The Witch and the Doll Swear

Human beings without wings have always dreamed of flying. To this end, they study the mysteries of magic, explore the truth of the world, and even steal the blood of a great race to embark on the forbidden road.

However, those who try to leave a place in the sky and set foot in taboos are mostly swallowed up by taboos, and those who strive to find true knowledge and soar into the sky are always a minority. The sky belongs to the sky after all. Even if a floating city is built, human beings still cannot leave the earth.

But if it is just a glimpse of the magnificence of the sky, then the answer has long been hidden in the exquisite magic and the cleverness of the apprentice.

Of course, there is no comparison to a real flight.

"...It's kind of bad."

"Well, that's not a good idea..."

No matter how meticulous the preparations are, there will always be areas beyond the reach of someone's expectations. Liliana now has a new understanding of this phrase that her father always likes to talk about.

There are 5 spell slots remaining, and the first bottle of magic potion has been drunk.

Starting from using the third elemental door, Liliana took four doses to slowly drink the potion in her hand, and now she is drinking the second bottle in the same way.

Taking small doses and taking it multiple times will slow down the recovery of magic power, but it will also reduce the mental pressure accordingly. Everything was going well until the fourth element door opened, and a strong wind blew in the sky.

It was not the kind of wind that was encountered when opening the first and second element doors. The wind strength and wind direction were not too strong. If the direction of the temple was from the north, the continuous and powerful wind blowing from the west knocked Lilia away. Na and the puppet were completely blown out of the intended trajectory, and judging by the wind speed, it was possible to blow them completely to the other side of the lake.

Of course, on the other hand, if Liliana and Alice were upwind of the wind, they should be able to float directly to the temple in the middle of the lake with this gust of wind—only if.

"...It was a huge miscalculation not to observe the wind direction."

"Although that is said, it is difficult to observe the wind on the lava lake at this distance. We can only treat this as an uncertain factor and work hard to overcome it."

"...That's true...but it can't be said to be optimistic if it goes on like this...huh?"

Just when Liliana was biting her lip and considering whether to give up going back to the shore with the wind, and then wait for the next time the wind blows and start from the upwind position——when she thought so.

The wind has changed.

The wind that was blowing Liliana and the doll to the shore suddenly turned, this time, it blew them diagonally backward.

"?!"

"……How is this going?"

Although this was still the wind blowing them towards the shore, the sudden change in wind direction without warning made the puppet and Liliana immediately alert.

The airspace and terrain here are all empty, and the heat of the lava below has not overflowed at all. In this case, the change of wind direction without even a transition is too unnatural.

"Miss Liliana, please use [Ability to Seek the Truth]."

"Um."

The girl nodded and picked up the sapphire on her chest. Under the singing of the puppet, the ten-pointed star began to flash on the surface of the gem.

As far as the eye can see, there are only scattered magic power condensates under the lava.

"...no sign of magic."

"What about the temple?"

Liliana looked at the lake center temple that had deviated from her front.

After floating for a long time, the distance between them and the temple has been shortened a lot. Liliana has used the power of the doll's eyes to see those complicated magic circles before, but this time...

"...and no new magic is driven, or those I don't know, but instinctively feel that they are used to suppress the heat of the lava lake."

"What Miss Liliana can see, the puppet can also see, and the conclusion drawn by the puppet is the same. The huge magic composed of sculptures and runes on the temple [Douglas's full power field] can theoretically also pass Changing the concentration of elements at different positions in the stand to control the wind, but I can’t see such signs on the magic circle, could it be..."

In the end, because Liliana couldn't bear the subtle disrespect of holding a talking and thinking head under her armpit, the doll held by the girl on her chest thought for a while, and seemed to want to say something, but in After speaking, he denied it himself.

This is a small world that is not so complete and not so strong. Beyond the barriers of the first level, there is an endless void. Although the elements of the atmosphere circulate in the domain of the world, no one can say that they will blow from outside the world. What troublesome things come, so the climate, wind direction... These are all things recorded by the magicians stationed here all the time.

But those recorders had never recorded such a rapid change of wind direction in Sisli.

"...Is it another mystery without a clue...Ah."

The wind direction changed again.

This time, the wind weakened somewhat, but Liliana and the puppet were blown towards the center of the lake, and the floating height was also blown up a bit.

