Chapter 92: Island Turtle
We had to do something about the water! Nea first swooped her foot beneath the golem and kicked up, he went flying high before she quickly wrapped me up in her arms and jumped up high. Her leap was strong enough to send us through the skies.
A sea of water had formed in the Island Turtles mouth. Gurgling and bubbling and threatening to launch straight at the forest floor.
"Woohoo, we live there, that side!" I shouted.
"SILLY TRICKS!"
"Axel just shut up!"
I hugged Nea tight as we thought of what to do. She pulled out her sword and tossed me higher up in the sky. With a twist of her body, sword aura filled her weapon and she started pulling it in a curve.
A slash! What a time. The attack would surely handle something. That said, there was little time for me to look down as I kept going further and further up.
How strong was this lady to send me flying to the skies? Beside me I saw birds flying through the bright blue sky and under the great white clouds. That was when, flying alongside the birds, came a flippity flappity book straight into my arms.
I yoinked it in my hands and pulled it up.
"I was wondering when you would make an appearance."
[Caw. Caw. Caw!]
It was the Grimoire! My good old friend was back here. I quickly gave it a slap and it came out of airplane mode right away.
[Missed me?]
I twisted my body. The ascent finally started to slow down. We looked down. Nea’s slash hit the Island Turtle’s back... or so I thought. But instead, a large strange field appeared on its back.
Like a shield, the entire attack got absorbed by the Island Turtle’s back.
My eyes glistened.
This... What was that? Was that an extension for the turtle’s shell? A forcefield type magic spell. What a sight.
I started to hurtle down and fell right back into Nea’s arms. She had been boosted up a step further from the slash. As Nea swooped me in her arms she looked down at me with her charming eyes.
"Think it’ll see us on its back?"
"It’s sending us telepathic stuff..."
"Fair."
We started to fall down. Nea took the moment and landed us down. The Turtle’s spell was ready and the water was just about to pour out when I stepped forward and raised my hand.
"What are you—"
"[Fireball]"
The crimson strand of flames reached far ahead and struck the giant ball of water. The two opposing elements collided into each other. The same fireball that used to blow up factories was enough to handle a water-sprout of this side.
Steam rose from all over as most of the water exploded from within. Harsh, hot steam. Nea rushed ahead again and shielded me from that as well.
"I thought you can’t do magic?"
"I manage a little bit!"
The ground started to flood. The water here was so grand that even the fireball of the Witch Queen was not enough to stop it. Our feet started to feel wet and ground muddied up, that was when we noticed. The little turtles had started to climb back up on the land.
Nea extended one arm and the Garden Gnome finally landed back in her hands. It shook and trembled, did it just make a journey to space? It was possible.
"W-what do we do, it’s a stalemate."
"Don’t get it wrong," I said. "It’s not a stalemate because I can’t use that spell anymore."
"ZEHAHAHAH THANK YOU FOR THAT! PUNY HUMAN"
"Fuck it can hear us?"
I sighed. The book flipped open and started inscribing things again.
[Do you still have mercury? You can use it to cast strong spells!]
"How does your magic work?" Nea asked.
I looked at her, deadpan, and told her.
"If we kiss I get stronger."
A blush filled her face as she pushed me away. Her sword aura filled the blade again and she stepped forward, as if ignoring me, unfortunately the gnome was still in her arms.
What the hell was with that?
"Y-you don’t have to lie like that all the time with me."
I, standing next to her, gave the gnome a vial. She twisted her hand and shot the golem ahead, straight at the mouth of the giant monster.
"I know you are a thief and everything now, but don’t lie more."
"Nea..." I sighed. Everything before was a lie, but not this! "I am sorry for leaving you behind that day."
The turtles started climbing up our body. We glanced at each other. This time, I brought about dozens of butterflies using the mana left in me.
The way this operated was simple. I figured it out while knocked out after the teleport. But the Mercury acted as a large shell and the butterflies were basically mana packets.
Every packet had the same effect.
So what we did that time in the city with everything touching the butterflies was not a ’mass’ teleportation spell but a teleportation spell spammed ’en mass’
Rapid casting. A reusable magic circle in the physical world, which was mercury, and butterflies acting as the mana that causes it.
Sure, the teleportation needed a lot.
But with my current control and the amount of tiny turtles around us.
We needed very few.
"I am sorry for letting you think I was dead."
Nea swung her blade and killed the tiny turtles around her. She once again lifted me up while the Island Turtle charged up its water again.
The gnome went into its mouth.
Nea and I flew up high.
Mercury spilled on the ground and formed a circle. The same type of circle that leads to the tiny, tiny spart with the big explosion.
And hundreds and thousands of smaller butterflies spread all around.
"And I am sorry for lying to you all this time."
Nea jumped up high.
Our lips collided once again.
Finally, she had saved the man who had left her confused.