Illusionary Feather was still dreaming when a thick wave of resentment—and even a hint of murderous intent—washed over him from outside. Though he kept his eyes shut, instinct screamed: *Get out of this hellhole now, or face the consequences.* Yet curiosity won. He cracked one eye open.
Instantly, he saw nearly every girl on the airship standing in his room, encircled by swirling purple auras of resentment. The moment they noticed him awake, those auras flared violently.
Illusionary Feather was still piecing things together. The girls glared at him with utter disdain, silent. Until he felt movement beside him. His hands were wrapped in something smooth and silken—*what exactly?* He glanced sideways, then lifted his head slightly to see clothes scattered on the floor.
*Ah.*
He finally understood why they all wanted him dead. The girls had deliberately given him this moment of clarity before ending him.
Once they confirmed he grasped his situation, the silence shattered. Belka beamed, her smile sharp as a blade. "Oh, Little Feather~ Last night must’ve been *thrilling* for you!" Her eyes flicked over him like he was already a corpse.
"Men really *do* think with their lower halves," Avira sneered, voice dripping with disgust. "Getting horny enough to pounce on little girls? Disgusting."
"I never knew you had such… *interests*, Illusionary Feather," Sophia added, her laughter elegant but icy. "Truly beneath beasts."
"You not only corrupted your own sister," Kerdelin mused, idly twirling her fencing foil, "but dragged other innocent girls into it too? Shameful."
"You actually did *that* to Blazing Heart?!" Lily’s voice trembled with fury. "After all your excuses!"
"I trusted you…" Misha’s fists clenched, her whole body shaking. "*Die!*"
"Run, junior," Misa chirped, watching with glee. "You’re already dead."
Illusionary Feather analyzed their expressions. The verdict was grim: they were gunpowder kegs, primed to explode.
*Perfect timing.*
Blazing Heart and Koya stirred awake. Both instinctively nuzzled against his chest. Blazing Heart murmured, rare vulnerability in her voice: "Master… you hurt me last night."
**BOOM!**
The explosion was instantaneous.
The girls scattered. Belka drew her Heavy Sword and lunged—a blur of motion closing the distance in a blink. Avira followed, hurling a storm of hidden blades that blotted out the sun. Then came fireballs, searing-hot enough to melt ordinary metal. Only the ship’s reinforced hull held. Behind the flames roared Sophia’s Magitech Cannon. Kerdelin and Misha sent Black Rock charging from both sides of the bed—not to attack, but to snatch Blazing Heart and Koya away. Every ounce of blame was pinned on Illusionary Feather. *Innocent?* They didn’t care.
But Illusionary Feather had danced on death’s edge too many times for this childish tantrum. He did one thing: **Spatial Transfer**.
All attacks lost their target. They slammed into the bed—into the ship—**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** The airship shuddered under the barrage, its final groan echoing as it began its plummet toward the earth.
The girls realized their mistake instantly. They leapt out, summoning their dragon mounts. Illusionary Feather, already teleported outside, hastily clothed Blazing Heart and Koya mid-air. He watched the smoke-choked ship crash downward with a sigh. *Such an innocent vessel… collateral damage. Just like those people before.*
He locked his gaze on the falling wreck and began chanting. As the girls hesitated, guilt creeping in, the ship vanished into a spatial rift. It reappeared gently nestled in a forest clearing below. Relief washed over them.
*Why?* Even Belka and Avira—usually so rational—couldn’t fathom their own rage at seeing Illusionary Feather asleep with the girls. Sophia, barely an acquaintance, had attacked without thinking. A strange, uncontrollable fury had seized them all.
Thankfully, no true disaster struck. The others reflected quietly. Only Misa stretched lazily toward the sun, as if nothing had happened.
They flew down to the crash site. Two figures were already busy near the ship. A picnic blanket lay spread on the grass, laden with food. Blazing Heart sat munching a sandwich.
Illusionary Feather and Koya worked swiftly to patch the hull. For once, everyone noticed Koya—she followed Illusionary Feather closely, hammering crude iron plates over gaping holes. But he wasn’t being reckless.
Spotting Lily approaching, he called out politely: "Lily, could you melt these iron scraps for me?"
She paused, then wordlessly complied, shaping the metal under his direction. The others joined in: Sophia and Avira checked the engine room; Misha inspected the armory; Black Rock helped where it could.
By afternoon, the repairs were done.
They boarded the patched-up ship in silence, resuming their journey to Dragon Rearing Mountain. Half a day lost—a setback for their mission.
In the conference room, no one spoke. Finally, Captain Belka broke the tension. "This morning… I don’t even know why I acted so childishly."
The others nodded grimly. These were well-bred young ladies. Such a breach of decorum was unthinkable. *Why did we do it?*
Illusionary Feather had no answers. The old man had never explained similar past incidents. *Was it really because of me?* Just a guess.
"Little Feather," Belka said firmly, "this morning was my fault. Will you accept my apology?"
He waved it off instantly. "Don’t worry about it, Belka-nee. The delay matters more. I’m fine."
Avira stepped forward, blunt as ever: "I was reckless too."
"Enough apologies, Avira-senpai!" Illusionary Feather cut in. "Focus on the mission. Anyone else apologizes, I’ll ignore them!"
The girls exchanged wry smiles. Then Misa piped up: "To make up for it—let’s hold a reconciliation banquet tonight!"
The idea was met with instant approval. No one noticed Koya had gone invisible again. To everyone but Illusionary Feather and Blazing Heart, she simply didn’t exist.
After the banquet, they gathered on deck for games. By dawn the next day, they reached their destination: the teleportation gate of Dragon Rearing Mountain.
Ancient trees stretched endlessly, radiating quiet majesty.
No one mentioned yesterday’s chaos. The real mission began now.
