Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

Quest 36- Snake Eyes

After landing in the city, Cirrus used his cloak given to him by Fels to turn invisible. Using this, he explored the city a bit more before starting anything.

Walking through the city, Cirrus truly found it unsettling it looked like a prison and city with guards at every street corner.

‘Geez, I don’t know how anyone could live this on edge with eyes everywhere… well Jane said they hold prisoners here but to even make it into a city? Who the hell thought that was a good idea?’

As he turns a corner, he sees a big stand with a Serpent tapestry on it.

‘Ah… well, Vritra was like a snake god or something in Hindu myth? So guess it was them who made this… bad idea a reality.’

Walking through the streets, some more Cirrus found the prisons or, more accurately, the bargain bin with several people stuffed into cages and collars tied around their necks at prices.

‘Seen it on screen and in fiction was one thing but to see and stand here in the flesh… it’s appalling and aggravating to see… yes this is enough, I’m going to-‘

‘Cirrus move!!’

“!!”

Thwip!!

Thwip!!

Cirrus could hear several arrows land around him and one.

Clang!!!

Blocked by his shield, revealing himself.

Cirrus looked up to see a tall and muscular young adult with short, spiky, black hair that is kept slicked back with a short black jacket made of what looks to be scales with light armor spread out on his body.

‘Disengage.’

“So…” said the man. “Are you the supposed Golden Horned Demon? You’re a Pallum? That’s a surprise, I figured you’d be… taller?” he then dropped with no signs of damage as he casually walked toward Cirrus.

“Sorry if I didn’t live up to your expectations… sorry I didn’t quite catch your name?”

He made a cunning smile as he drew his weapon of choice with a whip.

“My name is Goh Ma, Captain of the Vritra Familia! Crack!”

As he smacked his cracked his whip against the ground, Cirrus tensed up more than ever as he darted his eyes around his surroundings to find some prisoners waking up from the commotion and some archers with their arrows at the ready to be aimed and fired.

“Heh~ they sent their captain before their Vice-Captain? That’s surprising. I would figure you were far too good to be sent here first.” Cirrus then began to slowly grab a firework that he had hidden on the back of the shield.

“He’s busy making some money for us in Santorio Vega.”

“… Is that so… “ Cirrus then picked the one where it signified it was time to attack, which was red. He then quickly ran towards a nearby fire source as his magic circle appears behind him. “(Exousía, Adorn: Ceryneian)!!!”

“He’s a fucking mage!!” shouted Goh. “Fire!!!”

Before they can even shoot, Cirrus had already donned his armor and made it further than what Goh had expected.

Goh then went after Cirrus, and he quickly caught up to him.

“!!”

“Got you!!”

With a devastating fist strike, he struck Cirrus as he turned to block. Cirrus could feel the bones in his right-side break with the punch even reaching his chest. With the force he was hit with, it sent Cirrus rocketing through several buildings, causing even more damage.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

“AHHHHHHHHH—Mmmmmmmm!!!”

With so much pain, Cirrus had to focus. He clenched his teeth and fists in pain with a still hazy mind. Cirrus disengaged the armor and quickly donned his base one.”

“(Exousía, Adorn)….”

As the armor enveloped him, he could feel his body quickly healing its damages, but the shock of it remained fresh in Cirrus’s mind.

“Nox,” Cirrus said with sweat dripping off him. “I need you to be ready for that attack and keep out of sight, ill deal with the archers as fast as I can,” Cirrus said, getting back on his wobbly feet.

‘No! you need to run! He hit you, Cirrus! He is far stronger and faster than you!’

“I know, but I doubt he can find me.”

As soon as his wounds were within normal range, he disengaged the armor and his magic circle appeared once more.

“(Exousía, Adorn: Lernaean)!”

The armor appears in a holy white pigmentation, but as it equips itself to Cirrus; it turns into a royal purple scale armor with a scarf wrapped around Cirrus that separates into 9 sections reminiscent of a 9-headed serpent.

“Nox, some information on where they're at will be useful.”

Cirrus said as he melts into the shadows, but not before finding a nearby torch where he was sent to and lit the firework.

“By the way, I’m throwing the firework in 3… 2… 1.”

Throws!

Ka-boom!!!”

High in the air, a red explosion of light filled the night.

‘You need to move! They're coming quickly!’

