"That's... a member of the unique race known as Dragon Horn People, right?"
Rain confirmed while resting her hand on her chin. All I could do was nod in agreement.
—While on a routine walk home, Aira was abducted by a horned girl calling herself Laral Infedora.
The enemy’s demand is for someone who can see the future. In other words, it's Rain Margarett here in front of me.
Rain’s artifact, Moira’s Choker, has very convenient abilities. On top of that, our side also includes me.
Even though I knew I was a potential target, how naïve was I to imagine that time would just pass quietly?
"...It’s not your fault, Yuki-san."
Perhaps worried, she leaned forward a bit and spoke comforting words.
Her large breasts wrapped in my old T-shirt that I lent her jiggled softly.
Rain also feels a slight sense of responsibility. The brief peace caused her to neglect seeing the future.
"If I had been more vigilant…"
"No. Even if you had been stronger and more reliable than now, and even if I had been by your side, we wouldn’t have been able to match Laral Infedora."
"How come?"
"Dragon Horn People are far more powerful than us ordinary humans."
"――"
I think back to the combat between Aira and Laral that happened a few minutes ago.
Laral effortlessly handled Aira, known as the Goddess of Absolute Victory in the other world Ivral, and brought her to the ground almost instantly.
Speed akin to teleportation and power capable of knocking out human consciousness with a single punch.
The inherent potential within that small body was certainly frightening.
"In Ivral, 99% of the population consists of ordinary people like myself, Aira, and Livia Betagard. The remaining 1% are special races, such as Dragon Horn People like Laral Infedora, and a few other types."
Most special races have ancestors who had a deep connection with beings once called celestial beings.
In Laral's case, it's very clear that her ancestors had relationships with some of the most powerful celestial beings, dragons.
They merged with dragons, received their power, and became Dragon Horn People.
"However, a few years ago, ordinary people feared the special races and tried to suppress them."
This kind of emotional fear has existed for several decades... no perhaps even for centuries.
"...Were they afraid of beings with greater power than themselves?"
"Yes. Especially for those in charge of managing Ivral. If the special races were to rise in revolt, no matter how many humans like Aira there are, they wouldn’t be able to stop them."
It's all hypothetical. Imagined fears and delusions.
According to some accounts, it seems that the Dragon-Horned People and other Special Races never had such intentions to begin with.
However, one day, upon hearing rumors of the world government's oppressive schemes, the Dragon-Horned People, against all odds, rose up as a clan and attacked a small country directly governed by the world government.
They made the first move.
Unleashing their full power, which had been contained for a long time, they ruthlessly slaughtered innocent people and initiated a conflict with the world government.
"What happened to the normal races… or rather, the world government? They couldn’t possibly win, could they?"
"According to records, they hired a large number of skilled witches and swordsmen from around the world and gradually subdued the clan's dwelling, where the young Dragon-Horned children lived."
"……"
"Despite the turmoil and numerous sacrifices, the world government is said to have gradually wiped out the Dragon-Horned People."
The Dragon-Horned People, upon learning that the world government intended to destroy them, decided to attack a small nation first, but ultimately they were destroyed by the world government.
The history of another world from years ago, irrelevant to me, summed up in a simple statement.
Even the history of this world, and the wars, feel entirely unreal when learned only from textbooks
Since history is depicted through someone’s subjective view, I don’t want to trust any of it.
"Then why…… is she……"
Laral Infedora. Is she really a survivor of the Dragon-Horned People who were supposed to have been wiped out years ago?
Or could it be that somewhere in the other world of Ivral, the Dragon-Horned People are still quietly preserving their bloodline?
No, that’s not likely.
Laral was forcibly exiled to this defiled land by the world government.
This means she was captured by the world government at some point.
Upon discovering that there are survivors of the Dragon-Horned People, whom they thought they had destroyed, the world government would use any means necessary to make Laral reveal the current state of her clan.
"It’s tomorrow morning, right?"
Rain offered a faint smile, lacking energy.
"Let’s go. What the enemy wants is me, after all."
I clenched my teeth.
…It’s definitely going to be a disaster.
Thinking that, I shook my head.
"If we proceed like this, Rain will be the one in danger next…"
The enemy’s target isn’t Rain Margarett herself.
The target is the artifact, Moira’s Choker, which has the power to see the future.
After getting it, what will they do to Rain after she is deemed useless.
"There is a chance that Aira could be released."
"That doesn’t mean anything."
