§6 Slayers!

Kaworu Mimori

The Hogwarts Quidditch squad, which competes in inter-school matches, is an all-star team made up of players selected from each house's team. Representing the name of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, their training demands exceptional tactics and skills, and is nothing short of brutal.
"Episky!"
Accompanying the team's training are students specially chosen for their proficiency in healing magic, tasked with treating injuries. Fourth-year Selene Argent is one such student. Healing magic, depending on the severity of the injury---for instance, a broken bone---can cause intense pain as the injury heals rapidly.
"Whoaaaaa!"
"Oooowwwwww!"
Even now, players who had been hit directly by a Bludger were clutching their noses and ribs, screaming in pain.
"Ah… well, it's the same as always, but… sorry about that,"
Jupiter Forest muttered awkwardly, scratching her head. Known as the "Ace Shooter," she's a Beater rumored to have caught the eye of professional scouts. A Hufflepuff player, she was now clad in the white robes of the selected team, fresh from the practice match.
"No, you don't need to apologize!"
The shout came from the team captain, a Gryffindor Chaser. To be precise, he wasn't exactly shouting---it was just that his naturally loud voice always made it seem that way.
"I want you to keep knocking opponents out at full force! And I want everyone else to learn to score while dodging Bludgers at this level! Injuries are part of the process of becoming a stronger team! Quidditch is that kind of sport! Don't worry about it!"
"Mm..."
"Exactly," said Venus Chrome, patting Jupiter on the back. A Slytherin prodigy and the school's most popular Quidditch star, Venus was the team's Seeker. Her golden hair created a striking contrast against the black robes of the practice match.
"Save your apologies for when you're skilled enough to knock me out of the game."
"Uh, you know, knocking people out isn't the main thing of a Quidditch game, right?"
Jupiter furrowed her brows. In fact, while every Seeker at Hogwarts had been shot down by her at least once, the only one who had never fallen victim to her was this Venus.
"Heyyyy! Jupiterrrr!"
Someone called out to her loudly. It was coming from the empty stands of the stadium, right by the front row fence. The voice belonged to her teammate, a red-haired girl and a fellow Seeker. She was jumping up and down, her small frame bouncing as she waved her arms wildly.
"...What's up? Why are you so worked up?"
"How could I not be worked up?! It's an emergency---a huge one!"
As Jupiter ran over, the red-haired girl started speaking in a rush, as if a dam had burst.
"A dragon appeared in the Forbidden Forest! Some guys who were there for class came running back in a total panic! You know, that thing! Miss Perfect said she was going to see a unicorn there!"
Jupiter's eyes widened in shock for only a moment. Then, spinning on her heels, she dashed to her broomstick. In one swift motion, she mounted it and took off from the stadium at lightning speed, shooting through the air like an arrow.
"Ah!"
Selene suddenly let out a voice, as if she had just literally remembered something.
"Now that I think about it, Mars said she was going to see the unicorn, too. She was really looking forward to it."
Before she could even finish her sentence, Venus's expression changed dramatically. She leapt onto her broom and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

*

CRAAACK!
The trunks and branches of trees, grown tall over countless years, were snapped and shattered with ease, scattering through the air like a swarm of dragonflies.
(The wizarding world really is...)
Mercury Jay, running while supporting an injured student on her shoulder, muttered inwardly.
(...utterly absurd.)
Participating in an extracurricular lesson at school, under the supervision of teachers, only to end up facing a life-threatening situation---what kind of school is this?
Hippogriffs. Thestrals. Acromantulas.
It was true that Hogwarts' "Forbidden Forest" was home to many dangerous magical creatures. But today's lesson had been aimed at reaching the unicorn habitat, far from the parts of the forest where such dangers lurked.
And yet.
(Why is there a dragon here?)
Not just any dragon---it was inexplicably raging from the moment they encountered it.
"Protego!"
BOOOOOOM!
An especially powerful shockwave reverberated through the forest. The dragon, circling above, had swooped down and struck with its tail. The earth-shaking impact sent vibrations rippling even through the magical shield, making the very air tremble.
"Aaaaaah!"
