Flowers for You, Magic for the Sky | Chapter 11

[healingbonds]

​​Chapter 10 << | index | >> Chapter 12


Akira: ......Everyone......!

(Crash)

Arthur: Sir Oz......!

Oz: ......hh, The Sage......

Faust: He’s been taken by the briars......

Lennox: Sir Sage......

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: << Gladius Procella >>
............ It’s no use......! I can’t even scratch those briars!

Rustica: << Amorest Viesse >>
Same here. Neither setting them on fire nor freezing them seems to work.

Chloe: ......If we don’t get past these briars, we can’t get to the Sage and the others!

Cain: Akira, Prince Arthur......

Scarlet: Ohoho. I won’t let anyone through.
Aureolin. Head into the castle and assist Father.

Aureolin: Will do.

Cain: Wait......!

(Slash)

Cain: ............!

Scarlet: I said I wouldn’t let anyone through, remember?

Owen: Now, now. What’s wrong, Sir Knight?
Aren’t you going to protect your precious Sage and the Prince?

Cain: ......Of course I am! I’ll protect them at any cost!
<< Gladius Procella >>
.....Guh......

Chloe: Cain!

Scarlet: Ohoho! Even if you repeat the same moves, it won’t change a thing!

Chloe: Cain, are you okay!?

Cain: Yeah, you should stand back. This time, I will......!
<< Gladius Procella >>
......Aaagh......

Owen: ............

Chloe: Cain......!

Cain: .....I’m fine......!
Chloe, you and Rustica should look for an opening to get into the castle!
I’ll try to break through one way or another......!

Rustica: But leaving you by yourself......

Owen: ............

Rustica: No, it looks like you’ll be all right. All right, Cain. I’ll let you know the moment we find an opening.
Let’s go, Chloe.

Chloe: .......Cain! Take care, and don’t push yourself too hard......!

Cain: Yeah, I can’t be getting my finest suit dirty!

Chloe: You idiot! I don’t care about that at all! ......Please be safe......!

Cain: You too!
Hah......All right! Here I come!

Owen: Are you an idiot?

Cain: ......What—......

Owen: Even if you repeat the same moves, it won’t change a thing. You heard that witch.

Cain: ......It’s not the same move. I’ve been changing the target and angle of my attacks, all so I can find a weak spot.

Owen: Really. So did you find anything?

Cain: Not yet. But I definitely will!

Owen: Is that so?

Cain: ......Hah...... Here I go.......
<< Gladius Procella >>
......Ugghh......

Owen: ............

Scarlet: Ohoho! Your actions are all futile!

Cain: ......I’m not done!

Owen: Tsk......
<< Cure Memini >>

Scarlet: ......!? The briars were repelled......

Cain: Owen......

Owen: And you still call yourself a knight? You’re letting yourself be trampled by some puppet who’s controlling a beast.

Scarlet: A puppet!? The sheer insolence of your remark!

Owen: Shut up. You have to breathe more quietly.

Scarlet: Breathe? Like this......?

Owen: Not you.

Cain: ............
Are you talking to me?

Owen: Is there anyone else here? It’s because you’re not used to making the spirits obey you, the way we Northern wizards are.
It’s only natural for the spirits to avoid you when you’re just lashing out so wildly.
Even more so in unusual circumstances like this, where there’s been a disruption to the natural order. The spirits hate being contaminated.

Cain: Uh, so you mean.......

Owen: Breathe quietly. The way you usually do, with sincerity......

Cain: Not that. So what I’m getting is that, you’re like, trying to teach me magic right now?

Owen: ............
I’m not.

Cain: Uh, you’re not? I can’t really afford to get tricked or beat up right now.....

Owen: Fine then. You’re right. Just do what I say. You want to find a weak spot to break through, right?

Cain: Yeah.

Owen: Breathe quietly. Trust your own sincerity, the way you usually do. That’s the Central way of doing things, right?

Cain: Trust my sincerity the way I usually do?

