#cape porcupine

[le-jardin-inculte]

porcupine has fucking had it with hyena cubs disturbing the peace

source: NamibiaCam

#choosing absolute violence #namibia cam #animals #porcupine #cape porcupine #hyena #spotted hyena

[saucylobster]

I wanted a physically capable, early game normal type but was struggling to think of a candidate until I remembered I really like Cape porcupines. Originally three stages, the middle stage wasn't really different enough so I scrapped it. Guinib live in small herds that huddle together when in danger, creating a phalanx of spines predators find difficult to negotiate. Considered friendly, if not high-strung, they can make good pets once accustomed to people but will always have an anxious nature. Stabbybara are more inclined to wander alone, rarely congregating in numbers greater than two. Much more confident than their younger bretherin and more difficult to tame, they can be quite ornery in the face of danger and eager to face a challenge with their barbed spines. --Attack Info-- --Ability Info--

#tresto #saucylobster #fakemon #fakedex #porcupine #cape porcupine #crested porcupine #guinea pig #cavy #rodent

[zoofitness]

Love is porcupine shaped 💕

#my life is a zoo #thistle #cape porcupine #African crested porcupine

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Although adult crested porcupines aren't anything to mess with, they don't start out that way! Baby porcupines, also known as porcupettes, are born with soft quills. These quills harden over the next several hours, and by the time they're a day old each porcupette is well equipped to defend themself against predators-- though they won't venture out of their den for another week or so.

Image: A mother cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) along with her two porcupettes, by the London Zoo)

#crested porcupines #Rodentia #Hystricidae #old world porcupines #porcupines #rodents #mammals #uncharismatic facts

[hughlauriebf]

this was unprompted but sharing my rodent md idea

house: fancy rat (specifically blue)

obvious choice for him, he is rat-coded.

wilson: degu (can't decided between agouti or patched)

he's a very round-shaped man to me so he should get a round-shaped animal.

cuddy: chinchilla (specifically brown velvet)

they just remind me of her.

now the ducklings:

cameron: norwegian lemming

she's very tundra animal to me.

foreman: cape porcupine

they're friend shaped and so is foreman.

chase: western chestnut mouse

it looks pathetic and wet, much like chase.

thirteen: gerbil (specifically grey, pied)

trust me, she's like one.

taub: eastern chipmunk

he just reminds me of them.

kutner: black giant squirrel

he gives me squirrel vibes and the coat pattern also looks similar to the animal i usually fancast kutner as.

park: harvest mouse

small™ (and they're always in situations)

#mit.txt #house md #forcefully remived from the fandom for being weird #10 picture limit stopped me from doing the other two s8 ducklings #also i would've included amber #she's a hare idc about lagomorphs not being rodents she is so hare-coded to me

[ceo-of-sloppy-men]

I love how they portray Hekarro in HFW. Like they hype him up to be the scariest man to have ever lived, and in many ways, he is. There is a certain reverence that even Fashav carries for him. But when you finally meet him, he isn't terrifying. He knows how to posture himself, and he is concise when he speaks. Yet he also steps down from his throne and comes to Aloy's level. He asks her for help to keep his people safe, he even takes Aloy's threat of challenging him in good humour. It shows that while he is an intimidating figure, he is only human. That he has a softer side in addition to how he presents himself as the Chief.

Even how he dresses shows this! The spikes on his cape are pointed downward, in the same way they would be on a porcupine or a similar creature - in self-defence. There are other spikes on his armour that - while mostly decorative - would require you to invade his person space for them to be effective. Then there's the use of fur on his armour! While minimal, it provides a softer edge, especially on his cape and his right pauldron. His armour is a perfect representation of his character; a strong, fierce Tenakth warrior who cares deeply about his people.

#overanalyzing #chief hekarro #hekarro #hfw spoilers #horizon forbidden west

[madscientiststoybox]

before we went home we got to see the tropical thunderstorm event in the cape porcupine's enclosure! it simulated rain and thunder, then the fog that crosses the water afterwords. the water also had huge koi fish.

#august 19th 2023 #tag: boba #axolotl #palm pals #toys #stuffed animals #plushie #plushblr

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 22?

Imagine an Animorphs-esque Batman au

 Like, either Alfred as an andalite who crash-landed on the Wayne’s property and they just kind of pack bonded with him or some other andalite crash lands at some point. Either way, Bruce ends up being allowed to touch a morphing cube after the death of his parents. Perhaps is even given it to keep hidden- the one thing he has no files on just in case. 

 So he goes off on his training trip while hiding his whole shapeshifting, seeing as he doesn’t want to get stuck in animal form. (Though who knows, magic might be able to help if he ever does.) Only practices said shapeshifting or gathering animal forms when no one else is around, trying to get down the time and changing some things before others. Bruce doesn’t really use it for Batman, except for stakeouts. Honestly, who expects a vigilante to appear when there’s no one around but the birds perching on the buildings? And flying is always freeing. 

