That day, a black shooting star was sighted racing through the skies of the Human Realm.
The moment she received the Hummingbird from Kaito and sent her reply, Amel immediately swung into action. A storm of pure jubilation was howling within her soul.
Kaito... her Sworn Friend had reached out to her for a consultation. Her Sworn Friend was relying on her... which meant her Sworn Friend was seeking help. In other words, her mind had already performed the rapid conversion: "Her Sworn Friend was in a pinch." Her heart leaped at the dramatic prospect of rushing to his side in his hour of need.
Of course, in reality, Kaito wasn't in any kind of trouble at all... but to her, it didn't matter.
Amel finished her preparations in roughly thirty seconds. She stepped outside her dwelling, beat her wings to ascend, and simultaneously constructed a Countermeasure Formula.
She knew that without a formula to suppress the wind pressure and shockwaves, her flight would cause catastrophic damage to the surrounding area. It took another thirty seconds to finalize the spell—exactly one minute after she had replied to the Hummingbird. High in the sky, Amel spread her jet-black wings wide.
Magic Power surged through her feathers, and a pulsating force waited for the moment of liberation. Then, in the next instant, accompanied by a sound like the sky itself exploding, the Black Gale tore through the heavens.
The mountain range where Amel and her kin lived was located in a remote corner of the Arclesia Empire, near the very edge of the continent. The distance from there to the Kingdom of Sinfonia's Royal Capital was staggering—approximately 15,000 kilometers.
No matter how directly one could fly, such a vast distance would normally require a significant amount of time. Even using a professional Wyvern Service, it would be difficult to complete the journey within a single day.
However, Amel was a Special Individual of the Winged Race. She was a being who possessed power comparable to the Peerage-class—a level of strength held by only four other members of Humankind.
Her flight speed was in a different league entirely from her kin or even average Dragons.
Amel’s cruising speed was approximately Mach 245, exceeding 300,000 kilometers per hour. She had told Kaito she would arrive in five minutes to account for her preparations, but the actual travel time from her home to the capital was less than three minutes.
(Wait for me, Sworn Friend! I’m coming for you!)
As she flew, reports flooded in from across the continent, from the western reaches of the Arclesia Empire to the heart of the Kingdom of Sinfonia, regarding a black shooting star.
Even in the bright light of day, the sight of a black streak carving through the heavens planted a seed of anxiety in the hearts of many, leading them to wonder if it were an ill omen. Almost no one, however, knew the mundane truth behind the phenomenon.
After informing Illness-san and Nebula that I was expecting a guest, I headed out into the garden to wait for Amel-san.
Since she said she'd be here in five minutes, she was bound to arrive any second. My only concern was whether she actually knew where I lived.
I had mentioned that I was in the Central District of the Royal Capital, but I hadn't given her a specific address. I figured that if I stood outside, she might spot me.
As I was pondering the absurdity of the situation and absentmindedly scanning the sky, a black line suddenly sliced through the blue.
That line... or rather, the trail of Magic Power left in the wake of something moving at high speed, appeared as it broadly circled the area. Just as several black rings became visible in the air, the object slowed down enough for me to identify it.
...Yeah. It was, as expected, Amel-san. Between the flamboyant entrance and the terrifying speed she used to get here, I was left in a state of genuine shock.
It seemed she had spotted me during her descent. With a bright, beaming smile, she waved her hand and drifted slowly down into the garden.
Despite her constant attempts to look cool and composed, she really did have an adorable, puppy-like quality to her.
"Hello, Amel-san."
"Sworn Friend! Forgive the delay. You may rest easy now that I have arrived. I, the Black Gale, shall deliver you from this predicament!"
"..."
Wait a second. I needed a moment to process this. Before we talk about delivering me... I’d really like an explanation as to when exactly I fell into a "predicament."
At that very moment, inside the Royal Castle of the Sinfonia Royal Capital, things had become incredibly frantic.
"The readings are off the charts! The estimated Magic Power Amount is at the Peerage-class level!"
"Is that a Magic Power Trail in the sky? It’s already vanished... did it descend into the city?"
"Everyone, stay calm! Do not lose your composure. First, we must consolidate our information!"
Inside the hall, which was in an uproar over the sudden detection of an immense mana signature, King Ryze maintained a tense expression while barking orders to settle his subordinates.
With Peerage-class magic detected and trails appearing in the sky, Ryze had already begun to consider the possibility of an attack by an unknown Monster. Just then, several knights came rushing toward him.
"Your Majesty! It appears the source of the Magic Power has landed in the capital... specifically, at Miyama Kaito-dono's Mansion!"
"Right. Everyone, stand down!"
With that single command from Ryze, the knights and mages returned to their respective duties. The crisis was over. Everyone working at the Royal Palace was well aware that Kaito’s Mansion was a place that could only be described as a Singularity.
Furthermore, while it was technically within the capital, it was treated as a sort of Special District—a place where the state had no authority to intervene even if something did happen.
Besides, if it were a true emergency, the Phantasm King or one of the others would have handled it long before the kingdom could mobilize. There was simply nothing for them to do.
In an instant, the previous tension evaporated, and the Royal Castle returned to its usual, peaceful atmosphere.
Serious-senpai: "Mach 245... that’s an insane speed. But then again, once you get to High-ranking Count-class, there are plenty of monsters who can move at the speed of light, aren't there? Man, I’m really glad this series isn't a battle manga..."
???: "So, you're saying we don't need 'Serious' moments?"
Serious-senpai: "I didn't say that!"