"Humans are nothing but liars! You just want to capture me!"
Of course, Ilulu wasn't about to admit to such a claim.
Yet no matter how desperately she wanted to struggle, the utter lack of strength in her body left her unable to thrash about, only managing a couple of feeble rolls on the ground.
"Sorry, but this was the only way I could think of."
As she spoke, Theresa took another heavy, labored breath.
She wasn't feeling too great herself. Though the Elysion Pedion had been lifted, it didn't mean there weren't aftereffects. Even now, her blood felt like it was congealing, making every breath a struggle.
"You're just too big. You'd scare people, so I can't keep you with me all the time. For now, you'll stay here with Oath of Judah."
Theresa still needed to report back to the others, to reassure them and prevent them from panicking.
Naturally, to ensure those pigs didn't manage to escape their American-style reunion, she couldn't just waltz back.
She'd have to pretend to faint halfway there and let the Valkyries carry her back.
"Wait!? Where are you going?"
Seeing the white-haired girl who'd subdued her acting like she was about to just leave her behind, Ilulu should have been thrilled.
Instead, an inexplicable panic washed over her.
"I need to regroup with the others, or they'll worry."
Theresa saw no reason to hide it.
"You're leaving me here alone? Stuck here like this, unable to move!?"
Ilulu couldn't believe it.
"After all, I can't guarantee... you won't cause more destruction."
Theresa nodded. "I'll come check on you often. For food, magical beasts should do, right? If I need to travel far, I'll come get you."
"No! I don't want to be left here alone! You might as well just kill me! Being sealed here by you is worse than death—at least death would free me!"
Her words were full of bravado, but Theresa knew better.
It was precisely because, deep down, Ilulu believed Theresa wouldn't kill her that she dared to be so bold.
This was the first time Theresa had encountered someone whose subconscious was so at odds with their outward personality.
Unsurprisingly, it was as troublesome as it was irritating.
"Then... can you make yourself smaller? About the size of my palm."
She held out her hand to demonstrate.
"I don't know that kind of magic..."
Ilulu understood the reason she couldn't be taken along, but she didn't want to be alone...
"Oh! I might not know a shrinking spell, but I do know how to transform into a human!"
'Transform' wasn't quite the right word. It was more about taking on a bipedal form with a human appearance—a shape originally used by the gods, with humans being the later adopters.
It was precisely because human looks and thoughts were so different from beasts, and yet so similar to their own, that the gods favored humans more.
As she finished speaking, Ilulu fixed both eyes on Theresa.
They both knew her current state. Forget using magic; she couldn't even muster enough energy to breathe a simple flame.
This was getting tricky... Ilulu had a prisoner's awareness. She didn't expect her captor to simply release her. Who would trust an enemy who could fly away the moment their bonds were loosed?
Yet the next moment, she felt the chains binding her rapidly loosen. The once-clogged flow of her magic smoothed out almost instantly.
"You...?"
The situation made Ilulu's eyes widen.
"It's only temporary."
Theresa stated, "Once you've used your magic, I'll restrict your power again."
"You... aren't afraid I'll fly away?"
"Relying solely on violence only widens the rift. If neither side is willing to take that first step, we'll never understand each other."
Theresa placed her hand back on the cross. "Given the power I hold, I'm willing to trust you."
"When it's just the two of us, I can release your restraints. But when others are around, I must ensure their safety until true trust is built between us."
"..."
Ilulu had never heard words like this before.
"Humans... are the best race at spouting pretty lies..."
"Maybe that's true..."
The recent events still had Theresa's blood pressure high, but remembering the character she had to maintain, she pressed on with the lofty talk.
"But if those pretty words can become reality, I think that would be a truly wonderful thing. And it's for that very beauty that we fight."
"Fight for beauty?"
Yet another unfamiliar phrase made Ilulu stare wide-eyed.
Beauty? Fighting for beauty? She'd never imagined such words could be strung together like this.
"I don't understand things like that... Nothing you're saying makes sense to me..."
"No one understands these things from the start. The ability to love others, and to be loved in return—both are things we have to learn. When you genuinely want to do something for someone else, that's when you'll understand what beauty is."
Lofty, idealistic slogans had an easy time attracting a crowd of selfless, steadfast believers.
Whether it was in the world of Date A Live or here, she'd built her foundation on such rallying cries. Theresa was no stranger to it.
Especially with children, such slogans worked like a charm.
The wide-eyed Ilulu staring at her now was just further proof. No wonder Otto had managed to trick so many Valkyries into fighting for him.
But right now, Theresa wasn't in much of a mood for a lecture. "Hurry up and transform. The longer we drag this out, the more my comrades will worry."
Her train of thought interrupted, Ilulu didn't say anything more. A crimson light swiftly enveloped her.
As it faded, a girl with magenta long hair, dressed in tattered, wild-looking animal hides, appeared before Theresa.
Theresa was already quite short, standing at a startling 145cm, but Ilulu was even shorter. With a full fifteen centimeters of extra height, Theresa could easily assume the role of the elder.
"Bear with it a moment."
Seeing the transformation complete, Theresa manipulated Oath of Judah to extend its chains.
As a type of Soulium, she severed a section and molded it into a cross pendant, which she personally fastened around the red-haired girl's neck.
The pendant quickly adjusted its size, fitting snugly against Ilulu's neck like a choker—present enough to feel, yet not so tight as to be overly constricting.
Ilulu tested the flow of her magic, finding it once again sluggish as if bound by chains, but at least it wasn't as bad as before when her blood felt like it had stopped entirely.
As for losing her abilities forcing her back into dragon form, she didn't need to worry.
The transformation magic wasn't some illusion—it genuinely altered her form, so it wouldn't revert just because her magic was suppressed.
"Let's go, Judah. You're in charge of moving."
Not wanting to exert herself, Theresa simply pulled Ilulu along to sit atop the cross.
Next, I just need to knock this little dragon out cold.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.