The trio of girls continues to explore the dungeon of Arcturus, this time stopping on the top floor of the place, where there is a poorly lit place with some cobwebs, who is walking in front is Sucy who is protecting the girls since the warrior has a huge arachnophobia, after Kagari had just managed to pick up a bizarre staff that turns into a bow when it utters equally bizarre words, appearing to be a very peculiar magical object with a great capacity for power.
Walking through the corridors somewhat dark, although illuminated by torches they were walking little by little along the way, but soon it does not take long to take the first scare, when a huge spider appears, with an abdomen that looks like a skull gave a scare on the spot with the trio that jumped back.
"Just kill it!" Akko said in despair.
"Calm down Akko, it's not easy to use this" said Sucy to which she gave a cut and all that happened was that the spider just kept swinging from side to side.
"Ahhhhhhhh! It just got worse" shouts the fearful crimson-eyed girl.
"If you complain so much why don't you slaughter the spider yourself? I don't know how to wield a sword like you, this is a bit awkward to pick up" Said the irritated Manbavaran who decides to return the sword to the owner.
"SucyAkko is scared to death of spiders, do you think it's that easy?" Lotte said.
"How does she intend to go through other dungeons like that then? She's going alone, there'll be spiders and scarier things, she needs to conquer her fears instead of complaining," said the pink-haired girl, a little annoyed with her friend who kept shouting.
Akko is a little shaky looking at that arachnid she is swallowing the salida, staring well at the skull-shaped abdomen that already scared her until the creature turns she is getting desperate, but she steadies her hand and runs towards the spider hitting a cut with her eyes closed and screaming with each step, then opens her eyes
The monster fell to the ground and she hides behind her friends in fear then disappears, she managed to kill the first spider present on the spot
"Did I do it? I did it!" celebrates Atsuko, jumping for having killed the spider.
"You're luckyAkko, but don't sing victory either, there will still be several of these ahead, I don't doubt it at all" said Sucy.
"If they see me I will break them all and make these spiders know my power!" Said the brown-haired one, even perking up her nose.
"I won't give you a second to hide behind us when the next one comes along" Kagari shows her tongue to her friend who just laughs at the whole situation.
The girls continue to walk down the corridor and said and done, when the next spider appeared, it didn't take Akko long to run and hide near her friends terrified of the huge arachnid, but then being pushed by her two friends to fight and without much choice she went, discovering that it is easier to attack that monster when she turns her abdomen back.
Only the path was getting even more complicated when they arrived at a wall and there was not much passage in it besides a tiny passage on the side that they needed to go, which they take a deep breath and watch the path.
"Do we have to go through there, there are spiders?" said the crimson-eyed one.
"There really are spiders, but you can take them down for us Akko, use your bow, we just need your help for that" said Sucy.
"At least this way I'm not afraid and these look smaller" Said the brown-haired one.
This time further awayAtsuko shoots some arrows at some spiders on the path that Sucy and Lotte were climbing, leaning on the various cobwebs where they are going to have firmness to catch where they wanted. With the light helping Akko to aim it was getting easier, she was managing to hit several spiders that way, while the pair was getting to the hole in the passage they had to go, that way Kagari receives a signal that the way is clear, she fits into the cobwebs, even showing an expression of disgust.
"Ewww, this is horrible, I hate this texture, I hope there isn't a spider in it" said the crimson-eyed one.
"Oh Akko, stop being fresh, we had to do the same thing and we didn't complain like you, come up here and we need your help" said Manbavaran.
"If any baby spiders appear on my hand I'll kill you" said the brown-haired one, rising little by little.
When they get to the top they kind of see that there is a wheel full of spiders and they are kind of spinning around something, besides the spiders on the wall, which Akko makes sure to take her bow and start aiming at each of the spiders on the way to the walls.
"Ugh I just wish these arrows would stay in place at least, that way I could lean on them and not have to touch this disgusting web" said Kagari complaining as usual.
"You complain so much, but some of our clothes are made with the silk of the web of these spiders, and other insects too, the best weavers in our village are masters of this, when you are going to return from your journey one day remember that you may possibly end up working on it" said Sucy.
"Jesus, I'm the chosen warrior, the other warriors can do this spider silk hunting for me, I remember Mary did it and it was in a spider egg, she got here and the nest had hatched, she was full of them everywhere, she had to throw herself in the water and it was disgusting our water full of spider remains, it makes me sick just to remember" Said the crimson-eyed one remembering with disgust everything.
