The Witch and the Doll Swear

The girl is moving at high speed.

The location is the top of the wall of the temple. The wind blew the golden hair, and the long and square stone bricks built a straight path for them in the air a few meters above the ground.

Looking out from here, you can see the vast lake surface reflecting the lofty sky, some architectural relics are soaked in the water, and the sand dunes on the shore of the lake are continuous, undulating gently like waves in the eternal dawn.

However, Ting Na was not in the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery at all. She nervously looked at the spacious square in the sacrificial hall, the tall stone pillars, and the wolf-headed soldiers who had flooded most of the square and poured in like a tide. In the peripheral vision of the field of vision, it retreats rapidly, and it is tall and strong, which makes people wonder how the tower wall built by the Sinai people in ancient times is already close at hand.

While it might be strange to say that, she wasn't running.

Not only were her legs not moving at all, even the speed and direction of movement had nothing to do with her will.

The girl who had no control over the "Shadow Walking Technique" under her feet could only shout loudly in the ear of the girl in her arms.

"Ai, Ai! It's about to hit, it's about to hit!!"

"I know I know!"

Ai also yelled with the same voice, although there is no option between them to communicate by yelling, but in the tension, neither Tinna nor Ai forgot about this, and Tinna used the pose of a princess hug The girl in her arms quickly turned her head to measure the distance between the enlarged murals and them, and then turned her head quickly, singing loudly to break the magic interpretation.

""Arcane Missile"! "

Like lightning, two dark red magical condensates hit the two soldiers who were pursuing the most closely. They howled silently and fell down from the city wall.

Thus, a gap appeared on the city wall. This gap was less than five meters between Ting Na, Ai, and the wolf-headed soldiers chasing them. However, in the next second, the power of the sky completely wiped out one end of this gap. go.

Sparks and scorched air exploded together with the roar, the air oscillated, and the golden arc over twenty meters was like a group of snakes rushing out, biting the soldiers chasing after the girls and wiping them away with invincible power Go, leaving only a few groups of scorched sand to be blown to the lake by the morning wind.

"Ai, Ai!"

"I got it!"

Ai turned her head. At this time, there was only a short gap between Tina and her hitting the towering stone wall, but as her magic power moved in the shadow rolling like a wave, the shadow spread forward and spread a dark path, crossing the tower. The slight seam between the wall and the wall, just a few seconds later, the sloping tower wall turned into a sloping ground, and the blue sky above her head turned into an endless blue in the distance. The soldiers again filled the gaps that had been erased by the shock of the sky, and there.

Liliana was looking up at them from afar.

They are about to flee.

Fleeing from a battlefield where they can neither watch nor help.

In fact, at the beginning of the battle, they had no intention of leaving. After a brief conversation with Tutankhamun, Liliana decided that the young pharaoh would fight his father, and the witch and Alice would protect Tina and Tutankhamun together. Ai, while stopping those soldiers from getting in the way.

At that time, Alice asked them to take a good look at the fighting style of the pharaoh, saying that since the end of the ancient dynasty, the martial atmosphere of the royal family also ended. The pharaoh used to be a powerful warrior who was good at using the nine-pillar magic even if he was not a treasure. After this time, there will be no chance to see it again.

But soon, Alice's leeway was lost.

This temple is protected by a magic that is still in operation, so that the witch cannot raise the stone wall, create a swamp, and cannot seal the entrance of the sacrificial hall with a stone wall. The sickle harvested them one by one, turning them into piles of gray gravel.

But this kind of magic cannot be used continuously. Liliana must call the icy cold wind from the sea of ​​tranquility, temporarily seal the door with an ice wall, and then use a magic to clear the field. Take a breather during intense spellcasting, and restore magic with potions.

However, the rest time is extremely short.

Those wolf-headed human-bodied soldiers carved out of obsidian seemed endless. In a few minutes at most, the hard ice wall would be broken by the weapons wrapped in the sun's rays in the hands of the wolf-headed soldiers. The wave of soldiers roared in and the cycle started again. .

For the first time, Tingna knew that Liliana, who is a Noble Phantasm-level powerhouse, and even one of the top powerhouses in the mainland, would also fall into a hard fight under certain conditions.

Although this water city does not lack water elements, the ice element that is crucial to the "Ice Wall Art" hardly exists in this warm morning light. Sometimes Liliana even had to ask the vanguard Alice to use the wind wall to temporarily block the influx of soldiers before she could open the door of the elements in the gap between her breaths and erect the next ice wall again.

As for Ai's magic?

Liliana didn't let her use it, and Ai, who was still a magic apprentice, had a limited amount of magic that he could use every day, and in front of such a large number of enemies, a big magic with a long interval between two was just a drop in the bucket.

Instead, Tina used the magic on the ring "Crown of Elements" to eliminate some enemies who were severely injured by the witch's magic.

In order to protect them, Liliana can't move at will. Once Tina and Ai are surrounded, the magic shield guarding them will soon be defeated by the soldiers' enchanted weapons.

