Tike wrinkled his nose and sat up from the bed.
He was still very sleepy, but the smell in the air—a mixture of rotting fish and moldy rags—assaulted his olfactory nerves so intensely that waves of nausea washed over him.
(No way, gotta clean up this trash.)
He simply couldn't continue sleeping in this environment. He wanted to purify this filthy air completely and restore a clean, fresh world for himself.
Almost at the same time Tike rolled out of bed, Erza, who had been napping while leaning against the bedside, also opened her eyes.
"Tike, what happened?"
Since just now, an intense sense of unease had inexplicably welled up in her heart, making it impossible for her to sleep peacefully.
"The town is under attack again."
Tike answered while gently patting Alice, who was in sleep mode on the bedside table.
"Good morning~ Tike, Erza..."
The awakened Alice greeted the two groggily. But when she looked up and saw the dark sky outside the window, a confused expression appeared on her face.
"Eh? Is it good evening now?"
---
Night had fallen. A light, icy drizzle patted the ground, but it couldn't extinguish the raging flames shooting into the sky.
Looking at the small town that had turned into a sea of fire before him, Tike's expression, which had been gloomy since he woke up, became even uglier.
(So smelly, so uncomfortable.)
"Alice, take Big Sis Erza, Kagura, and the others to a safe place."
"Understood!"
Alice nodded quickly. Just as she was about to take Erza and the two still-sleepy little girls away, Erza suddenly spoke up:
"Tike, I can fight too..."
Although she hadn't fully mastered her magic yet, she didn't want Tike to face everything alone every time something happened.
After all, she was the one Tike called "Big Sis." How could a big sister always hide behind her little brother and let him protect her?
Tike nodded slightly and said seriously, "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm entrusting the safety of Kagura, Yukino, and Alice entirely to you."
Alice stuck out her tongue and added, "After all, I, Alice, can't fight either. If anything happens on the way, we'll have to rely completely on you, Erza!"
Erza was stunned for a moment, then straightened her slender back and nodded solemnly, "I understand. I definitely won't let them come to any harm!"
"Then, let's go!"
Alice unfolded the mechanical wings on her back and hugged the three girls.
Tike used Water Mirror to send them as far away as possible. Then, he turned around, followed the stench he loathed so much, and navigated through the burning streets and houses. Soon, he arrived at the center where the battle was most intense.
Before his eyes, Guild Master Chill of the Heart of Blazing Flame was fighting fiercely with his companions like a crazed beast.
"Guild Master! What is wrong with you?!"
"Guild Master! Snap out of it!"
"Guild Master! Stop fighting! We are your partners!"
The guild members shouted hoarsely, trying to awaken Chill's consciousness and bring him back from madness.
However, their shouts were like stones sinking into the sea. Chill just mechanically swung his fists, ruthlessly knocking away the partners who tried to approach him.
From the guild members' shouts and the strange scent on Chill, Tike roughly understood the situation.
Chill was controlled by some evil force and was attacking the townspeople and companions he was supposed to protect.
Most of the others from Heart of Blazing Flame had scattered to evacuate the residents. Only these few, who could be considered top wizards in the guild, remained here to block Chill.
But even giving their all, they couldn't stop their Guild Master.
In the short minute since Tike arrived, they were knocked to the ground by Chill, losing their combat capability.
Witnessing all this, Tike instantly felt very angry.
Attacking his own companions and the town he protected was definitely not Chill's intention.
This uncle emitted such a kind scent even toward stranger kids like them whom he met for the first time. Which damned bastard turned him into this state, neither human nor ghost?!
Tike clenched his fists tightly. Just as he was about to rush forward to stop Chill, a faint fragrance drifted into his nose.
But soon, this wisp of fragrance was covered by an intense stench.
Tike turned his head abruptly, looking coldly in the direction the smell came from.
On the other side of the square stood a girl with long purple hair.
Just as the wisp of fragrance Tike first smelled indicated, although she hadn't fully grown up yet, one could already tell she was an absolute beauty with exquisite features and an elegant temperament.
Yet, this beautiful quality was almost completely overshadowed by the intense, nauseating evil stench on her, making Tike feel as if he were in a giant garbage dump accumulated over several years.
(No way, it stinks too much.)
Unable to bear the stench rushing straight to his brain any longer, Tike retched on the spot.
Seeing this, the purple-haired girl's originally triumphant expression froze instantly.
"You lowly brat, daring to act so crudely before the beauty of Lady Blake! You deserve to die ten thousand times! Kill him for me! Immediately! Right now!"
Hearing Blake's command, Chill's originally empty and numb eyes flickered slightly. He turned his head stiffly, looking at Tike standing not far away. He raised his hand but didn't swing it for a long time, nor did he release any attack magic.
(Damn it, the control is unstable.)
Blake cursed inwardly. Although faint, the calls of Chill's companions had indeed interfered with her "Human Subordination" magic, affecting her control over Chill!
Seeing she couldn't count on Chill, Blake immediately cast magic, summoning more of her slaves from the darkness.
Like Chill, these people were living puppets controlled by Blake using "Human Subordination" magic.
Although the combined strength of these puppets probably couldn't match Chill alone, they should be more than enough to deal with this frail-looking brat before her eyes.
"You lot, go finish him off for me immediately!"
Unlike Chill, these living puppets just summoned by Blake showed no hesitation as they surrounded Tike.
Tike stopped retching, retreated a few steps to put some distance between himself and the puppets, and quickly scanned the surrounding environment, rapidly assessing the current situation in his mind.
Unlike Uncle Chill, these guys had not a shred of humanity or kindness in them. Their strength was also inferior to Uncle Chill's, at most two levels higher than the small fry of the black magic cult he had eliminated in the village before.
However, even so, with Tike's current normal strength, trying to deal with so many enemies at once was still a bit of a stretch.
And because it was raining, there was no moon in the sky tonight. This meant Tike couldn't use his best "Moon Breathing" to absorb moon magic power and enhance his strength.
(No choice. Looks like I'll have to switch to another breathing technique for now.)
Tike adjusted his breathing rhythm slightly, letting his body enter a completely new state.
Water Breathing!