The scream came from the girl helping Mercury carry the injured student. She was a petite Ravenclaw with platinum blonde hair neatly braided, known as Berthier Fesbs. She was a prodigy---second in their year---and had made it her mission to observe the famously brilliant Mercury Jay, often referred to as "a second coming of Rowena Ravenclaw," in hopes of uncovering the secret to her prowess.
"Why must I suffer through something like this!?" Berthier cried, her irritation clear.
While Berthier vented her frustration, Mercury's mind was working at full speed, analyzing how they could possibly escape this dire situation.
"A dragon! Honestly, the very idea that such a colossal beast can fly---it's madness! Entirely unfair!"
Berthier shrieked in her high-pitched voice. Her demeanor and bearing always suggested she was of noble lineage, and her unflinching use of refined language even in the midst of this chaos seemed to confirm her aristocratic roots.
Then, suddenly, an idea flashed through Mercury's mind.
"Ah! Don't just stop so suddenly!" Berthier shouted as Mercury abruptly halted.
"Sorry, Berthier. Can I leave her with you?"
"Ha!? Wh-What are you talking about!?"
Mercury handed the injured student over to Berthier and turned back toward the path they had fled.
"I have an idea. If it works, I can stop that dragon."
"Whaaat!? W-Wait a moment!"
Before Berthier could fully grasp what Mercury was saying, let alone stop her, Mercury had already darted off, racing back toward the chaos.

"A dragon! Honestly, the very idea that such a colossal beast can fly---it's madness! Entirely unfair!"
Those were the words shouted by Berthier, and they mirrored the exact question Mercury had been pondering all along. It was true that a dragon's wings were large, but from a physical standpoint, they were nowhere near sufficient to lift such a massive body. When the body length doubles, the weight increases eightfold, whereas the wing area only grows fourfold. As a result, the wing loading---the weight supported by each square meter of wing---would naturally become much greater. Dragons far exceed the size limit for creatures capable of flight.
While running, Mercury looked up at the sky.
Lift is proportional to the square of velocity, so if the dragon were flying at speeds comparable to a jet, it might manage to stay airborne despite its size. However, the dragon now visible through the gaps in the trees was flying at a much slower pace compared to an airplane.
---Then, how are they flying?
The most plausible explanation was magic. Humans typically used spells by chanting them aloud. If that were the case, could a dragon's roar serve as a kind of spell? Unfortunately, prior research had already reached a negative conclusion on that hypothesis.
(If that's the case…)
Mercury reached a slightly open area and looked up. Above her, the dragon circled lazily before diving once more toward the fleeing students below.
She removed her robe and raised her wand.
The chance would come in a fleeting moment.
The dragon approached, drawing closer.
Outpacing the fear crawling up her spine, her mind was overtaken by intellectual curiosity.
"Locomotor Robe," she incanted.
With her spell and the motion of her wand, her Ravenclaw robe shot upward like a rocket. Her aim: the sharp spike halfway near the middle of the dragon's wing.
The timing was perfect---
Or so it seemed, until the next instant.
BOOOOM!!
Suddenly, the dragon crashed to the ground. It was as though an invisible force yanked it downward, entirely ignoring the law of inertia. The air crackled and vibrated, and a gust of wind swept through the clearing.
"Stop that."
Mercury quickly turned her gaze toward the voice and saw someone standing there---a female student clad in Hogwarts robes, her long black hair flowing. The lining of her hood was scarlet, the color of Gryffindor.
"This place is dangerous. I'm sorry, but the situation is way out of your league."
The words were blunt, delivered without hesitation. Her face, mature for her age, was strikingly well-proportioned, and in her hand was a white wand etched with mysterious knot-like patterns.
"...Honestly, I think so too," Mercury admitted with a wry smile. She wasn't one to take an interest in others, but even she had heard of the reputation of Mars Flare, "the Demon of Gryffindor." How could anyone compare to such a prodigy without falling short?
"I won't get in your way. I'll just do what I need to and then retreat."
With that, Mercury picked up her fallen robe and cast the spell again.
"Locomotor Robe"
Her robe soared through the air under her wand's direction and approached the fallen dragon from behind. As intended, it hooked onto the spike located near the middle of its right wing.
