Sakurajima. The Shinohara Act. Level 24-6. The third last level until Palata.
“MIIIIIIIIIIILT! NOOOOO!!!”
“Returning... to the place of my birth… it’s not bad~”
I saw her descend into the ground as her white braids and cloak wrapped and touched down about her body.
It can’t be.
We had done so well up to this point.
Though the first onslaught of attacks gave us significant damage, we managed to hold on til now. Under the sweltering emission of the Light Flame beam that Prajna emitted, we only had to buy just a little more time before Milt or I could use one of our healing skills.
But there was no time allotted as the Prajna soon after blasted out blades of wind from his pinwheel.
“PRAJNA, YOU BASTARD! CURSE YOU AND YOUR STUPID PINWHEEL!!!”
The straight-faced puppet stared at us nonchalantly as he stood behind his pinwheel as though mocking us.
My own energy was almost charged up. If there was only ten more seconds, I could use my Melt and Mold to revive Milt or my Divine Seasoning to heal up the rest of the team.
Just a little longer. Please. Everyone. Hold on just a little-
But I saw Bamboo Rice’s legs give out from underneath him.
“Master Attendant… where… are you?”
He, too, fell down unmoving.
“BAMBOO RICE!!! NOOOO!!!!”
Foie glanced back at me briefly and gave me that soft smile of hers.
“It was fate…” I heard her brief whispers before she collapsed onto her knees.
“N-no-!”
I extended out my arm and a glow surrounded my index finger. With a glistening light, Bamboo Rice, Milt and Foie were resurrected. Only to have Caviar drop out on me with that one instant. And of course, the Prajna unleashed his Dragon Roll skill. Obliterating those just resurrected instantaneously.
“NOT AGAIN!!!” I voiced my exasperation loudly. “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’VE DONE THIS!!!”
The damn puppet and his koi fish wiped out the majority of my team.
The only ones left standing were Peking and I.
“P-peking… it’s just you and me now…”
I had no more energy left to expend for a solid thirty seconds or so. But the Prajna had suffered great damage.
“Please, leave it to me, Master Attendant.” Peking swung his pipe around and unleash a flurry of exploding flames, enacting vengeance for our fallen comrades by killing the Prajna and its supports.
“YES! GOOD ONE, PEKING!”
But alas, I celebrated too soon and didn’t see the second Prajna approach us.
I woke up on the side of the Terrace to see five worried faces stare at me.
“Welcome back~!” Caviar and Milt greeted me with smiles. Both were seated on the ground next to me.
“Master Attendant! You woke up!” Bamboo Rice’s loud voice definitely helped in regaining my consciousness.
“You finally woke up,” Peking sighed in relief. He was holding my arm and was in the middle of wiping my face off with a damp cloth.
“Is it fate that brought you back?” Foie also expressed her concerns as she patted herself on the chest in an effort to relieve the tension she felt.
A sudden guilt ate at my heart for having brought them here time and time again, only to fail.
How unbelievably kind my food souls are.
How fortunate of me to have them all here with me.
I took a long gaze at each one of their smiling faces, careful to remember each of the moments we stood and fought with one another side by side. We were bruised and scraped up from our storyline ventures, but we still stood in the aftermath able to smile.
“Let’s go home. I’ll cook up all of your favorites today!”
Five enthusiastic voices simultaneously filled the air.
We all stood up, sore from the day’s battle, and started back on our way home.
