000 - What Makes The Sky Blue

"Can you put me down?" Aliza asked, her voice barely audible. If not for Rei's sharp hearing, he might have missed it.

"Sure, just be careful," Rei said, gently lowering her to the ground and helping her stand.

"That was a nice catch, Rei. You managed to grab her even with her sudden attack like that," Jessica said, nodding in approval. She had expected Rei to dodge or even get hit by the kick, but he had caught Aliza effortlessly.

"Yeah, I was confident in my kick, but who would've thought you'd catch it like that?" Aliza admitted, her tone a mix of disappointment and admiration.

"Hehe, you'll need to be better than that if you want to hit Rei," Lyria chimed in, her voice filled with pride as if she were the one being praised.

The four of them began walking toward the group of kidnapped people, chatting as they went. Aliza introduced herself, and Lyria tilted her head, murmuring to herself.

"Aliza...? That name seems familiar. Where have I heard it before?"

"You know about me? Do you live in Valtz Duchy? But I've never seen someone with your appearance there before," Aliza said, curious.

"No, but we did visit Valtz Duchy a year ago. Oh well, I'm probably mistaking you for someone else," Lyria said, deciding to let it go.

Rei, however, knew exactly what Lyria was referring to. She was thinking of the Aliza they had met in Gran's timeline a year ago. With everything that had happened since then, it was understandable why Lyria had forgotten.

"Well, my name is Lyria, and this is Rei and Jessica. Nice to meet you~" Lyria said cheerfully, restarting the introductions.

By the time they reached the group of kidnapped people, the atmosphere was lighter. The five captives looked at them with hope in their eyes.

"Are you the rescuers?" one of the Erune girls asked, her voice trembling with relief.

"Yes, but we need to hurry before the Primal Beast returns," Rei said, stepping forward.

Thankfully, there were no male Draphs among the captives—carrying someone of that size would have been a hassle.

"Hahhh... My brother isn't here again," Jessica sighed in disappointment after scanning the group.

"Why don't you ask Aliza if she's seen someone who looks like your brother?" Lyria suggested.

But Aliza shook her head. She hadn't seen anyone matching Jessica's description, meaning her brother had never been brought to this place.

"Alright, three first," Rei said, picking up two Erune girls and one human boy.

"Woah, you're strong, big brother!" the boy exclaimed, surprised at how easily Rei carried them.

The two Erune girls blushed, finally noticing Rei's striking appearance up close.

"I'm going to bring you three to the city first. After that, I'll come back as fast as possible. We need to move quickly before the Primal Beast returns," Rei explained.

The captives exchanged confused glances. They knew how difficult it was to descend the cliff, and seeing Rei carrying three people made it seem impossible.

Rei understood their doubts. Without wasting time, he summoned his four dark wings, which appeared with a soft *swish*. A gust of wind swept through the cave, and dark feathers drifted down around him. Combined with the light from the floating fire magic, his appearance was nothing short of majestic.

The others stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock as Rei's two pairs of dark wings materialized on his back. Before anyone could react, he vanished in a blur, flying through the cave and out into the open sky with the three captives in tow.

He didn't need to worry about fitting in the cave—he had already evaluated its width while walking earlier, ensuring he could fly through it without issue.

As the wind from his wings settled, the group left behind stood in stunned silence, unsure of what to do. Only Lyria remained unfazed, her usual cheerful smile still in place.

Finally, Aliza was the first to break the silence.

"Wha-wha-wha-what the hell was that?? Is he a Primal Beast? How can wings just grow on his back like that?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief.

"I'm sure he's not a monster, but... what are those wings? I've never seen anyone like him before," Jessica added, her gaze fixed on the direction Rei had disappeared.

"That's his ability. Really cool, right? He always looks so handsome and cool when he uses his wings like that~" Lyria said, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"I don't think 'handsome' or 'cool' is the right word for this. Is he even human?" Aliza asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

Behind them, the remaining captives murmured among themselves, equally shocked by what they had just witnessed.

"Hmm... I'm sorry, but I can't really answer that," Lyria said, avoiding the question. She couldn't just casually reveal that Rei was an Astral. To most people, Astrals were nothing more than figures from fairy tales—stories parents told their children. Lyria knew they wouldn't believe her, and it wasn't her place to share Rei's secret.

"I see. So it's a secret, huh?" Jessica said, sounding a little disappointed. Her curiosity about Rei had only grown stronger.

