"Hmm? What's up, Alice-chan?"
Loki's sharp eyes immediately noticed Alice's unusual behavior, turning a puzzled gaze toward her.
"Loki, that shadow over there... do you know what it is?" A profound sense of unease was churning within Alice.
"Shadow?" Loki followed Alice's gaze toward the horizon, confusion written all over her face. "What shadow? I don't see anyth—"
Just as she was about to insist she saw nothing, Loki's narrow eyes flew wide open, a strangled sound escaping her lips.
"Why? Why is that thing appearing now? How is this even possible!"
"Loki, what is that thing?" Alice asked, perplexed. "Even from this distance, I can feel intense malice radiating from that shadow. It feels like it's coming for me."
"What did you say!" Loki stared at Alice in shock. "That thing is here for you?!"
"..." Alice fell silent.
She could hear it clearly—not just shock, but a trace of panic in Loki's voice. It was obvious Loki recognized that distant black shadow, and whatever it was, it was nothing good.
Otherwise, Loki wouldn't be reacting like this.
"Alice, get down, right now. Then we're going to find Freya. At this point, probably only an alliance between the Freya Familia and the Loki Familia can prevent that thing from destroying the entire Orario."
"Even if you say it's here for you, Alice, that thing isn't just your enemy. It's an enemy to all of Orario."
"Honestly, even combining the strength of my and Freya's familias might not be enough. We'll probably need help from other factions too."
"Later, we'll head straight for the Guild. Right now, only Ouranos can ensure Orario isn't completely obliterated by that creature."
Loki's expression was uncharacteristically grave.
Alice, however, looked at her helplessly. "So, what is that thing exactly?"
Loki paused for a moment before speaking. "In Orario, there are Three Great Quests. Back in the era the children of the lower world call the 'Ancient Times,' three monsters tore a massive hole in the Dungeon and escaped to the surface."
"Those three monsters were the King of the Land, Behemoth; the King of the Sea, Leviathan; and the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"The Zeus and Hera familias managed to slay Behemoth and Leviathan. But when they faced the Black Dragon... they were completely annihilated. Back then, those two familias were even stronger than the Loki and Freya familias are now."
"When they confronted the Black Dragon, they were utterly crushed, without any chance of fighting back. After their main forces were wiped out, Freya and I... we drove the remnants of those two familias out of Orario."
Loki recounted the past events calmly.
"So, that black shadow is the One-Eyed Black Dragon, right?" Before knowing the shadow's true identity, Alice had been deeply anxious. But now that she knew, a strange calm settled over her.
The most frightening thing is always the unknown. Now that the shadow had a name, a way to deal with it must exist too.
Even though her inexplicable sixth sense still screamed that the Black Dragon's target was her personally, just as Loki said, its arrival was a calamity for the entire city of Orario.
It would take the united effort of all Orario to face it.
Alice descended to the ground with Loki.
Loki looked seriously at the group gathered there. "Tione, Tiona, return to the familia immediately. Tell Finn to gather the main combatants and head outside the city. Ais, Lefiya, you two come with me and Alice to the Guild."
Loki's stern demeanor left them all confused, but Tione and Tiona obediently accepted their goddess's command.
"Understood, Lady Loki. But... why?" Tione asked, puzzled. "Are we going to war with someone?"
"The Black Dragon has appeared. Its target is Orario," Loki stated flatly. "Ais, Lefiya, come with me and Alice to the Guild now. We need Ouranos's permission to quickly mobilize everyone against the Dragon."
"After the Guild, Lefiya, you and Ais will find Finn. I'll take Alice to the Freya Familia. Understood?"
"Yes!" Lefiya and Ais responded firmly.
Just then, Alice spoke up.
"Um, I'm not sure we have enough time. I should head outside the city now. Even if it's the Black Dragon, I believe my strength should be enough to stall it for a while."
Her words startled everyone present. Loki, in particular, furrowed her brows.
Frankly, Loki didn't want Alice buying time outside the city. But as Alice had pointed out, time was of the essence. Right now, it was just a dot in the sky.
But the Black Dragon was terrifyingly fast.
If someone could delay it, that would be a huge advantage. And since Alice was suggesting it, she must have some method to actually hold the Dragon off for a time.
"Are you sure?" Loki pressed Alice.
"No problem. But I probably won't be able to hold out for long, so you all need to be quick."
"Alright." Loki gave a firm nod, then turned and left, taking Ais and Lefiya with her.
Just as Loki rounded the street corner, her voice rang out again.
"Hey, shortstack? Perfect! You're coming with me too. The situation in Orario is critical. With you here, that old fossil Ouranos might just be a bit more accommodating."
"Eh? Me? What in the world is happening?"
One could easily imagine the scene at the corner—Loki grabbing Hestia and dragging her away without another word. Tione and Tiona were already sprinting back toward their home.
The descent of the Black Dragon was not a matter to be delayed.
Alice didn't have a clear concept of exactly how powerful the Black Dragon was. But if it had annihilated the Zeus and Hera familias, that spoke volumes. The Dragon had utterly disregarded the strength of those two factions.
And back then, the Zeus and Hera familias were even stronger than the current Loki and Freya familias.
Right now, Alice would need to think carefully about how to defeat someone like Finn, a Level 6, and even then, victory wasn't guaranteed. But when it came to simply buying time? She was brimming with confidence.
Loki was heading to the Adventurer's Guild with Hestia and the others. Tione and Tiona were rushing home to gather their allies.
That left only one place for Alice to go.
The battlefield.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.