"There’s still a chance."
"Even if sacrificing Rain gives us a chance, I—!"
I shouted involuntarily as I stood up with a clatter.
My emotions were exploding. I wanted to save Aira, and of course, I wanted to save Rain as well. I wanted to protect my world.
To achieve my goals… I’m simply too weak.
I was angry at my own powerlessness and took it out on Rain in front of me.
"…I have no choice but to do this as well…"
――She was trembling. She was crying.
Rain is burdened by her own guilt. She has a desire to make amends by dedicating her life to Aira Verfane Quatronix.
Even though it was an order, she still used her own white hands to place the curse seal and assisted with the forced participation plan for the defiled land.
"It's the same for me… My hands are powerless compared to Yuki’s… I don’t have the strength to save Aira."
"…Rain…"
"If I don’t have the power to defeat the dragon-horned people… I have no choice but to… offer my own life…"
Rain looked down with her head bowed, watching as transparent drops dripped onto her hands.
Although she carries the blood of witches, Rain's blood is diluted.
Even though she has more magical power and is skilled in its manipulation compared to ordinary humans, she is far from matching those who have inherited the lineage of witches for generations.
...I think I heard this story on the weekend.
Witch families each inherit unique powerful magic. They compress and preserve the activation process of the powerful magic used by the parents into magic tomes and pass them down to their children.
The child who inherits this magic lives by it, occasionally adapting it to create new spells, which are then handed down to their own offspring.
This is how witches flourish. Therefore, Rain, who was brought up in a world government facility from infancy without knowledge of her parents, lacks the foundational training of a witch.
"…I still can't do it. I can't just hand Rain over to Laral without even putting up a fight."
I have only a small amount of power.
I know that Rain doesn’t have the strength to fight against Laral Infedora.
"Let's fight with everything we have, even if it’s all we can do."
"—Yuki…"
I move across the tatami mat and say this as I embrace the dark-haired beauty.
I don’t want to give up from the start just because victory seems impossible.
I’ll fight back. I’ll use every ounce of strength that Aira and I have to get her back.
"If it doesn’t work out, it can't be helped. In that case, I'll protect Rain with all my might."
"—…ugh… ahh… that's not fair—it's unfair, Yuki!"
I continue to embrace her plump body. Though she has a mature figure, Rain is still a girl of my age.
When Rain finally stopped crying— and I started to calm down as well.
Even though I hadn't intended it, I notice that somehow the atmosphere is becoming that kind of mood.
"――Ah…"
Rain stares up at me with her lips slightly parted.
Her huge H-cup breast pressed against my chest, I could feel a slight sweat starting to form over both of us as our bodies heated up.
Our lips were almost touching――when suddenly――
――Ding-dong…!
The sudden sound of the doorbell made us both jump, and we immediately pulled away.
It was incredibly awkward. Trying to escape the uncomfortable silence, I stood up and walked to the front door.
I wondered who it could be. It was nearly eight o'clock.
Had I ordered something online? I peered through the peephole in the door.
"――?!"
Standing there was…
"Um, Yuki?"
"…Rain, could you take a look too?"
"Sure, but… eh?"
Rain had a nearly identical reaction.
She was puzzled by who the beautiful girl standing in front of the door was.
"I’ll check it out."
"Thanks."
She put her right hand forward and deployed the familiar magic circle - the front door became transparent with a whoosh, revealing the entire body of the beautiful girl.
Her long hair was a light golden color, resembling sweet milk tea, and cream-colored. She had a ribbon tying a bundle of hair to the right side of her head, styled as a side ponytail.
What’s surprising is her outfit. She’s wearing an erotic maid uniform with a dangerously low-cut neckline and a very short skirt. Underneath the pure white frilly apron, she wore a small black one-piece dress.
Her face gives off a very calm and gentle impression. However, we mustn't let our guard down.
"Um, e-excuse me—"
While Rain is conducting the examination, I use my Eyes ability to glean some basic information.
—Yurizia Aswell
It shows just her name, I can’t yet determine her status or measurements.
After ignoring Yurizia’s call once, I receive a whisper from Rain.
"(…She doesn’t seem to give off any dangerous vibes.)"
"(What should we do?)"
"(My magical inspection isn’t perfect either—)"
"(We’re not very strong.)"
"(…Right.)"
Beyond the transparent door, the beautiful girl named Yurizia is visibly flustered.
"Maybe I should try calling out again... but if they think I'm suspicious—eek..."