"Miss Liliana, take advantage of this moment!"

“[I pay homage to the elements of the four directions with sulfur, pearl, azure stone and hidden gold, from the peak of the breathless storm, the vast and boundless azure sea, and the roaring...] No, the location It's over."

The prediction was wrong, and while the [interpretation] of magic was still chanting, Liliana's figure was already carried by the wind past the position set by the door.

Although it weakened, the gust of wind still brought Liliana a not-so-slow speed, which made the girl who was experiencing floating for the first time feel at a loss.

"...It would be great if we could maintain this wind direction and send us there."

"That's right, but on the other hand, if the wind direction keeps changing, it will be troublesome. From this consideration..."

The doll stared down with those fiery red eyes.

"Hey, Miss Liliana, how about descending some heights?"

"...It is true that the flow of air inside the sunken terrain may be more stable, but there is no guarantee that...[Douglas Full Power Field] suppresses the heat, hot gas, poisonous gas, etc. of the lava at what height, if you are not careful broke in..."

Looking at her barely protected body, Liliana shook her head.

Not to mention the highly toxic gas that is likely to be produced when the lava melts, the temperature there may be extremely high. I don't have any magic to resist the high temperature, and I am afraid that I will be severely burned.

"Hmm, that's right...in other words, can I just pray now?"

"...That's right, I pray that the wind will not stop, or that the wind will stop soon."

Estimating the time of [Feather Fall], Liliana took out two scrolls from the space storage ring and tore them open.

Maybe luck was really on Liliana's side. The gust of wind lasted for a long time before it slowly weakened. During this period, the direction of the wind didn't change even once. This kind of good luck even felt incredible to the puppet.

And the end of this period of good luck ended with the gradual weakening of the wind. When Liliana felt that her hair was only slightly floating as she slowly descended and did not flutter in any direction, in front of the temple, the rocky platform Not so far away.

About 300... or 400 meters?

The top of the fiery red lava is metallic black, and the base of the platform is the same as the totem pole next to it. It is made of black metal and soaked in the lava, and above it is a piece of white.

A whole piece of white stone was lifted by magic, floating about half a meter above the metal.

The girl is very familiar with this material. It is marble that is abundant in an island in the elegant inland sea. It has always been loved by nobles. Just last year, on her 10th birthday, in her small yard, her father hired the best marble from the empire The sculptor spent half a month making a statue for her with this stone.

Liliana still remembers that it was the first time she was naked in front of a strange man, but the middle-aged man whose calluses could not be worn off by stones seemed to have never regarded her as a member of the opposite sex, just Keep your tone calm so that you don't get nervous or stiff. When the sculpture was completed half a month later, Liliana looked at herself and felt the deer bumping against her chest.

After the sculpture was moved to her small garden, the girl would spend a lot of time every day sitting on the bench, just staring blankly.

After that, that private little garden was closed to anyone but me, well, not even my family.

"Well……"

The girl shook her head and walked away from her memories. Maybe she really missed her home too much. Once she started to recall, she could hardly stop.

She looked back at the sanctuary in the middle of the lava lake.

The slabs of stone floating above the lava are thick, chiseled in serpentine waterways. In the elegant and delicate white, the clear water flows, and the black lotus blooms on the water. There are nine statues sitting at the beginning and end of the waterway. Liliana squinted her eyes and found that it seemed to be a fox. From small to large, the volume of the tail is getting bigger and bigger. Although this distance cannot be counted... But Dong China's nine-tailed demon fox is also quite famous in the elegant inland sea.

It is unbelievable, and it can even be said that the scene is full of discord and harmony, just like the luxurious opera house with the entrance of Dongguo Shinto.

"...Are all the designers in the age of the ancient magic empire have such an aesthetic? Or is there any special symbolic meaning?"

"No, it's just the emperor who designed this part. The alchemy sage Flamel was studying ear alchemy in the Eastern Kingdom, so he fell in love with the culture there. His Majesty Sandro is also a pragmatic supremacist. , After becoming a Lich, I don’t care about these formal things even more, so... When I get to the Sith, there will be more and more strange landscapes.”

"...I began to wonder what kind of people these magic emperors whose lives have been covered up by the Church of the Holy Church in a vague way..."

