"I can shelter your people. I can grant you the means to survive the cold—even give you a land that will remain protected for generations. But in return, you must do one thing for me."
"What is it?"
"You will guard a certain place for me. No matter what happens, you must never allow what lies within to escape. If you fail, your tribe will face extinction. Do you accept?"
"I accept."
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After a certain mutually beneficial exchange, the Vichy tribe gained the Azure Water, the glacier beneath their feet, and the Blue Dragon that guarded it.
"Chief Taka," Ur asked after listening to the tale, "Do gods truly exist in this world? Did your ancestors ever see the Snow God's true form?"
"I have never seen a god with my own eyes," Taka replied quietly. "But I can tell you with certainty that gods do exist. According to our records, the Snow God resembles a human woman with long silver-white hair."
He paused before adding, "And even setting aside the Snow God… the being within the Demonic Domain could itself be called a 'god.' After all, only a god can stand against another god."
The revelation was astonishing. Yet Ur noticed that not a single person present, including himself, showed visible shock.
Only Delina's two bodyguards appeared briefly startled before regaining their composure, as though they did not fully grasp the weight of the word "god."
As for Pasfield and Delina, they remained completely calm, almost as if they had long known such beings existed.
After a moment's thought, Ur spoke again. "Chief Taka, may we enter the Demonic Domain and see it for ourselves?"
"So you still refuse to give up." Taka sighed.
"Three months is too long. We can't afford to wait. Besides, with our help, you'll have more strength on your side." Ur's reasoning happened to align perfectly with Pasfield's, though their motivations differed.
Pasfield feared losing his advantage in whatever competition awaited him back home; Ur didn't want to waste three months of his life.
If he really had to wait that long, when would he ever make it back to the guild?
Taka fell silent for a long time before finally sighing again. "Very well."
Though most Vichy were blunt and fierce by nature, their long isolation from the outside world had left them fundamentally straightforward. In Taka's eyes, resisting the Demon God was their responsibility alone, their side of a bargain with the Snow God. It had nothing to do with outsiders. If Ur and the others were harmed because of it, he would only feel guilty.
"Since you insist," Taka said, "the High Priestess will grant you the power of holiness. The Demonic Domain is likely already overrun with monsters. Without holy power to protect you, it would be far too dangerous."
"Agreed." Ur and the others accepted without hesitation.
Even if Taka hadn't suggested it, they would have asked to borrow a few sacred artifacts.
They had seen how troublesome those creatures were. Without holy power, they couldn't be certain of returning safely from the Demonic Domain.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
The High Priestess bestowed holy power upon Ur, Haisha, and Anrika.
Ur wasn't entirely sure why Delina insisted on entering the Demonic Domain alongside him and Pasfield. Unlike Pasfield, who had come to Gulya Glacier with a clear objective, Delina seemed to be nothing more than a guest here. Her involvement served no obvious purpose.
Ur couldn't quite read Pasfield's "sister." But he didn't dwell on it. Scheming was never his specialty as a mage.
The High Priestess's method of granting holy power resembled enchantment magic, though far less outrageous in effect. Once completed, Ur felt a subtle change within his body. He gathered a small flame at his fingertip and noticed a faint milky-white glow encasing it, lending the fire a distinctly sacred quality.
Given the complexity of the Demonic Domain, Chieftain Taka ultimately chose to have Lilimond guide them.
The doors pushed open, and the first thing that met their eyes was a colossal statue carved from ice.
It depicted a long-haired goddess, though her features were somewhat indistinct. At her feet lay an enormous magic array. Upon closer inspection, they realized it extended throughout the entire temple. In fact, the palace itself was built around this very array.
"Great God of Ice and Snow, hear our prayer." Taka stepped into the temple and began chanting in the ancient tongue of the Vichy tribe. As he prayed, the power within him gradually flowed into the goddess statue.
Slowly, the statue began to glow. Then the magic array on the ground lit up as well.
Endless magic surged into the formation. A storm coiled out of thin air in the center of the temple. A vast, supreme, noble pressure began to fill the hall.
Under that pressure, Ur and the others felt an almost irresistible urge to kneel.
His pupils contracted.
The massive magic array had not even fully awakened, yet it already made his skin prickle. He understood this was not hostility, nor killing intent. It was simply instinct. A natural response when confronted by power so overwhelmingly superior that resistance was meaningless.
The only time he had ever felt something remotely similar was when he had first learned magic and joined the guild, standing before Makarov. But even that faint sensation was nowhere near as intense as this.
The power of a god stirred something deep within Ur.
Then, a pitch-black gate suddenly materialized before them.
It tore through space itself. Beyond it, there was nothing but darkness.
Seeing the gate appear, Lilimond bowed slightly to Taka and the High Priestess, then stepped forward and entered without hesitation.
Ur exchanged a glance with the others, then they followed. Ur shielded Pasfield; Haisha and Anrika guarded Delina. In the blink of an eye, all five vanished through the gate.
Once their figures disappeared completely, Taka and the others did not linger.
A brutal battle was about to begin.
There was no time to waste.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
Next Chapter: Experiment
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Next Next Next Chapter: War