The wind whipped my face. Cold, sharp, filled with the scent of the sky.
I was standing at the edge of the deck, both hands clenched tight on the ship's railing, and before me stretched a landscape no fucking 3D image could ever capture.
Beneath our feet, there was nothing but an endless sea of clouds, swollen like white waves. From time to time, the ship cut through a thinner layer and I caught glimpses far below — the blue glint of rivers, the green curve of forests. Above, the horizon opened, immense.
A roar made the air vibrate.
I raised my eyes, heart pounding. There, in the distance, a winged shadow slid across the sky. A dragon. Its scales blazed under the sun, gold and scarlet, each beat of its wings stirring gusts of wind. Two others followed, like lazy kings gliding above the world.
And farther still… I saw the impossible. Floating islands, suspended like pearls above the ocean of clouds. Waterfalls gushed from their cliffs, dissolving into the void before ever reaching the ground.
A castle hovered at the center of that aerial archipelago, its stone towers glowing with ancient magic.
I drew in a deep breath. My body still trembled, but this time it wasn't from shame or frustration. It was… pure wonder.
At last, I saw something worth living for. A bitter smile stretched my lips.
I turned slightly. And of course… they were there. Always them. Impossible to escape their voices, their gazes. Even in the middle of clouds and dragons, my "family" still found a way to turn this dreamlike scenery into a flying prison.
Even in another world, I should be happy… but I'm cornered, I thought.
Miyu leaned back slightly, a lazy smile curling her lips, as if she were still savoring some forbidden memory. Her eyes gleamed with mischief when she dropped, in a slow, provocative voice:
— "What a shame… I would've liked to enjoy the decadent pleasures of the capital a little longer."
The creak of wood, the whistling of wind through enchanted sails. And then, that icy voice, sharp as a verdict:
— "Staying in the capital is useless. No monsters, no progress. We must travel. Without shame or regret."
Reina. Straight as a blade, arms crossed, her dark hair whipping in the wind. Her eyes already fixed on the horizon, as if the destination didn't matter. What mattered was moving forward.
Next to her, Hikari pulled her cloak tighter over her shoulders. Her face remained soft, but her voice trembled with fragile resolve:
— "We don't have a choice… if we want to defeat the Demon King and return… we have to move forward."
She spoke as if convincing herself. Her fingers clenched on the fabric, her eyes darting away from mine.
I sighed, turned my gaze back to the clouds.
A burst of laughter cut through the wind.
Miyu flashed her predatory grin.
— "The funniest part… are our luxury lapdogs."
She snapped her fingers.
The air vibrated. Eight figures appeared out of nowhere, kneeling around us like shadows given form. Dressed all in black, blank masks, short blades strapped to their backs. Not a breath, not a sound — only cold eyes gleaming through cloth.
Even the sailors handling the ship froze, tense. The priests in the back exchanged troubled looks.
Miyu raised her hand, theatrical.
— "Sit! Heel!"
As one, they obeyed. Their movements so perfectly in sync it was inhuman. A blink later, they vanished, swallowed by the ship's shadows. No trace left, as if they had never existed.
Miyu burst into laughter, clinging to the railing, delighted by her own performance.
— "Hahaha… too easy."
I ground my teeth. Guard dogs, huh? Those guys aren't just here to protect us. They're watching us. Every word, every move. No way to be free…
I glanced at the girls. Perfect move from the king. A poisoned gift. And I can't even warn them without risking those shadows reporting everything.
Miyu's laughter faded, replaced by the hiss of the wind. Then, a soft, hesitant voice cut through the air.
Ayame.
She had stepped closer to me, holding her kimono closed with one hand to keep it from flapping too much in the wind. Her brown eyes rested on me, curious, innocent.
— "But… what exactly is a dungeon?"
I felt all their gazes shift to me. Reina, Hikari, Miyu.
I cleared my throat, playing the teacher against my will.
— "A dungeon… it's like a scar on the world. A place where magic spirals out of control, drawing monsters in, trapping them, making them multiply. A cage… but a cage full of prey."
I gripped the railing, searching for words.
— "For the locals, it's a nightmare. For us, it's… an opportunity. Every monster defeated, that's experience. Every floor cleared, that's another step to getting stronger."
The wind whistled, and I added under my breath:
— "In short… it's our chance to grow fast."
Silence followed. Hikari bit her lip, nervous. Reina nodded, as if she'd already decided. Miyu, though, smiled with that spark of challenge that made me want to throw her overboard.
I took the chance to share what I had received, the scroll they had handed us when we left. Not a schoolkid's doodle: a real piece of magic. As soon as I unrolled it, lines of light came alive, projecting a three-dimensional map into the air.
A murmur of awe escaped Hikari. Even Reina frowned, attentive.
I lifted my hand and pointed zone by zone.
— "Here, from what I've gathered." I pointed to the top of the projection.
The map shimmered, bluish.
— "The human capital. All the way north, pressed against the sea. That's our starting point."
I slid my finger to the right.
— "To the east, the elven kingdom. Eternal forests, ancient magic…"
Then left.
— "To the west, the dwarven kingdom. Underground fortresses, mountains of iron. And farther still, that chain of peaks…"
The map vibrated, revealing a titanic silhouette of black mountains.
— "The dragons' territory. Beings you'd only ever find in legends… except we just saw three of them flying overhead."