"The puppet has their biography, but it was written by the court poet, so it may not be so objective."

Gradually descending, gradually descending, and then the girl sang the deciphering reading, this time there was no mistake, and the strong wind blew her on a parabolic trajectory again, getting closer to that platform.

There are 5 spell slots left, and the success is unbelievable.

"...Did they write about His Majesty Flamel's unique aesthetics in the biography?"

"Look at the dolls...well, they wrote that His Royal Highness Flamel is committed to the integration and progress of the art and culture of the mainland and the East."

"...It seems that the court poets of any era are similar..."

While chatting with the puppet, Liliana's attention was still unable to blend in with the temple with pointed arch columns, the scorching lake and the black iron totem poles, which had the unique charm of the Eastern Kingdom. removed from the garden.

This kind of scenery is really suitable for placing in the mountains and forests, right? Even if it is placed next to that divine path, it is better than being placed in this barren lava.

In any case, there is moon, water, and vegetation on the rocks that have not faded in color. If you imagine the shadow beast and other monsters as birdsong, it is at least like a corner of the Eastern Kingdom.

——.

"...Miss Doll, did you hear anything?"

There was still some distance to the highest point of this parabola, Liliana looked at the puppet in her arms, a little uncertain.

She seemed to hear something.

"The puppet is trying to remind Miss Liliana, did Miss Liliana hear it?"

The little puppet also looked at Liliana in confusion and vigilance, and once again used the [Power of Investigating the Truth] to signal Liliana to be vigilant.

The magic circle that can be seen is only the part that makes the white flowing water garden float, and the [Douglas full power field] that can be seen more clearly.

————!

here we go again.

"Miss Doll?!"

"under!"

This time both the girl and the puppet heard it.

It was bird chirping, sharp and shrill, sparse and clear to the ears from all directions.

But what the puppet said was the following.

……under?

Liliana was slightly taken aback.

...Below, isn't it magma?

There are many monsters that can survive in magma, but magma is viscous and hot, and it makes a lot of noise. It is not an excellent medium for sound transmission. As far as Liliana knows, lava monsters such as lava worms and crystal shell beasts They are all dumb.

Do these monsters make such a crying bird song?

...or is this another psychic spell?

The common sense that has always been taken for granted made the girl lower her head after such doubts.

Just a moment later, the girl's question was broken.

It's a bird.

Birds with fiery red bodies, fiery red beaks, fiery red wings and fiery red tail feathers rise from lava and sticky flames. Dozens, hundreds, thousands.

It's like every bubble that emerges from the magma is their hatching eggs, just like every churning flame wave is a breeding ground for them, and the lake of lava is their nest. The birds are flying from their nests!

There is absolutely no doubt that this is definitely not a grand welcome.

"It's the fire element, Firebird!"

The moment the meteors that seemed to fly towards the sky from under the earth rose, the puppet had already recognized their nature, and the question of why the [Ability to Seek the Truth] did not find them was also answered.

They are all fire elements, bird-shaped fire elements, with various shapes and sizes, and are not controlled by any magic and magic power. They are naturally born elemental monsters, speculated to be used by [Sith] magicians Non-magical means of taming — or not taming, Liliana has never heard that elemental monsters can be tamed, but as far as the current situation is concerned, no matter whether they are tamed or simply placed here, their duty is undoubtedly Protect the temple in the lake from invaders!

"Miss Liliana, can you fight?"

"Not enough spell slots!"

It does not refer to the physical distance, the temple that was originally close to the eyes suddenly became far away. Liliana was floating in the air looking around, but no matter which side of the lake she looked at, there were countless flying sparks reflected in her vision.

The back road was cut off in an instant.

...No, there is no way out at all.

There are 5 spell slots left. This number is definitely not able to compete with the thousands of firebirds flying from the lava all over the sky and rushing towards him. What's more, there is magma directly below. Even if these firebirds are shot down, they will die A steady stream of rebirth.

Fighting elemental monsters in an elemental rich place is definitely one of the dumbest things to do.

So, can the five elemental gates bring him to the platform in front of the temple?

Of course, as long as I was not turned into charcoal by these beautiful firebirds while floating slowly.

Liliana's fast-thinking brain quickly grasped the most important element in the current situation for her to escape safely - speed. She had to reach the temple fast enough to have any hope of surviving.

