Previously:
"!!?" Aladdin gasped in shock, eyes wide with fear when the lightning easily shot through his magoi.
Just as I expected… the current Aladdin can't handle that move! Sinbad thought, horrified and afraid for the young boy's life. "Aladdin!!!"
CRRRSSSHHHH!!! The lightning crashed into the very spot where Aladdin stood in an explosion of sizzling electric energy.
"Hey, hey… Did you turn into ash after that one move?" Judar said mockingly, as the dust and electricity started to clear, and he could see the edge of a crater in the dirt. "!?" he gasped, shocked when he saw that not only was Aladdin still standing, but he had been shielded by a huge djinn whose head was stuck inside a flute. Some lingering electric shocks arced around its rippling blue muscles.
This is… 'magic'!! Aladdin thought, panting. He was a little roughed up, but still relatively unharmed thanks to Ugo.
"…" Judar narrowed his eyes dangerously at the younger magi.
Chapter 48: A New Visitor
The SML siblings were stunned by what they saw when Aladdin summoned Ugo during his standoff with Judar.
"Brother! That's!" M Nando exclaimed in shock, pointing at the massive blue being. It was the same one responsible for destroying their hideout!
"Yeah… It's the giant from that time… Why did it appear again?" S Nando asked nervously, sweating bullets. He didn't realize it was because Ugo was a djinn who lived in Aladdin's flute. "However, that giant is not weak. What will happen if it competes with that brat!?"
Here it is… Aladdin's djinn! As I thought, he had to materialize it, Sinbad thought, furrowing his brow and clenching his jaw with concern while a bead of nervous sweat slid down the side of his face. Normally, the way to use a djinn's metal vessel is to wear the powers of the djinn residing in it to fight. However, the relationship of Aladdin as a magi and the djinn is fundamentally different from others. This is my first time seeing it, too… How will he fight with it!?
"Hmm, Midget, you've got something interesting there…" Judar said. "A huge djinn body… that's something only us magi can bring out." He smirked. "Very well… I'll recognize it, that you're a magi." Judar took a step forward and raised his wand again to gather more rukh.
From over the sea, streaks of fog came streaming through the town, unnerving the crowd of ordinary citizens waiting outside the Fog Troupe's hideout, and startling the troupe members inside when it flew past them, swirling into a ball around Judar's wand.
"Balbadd is a fog town. I can order the rukh to gather as much water from the air as I want," He said, while a giant mass of water formed over his wand. He tightened his grip on it. "And… order it again…" He narrowed his eyes and concentrated on changing the water's form.
Aladdin, Hope, Alibaba, and Morgiana watched with wide eyes as the body of water froze into a solid hunk of sharp ice while Judar rose up into the air with it.
"My specialty is ice magic!!" Judar declared with a grin, enjoying the shocked expressions on the faces of everyone below him.
"Nii-chan! That looks like a huge ice spear…!" L Nando cried.
"You idiot… before that… Why is he flying?" S Nando said nervously, pale with shock.
Floating magic that manipulates gravity… Judar… He can use this many types of magic at the same time… What a guy! Sinbad thought anxiously, furrowing his brow.
"Hehe~" Judar laughed. "How's this!? Isn't it amazing, Sinbad! I had a hard time learning this! But it's still tough for me to do with long distances," he bragged. He noticed the wary look on the king's face. "Oh… still too early for you to be surprised… My special move starts now…" He moved his wand to begin.
CRRRRK. SHHHNG. SHHHNG. Everyone watched with wide eyes while cracks formed in the ice and slivers of spear-like shards peeled off from the main body of ice.
Cold sweat dripped down the back of Hope's neck as she stared up at them. She knew what was coming next. "R… Run!!!" she yelled as Judar shouted,
"Take this!!" Thalg Al-Salos!!!"
The troupe members cried out in fear and alarm when Hope's prediction came true, and they scrambled to follow her advice as the deadly ice spears rained down upon them. Many of them were just barely able to dodge in time. "Run!!!" many of them echoed Hope's cry. "What are these!!?" cried others.
"Whoa!" One man cried when a spear pierced the wall beside him. "!!?" he gasped when ice began to spread out across the wall from where it hit.
The same thing was happening everywhere else the spears landed. "Wha-What!?" the thieves yelled, shocked. "It freezes where it pierced!?"
"Ugo-kun!!" Aladdin shouted when a particularly large shard came their way. Ugo immediately formed a fist and struck the ice spear, breaking it before it could hit.
