Brave Story - Miyuki Miyabe [338]
The smoke is making my eyesight blurry. The vibrations are making my head throb. The screams of the city as it collapses are making my ears ring.
Which way is right? Where’s the justice in any of this?
“You think Vision is important. But this empire isn’t as goody-two-shoes as your United Southern Nations. Why, I should think they will thank me for what I’ve done here. Now there’s no worry at all that the North will invade.” Mitsuru tossed his head to the side and laughed. “They can make all the powered boats they want, but with their leadership in shambles, you can bet they won’t be starting a war anytime soon.”
Before he could even form the thought in his mind, Wataru was leaping, lunging at Mitsuru.
And then…
A white flash of light enveloped the ground, the sky, everything. The dragons flying overhead and the golems wading through the town became black silhouettes against a blaze of white.
Wataru reflexively threw his hands up to shield his eyes, hunching over. Then the light was gone as abruptly as it had come.
“There we go,” Mitsuru said, a satisfied look on his face.
Wataru lifted his eyes. The light disappeared, but something was different about the city. It was bright—and the light wasn’t coming from the sun.
It’s the emperor’s castle, the Crystal Palace! The looming edifice was glowing from within, as though it was truly made of crystal—from the tops of its towering spires to the great stone foundation at its feet.
“The city is broken,” Mitsuru said, looking up at the incandescent palace. “And with it, the barrier.”
Mitsuru grunted and waved his staff through the air and disappeared with a flash.
Wataru blinked. He had seen that flash before. Warp magic! Mitsuru’s gone to the palace!
Chapter 49
The Mirror Hall
“ Wataru, over here!”
Wataru was still standing on the golem’s shoulder when Jozo thundered through the air beside him. Atop his back, Meena reached out with both hands.
A moment after Mitsuru disappeared, the golem underneath Wataru had begun to move. It was joining the rampage with both arms swinging.
Wataru leaped and latched onto Meena. A moment later a powerful stone fist jabbed upward through the air. Jozo flew out of range with an awkward lurch.
“Where’s Mitsuru?” yelled Kutz from behind. Her face was black with soot.
“The Crystal Palace!”
“Then that’s where we’re going! No time to waste!” Kutz grabbed onto her dragon’s horns and hugged her body low to its neck. The creature headed toward the Crystal Palace.
“You okay, Jozo?”
“You bet!” Jozo clenched his jaws and followed the larger dragon. Even Wataru could see that the young dragon had taken his share of beatings. The fires had scorched places where collisions with the golems and building wreckage had knocked off some of his scales.
The ring of golems around Solebria was tightening, drawing ever closer to the Crystal Palace. People were running madly through the maze of rubble and burning debris that was their city.
Wataru shouted to the dragons flying near them. “Get the people as far away from the Crystal Palace as you can! Everyone needs to go outside the city walls!”
They all nodded and spun off in concert. Meanwhile, the dragon carrying Kutz was rapidly streaking toward the city’s capital building.
Wataru sensed something. It had the distinct flavor of magic, but he wasn’t sure what it was. He had felt a similar stirring in the air at the Triankha hospital, and also at the Port of Sono.
“Look out, Kutz!” he screamed.
But just as he shouted, the outline of the Crystal Palace warped. A moment later, a great whirlwind arose from the middle of the castle. The spinning column of wind quickly became a cylinder, growing steadily, enveloping Kutz and her dragon in the blink of an eye.
“Look out!!”
Jozo’s wings rippled as the cyclone waves blasted them. Wataru’s cry was lost in the roar and they were pushed back from the castle. Tossed like a handkerchief in a washing machine, Wataru and his friends were unsure which way was up or down.
Throughout the city,