 Now he doesn’t mean to give his Robins the same ability, it’s not his power to give in his opinion even if it’s beyond useful. Also Dick and the others would have a far easier time sneaking out before they even became his official partner and kept trying to go off for revenge. But then Dick got separated from him and got hurt, then Jason nearly got killed, then Barbara nearly couldn’t escape something, and he brings them through the twisting tunnels one by one to the cube. There’s no take backs, only two hours in each form before they need to return to their base one. He doesn’t care about keeping secret identities, as long as they stay safe and alive. 

Some Animal form ideas:

 Alfred Human (If an alien) Raven Bobcat Polar Bear

 Bruce Wolf Capybara (Comfort to his kids) Tiger Hoary Bat Unicorn (He did in fact ride one before) 

 Dick Dog (Comfort thing) Squirrel Falcon Cassowary

 Barbara Queen Snake Owl Rattlesnake Komodo Dragon

 Jason Alley Cat (Easiest to nab) Red Fox Eagle Red Kangaroo Brown Bear

 Cassandra Cat Black Bear Mouse Eared Bat Python

 Tim Owl Raccoon Bobcat Crocodile

 Stephanie Pigeon Rat Porcupine Cape Buffalo

 Duke Goose Eagle Hippo Lion

 Damian Cat Leopard Brown Bat Elephant Demon-Bat

 Jarro Human Dog Robin Blue-Ringed Octopus

#dc crossover #dc prompt #dcu #batman au #prompts #animorphs crossover #animorph batfam #batman #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #robins #batfamily #honestly i have more ideas #including jason getting snatched by talia and them after the warehouse but not dying #but i am alreasy sleep deprived enough

[le-jardin-inculte]

porcupine fight night!!

source: NamibiaCam

#this is new! #pretty intense also #namibia cam #animals #porcupine #cape porcupine

[malamiteltd]

Holiday Pictures 2023! (part 2)

A continuation of my holiday pictures for friends on Twitter!

This one is for Luna! I’ve drawn her Yoshi character quite a long time ago, but this was my first time drawing her porcupine self. I’ve admired her artwork for a long while, so hopefully my style does the character justice.

For AtroxChobatsu, it’s the ever-toony Sarah N. Dippity! I had drawn her a few times before, but this time I put her in a situation that shows more toony expressiveness. Seems she’s attempted to slow her fall, but that umbrella she’s using doesn’t appear to have held up…

This one is for the also-very-toony Dingoroo! I remember him from way back in my DeviantArt days. His art style was and still is very cute! I tried to make Dingoroo in my own style here. Not sure what he’s planning to do with that large mallet…

For LE-the-Creator, it’s their character Veggie Sprigwort. A very neat character design for a plant person! I was worried it would be hard to draw her well, but it ended up coming together a lot smoother than I thought. Maybe I’m becoming an artist after all…

For RakkuGuy, it’s his little kobold character Coal! She’s becoming an aspiring hero in a webcomic series, “Monsters Can Be Heroes Too!” This look mostly pulls from the more recent artwork I’ve seen, including a tattered yet stylish cape.

For CosmicCartoons, it’s the Ceryvian known as Demi. Here he seems to be struggling with a strange puzzle originating from Earth. This alien species wouldn’t be too out of place in the “Last Soldier” universe, though I don’t know how often they and the Teijru would interact.

This one is for – and featuring – Chaz Serir. If you ever wondered what possessed me to make various alien characters over the last few years, this is who inspired that. Now you may be asking, “What is going on here?” And my response is “That is correct.”

Oh hey, these are my characters! The two Tokarus, Sketch Tucker and Heather Britannia, are holding onto each other as they travel to other universes. Perhaps the characters we saw are some of the folks they met along the way. Who knows?

This ended up being quite the undertaking. I'm not confident that I'll ever make this many images for a holiday again. Either way, I hope everyone likes them, and that everyone have a Happy Holidays!

EXTRA

Here is Stephano, another character made by NS-Games. I experimented with the design a bit in this image – the eye area has white fur, and I gave him the Big Pant with a nifty pattern along the outer legs. I wonder what he’s drawing on that tablet…

He makes some things under the name of “Deyem Productions.” I ended up sketching a logo design concept for the “Deyem” name. It’s not the first time I looked into it, but I thought this was an intriguing avenue to explore…

#malamite #Luna Yoshi #Luna the Porcupine #atroxchobatsu #sarah n. dippity #Dingoroo #LE-the-Creator #Veggie Sprigwort #rakkuguy #kobold #Coal #Monsters can be Heroes Too #Cosmicartoons #Ceryvian #Demi #Chaz Serir #serir #tokaru #Sketch Tucker #Heather Britannia #Stephano #Deyem #this was a LOT of folks I drew #Fix-it Cat #NS-Games

[pleistocene-pride]