"Hmm, good going there!!" Judar said with a smirk. "But I still have many spears left!!" He watched their eyes widened in horror when he peeled more ice spears to throw at them. "How about this!!" He shouted, unleashing the second wave of his attack. This time, he focused on the other magi and his djinn.
"Ugo-kun!!" Aladdin said urgently. Ugo dodged everything that was thrown at him and lunged forth to take a great leap into the air. He raised his hand and aimed at their enemy with the speed and poise of an Olympic volleyball player preparing to make a hard spike.
For the first time since the fight began, Judar's eyes widened in fear.
SLAP!! BZZZ. BZZZ. Ugo struck with such immense force that it warped the magi's borg and made it crackle dangerously.
"Uooooooo!?" Judar screamed, breaking out in a cold sweat, as he was hurled toward the ground.
CRASH!! Judar and his borg slammed into the ground with massive crack like thunder striking a mountain. Many of those watching had to shield their eyes from the dust and debris raised by the impact. If Faith was conscious she probably would have shouted something like "Served!!"
"!!!" Sinbad and Ja'far exclaimed in shock while the troupe members cried out in disarray.
"So this is a fight between magi…!" Ja'far said. "How terrifying…!"
"…" Sweat slid down the side of Sinbad's face while he analyzed the situation again. It's certain that both sides are strong. Aladdin isn't inferior to him. But…
"Haha! He's strong…" Judar said with a grin as the dust cleared, only slightly scuffed up after the incredible attack, thanks to his borg. He stood up and dusted himself off. "But don't think that you've won with this! I still have ice left." He raised his wand again.
Aladdin followed it with his eyes and gasped when he saw where it was pointed. The rest of the ice hovering over him and Ugo!
With a vicious grin and flick of his wrist, Judar made more ice spears and pulled them down at the younger magi.
Aladdin's eyes widened in horror when Ugo threw himself between him and the spears, absorbing the entire attack with his back. "Ugo-kun!!!"
"!!!" Hope, Alibaba, and Morgiana shouted, horrified by the damage done to their giant friend. Their eyes widened in terror, fearing for his life, when the mighty djinn fell to his knees. The ice spears had pierced his body deeply.
Ugo… Ugo-kun is in trouble…! Aladdin thought anxiously, desperate to help his friend. He scrambled up the djinn's giant body as quickly as he could to get to the flute over his head. I have to give him more power… Aladdin took a deep breath and blew out until he was red in the face, giving Ugo as much magoi as he could muster. The flesh on Ugo's back twitched and expelled the shards, sending them shooting back out. Ugo stood up again.
"Ugo-kun…! Ugo-kun…!" Aladdin said anxiously. Was his friend okay!? Was it all right for him to move like that!?
"…" Judar stared in amazement for a moment and smiled. "He really is strong, that guy!" This was the most fun he'd had in ages. "But it looks like my attacks were effective. Take a look," he said, pointing at the giant's back. "Magoi is leaking out from the holes!"
"… Why! Why are you doing this to us!?" Aladdin shouted in anger and frustration, tired of seeing his friends get hurt.
"Huh? Why… you ask…? Now that you've mentioned it… why did we fight?" Judar asked, looking up at him with an odd expression on his face. "I forgot!" he said carelessly with a shrug.
Everyone stared at him, staggered by his callous disregard for their lives, the way he acted as if this deadly fight had only been a game to him.
"Well, isn't it fine!?" Judar said, unperturbed. "Let's play, midget! You should understand it too since you're a magi, right?"
"…!?" Aladdin furrowed his brow, wondering what he was talking about.
"I've so much power that I can't even finish using it! And thanks to that, everything I did felt so freakin' boring! But it was a little fun today," Judar exclaimed with a dark grin. "That's why, play with me more, midget magi!!"
… Faith definitely called it… Hope thought as a bead of sweat slid down the side of her face. This guy really is a psychopath…!!
What's up with this person… Aladdin thought, disturbed. More than that… since earlier… Ugo-kun isn't returning to the flute. "Ugo-kun… Ugo-kun!?" he called anxiously, concerned for his friend. Ugo-kun is wounded so badly… he thought. "That's enough," he said seriously. Ugo needed to return to his flute to heal. "Return, Ugo-kun!! Return to the flute!! Return!!" The djinn stayed where he was. Ugo-kun won't return to the flute! Why!? This has never happened before!! "!!" Aladdin gasped in alarm when Ugo lost his balance and collapsed to his knees again. "Ugo-kun!!"
"Aladdin!!" Hope cried when he was thrown from Ugo's shoulders and crashed to the ground.