She nervously glances around and clenches her fists tightly in front of her chest.
From the dangerously low-cut maid outfit, her breasts, more ample than Rain’s, seemed ready to spill out at any moment.
Larger than Rain’s, meaning B95 or larger... gulp...
"(Yuki, are you thinking about something entirely unrelated?)"
"(Not at all)"
"(That seems suspiciously like a lie...)"
While whispering, Yurizia called out once more, "E-excuse me!"
She instantly curls up in embarrassment and stays vigilant. What a shy girl.
"W-what should I do... How can I get them to open the door... They must be suspicious of me... Surely. If that’s the case..."
Yurizia took several deep breaths, placed both hands on her chest, and exhaled forcefully.
I didn’t understand what this action meant or what effect it had, so Rain explained it to me.
—That action temporarily shuts down all of one’s magical energy supply.
"(In other words, Yurizia is now...)"
"(She can't use any magic at all. It’s safe to say she’s in a state where she can’t fight.)"
I see. She's trying to get us to trust her.
"E-excuse me, but..."
However, at her next action, I ended up choking with a 'bwah!' Rain stared at me with a disapproving gaze...
Yurizia had taken off her white frilly apron and was now in a black maid's one-piece dress.
That alone was enough to squeeze her huge breasts, looking like they were going to spill out at any moment - but Yurizia wasn't done and grabbed the cloth covering her breasts—
"If I get completely naked... you'll trust me... right?"
—With a faint blush and biting her lips tightly, she was preparing to get entirely naked.
It seemed pointless to doubt it at this point. It was right after this that I opened the front door with a click...
※ ※ ※
It had been twenty minutes since I had no choice but to invite Yurizia Aswell into the room.
At first, she was extremely nervous and wary of me and Rain—(even though she tried to enter the house naked)—but she was now relaxed and enjoying a hot cup of tea.
"I believe you, Yuri."
"—Well, I have no major objections either."
After listening to the full story, Rain agreed with the decision.
Although Rain didn't look completely convinced, it seemed to be a different matter from trust in Yurizia, so I ignored it.
"…R-really?"
"Yes."
"You really believe in someone like Yuri...?"
"Yep."
"Ah...I'm so relieved."
Yuri sighed in relief with her distinctly sweet voice. For reference, 'Yuri' is a term she uses for herself and as a nickname, which she asked me to use.
Once more, I look at Yurizia Aswell in her provocative maid outfit.
Yuri was, for us, a perfectly timed savior, but at the same time, she was a victim we needed to rescue.
—She is a pure witch with a complete heritage.
Yurizia Aswell is apparently a pure witch, having inherited the witch bloodline passed down through her ancestors.
To rescue Aira, she is ideal for making up for the attack power we were lacking. She is said to possess several powerful spells.
Another important detail is that, according to her, she has no recollection of any sins. Although she has vivid memories of the other world, Ivral, she claims she does not remember committing any crimes.
It’s unclear whether it’s a mistake by the world government or some intentional force at work, but since Yuri says so, we have no choice but to believe her.
"H-Harima-san and the others... know quite a lot, huh?"
I also explained the general rules of the Battle of the Defiled Land.
"Well, it’s not just Rain but also Aira, whom I mentioned earlier, so we have gathered quite a bit of information."
"A-Amazing... Um, well then, is it okay if Yuri cooperates tomorrow...?"
"Of course, we'd be grateful to receive your help."
"Yay! Yuri, will do my best!"
Lastly, the reason Yurizia came to our room is...
Apparently, she happened to witness the whole series of events where Aira and I were attacked by Laral and Aira was taken away.
And then, she decided that if there was something she could do, she would show her willingness to help.
"That’s great, Rain."
"Yes."
"…We lacked offensive power."
"That's correct."
"…Are you upset?"
"No, not at all."
I’m not sure if it's because I keep staring at Yurizia’s chest or because the kiss has been postponed, but Rain is looking away from me.
Perhaps due to her natural disposition, Yurizia doesn’t mind at all and just smiles at us cheerfully.
"Hehe."
"Ah, ahaha."
As I returned a polite smile, Rain pinched my thigh under the table. It seems she’s jealous after all.
Regardless, we now have a strong ally—a witch, or more accurately, a team member. This has significantly raised the chances of success in tomorrow’s fight.
Just you wait, Laral Infedora. I’ll definitely get Aira back...
Chapter length 6806 characters.
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