CH 105

Chapter 3 — Dry scrape, burn and perforate! • Episode 3–4 — Witch Cup ⑩【Ice VS Dragon】

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

Having secured the crystals in the southwest outer layer, Dragon Call was kicking the ground as fast as she could toward the crystals in the south-central layer.

With only a few magical energy left due to the defeat in the early stages and a series of battles, Dragon Call is trying to conserve even the magical energy used for flying, as she may not even be able to secure crystals if she wastes them.

The magic used in the battle with Ex–Magna to transform into a giant fire dragon, which is also known as the Metamorph : Ditherflame Dragon. This is very powerful magic, but Dragon Call hasn’t yet fully mastered it. As expected, she hasn’t learned it during this match, and has been secretly training alone for some time, but it is difficult to handle, and currently cannot be used with other magic and consumes even more magical power like a fool. Those were other reasons, though, the main reason why Dragon Call was reluctant to release this magic until the last minute. In some cases, the magic consumed more than the magic power required for revival, so it was a magic that she wouldn’t want to use if possible.

Since Transformation Magic and the Summoning Magic cannot be duplicated with the same dragon, she was repatriated when she used Trans : Gaia Dragon she had summoned when fighting Ex–Magna. That Trans : Gaia Dragon was also cancelled when she became a giant dragon. The current Dragon Call is just a girl with a banded sword wearing a highly revealing miko outfit, without scales, horns, or wings.

That’s why she didn’t notice it. Usually, without fail, even at Tea Parties, she used Transformation Magic, which dulled her ability to search for them when she wasn’t using it.

Arriving at the crystal in the south-central layer, Dragon Call noticed a girl touching the crystal there for the first time. Since they were in a straight line with a crystal in between, they couldn’t be seen from a distance.

The color of the crystal changes from Blue to Yellow.

「Ah～! It’s Dragon-onee-chan!!」

「Trans : Flame Dragon!!」

It was Permafrost who, rolling her eyes, pointed to Dragon Call and shouted loudly.

The moment she realized what was happening, Dragon Call used what little magic power she had to inhabit the Fire Dragon’s power, spread her wings, and tried to escape into the sky.

『I encountered Permafrost-san in the south middle layer!』

『I’ll be there soon. Please manage to survive until then.』

「Muh～! Don’t ignore me! Field Magic :『Frozen!』」

However, as if throwing a tantrum, Permafrost invoked her magic, and the earth was enveloped in thin ice and a furious blizzard broke out, knocking the dragon call to the ice. As with the fight against Ex–Magna, Dragon Call without the support of a summoned dragon is not that capable of flight.

「Fire!」

「Cold Room!」

As if to offer some resistance, a red magic circle appears at the mouth of Dragon Call and spews fire, but it’s blocked by a wall of ice and doesn’t reach Permafrost. And before she knew it, Dragon Call was trapped in a large box made of ice, surrounded by thick ice on all sides and overhead.

「Maximum Drill Icicle!」

「Dragon Aura! Guuuuuh!!」

Before he had time to escape, a huge, drill-like icicle spun at high speed, ready to smash through the box that trapped Dragon Call and make mincemeat out of her.

Dragon Call attempted to deflect the drill by using reinforcement magic and attaching her sword to the side of the drill, but the sword was knocked away by the sheer force of the rotation and her right arm was caught in it.

Thanks to the drill’s destruction of the box, the wall that had blocked his escape was gone, and Dragon Call was no longer a dead man, though she was only saved by her life as she, like the sword, was bounced off and rolled on the ground.

In addition to her left arm, which was destroyed in the battle with Rabbitfoot, Dragon Call also lost her right arm. Even in her best condition, her chances of winning are slim, but she can hardly use magic, and with both arms gone, there is no way she can mount a proper resistance.

Even so, there was no sign of resignation in Dragon Call’s lizard-like eyes. While stoutly looking at Permafrost, if she look at the map in her field of vision, she can see that Wigs Crosseau is coming towards her.

Just a little more time, a little more time, and we can fight two to one.

Crosseau-san can beat Permafrost-san.

Believing this, Dragon Call realized as she was about to stand up, trying to move before Permafrost’s follow-up attack came. Her body was immobile. Her arms, which she had lost, of course, but her legs, which she had put all her strength into in order to stand up, wouldn’t move.

「Let’s play again! Freeze!」

Turning her back on the icy and disappearing Dragon Call, Permafrost ran further south with a happy smile on her face.

.