For the same reason, Liliana cannot use "Great Magic". The same power that can clear the board in one go and even destroy the temple itself can also reduce Tina and Ai to ashes.

At the same time, she has to watch out for Akhenaten's surprise attack.

The mummy has such agility that Tina can't see its movements clearly. Its sickle-shaped sword is coated with the light and heat of the sun. Liliana intends to use a continuous and powerful updraft as a means to completely prevent the soldiers from rushing in. When the barrier was opened, the veteran warrior burst out with a speed that was not shown in the fight with Tutankhamun, and used this weapon to cut through the magic shield protecting Tinna and Ai.

At that moment, the pitch-black tip of the sickle-shaped sword had already reached the chest of Tina who pushed Ai away.

The invisible mage's armor was the last line of defense for the girl's life, and before this line of defense was broken through, a strong air current blew its body away, and the young pharaoh's double daggers pierced into the mummy's shriveled chest.

Tina once thought that was the end of the battle, but Akhenaten immediately kicked Tutankhamun in the chest, kicking the descendant who wanted to revenge on him, and fell into another influx of blood. among a bunch of soldiers.

... It's been a long time since I felt so constrained.

After Liliana drank the third bottle of magic potion, Tingna heard her complain in a low voice for the first time in the battle.

After finishing speaking, she stood in front of Tinna and Ai to let the next magic burst.

The environment of the secret realm, unknown magic, endless enemies, dangerous opponents to beware of, and people to protect—although Liliana only complained softly, both Tingna and Ai could feel that these factors are really affecting them.

——Hey, Ai, even if we stay here, it's just an unnecessary burden.

——Ahhh...that's right...that's right.

Tina understood.

Of course Ai understood.

Even if you are unwilling, you can't change it, even if you are angry at your useless self, this "fact" will not change.

So, Tina and Ai made a decision.

So, they left the battlefield.

The speed of "Shadow Walking" was very fast, and the top of the tower wall was within sight after only a few minutes.

Now, Tina also understood what Liliana meant by "nearly ignoring terrain" when she introduced this magic.

If it wasn't for the crocodiles carved out of obsidian like those wolf-headed soldiers, they could have jumped into the water and left the city if they didn't emerge from the water.

What to do next?

When Tina was thinking about this question, in her arms——

"Master Liliana! Please don't worry about us! I will definitely protect myself and Miss Tingna!!"

——Ai suddenly shouted.

The distance has already exceeded 100 meters, and Tina's earrings can no longer contact Liliana and Alice. Only by shouting loudly can the words pass through the noise of the battle and reach the ears of the witch and the puppet.

Liliana, who had already held Alice's hand, paused slightly, and the witch who hadn't turned around looked at them who were going away, and smiled slightly.

She said nothing.

Soon, the wriggling shadow led the girls to the top of the tower wall, and at the edge, Ai Rang's "shadow walk" stopped.

"Are we here, waiting for Miss Liliana and the others to end the battle?"

"I do not think so."

A javelin rose not far from their faces, and fell under the force of the earth. Tina lowered her head and saw those wolf-headed soldiers who were covered in black and were climbing along the slope of the tower wall.

These nearly two-meter-high monsters have slender human hands and feet, but at the ends of the fingers and toes, those long and pointed nails are completely beast claws.

They can easily hook into the cracks in the stone wall and climb up. It's not very fast, but it's definitely not slow.

They carried spears, battleaxes and broadswords, shields, and each weapon had sunlight flickering on it, and it looked similar to Akhenaten's sickle sword. There are also soldiers throwing javelins on the ground, and it seems that a new type has appeared.

"You're right, Ai, we have to find a way to escape..."

Tina didn't want to try the feeling of being pressed against her chest by these weapons again.

It sucks to have your heart stop beating.

"But where are we going to run? The lake is full of crocodiles, the temple is full of these... these kobolds. Are we going to hide in the city?"

"These are wolf heads, Miss Tina."

"I know, but this statement will make me more comfortable."

Tina curled her lips, and replaced these well-trained, well-equipped, silent and deadly secret guards with a word that sounded less fierce and brave, as if this would relieve the pressure that Liliana and Alice would face.

"...In short, the most ideal situation is that we can escape to the entrance, but I don't think that is possible. The water is full of crocodiles that look like those... kobolds, and the "flying" and "floating skills" I haven't learned these two magics yet, so it's best not to expect them to let us go there kindly. "

"It's obviously one of the most practical magics, why haven't I learned it for so long..."

"Because Ms. O'Nian's and Master Liliana's education policies are neither pragmatism nor pragmatism—but forget it, I don't think it's time to debate this matter, and I don't think Miss Tingna can understand it. ..."

"As long as you say it, I can hear it no matter how soft it is."

"cut."

Ai held Tina's neck, pouted.

For a moment, Tina had the urge to just throw this little girl who was sometimes not cute at all like this.

But I have to say that bickering with Ai can relieve stress.

"Let's wait until the crisis is over, and we can't do everything, look."