The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), also known as the painted dog, or Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa where they tend to prefer savannahs and scrublands, though there are some that inhabit wetlands, woodlands and montane areas. African wild dogs are a highly social diurnal species which lives in permanent packs of 2 to upwards of 25 individuals typically lead by the oldest female. Capable of reaching upwards of 40mph, African wild dogs are remarkable persistence hunters known for running large prey down over long distances. Said prey include various antelope and gazelle species, warthogs, wildebeest, hares, cane rats, African porcupine, bat-eared foxes, lizards, zebras, and cape buffalo. African wild dogs are themselves occasionally preyed upon by lions, spotted hyenas, and crocodiles. Reaching around 24 to 30 inches (60 to 75cms) tall at the shoulders, 39 to 60 inches (100 to 153cms) in length, and 40 to 80lbs (18 to 36kg) in weight, the African wild dog is a solidly built canine notable for being comparatively lean and tall, with oversized ears and missing dewclaws. The fur of the African wild dog differs significantly from that of other canids, consisting entirely of stiff bristle-hairs with no underfur. Adults gradually lose their fur as they age, with older individuals being almost naked. Coloration may vary considerable between individuals usually being a mix of yellows, browns, oranges, blacks, and whites. Breeding may occur year round and after a 69 to 73 day pregnancy a mother will give birth to 6 to 16 pups. At around 3 weeks the pups venture out of the den and met the rest of the pack. Once the pups reach the age of eight to 10 weeks, the pack fully abandons the den and the young follow the adults during hunts. The youngest pack members are permitted to eat first on kills, a privilege which ends once they become yearlings. Under ideal conditions an African wild dog may live up to 15 years.

#pleistocene #pleistocene pride #pliestocene pride #pliestocene #cenozoic #canine #africa #african wild dog #cape hunting dog #african painted dog

[rodentcompetition]

Rodent Competition 2023

Round 1

full list below!

Long-tailed chinchilla / Southern viscacha

Common degu / Horned gopher

Common gundi / Guinea pig

Josephoartigasia monesi / Pacarana

Patagonian mara / South African springhare

Spix's yellow-toothed cavy / Capybara

Central american agouti / Lowland paca

Laotian rock rat / Dassie rat

Least chipmunk / Eastern chipmunk

Thirteen-lined ground squirrel / California ground squirrel

Japanese dwarf flying squirrel / Tufted pygmy squirrel

Calabrian black squirrel / Red squirrel

Indian giant squirrel / Red and white giant flying squirrel

Yellow-bellied marmot / Groundhog

Cape mole-rat / Cape dune mole-rat

Naked mole rat / Big headed African mole rat

House mouse / Mongolian gerbil

Black rat / Brown rat

Rakali / Gambian pouched rat

Northern Luzon giant cloud rat / Maned rat

Cairo spiny mouse / Eurasian harvest mouse

Hungarian birch mouse / Striped grass mouse

Great jerboa / Baluchistan pygmy jerboa

Hazel dormouse / Kangaroo rat

Grasshopper mouse / Winter white dwarf hamster

Hatt's vesper rat / Syrian hamster

Norway lemming / Florida Mouse

European water vole / Townsend’s vole

Northern mole vole / Muskrat

Bristle-spined rat / Mountain beaver

North American beaver / Palaeocastor

Crested porcupine / North American porcupine

#rodentcompetition2023 #some changes might happen #mostly if I made some mistakes #but hopefully not! #here they are :D #some names in photos are shortened to fit #tournament poll #round 1

[koreyeet]

I had ideas this was impulsive sorry not sorry

Knuckles and Rouge’s twins

They are the last kids they’re having, no more. They always stick together and are known as the TNT duo.

Tique (nickname is Hood)

The more level-headed and tends to think outside of the box and is decently crafty with materials given to her, she isnt a genius compared to the other kids but she can make useful things in the moment. She even made the cloak she wears 24/7 along with other article of clothing some of her friends are seen to wear (she made Tage's outfit and she absolutely loves it).

-Her spines, face, and arms where tattooed by her dad

-self esteem issues

-Jealous by her oldest sister and twin so she just made a cape to form as wings

Tage - Hybrid

Strategist and more of the brains of the operation and is pretty proud of herself, being a hybrid, something that’s uncommon to see, she has the abilities of both parents so she can hit like a truck and fly as far as her energy gives. But alot of her actions are impulsive and yes they thought out (in the moment) other factors arent looked at that might lead to problems.

-will beat the shit out of you if you call Tique a porcupine

-not interested in her heritage, she tried

-knows facts better then common sense

-extrovert

Shadow and Zero/ Infinite’s son

At the moment, he is like 4 years old and acts like a puppy, sticking to his parents and siblings and constantly following them or hiding behind there legs. He's kind of like Max from max and ruby he doesn't talk much and when he does it's one word sentences and it's just to get something. He's literally a sick child what else do you expect.

His relationships with his siblings are positive compared to other times, Meg thinks he’s adorable and Seven likes having a younger sibling like the rest of her friends.

I'm stuck between his origin being the main project of trying to create a living weapon and Seven being the prototype but she emerged early and he just called it a day and kept Viper in suspended animation for like 15 years, Zero and Shadow wanting another kid, or Tails making him like Eggman without permission. Either way they have another kid that I'm gonna kill off.

