable eyes.
"You, how..."
The 'Butterfly' maiden was none other than Castorice, the "Overseer Saintess" of Aidonia. She looked in astonishment at the small body in her arms that should have perished and turned to ash.
The little girl was alive!?
Castorice's pupils constricted. After realizing what had happened, she quickly let go of the little girl.
Her hands were still holding the girl.
She didn't want to accidentally take her life again.
"Are you an 'Alchemist', Your Excellency?"
"No..."
Castorice looked up, her small face gazing at the terrifying giant dragon with vibrating wing membranes in the sky. Her beautiful eyes trembled slightly, and an unprecedented tremor ran through her heart.
It couldn't be alchemy.
Although she knew that only alchemists could restore bodies, she had never heard of anyone being able to bring the dead back to life.
Let alone reverse the authority of the Death Titan.
This was not a power she knew.
Titan?
Only 'Oronyx' seemed capable of time reversal.
But when Oronyx's divine authority was exercised, a prayer resembling a 'clock' would usually appear.
An illusory clock face, condensed from pure Titan power.
But the other party was fire.
'Fire' usually symbolized destruction and death. She had never seen fire that could bestow life.
Castorice's little brain was a bit frozen.
"..."
Ryuga stood quietly on the dragon's head, looking at Castorice.
He was a little stunned.
He never expected that while rushing to rescue Trissha, he would unexpectedly encounter Castorice.
In the story, when Castorice arrived at Okhema after her journey, Aglaea was already in power.
Meaning Cerydra had already disappeared.
This was mentioned in Character Story 2.
"The sun of Okhema is warm and brilliant, and the never-ending declaration of the Dawn Machine promises endless tomorrows."
"From that small hut, she cautiously began her second life."
That was the period when Cyrene wove her lies.
He didn't expect to meet her now.
"Boss, many people are approaching."
Sakura tilted her head slightly, twitching her ears, keenly catching the subtle movements from afar.
Suddenly, her eyes flashed.
"To the east, in the dense forest, many footsteps are coming. They are chaotic but very light, not like the footsteps of adult warriors."
The Ultimate Flame not only tempered Sakura's bones and muscles but also branded an immortal mark deep within her soul.
No matter how many times she fell into a death trap, she could revive, and each rebirth would make her stronger.
Like a phoenix reborn from ashes.
(What the heck, Ikki? (⊙_⊙)?)
While her strength soared, what Ryuga found most strange was that the flame additionally enhanced her hearing.
The wind rustling leaves, the chirping of insects, the crawling of ants.
Even heartbeats from a hundred paces away, Sakura could clearly distinguish.
If she wished, she could hear running sounds within ten kilometers.
"Enemies?"
March 7th's expression was solemn, her fingertips drawing the bowstring, the arrow aimed at the eastern forest.
"The footsteps are very scattered. If I'm not mistaken, they should be the 'children' Tribbie mentioned."
Sakura shook her head and analyzed.
"Tribbie, contact Trissha again."
Ryuga turned and looked back.
In Okhema, as soon as the World-Ender ascended, Tribbie caught up.
Ryuga didn't refuse, after all, the Tribbie sisters were telepathic and could communicate their locations and situations in time.
"Mm."
Tribbie responded, closing her eyes and beginning to mentally contact Trissha.
"Dear Trissha, where are you? We have arrived at the border of Aidona. Have you seen the giant dragon hovering in the sky?"
"We hear children's footsteps, they should not be far from us. Are you in the forest?"
"Hold on, we are coming."
...
"Everyone, hurry."
Deep in the dense forest, ancient trees towered, and vines coiled around thick trunks like snakes.
Trissha's small figure ran at the back of the group, panting heavily.
She bit her teeth tightly, the muscles in her calves twitching as if being cut by knives. Every step felt like her legs would break.
But she couldn't stop.
The fate of many innocent young lives rested on her shoulders.
The Century Gate only teleported them a dozen kilometers.
Most of the children in the group were only seven or eight years old. Their shoe soles were worn out, and they were exhausted, unable to run much further.
Before long, the sound of hooves and dust clouds rose, and the Lord of Aidona's pursuers approached again.
Trissha, with the children, frantically darted into the dense forest.