"I'm still wondering when you will find out, Ai."

Looking down at the pillared courtyard of the temple, Tina nodded.

In the kingdom of the desert, water is more precious and sacred than gold, and there must be multiple pools in every temple that has not been abandoned. Ai pointed to the two square pools in the courtyard with columns.

Under the clear water, the bottom of the pool, which was originally paved with white marble, is like a door to an abyss, leading to the bottomless darkness. Black soldiers with weapons crawled out one after another from the two-meter-square darkness. As soon as they came into contact with the sun, the weapons in their hands were wrapped in flames, and most of them walked towards the interior of the sacrificial hall, while the remaining small part separated and began to climb the tall tower wall.

"It is said that the technology of zombies in the ancient magic empire is very developed. Even if they don't recruit troops, they can pull out a terrifying army when needed. Probably, there is probably this kind of magic still operating at the bottom of this lake. But if it can be blocked or destroyed Falling into the pool should also stop their endless emergence."

"Zombies?"

"You can understand it as a cheap low-level golem that can only perform very few actions. On the battlefield, it is the most cost-effective cannon fodder - it is written in "A Brief History of Golems", and in fact I am also Seeing you for the first time."

After speaking, Ai sighed.

"Miss Tina, what's the problem, I'll be happy to explain it to you one by one after everything is over like Master Liliana and Miss Alice, but now, please point the "Missile Queen" at one of the pools, try See if you can destroy it. "

"Eh... eh? With great magic...?"

It took Tina a few seconds to realize that Ai's "Missile Queen" was referring to the great magic.

"Otherwise? The best way to block this pool is of course the magic of the earth system, but this temple is protected by some kind of magic. Even Master Liliana cannot use the earth element here. Of course, the magic of the earth system There are also many spells that summon falling rocks, stone pillars, and even strong corrosive mud directly from the mountains, but unfortunately, the only big magic of the earth system I know is "rock essence construction", and there is almost no usable earth here. Elements, so I can't use this magic. "

"..."

"...What kind of eyes do you have?"

"No, nothing..."

In order to prevent the words "I'll bite you if you have any opinion" written in the girl's eyes from being put into action, Tingna swallowed the somewhat inappropriate ridicule in her throat, put the girl down temporarily, and looked towards the pool in the column courtyard. , raised the right hand wearing the Missile Queen.

Almost a month ago, the ring gifted by the witch had completed charging by itself. After that incident, Tina thought that she would never use this extremely destructive magic again, but only two months later, she focused on this ring again, and stared at the most powerful one. Complex magical heraldry.

Thinking about it now, this idea is as ridiculous as "I should never use this magic in my life" when she just got the ring.

Dots of light condense around the girl, like rising stars. In order to prevent the girl with puffy cheeks who was still brooding over her silence a moment ago from being affected by a certain missile, Tina pulled her to her body after the coat of arms disappeared from her eyes. At this time, Ai didn't Having trouble, she obediently clings to the body of Ting Na who is much taller than herself, and looks at the starlight gradually filling the air with some ecstasy.

A moment later, the Milky Way rushed.

Sharp, flat, blunt, and light, with bright or illusory trails, they turn into hundreds, thousands of meteors pouring down on the earth.

The atmosphere was torn apart, the rocks were crushed, and the water mist and the flying stone chips mixed into a gray-white cloud. The soldiers around one of the pools were also destroyed, and no wreckage was left behind.

The scene above Lake Maritis was repeated in this secret realm. The second time I witnessed the waves of the Milky Way, I lost the novelty of the first time. , Ting Na suddenly turned her head as if thinking of something, and asked Ai in a tone of dumbfounding:

"Miss Ai, it suddenly occurred to me that if this "Missile Queen" was not used to try to destroy the pool but to attack Akhenaten... would the battle have come to an end? "

"..."

A few seconds after she finished speaking, Tinna felt that Ai's breath on her stomach stopped. She lowered her head and Ai raised her head. After they stared at each other silently for a while, Ai suddenly shook his head, and blood returned to his pale cheeks.

"Unless the "Missile Queen" on Miss Tina's ring has tracking capabilities, but that requires a more complicated locking mechanism, did Miss Tina see a 'light spot' when aiming? The kind that can be locked on a target in the field of vision and move with the target. "

"……No."

Tina gave a negative answer.

She can indeed use some magic through these extremely expensive rings, but the essence of these actions is like giving her a pistol loaded with projectiles and gunpowder. She can only aim at the target and pull the trigger, but cannot control the movement of the projectile A beautiful arc or spiral flies out of the atmosphere.

"That's useless. Ms. Tingna has seen the speed of that mummy before. It's "television", developed by warriors, and used to counter magician's "blink technique". Untraceable and only covering an area of ​​more than ten meters, for top fighters, it is only a temporary area blockade... Although it is possible to create opportunities for Master Liliana and the others, it is more likely to be a waste. "

Ai took a step back, looking down at the tower wall.

