"Children to the lifeboats! I'm sorry, but the adults will have to grab onto the dragons' bodies directly!"
Vilma called out to the Highland citizens. The massive vertical shaft created by the faceless giant ran adjacent to the underground facility where the civilians had been taking refuge.
Vilma directed the mecha-dragons to hover beside the shaft, opening their hatches and urging the civilians to evacuate. Children boarded lifeboats resembling large baskets, with two mecha-dragons working together to carry each one. Adults clung directly to the mecha-dragons' bodies for transport.
The lifeboats appeared to be part of the dragons' internal mechanisms, released from compartments near their waists when needed. While the lifeboats lacked the mobility of flygears, they were invaluable, making a critical difference in the evacuation.
"Commander! Where do we go once we're out of here?"
"Head to the surrounding islands near Illuminas, or seek rescue from the Duke of War or the Duke of Law! Either way, focus on escaping! Hurry now!"
Perhaps cowed by Vilma's commanding presence, the Highlanders—including the adults—obeyed her orders without hesitation. Although there was some panic, it hadn't devolved into chaos.
Were the Highlanders as gentle and peaceful in nature as Mais had been? After all, most of them were ignorant of the Mana Essence's horrifying truth and believed in peaceful coexistence with the Midland.
"Miss Rafinha! Miss Leone! Miss Liselotte!"
Speak of the devil. Mais, visibly anxious, approached them quickly.
"Mais! Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. But what's happening!?"
Even Mais, usually brimming with curiosity, now wore an expression of fear.
Rafinha’s thoughts raced. How could she explain Dr. Vilkin's betrayal, the attack from the Church's Union, and the truth about Mana Essence without breaking Mais’ innocent worldview?
"It's the enemy! The enemy is attacking, and Illuminas is in danger! That’s why we have to evacuate!"
She decided to keep her explanation simple.
"Wh-what!? The enemy!? Is it the Prisma and the Magic Stone Beasts?!"
Mais' understanding of enemies was limited to such threats.
"No… But don't worry! We'll protect you and everyone else. Just focus on evacuating!"
Leone and Liselotte urged him forward, gently pushing him toward safety.
"Y-yeah! Thank you, even though you're from the surface, for helping us…"
"You don't have to thank us for that! We're friends, aren’t we?"
"Yeah! Okay, I'll go then…!"
Mais ran toward the mecha-dragons without hesitation.
Rafinha clenched her fists. The thought of such a kind and innocent child losing his life in this chaos was unbearable. She resolved to protect him at all costs.
"Vilma! The hole above us—Glis must have sealed it off! What should we do? If we need to break it, we can handle it!"
Rafinha pointed to the massive block of ice sealing the ceiling of the giant hole. It had appeared suddenly, undoubtedly Inglis' handiwork.
"No, that’s stopping the enemy from coming in! It works in our favor!"
"But then, how are we supposed to get out? The only way is up!"
Vilma's armor emitted a thin beam of light that struck the far wall of the shaft. The beam revealed a hidden passage as the wall opened up, leading further into the underground.
While the passage looked cramped for the mecha-dragons, it was just wide enough for them to fly through in a single file.
"So, there’s another connection over here!"
"We might be able to escape through this!"
"I’ll stay here to help get everyone onto the mecha-dragons! Sorry to ask, but can you check if the escape route is usable?"
Vilma’s call to Rafinha and the others was clear and urgent. With Illuminas collapsing, there was a high risk the escape route could be blocked by debris or flooding. Vilma’s suggestion to ensure the path was safe before committing everyone to it was prudent.
"Understood, Miss Vilma!"
"Both of you, hold on to me!"
"Thank you, Liselotte!" Read full story at ⓝovelFire.net
With Liselotte's wings, the trio crossed to the other side of the large hole and entered the escape route. The walls showed visible cracks, but the structure seemed stable enough to proceed.
As they hurried forward, water droplets seeped through the ceiling, hitting their cheeks with a chilling dampness.
"It seems okay… for now!"
"We can’t let our guard down, though…"
"Look! There's the exit!"
As Liselotte said, they spotted the night sky and twinkling stars at the end of the passage. However, the exit didn’t appear to be a proper one. It looked like part of the original escape route had collapsed, leaving a jagged opening to the outside.
Below the exit, waves crashed violently against the rocks, sending sprays of seawater into the air. Part of Illuminas had already succumbed to the ocean’s grasp.
On the positive side, the remaining path was shorter than anticipated, but any further sinking of the land would flood the tunnel with seawater. Time was of the essence.
"It’s still safe for now!"
"But the ocean’s getting too close!"
"Let’s head back while there’s still time for everyone to evacuate!"
Just as Liselotte turned and began to fly back down the passage— the wall beside them exploded with a deafening roar.
"Has the collapse started!?"
Their assumptions, however, were wrong. Through the gaping hole in the wall, a figure stepped forward—a figure who had deliberately broken through.
"Oh my, what luck. It seems I’ve found my prey. Fufufu…"
The intruder was none other than Tiffany, clad in her golden armor. While Inglis was likely keeping Charlotte and Maxwell occupied, Tiffany had somehow made her way toward them.
"The spoiled daughter of our gracious host… busy playing the hero for these citizens, are you not?"
Tiffany’s gaze swept across the escape route before settling on Rafinha and the others with sharp precision.
If Tiffany advanced further, it would spell disaster. Should Vilma be captured, the evacuation efforts would crumble. Worse, if the civilians were taken hostage, Vilma wouldn’t be able to fight back.
Rafinha and Leona had to stop Tiffany here, no matter the cost.
Exchanging a determined glance, Rafinha and Leone nodded in unison. They released their hold on Liselotte and landed between Tiffany and the path forward.
"Liselotte, go inform Miss Vilma!"
"We’ll hold her off!"
"…! Understood! I’ll be back soon!"
Liselotte turned without hesitation and flew back toward Vilma and the civilians.
"We won’t let you pass! You won’t lay a finger on Miss Vilma!"
With resolute determination, Rafinha and Leone drew their magic-engraved weapons, standing firm against Tiffany.