What can we do now?

"We have to hurry, but even if we know where Lucien Zevalis is at the moment, I don’t have nearly enough Interference Power to Trace back to the Randalorion Kingdom." My voice trembles slightly as I speak to the group.

I have been in Sarvosia for about five days now.

Throughout this time, I have traveled to all kinds of places in this Kingdom, and not too long ago, I was in a fierce fight with Lucien.

Although I now have access to the Week Layer in the Tracing, I can’t just make a sudden jump five days away. The most I can do is go a few days at a time—at least, until I have cultivated sufficient Interference Power.

Besides, I already used Frontflow in the fight with Lucien, and it’ll take some time to switch back to Tracing.

’Ahh... This is all messed up!’

Lucien must have planned it out this way.

He waited five days before approaching me while also affecting other moving parts so that none of us would be able to stop him when the time came.

’Hold on...’ My thoughts pause in this moment, and I stare at everyone present. ’There’s no guarantee that the Ouroboros Sect members don’t have some kind of mechanism that will help us return to the Randalorion Kingdom... right?’

"Damnit! That bastard destroyed the arrangements we left in the Kingdom!"

Alistair’s frustrated voice tells me what I need to know.

To think that several anomalies are being caused across the Randalorion Kingdom, and none of us can do anything about it.

This is incredibly frightening, and my anxiety continues to grow.

’If his plan succeeds...’

I think about all my friends and family who dwell in the Randalorion Kingdom.

Uncle Damon, Leon, Seraphina, Klein, Anna, Selena, Count Blake, Ciel... and so on. I also have allies whom I require to further my plans in the Kingdom, as well as all kinds of resources which I have been accumulating for a very long time now.

Basically, my entire life is in the Randalorion Kingdom.

If it gets destroyed because of Lucien, I will essentially lose everything I care about.

That must not happen!

"Is there no other way to return?" I turn to Alistair despite knowing how annoying my question may sound to someone in the vexed state he is in.

He sighs and shakes his head.

"Unfortunately, Lucien was already one step ahead of all of us. Neither Elma nor I have the Interference Power to return to the Randalorion Kingdom right away."

"But you are Rank 3—"

"And? I’m not invincible. Besides, I already told you that I only became one very recently."

"Still, you should be able to—"

"Look, Javier... You need to back off." At this point, Rias interferes while glaring at me.

"W-what?!"

"The Captain has been the one exerting himself the most on this case. Do you know how many Jumps he has had to make in the past few days while you’ve been in Sarvosia? Not only did he do it to protect your friends and family, but he was diligently looking for signs of Lucien and trying to find him. He also used Tracing to an unhealthy amount—even for his Rank. There’s also the fact that he directly appeared here before the rest of us using Tracing so that he could save you from Lucien, and he joined the battle right after, which further reduced his Interference Power. Asking more of him now is not only inconsiderate but also absurd."

"I..." For a moment, I stare blankly at Rias, completely short on words to retort with.

I don’t know what to say regarding this revelation, which I have received.

In the end, I must have assumed that just because Alistair had access to the Month Layer, he would be able to use Tracing to return to a place that is a few days away using the Floating Horse Construct.

However, I miscalculated.

I failed to take other factors into consideration—especially regarding how Alistiar was able to figure out most of Zarius’ plans in the Randalorion Kingdom.

That had to be due to his own efforts and investigation.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t know all of that." Lowering my head slightly, I deeply apologize to the man in front of me.

However, he merely shrugs and pats me on my shoulder.

"I understand your worry, Javier. But now, more than ever, we must be very logical about our next course of action. Lucien is not foolish, so he must also be expecting some kind of retaliation from us. An emotional outburst at this time would only serve his plan and reduce our chances of stopping it. Do you understand?"

I nod immediately.

"Good..." He sighs before turning around to address everyone else. "Right now, we are all lacking in Interference Power. We used up a great deal of Interference Power to set up and execute this trap, and so we can’t return immediately; that is a fact."

Everyone is silent in acknowledgment.

Even me.