Aladdin winced in pain when he landed on his back but quickly rolled over and ran back to check on the injured djinn. "Ugo-kun!!" he cried. Ugo-kun won't return to the flute! Also… It's strange! Even though I'm not giving him power anymore… Ugo-kun is still moving!! he thought, while Ugo struggled to pick himself up again.
"Hey, midget," Judar said, approaching them. "Don't tell me it's gonna end like this? Such an opportunity rarely comes around. Let's play some more!!" He raised his wand and formed several more balls of lightning.
"Get out of there!!" Hope yelled, eyes wide with fear for her friends, as Judar hurled the lightning at Aladdin and Ugo.
WHOOM. "Ugo-kun, Ugo-kun!!" Aladdin screamed, trying to get the injured djinn to move.
DNN! DNN! DNN! DNN!! Hope stared in awe. The lightning balls crashed into the ground mere seconds behind Morgiana after she flew over to move Aladdin out of harm's way.
"Aladdin, are you all right!? Get a grip!!" Morgiana cried.
"Mor…" Aladdin said, staring up at her with wide eyes, still shaken by the attack.
"Ooh? Midget, who's that woman?" Judar asked curiously. "She's amazingly fast…"
Despite the pain it caused her, Hope staggered to her feet when he took a step closer to them, preparing to run to their aid. "!!" She was surprised when someone grabbed her wrist to stop her. It was Sinbad.
"Don't!!" he said urgently, tightening his grip when she tried to pull away. "You don't stand a chance against him in your current condition!" Going up against Judar would be suicide. She didn't even know how to use her djinn!
"Oh?" Judar said, turning to glance at them. His eyes narrowed slightly and he shot Hope a predatory smirk. "You want to play, too?"
"!?" Sinbad and Hope gasped in alarm.
Before the dangerous magi could move another muscle, Alibaba drew his sword and charged straight at him with all the speed he could muster. "Over here! You crazy bastard!!"
Judar barely spared the other boy a glance when he let out a war cry and launched himself at his borg. BZZZ. BZZZ. "Again?" he asked boredly with his hands on his hips, watching how his borg crackled when the short sword came in contact with it. This guy must be as stupid as he was weak. "Normal attacks won't work on me…"
Alibaba tightened his grip on his sword and grit his teeth. It wasn't over yet! He focused on forming some of Amon's flames around its blade.
WOOOSH. "!?" Judar exclaimed in alarm when the flaming sword pierced his powerful borg, allowing Alibaba to push through and drive the blade toward his face.
"It got through!!!" Ja'far shouted in disbelief, while the rest of them stared in shock.
Is it… because he combined force with magic!? Hope wondered, astounded. Was that why Faith's attack had worked? Because she had hit him with a combination of physical force and PK!? She knew Sinbad was right to stop her now. She couldn't possibly hope to do any damage to Judar without a way to produce some kind of energy attack. If she tried to help, she'd just get in the way.
Judar staggered and held a hand to his bleeding face, feeling the cut Alibaba made on his cheek. "…" He raised his head to shoot him an angry glare. "That hurt! Ahh… I forgot that… you were a dungeon capturer."
"…" Alibaba glared back while he stood his ground with his sword held out in front of him.
Judar raised his wand and let out another blast of plain magoi that threw Alibaba and all of the people behind him slamming backward against a wall. "Nobody is allowed to get in the way… I want to fight as a 'magi' to my heart's content before killing that midget!"
A shadow fell over Judar, and in the next instant Ugo lunged forward to clothesline him. The magi's borg bent inward along the length of the djinn's arm.
The attack had generated so much force that Judar actually felt part of the brunt of the powerful blow. Any normal person would have been obliterated. Everyone—Sinbad, Hope, Ja'far, Aladdin, and the rest of the troupe members—stood aghast, dumbstruck with terror at the sudden, shocking display of brutality.
Judar crashed into the far wall with so much force that, even with the protection of his borg, he could barely move. "What…!!" his eyes widened in fear when Ugo sprang at him again. The ground trembled when the djinn slammed the magi and his borg against it with an almighty punch. BZZZ. BZZZ. "AAAAARGH…." Judar groaned from the immense effort it took to keep his borg up to prevent being crushed. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!?" he screamed when Ugo's strength won out and the djinn's fist pummeled him into the ground.
CRRRSSSSH!! Hope held up an arm and squinted to shield her eyes from the dust and debris thrown up by the deep impact. WOOSH. A wind blew through, clearing the air to reveal the crater that had been created. The rubble shifted and up came Judar from within. His borg appeared to still be intact, but he was panting heavily and had new scratches on his face and body. A little blood dripped from his nose. "…!?" he gasped when Ugo started charging again. Aladdin chased after him, clearly worried about the way his friend kept fighting even though he was wounded and leaking magoi. "Wa… Wait! What's with this djinn!?" Judar cried, holding a hand out in front of him while rushing to wipe the blood away.