But how to speed up?

"Miss Liliana!"

The puppet called out to the girl who was in deep thought, and they were surrounded by sparkling firebirds in all directions. These firebirds are intelligent predators, and this impenetrable spherical enveloping net can make those who are hunted by them Any prey is desperate, and it's getting denser.

"...They are still waiting for the opportunity to attack, waiting for more companions..."

Liliana hugged the doll tightly, and the burning sky was reflected in the dark pupils.

"What the puppet should think of is that all the research of the magic emperors is known to each other. There is no reason that there are really only two magic emperors in Sith who are in charge... This kind of technology for domesticating elements is probably the element emperor... "

"...Yeah, it would be great if Miss Doll could think of it sooner... But it's meaningless to think about it now."

Think quickly! Liliana! If there is no way, there is no going back!

How to break through this impenetrable encirclement——

"Miss Liliana!"

The encirclement shrinks.

If it can be seen from the outside, it might be like a sun collapsing, the gap between the firebirds is drawn closer and filled, and these beautiful but as hot and dangerous birds as that beauty are gradually losing The form merges into a shrinking spherical wall.

The attack method of these simple elemental monsters is the most primitive collision. If each bird is equivalent to a fireball, this flock of thousands of birds... probably, it is also equivalent to a huge magic. .

The temperature rises suddenly.

The air seemed to be on fire.

There was no time for hesitation, Liliana finally took a breath of air that made her lungs feel like it was burning, and took out a bottle of silver medicine from the space storage ring.

"Miss Puppet, give me the coordinates—"

"Eh? Eh?!?!"

The ball wall of the flame suddenly shrank to only a few meters in diameter, and almost all the firebirds closest to Liliana and Alice broke into the highly condensed flame.

There was silence.

The method used by the firebirds to destroy invaders since ancient times is to let them burn to ashes in extremely high temperature, and they will maintain this state for a long time, until even their souls are burned in pure fire.

However, just a short moment later.

The explosion happened.

The violent explosion roared like thunder, and the white mist overflowed and disappeared quickly after contacting the flames. At the moment of the explosion, a blue trace appeared on the lava lake.

It can only be described as "appearance". The deep blue is the color of the sea. It erupts from the center of the fireball, and a huge amount of steam evaporates at the moment of contact with the flame. The appearance of this water column is so sudden. As for the firebirds crossing a long enough distance before they realized that this was their natural enemy, they seemed to lose momentum and sprinkled down into a piece of heated rain.

Before the water column collapsed, a speck of silver floated from the tip of the water column towards the temple with residual speed.

"Miss Liliana, you, are you a dragon?!"

The puppet tightly held by the girl looked at Liliana in disbelief, but the girl whose ancestors were pure humans for dozens of generations just shook her head, holding the puppet in one hand , took out his ring from his mouth with the other hand.

That was no longer a human hand.

The originally white and lustrous skin is now covered by another silvery white, which reflects a metallic cold color under the light of the fire and the strange moonlight, just like other parts of the girl's body, the silvery white dense scales have replaced the human body. The skin, those dark pupils stood up, glowing with golden light, and her blond hair had turned silvery white. While her appearance was turned upside down, an unprecedented sense of power also filled the girl's originally weak body.

Firstborn of the world, the mightiest and mightiest race on the continent.

Putting the ring on the thickened little finger, it could barely squeeze into one knuckle. Liliana didn't explain to the doll.

They really don't have this free time.

At the place where the door of the element was opened last time, the fireball condensed by the fire bird was beginning to collapse. The deep sea water from Jinggang made the size of the fireball smaller, but it was a pity that it could not extinguish the flame. Now, the fireball is collapsing into a firebird, flying towards this side along a certain trajectory.

The firebirds that did not make up the fireball were also like flying sparks, singing and flying towards them.

There is no time for hesitation. After becoming a dragon, the girl's sensory abilities and physical fitness have improved, and the side effects of the magic potion have been suppressed. After pouring a bottle of magic potion to ensure sufficient magic power, Liliana opened her mouth to chant [Interpretation] of singing magic.

The voice also became hoarse and vicissitudes.

