[Morning Glory Ninety Nine Petal Layered Barrier!]

BAM!

One of the dragons made a preemptive attack at me by breathing blazing fire blast at me. I reflexively cast a barrier in front of me to repel the attack that could also harm Casablanca and Hibiscus who just got behind me.

The flame spread throughout the place raising the temperature and it’s getting unbearable hot, even with my barrier raised against such attack.

My mind is buzzing out since I still hadn’t much rest since the battle in the Dragon Capital Mujinn and I know that the twins have accumulated fatigue too.

“Miss Asagao, we’re going to help too!”

“Yeah, we can’t let you do all of these just for us!”

“Shut it. I’m concentrating! And besides, you two are next to clueless regarding your own power and potentials so taking a risk now is stupidity!”

“P-Power?! Potential?!”

“What are you talking about Miss Asagao?!”

After enduring for another five seconds, the barrage of flame ceases and the wild temperature stopped rising but around the mouth of the tunnel where we are standing is glowing red and melting. Even my hand that I held out seems like a bit moist.

The built up fatigue is catching up to me and I instantly collapse on my knees. It struck me that only a day just has passed since my fight with Nil and I am going to push myself again.

The wingless dragon starts running towards me and looks like it’s going to ram me. Looking carefully, I’m just as big as its feet and probably being rammed by that size would probably squash me into a meat paste.

But before it could come closer to me, Ichirou suddenly flew past above me. His fist collided against the snout of the wingless dragon and made an exploding sound.

The wingless dragon was sent flying by Ichirou.

With his bare fist…

The wingless dragon rolls into the ground as it landed, shaking the place with its weight. The other two dragons didn’t attack. They only glared at Ichirou intently, knowing that one of their comrades was blown away with a single punch.

Ichirou immediately leaps back in front of me and the twins.

“Is everyone all right?!”

I look at the other two behind me.

They sprawled on the ground in their back as they breathe heavily while their faces are flush. I feel like I am the same as them as the heat permeates my skin and clouds my mind. I thought that the heat was still bearable but it seems my hyper regeneration won’t help me much when it comes to extreme heat.

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I try to say something but I can’t. My mouth is gasping for oxygen and the high temperature drains my stamina. I thought that I can withstand the heat but I didn’t think it would have such effect.

“Hyperthermia?!”

That’s one of the few worst possibility that could occur. No, this is definitely hyperthermia as Ichirou said. I can’t let Casablanca and Hibiscus stay in this place any longer because they will definitely die but I cannot even speak a single word.

I can only look at Ichirou with a pained face.

How could he even not sweat a single bead in this kind of heat? Was it because he somehow turned into a super being or something?

“I’ll end this quick. Please, Asagao, don’t be reckless next time.”

I got lectured.

As he said that, he jumps off and runs through the wall and jump towards the flying dragon.

In retaliation, the flying dragon made an evasive maneuver to dodge Ichirou’s attack but it was futile because before it can even fly away from him, Ichirou already conjured a spear and struck its wing.

The flying dragon’s flight becomes unstable and ends up landing on the ground. Ichirou followed the flying dragon that sprawls on the ground and swings a large hammer to its head, crushing it.

Everything happened so fast that the wyrm in the river of magma wasn’t able to react immediately to rescue its comrades. So, in feats of fury, the wyrm launches magma from its mouth to Ichirou.

Is what it’d like to do but Ichirou shoots a rain of arrow to it with a bow, shutting the mouth of the wyrm.

“Anymore of those attacks and Asagao, Casablanca and Hibiscus will suffer further. Sorry to say this but I won’t be showing you mercy!”

Ichirou kicks off the ground and run straight towards the wyrm. The wyrm sensed that it is in danger so it escapes under the river of magma but Ichirou didn’t stop. It seems he plans to kill the wyrm even with the scorching magma it dove into.

I want to see what is Ichirou going to see but my attention was diverted in front of me.

The wingless dragon from earlier is standing up and gathers magical power to its mouth to fire off another flame to me. It seems Ichirou also sensed it but he was too late from reacting as the dragon already fired the flame towards me.

Suddenly, a long thick spear from Ichirou’s conjuration pierces beneath its neck moving the trajectory of its attack upwards but a portion of the flame it breathed didn’t cease to go towards us.

“Shit! Asagao, Casablanca, Hibiscus!!!”

Ugghh…

I try to move my body repeatedly but I am losing to the extreme heat and fatigued, not to mention I just used my stamina to keep up with the attack earlier.

As I was struggling to move my body, two figures enter my view.

The flame that was to fry me was blocked.

In front of me is Casablanca who holds out her crescent shaped blade and Hibiscus who already summoned a spirit bear summon with the floating cube in her left hand. They both stands in front of me with their heads held up even though they are the same as me.

“Miss Asagao, leave this to us!”

“We can also fight…somehow… But…! We don’t want to stay helpless all the time!”

“You two…”

Whatever I do, whatever I think, these two is much braver than me. I need to go to all sorts of hardship before I can become completely bold and brave enough to fight, but these two, their hearts are already awakened to such compelling force to be mentally strong.

These are the little sisters I am undeserving with.

That’s right, like Higan, these two are pure hearted. These two are ready to overcome any obstacles in life, that’s why they are standing in front of me even with the frail bodies of theirs.

I force myself to stand up.

I mean, just look at them trying their best. I should be proud of them as their older sister or brother. I don’t care anymore because they have the desire to fight, not to be protected.

They didn’t even whine even with such hot temperature and I have been complaining inside my mind.

I slowly stand up and approach the two.

“You two… If I am not misunderstanding it… you two…wants to be stronger too… right?”

“Yes! Miss Asagao, we wanted to protect so many things. Our eyes were opened because of you and how you struggled in life! Miss Asagao, even though Susanoo is so cool, you are the one we look up to.”

“Casablanca is right! Miss Asagao, please let us protect you, even if the best of our ability is incomparable to yours! You are even smaller than us but, you were able to protect us! Let us return the favor…!”

How ironic that I can just smile.

I won’t deny their honest and pure desires. It is something they built up.

It’s a bit embarrassing to be look up upon but it feels unnaturally warm for my chest thinking that these two is idolizing me even though I am unworthy.

“Then…you…two…”

I reach out to their hands and interweave my fingers to theirs. Having an understanding of their motives and unblemished hopes, I know that they are more than qualified for it.

I prayed to myself as I close my eyes and feel them more.

The whole place is hot but I can already distinguish their warmth from it. My chest felt a little fuzzy and mind becomes calm.

And so, I chanted that and transferred a huge amount of divine power to them.

“[Divine Ascension!]”