"Even if we push ourselves past the limits and risk Failure, eventually reaching the Randalorion Kingdom, we would be too weakened to do anything right after. At that point, we would be easy targets for Lucien. The last thing we would want is to be targeted by the enemy when we can’t fight back, so that isn’t an option either."

I nod at this.

Now that I think about it, Lucien likely would prefer us to get worked up and attempt to return to the Randalorion Kingdom as quickly as possible.

That way, he can pick us all off with his arrangements.

"What is most frustrating about all of this is that Lucien is also likely vulnerable right now. Although he tried to hide it, he was also running out of Interference Power. It’s why he used Tracing to escape at the last minute despite his advantage already rising. If he had more Interference Power to spare, he could have eventually exploited gaps in our information to kill one or two of our members before eventually retreating. However, he didn’t. Instead, he ran. This shows that he is actually vulnerable right now. It’s unfortunate that we are limited by both time and distance, so we can’t exploit the situation—no doubt thanks to his great planning." He continues to address us and reveal everything he learned about Lucien during their fight.

Through Alistair’s words, I am able to gain more insight into the battle and determine a few things—things I must have overlooked or simply could not comprehend due to how intense the battle had been.

The experience is enlightening.

If it weren’t for the urgency of our current situation, I would have surely liked to listen to even more of his analysis.

"So what’s the plan now?" I ask, more respectfully than before. "We’ve admitted that we can’t instantly return to the Randalorion Kingdom, but we aren’t giving up, right?"

Alistair shoots me a wry smile and nods.

"That’s right. We can’t give up at this juncture—not with everything that is at stake."

I heave a sigh of relief.

It would have been too despairing if the Ouroboros Sect members gave up or pulled out at this point. I can’t stop Lucien on my own, after all.

Thankfully, they are still involved in this mission, which means I can rely on them.

"Our only choice is to quickly make our way there using a Construct..." Alistair sighs as he dips his hand into his cloak to bring out a statue.

"The Floating Horse Constructs?" I ask, but he quickly shakes his head.

"That method is too slow. As an Adept, I have access to a better steed."

The statue he shows me has a certain iron-like luster to it, and it is shaped like a fat little caterpillar. However, surprisingly, the strange creature has two pairs of wings.

"This is the Flying Bug Construct." He announces to me before thrusting it into the air and vanishing from his position.

In that moment, a dark shadow covers the rest of the Leviathans present and me.

I feel a sudden transformation in the atmosphere.

That is when I look up... and I see it.

A colossal beast at about thirty meters tall, twisting gently high above.

The caterpillar-like creature appears mechanical, with its milky white sheen and its cold metallic gleam. Its partitions also have multiple colors warbling within them, almost like they are spaces that somewhat reveal the inner mechanics of the creature.

Then, there’s the buzzing sound of its wings—how they flap at such intense speeds that they almost seem like invisible distortions in the air.

Anyone staring at this construct from afar would think of it as nothing but a cloud.

Its smooth white surface, combined with its fluffy and fat appearance, offers it perfect camouflage even with its relatively large size.

"This... We can work with this." I smile as I raise my head to look at the magnificent thing.

"There’s no time to waste. Everyone, get on!" Alistair’s face suddenly appears on the surface of the Construct, causing me to nearly shift in surprise.

However, thankfully, I maintain my composure.

"Understood!"

Everyone in the group suddenly starts jumping towards the colossus, entering its metallic body as though it were a fluffy cloud. Before I can even say anything, I feel a strong grip on my body and quickly notice its feminine touch.

"R-Rias—?"

"Quit dawdling! We don’t have time!" She casually yells before thrusting me towards the flying caterpillar.

My journey in midair only lasts a second—maybe two—before I sink into the body of the floating beast and find myself in what appears to be a luxurious space within it.

"H-huh? This is..."

Do my eyes deceive me?

Right now, I am kneeling within a lounge—one that has sofas, a large-sized bed, and a center table. The room’s design is very simplistic, having a mahogany brown theme, with a contrasting backdrop of clear white.

A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and the warm lighting of the place gives it a serene vibe.

If I didn’t know any better, I would think I was in a luxurious hotel room.

