Editing Failing Witch:Volume3 Episode4 (section)

===Part 2===

Air combat was all about technique.

Which meant Adelaide had the advantage from beginning to end.

“Kh!!”

As bright beams of light curved sharply in from behind, Viocia twisted her broom around to just barely dodge them. But she did more than just dodge. Formula Broom – Lyceum bisA was specialized for ground attacks, so Dorothea couldn’t handle the flashy acrobatics and ended up with guided magic targeting her. Viocia got that magic to target her instead before sharply evading it.

The lights were actually projectiles of about 15cm.

Or were those sharp wooden spindles used for weaving? Once Yagoro realized that, the trailing light looked a lot like magic threads.

“ATU 0410 is (__________).”

“Um!? (Sleeping Beauty)!!”

Viocia managed to keep up with Yagoro.

She was an idiot, but she was the kind of idiot who would actually study. Little by little, her knowledge was growing.

“The spindle is a weapon imbued with the fairy’s curse, don’tcha think? The king tried to remove all spindles around the kingdom, but in a nightmarish oversight, one of them was missed and a prick of a single finger was enough bring eternal sleep. The spindle is the carrier of a deadly curse.”

Eternal sleep was another word for death.

It was Melehe who gasped.

“That cold-blooded woman isn’t just trying to rob her enemy witches of their willpower. Suggestion, meditation, trances, role-building for a theatrical ceremony – she’s honed those techniques to externally mess with people’s minds to the point she can supply a psychological shock powerful enough to bring her victory without having to physically harm them.”

<span style="font-size:75%">“Eep. Wh-what does that mean?”</span>

“It means she can directly manipulate the life or soul that provides the source of the human mind!! That’s how she plays her role as an assassin – which makes her lethally bad news!”

A curse.

If it so much as grazed them, they would die.

“If you understand the threat, why not stop this silly resistance?”

A voice soaked through the frigid night.

Even though they shouldn’t have been able to hear it over the supersonic wind.

Was her will directly traveling through space?

“It’s no use. My attack is a lethal curse. If it even pricks your skin, it will take your life. There is no escaping it no matter where in this world you run.”

Letting her continue targeting them from behind would be a bad idea. Melehe gave a hand signal and then Viocia shot straight up while Melehe shot straight down. If the beret glasses woman went after either of them, the other would have a chance to get on Adelaide’s tail.

But Dorothea, who had followed Melehe down, gave a shout.

Her broom was specialized for ground attack.

“Wait, Melehe!! Eep, watch out for the water!!”

<span style="font-size:125%">“Whoa!!”</span>

Just before crashing, Melehe yanked the front of her broom up and managed to skim just above the dark water’s surface.

With everything dark at night, there was no obvious horizon to guide them. The lake had taken on the dark color of the sky, painting it pitch black. The witches were flying through the night wind at supersonic speed with no altimeter or direction indicator and with only their naked eyes to rely on, so even a slight optical illusion could send them crashing right into the water.

Meanwhile.

The assassin took an upward turn to chase after Viocia. And with Melehe and Dorothea delayed, they couldn’t come to her assistance right away.

(Even my defense magic will only stop a few shots!!)

Just one attack hitting would mean death.

Nevertheless, Viocia clenched her teeth and focused on more than just her own life.

“If your magic is this powerful, why are you using your witchcraft as an assassin!?”

Adelaide Weaponbay Sanctuary gave a mechanical response.

“To bring about a better world.”

…By supporting the incompetent aristocrats of the patriarchy that rejected all witches and magic? They had to dislike her as well, so how could she believe that?

Even to a boy like Yagoro it made no sense.

That aside, her broom handling was flawless. She didn’t lose any speed. In fact, she used the shaking of her own body to gain speed and accurately close in on them. Like a nasty tailgater, she was behind them yet was in complete control.

Even with her extreme acceleration, Viocia’s reactionary movements were losing her too much speed.

“'''Trick question warning: Viocia, you can’t shake her with broom handling alone.'''”

“You can’t know that for-”

“I can know! Make a wide turn on my signal. I’ll dazzle her with a flash of light!!”

They were too slow.

Which gave the beret and glasses woman a chance to summon a pale light into her palm.

They had to be in the perfect spot for her to hit, but the cursed spindle did not take flight.

Something got in the way before it could.

A water spear flew in from the side.

Melehe and Dorothea had finally caught back up.

The assassin stopped pursuing her target and took a sharp turn. While she was focused on evasion, Viocia managed to regroup with her friends. Now all three of them pursued their target from behind.

“It’s three against one,” shouted Melehe. “We have far more chances to attack! Don’t think you can stay in control forever!!”

A solid snapping sound rang out.

It came from the assassin’s broom out front. The large diamond wings on either side of the broom handle suddenly separated and flew backwards.

It happened in an instant.

Yagoro was reminded of a multi-stage rocket’s booster. Would the lighter weight give her greater maneuverability?

No.

(Wait. Did only half the big diamond shapes separate?)

Her broom’s wings had formed a large diamond shapes on either side of the handle. By splitting half of them away, they became broad isosceles triangles.

“Viocia… Be on alert. You too, Dorothea and Melehe!”

“For what, teacher?”

“Adelaide didn’t just abandon her wings. They’re flying on their own now. ''They’re autonomous flying wing drones with a broad isosceles triangle silhouette''!!”

There was one on either side. And because Viocia and the others had overlooked them at first, the drones had positioned themselves on the witches’ tails.

In a dogfight, that position allowed them to attack whenever they wanted.

(Dammit!!!)

Yagoro twisted around backwards and readied his baton.

It was too late.

Something exploded at close range.