Cirrus quickly blended into the darkness and moves through the shadows of the streets and made his way back to where he was punched and found there was no one there, Goh didn’t seem to be after him for now but his tense feeling didn’t even leave Cirrus for one second.

“Nox, where is Goh? He is by far the most dangerous threat.”

‘He’s at where you were when you crashed through several buildings.’

“Still? That’s… very odd?”

‘Wait? His Alias is Snake Eyes. Then… does that mean he has some magic or ability that lets him see heat?? Then that would explain how he could see me and this armor…’

Cirrus touches his skin and finds it more ambient. It wasn't too hot or too cold.

'Hahaha! What luck! He relies on this power to find me!'

Cirrus then went to one prisoner's holdings.

“Oi! Are any of you with the Shalzard legion that was captured?” he shouted.

“Y-you? Who are—“

“Did you not see me get punched through over there?” Cirrus points at the damage.

“T-the Golden-Horned Demon! You have come to—”

“Shhhh!! Quiet! I’ll get you all out, okay?”

He then used his sword to cut all the locks on the cells.

“Now I need you all to hide for now when you see a purple light in the sky. I want you all to run to the gates, alright.”

“G-got it!” they said.

‘What are you going to do? Goh is looking everywhere for you; he looks to be getting angrier and angrier with nothing to track you.’

“Easy. Can you wait near the front gate?”

‘I’ll need you to get rid of… never mind, Jane already took care of it. I’ll go inform her of Goh. Tell me when to fire alright.’

“Oh, course.”

Cirrus quickly took out the archers scattered around the city; Goh was looking ever more furious as someone who was of a weaker level disappeared.

“Phew! Now then, Nox, are you in position?”

‘I am. Jane is as well.’

“Good, now Ahem! I SPOTTED HIM!! HE’S HEADING FOR THE GATE!!!” Cirrus said in a mature tone of voice. “CLOSE THE GATES!!!!” he said in a different tone of voice.

“TO THE GATE!!!” said one of the Familia members.

“CLOSE THE GATES!!!” said another.

‘Now to make my appearance!!’

“Disengage! (Exousía, Adorn: Ceryneian)!!!”

With full vigor and style, Cirrus got people’s attention as he runs through in and out of buildings and onto rooftops cutting down people who got in his way until he finally reached the gate where Goh stood with fury in his eyes with several of his Familia.

“YOU FUCKING LITTLE SHIT!!! I'LL BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR HEAD!!!”

“Hmm, really? Well, then.”

With one of his fireworks lit by one of the passing torches, he throws it high into the air and purple light.

“That light!! You bastard!!!!” he quickly closed the distance between himself and Cirrus and with his fist he went in with another strike, but this time.

Clang!!!

His shield stopped it and send him flying through the air with some fractures to his left arm.

“Now!!”

Behind the gate of the city, Nox was ready. Though she can't use her magic to it's fullest potential she can still at least use some of it at the cost of a chunk of her own magic to use.

‘(Flash and gaze. Tear through the cosmos.) [White Night]!!’

"!?"

A blinding, beaming, white light engulfed the gates, blocked by Vritra’s Familia, and blasted through. Even their captain was caught in a sea of terrifying white emptiness as from the blast, only Goh remained if not heavily battered from the attack with a hazy mind.

Crash!!

Crash!!

Crash!!!

Thud!!!

The gate and anything within a straight line were now gone in a flash.

“F… fuck…” Goh grabbed his head to try and focus his mind, but the ringing in his ear won’t stop as he looks up to see several of the prisoners escaping.

Anger builds inside him, but his body was too heavy to carry out his will. As he lay embedded in a building from the force of the attack, he could hear an explosion off in the distance. As he opened his heavy eyes, he sees Cirrus with a White Owl.

“You…. fuckin-GUWAH!!!”

Cirrus stabbed his sword in his stomach.

“Seems the Evilus group of the Vritra Familia will be crushed far quicker than expected. I’m glad you aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed.” He then removes the sword and holds it to prepare for one last swing.

“I… I fought… bravely to… reach level… six and…. to die here…”

“Reaching level six proves nothing. It only says how reckless you were to reach such levels.”

With a strong swing of the sword, Cirrus sliced Goh’s throat and sees as the color and light leave him.

“… let's go.”

‘Right!’

As Cirrus was walking away from Goh’s remains, he finds his whip.

“… Guess I’ll take this.”

If only he had taken the attack seriously, Goh's efforts in reaching level 6 wouldn't have gone up in smoke.