Even with the wind, the smoke and dust caused by the squall and rain of the missiles has not subsided, but a round of great magic has not affected the wolf-headed soldiers who have already clinged to the tower wall.

They are still silent, climbing, unresponsive to everything, and the fastest ones have already climbed halfway.

Ai licked her lips. By Tingna's side, she had to say a lot more than usual, most of which were spontaneous answers to a girl's question, and under such circumstances, some of the words were excluded Bickering, the rest is the explanation of the plan.

"It's time to go. The movement just now may change Akhenaten's view of us. We have to leave this temple and hide somewhere in those two urban areas."

"But how do we go? There is still a pool unscathed, Ai's spell slots...is it enough for us to defeat them and leave?"

"Not enough, and I don't intend to waste spell slots on this kind of thing—hug me, and then follow my instructions to perform the "Feather Fall" spell on yourself, and don't smash your feet again. "

Ai held out her hand, looking like a child coddling an elder.

However, Ai never acted like a baby. At least, after spending her most vulnerable time in the City of Thousand Towers, most of the time, Tingna could only see a calmness and an adult-like seriousness on her face that did not match her age.

...That's right, that's why I always like to tease her and bicker with her...

Tingna picked up the girl who was much shorter than herself, still in the princess's hug. This posture allows Ai, who is in charge of controlling "Shadow Walk", to confirm the surrounding environment without much effort, and it is also convenient for her to attack or attack. It's an attack.

"Adhering to instructions means..."

Then, Tina tilted her head, not quite understanding what the instruction meant.

But Ai didn't answer.

After hugging Tina's neck, Ai commanded the shadows under Tina's feet to surge, leading them to turn around on the top of the tower wall, which is not too big a plane, circle after circle, "Shadow Walking Technique" The speed was constantly rising, and when Lian's turning limit had already rubbed against the edge of the stone, the girl controlled the shadow and led them to jump out in the direction of the main entrance of the temple.

"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

It was like a small stone being ejected forcefully by a tight rubber band. The feeling of flying and the falling wind squeezed out the scream in Tina's throat. She once soared in the sky with the witch and the puppet, facing the lava dragon beast, but flying and being thrown are completely different concepts.

"Now!!"

Ai's voice rang in her ears, and she triggered the gem on the "Crown of Elements" that represented "Feather Fall". So the stone turned into a light feather, and the momentum of falling was stopped, and it even flew upwards due to the changing air flow.

If they were lucky, they could even ride the wind to a suitable place and then land, but no, the sky here was not safe.

Holding the slate can avoid being attacked by those light wrists, but after the field of vision is filled by those light wrists, if you accidentally fall on the water or be surrounded by soldiers, that is another matter.

Even now, the wolf-headed soldiers who came out of another pool were still trying to attack them with javelins and bows, and some of them were still chasing them and moving.

But they were flying too high, Ai thought.

Even on the same level as the false golden sun on the bridge in the distance, bows and javelins that can only draw parabolas at this distance can no longer reach.

...Speaking of which, the false sun...

Only now did Tina understand Ai's plan.

She looked at the golden sun floating above the bridge, and the tall tower wall leading to the pier in the distance, and suddenly thought that they could use the same method to cross the entire lake and leave the city. She was planning to tell Ai about this. At that moment, in her arms, the girl who had said nothing while floating, suddenly spoke.

"...Miss Tina, please listen to me."

There was an unbelievable expression on her flushed little face, as if she had suddenly realized an extremely absurd truth, or heard the ravings of a crazy god. Laughing but not being able to, as if he wanted to open his mouth wide to express astonishment, but he had to utter a few words.

It was the first time Tina saw Ai showing such an expression, and she couldn't help becoming nervous.

"I heard a sound that sounded like... like... from that hyena when we were reflooded in Letopolesta..."

After a moment of panic, Ai rearranged her language and told Tingna what she wanted to convey in more accurate and shorter words.

She heard the voice of the gods.

………………………………………………………………………………………

In the end, Tina and Ai's good luck didn't last long.

The morning wind on the lake is more elusive than the girl's thoughts. Before the changing wind direction blows them to the water surface covered with crocodile black mouths, Ai frantically uses a "spiral air channel", using a powerful The airflow adjusted their direction, and then released the "Feather Fall" technique, but there was a slight problem with this timing. Just before the girls missed the bridge and fell into the sharp teeth of obsidian crocodiles densely packed on the water, Ai He also used "Parker Powerful Spider Web Spray" to stick to the side of the bridge and made a thrilling swing.

When they finally returned to the bridge that was carried by a group of strong men in long sedan chairs not long ago, not far away, all the Sinai people who had gathered in front of the gate of the temple turned around and used their jet-black Or brown pupils, staring at them numbly and strangely.

These people had knelt in silence and raised their hands in prayer to their god. In the earlier time, they swayed the petals, and ceremoniously sent the girls to the side of God with songs and hymns. But now, the pair of empty eyes that have no focus, seem to be looking at any place here, and seem to be fixed on their figures, still make Tingna feel a chill when she turns her head when she realizes that she is being watched Jump up from the bottom of your feet.

