Bastian gestured for him to follow, "After I transport you, I'll be meeting up with Excelsior. If everything goes smoothly, you should find the people you were looking for waiting for you here when you return."
This news brought a smile across Emilio's lips as he felt a warmth flood through his body at the potentiality of seeing his friends and family again. Arriving outside, he watched as the legendary reincarnator began weaving a golden circle into the air, keeping it a safe distance from the front of the keep.
"Where are you transporting me, anyway?" Emilio asked.
"Near the Calamity Mountain–that's where I suspect our guy will be arriving. I looked into it, and it seems a high-risk monster has been seen nesting atop the mountain. If I had to guess, Sirius has been assigned the quest to eliminate it," Bastian told him, "Find Sirius and convince him to come here–before the Children of Chaos or anything else gets their hands on him."
As this was explained by the nomad, the bearded man forged a ring made from golden particles, handing it over to the Dragonheart. The radiant portal had manifested in full, sitting in front of the two reincarnators with its golden flow.
"What's this?" Emilio asked.
"It's a signal for my System. Utter the name 'Serappheart' with that ring on, and the gateway will be created for you so you can return here," Bastian instructed him, "Ready?"
"Yeah, I think so," Emilio nodded, shaking his limbs briefly to warm his body up.
"Good luck," Bastian told him.
Stepping through the radiant portal, Emilio found himself temporarily seeing only light before the scenery around him changed completely; the vast ocean he was surrounded by changed in an instant.
The chirping of birds met his ears and the brightness of the sun made him block it with his hand for a moment before he looked around at where the portal had led him; a dirt road that was paved through a luscious forest of yellow-and-red leaves.
'...The surface…It's only been a couple days, but it feels like it's been forever. I'm back in Milligarde,' he thought.
Taking in a long, deep breath through his lungs, he once more took in the fresh air of a lively forest; he knew through the particular scent of pine and the look of the forest that it was indeed Milligarde.
He caught a glimpse of a squirrel clinging to a tree with its fluffy, hazel tail swaying behind it, along with a bright-orange furred fox scurrying off into the forest.
'I'm back,' he thought.
Though what he saw in the distance was the destination ahead of him; a mountain that stood in complete contrast to the quiet, autumn forest. It reached into the skies, encircled by a cloak of brooding clouds with a charred, dreary look to its stone.
'That's where I'll find this "Sirius" guy,' he thought before beginning to walk forward.
He didn't move with any haste, instead making sure to enjoy his stroll as after his mission, he'd be back in the undersea temple.
A sigh left his lips as he looked up, watching birds flying overhead as he watched the calm, azure sky above him.
'I miss those days. Where I could just sit there and watch the sky. She'd always bring me drinks and sandwiches, making sure I was never hungry or thirsty. Sometimes Father and I would train together, sometimes we'd just toss some rocks. Those days are gone–not while the Children of Chaos are out there,' he thought.
Stopping by a tree that had apples hanging from its high branches, he reached his hand up before using a small gust of wind to knock it from the branch. The plump, red fruit dropped straight into the palm of his hand as he held a small smile, continuing forward as he took a bite out of it.
It was refreshing and juicy; just as he remembered Milligarde apples to be. Being back in Milligarde, though in an unfamiliar region, he still felt nostalgic after the chaotic trip he'd been on.
BOOOOOM
"--!"
Immediately looking up at the all-encompassing rumble of thunder, he witnessed a magenta bolt of lightning fly overhead, racing towards Calamity Mountain with speed that hissed through the air.
'Lightning doesn't move like that naturally–it was almost as if somebody was flying…Sirius,' he realized.
With the arrival of the thunder, the weather had immediately changed from the serene, sunny day into a gloomy storm as the black clouds stretched over the region, incurring a downpour of rain within moments.
'The weather changed?' He thought.
Choosing not to waste time, he jumped up before enveloping himself in his mystical wind, swiftly soaring towards the pitch-black mountain in pursuit of the mysterious, traveling lightning.