CRRSH! Another punch sent Judar and his borg slamming into a wall. "Hey, midget!!" he said, hurrying away before Ugo could attack again, while he raised his wand to gather more rukh to form another ice spear. "That djinn is unfair!! Since earlier… you haven't been giving him any magoi!" He peeled it into three smaller spears and hurled them at the djinn, who stood protectively in front of Aladdin and shattered the ice spears with his giant fists. "In other words, he's using someone else's magoi to move now!! That djinn… that djinn is… that djinn isn't yours!!!"
"!?" Aladdin gasped, startled by the unexpected accusation.
Ugo braced himself as Judar sent down a shower of magoi beams, absorbing all of the damage to protect Aladdin. Then, through the cloud of dust kicked up by some stray beams, came another, larger ice spear.
Aladdin's eyes widened in horror when Judar drove it into his friend's chest, piercing the djinn all the way through his back.
"I won!!" Judar declared with a victorious smirk.
But Ugo raised his hands and slammed them together around the dark magi's borg, squeezing hard.
CRK. Judar's eyes widened with dread when a cracks appeared in his defense beneath the giant's powerful fingers.
WHAAAM!!! The borg collapsed under the immense pressure, and the magi was squashed between the djinn's hands like a fly. Everyone watched in shock, almost too stunned to breath, as Ugo opened his hands to let Judar's limp body fall to the ground. There was blood on the djinn's giant blue hands, and the unconscious Judar looked like a broken rag doll.
Ugo-kun… Aladdin thought, staring up at his friend. He had never seen him like this before.
"… Amazing…!" S Nando breathed in astonishment.
"…" Sinbad and Hope stared at the djinn in shock. Hope knew Ugo was strong, but she had never witnessed him attacking so relentlessly before. There had been absolutely no mercy in the djinn's movements. And she had never seen once him disregard Aladdin's instructions like that.
What terrifying strength…! Sinbad thought.
THWACK! "Ugo-kun!?" Aladdin cried with concern when the djinn fell to one knee, slamming his fist against the ground to support himself. But only for a moment. He stood up again. "Ugo-kun!?"
"…!?" Sinbad gasped when Ugo raised his hands above his head and a red light began to form around them. That djinn… could it be…!!? He's going for the kill!!? "This is bad. Everyone run!!" he shouted urgently, scooping Hope up to carry over his shoulder.
"!?" Hope gasped in pain, getting the wind knocked out of her in his rush, as he fled with the clamoring troupe members. Masrur grabbed Faith, and Ja'far helped direct everyone to safety. "Ah!" was all she managed to get out when she tried to call out to Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana. They weren't moving! Why weren't they running!?
"It can't be! Ugo-kun!!" Aladdin exclaimed anxiously with wide eyes when he realized what was about to happen.
"…!" Alibaba gasped. This is… what I saw before in the dungeon…!? he thought, recognizing it as the same attack that Ugo had used on the slime monsters inside Amon's dungeon.
That's… heat magic… and a powerful one, too…!! Sinbad thought warily, gritting his teeth. That djiin was going to destroy Judar and anyone close to him!
Ugo squeezed his glowing hands tighter and drove them down upon Judar with frightening speed and pressure.
BOOOOOOOM! The heat magic exploded out from his hands like a large bomb, shaking the ground, and sending out powerful blasts of hot air that decimated its immediate surroundings. Aladdin, Alibaba, and several remaining troupe members, were thrown into the air. Aladdin thought he was going to fall, but he was caught and held securely by a strong arm.
"Are you all right…?" his savior asked when they had landed gently on the ground.
"Morg-san…!!" Aladdin gasped in astonishment when he saw who it was, and how many other people she was holding. In addition to himself, she had also managed to save Alibaba and the other troupe members. "Th-Thank you. You saved me."
"How many people did you save?" Alibaba asked.
"Seven people," Morgiana replied.
"That's… a-amazing," Alibaba said, deeply impressed. He flinched when he remembered something. "What about Faith and Hope-san, and the others from the fog troupe!?" he asked anxiously.