Especially the gazes of those "acquaintances", the young men pouring wine for them at the banquet, the women eagerly handing them all kinds of clothes and jewelry, and the children surrounding Ai trying to persuade girls to drink. The puppet that the puppeteer had forgotten, looked numb.

"...Miss Ai, tell me, what are they planning to do by looking at us now..."

"Who knows, maybe everyone here is just a marionette controlled by the mummy, and now it's busy fighting Master Liliana and the others, and these people only have the most basic ability to move..."

Before Ai finished speaking, behind the gate of the temple, a group of wolf-headed soldiers waved their weapons and chased them out.

These soldiers were not many in number, but the way they ran almost reminded Tina of the already blurred bad memory of being chased by wolves in the desolate moonlight outside Salt Sand City. They ran through the crowd - but it is more vivid than "passing through" or "crashing over". Every Sinai who stood in front of them was knocked away by their rocky bodies and fell heavily to the ground , but the people who were knocked into the air seemed to be unconscious, and there was still only numbness...and nothingness in those eyes that could not see emotion.

"Catch these hypocrites!!!"

I don't know who yelled like this first, but at this moment, Ai controlled the "Shadow Walking Technique" and ran away without looking back.

The sound of footsteps and roars behind him became denser.

"Ai, you crow mouth!"

"It's none of my business!!"

"Where is the shelter you mentioned!!!"

"The district where the banquet was hosted between us should be in the basement of a house. You can only find it carefully when you arrive!"

The bad luck of Tingna and Ai did not end here. After entering the urban area, the complicated terrain slowed down the pace of the Sinai people. However, being unfamiliar with the urban area, streets and houses made Tingna and Ai frequently bump into those who could climb over the walls. , the "kobolds" jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

These well-trained soldiers and the people of Sinai formed a siege net. As more and more soldiers were added, they were gradually pushed to the edge of the city, with a lake full of crocodiles behind them.

It looks like the girls are at the end of their rope.

It also just looks like it.

""Diffuse, let's stagnate, this is the veil of the clear stream, the great mystic that protects the kingdom of twilight!""

""Nymph Water Mist Technique"! "

Chanting, chanting, the lake below was attracted to the dark red magic circle by the "law and reason" aroused by the words, and then exploded into a cloud of white water mist at the moment of interpretation and chanting. Immediately dropped to the lowest point, taking advantage of this opportunity, Ai controlled the "Shadow Walking Technique" from the steep brick wall on the edge of the city, and quickly circled to the other side.

After getting rid of these pursuers, the bad luck seemed to have finally come to an end. On the other side of the city, when Tingna carried Ai quietly across a deserted intersection, Ai let the "Shadowwalker" stop and looked at An entrance leading to the cellar, nodded firmly.

"right here."

The staircase next to the backyard of a one-story house does not look like anything special. Looking down, even in the light of dawn, the end of the staircase is dark.

"I said, Miss Ai, do we really want to listen to that 'god'? To be honest, in this secret realm, the only god should be..."

Tina hesitated.

"Akhenaten, the self-proclaimed god of Aten, I know. But we've all heard the voice of that Akhenaten, and I can assure you that the voice of this unnamed god is quite different from that one, and..."

"and?"

"Remember what Tutankhamun said when he first appeared? He told us to leave as soon as possible to inform the priest of the success of the plan. I guess, this departure should not refer to the few responsible for bringing the gems he turned into to Akena The people in front of Dun ran out of the city, out of the Valley of the Kings, and ran all the way to the temple of Dibis to inform them."

Of course, the most important thing was the voice of the "God" who didn't give his name.

Considering that God Aten is the enemy of all the gods in the land of Sinai, they should be in the same camp as the gods who are currently fighting against God Aten, not to mention that Liliana helped rebury Leto before. The ancient city of Polesta, there shouldn't be any problems, right?

"Ah, yes, I remember that some magic can establish communication between fixed locations..."

"Magic? Ancient Sinai's magic level is far lower than Miss Tina imagined, but they have ancient beliefs, and they don't need to rely on magic for everything..."

As she spoke, Ai released an eye-shaped crest and probed into the darkness. After a while, she nodded and took Ting, who was still looking around nervously, for fear that those Sinai people and wolf-headed soldiers would appear again. Na walked in.

In the cellar, bypassing rows of clay pots stacked to the ceiling, in the deepest part of the cellar, the darkness is suddenly dispelled by light.

Warm light, if the light in the secret realm is the eternal dawn, gentle and full of vigor, then this light is the day that ascends to the sky and shines on the earth, bright and warm.

On the wall at the end of the cellar, there is a one-meter-high portrait, holding a long staff and a symbol of life, and a tall and long crown with a carved image of the sun disc.

"Amon Ra..."

There are not many gods in Sinai who are completely human, and the towering double crown directly proves its identity—merging with Ra, and becoming the highest god in the belief system of the Nine Pillars of Sinai.