Flying over the forest, raindrops pelted against him as he flipped his light-green hood over his head, having to go higher-and-higher as he neared the mountain, still merely halfway up its height.
Thunder roared and lightning crackled in the skies as he reached the body of Calamity Mountain, staying close to it as he used his wind to propel himself upward.
'...Atop this mountain, I'll find another reincarnator like me–another person from Earth. It's exciting, but I just wonder what sort of person this "Sirius" guy is to earn that title: "The Strongest Adventurer". When I had that glimpse of him when I met the oracle, I'm pretty sure he attacked me…I need to be ready,' he thought.
Nearing the summit of the charred mountain, he found a rugged trail leading to the top, opting to walk up it instead of directly flying over as the rain continued pouring down.
Thunder filled his ears and shock waves emitted from the top; he could feel the vibrations rippling through the gravelly trail.
'He's fighting something. It must be whatever Bastian said was causing trouble in this area,' he guessed.
There was an air of caution he held as he carefully walked up the jagged trail of the infamous mountain, hearing and feeling the powerful vibrations of the ongoing battle on the vast summit. The peak of Calamity Mountain was a basin valley–a large, flat region which was kept enclosed by the tall, natural walls of the natural structure.
Reaching the top of the deathly eminence, he climbed over the steep, natural wall around the skyhigh valley, finding bones infused into the stone; ashy and charred.
"--!"
He immediately ducked down before even getting a glimpse of the unknown battle taking place on the storming mountain as a stray bolt of lightning shot directly over his head, crackling through the sky.
Once more, it was that magenta lightning, possessing a divine howl in its wake. The air was momentarily warmer around him after the missed lightning, though quickly returned to a chill from the downpour.
'Too close,' he thought.
Peeking into the valley, he saw it; a black-haired figure in a black-and-silver uniform that resembled something akin a decorated military uniform from his own world, danced around a colossal creature.
What he fought resembled a gargantuan raven; possessing a size akin to a grand dragon with pitch-black feathers and glowing, crimson eyes, using its own feathers as razor-sharp projectiles that shot towards the lightning-infused man.
"So slow!" The man's voice echoed with pure confidence, merely playing with the creature.
The storming valley was kept brightly lit by the magenta lightning used by the man, who danced around the feather projectiles before flicking a bolt of his supreme electricity straight against the colossal raven.
BOOOOM
The impact against the monstrous creature rang through the summit like godly thunder, launching the beast back harshly as its pitch-black feathers rained down like the current shower.
'That's him–no doubt about it; that purple lightning, that outfit, and that cocky demeanor while he fights–that's Sirius,' Emilio realized.
It seemed that the single strike of lightning had finished the job, as the dragon-sized raven laid against the summit with smoke exuded from its feather-discarded body, no longer moving.
Jumping over the edge of the mountainous wall, he landed on the vast field atop the summit, which spanned at least a dozen acres in space.
"--"
He slowly approached, crossing the rain-slick field of blackened grass as he kept his eyes on the notorious "Strongest Adventurer": the lightning-wielding figure brushed his gloves together, standing in front of the slain monster before exuding a sigh.
"Now, who are you?"
Without even having to turn around, Sirius called out to him, causing him to stop where he was standing.
Sirius slowly turned around to face him, looking straight at him with his magenta irises, "That's right–you're not exactly sneaky. So, what are you? A scavenger adventurer, trying to claim my kill as your own? Is that it?"
It seemed like the lightning-wielding, uniform-wearing reincarnator was already hostile to him from the get-go, though Emilio chose to quickly dissuade any of his notions.
"I'm a reincarnator like you. I'm from Earth originally–just like you are," Emilio explained.
"Oh?" Sirius raised an eyebrow, "Interesting."
A few steps were taken towards him from the eccentric adventurer of lightning, which caused the air to lightly crackle with sparks of electricity, even slightly zapping the Dragonheart, who noticed the unstable element's presence.
'He acts arrogant, but his guard is up. This mana density from him–is it greater than mine? It's almost suffocating,' Emilio thought.
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