-unlike Seven he is unstable and goes to the doctors pretty often, mostly due to him getting sick a lot (he’s been in and out of the hospital since he was born)

-if Viper grew up he would be pretty powerful and maybe a threat

-tiny fangs

-can’t use his powers because he would get extremely overwhelmed and his inhibitors could barely hold in the energy

-dies in some accident when he’s 6-7 and his parents aren’t allowed to mourn his death ✌️

#sonic fanchildren #sonic fankids #sonic au #Viper the hybrid #it was that or heckal and its 1 am and im tired #tage the hybrid #tique the echidna

[azvolrien]

Last up on my little highlights reel are Rick and Zahara, the zoo’s resident pair of Cape porcupine. They occupy a slightly frustrating niche in my zoo photography experience, in that I do actually see them on most zoo visits, but they have a habit of a) never using their outdoor enclosure (maybe they come out at night, I dunno) and b) hanging out in the shadowy parts of their indoor house so I can almost never get a good shot without the reflection in the way. 

#photo #edinburgh zoo #porcupine

[fenneykindlefire]

Numberblocks Animals

0 - Housefly 1 - Chipmunk 2 - Hamster 3 - Triceratops 4 - Coyote 5 - Tasmanian Wolf 6 - Quoll 7 - Archaeopteryx 8 - Octocat (Octopus/Cat hybrid) 9 - Grey Wolf 10 - Pterodactyl 11 - Red Panda 12 - Greyhound 13 - Armadillo 14 - Velociraptor 15 - Tree Porcupine 16 - Stegosaurus 17 - Dalmatian 18 - Gliding Lizard 19 - Marble Fox 20 - Tyrannosaurus Rex 21 - Alpine Ibex 22 - Giant Panda 23 - Platypus 24 - Flying Squirrel 25 - Echidna 26 - Pangolin 27 - Glyptodon 28 - Flamingo 29 - Lynx 30 - Xenoceratops 31 - Wombat 32 - Cape Hare 35 - Highland Cow 36 - Pronghorn 40 - Siberian Husky 42 - Saurolophus 45 - Sabertooth Tiger 49 - Kangaroo 50 - Wolverine 55 - Peregrine Falcon 60 - Brontosaurus 64 - Purplish Jay 70 - Scarlet Macaw 80 - Octolion (Octopus/Mountain Lion Hybrid) 81 - Raccoon 90 - Irish Wolfhound 100 - Woolly Mammoth

#numberblocks #animalization

[tada-no-honzuki]

Ascendance of a Bookworm (24) Part 5 Volume 3 Chapter 10

This translation is not supposed to replace the official releases of the light novel series. Please purchase the official light novel when it becomes available!

Ditter and Dunkelfelger's Demonstration

"Aub Ehrenfest, we are next!"

A knight apprentice warned us to get ready to watch the game. We got up from our seats and walked to the front to watch the battle of our knight apprentices. As I stepped up on my stand, I saw Gillesenmeyer's olive-brown capes rushing around. As I wondered what kind of feybeast they were fighting, I noticed five yellow, prickly balls bouncing around the stadium.

As Sylvester looked down the stadium, he exclaimed, "What the hell is that?" with a frown.

"It's a Taunadel...Right?" I asked.

The bittersweet memory that it was poisonous and thus inedible was still fresh in my mind. It was a yellow feyfish that resembled a porcupine or sea urchin.

"Anyway, it doesn't look like those things will be able to put up a proper fight on land,” Sylvester said. “Isn't this too easy?"

"I don't think so,” I answered. “Since it attacks by indiscriminately shooting its long, thin, poisonous needles that cover its body at those around it, it's pretty dangerous if you don't know how to handle it."

The knight apprentices around me nodded fervently in agreement.

"The knight apprentices over there, that lie collapsed on the ground, were hit by its first attack. Since this feybeast lives in the ocean, they can either keep their distance and just wait for it to die, or surround it with a shield of wind and make it expel all its needles."

As we watched Gillesenmeyer struggling against the Taunadel, the tension started showing more and more on our knight apprentices' faces. If they had to face a feybeast they were unfamiliar with, that could be them. Leonore, the brain of our knights, watched the match with a stiff face.

"I wonder what feybeast we will have to fight? I never thought I'd be so nervous about a ditter match during the Interduchy Tournament.”

As Leonore quietly voiced her concern, Rauffens voice boomed around the stadium.

"Gillesenmeyer, finished! Next up is Ehrenfest!"

Ehrenfest's knight apprentices descended into the stadium on their highbeast. As the bright ocher capes took their position after circling the stadium once, Gundolf stepped forward. Thankfully, Fraularm wasn't in charge this year. Earlier today she had felt it necessary to send me an ordonnanz to give me an earful with that shrill voice of hers. There was no doubt in my mind, had she been in charge of Ehrenfest, she would have pulled out something extraordinary nasty.

