“I’ll stay too,” Jeanne D’Arc declared, stepping forward to make her stance clear. She intended to seize this opportunity to hone her skills.
“Jeanne~” Windy Feron pleaded, tugging pitifully at Jeanne D’Arc’s sleeve. Seeing everyone else determined to stay, she found herself in a difficult position, being the sole one left.
“Don’t be scared, Windy Feron, I’m here!” Alisa Dragon lifted her head, puffed out her chest, and declared with conviction.
“Don’t listen to this idiot,” Luoge East interjected, snatching the staff from Alisa Dragon’s hand and lightly tapping her head. “I believe the decision is yours, Windy Feron.”
“I-I want to adventure with everyone! Ugh~” Windy Feron suddenly mustered her courage, blurting out her true feelings.
Yet, immediately after her declaration, she shyly hid behind Jeanne D’Arc, her entire face flushing crimson.
“Hey! Knight Uncle, did you see that?” Alisa Dragon challenged, defiantly raising her head to glare at Hukelent. “We’re not scared, so you can’t make us leave!”
“Hukelent, let it be,” the Golden-haired Girl advised, stepping beside him and gently patting his back. “If they want to stay, that’s their freedom; we have no right to interfere.”
“Young ladies, this place is indeed very dangerous right now, so you must be extra careful.”
Grandma Muma, an old woman seated cross-legged on a crystal ball, floated before Jeanne D’Arc and the others. She exuded the aura of a benevolent elder, prompting them to nod instinctively at her counsel.
“Grandma Muma, let’s go.”
A Young Swordsman, dressed in traditional Eastern attire, glanced at Jeanne D’Arc and her companions. It was merely a fleeting look, however, and he subsequently paid them no further attention.
“I really want to go back to sleep,” muttered a Sleepwalking Young Man, who, like Grandma Muma, was suspended in the air. He was truly floating, however, unlike the old woman who relied on an external object. “I need twenty-four hours of sleep every day, or it affects my magic.”
“Then, children, be careful,” Grandma Muma said, and with that, she turned and departed.
“You too, Grandma Muma, be careful,” Alisa Dragon called out, waving goodbye to them.
“Then let’s set off!” Alisa Dragon exclaimed, excitedly raising her right hand, though she seemed to have no idea where they were going.
“Set off where? Do you have a plan?” Luoge East asked, tossing the staff back to Alisa Dragon. “Tell me, I’m listening.”
“As for me, I want to go there,” Jeanne D’Arc stated, pointing in the direction the five individuals had just departed.
“Jeanne D’Arc, are you certain?” Shavier Aznar asked, a hint of hesitation in her voice.
“Yes,” Jeanne D’Arc affirmed with a nod. It wasn’t just Jeanne D’Arc who wished to go; Shana Aznar shared the exact same intention.
“Shana?” Shavier Aznar was perplexed that Shana Aznar would agree with Jeanne D’Arc.
“If Jeanne D’Arc and Shana Aznar are going, then I’m going too!” Alisa Dragon declared, rushing over to their side without fully understanding the situation. Her excitement was plainly etched across her face in that moment.
“I have nothing more to say,” Luoge East sighed, “I’ll just consider it a scenic tour.” She found Alisa Dragon utterly exasperating, resigned to her fate of having such an older sister.
“Then, Shavier Aznar, what about us?” Windy Feron asked, walking over to the still-hesitant Shavier Aznar. She, too, was caught between deciding whether to go or not.
“I can’t abandon my sister.”
Ultimately, Shavier Aznar made her decision. Since this was Shana Aznar’s wish, she would respect it and remain by her side.
“Then, then I’ll go too,” Windy Feron said softly, raising her hand to express her own will.
“What are we waiting for then? Adventures await us ahead! Let’s go!”
Alisa Dragon, taking the lead, dashed forward at top speed. The others followed behind, not because they were unwilling to catch up, but because they simply couldn’t outrun her.
“Huh? Eh~!”
However, as Alisa Dragon ran wildly, a large black hole suddenly materialized beneath her feet. Looking down with a puzzled expression, she found herself directly in its center. Yet, she felt no fear; instead, as she plummeted, she pondered a single question.
‘Why would a hole appear beneath my feet?’