There are vessels of gold and clay beside the statue of the god, and the silver furnace for incense is already full of dust.

This looks like a secret altar dedicated to the god Amon Ra. The existence of this kind of facility is very strange, whether in or outside the secret realm, but now, this statue can at least tell Tingna and Ai that they didn't go to the wrong place.

This secret realm belongs to Akhenaten and his believers, and they will definitely not create an altar to worship Amon Ra, because Akhenaten's predecessor, Akhenaten, wanted to carry out the "Sun Wheel Reform". "Amon" who suppressed it.

The small altar surrounded by wine barrels has soft cushions on the ground. Although it is covered with dust like the statues and incense burners, there is still a certain peaceful and safe atmosphere in this old place.

"Are we... just waiting here until it's over?"

"That's why we escaped from the sacrificial hall."

After putting Ai down, Tingna watched enviously as the girl picked up the cushion and patted the dust before sitting on it.

Although the "Shadow Walking Technique" supported her body without any effort from her, but now she really wanted to sit down and breathe a sigh of relief.

"But there should be something we can still do..."

But the "Shadow Walking Technique" has not been released yet, and Tingna can only be supported by her own shadow and hang a few centimeters above the ground.

"By the way, Ai, hasn't that god talked to you again?"

"No, maybe Miss Tina can try to pray to it? Then maybe it will respond."

Probably seeing the envy in Tina's eyes, Ai looked at the "Shadow Walking Technique", and after tossing for a while, the shadow arm around Tina's waist softened a lot. At least Tina could drop to the ground and sit on another cushion.

Tina took a long breath as her injured foot hit the ground. The effect of the painkiller is not much left. Although the pain is no longer so severe, as long as she moves a little, the grimacing pain will still be conveyed to the girl's mind, let her move as much as possible. Slow and lightest.

After sitting on the cotton-filled linen cushion, Tingna continued the conversation with Ai.

"Can't Miss Ai pray..."

"Although it is possible, but I am also a magic apprentice, and it would be strange to pray to God. From this point of view, Miss Tingna is a shallow believer in the Virtue Church, and as we all know, the high-level members of the Virtue Church select an important The standard is to still join the Virtue Church after experiencing other beliefs wholeheartedly, so Miss Tina is more suitable than me."

"...What kind of nonsense is this..."

Ting Na muttered softly, but after she finished muttering, she still looked at the statue of Amon Ra, sighed, and lowered her head quietly.

"Uh, how do I pray to Amon Ra, I don't know the prayers to pray to this god..."

"Can't we use the prayers of Virtue Church to change it?"

"I don't think so. Because the Virtue Church doesn't have such a thing as prayers—including the phrase "God is above."

The Virtue Church is probably the first and only religion on the mainland that doesn't care whether its followers believe in the doctrine at all.

The purity of belief that is so highly valued by other religions is simply ignored here. Even the true God has left behind "religious belief is just a way of looking at the world and life, see more, think more, try more, so that you can find the one that suits you best." This kind of oracle, and therefore, many virtues At the same time, believers also believe in other religions such as the Holy Church, the Church of the Sun, the Eternal Holy Fire...

Discussing this topic, Ting Na really seemed a little weak.

"... Do you still have the chronicle that Master Liliana gave to Miss Tina? It should contain the prayers of Amon Ra from different eras. Just find a simple one and read it. This kind of thing is fine. If there are changes, they won’t change much.”

Ai thought silently for a while and gave a suggestion.

"...Is it really okay to be so casual?"

Resisting the desire to complain that was almost overflowing in her chest, Tina took out the big book, found the religion-related entries in the catalog, found the longest one, and chanted it in as pious a tone as possible With.

After chanting, Tina sighed, feeling that she had done something stupid. No matter how she thought about it, it was completely impossible for such an unreverent prayer to reach God's ears.

No, this won't work at all.

Maybe Aidu is more suitable. After all, according to her description, the god had a direct conversation with her. Thinking this way, Tina closed the big book. However, just when she was about to express her thoughts to Ai——

A light lit up on the statue of Amon Ra.

"..."

"..."

——You came here safely, thank you for your hard work.

After a while, a voice that brought out the image of sunshine in her mind just by hearing it echoed in Tina's mind. When she heard this sound, Tina immediately recalled the loud sound that she and Ai had heard in the ancient city submerged by yellow sand. An impulse surged from the bottom of her heart, which almost made Tina have a seizure. The thought of worshiping...

Can't go wrong.

Tina was convinced, but soon she showed a subtle expression because she had met the real god twice just two months later - and neither of them was what she believed in.

——I thank you for relaunching the already bankrupt plan. Thanks to you, my brave warriors can finally avenge the most tyrannical king in the history of Sinai according to the original plan. This moment was thousands of years too late for him.

Bright sunlight filled the windowless cellar like mist.

He didn't introduce himself, in fact he didn't need to introduce himself, and he didn't even stop talking because of the subtle expressions on Tina and Ai's faces. Maybe he didn't care, or maybe he couldn't see them at all.

