Witch Twins – Twin Witches
双子の魔女・魔女の双子
A continuation of the previous story. This is Len and Ran’s perspective during the wolf incident. Their battle against the [RAVENOUS FOREST WOLF] that destroyed their spirit.
The monster in front of us is a wolf type monster its Origin is a [FOREST WOLF] with a Threat Rank of C and a recorded name of [RAVENOUS FOREST WOLF].
“How did this monster even evade Master’s ‘Perception Skills’?” irritation was evident in our voice. I mean master was able to detect the 12 wolves that were closing in at the gates and yet did not notice the more dangerous threat?
In fact, how did we not notice it then too? With our [MANA] and [KI] Perception albeit low in level and proficiency, we should have still been able to notice its arrival. After all, it is oozing with strong malicious [MANA] and [KI] and yet it completely eluded our perception skill. The strangest thing is that it did not even register up until this man blew on that whistle.
“Now that you mention it…” looking at the man, he does not seem to register with our [MANA] and [KI] perception. After all he was able to approach the diner without us knowing and caught us off guard.
Looking at him more, it is as if he does not exist. I wonder if it has something to do with the cloak he is wearing. Looking more closely, the kennel that the wolf monster had emerge from seem to have the same type of cloth wrapped around it.
This must have been the reason why master had not detected it earlier… that would mean, this was a setup from the start. The wolves in the Western Gate must have been to lure master away…
Well enough about the ‘how it has evaded our detection earlier’ or the ‘shady guy who is just standing there’ and decided to focus with the battle against the one with the greater threat -his pet.
The battle started, and we were able to make good use of our training.
The [RAVENOUS FOREST WOLF], just like other family of wolves is agile. It keeps jumping from one area to another, making it hard to pin and land a critical hit. Thankfully, the gallery had dispersed the moment this monster showed up and so it had focused its attention to us making it somewhat easier to predict its movements. Mama and Papa too had taken shelter inside the building. They probably did not like how the two of us went out of our way to fight with this monster.
However, they did not have any choice and probably understand that we were the only ones who had combat training among present. They could have used themselves as decoy, but both Len and I had acted faster and was now the main targets of the beast. Taking shelter inside the mansion was the best way to ensure that nothing would hold the two of us back. We could see them on the window looking grim and worried.
“Ran/Len we need to get this over with!”
“Ah! Let’s go Len/Ran!”
The [RAVENOUS FOREST WOLF] was not so much of a push over, sure he was fast but he since he had us as his designated target, we know that he WOULD attack us… and truthfully this thing was not as fast as Master. We were able to quickly either parry or evade its attacks.
When it pounced at Ran, Len would target it from behind. When it attacks Len, Ran triggers a combo from the side. After these back-and-forth tactics we finally we landed our first blow.
“Good work Len!” he managed to land a clean hit on the Monster’s left eye. It should render it unusable for this battle.
“Good work Ran” She managed to strike two slashes on the monster’s abdomen. That should greatly reduce its stamina.
We were able to give it critical hits it should have depleted a number of its LIFE FORCE. We could win if we can survive the battle of attrition as we have trained.
But…
ガオー
They say that beasts grow strong when cornered, and this was probably what is happening to the [RAVENOUS FOREST WOLF]. It had forced its latent powers to forcefully get stronger than its attackers.
That was not the only effect of the howl. Len had once read from a monster ecology book that ‘monster howls’ carry certain effects to those who are close by to hear. Effects vary like numbness, confusion, and others that render competent combaters to lose the will to fight. The loud and angry howl probably place those effects on us and soon found ourselves on our knees. Disoriented. Then pain caught us.
“Len! Ran” although distorted we could hear Mama and Papa calling our names. Looking a bit closer to the house, we could see them running towards us. Why did they come out? Oh, I see we are bleeding. The monster who had seen our weakened state earlier probably pounced at us inflicting wounds and pain.
‘No…!” It’s dangerous to come out, we tried to call out to Mama and Papa, but no voice comes out from our mouth.
Why did master leave us to fend off this guy? Did he know that there was a strong monster here and left it for us to handle? Did he really think that some low-leveled kids could handle a monster, which would take a party of Iron Rank Hunters? Did he have that much confidence in us?
Those questions kept repeating in our head. But it feels so surreal, like I can feel my sister/brother’s thoughts… who exactly is speaking right now…
As blood oozed out from where the monster had attack us, the surreal feeling we have been sensing since our adrenaline rushed when the monster appeared kept on becoming stranger.
First, the heat in our bodies was becoming intense as if both our heat doubled, then Ran’s MANA run through Ren. Ren’s KI rushed through Ran. This strange cycle partially healed our visible wounds allowing us to escape fatal wounds.
“Ran/Len, ready yourself for round two.”
“Len/Ran, yeah let’s go!”
Coughing blood, we urged ourselves to fight again.
Constantly switching from this strange cycle, it had confused the monster who is who and which is which allowing us to give more punishment to its body, but no matter how hard we slash or pound, the monster just won’t go down.
The battle of attrition instantly became disadvantageous for us, and we were losing stamina fast, even if the Cycle of MANA and KI surge in our bodies heals our physical wounds it could not replenish our depleting stamina.
We were losing and one that could end with our deaths… as we waited for the end. Would we lose the people we love from this final attack? Would we be unable to protect mama and papa… again!?
Just when despair hit us, the monster stopped in its track. It was as if it had sensed a greater threat that both of us… ‘I see… he has returned.’
“Master!” we were saved again…