At the Northern Fort

Upon hitting the ground, the mini tornado swept up fallen leaves and twigs as it attacked us.

"Uu……!"

Thankfully, it didn't have enough power to send people flying, so as long as Kugalg and I stayed in Commander-san's arms, it wouldn't be too dangerous.

My long fur was pulled here and there, growing ruffled as the tornado disappeared.

It looks like it settled with only messing up the One-Eyed Knight and everyone's clothes and hair.

It probably only had this amount of force because it was just a fairy, but it terrified me when I thought about how powerful it would be if the spirit had been attacking us in person.

Caw caw! -It shrieked as the bird once again sent a small tornado flying our way.

However, after seeing everyone hold firm like before and letting it pass, the bird seemed to think that this kind of attack was useless and came charging in person.

Its target was Kugalg and myself, as expected.

"Stop!"

When it tried to claw at us with its talons, I reflexively shouted while evading it in Commander-san's big arms.

But, before its sharp talons could reach us, the One-Eyed Knight and the rest used their swords to drive it away.

That being said, everyone's attacks were still hesitant.

The people of this world hold spirits in awe, so they may have some hesitation in injuring an existence like a fairy, which could be said to be their 'envoys'.

It was different from having spirits like Kugalg and myself attacking the bird.

In addition, I'm sure that everyone has also noticed that the bird wasn't in a normal state of mind.

Even now the bird was trying to charge at Kugalg and I despite being driven away by the swords countless times. It was as though it had gone insane.

It was hard to believe that there was any reason behind those eyes that whirled with intense dark emotions.

"Why are you attacking Mil and Kugalg!"

The One-Eyed Knight shouted, but the bird simply continued to shriek in a deranged manner without showing any signs of understanding.

Our words probably wouldn't reach either this bird nor the wind spirit.

Even when its feathers came out, even if it appeared to tire, the bird showed no signs of stopping. Like a broken toy, it simply continued to charge at Kugalg and I on sight.

Somehow it seemed a little pitiful.

I wonder where the wind spirit was and what it was doing right now. Why wasn't the spirit themself coming?

If it hated Kugalg and I due to some misunderstanding, then I wanted to resolve that. However, since we didn't know the wind spirit, then unless they came in person, we can't use the transfer technique to see how they were doing.

I raised my eyes and looked steadily at the bird.

There was no point in speaking with this bird, and it looked like it was suffering by continuing its attacks. I started to want to do something to relieve it of that suffering.

"We don't have any choice but to take it down."

In order to release the fairy that was being controlled by the wind spirit's emotions, we could only destroy it.

Hearing my words, the One-Eyed Knight and everyone also nodded decisively. Gripping their swords, they confronted the other side in earnest.

When they did so, the bird also seemed to notice their killing intent, as it temporarily took a distance and then whirled up a gust of wind, changing its attack style to sending wind blasts like it did in the afternoon.

If it continued to attack from afar like this, then everyone's swords won't be able to reach the bird. While dodging the pieces of firewood that were being sent flying, everyone thought of a plan to bring down the bird.

Naturally, I also contemplated the problem.

And then, this kind of idea came to mind. If I were able to breathe out a blizzard like how Kugalg can breathe out fire, then I can freeze the bird and bring it down.

While I was far from being able to produce a blizzard when practising – rather, I couldn't even make a snowball – it was okay. I'm the sort who's good at things when it counts. That's what I believe.

While staying put in Commander-san's arms, I focussed on the 'power of a spirit'-like thing that filled me and brought to mind an image.

As I recalled how I created a fairy, I condensed that energy around my throat.

Good good, it feels like my throat's starting to get a bit colder.

Feeling confident that I'd be able to succeed like this, I blew out 'FWUUUUH!' enthusiastically.

"Ah."

But what emerged from my mouth with a 'pop' was a bead-sized ball of light.

It was my fairy.

"That's not right, I made a mistake."

I don't have the time to be using up my powers needlessly.

"Come back."

Even now the One-Eyed Knight and everyone are doing their best to take down the bird amidst the thundering winds, so you have to hurry up and get back into my mouth.

I tried to eat up the fairy, but like always it was incredibly quick and managed to get away.

In the end, it was swept up by the winds created by the bird and slammed into the trunk of a tree, disappearing with a 'pew'!

What a short life.

"……what was that just now?"

Commander-san asked, having seen the entire sequence of events. However, I didn't reply.

I'd really like for him to pretend he didn't see that.

After recollecting myself, I once again tried to accumulate my powers.

This time, I properly imagined a blizzard in my head. When I did that, my throat grew cold—and at the same time, my nose started to tickle. It might've been due to the dust and refuse being blown up by the wind.

Enduring the desire to sneeze, I exhaled strongly.

However, this time neither a blizzard, nor even a fairy came out.

I could still feel a mass of power around my throat, but I couldn't properly release it. No matter how many times I blew out, it didn't come out.

Eventually, I lost to the tickling in my nose and, "Achoo!" sneezed.

"Eh!?"

And what came out the moment I sneezed was, amazingly, a small blizzard.

However, it was too small and couldn't reach the far away bird.

Rather, it instead lost to the wind produced by the bird and ended up blowing back at me the instant it left my mouth.

"Waahh……!"

A bunch of snowflakes pasted themselves onto my face, obstructing my vision.

Cold!

I flusteredly moved my front legs to remove the snow stuck on my face.

Unable to remain watching, Commander-san wiped my face for me while saying, "Just what are you trying to do on your own here?". I'm sorry.

While licking my own nose that had gotten chilled, I reconfirmed everyone's situation.