"They're fine," Morgiana replied, pointing down at them from the wall they were standing on top of. "Thanks to Sinbad-san, there don't seem to be any casualties. Because of his call, everyone was able to escape quickly. But… it's already… for that person…" she said solemnly, gazing down at the djinn and the large, steaming crater he was standing in. It appeared Judar had been completely obliterated by the attack. The only thing left was a dark scorch mark where his body used to be. Ugo stood there, staring at the aftermath of the destruction he wrought. He must have released more heat from within his body, because the ice spear Judar impaled him with cracked and sublimated into vapor, leaving only a gaping wound.
"… Say, Aladdin, what happened to Ugo-kun?" Alibaba asked nervously, concern. "He seems to be moving by his own will…?"
Aladdin's was brow creased with confusion and worry. "I don't know… It's my first time something happened like this too, I…" He didn't know what to do. What was wrong with Ugo? Was he going to be all right?
Morgiana and Alibaba bowed their heads, wishing they knew what to say. They were all troubled by the djinn's bizarre behavior.
Aladdin… Ugo… Hope thought, frowning with concern while she watched her friends. What's happening to them? Did that other magi just say Ugo… wasn't Aladdin's…? What does that mean? She glanced over at the spot where Masrur had laid Faith down and realized Sinbad was still holding her. "Uh… thanks for the save, but… how long are you planning to hold me like this?" she asked, feeling a like a sack of potatoes with the way he had her slung over his shoulder.
"Ah!" Sinbad said. She was so light, and he was so stunned by the djinn's overwhelming defeat of Judar, that he had almost forgotten she was there. He let her down carefully to avoid aggravating her wounds, and her feet had just touched the ground when Ugo suddenly straightened up to look at the sky and flinched in shock.
Everyone else soon saw why when their attention was grabbed by a voice from above.
FLAP. "Oh my… What's that? That monster… doesn't it look like it bullied our cute Judar-chan a bit too much?"
"!!" Everyone gasped in surprise and alarm as they turned their heads to find its source. The owner of the voice was a young, but very impressive and imperial-looking girl in her teens. The flapping they heard was the sound of the enormous magic carpet she was standing on rustling in the wind. On the carpet with her was an older man dressed in a similar style and holding a fan who appeared to be in his twenties, and three oddly sized persons in armor whose faces where hidden behind veils. One of them was huge. Behind them, they could see the silhouettes of many more soldiers. And, to everyone's shock, one of the main three subordinates was holding a beaten and battered Judar!
"We've managed to save him by a hair's breadth," the attendant with the fan said. Bending down to examine the wounded magi.
"But he's seriously injured," the girl said. "Hey, Ka Koubun, make sure you heal him properly. It won't be a joke if he dies."
"Understood, Your Highness. He is, after all, our precious 'oracle'," he responded dutifully.
The Fog Troupe members muttered anxiously amongst themselves. "What? Those people…" one man said nervously. Who were they? What new calamity were they about to face!?
Your Highness…!? Hope thought as a bead of cold sweat slid down the side of her face. Those Chinese dynasty-styled clothes… That familiar insignia on the magic carpet… She knew exactly where these people had come from. This can't be good…!!
"Sin," Ja'far said, furrowing his brow.
"Yeah…" Sinbad confirmed grimly, knowing exactly what his friend and subordinate was thinking. "They're… people from the Kou Empire!!"
"Kou Empire!?" Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana gasped. More of them!?
On top of that, they're using such large-scale magic tools, Sinbad thought. Meaning they aren't just anybody…!? What kind of people are they, I wonder…
WOOSH. Ugo took up an offensive stance and began forming more heat magic around his fists.
"What, does that monster still want to fight?" the girl from Kou said with a frown. "Then I'll be his opponent."
"Please be careful, Your Highness," Ka Koubun told her.
"It's all right, leave it to me," she said confidently, reaching up for her hairpin. "Go on and heal Judar-chan." She removed the ornament and grasped it tightly in her hands. "Spirit of Sorrow and Isolation, in the name of my magoi, and my will to grant me a greater power, I order you and your members." She raised it high above her head. "Come forth, Vinea!!"
"!!" Sinbad and Hope gasped when the hair ornament emitted a glow and shined with light. A serpent of water appeared to form out of midair and flowed around her in a spiral.
"Here I go!!" the Kou princess declared keenly with an eager grin on her face, excited for battle.
This rattled Sinbad and his subordinates, who immediately grasped the significance of what had just happened. "She's a djinn metal vessel user!!!" he exclaimed, filled with trepidation. This was bad!!
Ugo clenched his fists and launched himself into the sky with a mighty leap at their new enemy. He still needed to destroy that black magi.
