Clink clink clink
Srrrk srrrk srrk
The sound of herbs being ground and vials touching echoes around the shed.
The sweet smell of nectar mixes with the sharp, burning smell of alcohol.
"Switch!"
Erika switches the glass container beneath the still with an empty one.
Rosa takes a thin glass straw, dips the opening into the alcohol Erika gathered, and plugs the other end.
She pulls the straw out, tilts the opening toward a flat glass panel, and releases her finger.
The alcohol pours into the glass surface. Rosa points her finger at it.
"Gleute"
The spark ignites the liquid in a perfect blue flame, exactly as Rosa wants.
Her lips curve upwards as she nods.
"Mmm! This purity should be enough!"
She turns to Erika.
"Next batch! Use the tails first!"
"Roger"
Erika refills the still once again with cloudy liquid.
"Werner, nectar and-"
"On your left."
Rosa's eyes widen. To her left, several cups of ground flower sit separated from cups of nectar.
"Good, but try to slow down. If possible, I'd like them to be as freshly ground as possible."
Werner nods.
Rosa immediately heats up the flask as she carefully mixes the ground flower with both nectar and alcohol base.
"So…"
Erika's voice draws Rosa's attention, yet she doesn't shift her focus.
"What is it?"
"Are you okay? After all of that?"
"..."
Rosa doesn't answer, her hands still working the flask.
"Not being enough…"
Werner's hand stops moving for a brief moment.
Rosa's hand trembles just for a second.
"I won't say I understand… But I think I'm going to ask them… Reiko… Ursula…"
She doesn't move her eyes from it, yet she knows Erika is looking at her.
"If I am enough for them or not... I don't think I have asked them directly…"
"Erika… Focus…"
Rosa tells her with a breathy voice.
"Right… Sorry, that was too much. Focusing."
She returns her gaze to the flask in front of her.
Her mind once again shows her face.
But I can only tell you this... Not knowing it will haunt you for the rest of your life…
Lilia's voice echoes in her mind. Yet she swallows it whole.
One difference between Erika's situation and hers. She already knows the answer.
She doesn't need to ask. She isn't enough. Was never.
Rosa clenches her teeth as she sharpens her eyes, though they focus on nothing.
Buy a new still. Continue her business. And someday, amass enough money to be in the university.
Then… Royal Wizard. That's when she is worthy.
"Rosa… your flask is getting bubbly…"
Rosa's jaw slackens as Werner's voice reaches her.
Indeed, the bubble trails down to the bottom of the flask and hits the flame, making it sizzle.
"Aaaaaah!"
Rosa extends her hands towards the flask.
"Kuhlen! Kuhlen! Kuhlen!"
…
Flame roaring underneath the starry sky, right inside a forming dome of blue translucent light.
Casters circling around, each either plants their hand to a ward scroll or extends their hand to the center to cast their Varriere, patching the spots where the ward can't cover.
Inside the dome, the creature breathes flame in Akira's and Lilia's direction.
Both quickly jump away from the flame as it goes straight to the ward.
The wall of light wobbles as the beast's technique hits it.
Just like Rosa said, the ambient mana becomes unstable as it casts something.
Its eyes linger in the unstable ward it just hits.
"Lilia!"
"On it!"
Lilia charges forward as warmth wraps around her gauntlets.
"Hyaaah!"
Yet her attack is too slow. Time slows as the beast sidesteps her attack.
Then a sharp pain hits her stomach.
"Guhah!"
Before she knows it, her back hits the ground and she sees stars. Literal stars.
Almost as painful as Flau's kick yesterday.
Thanks to the defensive spell already on her, the pain becomes manageable.
It's quick, not as quick as the void metal centipede. But the problem isn't how fast it is.
For the centipede, she can try to dodge, sets up a trap, and baits it to slam the wall.
This one, it canceled a jump to her explosive trap by clawing at the ground.
It feints, counters, and evades. All screams intelligence.
Except for the attacks. Its attacks are almost instinctive and easily avoidable just like the earlier fire breath.
They don't add up.
Her thought breaks as something wooden hits her gauntlet.
When she brings her gaze to it, she smiles as something rushes to her.
A garden scythe. Her first weapon. The one that still feels like home.
She still prefers any other one since using it comes at a cost of sitting alone in silence for hours after.
Or hugging the man who is probably reluctant to receive it by now.
Yet she's not alone now.