"Incarcerous."
Without missing a beat, she cast her next spell. Magically conjured ropes appeared, firmly securing the robe to the spike.
SHRRRIEK!
The dragon let out a sharp, agitated screech, sensing something amiss. It spread its wings wide, beating them powerfully two or three times.
THUD!
It kicked off the ground as it launched itself upward. However, its body tilted heavily to the right and immediately plummeted back to earth. The side where the robe was bound to its wing couldn't lift.
"!?"
Mars, who had been prepared to bring down the dragon with magic again as it took flight, was caught off guard. She furrowed her brows and turned her gaze toward Mercury.
"Hey, you. What did you do?"
"Well---"
---Dragons aren't just flying with their wings. While their wings are indeed large, physically they're insufficient to lift their massive bodies. Birds evolved to fly by lightening muscles and bones and improving metabolic efficiency. Dragons' large bodies are simply too heavy. So how do they fly? Likely through magical means. Humans use spells aloud for magic, but dragons don't vocalize while flying. I hypothesized they use the sound of wing beats to invoke magic. Noise disrupting this might prevent flight, which my robe's rustling noise experiment proved correct---
Mercury held back all those words, and,
"---Noise in wing beats prevents flight."
replied succinctly.
Mars widened her eyes, and removed her robe to hand it over.
"Then, take this."
Mercury gave a slight nod and began chanting a spell once more. In sync with the movement of her wand, the robe that had left Mars's hand danced lightly through the air and caught on the claw of the dragon's left wing.
"Incarcerous!"
SHRRRRRRRRIEK!
The dragon let out a screech like grinding metal. For a brief moment, a bright light was visible in its mouth. Arching its long neck, it raised its head skyward with jaws wide open.
""Protego!""
The two girls cast the spell almost in unison.
FWOOOOSH!
Two invisible shields deflected the torrent of searing breath unleashed from the dragon's mouth. The blast scattered in all directions, and the scent of scorched green wood began to rise from every corner.
The dragon raised its head to the sky again.
"Aguamenti!"
Mars countered with another spell.
"Wait---!"
Mercury tried to stop her, but realizing she was too late, she quickly cast a spell of her own.
"Protego Tegmine!"
Almost at the exact moment the invisible shield was completed---
BOOOOOOOOM!
An explosion.
The moment Mars's surge of water collided with the dragon's searing breath, it burst apart with a violent roar. Scalding droplets rained down like a storm, and a wave of superheated steam instantly engulfed the surroundings. Visibility dropped to zero---nothing but a wall of white.
"What... happened...?"
Mars, who had instinctively covered her face against the blast, cautiously lifted her head. "It's best not to counter a dragon's breath with water,"
came a voice right beside her.
"When a large volume of water meets an extremely hot source, it explodes. It's dangerous."
There stood Mercury at her side, wand at the ready.
"…So, in other words, I almost wiped myself out with my own magic."
Mars let out a wry smile and glanced around. The white steam seemed to part around them, as if they were encased in an invisible cocoon. They felt no heat at all.
"Is this... a shield spell? I've never seen one shaped like this before."
"It's just a slight modification of a standard shield spell. The area it covers is small, so it might feel a bit cramped."
"A slight modification?"
Mars was secretly impressed. She had heard that, in theory, if someone had deep knowledge of spell structures and the magical languages they were built from, they could create new spells---or alter existing ones. But that was something only seasoned witches or scholars of spellcraft, like a professor of magical theory, were said to be capable of.
"…I'm honestly glad you're here. I'm sorry for what I said earlier---it was rude."
"Don't worry about it,"
Mercury replied with a small shake of her head.
"It's understandable. I'm short on talent---that's just a fact."
The mist began to clear.
And once again, they came face to face with the dragon.
"Descendo!"
At Mars's command, the dragon crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar, collapsing like a toppled statue.
"By the way, you---"
GROOOAAAR!
The dragon's roar drowned out her words to Mercury.
"Don't move---Immobulus! You're noisy, just be quiet!"
Mars's spell forced the dragon down. With its chin pressed to the ground in defeat, it looked almost like a scolded, sulking giant dog.