The tangled vines barely slowed the pursuers.
"I, I can't run anymore..."
"My legs... are so stiff, like stone."
"I don't want to run anymore, just let me die."
"Hoo~, hoo~, reinforcements, where are the reinforcements?"
The children cried, filled with despair. "Everyone, try harder... just hold on a little longer..."
Trissha squatted down, patting the back of a crying little girl, encouraging her.
Just then, Tribbie's voice echoed in her ears!
Trissha's dispirited spirit suddenly jolted, and she quickly responded mentally.
In the sky?
A giant dragon?
But they were in the dense forest, with thick branches and leaves covering the sky, so they couldn't see the dragon's shadow at all.
The next moment, a roar—
A dragon's roar echoed across the sky, like a clap of thunder, shaking the entire dense forest, and birds and beasts scattered in fright.
Trissha suddenly looked up, a spark of hope igniting in her eyes. She pointed to the west with her small finger, urging: "It's the dragon's roar! This way! Quick! Everyone, reinforcements are here!"
Upon hearing that reinforcements had arrived, the children's unfocused eyes suddenly lit up. They struggled to get up and stumbled forward.
Even with unsteady steps, even with bloodied feet.
Trissha covered the rear.
The pursuers had arrived, iron hooves crushing dry branches, archers already drawing their bows.
A terrifying dragon's might swept over, and the pursuers were immediately thrown into disarray, men and horses falling.
"Damn it!"
"What was that sound?"
The commander of the pursuers climbed up from the ground, wiping the mud and water from his face, his killing intent surging.
"Archers! Shoot them! Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"
In an instant, bowstrings twanged in unison, and a dense rain of arrows shot out.
Trissha's pupils constricted, and her heart trembled violently.
Could it be that this was the end?
No!
She suddenly turned around, her small body shielding the rear of the group, her chubby little hands raised high, a faint silver light glowing at her fingertips.
The last Century Gate was about to open.
Even if it cost her life, she would use the Century Gate to swallow the rain of arrows.
The children would be saved.
At the critical moment, a cherry-colored figure swept past like the wind, blocking her path.
The long blade unsheathed, clang! clang! clang!
The dense slashes precisely deflected the rain of arrows.
Sakura stood in front of Trissha, glancing sideways: "Now is not the time to give up."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At this moment, March 7th's icy arrow rain poured down through the dense forest.
Ice suddenly erupted, and cold air spread wildly, freezing dozens of pursuers, men and horses alike, into ice sculptures.
A giant ice wall also blocked the pursuers behind.
"Damn it!"
The commander roared, drawing his long bow. Just as he was about to draw and shoot an arrow, his vision blurred, and Sakura appeared before him like a ghost.
The blade flashed, hiss—
The bow broke, the arm broke, the man broke.
From crotch to shoulder, the commander of the pursuers was neatly split open, blood gushing like a waterfall.
The commander's eyes widened, and he fell to the ground with a thud, still spewing foamy blood from his mouth.
Suddenly, flames descended from the sky.
The World-Ender flapped its wings, spewing destructive dragon's breath from its mouth, repeatedly scouring the area.
Columns of fire swept through the dense forest.
Wherever they passed, giant trees turned to ash, rocks melted, and the pursuers wailed as they were all incinerated.
"Let's go."
Sakura sheathed her blade, turned, and tucked Trissha under her arm. Tapping her toes lightly, she darted through the forest like a dragonfly skimming water.
Tree shadows rapidly receded.
...
"Tribbie."
Happy to see Tribbie, Trissha stumbled forward a few steps, her legs gave way, and she fell heavily into the mud.
"Trissha!"
Tribbie rushed forward, kneeling in the mud with a splash, and trembling, embraced her.
Even with her face covered in mud, Trissha still had a faint smile on her lips: "The children... are saved."
After speaking, her eyes slowly closed.
"Lord... Lord Demon, Trissha, she..."
Tribbie choked, her eyes red.
"Mm."
Ryuga squatted down, reaching out to stroke Trissha's forehead.
A wisp of flame injected.
The children are saved, but what about you?
He felt extremely displeased.
Very displeased.
Lord of Aidona, is it?
Show your HP bar, damn it!
To be continued…