A Distant Reverie

Chapter 110

Ame couldn't believe her ears.

Cecilia's words felt like a slap in the face. After everything that they had been through, this ordeal still wasn't over?

This must be a sick joke.

"Where's Gura and Fuwamoco?!"

"The twins are unconscious! I'm not sure what's going on. I'm carrying them in my arms and heading to Gura! The compound's automated defenses are active, but I don't think they can hold back this number of Incursions!"

Goddammit.

"Okay, just hang in there! We'll try to get there soon!"

Ame turned the earpiece off speakers. She froze, staring blankly into the ground as her mind trembled with questions. Why were the Incursions still attacking? The Incursion AI in this region should have switched off human hostilities the moment the spirit veins were active. It didn't make sense.

Did the AI get destroyed by the landslide before it can send out orders to cease hostilities? In which case, the existing Incursions will default to their existing commands. But—

Realizing that she was spiraling, Ame shook her head and smacked her cheeks to steady her focus. The reason wasn't important right now. They had to get back to the compound.

"Shiori, can you warp us back home?"

"Uh," Shiori mumbled with uncertainty as she parsed through her tome, "The warp spell I just used has a range restriction. I can't go beyond a certain distance. Even then, the spell requires a huge amount of mana to cast. I'll need some time before I can cast it again."

"Okay, anyone else have any secret abilities that they want to share?" Ame asked to Calli, Kiara, and Vesper. Her tone sounded more panicked and hostile than she intended, but she couldn't help it. The reason for everyone's sacrifices and efforts was now in danger. What did she do this for if this inevitability couldn't be changed?

"I...I might be able to take us home," Kiara said, "Just, give me some space. And no guarantees, because I don't even know how this is going to work."

Everyone backed off at her words. Kiara took in a deep breath. When she exhaled, her body suddenly burst into flames. The area shone with a blinding light. When it finally faded, Kiara was no more.

What stood in her place instead was a massive bird. Its wingspan stretched to at least thirty meters. Its plumage were covered not in feathers, but drenched in living flames.

"A phoenix," Ame mumbled in awe.

"I might be able to carry everyone over," Kiara said, her voice reverberating with an echo in her new form.

"Hold on," Calli said as she cautiously extended a finger towards the phoenix's body. As it got too close, the tip of her finger spontaneously burst aflame. "Yeah, that's going to be a problem."

"I have a spell that can give us heat and burn protection," Shiori said.

"I can help make us more lightweight if that'll help Kiara fly faster," Vesper proposed.

"Do it," Ame said without hesitation, "We have our home to save."

***

With Shiori and Vesper's spells, everyone got on the back of Kiara in her phoenix form. After spending a bit of time to adjust to her new body, Kiara ascended to the skies. Needless to say, everyone was nervous. Straddling onto the back of a massive bird with scorching flames as its feathers was one thing, but Kiara taking flight was another. She obviously had never lived in the body of a bird before.