"[I would like to offer my respect to the four elements with sulfur, pearl, azure stone and deep hidden gold, from the harbor of still water and ripples, the clear and deep sea, the roar of the calm and churning sea under the deep trench.]"

Chant the quiet port, Chant the deep and great sea.

The pale golden light formed the water-blue door, which opened the moment the firebird was close at hand. The firebird hit Liliana's body, but it couldn't leave scorched marks on the silver scales.

They couldn't even hinder the girl's advance, and the result of rushing forward to the intruder who somehow changed his image was to be wiped away like stains by the cold and sharp water.

This is the way to tear open the impenetrable fire net.

It can almost be compared to the high-pressure water flow coming through the elemental door of the great magic [Sea God Sword].

The reason why this method was not used before was that the human body could not bear it at all, and it needed to consume extra spell slots to protect itself. In that case, the number of times the elemental door could be used would be reduced.

But now you don't have to worry about that at all.

"Miss Liliana, it seems to work!"

Above the lava lake, on the totem poles lined up, there is another chanting, and another jet of water flies by.

Although it is still unclear about the situation, the little puppet realizes that the current Liliana has great power. Although this may not increase her spell slots or make the girl grow wings, the puppet clearly sees the breakthrough. The hope of the firebirds.

The effect of the Feather Falling Technique has not yet disappeared. The seawater sprayed out under the high pressure of the deep sea has a speed and quality far more ferocious than the gale, but under the protection of the silver scales, such a strong impact will only move the girl's body closer. The temple, leaving the group of firebirds far behind.

There are two spell slots left, and the platform is really close at hand.

The firebirds were all screaming angrily, but they couldn't catch up no matter what. Even if the firebirds that were closer could attack the girls, they couldn't stop them from moving forward.

And when they got closer to the temple, even those firebirds no longer approached.

"...It seems that they are indeed domesticated and trained not to approach the temple..."

There is no need to open the next door anymore, the visual distance is still not accurate enough, or the prediction of the speed given by the water column under high pressure is still not accurate enough, next, they should be able to float to On that platform.

"Miss Liliana still has such a trump card. I saw Miss Liliana suddenly took off her clothes and drank the potion, put the clothes into the space storage ring, and put the ring in When it was in the mouth, the puppet was terrified..."

"...This is the last set of clothes I can wear, and if the ring is broken, there is no hope at all, but Miss Doll..."

After the appearance changed, Liliana's voice was also mixed with a trace of solemnity. She lowered her head, and saw her own dragon face from the fiery red eyes of the puppet.

It's not ugly. After all, the giant dragon itself is a great race with both strength and beauty. Apart from being covered with silver dragon scales and the pupils turned into vertical pupils, there is no special change on its face. Instead, it is a doll...

Before the door of the element opened, they still stayed in the flame for a few seconds. Although they tried to protect the doll with their bodies, but...

"?"

"Miss Doll...is it really just a doll?"

"Eh?"

The puppet looked at the expressionless girl with some doubts, and two question marks appeared on its head.

Her appearance has not changed in any way, the golden hair tied around the girl's arms, the whiteness of porcelain, the soft skin of pudding, not to mention the small crown on the head, not even the beautiful eyelashes Burned away.

I relied on the dragon potion, so why did this puppet survive the flames?

It can't be my embrace...

The girl who was ecstatically thinking about this matter stared straight into the eyes of the doll, those flame-like red pupils became even more dazzling after being refined, reflecting herself, the night sky above her head and——

"?!"

"Miss Liliana! Front!"

A rising magma.

At that moment, many thoughts flashed through Liliana's mind, but none of them could be properly considered. The only thing she could do was when the hot and heavy magma hit her eyes.

He just hugged the doll tightly and curled up his body.

Perhaps because of its liquid state, few people are aware of the weight of the magma, even Liliana. The girl subconsciously attributes all the flowing liquid to the lightness of water, even if it is pushed enough by the jets of the deep sea. after a long distance.

However, the girl's own cognition will not change the nature of the magma.

The rising lava was fiery red and viscous, hot, and extremely heavy, like a flaming hammer swung down by a god, with the added quality of the girl after the feather fell, in front of it, it was just a short moment, Liliana was held in her arms, and slammed into a hard and equally hot object.

