Chapter 332: A Kitsune has Seven Forms, and a Tanuki, Eight
(TL: This is a Japanese saying that just says the Tanuki is more skilled in deception, but has less malicious intent)
“Hmm… now my anger is a little… no, it hasn’t cleared at all.” (Naofumi)
I kick the fallen Tact as I spit out these words.
“Exactly. I think we should just kill him already.” (Fohl)
“… Understood, Aniki.”
Now then, I look around.
First, Raphtalia is… before I can turn my eyes to her, lightning surges, and I turn my attention to that.
“Oy, wait. This onee-san isn’t satisfied at all, yet…” (Sadina)
Sadina is lifting up her enemy, who now looks like nothing but a grilled piece of fish, while she continues to discharge electricity.
So Sadina was someone this vicious… No, perhaps she channeled my rage.
Her opponent is… dead already, right?
Death by electrocution doesn’t sound too nice.
“Naofumi-chan, this onee-san hasn’t rampaged enough yet.” (Sadina)
“When I’m in this form, it makes me feel mildly drunk. It’s not a bad feeling~” (Sadina)
“Ara, he got mad at me.” (Sadina)
Sadina follows my orders and turns back to her Orca form.
Now then, to lecture her… no, I’ll leave that for another time.
“And wait, you still haven’t recovered?” (Naofumi)
(TL: as in her brown form)
She makes an annoying embarrassed pose as she messes around, but her actions are no joke.
“She went and mistook me for a Luka, and I was still quite pissed off because of Atlas-chan and Naofumi-chan. That was quite refreshing.” (Sadina)
She says, as she points her harpoon at Tact and starts releasing electricity at him.
She’s the type that acts flippant when she’s really angry, I guess.
There’s no way she isn’t mad about Atlas.
“So after Fohl is Sadina, and…” (Naofumi)
Sadina points her harpoon at the remaining women, who were moving to do something.
“If you move around, you may become like this child, so stay still.” (Sadina)
“Hii!” (Women) (TL: Sound of fear)
After seeing the end of the one who challenged Sadina, it seems these women won’t make a move against her.
Honestly, I don’t think I would make a move if I was in their position.
“DERYAAAAAAAH!”
“AAAAAAAAH!”
Hmm? I hear Ren and Gaelion’s voices shouting out.
Gaelion had his mouth clamped on the giant’s throat, and Ren had his sword on her core.
A large tremor radiates from the building.
“KUUUUAH!”
Gaelion cries out in a muffled voice.
“Don’t screw with me! Give you my Dragon Emperor Core!? A minor fragment like you, who needed a hero’s assistance to challenge me shouldn’t get so high and mighty!”
When it looks like the dragon is going to act up again, Ren applies force to his sword, and she roars.
The end is clear.
“Even if I perish, you shall not obtain it!”
“… Gyau.”
She flipped a switch. That one is the Adult Gaelion.
And this is the time when he offers his words of parting to his fellow fragment.
An ominous sound rings through the air.
“Gufu…”
It was the sound of Gaelion piercing through the empress’s throat.
The giant body convulses and stops moving. Ren lifts his sword and skillfully uses the blocks of the fortress wall to climb up it.
“Is it over?” (Ren)
“For argument’s sake.” (Naofumi)
I place my foot on Tact as I declare this.
What is Gaelion doing?
Uu…
Blood is gushing out like a fountain, and Gaelion digs around the inside of the Dragon Empress’s body.
I’ve seen Firo feast on wild monsters before, but this scene is much more grotesque.
Ren covers his mouth with his hand as he witnesses the scene.
He’s definitely stomaching his urge to throw up.
“W-what is… he doing?” (Ren)
“Yeah.” (Ren)
“I don’t really get it, but pretty much, Gaelion has a fragment, and he’s claiming one from that Giant Dragon?” (Ren)
“Apparently. And since the opponent didn’t submit, he killed her and is manually trying to take it.” (Naofumi)
The fragments were supposed to gather when the world was in peril. I thought that Gaelion didn’t seem to have the instinct to collect them all, but he went and hunted Tact’s Dragon.