"You're not afraid of me, are you?"
"Huh?"
The other girl just looked at her, blankly confused, as if she had no idea what Mars was talking about. Mars gave her a slightly puzzled look and went on.
"…You've heard the rumors, haven't you? About the 'Demon of Gryffindor'?"
Mercury let out a soft "ah" and nodded.
"Why, yes, but the girl standing before me right now isn't some demon lord. You're more like a hero, facing down an evil dragon alone so everyone else can escape."
She said it with a mischievous smile.
"Stop it,"
Mars replied with a frown.
"I'm no saint. Half the reason I'm doing this is just plain old spite."
"Spite?"
"I was really---very,very much looking forward to seeing unicorns, and this big gecko completely ruined that."
Still glaring at the dragon, Mars continued.
"As long as it keeps wandering around here, there won't be another chance to see unicorns anytime soon, right? So I figure I'm allowed to take a little of my frustration out on it."
Muttering that talking about it was making her mad all over again, she raised her wand toward the dragon once more.
SKREEEEEE! OOOOOHHHH!
The spell Mars cast was what's commonly referred to as the "Conjunctivitis Curse." It doesn't cause an actual illness, but it inflicts searing pain in the eyes, like having lemon juice splashed into them. Even a dragon, armored head to toe in scale-plates like a walking fortress, couldn't endure it without letting out a howl of agony.
"………"
It really looked like she was just taking her frustration out, and Mercury, despite herself, felt a small pang of sympathy for the dragon.
"And you," Mars shot back, as if returning the jab, "could've escaped if you wanted---but instead, you turned around and came back. That's some serious do-gooder behavior."
"Exactly like a full-on hero," she added with a pointed smirk.
"In my case, it was ninety percent curiosity," Mercury replied, pointing at the robe she had tied to the dragon's wing earlier. "I wanted to see if it would actually work."
"…Wait. You mean… you weren't sure it would?"
Mars's face went pale.
"No. That's why I thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to run the experiment."
"…Well. I suppose that is a kind of bravery. Immobulus! Don't even think about moving!"
Utterly aghast at what Mercury had just confessed, Mars caught the dragon beginning to raise its head out of the corner of her eye and quickly cast another spell to pin it down.
"Even a dragon's still a dragon… Magic wears off almost immediately. It's such a pain."
"……"
A normal witch---especially a student---wouldn't even be able to make magic take effect on a creature as powerful as a dragon, Mercury thought, half in astonishment, and gave a vague smile.
Then---
Zash!
The sudden sound of branches tearing was followed by a jolt---something struck her, and Mercury felt the ground vanish from under her feet. Her eyes shut instinctively, just as the rush of wind slammed against her cheeks and her body was lifted into the air. A hard pressure against her back and legs. She opened her eyes to a field of white.
"Ooooh… thank goodness…"
A voice she recognized floated down to her, carried by the whipping wind.
"…Jupiter?"
The name slipped out before she could think. Why? The question escaped her lips unbidden, even as the situation slowly began to make sense.
"Huh? What do you mean, ‘why'?"
The hard thing pressing against her back and legs---those were Jupiter's leather gauntlets. She was holding Mercury in her arms, flying without using her hands to steer the broom---at a pretty decent altitude.
"I heard there was a dragon in the forest, so of course I came flying in to check on you! And seriously, what the hell was that?! I saw your robe caught on the dragon's claw and thought it already ate you---I swear my heart nearly stopped!"
And the white that had filled Mercury's vision? That was the color of Jupiter's robe.
"You're not wearing your Hufflepuff uniform today?"
"Hm? Oh---yeah, we had a practice match with the selected team today."
"It suits you."
"Uh, oh---uh, thanks… Wait, hey---are you trying to change the subject?"
Thrown off by Mercury's oddly out-of-place reply, Jupiter's tone softened.
"…Thanks. For worrying about me."
And when Mercury said that with a gentle smile,
"Ah---ah… yeah,"
Jupiter could only offer a sheepish grin in return.
"What the hell?! What was that for all of a sudden? That hurt, you idiot!"
"Isn't that a bit too harsh?! I came all this way to save you!"