"It's good for the eyes" Manbavaran said.
The brown-haired one tried to shoot down the smaller spiders on the wall and the bigger ones she even thought about using the arrows, but she wanted to save money, swallowing saliva she went down the walls through the webs practically facing her biggest fear, that wheel full of spiders that was spinning around something, but it was not so visible.
"I'm going to have nightmares for days about this" Akko complained.
"You don't have to kill those spiders, there's a passage up there Akko" Sucy said, pointing to a trap door.
"What if the key is here" Kagari said.
"Let's stay close to the door, if we can open it we'll let you know Akko, unfortunately we can't help you because of our limitations" said Lotte.
And there went the two witches climbing through the webs while Akko was looking at the various spiders, kind of swallowing saliva, taking a deep breath already having an idea of their weakness which was the lower part of the abdomen which she left showing when she spun, she advances on the first and manages with some success to slaughter it, even does it a little with closed eyes.
(Damn it I have to be less fearful, this way I won't be able to even come close to defeating the biggest creature here, I won't have the hang of courage).
She opens her eyes and takes a deep breath before going to the next spider, when she sees it turning she decides not to keep her eyes so closed, she starts to attack and kills the second, half trembling she goes to the next one and attacks in desperation, managing to hit her abdomen already crying with fear.
Meanwhile her friends were managing to climb up to the trapdoor and noticed that it was already open, but even so the stubborn Kagari was focusing on the spiders.
"Akko! Here it is open, let's take advantage and get out of here soon" Yanson said.
"I don't want to leave now, I'm still going" said the stubborn crimson-eyed girl.
The brown-haired woman continued to take deep breaths watching the dance of the spiders, she had already killed 3 of the 12 that were circling that place and they were getting faster as they approached, more and more getting closer, she was getting more confused and more shaky as they accelerated.
She tried to attack, but ended up jumping on the mistake and being hit by the creature's sharp legs, which left Akko's arms and legs somewhat full of cuts, but even so she got up, little by little she was getting each spider.
"I'm going to beat my phobia today" she said, standing up, a little scared and shaky.
The spiders were spinning very fast and Akko was focusing well, since hitting the wrong side of the abdomen could give some cuts and she didn't want that, Akko hit her luck a few times, to the point that the two friends, were getting close to her, descending into the webs, seeing that her friend was struggling and seeing her getting weak, missing only five spiders they were making Kagari's vision a little dazed even more with the number of blows that hit her.
"HeyAkko take this here, I saved it for emergencies" Said Sucy arriving with a potion which her friend took.
"No need to push yourself so hard, we'll go up to the roof and make our way forward" Lotte said.
"I need to beat these things, it's a personal matter" Akko said, standing up and gripping her sword tightly.
She was keeping her focus by understanding the movement pattern of the spiders, when she arrived at the right moment she jumped on one of them and managed to pass with a cut on the right side of the abdomen, without wasting time she turned to the next one and was already hit by one even in desperation using a cut on her ended up being on the upper side of the abdomen, which threw her to where her friends were.
"Damn spiders, I swear I'll finish each and every one of you" said Atsuko getting up.
The crimson-eyed one was very concentrated, she went up again to the spider hitting a very precise blow then jumped on the next one and managed to narrowly miss the last one that was very fast, which the brown-haired one made a point of taking her bow, she was aiming right where she wanted to shoot just waiting for the right moment, she shot just before the spider arrived which was in the very precise calculation.
The arrow caught right in the lower abdomen of that spider knocking it down and thus slaughtering it and making a chest appear behind it besides the ground showing a very strange light.
"I did it" said the panting Akko.
She checks the chest and has 120 Rupees, which she divides giving 40 to each of her friends then she goes to the peculiar light on the floor where she ends up stopping in a strange place with her friends, it was a corner like a sanctuary, they go straight where they see some fairies flying around, besides having a water fountain in the centre.
Lotte is putting some of these fairies into pots, in addition to the fairies helping to invigorate the trio who are feeling more refreshed and ready for action, this time they realise that it helped them to heal including the magic of the two witches was renewing itself as well.
"How wonderful it is rare to find a fairy around here, they are of great use, in fact Akko takes one of these with you for your journey if you end up very injured this fairy can help you recover and even save you from death" Said Yanson giving a pot to her friend.
"Thank you Lotte, now let's go, we still have a lot to explore, we have to go back and climb the place where you talked about - Kagari said.
