A few minutes after Amel took flight with me, our breakneck speed finally began to taper off.
"Are we there?" I asked.
"No, just a little further... but we are passing right by the settlement of the Winged Race. I wanted my Sworn Friend to see it."
"The Winged Race's home? Oh, wow. There it is!"
Following Amel’s gaze, I looked out at what was unmistakably the Winged Race's dwelling. Situated near the summits of several towering, jagged mountains, the area was a labyrinth of sheer cliffs that exuded the hallowed atmosphere of a sacred peak.
I could see houses perched atop the various pinnacles, presumably the homes of her people. Curiously, there weren't any bridges connecting the peaks; I suppose when everyone can fly, such infrastructure is redundant. At the very least, it looked like a place where survival would be impossible for anyone without wings.
"It’s incredible," I remarked. "It really highlights the unique nature of your race. As a human, I’ve never seen a residential area like this. It’s quite a sight."
"Normally, I would wish to invite my Sworn Friend to my own abode, but that hour has not yet struck."
"..."
I was so captivated by the fantasy-like scenery that my reaction to Amel’s murmured words was a second too slow. Before I could even open my mouth to reply, her voice rang out, laced with panic.
"Ah! No, I—it’s not that I don’t want to invite you, my Sworn Friend! Quite the opposite, I would be honored to host you... It’s just, well, there are formal procedures for bringing members of other races into the settlement. I can’t arrange it on such short notice. I'm... I'm so sorry."
"Oh, no, it's fine. I'm the one who should apologize. My reaction was slow and I made you worry. Please, rest assured, I’m not upset at all."
"I-I see. That is a relief... I will make sure to invite you formally another time."
"I'll look forward to it."
It seemed she had panicked, thinking I might be angry because I was too lost in the view to respond immediately. I couldn't help but feel that, in a way, Amel was a bit like Isis-san.
It wasn't their looks or personalities, but something at a more fundamental level. On the surface, she acted like a special being brimming with confidence, yet underneath that shell lay a core of insecurity and anxiety. It was remarkably similar to how Isis-san had been back when we first met.
"Well then, let us strike out for the Promised Land once more!"
"Understood."
We flew for about a minute past the Winged Race settlement until we reached a rocky expanse devoid of trees. Amel set me down gently in a wide, open clearing.
"This is a place I often use to hone my powers. It is far from civilization and almost entirely devoid of life, allowing me to unleash my true strength without concern for the surroundings."
"I see. So, you're going to test everything out right away."
"Indeed! I shall show my Sworn Friend the true brilliance of my soul!"
Brimming with excitement, Amel held a hand up to her eye. Using that movement as a trigger, her color contacts emitted a sharp red glow.
"Release!"
At her command, the Black Bandage wrapped around her arm automatically unwound, hovering mid-air as it began to orbit her limb.
"Manifest! Magic Spear Ouroboros!"
With another preset phrase, the spear materialized from her storage bracelet and settled into her grip. As she poured her magic power into the weapon, her Tattoo Stickers reacted, causing sinister patterns to crawl across her arm while black flames erupted along the length of the spear.
Amel spread her wings wide, leaping into the air as she took a throwing stance.
"Behold, the Flame of the End! Disaster End!!"
Crying out her stylish technique name, she hurled the spear. Ouroboros tore through the air at incredible speed, trailing a wake of black magic before striking a distant rock formation. In an instant, the entire mountainside was obliterated.
Yeah, that was genuinely cool... and for the record, the power behind it was the real deal.
"...Seal."
Amel willed the spear back into her hand and spoke the keyword. As she landed, her bandages automatically re-wrapped themselves. She looked at me with an extremely satisfied expression, her eyes sparkling with expectation.
"That was incredibly cool, Amel-san."
"Thank you! I am also of Great Satisfaction! Ehehe, I really am cool—Ahem! To think I could control my sealed power to this extent... as expected of the Artifact granted to me by the Phantasmal King..."
Upon hearing my praise, Amel's face lit up with a smile like a blooming flower, and she started frolicking happily before catching herself. She cleared her throat and forced her expression back into a stoic mask... her reactions really were adorable.
"The scale of it was amazing... Since we're here, should I try out the Magic Power Balls I bought too?"
"Yes! Let's play togeth—cough! I mean... let us hone our strength together against the apocalypse that shall one day arrive!"
Together with the joyfully excited Amel, I spent some time playing with the items we had purchased, feeling almost like I had returned to my childhood.
Serious-senpai: "...I see. So the fact that she's fundamentally lacking in self-confidence makes her a bit like Isis... No wonder her Heroine Power is so high..."