The two of them were suddenly interrupted by loud shouting voices.
It was Venus and Mars, flying in on a broom. As for Mars, it was more accurate to say she was dangling from the broom's shaft than riding it, though.
"No one asked you to! And if you're gonna make a big show of rescuing me, you should treat me with a little more care! Like that, for example!"
Still flailing like a towel flung over a laundry pole, Mars jabbed a finger in the direction of Jupiter and Mercury.
"No way, I could never manage that! I'm not a beefy gorilla like her! And hey, if you wanted a princess carry, just ask next time!"
"That's not what I mean, you idiot!"
"Who are you calling a beefy gorilla?! I've told you a hundred times---I don't have a six-pack!"
Caught up in the chaos, Jupiter raised her voice in protest.
"The dragon!"
Mercury cut in sharply.
"It's moving again!"
At her words, everyone turned at once to look toward the forest.
GRRRRRRRRRRRR...
The dragon, which had been lying flat thanks to Mars's spell, was now rising to its feet. With a deep, growling rumble, it unfurled its wings. With every beat---whoosh, whoosh---leaves and broken twigs were kicked up into the air.
SHRRRRRRRRIEK!
Frustrated, perhaps, by its inability to take flight despite all its flapping, the dragon let out a furious, piercing screech filled with rage.
"Venus! Put me down next to that gecko right now!"
Mars shouted.
"Wha---are you serious!? There's no way I'm doing that!"
"Why not!?"
"Why not!? Because it's dangerous, obviously!"
"It's not dangerous!"
"It totally is!"
"Ugh, fine! Then I'll go myself---hand over the broom!"
"Aaaah!"
As the two continued their back-and-forth, the broom they were riding suddenly dropped like it had lost all support.
"Hey! What the hell---are you trying to kill us!?"
The broom wobbled and floated upward again.
"That damn overgrown gecko isn't getting off that easy---I need to teach it a few more lessons! Just give me the broom!"
The broom dropped again---plunk---like a stone.
"No way! I am firmly against broom hijacking!"
Up it floated again, unsteadily.
"What are they doing?"
"...Trying to hijack the broom, I think,"
Mercury answered absently in response to Jupiter's bewildered mutter.
"Is that even possible!?"
"In theory, yes."
Then she added, "Though normally, it's not."
"Quit whining and hand it over, you stingy cow!"
"Gladly! I am stingy!"
"Fine then. In that case---"
As the two continued their heated tug-of-war midair, Mercury suddenly spoke up, as if struck by a thought.
"Why don't we just take that dragon down ourselves?"
"Huh!?"
"What!? Are you kidding me---"
"We can do it?"
Before Venus could finish her obvious objection, Mars cut in sharply, eyes gleaming.
"Yes. With this group, I think it's doable."
"What are the odds?"
"If we all coordinate properly---guaranteed."
Mercury answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Well, if you say so."
Mars gave a small smile and nodded. "I'm in."
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, that's nuts!"
The Quidditch pair paled visibly.
"Dragon parts sell for a fortune, you know. The heartstrings, obviously, but off the top of my head---scales, claws, fangs, brain, eyes, liver, intestines, bladder. If it's male, testicles. Female, ovaries. If it's fresh, even the blood and meat. Split four ways, it'd still be a decent payout."
"Really…? How decent are we talking?"
That was Jupiter---clearly the most financially motivated---biting right into the bait.
Mercury ran a quick mental calculation.
"With each of our shares, we could replace two full Quidditch teams' worth of brooms with the newest models---and still have change."
"I'm in."
Jupiter caved instantly.
"Are you serious!? Guys---wait---have you all lost your minds!?"
"Bad luck you happened to be here. Stop whining and help already."
Still hanging from the broomstick like laundry on a line, Mars reached out and gave Venus's leg a vicious pinch.
"Ow ow ow okay fine I'll do it I'll do it I'm in!"
Once Venus reluctantly gave in, Mars swung herself up like a gymnast and perched on the broomstick properly.
"Well then, let's hear the plan. What do you need us to do?"
She asked, a little too cheerfully.