"It appears it is not Professor Fraularm this year,” I said. “I must say I feel a little relieved.”

"Well, I don't think you should underestimate Professor Gundolf,” Wilfried said. “I bet he knows all kinds of rare feybeasts."

"Wilfried is right.” Ignaz concurred. “The moment he found out that our magic paper was made from feyplants, he immediately tried to gather as much information about them as possible."

Apparently, Gundolf had persistently pestered Ignaz with questions about the types of feyplants growing in Ehrenfest. However, since Ignaz hadn't been able to give much of an answer, Gundolf had yelled "Are you even taking this research seriously?" in exasperation.

"Still, there are a lot of people who are watching the competition this year."

At Wilfried's observation, I looked around the venue. A lot of people were observing the matches, even when it wasn't their duchy's turn. Dunkelfelger had a particularly large number of people watching. Maybe it was the suspense of not knowing what feybeast might appear next, or maybe it was the rare feybeasts springing one surprise after another, but the audience seemed much more excited than last year.

"Even adult knights rarely have the chance to observe rare feybeasts of other duchies,” I said. “It must be exciting to see how to handle a feybeast they have never seen before."

Then, Gundolf activated the magic circle with his schtappe. A strong light flashed, and when it faded, a large bushy tree had appeared on top of the magic circle.

"Is that a feyplant?"

"It must be. If he used a normal tree here, everyone would be on his back about it later."

However, it didn't move around like a nanseb. And it didn't scream like an effon. It didn't seem to be the type that sucked up all mana around it like a trombe. And at first glance, it didn't appear very fantasy-like, like a ruelle.

…hmm, this tree makes me want to sing the song of that famous TV commercial, "What kind of tree is this tree?".

Because it didn't move at all, it made me doubt if it was a feyplant at all.

"I've never seen this feyplant before. I wonder what it is."

I had questioned Ehrenfest's giebe about the feyplants growing in their domains in hopes of finding a new kind that would make for some interesting paper. But I wasn't familiar with the feyplants of other duchies. Slightly worried, I fixed my eyes on Leonore. I wondered if she knew what it was.

"Everyone but Judith, equip the weapon that we use during trombe hunts to lop off the branches!” Leonore shouted. “Archknights, you will build up your mana in turn! Alexis, get ready."

I could hear the confidence in Leonore's voice as she issued instructions while transforming her schtappe into a halberd, and started to build up her mana. Apparently, it was a feyplant she knew.

"Judith, please hit the gummimokka with the most powerful magic tool you carry on my signal. As we all know, the tiny branches hiding behind the leaves will shoot out when it is hit with a powerful attack. They will only be visible for a moment. Lop off as many branches as you can. However, don't let the branches touch you. There is a thorn at the tip of each branch, and it seems its stings have a strong numbing effect.”

…gummimokka? Would that be, a rubber tree?

I think Ferdinand once told me that there aren't any feyplants like the trombe growing near Ehrenfest.

"Ignaz, Marianne. “ I said. “Is that gummimokka that Professor Gundolf summoned native to Drewanchel? Or does it grow somewhere else and does he just happen to know it? I'd like to ask him if I can get some of it....."

I asked Ignaz and Marianne, who had interacted frequently with Gundolf. Unfortunately, neither of them knew the answer.

"Guess I'll have to ask Professor Gundolf."

…if it hadn't been produced by professor Gundolf specifically for the competition, I would have screamed, "Prioritize gathering materials!". Oooh, I want rubber!

As I stared at the gummimokka, thinking of all the things I could make with the rubber, Lieseletta gently grabbed my shoulder.

"Lady Rozemyne, you're leaning forward. Please take care you do not walk over to Professor Gundolf absentmindedly to get more information on the gummimokka."

She warned me that in this state I would likely leak more information than I gained. It was certainly a risk. But I was utterly fascinated by the gummimokka.

"Lady Rozemyne, please check with Leonore first before asking Professor Gundolf,” Lieseletta advised. “She knows it well enough that she can recognize it at a glance. She is likely to know where it grows.”

"Y-yes, I suppose so."

All I could think of was asking Gundolf where it grew, but Leonore likely knew just as much about its habitat as he did. There was hope.

"If it's a feyplant that only grows in other duchies, please give up on acquiring it,” Cornelius said. “It's impossible to bring enough knights to collect its materials.”

Effectively warning me, you wouldn't want a bunch of knights from another duchy to come to Ehrenfest to collect materials, would you? As I imagined a group of Dunkelfelger knights gathering materials in Ehrenfest, I had to agree with him. I would be very troubled if that were to happen.

“But what if I buy the materials?” I asked.

"It's too dangerous,” Cornelius said. “you would accept any demand to get your hands on the product."

My plan was immediately rejected by Cornelius. My retainers agreed with him, saying, "Whether it grows within Ehrenfest or not, it will ultimately end in a business deal with other duchies."

…I will do anything to get my hands on what I want.