After it finished speaking, Ai looked at the statue carefully, then spoke in a dry tone, and asked a question before it continued to say something.

"Please wait a moment, Amon... Great Amon Ra, I remember that in the three hundred years since the Thirteen Days Holy War, all the gods on the mainland have stayed away from the mortal world. No matter how grand the sacrifice is, they can't get even a few words. Oracles…let alone direct conversations with God.”

His tone was completely unbelievable, and even the word "great" seemed to be forced out.

No, by the way, since you don’t believe it at all, why did you let me try it before?

Completely ignoring Tina's dissatisfied expression as she felt she had been tricked, Ai took a breath and continued.

"But not only did you take the initiative to contact me - you sent an oracle to a magician who did not believe in you, but you also came here in response to the ungrateful prayer of a believer in virtue... This makes me very curious. Could it be that we are here again? What artificial myth has been accomplished unintentionally?”

Man-made myth - Ai's words stunned Tina for a few seconds, and then she remembered this. When Liliana asked why the god Set came in Leto Bolesta, the jackal-headed god who dominated the sand sea said past noun.

Immediately afterwards, a creepy feeling suddenly emerged.

If I remember correctly, man-made myths—that is, myths that are intentionally planned, completed by humans, and approved by gods and believers.

At that time, it was because they reburied Leto Bolesta and inadvertently reproduced such a myth, so the god Set appeared in front of them. If that was the case, what about now?

Amon Ra who appeared in front of them...did it mean that they had inadvertently completed a certain myth again?

——The answer is no, the girl who made Leto Bolesta rest in peace. It is true that since three hundred years ago, the gods have almost stopped interfering in the affairs of the earth. However, some important things, starting from several Thousands of years ago, we were paying attention to, for example, the ancient city that served as the center of the magic circle that calmed the sand disaster in Sinai, such as... here.

"...I remember God Seth said that in accordance with the ancient oath, in order to repay the kindness of the Ancient Magic Empire for quelling the sand disaster, you cannot interfere with this secret realm."

"The one who made the oath is the invisible one, and I am the invisible sun."

Perhaps it was because of previous experience in talking to God, or perhaps because of the gap in mental strength. While Tina was still taking deep breaths to relieve tension, Ai had already asked two questions and then entered into contemplation.

Soon, she lowered her gaze to the stone statue of the god again. This time, she asked several questions in one go.

"...Yes, that's right. So, why does the head of the Nine Pillars of Sinai care so much about this secret realm? Tutankhamun - what is the plan to send the ruby ​​he turned into to his father? Why? , Akhenaten will be here? He looks dead, but that mummy is not undead——"

Her attitude was almost questioning, and her sunny and kind voice paused for a moment before taking on a more serious tone, so that she didn't have to be so impatient.

——Take your time, little girl who is very curious, answer the questions one by one, and understand the answers one by one. You know when and why the secret realm was established, but you may not know that in that era, the magic empire was very strong, and magic almost became the only ability standard and criterion on the mainland. Except for some backward areas, religious beliefs Has disappeared.

"……Eh?"

The sublime god seemed to sigh softly.

——The magic emperors at that time had taken the sky, the earth and the sea into their hands, and their fortresses were established on the elemental planes and the lower realms. Except for the untouched ocean and the star realms in the distant sky, they can be said to have owned Everything, including the approval of dragons and goblins, including the fear of demons and Lords of Oblivion.

——But their thirst for knowledge was far from being satisfied. They began to plan a huge plan. They had been secretly planning since the flooding of Letopolesta, and it was not until the enthronement of a pharaoh that they finally got it together Necessary conditions for the implementation of the plan, and then——

Then, there was the only "solar reform" in the history of Sinai.

The old gods were overthrown, and new abstract gods were erected.

After a short period of turmoil, peace came again. The new pharaoh took the gold and food entrusted to the temple into his own hands, and divided up the huge property with the nobles and the army, turning the temple into the palace of the pharaoh, the manor of the nobles, and the army. It seems that the priesthood that existed for thousands of years was destroyed and swallowed up, but is this really the case?

The answer is of course no.

As the old saying goes, the magicians of the Magic Empire don’t care about real estate, gold coins, and superior power in this barren sandy land where the heat is unbearable. Out of - Faith.

Faith in God.

——In the era when the faith in the entire empire was declining, only the backward Sinai still had a large amount of precious mineral deposits. In order to collect this, they have already made preparations. In the magic circle that suppresses the sand sea, a structure that efficiently absorbs and transmits the power of faith is hidden. You all know that the magic circle relies on the faith of the Sinai people in Seth to operate until now. Yes, but have you ever thought about it? In addition to Set, will other beliefs be brought together, and if so, what are these beliefs used for...

"Use, for what?"

Ting Na looked at Ai as soon as she finished asking, but the black-haired girl just pressed her eye sockets silently, frowning and thinking.

Sunshine in the cellar didn't answer, but turned to talk about something else.