At first, she had assumed he was just a handsome man accompanying a beautiful girl with long blue hair. But after talking with them during their walk, she had started to realize that neither of them was ordinary.

"That's too bad. I wonder if that's the reason he managed to catch my kick," Aliza said, still processing what had happened.

She was still surprised by how effortlessly Rei had caught her attack. Aliza wasn't one to brag, but she was confident in her martial arts skills. In fact, her prowess in combat was so strong that she didn't need a single bodyguard, and it was one of the reasons she had earned the right to become the Archduke of Valtz.

"So, how did you get kidnapped, Aliza?" Lyria asked, decided to create a small conversation while waiting for Rei.

"Oh, it's like this..." Aliza began, and soon the three of them were engaged in casual conversation. They talked about everything from how Aliza had ended up in the cave to Lyria's appearance and Jessica's massive cannon.

Giggles and laughter filled the air as the conversation continued. Despite the tense situation of rescuing kidnapped people, the atmosphere among the three of them felt surprisingly light and relaxed.

~~~~~

"Thank you so much for saving all of us. If you have the time... please come again so I can repay you for what you did," the human girl said, her cheeks flushed as she winked at Rei, clearly signaling something to him.

But Rei simply smiled at her. "No need. I'm just doing my job. Just be careful next time," he said before flying off again.

"Alright, that's the last one," he murmured to himself, now heading back to Lyria and the others.

After two trips, he had finally managed to bring everyone except Aliza back to Sierokarte, who was waiting outside the city to avoid causing a commotion among the townspeople. Rei didn't mind if people found out about his wings, but he was wary of the chaos and curiosity it might spark.

"I wonder if they're done talking yet..." Rei sighed, recalling how Lyria, Jessica, and Aliza had been engrossed in conversation during his previous visits. They had even tried to include him, but he had politely declined, focused on rescuing the others.

"Oh right, we're still getting kidnapped," Aliza had said at one point, as if suddenly remembering the situation.

"At least they're having fun," Rei muttered as he flew back to the cave.

He was also curious about Stan. In the game, Stan had managed to 'save' Aliza with Djeeta's help. But now, with Rei handling the rescue, Djeeta had no reason to assist Stan. Rei was certain Stan wouldn't make it to the cave on his own, given his personality.

"Well, it's kinda his fault for being like that," Rei murmured to himself.

But as he approached the cave, he suddenly sensed a Primal Beast approaching at incredible speed.

"!?" Rei turned sharply, scanning the horizon, but he couldn't see anything yet. The Primal Beast was still far away, but it was closing in fast.

Without wasting another second, he flew toward the cave, hoping to warn the others or even escape before it was too late.

A few moments later, he arrived to find Lyria, Jessica, and Aliza still chatting away.

"We need to go now!" Rei said urgently, scooping up Lyria in his arms.

"Ehk!?" Lyria yelped in surprise.

Next, Rei moved to Jessica, lifting her along with her massive cannon. But before he could grab Aliza, the Primal Beast's presence grew stronger—so strong that even Lyria could sense it now.

"Rei, I can sense the Primal Beast! It's close!" Lyria said, her voice panicked.

Hearing this, Rei realized it was already too late. If Lyria could sense it, the Primal Beast was closer than he had anticipated.

"Get behind me!" Rei ordered, setting Lyria and Jessica down as he stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the direction of the approaching threat.

Not long after, a green silhouette began to materialize in front of them. As it grew clearer, they could see a girl with four metallic wings and bird-like legs—the Primal Beast.

The Primal Beast's long green hair flowed behind her as she scanned her nest with an emotionless expression. Her piercing eyes eventually landed on Rei and the others, her gaze cold and calculating.

Meanwhile, Rei's mind raced as memories and information about the Primal Beast surged into his consciousness.

"Primal Beast Nephthys," he said aloud, the name slipping from his lips as he absorbed the details.

Primal Beast Nephthys The winged goddess who dons the coffin of eternity. With a burst of wind, she blinds her prey and robs them of everything dear.

But that wasn't all. Rei also knew that Nephthys wielded the power of Soul and Sealing. She could seal anything that moved—even a person's soul or abilities. She could strip her enemies of their strength with a single gesture.

"This is really bad," Rei murmured to himself, his heart sinking as he realized just how dangerous Nephthys was. If they had to fight her, the odds were not in their favor.