"In the end his stubbornness paid off, I can already say that now we have everything to reach the end of this place" Sucy said.
They go back to the light from where they returned and go this time up to where the trap door is and when climbing there they are able to follow a very quiet path until a little open air, with several plants on the side, a few trees on the side in the case the top of them, where the girls follow the path until they reach a place where there was a double passage, with a ladder nearby.
"It was a very peaceful place, at least we could get our energy back," said the relieved crimson-eyed girl.
"Now it's time to go down again, how strange" Manbavaran said.
They go down the long staircase, reaching the ground floor practically, only when they walk further forward they are surprised by a tremor that came near them, when they look up a silhouette of a giant cuckoo only with a snake tail and a more draconian appearance, was staring and roaring at the trio.
Dragon Snake Cucco Cocatrice
The three girls are terrified of the huge creature in front of them, and are already preparing for the attack, Akko is armed with the sword, the two witches are separating each one on one side preparing to cast spells, the huge cockatrice focuses on the warrior in the middle and begins to release fireballs which she defends
with the shield that even manages to return, only because they are very strong the fireballs are being thrown up.
"Damn, look at the size of this cucco, it's not enough that the little one is a pest, now we have to face a huge one" Kagari said.
"I'm sorry I pissed off so many cuccos like that time, you know how those animals don't play when they're pissed off" said Sucy.
"You did it, it was one of our greatest childhood games, running from the horde of angry cuckoos, it was a life and death thing, the old women were extremely angry with us, we had to then collect all the mess" Atsuko said.
The giant cockatrice wastes no time, she goes up to the brown-haired girl who throws herself so as not to be run over and then notices that Lotte's spells are creating platforms for her who is practically leaning on them to jump higher, which Akko even tries, but the cockatrice advances with her tail on her throwing her back with everything and leaving her on the ground.
She was almost devoured if it weren't for the two witches using their magic to create nets to protect her friend, so Kagari took advantage of the gap, the giant cuckoo was holding the attack and Akko tries to hit her with the sword in the neck, but when the sword catches it just happens to hit her like it was nothing, like a stone.
"Damn it, that doesn't work!" Said the frustrated Atsuko.
"We can't hold Akko any longer, find cover!" Lotte said.
The creature breaks free and runs after the crimson-eyed girl who decides to leave the sword guarded and already picks up the mysterious staff turning it into a bow, but before she could do anything the cockatrice throws a petrifying ray, which narrowly misses Akko who even managed to jump a little to the side.
"Watch out for that thing, it has a petrifying ray" Yanson said.
"I think she knows it very well now" Sucy said.
There were already several statues thrown of several of the people who were turned into stones by the cockatrice, many of the warriors who risked their lives trying to get far into the dungeon and get the pendant, Akko was trying in every way to find a focus and is watching a breach of the huge bizarre cucco that was spitting fireballs and petrifying rays where she saw that it was not right to defend those rays since the petrification was instantaneous.
(Perfect, I think if she opens her mouth I'll shoot an arrow, I'll risk taking a fireball, but let's see if it's good to do that)
Kagari waits for the perfect moment the cockatrice begins to throw fireballs she quickly aims with the bow at the creature's mouth as she launches the arrow she realises that it is going through the fireballs and hitting the cockatrice's mouth that stunned falls to the ground and at that time reveals a mark on the forehead, Akko takes her sword and runs.
Once she strikes the mark and notices that it goes through better, but in the hit she ends up being spat backwards and is already falling dragged on the ground while the cockatrice got up.
"That's it Akko, good, let's try to distract this thing and you hit it" Said Lotte and the crimson-eyed one denies with her fingers.
"Just watch, this is a battle of my own with this cockatrice, I don't want you to take any chances, I've learnt how she moves" She made it very clear that she would be a warrior there.
The cockatrice stood upright, she was flapping her feet and flapping her wings which caused feathers to fly everywhere and these feathers had blades, which the girls were taking cover and Akko was kind of using it to protect herself from the shield noticing that the creature's desperation attack was that and then she started to bend over scratching her feet, a sign that she was going to start running like a bull.
The monster ran towards Kagari who was dodging and had already put her sword away until she hit the brakes and then back again behind the crimson-eyed one who was running away from her trying to wait for the perfect moment, going to where it was near a tree and running in desperation since the cockatrice was fast, she throws herself to the side and the creature ends up hitting her face on a tree trunk falling to the ground and then getting up.
(I hope she does that attack again, it's going to be very useful already).