As everyone urged me to reconsider, I longingly looked at the gummimokka.

Down in the stadium, the knight apprentices had already transformed their schtappes into the halberd-like weapons that I had seen during the trombe hunt and taken their positions around the gummimokka. It seems they didn't exactly know how far the branches would shoot out, so they were somewhat cautiously keeping their distance. The archknights had filled their weapons with mana as instructed, and one by one their halberds started shining in all colors of the rainbow.

"Can anyone use that attack?" I asked.

"Yes. Anyone can do it with a little training.” Cornelius said. “It's just a matter of pouring mana into your weapon and then striking. However, it doesn't make much sense for lay- and medknights to use the attack, as the power output heavily depends on the mana and number of elements one has. Though medknights whose mana capacity is close to that of archknights can use it too."

Since it was an attack that used all of one's mana in a single attack, it seems it couldn't be used unless you were certain to kill your enemy or had someone to cover for you while you recovered your mana with a potion. I had given them the leftover rejuvenation potions from the dedication ritual, so they should probably be all right.

"Judith, you will attack the bushy part!” Leonore shouted. “Archknights, you will hit the upper part of the trunk! It has a slightly different color, see? Attack that part when I call your name!"

"Yes!"

Confirming everyone was ready, Leonore swung her arm down.

"Judith, now!"

"Taaaa!"

Judith used her slingshot to hurl one of the leftover magic tools of our ditter match against Dunkelfelger at the tree. When it hit the bushy part, there was a loud explosion.

The gummimokka seemed to shudder in amazement, then, quick as a wink, thin branches shot out from the shadows of the leaves. There seemed to be about thirty or forty. As Leonore had said, there was a sharp thorn at the tip of each branch that shot out from between the swaying leaves.

"Hyaaa!"

"Haaa...!"

The knight apprentices swung their halberds around, cutting the thin branches one after the other. However, it took only a few seconds before the thin branches withdrew again. They retreated into the leaves and started creeping around like tentacles, as if they were looking for a way to capture the surrounding knights. The tentacles wriggling around the thick bushy part reminded me of a jellyfish.

…since its sting leaves a numb feeling... it's a jellyfish tree! Gummimokkas are jellyfish trees. They are pretty dangerous. Okay, I got it.

"You cannot cut the branches when they are hidden! Fall back! I'm going in!"

Leonore had the knight apprentices momentarily fall back, then hit the gummimokka's trunk with all her mana.  As she swung her halberd down with a heated shout, a rainbow-colored mana attack shot at the tree's trunk.

The gummimokka's leaves rustled violently at impact. However, the usual shockwave did not come, as if the attack hadn't worked. As my eyes opened wide at this unexpected turn of events, the thin branches shot out.

"Cut 'em off!"

Without missing a beat, the knight apprentices swung their halberds down to chop off the branches. Leonore yelled, "Natalie, build up your mana!", while closely observing the knights as she downed a rejuvenation potion.

I wondered if they would continue attacking like this. Was it even working? I looked anxiously at Leonore, but she kept confidently shouting instructions.

"Alexis!"

"Haaaaaaa!"

At Leonore's command, Alexis struck the tree with his mana. There was a fairly large burst of light, but again, there was no shockwave. The knight apprentices deftly cut off the thin branches, then quickly distanced themselves from the gummimokka when the branches withdrew again and it was time for the next attack.

"Traugott, get ready! Natalie!"

As ordered, Traugott started pouring mana into his weapon, and Natalie attacked. I completely understood what Cornelius' had meant when he said that the power of the attack depended on the amount of mana and elements one had. While all had been rainbow-colored attacks, they were all different in power and shade.

"I think they cut off most of the thin branches. Barely any shot out just now.”

Angelica murmured that barely any thin branches had shot out upon Natalie's attack. She was clearly burning with a desire to join.

"Judith, use our trump card to dispose of the leaves! Everyone else, keep your distance! Matthias, mana!"

"Yes!"

Leonore's next instruction was directed at Judith, not Traugott who was ready to attack. Judith quickly pulled a fist-size magic tool from her waist pouch and hurled it at the tree with her slingshot.

The magic tool disappeared between the leaves. The next moment, an explosion so loud that it didn't even compare to the rainbow-colored attacks echoed through the stadium, and most of the leaves instantly went up in flames.

"W-what was that!?"

"You can use this kind of magic tool in speed ditter!?"

Cornelius and Angelica exclaimed in surprise. A stir went through the whole venue. Speaking of which, I think it was Matthias who told me that ever since they swapped to speed ditter, hardly any duchies used magic tools.

"It was made by Hartmut for our ditter match against Dunkelfelger,” I explained. “We ultimately didn't use it, so we decided to utilize it in the Interduchy Tournament. But it's certainly more powerful than I expected.”

"I am surprised that you were planning to use it against Dunkelfelger,” Cornelius mumbled. “You show no mercy, do you?"

"...well, it was supposed to be our ultimate trump card."

