0.17.

The ground was soaked, grass fields turned to mini marshes. The downpour was so thunderous Sequencee had to chant a song in his heart while squishing a pillow over both his ears.

'Rain, rain go away, come again another damn day!'

Sequencee felt the urge to go on a nature call, and amidst the thought, he realized that he could just use magic to ward off the rain like an umbrella. At the hazy realization, he hopped on his feet and ran out of the trailer.

Another week had passed since they left Coulley's March. They were two-thirds of the way home with approximately five more stops left, the last three being Luddite Earldom, the small village of Quille, and Estia Barony in sequence.

Sequencee was looking forward to Luddite Earldom. There, they would finally be able to rest at a proper inn.

He returned to the trailer after relieving himself and plonked down on the hardwood floor. He pulled the blanket over himself and allowed his consciousness to scatter …

'Eh?'

He shot up to a sitting position and looked at the neatly folded blanket placed on top of the pillow right next to him.

'Where did mom go?'

"She said she had some things she needed to settle in the mountains. Probably to collect some rare ingredients, I don't know. Did she not tell you?"

Sequencee went to find Gull at his personal trailer, it seems he too found it hard to sleep. Under the storm, they were practically shouting in order to hear each other.

"No. She didn't tell me anything. What's there to do at the mountain range–and in this weather too," Sequence muttered as he looked at the sky.

'Could she have gone to pick up Schwii? No, that's impossible. There's no way she can travel that far in one night.'

"You know, your mother is an SS-rank mercenary. I'm sure she'll be fine," Gull believed in her.

Sequencee turned from the sky to face the direction of the mountains. He couldn't even see the outline thanks to the rain.

"Yeah. Sorry for disturbing you, good night sir."

"No, it's alright. You too, good evening."

Sequencee was the closest person in the world to his own mother. If he couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, he thought one else could.

With each step he made back, he attuned himself to the sounds of the thundering rain. A cacophony of noise. Messy, chaotic–just like his thoughts.

The gentle caress of a breeze blew past his face and momentarily, he saw the rain stop, the sky split into two. For a second, all time seemed to halt in place.

'Something is wrong.'

He turned and bolted towards the mountains.

===

Anna of The Rending Wind, considered one of the strongest wind magicians in the empire. Dimitri Guild is her main affiliation, granting her access rights to many records which would have normally been restricted to the general public. Her mercenary license showed S-rank despite her abilities being well above that. Many people have attempted to persuade her into accepting the promotion into hall of the SS-ranks' but to no avail.

In fact, she had once casually mentioned that she would leave Dimitri Guild if the staff there ever brought up the topic again.

A flash of three black lines.

Anna gasped. Crossing her hands and propelling herself backwards with a shield of compressed air, her body was thrown into a whizz. She barely missed the claws which threatened to rip her to shreds.

It wasn't that she disliked having a nice fancy rank or to show off, rather, her personal belief was that being an SS-rank adventurer came with a lot of trouble. She didn't want to involve herself in the politics of the world. She wanted to be free to do as she wished.

As an S-rank adventurer, you are beholden to the expectations of the people; as an SS-rank adventurer, you are beholden to the human race.

Astroth's figure vanished and appeared behind the still falling Anna.

He opened his jaws. A chill swept up her spine.

She spun around, watching time compress itself as the fangs drew close. She drew her spear down, a vortex came between them. Astroth bit into the green glowing sphere, crushing it. She smashed her spear into Him–purple runes fluttered–just to be thrown back by the knockback of the barrier which enveloped Him.

Rain soaked her clothes, blood poured from her lips.

She pointed the tip of the spear at Him. Manifesting numerous large vortexes and wind spires which propelled themselves forward.

Astroth flew higher up and had these projectiles self detonate at a shockwave of His powerful wings.

Anna lost track of him to the low visibility of the rain.

A little more, just a little more– such thoughts revealed itself every time she neared the end of any pursuit. Yet, when she only had to reach her hand out, like an ever expanding horizon, a new desire would blossom and turn the object of her covet into dust; forcing her once again to wander towards the next destination, fueling this endless, unknown pursuit.

This sacrifice. This pain. This yearning. Did any of her efforts matter? Was there any point to this endless cycle?

A ripple of mana shook her body. Black orbs had surrounded her coming from nowhere, creating a bubble of imploding pressure threatening to crush her.