『Contender Dragon Call tried her best to hold on, but the wall at the top of the standings was still too thick!? Or perhaps, if she was in perfect condition, she could’ve dreamed of winning! The winner is Contender Permafrost!』

『I think Contender Dragon Call herself knew that she was close to her limit. That’s why she tried to escape at first, and when that was impossible, she switched to checks from a distance. Apparently, Contender Wigs Crosseau was on her way to support her on, and I think she wanted to buy some time.』

「I’m back—! Wait, huh? What’s wrong, Ele-chan?」

Press, who had returned to the stadium bleachers with the light of the transition, approached them in a good mood, but then noticed Elephant, who was pouting as if she had lost her soul in some way, and gave them a dubious look.

『Contender Wigs Crosseau, just arrived in the south middle layer, a little too late～! Contender Permafrost is already moving toward the southern outer layer!』

『It was a close call. However, it wasn’t a total waste of time, as she could take the small crystal that the Yellow Team had secured. It will take a while for the Contender Dragon Call to come back, and Contender Extend Traveler is currently taking advantage of her own speed correction to move south, so if Contendee Wigs Crosseau doesn’t secure the small crystal, she will be out of the running!』

「Sylph-chan… Sylph-chan is…」

「Welcome back. You don’t look like you were hurt or anything.」

「I had plenty of time to spare on my end, but what’s going on? Where was she in the game?」

Press asks Blade if she can’t talk to the Elephant who just keep muttering “Sylph-chan, Sylph-chan” when they tried to wave their hands in front of her.

『Contenders Rabbitfoot and Red Ball from the Yellow Team were moving toward the north inner layer and north middle layer, respectively, after securing the crystal on the east side, but Contender Rabbitfoot seemed to have secured the crystal first, probably due to the difference in mobility!』

『With the Blue Team barely functioning, it seems that you have decided to prioritize dealing with the North, which is beginning to be encroached upon by the Red Team. It will have been shared that Contender Dragon Call has fallen, and Contender Rabbitfoot has already defeated Contenders Extend Traveler and Wigs Crosseau once, so she will be able to move without hesitation.』

「The match is in about 10 minutes. Sylph-san lost badly to the Gravity Witch not too long ago. I didn’t feel too good about it either, but Elephant-san was still in a state of disarray.」

「Hmph. I thought it took quite a while to come back, but I guess it was distorted. Ele-chan! Come to your senses! Ah, look, it looks like Syl-chan is back!」

Grabbing Elephant by the shoulders and rocking her jerkily back and forth, Press pointed to a glimpse of Sylph on the monitor.

『Blue Team’s Contender Ex–Magna has already resurrected at the same time that Contenders Dragon Call and Permafrost were fighting and seems to be aiming for the Southwest Outer Crystal! What’s more! Just now Contender Tyrant Sylph came back to life and after talking to Contender Doppelganger for awhile, she took off! Her destination is the southern outer layer! If she continue on her way, she’s likely to run into Contender Permafrost, but is that what Contender Tyrant Sylph is trying to do～!?』

『With only about 1/3 of the time remaining, the team could not afford to lose any more crystals if they were to make a comeback, so it was only natural that someone would go out to intercept them. However, Contender Doppelganger still doesn’t move in this situation. I think we can expect that Contender Red Ball hasn’t come within sight of Contender Tyrant Sylph based on the position and time she beat her, but the Blue Team should not be able to tell whether it is Contenders Rabbitfoot or Permafrost. If so, I think Contender Doppelganger should leave in case it’s Contender Permafrost, or is she that wary of lurking?』

「Sylph-chan!!! Huh? What was I doing…?」

「Ele-cha—n! You’ve finally come to your senses!」

「Hmm, Press. When did you get back? Were you okay?」

「Harsh! I was here earlier!」

「Perhaps it’s not just Sylph-san…?」

Blade was in a slight cold sweat as she stared at Elephant, who came to her senses as soon as she saw Sylph, engaging in a comic exchange with Press.

『Speaking of hiding! It’s a tactic that keeps you alive but doesn’t secure the small crystal and doesn’t allow other teams to find your location!』

『Yes. If there is a gap in strength between teams, for example, the tactic of sneaking in to take an empty base by catching them off guard, perhaps by making them think that they have already fallen. In a four-way team competition, you never know who the other team has dropped.』

『Contender Doppelganger is on the lookout for that incubation… that’s what I mean!』

『It’s one of the possibilities, though I think it’s a reluctant measure. Depending on the situation and the composition of the team members, such a strategy is obviously possible, although I’m not sure it would be compatible with a bold strategy like letting Contender Tyrant Sylph go for the big crystal of the Yellow Team, or perhaps it would be a blur in the direction of the team.』