I’ll bet the fragment is kept somewhere around there.
“He’ll likely gain the knowledge of how to breach level 100. If all goes well, Gaelion’ll be able to bestow that power too.” (Naofumi)
“It’s only a possibility.” (Naofumi)
But considering that, I can’t really kill Tact yet.
Looking at the air, Firo is still fighting the enemy Gryphon.
“You’re quite… skillful.”
“Firo won’t lose!” (Firo)
But I can tell at a glance who has the better prospects of victory.
The Gryphon’s already taken hits here and there, and she’s on the verge of collapse.
The end will eventually come.
I should really get to Raphtalia already.
Raphtalia and Raph-chan continue their illusionary battle with the Kitsune woman.
“You’re good for a Raccoon. I remember… the Raccoon who sealed me carried a scent like yours!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, nor do I have any interest.” (Raphtalia)
It really is a battle of delusion.
Was Raphtalia that great of a mage?
Or is this just an illusion?
Raphtalia’s ability to see through illusions is high.
Affinity is important.
It’s good that Tact didn’t cooperate with that woman.
If I were to challenge her without the Cane, it would probably be impossible.
Well, if that were the case, I would need Raphtalia’s help to dispel her illusions.
“Rafu~” (Raph-chan)
“Hmm, duplication magic, is it? Do you truly think I am unable to see through it?”
Raph-chan changes to a form identical to Raphtalia and stands next to her.
Ah, I see. This was what Raphtalia was training for.
Though, I feel this is a bit too light for a decisive blow.
“Raphtalia! Catch!” (Naofumi)
I throw the Houou Sword at Raphtalia.
“Rafu~!”
But Raph-chan jumps up high and catches the sword I threw.
And wait, there’s a problem more important than that. Can Raph-chan even use weapons?
“So that one’s the real one!”
Raph-chan uses the sword to deflect a blow aimed at him.
Despite his cute appearance, he has a surprisingly good head on his shoulders.
“Hahaha, Raccoon wench. To think you thought an illusion of this level would -gufu!?”
The real Raphtalia stabs the smiling Kitsune woman in the back.
It seems Raphtalia was more skillful.
“Unfortunately, you were wrong.” (Raphtalia)
“Impossible… an illusion with physical substance!? Even its scent is the same!”
“Raccoon wench… so it wasn’t you who used an illusion to breach the Dragon Emperor and the Gryphon’s sanctuary…”
So Tact’s side thought it was Raphtalia who used the sanctuary.
In truth, he was created with her genes, so even his scent is the same.
His voice and feel are different, though. I’ll investigate it later.
“Unfortunately, no.” (Raphtalia)
Raphtalia pulls out her sword, and starts a coordinated attack with Raph-chan.
Using one of them as bait, and making an opening for the other. And Raphtalia, and Raph-chan…
“Here we go! Make sure to keep up with me!” (Raphtalia)
“Rafu~!” (Raph-chan)
Raphtalia starts unleashing sword strikes at a high speed.
“Na-… gu-… u…”
Slash, thrust, rest, Karma Blade, kick, First Stroke, Second Stroke, Third Stroke, followed by a stream of Hengen Musou sword skills.
This brings to mind a famous attack from a fighting game.I believe it was the attack of a Demon of Dreams.
The combo ended with them lifting their swords together, turning their backs to the Kitsune, and swinging downward to wipe off the blood.
「Illusion Mirror」!
「Rafu~」!
Raph-chan returns to his Tanuki form.
“I have… yet to… fall.”
Though she should have collapsed, the Kitsune woman stands while covered in blood.
… As if her transformation had been dispelled, her shape becomes that of a giant fox.
Is this the time for me to offer assistance?
When I took a step in their direction…
“Not… yet.”
Tact’s consciousness returns, and he suddenly stands up.