*

"...Whoa…"
"...Ugh…"
Sneaking up from the dragon's blind spot, the two Quidditch players couldn't help but let out gasps as they got their first real look at its massive size.
"Alright. Once I'm on the ground, we'll start the operation."
In stark contrast to the stunned pair, Mars's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"All I need to do is provoke that big gecko into picking a fight, right? Leave it to me."
With that, she gave Venus's leg a light kick.
"Ow!?"
"If you slack off, you'll regret it."
She warned, then dropped from the broom without hesitation, her long black hair trailing in the air behind her.
"Ascendio."
As she cast the spell, her falling speed rapidly slowed. Just before she would have slammed into the ground, her body floated gently, and she landed with a soft thud.
"She's, uh… really fired up."
"…"
In contrast to Mars's burning enthusiasm, Venus looked far less thrilled. After all, if someone told a group of fourth-year magic school students to go slay a dragon, crying and refusing would be the more rational response.
"Miss Chrome---"
"Just call me Venus."
At Mercury's address, Venus answered with a sigh.
"I'll stop calling you Miss Perfect, too."
"…This is something I'd rather you didn't mention I was the one who told you," Mercury prefaced, before sharing what Mars had confided in her earlier---that she'd been really looking forward to today's unicorn observation outing, and that she was absolutely furious about it being ruined by the dragon. Mars had also grumbled that as long as the dragon stayed in the forest, there wouldn't be another outing anytime soon.
"So that's the deal. Once we've taken care of the dragon and the unicorn observation gets rescheduled, you should come along. I think she'll be in a very good mood."
"…You," Venus blinked a few times, then gave a wry smile.
"You really know how to get people motivated, don't you? After hearing that, now I have to do my best."
"Alright, let's get ready then," Mercury clapped her hands lightly, seeing Venus finally on board.
"I suppose I'll just ride pillion?"
"Ah---actually, I wouldn't recommend that," Venus stopped her as Mercury started to move behind Jupiter.
"Especially behind Jupiter. Unless you've got gorilla-level arm strength, you'll definitely get thrown off. If you're going to ride with her, take the front seat---there's no way you'll be able to use your wand properly from the back."
"Gorill---"
"I'm not talking about you this time," Venus cut in, preemptively.
"I get it, I get it... So, uh, how exactly do I let her sit in front?"
Jupiter raised her hands in surrender, wearing a sheepish grin.
"Eh? Oh, right, okay, okay. Mercury, first, straddle the broom and scoot all the way back... more... back until you're right up against her... yeah, just like that."
Venus gave an oddly excited nod as she muttered to herself and started issuing crisp instructions.
"Now, Jupiter, reach your arms over her shoulders and grab the handle in front."
Jupiter's arms held Mercury like a roller coaster safety bar, squeezing her snugly in place.
"This is... uh, pretty cramped, don't you think?"
"If it's not cramped, she'll fall off."
Venus jabbed back with the reflexes of a pro Seeker, cutting through Jupiter's hesitation.
"It's cramped... but I'll manage. I think I can still cast spells."
"You sure?"
Jupiter leaned in, her voice low, almost a whisper.
"If she says it's fine, then fine."
"I'm jealous. I wanna snuggle with Mars like that toooo!"
"Wait, what?"
"You're the one who told us to do it this way!"
Jupiter immediately snapped back at Venus's teasing remark. She couldn't see just how red Mercury's face had turned.
"Well, seriously, this is actually how a parent and a kid ride double in the wizarding world. If the person in front can let go with their hands, they can hold a wand and cast spells. And more importantly, you're way less likely to fall off this way... Look, it's starting."
At Venus's words, the two of them turned their eyes toward the ground at the same time.
The battle had begun, and the relaxed air around them instantly tightened like a drawn bow.

*

Afterward.
Having rushed to the scene on broomsticks, a team of elite Hogwarts professors arrived to deal with the dragon---only to be met by the four girls, who engaged them in a tough, no-nonsense price negotiation. In the end, they secured a sum they were satisfied with and set off for home in high spirits.
And from that day on, for quite some time, the four of them would be the talk of the school---known far and wide as the "Dragon Slayers."

§6 Slayers! ――Fin.