The layered scales and flexible muscles still failed to prevent the heavy blow from making the girl scream, so viscous magma poured into her mouth, but she could only block her throat desperately, and when she recovered, Time to spit out the hottest drink in the world with melting teeth.

Even Liliana didn't dare to open her eyes or breathe.

The dragon transformation potion can't completely transform a person into a dragon, it only strengthens Liliana's skin, bones and muscles when it acts on Liliana, and gives her sharp dragon claws. Maybe it also strengthened the heart, but highly delicate organs like eyeballs and lungs were not affected much.

She is still a fragile human being under the hard and flexible scales exuding cold air. The lava surrounding her hit the pitch-black totem pole and slowly flowed downwards with the girl. The lava poured in from her ears and nostrils. Fortunately, because the skin and mucous membranes were temporarily replaced by the dragon skin of the silver dragon, she could shake her head desperately to shake off the influx of magma.

But the eyes, the organs strengthened by the dragon potion are limited, once they come into direct contact with the lava, they will be burned in an instant.

And the lungs, Liliana clearly knew that if she inhaled the air that seemed to be boiling, her lungs would burn in an instant, and even if she didn't die immediately, she would only spend the rest of her life in pain.

... Heh, what are you thinking, how can you have the rest of your life?

Before actually reaching the safe zone, he relaxed his vigilance on his own, completely fell into the trap of the person who designed this trap, and he couldn't blame anyone except himself for being killed.

... This time, is it really over?

Desperately, the girl got out from the envelop of the lava, shaking off the scorching heat on her face.

...well, at least. In the end, let me see what it is that buried me.

His eyes might be blinded by the lava, but Liliana didn't care anymore.

I have personally experienced the imminent death. After realizing this point, I didn’t panic. It’s amazing. The so-called most afraid of death is the time when you won’t die? When he was really about to die, his heart was only peaceful, with remorse brewing peacefully.

...In the end, there was still no way to go back. If I had known earlier, I shouldn't have come here.

In the center of the lava column rising in all directions, a pair of brightly colored wings spread out.

Ten... No, probably, more than twenty meters, right? The soft neck like a swan stretched out gracefully out of the lake, and the crimson pupils that were bigger than Liliana's whole body stared at the human beings covered in lava on the totem pole, like looking at an ant that disturbed one's dream.

It is the master of this lava lake. The firebirds dare not approach the temple, not because they have been domesticated and know how to stay away from it, but because their lord, their king, lives there.

The time seems to be stretched, every minute, every second, every feeble beating of the heart, is being dragged along, turning into the reverberation of lamentation.

Its body has not yet risen from the lake, and the firebirds are singing for joy.

What a majestic and beautiful creature this is, it is simply the immortal firebird and immortal phoenix in mythology.

When it bends its neck and bows its head, aiming its sharp beak, which may be several meters long, or tens of meters long, at its own head, it seems that it is thinking about how to inflict the most severe torture.

...Being eaten by such a beautiful monster is not a particularly tragic ending.

The girl who was already a little delirious after holding her breath couldn't help but think so.

— Miss Liliana!

But the voice of the puppet sounded in the brain that lacked fresh air.

...Ah, there are dolls too.

Even if it is submerged in magma, it doesn't look damaged. If this continues, you will sink into this lava lake with me forever. Maybe, that is more terrible than dying, but sorry, I have already done nothing no more.

— Miss Liliana! Grab the face of the totem pole with your left hand!

But the puppet ignored the girl's powerless thoughts, and she was eager to convey the message in Liliana's mind.

Subconsciously, Liliana did as she said.

Why do you want to do this, what is the significance of doing this, the girl is unable to think about such a complicated problem, or maybe, under the peaceful regret, there is still something that has not been annihilated.

"..."

Liliana raised her hand.

Because the right hand is holding the doll's head, it is the left hand that is not very used.

Even without the supply of fresh air, the dragon's body can still exert amazing power for no reason, because the medicine quickly dissimilates into a giant dragon's claws, and the nails are deeply embedded in the same hot metal as magma, and the slide is prevented. , At this point, the girl's body broke away from the magma.

And the sharp red beak that was all over the body was already close in front of his eyes, carrying a blazing heat that even dispelled the cold air from the silver dragon's scales.

Then.

Just at that moment.

"[Law·Death]."

Everything has changed.