The Kou princess smirked. "I'll finish you, you monster." She was going to make him pay dearly for attacking their oracle. "!!" she gasped in alarm when the djinn's giant hands suddenly grabbed the water serpent. Water hissed and evaporated under his heat magic. "Heat… Heat magic…" she said, reeling back in alarm. "It would have been dangerous if I didn't have the membrane of water…" But her fear quickly turned to anger. "I've finally gathered this much water, so don't go evaporating it!! You wretch!!!" she yelled, furiously, furrowing her brow, as she tightened her grip on the hairpin and gathered the rest of the water around it.
"!?" Hope gasped in astonishment, watching with wide eyes as the water morphed around it to form an ornate sword with a winged serpent motif. But it didn't stop there. The water continued to spread up her arms, transforming them as well, covering them with blue scales. Each arm had a sharp fin.
"Wha… What's that…!!?" Alibaba asked, staring up at the other dungeon capturer with Aladdin, equally shocked.
Ugo prepared to attack again, but the Kou princess was ready for him this time. She grit her teeth and threw herself down at him in a spiraling motion with shocking speed. Ugo didn't stand a chance. She tore threw him like wet paper, boring a large hole straight through his chest and out his back, shredding his heart and lungs into nothing.
"!!!" Aladdin and Hope stared at the gaping wound in horror.
"Ugo-kun!!!!" Aladdin screamed as his friend fell.
The Kou girl landed gracefully on her feet. "Ka Koubun!! How was that!?"
"As expected from you, Your Highness," he praised her while they lowered the magic carpet, sending healing water out of his fan to cover Judar's wounds.
Hope watched, pale, in disbelief as Ugo's mortally wounded body finally retreated to the inside of his flute. She was worried and afraid for him. That wound would have instantly killed a human, but Ugo was a djinn. Djinns were different, right? More magical. Would that save him? Would he be all right!?
"How is Judar-chan's condition?" the princess asked, rejoining her minions on the magic carpet.
"I'm giving him the emergency treatment now, but we'll need standard facilities for him to make a full recovery," Ka Koubun replied as the carpet rose up into the sky again.
"Let's not waste any time then," she said, prepared to leave at once.
WOOOSH! The princess and her retainers were all startled when a volley of magoi shot past them, nearly grazing her.
"!?" the Kou princess gasped, narrowing her eyes as she immediately turned to face her new foe. She was surprised to find a young boy glaring at her while he stood on a cloth flying tool and brandished a glowing staff toward her in a rather threatening manner.
Aladdin glared at furiously at Ugo's murderer. Despite his shock at his friend's brutal defeat, he had wasted no time retrieving his flute so he could go after the person who hurt his friend.
When did he…!? Hope thought, startled and concerned about his aggressive behavior. "Aladdin, don't…!!" She understood how he felt, but that girl was too dangerous! She cursed her own helplessness. If only she were stronger! She wasn't so naïve as to think that even then she alone could do what her friends couldn't accomplish together, but if she had been able to fight with them, then maybe then things would've turned out differently… Maybe they could have defeated that other magi and cleared out before these people showed up. Maybe Ugo wouldn't have had to fight her on his own.
"Who are you?" the Kou princess asked Aladdin. "So repugnant… We merely saved you and your comrades from being attacked by that monster."
"You're wrong!!" Aladdin yelled. "Ugo-kun was fighting to protect me—to protect everyone! That guy was the one who attacked first!!"
"… I see…" she said, lowering the sleeve that she had raised to cover her mouth. "So… You're the master of that monster, then?" she asked, narrowing her eyes to glare back at him. In that case, it must be his fault that their oracle, that her friend was injured. "So those people down there, too… are comrades of that monster…?"
"What do you plan to do now, Your Highness?" Ka Kobun asked.
"We have no choice but to put things in order," she replied darkly, raising her hand to signal to her other followers. She would not let this stand. "Enshin, Entai, Engi, get rid of them!!" she ordered sternly.
"!?" Aladdin was startled when the three veiled people suddenly leaped toward him and tried to counter each of them with a blast of magoi, but they dodged his attacks easily and dove straight past him.
"…!?" the Fog Troupe members gasped in alarm when the strange trio landed on the ground before them. Up close, they seemed more animal than human. One was almost as large as the djinn had been! That one reminded Hope of an elephant, but something was off about it. For one thing, it seemed to have at least three trunks! The second tallest wasn't much better, covered all over in orange-brown fur beneath his armor. The third almost seemed normal by comparison, except for the gold and black spotted fur-covered claws that gripped the hilts of his swords.
"What… What are these guys!?" Alibaba said anxiously, completely taken aback. He had never seen anything like them before.
