781 Bear, turn back - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

"What are you planning to do with that gate?" Kagari asked as I was lost in thought. "Well, I want to place it somewhere inconspicuous," I replied. "Considering we don't know what will happen to the town now that the Ice Dragon has left, it would be best to place it somewhere away from the town," Kagari suggested. I agreed. Besides, it would be a hassle if the fisherman, Bende, noticed it while he was out catching fish. So, I decided to head in the opposite direction of where Bende usually goes fishing. As I scouted the area for a suitable location to set up the bear teleportation gate, Kumayuru and Kumakyu suddenly barked loudly. "What's that? A monster?" Kagari shouted, interpreting the warning from Kumayuru and Kumakyu. I quickly used my detection skill. It picked up the presence of an "Ice Dragon." However, it wasn't coming from the mountaintop. It was approaching from the sea. I turned my attention towards the ocean, where I detected the presence. "Kagari, look over there," I said, pointing towards the sea and gesturing to the sky. In the direction I pointed, a large creature with massive wings was flying our way. "Is it really an Ice Dragon?" Kagari asked. "Kagari, we need to go back," I urged. "And what are you planning to do once we return?" She asked, curious. "I'm not sure. Hopefully, the Ice Dragon won't do anything. But just in case..." I trailed off, considering the possibilities. With a hopeful thought, I considered that it might be a partner of the Ice Dragon on the mountaintop, merely coming to retrieve its baby. If it were to leave after the baby was born, there would be no problem. However, if they decided to settle there and make it their home, who knows what could happen. "I just want to confirm what's happening. Kumayuru, Kumakyu, let's hurry back," I instructed. "Yip!" they responded. "You really are a kind-hearted fool," Kagari remarked. I thought so too, but I couldn't just ignore the arrival of another Ice Dragon and leave as if nothing had happened. I couldn't help but be concerned, unable to relax until we understood the situation. So Kagari and I mounted Kumayuru and Kumakyu, retracing our path back. "We can't take our time anymore," Kagari commented as we hurried back. The response from my detection skill indicated it was right above us. "Is that the other Ice Dragon?" Kagari squinted towards the mountaintop. From there, another Ice Dragon was soaring, heading straight for the one arriving from the sea. Were they greeting each other? Or had it gone to receive them? The dragons met and began to circle each other. "Are they fighting?" Kagari wondered. It was too far to be sure, but it looked like they were expelling icy breath. They seemed to be aiming attacks at each other with their feet. "What on earth is happening!?" Kagari exclaimed, echoing my own confusion. I wished someone would explain it to us, but there was no one who could. The only thing I could do now was head toward where Liese and the others were. Kagari and I returned to the mines, where Liese and her father, Bollard, were present. "Yuna, what's happening?" they asked, surprised to see us returning so soon. "Did you forget something?" they added, seemingly unaware. "Look up," I prompted, pointing to the Ice Dragons. Liese followed my gaze. "...Are those two Ice Dragons?" she gasped. "What's going on?" Both she and Bollard were astounded by the sight above. "And where is everyone else?" I asked. "Today's a day off, so everyone is inside the hut," Bollard replied. That was a relief. Fortunately, Balan hadn't gone out fishing. "I'll inform everyone," Bollard said, rushing toward the hut. "Yuna, what's happening?" Liese asked again as I struggled to explain. "I don't know, but when we were heading back, an Ice Dragon appeared from the sea and started fighting with the one from the mountaintop," I explained. It didn’t seem like they were just playing around. Surely, spitting ice wasn’t a form of greeting for Ice Dragons. Everyone came out from the hut upon hearing the commotion. "You're really back, just as they said," one of them remarked. "Is it true there’s a new Ice Dragon?" another inquired. As the group looked up, they all saw it—the two Ice Dragons. "Two Ice Dragons..." one muttered in disbelief. "Are they fighting?" another speculated, realizing the gravity of the situation. "Has there ever been another Ice Dragon that appeared before?" I asked. "I don't think so," someone replied. "I've never seen one either," said another. "Usually, whenever an Ice Dragon appears, we all hide, so we don't actually know," they admitted. If they were hiding inside the mines, they wouldn't know what was happening outside. It's possible that other Ice Dragons had appeared in the past, but it seemed Liese and the others were unaware. "And even if there was another Ice Dragon seen before, it might have been a different one altogether," someone added. It's entirely possible that what they'd seen before was a different creature. Identifying such differences wouldn't be easy unless there was a distinct