She starts throwing the fireballs again, the crimson-eyed one wastes no time, pulls the bow and fires an arrow, which ends up revealing the creature's weak point again when it is stunned by the arrow, already catching more of her pattern.
Akko runs towards the creature and goes with a very powerful blow to the head again and this time it is not spat out as much as last time, even managing to fall this time on her feet with the momentum by which she was launched, which she is supporting herself.
"Good Akko, this way you will be able to defeat the giant cuckoo" said Lotte.
"Or become another one of the statues that are here" Sucy said.
Atsuko takes a deep breath and faces the monster that is making the attack of despair throwing the sharp feathers towards everywhere, which all go protecting themselves from the attack using the shields and then she starts to scratch, already preparing to give a charge towards the warrior who ends up having an idea.
(Let's see if this will work here)
The cockatrice advances towards the crimson-eyed one who concentrated takes a deep breath, she runs towards a tree trunk next to her, the cockatrice dodged hitting the wall, but that was exactly what she wanted to do.
Akko sticks the sword in the trunk and goes around again running in circles, where she jumps towards where she left the sword stuck and with that the impulse is high enough that she could just ride on top of the 4 metre high cuckoo with almost 3 metres high on the back, where she managed to stay on top.
(Now let's see if it goes according to plan)
The brown-haired one goes holding the feathers of the cockatrice that I saw in the madness following the path trying to get her off, but nothing helped, so Akko takes advantage, she notices that the cockatrice was crazy and makes her run towards the tree trunk where she had hit before, hitting this time with Akko mounted who threw herself hurting a little in the fall.
(It didn't come out in a snazzy way that I thought, that fall really hurt a lot, this thing is fast)
Hurt Akko gets up, turns her staff into a bow and runs towards the trunk where she had left the sword stuck what she already turns to just where the cocatrz was already aiming the bow she gives a beautiful shot at the same time that the creature was shooting a fireball, the two are meeting on the way the fireball is broken in half hitting the cocatriz in full.
Atsuko picks up the sword from the trunk and runs towards the cockatrice, getting close to where she was until she jumps and stabs that goes further into the cuckoo's head, sinking deeper and deeper inside and this time it was in a way that it was getting and the creature was even struggling.
"It's the end of you monster!" Kagari said.
The blade remained and then the cockatrice was beginning to dissolve little by little piece by piece which showed that she was finally managing to have stuck the sword and defeat the creature, which then appeared the pendant of courage from inside the cockatrice, which the crimson-eyed one got all with a huge smile on her face when she finally achieved a huge victory, in addition to also receiving a transparent heart with a pinkish colour that made her feel a little more renewed and even resistant, as soon as she picked it up it ended up disappearing and being absorbed by her body.
"I did it!" Akko said, jumping for joy.
"Who would have thought that you would actually get the pendant of courage" Sucy said.
"You did very well Akko, I'm proud of you, you were very clever, amazingly enough" said Lotte.
"But it was also kind of dumb, you don't jump from a horse when it's at high speed, let alone this bizarre cucco, it could have died in a stupid way like that, but anyway it won, now it can rub it in everyone's face that the chosen warrior is really the height" Said the Manbavaran.
"I'm going to love all this, I want to see the reaction of the elders when they realise that I managed to defeat the cockatrice" said the excited Kagari.
Together the girls held hands and celebrated, a little tired by the fight against the cockatrice they are taking a rest there before the long way back, but they notice that there is a light right in front of them, which can already help with the path, when walking to it they notice that they stopped just in front of the entrance to the dungeon and that's when Woodward again appears to the trio.
"My congratulations Atsuko Kagari, you proved to be a warrior up to the task, you managed to defeat the cockatrice demonstrating even intelligence and strategy, finally this is just the beginning of your journey, you got the pendant of courage which already guarantees you as a brave warrior who can reach the queen and prove as the heroine of Hyrule and thus gain the trust of the kingdom, I entrust you with the protection of these lands from a greater threat that may come, I know I can put the future of this place in you, I know you will be capable of all this, Atsuko Kagari you will be the heroine of Hyrule, remember to find the seven words of Claiomh Solais and so you will have even greater power to change the world and protect it from the threats of the Earl of Appleton" Said Woodward who then disappeared.
The girls were being amazed by everything, seeing that they managed to fulfil the mission and still cut a huge path since they returned to the entrance of the dungeon and in this way each of the three crowded with Rupees and with good news are returning to the village of Luna Nova.
