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tiletta ([personal profile] tiletta) wrote2023-04-09 02:11 pm

Smoke! Fire! Gunpowder! Stealing the Tesoro of the Feast! - Episode 9

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Bradley: Heh. I’d like to see you try.
You couldn’t even pin down the Walpurgisnacht. What makes you think you could do that to me?
Mithra: « arsim »
Owen: « cur memini »

[ Their spells hurtle at Bradley. ]


Akira: I wonder if everyone’s alright… and if the plan is going okay.
Figaro: Bradley’s there anyway, it’ll be fine. …… Ah, it seems like they’ve reached a boiling point.

While riding pillion on Figaro’s broom, I anxiously watched the battle beneath us unfold.
The cue to execute our side of the plan was when Bradley parted from Owen and Mithra under the guise of escaping from them.

Figaro: That’s our cue. Let’s be on standby so we’ll be ready to make our move whenever.

Mithra: « arsim »
Owen: « cur memini »

Hot on Bradley’s heels were Mithra and Owen, chanting their spell-words while engaging in a high-speed chase on broomstick.

Bradley: Senior citizens! Barrier up! You too, Figaro!

Mithra and Owen’s spells collided where Bradley had led them to, right in the middle of the ravine.

[ Steam fills the chamber. ]

A giant ball of flame and a giant ball of frost.
The ball of frost was consumed by vicious flames and immediately sublimated. In no time, the ravine was filled with dense white steam.

Akira:
Ah……!

A strange ripple of movement passed through the thick layer of steam. A large fiend, spreading its wings, flying through the chamber — the monster was plain for us to see.
Even though we couldn’t see every detail of its physique, we could see exactly where it was and its silhouette in the steam.

Cain: So that's the Walpurgisnacht… It’s much larger than I’d imagined.
Shino: Let’s hurry. Until that thing’s gone for good, we still have a job to do.

Now that they could see the Walpurgisnacht’s movements outlined by the steam, it was easy for Shino and Cain to take full advantage of their broomsticks’ manoeuvrability. They caught it in a pincer attack.

Cain: It’s heading this way! I’ll bait it with a slash!

Cain hoisted himself up to stand on his broom, as if he were climbing over a fence.
His blade shimmered, glowing with white light. Fiercely, he sliced downward.

Cain: « gladius procella » !

Cain: …… Got ‘em! I think I nicked its tail!

The Walpurgisnacht screeched in pain. The monster-shaped ripples and motion in the steam had been heading towards Cain, but now it spun the other way, like it was fleeing away from him.

Cain: Shino, it’s heading your way!
Shino: Leave it to me!

Shino, standing at the ready on the other side, had his scythe primed. He leapt for the Walpurgisnacht.
However, the monster’s tail had probably struck the ravine walls when it turned. Large chunks of rubble were about to rain down over Shino.

Akira: (This is bad, if the falling rocks block Shino’s way, then his attack won’t…!)

Shino: Don’t get in my way.

Shino did not panic. Calmly, he turned his wrist and angled his scythe.
Using the falling rocks as a foothold, Shino repositioned himself, and he went swinging at his target.

[ Shino CG ]
Shino: Eat this! « matzah sudipas » !

The monstrous creature screeched in pain as Shino’s efficient movements struck true.

Shino: Hah! That hit square on!

The injured Walpurgisnacht feebly flew back the opposite direction.

Bradley: Perfect.

Bradley was lying in wait right where the Walpurgisnacht was headed.
The steam that pooled within the depths of the ravine had long since dissipated.
And so, to me, it simply looked like Bradley was facing down a gemstone floating in midair.

Bradley: You’ve been a real headache for us all this time, you know.

The Walpurgisnacht’s movements were now sluggish and slow. Bradley surged forth on his broomstick in a sudden burst of speed, and drew the dagger from earlier.

[ Bradley CG ]
Bradley: But now, it’s time for me to collect what’s mine.

Bradley stabbed his dagger upwards, piercing it deep into the creature, and carved out the gemstone.

Shino & Cain: …… Whoa!

Presumably, it was because the gemstone had been ripped out of the monster’s body
It was no longer hidden from sight. Now, we could see the Walpurgisnacht’s actual, monstrous form, as if a veil had been torn away, exposing it for all to see.

Akira: (That is the true form of the vouivre that had swallowed the gemstone……)

It was far larger than the rest, with a long, long tail, and a dark black body that radiated with an ominous aura. No matter how you looked at it, it was a form befitting the King of the pack.
Right then, a roar of anger thundered through the chamber.
The Vouivre King, having had its treasure stolen, clamped its jaws around Bradley’s hand in an attempt to retrieve the gemstone.

Shino & Cain: ……!
Akira: Bradley—!

The vouivre continued to mercilessly sink its fangs into Bradley’s left arm. Its fangs dug deep, filled with the intent to tear him apart.
Even so, Bradley did not budge even an inch. He tossed aside the dagger that he didn’t need anymore, and he drew his gun in its stead.

Bradley shoved the barrel of the gun deep into the creature’s maw. He pulled the trigger.

A triumphant smile crossed his face.

Bradley: « adnopotensum »

It was a point-blank shot. From such a close range, the power of the blast was something else.

The vouivre, now suffering from a lot of internal bleeding, twisted and writhed. In its final throes, it roared in pain and agony, then it crashed to the ground.

The impact sent a massive tremor down the entire ravine.
The monstrosity fell silent the instant it touched ground, turning to stone at once — before it shattered into countless fragments.

Mithra: « arsim »
Owen: « cur memini »

Driving the final stake in was Mithra and Owen, chanting their spell-words.
From above, blades of ice accompanied by a sea of fire made quick work of the remaining vouivre.
Having lost their leader, the fiends became lost and aimless. They were vanquished in no time.

Akira: …… Is… it all over?

I could no longer hear anything. Not even growling. Not even quaking.
The chaos from earlier seemed like it had been nothing but a dream.
Silence once again fell upon the depths of the ravine.

Bradley: …… Hahah, I finally got it!

Only Bradley still remained in the air where he had exterminated the threat.
There was no one left that would steal the gemstone from him, no one that would stand between him and his ambition.
He wore a fearless smile befitting a bandit. He thrust his bloodied arm up into the air, as if showing off the Walpurgisnacht to an audience.

[ Scene fades. ]


Bradley: Damn, that thing was stubborn.

With the face of someone satisfied at a job well done, Bradley finally returned to the ravine floor.
We all rushed to his side.

Akira: Bradley!
Cain: Is your arm alright!?

The state of his mauled left arm was far worse up close. He had applied his own first aid that successfully stemmed the bleeding, but the punctures clearly ran deep.
Ignoring how pale I’d gone at the gruesome sight, Bradley laughed, loudly and heartily.

Bradley: No way there wasn’t going to be a price to pay. Well, one arm’s a bargain, don’t you think?
Shino: Making use of the close range when it sank its fangs into you, that was cool. Someday, I’ll do that trick too.
Mithra: No one cares, Bradley.
Owen: You, you’re the one with a functional memory, right? Did you think you could escape unscathed after picking a fight with us?
Bradley: Oh, shut up. Now’s not the time for that.
Owen & Mithra: Oh?


Episode 10 ⭢