[center][h3][color=ed1c24][b]World's End Strait[/b][/color][/h3][/center]The chaos of the battle was unbearable but, little by little, the uncoordinated attacks of the Cadets added up and the beast's reactions grew slower and sluggish. Eventually, it sustained too much damage even for its powerful regenerative abilities and succumbed letting out another bone-rattling scream as its body dissolved into a pool of bloody darkness. Where once stood the beast only a piece of paper, with some odd symbols written on it stood. In fact, a closer examination would reveal that the symbols weren't all that eldritch. In fact, they looked uncannily like... musical notes? The piece of paper itself was written as a music sheet of some sort. The music sheet itself would be consumed by purplish flames, its ashes blown away by an eerie wind. Viola and Ires finally rejoined the party a few moments after the beast fell, even though the Princess was still feeling ill and relied on the Aquarian squire for support. The Cadets' reprieve wouldn't last for long. Before any of the two girls could say anything, the sound of crushing rocks put them back on alert. [color=0072bc]"Who's there? Show yourself!"[/color] Viola shouted after laying Ires against a wall and taking a defensive position in front of the Princess. [color=ffd700]"Oi oi, there's no need to be like this,"[/color] a voice, sounding like that of a girl around the same age as that of the Cadets' average, if not younger, echoed through the derelict village. [color=ffd700]"I just came because I heard a Banshee around here but, it looks like you guys already took care of the Dissonance. That's kinda impressive if you ask me. I thought that no one could do that anymore,"[/color] the voice said once more. A perceptive person could easily track its source to the crest of the ruined church's steeple. A perch so high and on so bad conditions that even an acrobat of Leblanc's caliber would have trouble to reach, much less seat while swinging her legs nonchalantly, just like the [url=https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1585668][u]owner of the voice[/u][/url] was doing. Granted that the difference in their physical builds certainly played a factor here as well, still getting up there was a feat that required either inhuman coordination and reflexes or the ability to fly. [color=ffd700]"Say, what are you guys doing in this place anyway, this is as close to nowhere as I think that you can get. Unless you are trying to go to the country north of here on foot or digging for treasures, don't you think it's a little dangerous?"[/color] the girl asked with a broad smile gracing her face. Suddenly, she made a motion to jump from there, leaping quite high in the air while performing a somersault. A moment before her feet made contact with the ground, a pair of translucent, golden, draconian wings sprouted from her back softening the fall with a mighty wing beat. [color=ffd700]"By the way, did any of your friends go missing or something like this? I found this unconscious guy yesterday and took him to the place I'm living in now. I think that he'll awaken soon, so I came to get some food from the woods up there. That's when I heard the Banshee."[/color] [color=ffd700]"Oh! Where are my manners? Hehehe~"[/color] the girl laughed while scratching the back of her head, her golden scale clad tail twitch more or less like a cat's as well. [color=ffd700]"The name's Diana,"[/color] she declared, smiling, [color=ffd700]"Who are you guys, again?"[/color] [hr]