Volume 4 Chapter 80

Volume 4 + Chapter 80: Sudden Upheaval

Xia Yi heard a strange sound, resounding with startling clarity inside her mind.

As if responding to some unseen call, she lifted her head and, amid the wind-filled snowstorm, saw the shadow of an immensely exaggerated colossal beast.

Its form was blurred by the raging wind and snow, making its true appearance impossible to discern. Yet from the rough outline traced by its silhouette, she could tell that it was—A gigantic fly.

But why would a fly be so enormous?

No matter how she thought about it, Xia Yi could not understand.

Such an exaggerated colossus was absolutely not a size that any normal creature could ever attain.

Even a dragon that had fully unleashed its true form would appear small and delicate before that monstrous being.

Buzz.

Buzz buzz.

Buzz buzz buzz.

A maddening, demonic hum echoed incessantly within Xia Yi’s mind. She clutched her ears, trying desperately to block out the torturous sound.

But this was not a sound transmitted through the air. Even covering her ears was completely futile.

Could it be… that this sound was coming from that colossal beast?

Xia Yi stared at the shadow of the monster and realized that its gaze was focused squarely upon her.

For reasons she could not explain, her body began to tremble slightly.

This was instinct—an innate biological response, recoiling subconsciously from such a terrifying existence.

“N-no…”

“Don’t come any closer!”

“I don’t taste good!!”

Such thoughts erupted in Xia Yi’s mind like a volcanic outburst, completely beyond her control.

She could clearly sense that, with her current level of strength, it was absolutely impossible for her to fight an enemy like this.

She glanced around and suddenly realized that Elly, who had been by her side, was nowhere to be seen—gone without her noticing when.

Had Elly sensed the danger as well and fled in advance?

But Xia Yi had no time to dwell on that. Upon sensing this overwhelming threat, she made an immediate decision—turning around and fleeing.

She pushed her speed to the limit, driven by a single desire: to put as much distance as possible between herself and that mysterious monster.

“Ugh…! What is this?!”

Xia Yi was utterly confused. She could clearly feel that she was running at her maximum speed, yet the spreading black shadow beneath the beast rapidly caught up to her, sweeping beneath her feet.

Her body began to feel increasingly sluggish. The snow-covered ground was now overlaid with a layer of murky darkness.

Like a swamp, it corroded and engulfed the entire land.

Within that black shadow, Xia Yi’s limbs felt as though they had been filled with molten lead, rendering her unable to move.

“W-wuh… no… don’t!”

The silver-haired little girl struggled desperately, but it was as if all strength had been drained from her body. She was slowly being dragged into the murky shadow—first her boots, then the white stockings on her legs, inch by inch creeping upward.

Rather than falling into a swamp, Xia Yi felt more as though she were being swallowed into the belly of the beast, until the darkness completely devoured her body.

Her five senses dulled gradually, as if eroded by a lethal plague. Little by little, she lost all perception, the light fading from her eyes…

……

……

“Your Highness… you’re not thinking of falling asleep, are you?”

Elly looked at Xia Yi with deep concern.

From just a moment ago, Xia Yi had been drooping her eyelids, utterly silent, as if she were already asleep.

This made Elly extremely worried. Having lived in the north for many years, she knew all too well that in such extreme cold, prolonged exposure to low temperatures could easily induce the illusion of drowsiness. Once someone fell asleep, the consequences would be extremely dangerous—possibly fatal from freezing.

“Your Highness, Your Highness, are you cold? I—I’ll think of something!”

Elly panicked like an ant on a hot pan.

No matter what, she had to ensure that Her Highness’s body temperature remained normal. Right now, the best solution was—

To take off her clothes and hold her close for warmth!!

Yes, that was it. Use her own body heat to maintain the princess’s temperature.

“Your Highness, don’t worry! I won’t let you freeze!!”

Elly clenched her teeth, stomped her foot, and decided to go all in!

She would strip off her own clothes, pull off Xia Yi’s outer garments, then hold her tightly. Using both of their clothes together, they could shield themselves from the cold.

Though it was terribly embarrassing and far too intimate, under the present circumstances, preserving life was the most important thing.

“Your Highness, come on! With me—wahhh!”

Just as Elly was about to take off her coat, Xia Yi abruptly stood up, her eyes not even fully open.

The sudden movement startled the little green dragon maid badly.

“……”

Xia Yi slowly opened her eyes, keeping her head lowered, her intent utterly unreadable.

“Your Highness… are you… angry?” Elly hurriedly explained. “No, Your Highness, I wasn’t planning to do anything bad! I just wanted to help keep you warm! This is the best emergency measure right now. We don’t have any food, and if we don’t stay close, our body heat will drain even faster!”

“……”

Xia Yi slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were vacant, devoid of any light, not even focused on Elly herself. It was chilling to the extreme—anyone being stared at like that would find it unbearable.

“W-wah!”

The moment Elly met that gaze, her heart clenched in terror. She fell backward into the snow, throwing her arms up defensively.

“Don’t eat me, Your Highness! If you’re going to eat someone, at least eat the Three Great Sled Generals first!!”

“……”

Xia Yi stared at Elly for a moment longer. Then she made an extremely bizarre move—she charged straight into the blizzard alone, leaving the protection of the magic circle, sprinting wildly toward the most dangerous direction.

“Your Highness?!”

Such reckless behavior left Elly completely dumbfounded.

She could no longer understand what Xia Yi was trying to do. Had her dissociative disorder been suppressed for too long and finally erupted, causing her to lose all control?

No—if she hesitated any longer, and the princess’s figure disappeared completely into the storm, everything would become irretrievable.

“Your Highness, stop! Don’t run any farther—this will only put you in even greater danger!!”

Elly bolted forward at full speed, shouting at the top of her lungs as she chased after Xia Yi’s retreating figure.

Her voice was swallowed by the wind and snow. The silver-haired girl ahead seemed not to hear her at all—and somehow, her running speed was only increasing…

Before long, Elly was about to lose sight of her.

“Damn it—then I’ll have to do this the hard way!”

Elly could no longer worry about anything else. She released her dragon’s true form, boosting her strength and speed as she pursued through the storm. Even if she had to use force, she had to restrain Xia Yi, who had already lost her sanity.

However, what happened next was something the green dragon maid could never have anticipated—

Upon the little princess’s body… a shocking transformation was about to unfold.