Most of the leaves had burnt away, but the gummimokka was still standing. Though the top of the trunk was engulfed in flames, it didn't seem to catch fire.

…just how strong is that gummimokka!?

As the thought crossed my mind, the top of the trunk started to glow faintly. At the same time, some of the larger branches started to sway gently and new tentacle-like branches started to grow.

"Let's finish this before they shoot out!” Leonore shouted. “Traugott, Matthias, attack from above! Everyone else, ready your shields!"

"Yes!"

Following Leonore's instructions, Traugott and Matthias climbed higher and higher into the sky on their highbeasts, keeping a close eye on each other. The trajectory drawn by the rainbow-colored weapons was very beautiful.

"Hyaaaa!"

"Haaaaaaa!"

The two of them plunged down, as they swung their halberds. Their rainbow-colored attacks pierced the gummimokka like a lightning strike.

The sound of impact was drowned out by the groaning of the gummimokka as it split apart.

Shortly after, the gummimokka faded along with the light of the magic circle. However, the mana shockwave had yet to hit. While the knight apprentices desperately clung to their shields and endured the impact, Rauffen's booming voice announced, "Ehrenfest, finished!"

"Well done. You did wonderfully."

As the knight apprentices returned from the stadium, Sylvester praised everyone excitedly. Ehrenfest's knight apprentices, who confidently launched one attack after another, stood out among the knight apprentices who had balked at the sight of even the most common feybeasts and had taken a long time to defeat them.

"I didn't expect you to be familiar with so many fey creatures of other duchies, Leonore."

"Thank you. However, I am not the only one who is familiar with the gummimokka. All knight apprentices studied the information I compiled, so anyone can fight the feybeasts and the knowledge will be passed on.”

Leonore looked around at the knight apprentices with a proud smile on her face.

"Because I was given the role of commander this year, I suppose my actions stood out. However, even if it hadn't been me, Ehrenfest's knight apprentices would have defeated the gummimokka without fail. I've made sure that when I graduate, all my knowledge of feybeasts won't be lost."

To share her knowledge with everyone, Leonore had added documents to the bookshelves of our dormitory detailing all the fey creatures she knew. The apprentices just had to read and remember it. Leonore smiled as she noted her knowledge would be passed on to younger generations.

"As your Aub, I am incredibly proud of your efforts."

While nodding in agreement with Sylvester's praise, the guard knight, who was accompanying Sylvester today instead of Karstedt, took a step forward.

"Knowledge is not the only manifestation of your efforts. As ordered, the lay- and medknight apprentices efficiently dealt with the thin branches shooting out. Your coordination was splendid. Your performance today was outstanding. I wouldn't mind taking you along on a trombe hunt as you are. You have really gotten stronger. Please keep at it."

"We will!"

The knight apprentices exchanged happy looks as the knight praised them. They joined forces. And got results. Their smiles were one of accomplishment.

"The knight apprentices may watch the rest of the ditter competition while protecting Charlotte and Rozemyne. Wilfried, come with me."

After telling us to watch the competition and summoning Wilfried to follow him, Sylvester returned to the socializing area. As I watched Sylvester and Wilfried lead their retainers back to the socializing area, wondering if it wouldn't be better if I joined them, Charlotte giggled.

"Sister, you don't have to look so worried. He just wants our brother to get used to socializing, and, it's likely a measure to avoid any marriage proposals directed to me.”

She took my hand and led me back to my stand. We were surrounded by our retainers and the knight apprentices on all sides, so no one was able to approach us.

Charlotte, who stood next to me, smiled as she looked down at the stadium.

"As many high-ranking duchies pointed out, our rank has only risen thanks to your achievements. Until Ehrenfest's internal affairs stabilize, our ranking will likely fluctuate. Unless Ehrenfest's nobles change their way of thinking, it will be hard to decide upon my fiancé."

The other duchies hadn't yet determined whether they should treat Ehrenfest as a top-ranking duchy or expect us to drop down the ranks again. That's why Charlotte had received a very wide range of marriage proposals.

"......I realize it's going to require a considerable change in the consciousness of Ehrenfest's nobles, but I hope that by the time I graduate we shall be recognized as a top-ranking duchy."

That would make it much easier for her to decide whom to marry, Charlotte said. It would benefit both parties if the rank of her fiancé’s duchy matched Ehrenfest to a certain extent, but currently, it was hard to say who exactly would match.

"Say, Charlotte,” I said. “To me, it feels like Ehrenfest has never truly been driven by necessity. Unlike the duchies on the losing side of the civil war, Ehrenfest remained neutral and survived the upheaval with minimal reforms. However, big changes are bound to happen due to the recent purge."

Members of the Former Veronica Faction were purged and more people were being punished as we spoke, Ehrenfest's internal affairs were likely to be thrown into disarray. We had to take advantage of the chaos to streamline various procedures and change the mindset of our nobility.

"However, all that can wait until we return home. For now, let's enjoy the Interduchy Tournament, Charlotte."

"Yes, sister."