She was opening up earlier, wasn't she? Well, I guess I can sit with her later…
Lilia grabs the scythe with both hands as she stands up. Flame envelops the blade.
Footsteps rush to Lilia as she readies herself.
Lilia blocks the claws with the blunt edge of the blade.
She swipes the pole up. A clean hit on its stomach.
Then three more jabs at its chest as she pulls the claw closer, still stuck to the blade.
A forward swipe of the blade follows as soon as the beast releases its grip.
The beast flinches back and lunges with double swipe.
Clink
The creature blocks Lilia's swipe with its claws while clawing at her with its other hand.
Clank
Akira's sai catches the claw before it reaches Lilia. She steps between them.
Akira twists the sai, making the creature writhe in pain before she kicks it in the stomach.
Hrrrrrr…
The creature growls louder before she forms another series of hand movements.
The ward begins to flicker while the barriers crack and shatter panel by panel.
Akira follows with her own series of hand movements.
The dome is now undone by half. The barriers completely shatter.
Lilia rushes to the beast as she prepares to swing the blunt end to it.
Yet the moment she takes a step, wind envelops the creature and it vanishes in an instant.
"Tch!"
Akira clicks her tongue. Lightning wraps around her legs. Akira zaps upward, another kick straight into the beast's face mid-air.
The creature falls to the ground, yet it twists its body, making it land on its feet.
It immediately jumps towards Akira as gusts burst from its feet.
It spins its body, landing a spin kick. Akira quickly deflects its foot with her sai.
Despite the perfect response, the sheer force behind it drives Akira down anyway.
Lightning zaps around Akira's feet. She vanishes and reappears right beside Lilia.
"This ain't good. We're toyed in two versus one."
"The movement too quick… Anyone can bind? Worked last time…"
"No can do."
A glow fades from Akira's body. One of the casters outside stumbles.
"Tch… This is why. Also, picture this will ya? We bind it and it casts something… It'll break out like nothing."
"Right…"
Lilia spins her garden scythe, forming a circle of flame.
"So all out it is…"
"Rite. Fight it like ya mean to kill it."
"Uh, we're supposed to drain her remember?"
"Yea, but ya can't do that when yer dead. Besides, half-assed measure won't work on it."
The beast forms another sequence of hand signs. The dome weakens once more.
Then its claws begin to set ablaze as it lunges forward.
Clank
In a flash, Akira steps between them. The beast's hands lock into the prong once again.
Then the beast's hands glow as they sizzle. It's quiet at first, yet it sizzles louder not even a second later.
The red glow of the flame burns brighter. Lilia has seen this principle before.
"Akira, watch ou-"
BOOOOOOM!
Fiery explosion erupts from the beast's palm, engulfing them both.
"Akira!"
From the smoke, a figure launches to Lilia. She positions her scythe to defend.
Then immediately drops the stance once she realizes it's Akira.
Something catches Lilia's eyes. There are marks all over Akira's body, yet they fade before she can take a closer look.
"Haah… Haaah… Dammit, she got me…"
Burn marks etched on Akira's cheek and hands. Strangely, that's all she got after a zero-distance explosion.
The beast becomes visible as the smoke clears. Aside from dust covering her fur, no damage visible.
Lilia gulps. The gap between her and a kemomimi has never been clearer.
"Akira, next fire attack, leave it to me."
"Huh? Ya wanna die? Even I-"
Before Akira can finish, the beast charges forward. Claws flaming red.
Lilia immediately rushes forward.
"Hey!"
It jumps and slams its claw in a quick downward slash.
Lilia blocks it with the blunt end of the flaming scythe. Then she pushes the other end to its chest.
Its palm glows again. This time, the glow gets absorbed by the metal part.
The glow races down the pole to the end still pressed against its chest.
KSSSHHH! BOOOOOOM!
Lilia immediately jumps back towards Akira.
A hand reaches through the smoke. The beast follows, rushing towards both of them. This time, no flame on its claws.
Akira sprints forward and forms a stance in front of it.
Before the beast reaches her, it forms another sequence of hand signs.
Wind bursts from its feet as it vanishes.
Suddenly, a shiver hits Lilia's spine. She reflexively spins her body and steps back.
The claws are right in front of Lilia's face as she moves backward. She jabs the beast on its chest.
The recoil sends Lilia sliding back. Akira's figure rushes past her toward the beast.
Akira jabs her sai to the beast, yet it grabs the center prong, stopping the move entirely.