"I'll take care of this child," the Kou princess told her men. "You three will take care of the rest of those trash…"
A bead of cold sweat ran down the back of Hope's neck. She could feel their bloodlust, even from her position near the back, kneeling on the ground next to Sinbad.
"… Uwa…!?" some of the Fog Troupe members screamed, petrified with fear.
"Kill everyone!!!" the Kou princess ordered mercilessly.
"Uwaaaa!!!" Everyone in the Troupe screamed and ran for their lives when the three enemies immediately launched themselves forward to attack.
"Baoooo!!!" the mutant elephant bellowed through its raised trunk while it charged, swinging the rest of them like whips to throw those too slow to get out of the way, trampling the rest as he went.
"Uwaaa what're these guys!? Help!!" the fleeing thieves cried desperately.
"Hi… Hii!" another whimpered in fear when he fell. He raised his arms in a vain attempt to shield himself, squeezed his eyes shut, and waited for the end to come. But it never did. He was spared the fate of their fallen comrades when Masrur rushed forth to put himself between the monster and the thieves, holding the immense being back with a single hand.
"Stop him, Masrur!!" Sinbad shouted. "!?" he gasped when he saw that Masrur was now using both hands. His feet were digging into the ground, and it was trembling and cracking under the pressure being exerted by the two opposing forces. His strength is actually on par with Masrur…!? he thought. As I expected… these guys are actually…!?
From around the second enemy with orange-brown fur came what appeared to be several smaller versions of him. Morgiana rushed forward to meet them in an attempt to protect the people behind her, but they were unlike anything she had ever faced before. She winced and grit her teeth at the painful scratches she received. What!? These guys!? They are so fast, I can't counter!! she thought anxiously, narrowing her eyes to glare defiantly as they forced her to the ground.
WHOOM. Before they could harm her any further, Ja'far threw his rope-darts to restrain them. "Morgiana!! There's too many of them," he said. "Let's team up to protect everyone!!"
"Ok!!" Morgiana agreed, quickly jumping back onto her feet to take up a position that would allow them to fight back to back.
Meanwhile, Alibaba had managed to cut down a few of the smaller minions that had been sent his way with his sword. "Is everyone all right? Stay behind me!"
WOOSH! He was startled when another blade was thrust at him. He grit his teeth and furrowed his brow, pushing his reflexes to the extreme in order to counter the third enemy's merciless barrage of attacks.
Hope lowered her head and glared at the ground. Her hands balled into fists. Again, she found herself cursing her weakness in the moment. Her sister was wounded and unconscious. All of her friends were fighting. Everyone around her was in danger, and she could barely stand. She had never felt so disgustingly helpless and useless, not since that day. It was so unbearably frustrating. I was excruciating. She clenched the dirt in her hands. The memory of what had happened then, and the fear of what could happen now, made her desperate for more strength. I need to protect them!! she thought anxiously. She couldn't—wouldn't—lose anymore of her family or friends! What the hell am I just sitting here for!? she scolded herself, forcing herself to stand. Her eyes landed on her ring and the eight-pointed star that had appeared on it after Ipos chose her. She was sick of watching the people she cared about get hurt. I don't know how to summon a djinn, but… I need more strength… I need some real power… I have to protect them!!! Hope raised her head with a desperate determination burning brightly in her eyes. This time, she was going to save everyone!!
"!!" Sinbad was startled when he suddenly felt a great shift in power next to him. His eyes widened when he turned his head and saw Hope standing there. Her arms were covered in gold-plated armor from below the bend in her elbow to the back of her hand. The white claws at the tips of her fingers gleamed in the moonlight. Djinn equip…!? he thought, astonished by the unexpected transformation. She was off like a shot before anyone could stop her.
Alibaba's eyes widened in alarm when his enemy's blade came within an inch of piercing it, but he managed to duck and block the attack at the last second.
"Ohh… Your swordsmanship isn't bad…" the enemy praised him. He raised his sword. "Let's have a—!!?"
Alibaba wasn't sure which of them was more shocked, but he found himself watching with wide eyes as Hope flew over his head from behind and threw a punch with so much force behind it, with such swift and dangerous acute accuracy, that the blade of the enemy's sword was shattered, and he was thrown several feet away from them before he could finish his sentence. The truly amazing and frightening part was, her fist hadn't even actually touched him. He had been blown away by the sheer strength of the pressure behind her attack!
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Alibaba," She said, glaring fiercely at the enemy while he tried to stop himself before he hit the far wall.