Upon arriving there was even a celebration, but they noticed that they were all celebrating before the arrival of the warrior, in fact the celebration was more for having got rid of Kagari, so much so that they had banners written that way.
"Oh Akko, you're back it seems, we thought you weren't going to make it" said Elder Holbrook.
"A miracle indeed, but what can you expect when she took two girls with her, surely if it weren't for their help she would have died, I don't doubt that at all, welcome back heroine if we can give her that much credit" Said the elder Finnelan and it was quite noticeable the hurt expression that the crimson-eyed one had gotten.
"Minus Finnelan, she made it back alive, which is a sign that we can release her to go out for Hyrule she has fulfilled her mission, now all that remains is for her to do whatever it takes on her journey, come celebrate with us Akko, you came back fine" The brown haired girl nods.
Hurt and rightly so, she goes back to the tree house where she usually lives and is kind of isolating herself there, her friends go along, to console her, the village kind of shrugs, with all that climate, when they see that the girl has entered her house they start to celebrate again as if nothing had happened.
"Well, that's what I get for being the heroine, when Chariot came back it was the biggest party in this city, now when I come back people think I'm useless... I just wanted to at least be respected, you saw that I did it, you saw that I deserve the pendant" Said the gloomyAtsuko.
"Don't care about these people, they have always underestimated you, you will get rid of these people, you heard Woodward, you will protect the queens, look at the privilege you will have the privilege of being able to know the castle of Hyrule, maybe even have the chance to ...". Become the future queen of Hyrule - said Sucy trying to put her friend up.
"Sucy is right, from now on it will get better Akko, the village does not respect you, but I'm sure the people of Hyrule will respect you even more with you carrying the pendant of courage, I'm sure you will enter the castle, I'm already going ahead here for my majesty" Said Lotte.
"Me queen? Stop thinking too high, I just want to be able to reunite with Chariot and be a great warrior like her, bring joy to Hyrule, maybe do dances and cheer up the children like Chariot did with us when we were children, queen? No chance, first of all, I'm a mere commoner from Luna Nova, even if I become a warrior I will never be noble and neither will I be a reason for the queens to put me in a marriage, it's easier to marry some alliance from another kingdom of Hyrule, second, the two princesses are girls, how does that add to the kingdom? I'm a girl and they're girls, even if I marry her, it's no use" Kagari shrugged.
"The two daughters of the queens are her legitimate daughters, the magic helped them, I'm sure that with you it's not an impossibility, there's no need to have such a lack of faith Akko, just like you who believes in the most unrealistic nonsense" Said Manbavaran.
"Me marrying some of the Wedinburgh princesses?" said the crimson-eyed one, laughing. That's too unrealistic even for my standards, if even Chariot didn't become a princess, what about me?" said the crimson-eyed one laughing.
"The princesses are our age, that already explains a lot, when Chariot left they were just children, but that's the most we know of the news that comes here and even then it doesn't come that detailed, anyway let's
celebrate here, forget these idiots Akko, I'm going to go to the village to get some things and we'll celebrate your victory at your house" Said the pink-haired one smiling at her friend and thus even helped her to be more excited.
(Queen of Wedinburgh, it seems, I just want to be a warrior, in fact I would not stand to be next to a little princess, she must be all full of frills and frills, I would have to be equally mounted like her, wearing those things that tighten the ribs, all charming, I prefer to be a warrior way, good girls even like, but even so, the queens would approve a commoner like that? Ahhhh I hope not, I honestly couldn't stand being a noblewoman, I just want one day in the future to have my home, live on my ranch with my friends, play every day, bring joy to Hyrule, go on warrior missions and adventures, a life being part of the monarchy would never bring me that, I wouldn't be able to venture as a noblewoman and I don't want to be a soldier, the idea of having to lower my head to someone disgusts me).
Sucy was picking up a few things for the girls to eat in town, picking up Rupees, just like the decorations of the place, they were going together celebrating their victory, since the town seemed to be celebrating something else, which was even helping the crimson eyed girl feel better after the hard work she had.
Akko, Lotte and Sucy managed to defeat the cockatrice, who was the boss of that Dungeon, with a lot of intelligence, bravery and strategy on the part of Kagari who was showing that she was not just a clumsy warrior who can think, even managing to overcome her fears if necessary, already leaving another part of her journey that ended on the part of Luna Nova, being ready to go out in the land of Hyrule for new adventures to come.
See you, brave witches...