feature. Wolves often look the same to the untrained eye, after all. "Damn it, what's happening?" someone cursed in frustration. Everyone was consumed by an anxious urgency. They had expected the Ice Dragon to leave soon. But with the arrival of a new one, if this new Ice Dragon claimed victory in a potential territorial dispute and took residence, nothing would change. There would be no hope. One Ice Dragon was flanked and its wing attacked. It seemed it might fall, but it managed to stabilize itself mid-air and resumed circling. "Kagari, can you tell which is which?" I asked. "At this distance, there's no way to know," Kagari admitted. The battle between the Ice Dragons continued. "But why are the Ice Dragons fighting each other?" I wondered aloud. "Are they just incompatible?" someone speculated. "Or is it a territorial dispute typical of animals?" another offered. "Either way, please don't do it here," someone pleaded. Even common animals have territorial disputes. Humans have fought over lands as well. But I had one plea: "If it's a territorial dispute, take it elsewhere." "I understand your feelings. If a battle happened in the Land of Harmony, it wouldn't be bearable. No offense to Liese and the others, but I'm just thankful it's not my country," Kagari admitted apologetically. Indeed, no one wants a monster to invade their country or town. "The Land of Harmony has dealt with a serpent monster instead," I rebutted gently. "It's not like we willingly took that on," Kagari said, clearly displeased, but I knew it was nothing more than unfortunate luck, as no one could manage a monster's actions. All we could do was cope with what we had. Despite the previously evenly matched battle, one Ice Dragon began to gain the upper hand. It swatted its tail forcefully, and the struck Ice Dragon plummeted toward the ground. "It’s heading toward the town!" someone shouted in alarm. The falling Ice Dragon headed towards the nearby city but managed to crash just outside its limits. Yet, the other dragon pursued relentlessly. "At this rate, the town will..." someone began, their voice filled with despair. Everything would be destroyed. Buildings, and potentially even people... "Kumakyu!" I shouted. "You're not planning to go, are you!?" Kagari cried out, trying to stop me. "If we leave them be, the town might be destroyed," I explained. "There are two Ice Dragons," Kagari reminded me. "In the worst case, we'll just have to fight both," I said, resolved. I would love to say there's only one, but I can't see the Ice Dragon guarding the egg as an ally. It's the same one that turned the town and Liese's family into ice. However, once the egg hatches and the baby is born, it promised to leave. The true intentions of the new Ice Dragon are unclear. It might defeat the Ice Dragon from the mountaintop and decide to settle here. Ideally, the new Ice Dragon would defeat the one on the mountaintop and then leave. The worst-case scenario would be if it decides to stay here in place of the egg-laying Ice Dragon. In that case, defeating the new Ice Dragon and having the mountaintop Ice Dragon depart would be the best outcome. The absolute worst would be if this isn't a territorial fight but rather some kind of Ice Dragon greeting technique, leading to the two Ice Dragons setting up home here. This isn't some Ice Dragon-style greeting, right? They're really fighting, aren't they? "...Alright. I will go too," Kagari decided. "Liese, if you think it's dangerous, hide in the mines," I instructed her. "Yuna, are you really going? It's dangerous," Liese implored. "But if we don't do something, the town might end up in an awful situation," I countered. I didn't want to see people shattered to pieces. I didn't want to see Liese and the others in mourning. "But if something happens to you two..." Liese continued. "That's right. There's no reason for you to go to such lengths for us." "This is just fate; we should accept it." "You can't just give up," I admonished. "True, if you give up, it's all over. You guys should entrust your fate to this bear girl in unusual clothing. Despite her odd attire, she has the power to change fate," Kagari encouraged. "Kagari..." "Even if things go wrong, the worst-case scenario will just become a reality. Nothing changes otherwise. So, pray things take a better turn and wait for us," she added. Kagari was right. Doing nothing won't make things better. If the Ice Dragon guarding the egg wins, things remain the same; if it loses, who knows what might happen. Moreover, if the battle drags on, the fate of the town remains uncertain. Us getting involved might change things for the better. Worst case, we end up with a three-way battle. Ultimately, we won't know unless we try. Kagari and I mounted Kumayuru and Kumakyu, heading towards where the Ice Dragon had fallen. "Kumayuru, Kumakyu, as fast as you can!" I shouted. "Yip!" they responded, racing at top speed. If there is going to be a fight, I wish they would take it elsewhere. Consider the inconvenience to people, for once. And it's not just that. Even when laying eggs, choose a place far from people.