Not only Alisa Dragon, but also Jeanne D’Arc and the other five running behind her, simultaneously fell into the black hole. Immediately afterward, the black hole on the ground vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
“Hahaha~ This is so much fun!” Alisa Dragon’s excited laughter echoed within the black hole as she continued her descent. Despite the absolute darkness, the sensation only amplified her exhilaration.
Thud!
A moment later, the six reached the end of the black hole. Alisa Dragon landed first, followed simultaneously by Jeanne D’Arc and the other five. The profound darkness of the black hole abruptly gave way to a blinding flash of light, causing them to temporarily close their eyes.
“Hahaha~ I’m fine, I’m actually fine!” Alisa Dragon exclaimed, having anticipated a much more thrilling landing. Instead, it had been utterly mundane, far from the dramatic descent she had imagined.
“Be quiet, you idiot,” Luoge East snapped, once again snatching the staff from Alisa Dragon’s hand and lightly tapping her head.
“I’m just excited~” Alisa Dragon chirped, her enthusiasm undimmed.
“Where is this?” Jeanne D’Arc and Shavier Aznar were the first to survey their surroundings. They found themselves in an open-air altar, adorned with weathered, ancient stone pillars and dilapidated structures. The illumination here didn’t emanate from the sun or moon, but from a colossal, spherical gem positioned at the very apex of the altar. This gem, though three or four times smaller than the altar’s entire area, sparkled with an astonishing brilliance.
“Wow~ It’s so big and beautiful!” Alisa Dragon gasped, utterly captivated the moment she looked up.
“It is quite beautiful,” Luoge East admitted, “I was just thinking of adding it to my collection.” Despite her awe, she retained her composure, knowing the colossal gem was far from ordinary. If she had to guess, its tier would be at least Saint-grade, or perhaps even higher.
“Welcome, Children of the Divine.”
Just then, a translucent female figure suddenly appeared in the center of the altar. Simultaneously, all the surrounding structures seemed to awaken, slowly restoring themselves to their former splendor.
“Children, you need not worry that I mean you any harm.” Sensing the six girls’ wariness, the phantom assured them she harbored no ill intentions.
“I am the entity above you,” the phantom explained. “Due to certain circumstances, I fell into a deep slumber, only to awaken upon your arrival.”
“I was once the guardian deity of a tribe,” she continued. “When the demon race attacked, I was powerless to help them, which ultimately led to the tribe’s demise.”
“However, just as I was on the verge of destruction, an individual appeared. That person saved me, placed me here, and told me that my awakening would coincide with someone’s entry into this place.”
“And you are the Children of the Divine that person spoke of.” The phantom raised her hand, and from the grand gem above, six sacred white lights emerged, drifting towards Jeanne D’Arc and the others. “I shall bestow upon you divine power, granting you the strength to contend with the demon race.”
“May I be so bold as to ask a question?” Luoge East inquired. Jeanne D’Arc and the other five did not immediately accept the offer; they were not naive children who would snatch up any good thing they saw.
“You may,” the phantom replied with a nod.
“I wish to know the name of that tribe,” Luoge East stated. She had suddenly become intrigued by the tribe the phantom mentioned, the one she had been powerless to help. As far as Luoge East knew, the last major demon invasion occurred in ancient times, a millennium ago. During that era, numerous tribes existed across various continents, and while conflicts between them were common, very few were utterly destroyed by demonic incursions, especially on the European continent.
“The Sacred Flame Tribe,” the phantom answered truthfully.
“You are the legendary Sacred Flame Divine Stone!?”
Aside from Luoge East, who had already deduced the truth, and the habitually reserved Shana Aznar, the other four were utterly stunned by this revelation. Alisa Dragon, however, was mostly just caught up in the excitement.
Shana Aznar gazed at the sacred white light before her, then, without a moment’s hesitation, reached out, grasped it, and brought it directly to her mouth.
“Ugh!”
Upon swallowing, Shana Aznar felt an immense transformation ripple through her body. A potent surge of magic seemed to spread within her, merging with her own innate magical energy to reshape her attributes. However, this process was agonizing.
“Shana!” Shavier Aznar cried out, seeing her sister in such distress. As an older sister, she was profoundly worried for her.
“I’m… fine,” Shana Aznar managed, shaking her head and releasing Shavier Aznar’s hand.
“This Child of the Divine possesses truly rare attributes,” the phantom remarked, having clearly observed Shana Aznar’s transformation.
“Dark red… flames?!”
Indeed, dark crimson flames began to emanate from Shana Aznar’s body.