——Since ancient times, the kings of this land have been regarded as the incarnations of gods in the human world. When they die and are buried in magnificent tombs, they will also return to the realm of the gods and become the original gods. Because most pharaohs believed in me, they were regarded as my incarnations. Then, when the pharaoh who believed in the new god died and was buried, when he 'returned' to the realm of the gods——

"...the gods that didn't exist in the first place will become existence from this—"

Ai stood up abruptly, staring at the god statue, shock and doubt flashed through her constricted pupils, and what finally burst out from her mouth was several broken voices.

"—They are making gods?!"

The girl's voice echoed in the cellar, and perhaps the god himself was unwilling to mention the blasphemous word, and the light that enveloped them was silent.

Even Tina can feel it, this is a kind of affirmation. The feeling of horror climbed up her back again, but it was more of a shock that something beyond imagination just appeared in front of her. The last time she had this feeling was when she faced the roaring lava dragon beast above the volcano.

"However, God's Domain doesn't have to exist first..."

She could only follow her own instincts and use her shallow knowledge to refute as if struggling.

"That's right, there are gods before God's Domain, but God Aton does not exist. So they use a symbol to carry their beliefs, so God Aton has no specific image, which allows them to prepare a God's Domain in advance, and then directly use it Wake up—damn it, what kind of monsters are those magic emperors, in order to explore the secrets of gods, they simply created a god out of nothing!!"

——Of course, our priests prevented all of this. That man became a complete tyrant after his middle age. Regardless of the poor harvest, he forced manpower to build a new royal capital, promoted harsh teachings, and squeezed heavy taxes from the people. In the end, he died under the assassination of the guardian, and the mausoleum was also destroyed. Under the pressure of the nobles, his successors began to restore the old beliefs, but during the decades of that man's rule, the former beliefs were almost destroyed, and it would take time to rebuild. The high-level wrestling of the magic empire, until a few years after Tutankhamun succeeded to the throne, Sinai finally returned to the orthodox faith.

——But, it’s not over yet.

Ai and Tingna listened patiently, the god's narration was not over yet.

The restoration of traditional religion is not an easy task, especially the previous reform was planned by the high-level of the magic empire. If it weren't for the conflict and power struggle between the magic emperors, they might only be able to watch an undead Tyrants took their place and long ruled the land.

And even if they succeeded, the shadows still linger. Not long after the restoration of the tradition, among those who still believed in the god of Aten in private, there were guys who claimed to have received a response, and some even used the teachings of Aton, which did not exist at all. Magic.

This situation was quickly discovered by the priests, and they realized with horror that perhaps it was not enough for them to kill Akhenaten and destroy his tomb.

In the years since he killed him but failed to erase the entire belief in Aton from Sinai, the magician's god-making plan is still going on, and it may soon be successful—even part of it has been successful.

The last embers of this battle against the losers are still smoldering, and if it is not completely extinguished for a day, when the wind direction at the top of the magic empire changes again, their efforts will turn into wildfires in an instant.

As a result, they launched the longest and bloodiest purge in Sinai's history, and the plan for that secret realm was also put on the agenda.

But unlike "restoration of tradition" which can be concealed tacitly by local government affairs, the purge can also be covered up by other crimes, but no one can bear the consequences of exposure to the secret realm established by the magic emperors.

Assassination is an inevitable choice, but it is a desperate thing to assassinate a person who is close to the gods in the secret realm established by the magic empire.

During this time, another thing happened.

The bloody cleansing drove the remaining Atonian believers to a desperate situation. During one of their counterattacks, the young pharaoh was assassinated. At that time, he had already obtained the treasure. took his life.

On his deathbed, the god Amon took out his soul, solidified it into a gem, and made a plan based on it.

The spy was placed in the secret realm, and the plan would start when the time was right. For this reason, the spy waited for the opportunity to set up the altar where Tinna and Ai are now.

After saying this, the flickering light stopped making a sound, as if to allow time for the two girls to digest the truth from thousands of years ago.

"But that plan has never been implemented."

Ke Ai continued to ask, the ins and outs were very important, but the more she listened, the girl's intuition kept telling her that there were more important things, and there were more important things, and they were extremely urgent right now——

"The red gem was even buried in Tutankhamun's tomb for thousands of years. Why? If it is worried about the pressure of the ancient magic empire, then in the last millennium of the second era , that lofty empire has collapsed, after such a long time, and you know the location of the secret realm and how to enter it, why didn’t the plan continue until Miss Tina accidentally brought that gem to Akhenaten?"

If it was almost a questioning before, then this passage is already a forced questioning.

Ai didn't seem to care about the majesty of God at all, or she might be angry because of her rude words. Her wine-red pupils stared at the god statue, and there was a faint anxious fire in her eyes. Tingna didn't know what she had discovered, so she could only remain silent. Listen to the god's answer.

...if it really wants to answer.

There was a moment of silence in the cellar. However, the silence did not last long.

——That's right, there are reasons for the plan to be postponed or even abolished repeatedly.

Amon Ra, the god spoke softly.

——Because of an extremely deadly reason.