Gravity magic.

[Wind Magic: Acceleration]

She made a wind bubble to counter the hydraulic force. At the point where the two forces collided, she extended her spear.

The temperature rose from the friction generated between the solidified gravity and her spear.

Purple lightning tore down from the sky. Anna's artifact, an amulet gifted by him, shattered, protecting her against the attack. However, parts of her arm had turned scaly black. Sweat ran down her cheeks as her heart raced.

What did he wish for her again?

"GAhH!!"

She groaned, finally breaching the gravity bubble which she had been encased within. Inducing an explosion, she quickly accelerated to create distance.

A gale swept behind her.

[Wind Magic: Time Monarch]

Time slowed, she made a sharp turn and flew 90 degrees into the air, another narrow escape of the dragon claws behind her. The black lines created only stopped when it shredded mountains beneath.

She spun her spear and drew a line. An explosion of wind occurred where she thought she last saw Astroth–but he wasn't there.

Blink.

She twisted her body to the scintillation of black light in the distance. A strange wave of energy passed right by, her mind thrown into chaos at the realization.

A dragon's breath. She had almost died.

She was only a human, was there a need to go so far? For whose sake was it for? If she got injured here, what would Sequencee think? She was selfish, wasn't she? Despite his ceaseless warning, she ...

It wasn't as if she was alone. She chose to shoulder it alone.

A huge hole was drilled into the ground, a cloud mushroom rose into the sky, ash and bits of dirt mixed into rain. There was a moment of eerie respite, Anna drew in a breath and sharpened her senses.

Astroth suddenly closed the distance.

Again, three black lines drew arcs in the atmosphere, Anna traced the path of the wind to dodge. Then came a tail whipping towards her.

Her shoulders tensed, her breathing clogged up. Gathering everything she could at this opening–

The shockwave of the attack sent her shooting upwards and to the momentary revolutions, she drew the spear downwards with all her might.

[Wind Magic: Time Monarch]

Time compressed at the tip of her spear.

[Wind Magic: Acceleration]

The acceleration of the particles bent space and time.

An authority; a formless sword.

Astroth accepted the blow.

The sky split into two. Loud tearing sounds caused by the rupturing of air, electric sparks covered the entire field, painting the world in a flash of light.

The formless attack smashed into His purple barrier, creating a rippling light of runic symbols. The recoil sent a shockwave of wind pushing outwards. Rain droplets vaporized into mist, static charge electrified the air, creaking chains of remnant lightning. Anna's wrist cracked under the force.

"Ah–"

She was going to lose, it was something she knew very well.

Sent flying by the knockback of her own attack, her scream was drowned out by His roar. A black beam tore through the atmosphere, headed straight for her no more than a few hundred meters apart.

Her eyes dilated, time slowed once more. Her hands extended outwards, spear pointing to the center of the light, she cut off the support of wind from beneath her and fell to move out of its path of fire.

Astroth moved the trajectory of his breath to match with the rate of her fall. The purple beam split into two at the contact of a wedge shaped wind barrier formed at the tip of her spear.

She couldn't breathe, her hands convulsed in pain. She knew that if her magic broke here–her death was certain.

Two lines were drawn in the sky, the beams continued off behind her. The sudden pressure change made her ears buzz.

The dragon breath ended just before she touched the direct surface of the earth; Anna plummeted to the ground with a grand explosion.

Within the crater she made, she barely stood with the support of her spear. Her breathing ragged, eyes hollowed. Many parts of her skin had been encroached by black mana.

She raised her spear and pointed it upwards. Not knowing where even to aim, she simply fired as many air nukes as she could.

"AHHHHHHH!!!!"

SS-rank.

A human with strength at the very apex of the empire.

Yet she couldn't even land a clean hit against The Majesty Black Dragon. Did it make any sense that strength was the key to protecting what she cherished the most?

He could end it all in a breath. What was the point of it all?

Her consciousness blurred. She stuck her spear to the ground and knelt.

Astroth descended beside her and brought His wings over her head to shade her from the rain.

'Tis was a pleasant fight.'

Her vision faded, blackness slowly eroded her sight.

'Rest now.'

Perhaps, Lydiane was right. Perhaps her work, her effort, her struggles–it wouldn't amount to anything.

Even so …

"Mom! You're amazing!"

It was still satisfying to know that you've tried your best.