At first glance, it looked like an ordinary bulldog.
Except it was the size of a small car. Right now, it lay motionless on top of the plane, its body pressing into the metal hull. Judging from the dent in the plane's shell, it had likely knocked itself out on impact.
Wait—there was someone else.
The two rituals unsheathed their long sword, eyes locking onto the blonde girl standing behind the massive dog.
"Who are you?" the girl asked first, her voice sharp with alarm. "Why is there a plane here?"
The two rituals didn't answer. Instead, she took slow, deliberate steps forward, her blade raised in silent warning.
The girl flinched. "Stop! Don't come any closer!"
She lifted her hands instinctively, as if readying an attack. The moment she did, the wind around them roared to life, swirling toward the two rituals like it was under her command. But just as the gusts closed in, the red-clad swordswoman moved. In an instant, she vanished from her spot, twisting around the wind with an inhumanly precise step, reappearing directly in front of the girl.
Before the blonde could react, cold steel touched her throat.
"Don't move if you want to live."
—How is that possible?!
The blonde girl's breath hitched. This was her home turf—her element. And yet she had been overpowered in a blink.
"Who... who are you?" she stammered.
Again, the two rituals didn't answer. Instead, she twisted the girl's arm behind her back with effortless strength.
"W-Wait! I mean no harm! I was just teleported here by accident! But you can't leave Tetanus outside! He'll freeze to death!"
The girl's voice trembled with desperation as she glanced at the unconscious bulldog.
"…The door's too small for it to get in," the two rituals said flatly, tightening her grip.
"Don't worry, that dog has enough fat and fur to survive out there. The plane's shell is heated, so it won't die. But you? If my blade cuts you, you'll definitely die."
"…Ugh…"
The girl groaned in frustration. She was just here to train, but now she'd been teleported into a nightmare—her transport knocked out, herself tied up by some sword-wielding maniac.
At least… her communicator was still active. Her sister should hear her by now. And if Tetanus woke up, maybe she could escape.
"…Do you plan to keep that sword at my neck forever?"
The blonde flinched as she felt the cold metal press slightly harder against her skin.
"Well, since I don't know what kind of abilities you have, I can't risk letting you escape," the two rituals said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"…Couldn't you just pretend you never saw me?"
"Hah?" The swordswoman shot her an incredulous look.
"…Then how long do you plan to keep me tied up like this?" the girl groaned.
"Until they come back."
"…Can I at least change my position?"
"No. Shut up."
And with that, the conversation ended.
For the two rituals, maintaining a battle stance was just another form of discipline. For the blonde girl, however, it was pure torture. But with no other choice, she resigned herself to her fate.
For over three hours, they remained in that tense silence.
Above the Arctic, the sky remained in perpetual twilight, neither day nor night. Occasionally, shimmering auroras danced overhead, but neither of them were in the mood to appreciate the sight.
Then, finally—
When Shen He returned to the plane and saw a giant bulldog sprawled across the hull, he froze for a full ten seconds.
"Shi, we're back. Did anything happen?"
Stepping in from the freezing winds outside, Shen He sighed in relief as the cabin's warmth washed over him. Even if the cold didn't physically affect him, it was still a nice comfort.
"Yeah. I caught an intruder," the two rituals replied, lowering her sword.
"I'm NOT an intruder!" the blonde girl protested, her voice full of grievance. "I just accidentally teleported here! YOU'RE the kidnappers!"
The two rituals shot her a cold, expressionless stare. Instantly, the girl shivered and shut up.
Shen He exhaled, rubbing his temples.
"Alright… let me take a guess."
He stepped forward, eyeing the girl closely.
"Crystal, member of the Inhuman Royal Family. Younger sister of Queen Medusa. And that big dog outside… must be Tetanus, the teleporting bulldog."
The girl's eyes widened in pure shock.
"H-How do you know that?!"
Her entire city—Attilan—was hidden on the Moon, completely isolated from Earth. There was no way someone from here should know about them.
"How do I put this…?" Shen He smirked. "The Earth isn't as simple as you think."
Casually, he leaned down and loosened the ropes around her. As he did, his gaze landed on her wrist communicator, its screen blinking red.
"…Hmm."
So the two rituals weren't great with modern tech, huh? She hadn't even thought to check for hidden signals.
"Who's on the other end?" Shen He asked, plucking the device from Crystal's wrist. "Medusa? Black Bolt?"
"…They're both there," came a woman's voice from the communicator. "Who are you? And how do you know about us?"
Shen He chuckled.
"Queen Medusa, please send my regards to His Majesty Black Bolt. This whole situation is just a misunderstanding. Crystal will return safely soon."
Even as he spoke, his mind raced through everything he knew about the Inhumans. Their history, their politics… their conflicts.
The fact that they were contacting him first was a good sign. It meant they weren't immediately taking this as an act of war.
"…The King requests an explanation first," Medusa's voice came again, firm and expectant.
Shen He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Figures. Alright then, let's talk."