I swallowed. Even saying it, I still struggled to believe what my eyes had seen.
Finally, I slid my hand downward. Nothing. No lines, no colors. Just a black stain.
— "And that… the south. The unknown lands. The Demon King's domain. Black, swallowed, forgotten for so long no archivist dares even draw its outline."
A shiver ran across the deck. Even Miyu had gone quiet, her eyes fixed on the dark blotch.
I snapped the scroll closed to make it vanish. The illusion dissolved in the air.
— "That's our playground. Three kingdoms. Dragons in their mountains, elves to the east, dwarves to the west. And everything in between… demi-humans, people without a realm. Strangers, wherever they set foot."
I exhaled, tense.
— "And us, we landed right in the middle of this mess."
The silence grew heavy once the map was gone. Only the wind still whistled, carrying the scent of salt and oiled wood.
Hikari inhaled, fists clenched to her chest, her eyes glowing with a flame too pure.
— "But… it's horrible… what we saw in the capital… Slavery, executions… this world has nothing—"
I didn't wait for her to finish. My body moved on its own, without thinking. And before I even registered what I was doing, my lips brushed her warm neck, just under her ear.
A shiver ran through her whole body. She froze, her words choking in her throat, replaced by a strangled little cry. Her cheeks flared crimson, her clenched hands pressed against my shirt to push me away clumsily.
— "N-Nii-san!!?" she cried, panicked, eyes wide.
The shock shattered the tension.
Miyu burst out laughing, clutching her sides.
— "Hahaha! You're insane!"
Reina clicked her tongue and turned her head.
— "Pathetic."
Her tone stayed icy, but her red ears betrayed her. And then… that look. Fleeting. Cold, cutting… but I understood at once: she'd seen through me. She knew. Our eyes met for a second, and I almost felt her silent message: "Idiot, but well played."
Ayame, though, said nothing. Her hand stayed clenched on her kimono, her lips parted as if to protest, but no sound came out. Her eyes shone with a dangerous, unreadable mix.
I straightened slowly, wiping my burning lips with the back of my hand, feigning indifference.
Tch… you talk too much, Hikari, I thought.
She stepped back, hands on her throat, scarlet red, unable to utter a single word.
Mission accomplished. Conversation cut short. But my heart pounded like crazy. And across the deck, I felt Hikari's embarrassed gaze.
The ship jolted sharply, as if struck by a giant's hand. The sails cracked violently, the wood groaned under the pressure of a magical current.
I clung to the railing, but the girls, caught off guard, lost their balance.
Hikari toppled first. She crashed into me, her panicked arms wrapping around my waist. Her soft, firm chest crushed against my torso, her hot breath brushing my throat.
— "A-ah! Nii-san!" she whimpered, unable to pull away.
I didn't even have time to react before Miyu, laughing, literally fell onto me.
She landed straddling my lap, her thighs squeezing my hips as if she'd done it on purpose. Her laughter caught for a second, replaced by an even sharper grin. She leaned in, her lips brushing my ear.
— "Ooooh… Nii-san… you're hiding something hard down there." she whispered, her mocking voice caressing my skin.
My blood froze, and at the same time my cock stiffened even more, betraying my panic. Fuck.
I cursed inwardly, trying to pull free, but Reina, unbalanced as well, grabbed onto my arm. Her icy fingers clutched my sleeve, her steel eyes wide. She stayed glued to me, frozen, her face red despite herself.
And as if that weren't enough, my back hit something soft. Too soft.
Ayame.
She had caught me at the last moment, keeping me from falling overboard. But in doing so, she pressed against me, her massive breasts squashed against my back, her scent filling my nose.
I was sandwiched. Boobs in front. Boobs behind. Thighs on my lap. Cold fingers gripping me.
My brain imploded. Damn it… I'm going to die before even facing a monster…!
The ship tilted gently, its sails rustling under a heavier wind. We were descending. Slowly, majestically, like a giant feather carried toward the earth.
Through the clouds, a green patch appeared. Then it spread, revealing a dense, impenetrable forest, an ocean of dark foliage stretching to the horizon. And there, in the middle, rising like a crystal spear thrust into the world's flesh… the tower. Translucent, gleaming, pulsing with inner light.
The first dungeon. Our destination.
A silence fell, almost religious. Even Miyu shut up.
Then the shadow fell.
Massive. Devouring the sky. A roar shook the air, so powerful the ship's wood cracked under its resonance. The wind turned into a storm, whipping our hair, tearing strips of sail.
I lifted my eyes, my heart in my throat.
A dragon. Colossal. So vast our whole ship could vanish in its jaws. Its wings beat like tempests, each clap bending the masts like twigs. Its black scales glowed in the light, streaked with blazing red veins, as if magma flowed beneath its skin. Its half-open maw spewed scorching vapor, suffocating, grinding my teeth and shaking my legs.
It passed so close its wing nearly grazed the main mast. A fiery gust swept the deck, tearing ropes and burning the air with sulfur. Then, with a single beat of its wings, it vanished into the clouds… as if that monster had never existed.
No one spoke. Not a word. Not a breath. The silence was so heavy even the invisible assassins seemed to have vanished with it.
I clenched my teeth, eyes locked on the approaching forest, on the crystal tower rising taller by the second.
This world… wants me dead.