It hadn't changed much since I started fussing about on my own, with things neither getting better nor worse. The bird was staying atop the branch of a tall tree, creating wind, while everyone was unable to do anything about it.

"I'll go!"

Kugalg said, jumping out of Commander-san's arms and landing on the ground.

It was true that Kugalg might be able to climb that tree. Panthers specialise in climbing trees after all.

But even if Kugalg heads directly towards the bird, he probably won't be able to get near it if he's attacked. That bird's only been targeting Kugalg and myself. It'd be difficult for him to secretly approach it.

That being the case, then shouldn't I just act as a lure like I did this afternoon? -I suddenly recalled.

While I draw the bird's attention to its right, Kugalg can go around secretly from its left.

"Ah, hey! Wait!"

Ignoring Commander-san's call to stop, I jumped to the ground and exchanged glances with Kugalg as a signal before running off first.

When I did so, the bird zeroed in on me as expected and began to attack.

It was probably just going to be a blast of wind – an attack that might send me rolling, but won't produce any real harm.

——is what I thought, but the bird had sent wind blades flying at me.

"Kyan!"

The instant I saw the boomerang-shaped, pea green-coloured, transparent mass of wind, I let out a miserable cry and grovelled on the ground.

Thankfully, the sharp wind passed just over my ears.

The wind hit the tree that was behind me, leaving behind a mark as though it had been cut by a sword on the trunk. Seeing that, my face went pale.

T-That was dangerous……!

It's unfair to suddenly use such a dangerous attack like that. I let my guard down. If I knew, I wouldn't have left Commander-san's arms!

Not only that, but the bird was taking advantage of this chance to continuously shoot out wind blades. Each time it flapped its wings, it let out a slashing attack.

"……!"

I desperately moved my trembling legs and somehow managed to dodge the attack, but the bird anticipated that and shot out its next attack.

Wind blades once again attacked, targeting the place where I evaded.

It's no good! I can't avoid it!

"Milfee!"

Kugalg screamed from the opposite side, but I couldn't do anything. Thus, I resigned myself to take the attack and tightly closed my eyes.

"Mil!"

However, at that moment I heard a panicked voice and the sound of footsteps before something covered me with a great force.

It felt as though I'd be squished from the impact of that body, but I soon realised from its scent that it was the One-Eyed Knight. It was at that same moment that I heard the sound of wind slicing through the air—

"……!"

The One-Eyed Knight clenched his teeth and held his breath.

The arms holding me tightened stiffly.

"One-Eyed Knight!?"

Caught between the ground and the One-Eyed Knight, I turned back and raised my voice.

It was dark so I couldn't see too well, but the One-Eyed Knight was making a pained expression.

"No way……!"

I gasped and crawled out from underneath the One-Eyed Knight.

I felt like I'd faint from the scene that laid before my eyes.

"Blood is……"

Because the One-Eyed Knight tried to protect me with his body, he ended up receiving the wind blades with his back.

"One-Eyed Knight!"

Upset, I paced around aimlessly before desperately licking the One-Eyed Knight's face so that he wouldn't lose consciousness after falling face-forward.

"Grail!"

"Vice Captain!"

Everyone that was there ran towards the One-Eyed Knight. The bird was still trying to attack, so Branch Captain-san and Kix were using their swords to parry the wind blades while Commander-san and Tina-san were checking the One-Eyed Knight's condition.

"I'm okay……"

Perhaps because I appeared so flustered, the One-Eyed Knight was trying to get up while saying, "It's not that bad an injury" in a pained voice.

"Stay still."

"Don't move!"

Commander-san spoke calmly, while I shouted panickedly.

There's no way he was 'okay' with such a large wound. No matter how much of an 'iron man' the One-Eyed Knight was, he was still human.

Commander-san swiftly removed his mantle and pressed it against the One-Eyed Knight's back, but it seemed that it was harder to stop a wound on the back compared to a limb.

"Uu……"

Seeing the One-Eyed Knight's face warp with pain made me start to hurt too.

"What should we do? Because of me, the One-Eyed Knight is……"

My vision grew distorted as cold tears overflowed from my eyes.

The droplets froze momentarily on contact with the One-Eyed Knight's face before melting from his bodily heat and flowing away.

What can I do to save him!?

What could I do for the injured One-Eyed Knight?

At that moment I remembered that if we froze the wound opening, we could stop the flow of blood.

But I was still unskilled at making blizzards, so I don't know if I'd be able to succeed. This wasn't the time to be accidentally producing fairies.

(……right, Mother! I'll have Mother save him!)

My body moved quicker than I could think as I utilised the movement technique, attempting to fly to Mother. Like usual, my body steadily started to transform into snow as it disappeared.

Or it should have but—

"Eh, huh?"

My body that had momentarily disappeared solidified once more. When I tried using the technique again the result was the same.

There was an invisible wall between Mother and me. It felt like I was being repelled by it, causing me to return to my original location.

This was the first time this has ever happened.

"Mother……?"

Somehow, I felt like that wall was created by Mother.

It felt like she was preventing me from coming to her.

(Why?)

A sense of unease scratched at my heart.

To think that I couldn't request for Mother's help in such an emergency situation!

"I'll go and bring Father!"

Seeing Kugalg transform into fire to head to get Hilg-papa, I also had an idea.

"I'll be back soon, One-Eyed Knight!"

Father won't be able to freeze the wound, but he should be able to help the One-Eyed Knight somehow.

This time when I used the movement technique, I was able to move without any obstructions.

I have to bring Father back quickly.

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