"Y… Yeah…" Alibaba said as a bead of sweat slid down the side of his face. She's… super freaking strong…!! he thought, suddenly feeling very unnecessary. And what the hell happened to her arms!?
"Everyone seems happy!" the Kou princess said as she joined Aladdin on the ground for their fight. "Well, apart from Engi…" She could already hear him complaining about his broken sword over the noise of the crowd of frightened thieves. "From now on, I'll get serious too," she said, willing the water to flow again and continue spreading up her arm while she chanted the spell to give her more power. "Spirit of Sorrow and Isolation… I order you and your sacred brethren to gather around me, to attach yourselves to me…"
What's this person…!? Her body is changing…!? Aladdin thought, staring in shock as the rest of her arm, neck, and part of her face changed to look like it was covered in more blue scales and fins.
"And impose yourself, the great djinn, upon my body, Vinea!!" the Kou princess finished strongly. She was shocked when someone suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Stop this, young lady!" Sinbad said urgently, forcing her to lower her sword.
"What, who are you!!?" the princess demanded, outraged that he would dare to touch her, let alone interfere in her fight. "!?" she gasped in alarm when her transformation began to recede. "Wha… What…!?" Why…!? My djinn equipment is disappearing…!? She thought anxiously, startled by this strange turn of events. She collapsed onto her knees, suddenly feeling inexplicably weak.
"Young lady, you seem to be a princess of the Kou Empire…" Sinbad said, still holding her hand. She looked like she was about to fall over from the shock of having her magoi suddenly cut off by his.
"… Who–Who are… you…!?" she asked, lifting her head to look up at him.
"I am Sinbad," he replied calmly. "The king of Sindria, King Sinbad."
He helped her stand, but he was still much taller than her. And as he stared down at her with those powerful amber eyes, his purple hair shining in the light of the moon, the Kou princess felt something come over her, and her heart skipped a beat. "So you're… you're that famous King Sinbad?" she asked, gazing up at him in awe. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment when she realized that he was still holding her hand, and that it was the feeling of attraction that had suddenly wormed its way into her heart. "How–how long do you plan on holding me, you insolent man!!" she snapped crossly in an attempt to hide her feelings, yanking her hand free.
"My apologies, princess," Sinbad responded politely. "But, I had to stop you. We are both people of a high position. We shouldn't have a dispute in this kind of place."
"Bu… But… that child…!" the princess stuttered defensively with a red face, pointing at the fierce glare Aladdin was still shooting at her and the glowing magoi around his staff. As far as she was concerned, he and that monster had been the ones who started it!
"Aladdin, this matter ends here. You should withdraw you staff too," Sinbad told him. "It's all right, a djinn will not die from an attack of this degree. Your friend is still alive. Furthermore, it's also not your style to act on impulse and fight, isn't that right…?"
"…" Aladdin bit his lip and looked at his staff. Baba's staff. What would Baba say if she saw him now…? Aladdin tightened his grip on the staff and his flute as he lowered his weapon and let the magoi dissipate.
"Your Highness," Sinbad said, turning his attention back to the other dungeon capturer now that he was assured Aladdin would not continue to force the situation to escalate. She was now hiding her face behind her sleeves. "I am currently staying in this country for a reason. If the princess is the same, then I would like to meet you somewhere more appropriate."
"… I understand…" the princess said after a moment. "Everyone. We're leaving," she ordered her subordinates, still hiding her face as she turned and began to walk away.
"Eh…?" Ka Koubun said, flinching in shock. "But, Your Highness…"
"It's okay, we're done for today!!" she said quickly, hoping she didn't sound as flustered as she felt.
"…" Sinbad crossed his arms while he stood there to watch her leave, relieved he had been able to end things before they became even more violent.
The princess suddenly spun around and pointed at him. "It's not because you said it that I'm returning now!! Got it!?" she yelled nervously, blushing bright pink.
It's definitely because he said it… Hope thought, sweat-dropping. Watched quietly as the enemies they had been fighting retreated and regrouped to fly away on their magic carpet. The opponent that she and Alibaba had faced pointed at her and made a slicing motion across his neck. He was obviously very angry about what had happened to his sword.
"… They left…" several Fog Troupe members said, staring after them with stunned relief.
"Anyway, we're saved…!!" one man said.
"Treat the casualties!" said another.
"…" Aladdin stayed where he was and stared at his flute. But Ugo-kun's… Ugo-kun's star has vanished… he thought anxiously, feeling afraid for his friend despite Sinbad's reassurances. He readjusted his grip on the flute and focused on channeling his magoi into it. I have to give Ugo… even more power…!