"Don’t look so surprised." Rias suddenly appears behind me, sticking a perfect landing the moment she enters the vessel. "This stuff is available to all Rank 3 members of the Ouroboros Sect since they often have to lead teams and travel long distances."

"Mm..." I barely respond.

"You should sit and make yourself comfortable. Recover your strength, since we don’t know what to expect when we get to the Randalorion Kingdom." Alistair, who is standing at the front end of the room and staring at a large screen, suddenly speaks.

I narrow my eyes and observe the large screen, as well as the other smaller screens before him.

They reflect the outside world, each of them showing this from a different perspective. The largest screen is likely showing things at the very front of the Construct, which means Alistair can control this vessel while observing everything around it with ease.

Such a convenient tool...

Amazing!

"Understood..." I mutter, making my way to one of the smaller sofas to rest.

Then, I feel movement.

The Construct begins to ascend—at first slowly, and then rapidly.

My heart feels like it is rising in my chest, but I endure the feeling while staring at everyone else who acts like they didn’t notice this change at all. The only difference is Jamie, who tightly grips Amnesis while the ascension continues.

Rias notices my confusion and informs me while smiling warmly, "Jamie is scared of heights."

"Oh. I see..."

Such a basic flaw... I suppose even Leviathans can’t call themselves invincible.

They are living beings in the end, aren’t they?

They were also once human.

Once we ascend to the level of the clouds, and even beyond it, the vessel begins to swim in the air, increasing its speed until it practically starts to dart towards our destination.

The speed is astounding for sure!

However, I fear I won’t be able to fully comprehend how fast it is from inside the vessel.

"We’ll reach our destination in a few hours."

"Ah...?"

An astonished feeling courses through me, though I do my best to suppress it.

’Using the Floating Horse Construct, it would have taken a few days at the very least. To think this vessel is that fast. It’s also convenient.’

For example, even though Alistair doesn’t leave the screen area, he has a seat stationed there.

That means he can sit back and relax while commanding the Flying Bug Construct.

I almost forgot my worries while analyzing the vessel and its many perks. However, a loud ringing sound draws me back to reality.

"Looks like we finally connected to Gabriel..." Alistair’s voice is calm, but I can tell it contains traces of excitement and relief.

Just then, the ringing stops, and a short static sound echoes in the room.

This doesn’t last very long, either.

After a few seconds, a gentle, familiar voice fills the expanse around us.

"Can you hear me now?" It says.

"We can hear you, Gabriel. You’re in the Randalorion Kingdom right now, aren’t you? Tell me what’s happening."

For a moment, I hear sighs from the other side.

Then—

"It’s really bad. Multiple catastrophes are occurring all over the Randalorion Kingdom. Magivores of all Cadres—from one to five—are roaming around different regions. The Kingdom has dispatched its Royal Knights, with the priority focusing on defense and rescue, but the situation looks bleak as is."

’Oh no...’

I shudder upon hearing this news.

’It’s like the Royal Academy Incident... but much, much worse.’

"Any sign of Lucien?"

"I would think so. Although there is a large interference in that region, I suspect it’s due to the Ritual taking place there. If Lucien is anywhere, it is in that location."

"Understood. We’re on our way there."

"Alright. Please hurry. I’ll do my best to stabilize things on my end, but that won’t really be very effective due to the wide area of influence we’re dealing with."

"What of the worst-case scenario?"

"It hasn’t reached that stage yet, but right now... I really cannot tell."

Worst-case scenario?

What does that even mean?

Do they mean things could get even worse than they are now? What exactly would that look like?

I’ll try not to think about that... Not now.

’Humanity’s limit in dealing with Cadre 5 Magivores, but if there are multiple Cadre 5 Magivores, that makes it practically impossible for the Randalorion Kingdom to survive...’ I feel the pressure mounting the more I consider the situation.

This is simply too bad.

’If these Magivores go on a frenzy and they attack everything in sight, the Randalorion Kingdom will be decimated within a day—perhaps even less.’

We need to hurry!

’Lucien, you crazy bastard!’ I grit my teeth hatefully.

However, not long after, I find my expression softening while my heart palpitates.

’Everyone... please be okay!’