The beast claws at her and she blocks it with the other sai.
Lilia pushes her feet forward as soon as she finds her footing, facing the blunt end to its head.
When she gets close, the beast uses both of its hands to swing Akira right onto Lilia.
"Gaaah!"
"Hyaaaah!"
The sky greets Lilia's eye again, now with Akira on top of her chest.
The light dome wobbles before a gust of wind slips past her vision.
"Hrk!"
Akira's elbow presses to Lilia's stomach as she tries to get up.
"This ain't good!"
She gets up as she pulls Lilia up by hand.
"We're chasing it!"
"Roger!"
They run towards the beast who tears toward the cracked barrier panels.
"Heeeek!"
The caster holding the barrier braces her arms. The strike tears through anyway, shattering it completely.
The beast runs past it and jumps towards the forest.
"It runs off!"
"Inform Werner, the plan failed! Proceed to Plan B!"
The casters shout as both enter the forest to give the beast a chase.
"Not good… They're going to kill 'er now."
"Can we… hah… hah… tell Werner about this? Erika is on board with saving her, right?"
Lilia's lungs scream as she sprints after Akira.
"Ya can try to convince him. But I got plan in case worst case happens."
"You do?"
"Well, either way, we gotta hurry up. Imma speed up. Can you still keep up?"
Lilia's legs are already spent. Akira hasn't even started trying.
"Seems not eh?"
Akira wraps an arm around Lilia's waist and lifts.
"Hyaaa! Hey! At least carry me properly!"
She jumps high onto the tree branch, then leaps between branches.
"So this is how you carried Rosie…"
Branches blur beneath them. Akira's pace is inhuman.
Lilia sees the gust of wind storming beneath the trees.
"That's…"
"Yeah, that's 'er."
Akira quickens her jumps. Yet the gust doesn't get any closer.
"Tch…"
"Hm? What is it?"
"...Yer heavy, cotton candy."
"I'm sorry alright!? My fault for not being pocket-sized like Rosie!"
Suddenly, the gust vanishes from Lilia's view.
"It… disappeared. Did we lose it?"
"Doubt so. It was fast but it ain't THAT fast. It probably hid somewhe-"
Flaming claws swipe towards Akira and Lilia from the side. The beast is mid-air, flying straight at them.
Time crawls as the claws inch toward Lilia's cheek.
Flap!
Akira's jump sways right, just enough to evade. The claws barely graze Lilia's hair.
"Hey! What was that!?"
She lands on the branch far to her right. Akira might have seen what Lilia just did. Her chest tightens.
"What was what?"
"...Ya did something! Something pushed me to the right!"
Akira jumps off the branch. The beast strikes the spot Akira was in and blows it to pieces.
"That… was my wind magic. Don't worry about it."
"Lilia, we're going for a round two!"
Lilia nods as Akira loosens her grip the moment they land on the ground.
The creature lands as well, now in front of them. Claws flaming bright red.
"No barrier, we have to physically keep her here… Any idea?"
"Thought ya figured it out… Well, guess I have no other choice…"
It steps closer and closer. Drool drips from its jaw. Its stomach growls along with its throat.
"...Lilia, head to the shed. Get the potions, tell Werner to hold off plan B, then regroup with the casters."
"What about you?"
"I'll hold her here. I got plan."
It lunges towards them. They preemptively jump apart, dodging the attack in time.
The ground explodes as soon as it makes contact with its claws.
"How!? We were outmatched even in two versus one! Let alone you by yourself!"
"I said I'll be fine! Now scram!"
Lilia sighs, trying to guess if it's an actual tactic or an excuse to buy her time to escape.
She swallows as she turns to the shed.
"You better come back alive! Else I'll tell everyone how cute you were in a maid outfit!"
Lilia glances back briefly before she darts away from the fight.
A gust of wind sweeps at her — then a flash of lightning between them. The beast recoils.
She also catches a glimpse of blush in Akira's cheek. Something she would treasure.
She turns and sprints for the shed.
Behind her, trees and branches shatter in chorus.
Her legs keep moving until silence finds her. Just her breathing. Just her.
Now… No one is here… I can use it, right?
Jet black membranes sprout from Lilia's back on either side.
Flap Flap Flap Flap Flap
She bounds forward, the membranes carrying her in brief glides, covering way more distance each step.
Wait for me, Akira… Rosa… and Erika… I'll make sure the plan succeeded!