MHGA Chapter 394: Restraining Ballista
Within the fog generated by Walpurgisnacht, numerous familiars of varying shapes emerged, walking past Kairo Retsu and Homura Akemi toward Mitakihara City as if they hadn't noticed the two standing there.
The surrounding environment gradually shifted, blurring the boundaries between reality and the Witch's Barrier.
Walpurgisnacht—the stage-construct Witch, passed down through history, capable of existing without a barrier, a formidable Witch impossible for any single Magical Girl to defeat—appeared, resembling a giant, evening-gown-clad doll inverted atop an enormous floating gear.
Even in official settings, Kairo Retsu had never seen the true form of Walpurgisnacht. While descriptions varied, there was a consensus on one aspect: its true form was recognized as a cluster of multiple Witches centered around a single Witch.
Symbolizing 'helplessness,' Walpurgisnacht was also seen as a continuously spinning fool, eternally revolving until everything in the world became a 'script.'
Observing the gigantic inverted Witch, Kairo Retsu unhesitatingly took out a signal flare from his backpack and fired it into the sky.
The flare, originally meant for rescue signals, had a remarkable characteristic: no matter how far or obstructed, its distress signal reached throughout the entire Gathering Hall.
Thus, the hunters, who had been waiting eagerly, and the Felynes, who had long prepared mechanical devices within various false Witch Barriers, immediately shattered the cores of those barriers upon receiving Kairo Retsu's signal.
Countless fragments peeled away from the void like shattering glass.
Centered around Walpurgisnacht, the entire sky seemed to be covered by the shattered Witch Barriers.
In what had previously been empty space, numerous pre-built dragon-hunting mechanisms crashed heavily onto the ground, ready for hunter control.
Most noticeable among these was not the massive dragon-hunting mechanisms but a gigantic fortress that plunged directly from the sky into the river.
Only now did Homura Akemi clearly recognize this immense fortress as a massive ship outfitted with various mechanisms. The moment it crashed into the river, the previously sizable river nearly overflowed from the impact of the Dragonship.
Huge waves surged outward, splashing toward Kairo Retsu and Homura.
Kairo Retsu immediately held his Great Sword horizontally in front, blocking the wave for himself and Homura.
The river water washed over Kairo Retsu's Great Sword, cleansing it of dirt and making the Great Sword, forged from Nergigante spines and other monster materials, shine brightly.
The dispersed spray soaked Kairo Retsu's armor but left Homura Akemi dry behind him.
"This is your... equipment for hunting dragons?" Homura gazed upward at the massive fortress-like Dragonship that had landed in the river, pupils slightly trembling.
The river flowing through Mitakihara City had considerable volume. In past loops, Homura had hidden her arsenal within this river. Yet now, the river was entirely occupied by the Dragonship.
"Boss!!"
At the bow of the Dragonship, Silly Cat lay on the deck's edge, waving toward Kairo Retsu and shouting, "We're ready!"
Homura took a deep breath, looking around and noticing the mechanisms dropped from surrounding Witch Barriers were also substantial.
Almost as soon as the turret mechanisms landed, Felynes began firmly securing them to the ground.
Steel and unknown lumber firmly anchored these devices, while the hunters Homura had briefly met stood at the turrets, gripping them firmly and directing them collectively toward Walpurgisnacht in the sky.
Before Homura could act, Kairo Retsu grabbed her, carrying her onto his shoulder and swiftly scaling the Dragonship.
Within mere seconds, Homura found herself on the deck, observing the bustling Felynes hard at work.
Within the Dragonship—a technological marvel from another world unknown to Homura—gigantic gears started rolling. Mechanical noises overtook the rain's sound, and the massive anti-dragon fortress began slowly rotating within the river.
Most striking on the Dragonship was the prominent Dragonator on the deck. The massive and hollow cannon muzzle aimed forward, requiring substantial effort even from hunters to load fuel, was currently being loaded by several Felynes working together.
"Can this ship... defeat Walpurgisnacht?" Homura asked Kairo Retsu with hope, watching the unfamiliar technology.
"With this? No… definitely not!" Kairo Retsu firmly planted his Great Sword on the deck, shaking his head while watching Walpurgisnacht. "Walpurgisnacht doesn't warrant using our Dragonship yet."
"It's strong—unprecedentedly destructive for this world—but we don't have the luxury of spending excessive energy dealing with it," Kairo Retsu said, leaning on his sword. "So…"
"Let's drag it down to earth first!"
As Kairo Retsu spoke, flares launched consecutively from the dragon-hunting mechanisms around Walpurgisnacht, signaling their readiness.
An unusual silence pervaded the Gathering Hall communications. During such large hunts, the hunters silently agreed not to disturb communications, preventing confusion during battle.
Until… Kairo Retsu, as Guildmaster, officially gave the order to commence the hunt.
"Restraint Ballista… Fire! Drag this lady down from the high sky!"
At his command, Homura Akemi watched as those rough, somewhat archaic dragon-hunting devices fired massive Restraint Bolts attached to sturdy binding ropes, embedding deeply into Walpurgisnacht from all directions.
The Restraint Bolts activated upon impact, ropes tightening and pulling hard. Embedded in Walpurgisnacht, the bolts expanded internally, firmly anchoring the Witch, dragging her forcibly toward the ground.
"Himmel!"
The moment Walpurgisnacht began falling, hunters abandoned their devices, leaving them under Felyne control, and moved instinctively toward where the Witch would land.
Only one hunter leaped high from his device, utilizing Wirebug propulsion toward Walpurgisnacht, unsheathing his blade mid-air.
"Witch…"
Amid the storm, Himmel descended slowly toward Walpurgisnacht, his sword accumulating power for an all-out strike.
"Allow us… to temporarily end your suffering."
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