Owen: That’s not what I think. But it’s what the others say about you, right?

Cain: ............? What are you talking about? Is this about magic? Or about me?

Owen: Just do it!

(Thwack)

Cain: Ouch! You didn’t have to throw your shoe at me!

Owen: Why don’t you get it? What has Oz been teaching you? I’m disappointed in you, Sir Knight.

Cain: You can say that, but...... Ah.

Owen: What?

Cain: I feel like I can take deeper breaths than before.

Owen: ............

Cain: I get it now. You were trying to calm me down. Thank you, Owe—.....

Owen: I was not. Give me back my shoe.

Cain: Whoa—...... Don’t fly over out of nowhere.

Owen: I’m going to set Cerberus on that woman. Sir Knight, attack those briars the moment I do.

Cain: Got it.

Owen: Don’t get too heated. The spirits will run away from you.
If you want them to go along with your anger and restlessness, you’d have to possess enough power to subdue them.

Cain: You mean I don’t?

Owen: Not yet.

Cain: Got it. I’ll take deep breaths.

Owen: That’s right. Let’s go.

Scarlet: Ohoho! As if you could!
I’ll grace you with a mighty blow!

Owen: << Cure Memini >>

Cain: << Gladius Procella >>!

✦✧☾✧✦

(Screech)

Shylock: My, what a boisterous night.
The castle is covered in ivy, and a Basilisk flies through the air...... I hardly have time to light my pipe.

Bradley: Where’s the Sage and the others?

Nero: Inside the castle. They’re trapped by those pesky briars.

Bradley: Briars, huh...... Where’s Owen?

Murr: I don’t know! Why do you ask?

Bradley: That guy doesn’t do so well with briars. Well, I guess he’ll be fine.
So, young lady, are you the bad girl pulling these tricks?

Cyan: .............

Nero: ......Brad. Don’t be rough on her. She’s not even the mastermind behind all this.

Bradley: You’re as soft-hearted as ever. Hey, little miss. What are you trying to do?

Cyan: ......Take revenge for Mother, and bring her back to life......

Bradley: Revenge? On who?

Cyan: ............

Nero: ......She’s pointing at Murr.

Bradley: Hey, scholar of the West. At least take responsibility for the women you laid your hands on before they start any more giant monster wars.

Shylock: I don’t think he laid his hands on her.... ....Or did you?

Murr: I forgot!

Nero: Wish I were a genius. I’d love it if my brain worked as conveniently as yours does.

Murr: Ta-da!

Nero: I was being sarcastic.

Shylock: He realizes you’re being sarcastic — that’s why he’s showing off. Isn’t it utterly infuriating, and also utterly endearing?

Nero: .........? The West has such sophisticated taste that it’s beyond me......

Bradley: Ahaha! You should try a bite. You might find it to your taste.

Nero: What will you do if I end up ruining my tastebuds?

Bradley: We’d have a problem. —All right, little miss.
I get you. Boil him, grill him, whatever — you can do whatever you want with this guy.

Murr: Meo~w! I’m gonna get eaten!

Bradley: But if that’s not enough for you, if you’re still not satisfied — then we’ve got with no choice but to take down your Basilisk.
You see, there’s this guy named Akira inside that castle of briars. We’re looking out for him — he’s our leader, so to speak.
As a Northern wizard, I can’t roll over and watch our leader get snatched from us. I’m gonna get him back no matter what.
What will it be, little miss?

Cyan: ............

Nero: Cyan...... I just want to save my comrades inside the castle. Can you let us through?

Cyan: ...... But Father......
He said my job was to stay here and turn everyone who tried to approach the castle from the sky into stone......

Nero: ......You really won’t budge?

Cyan: It’ll be all right...... Because I have the umbrella of luck.

Bradley: ......The umbrella of luck?

Cyan: << Volo Habere >>

Nero: <<Adnodus Omnis >>

​​Chapter 10 << | index | >> Chapter 12