Feybeasts that I had never seen before appeared one after another. I enjoyed watching the matches while the knight apprentices explained the correct strategies to defeat the beasts.

As Cornelius praised them, "You've all been working very hard. I suppose you taught them, Leonore?" with admiration in his voice, Leonore looked abashed. You could tell at a glance they were lovers meeting after a long separation, so I was actually kinda glad Damuel wasn't here.

“That reminds me, Angelica, you came to observe Traugott's growth, right? What do you think?"

Many people were holding their breath for any developments, preferably romantic ones. I was curious to hear what Angelica, who had previously said "He should at least be stronger than Cornelius", thought of Traugott right now.

As everyone turned to look at her, Angelica put her hand on her cheek and said, "......I have confirmed once more how strong Lord Bonifatius is.” with a smile. Apparently, it didn't go as expected.

"And that's the end of the ditter competition! Now, we would like to show you the ritual performed by the knights of Dunkelfelger.”

Rauffen had barely introduced them, or Dunkelfelger's blue capes descended into the stadium with a loud roar. After circling the stadium once, just like the students did before a ditter match, Dunkelfelger's knights made their highbeasts disappear and jumped down to the ground.

The knights formed a circle with Aub Dunkelfelger at the center. This clearly wasn't their first time. You could tell everyone had a designated position. Aub Dunkelfelger held Leidenshaft's spear firmly in his right hand, even though everyone else had yet to take out their schtappe. He must have taken －I mean, borrowed－ it from Dunkelfelger's temple. Though the dedication ritual hadn't been that long ago, the feystones in the spearhead were glowing blue. The Aub had likely refilled them with his mana for the Interduchy Tournament.

Aub Dunkelfelger slammed the butt end of the spear into the ground and opened his mouth to speak.

"It seems there are many adult knights who graduated from the Royal Academy without learning this ritual from Rauffen. And I think it's hard to fully grasp its effects just by looking at the research presentation. Therefore, it was decided that Dunkelfelger's knight's order would provide a demonstration. Allow us to show you the true form of this divine ritual that deteriorated little by little over time and was eventually forgotten!"

Startled by the unexpectedly loud cries of appreciation, I looked around the venue. Each duchy seemed to be interested, and most of the audience had moved to the front to see Dunkelfelger's ritual.

"Under normal circumstances, one would perform the ritual the day before the battle to receive the blessings, then accustom themselves to the multiple blessings and restore mana in preparation for the battle."

Ehrenfest's knight apprentices had experienced firsthand that the multitude of blessings had impaired their ability to properly control their bodies. On top of that, standard rejuvenation potions hadn't been enough to recover their mana.

"However, Dunkelfelger's knights no longer need such time. Through trial and error, we were able to roughly calculate the amount of mana necessary to obtain the blessings, and by increasing the number of participants we reduced the burden on each person."

It seems they had taken the trouble to optimize the ritual's procedure so they could give a demonstration without needing rejuvenation potions. That was a surprising amount of dedication. I kind of understood now why Sieglinde resented me.

"This is Leidenschaft's spear, a true divine instrument, that I borrowed from the temple."

Aub Dunkelfelger firmly grabbed Leidenshaft's spear with both hands. And started pouring mana into it. Soon not only the spearhead, but the whole spear started crackling with blue light.

"W-what the hell is that!?"

"The temple's divine instruments can do that!?"

I heard the nobles, who had never visited the temple nor seen the divine instruments before, crying out in amazement as Leidenshaft's spear became enveloped in blue light.

"Grant us the strength to face the upcoming battle!"

Aub Dunkelfelger shouted with the blue spear in his hand. At the same time, the knights took out their schtappe and chanted, "Lanze!" to transform it into a spear.

"I am one who offers prayer and gratitude to the gods who have created the world."

Their spears struck the ground with a bang as they chanted the familiar words of prayer.

"Grant us the strength to seize victory. Bestow onto us, the invincible strength of Angriff. Grant us the speed to seize victory. Bestow onto us, the unrivaled speed of Steiferise."

They spun their spears around as they sang and pounded the butt ends to the ground to the rhythm. The familiar metallic jingling of feystone armor, whenever they changed the way they held their spear, echoed through the stadium like a beat. Nevertheless, the ritual of the adults was more polished than the one of the apprentices. Not only were their movements better synchronized, but they seemed more fluid and elegant, despite their ferocity. Because of that, it felt a lot different even though it was the same ritual.

"Engage!"

As Aub Dunkelfelger pumped Leidenshaft's spear into the air, the knights enthusiastically roared, "Yeah!" and raised their spears as one.

At the same time, a pillar of blue light shot up into the sky. As the blessing rained down, a little bit flew off somewhere.

Although it was a common sight whenever one held a ritual at the Royal Academy, it clearly wasn't a phenomenon that happened in any other duchy. Even some of Dunkelfelger's knights let out cries of surprise upon seeing the pillar of light for the first time. Ehrenfest's adults also looked at the pillar of light with disbelief.

"This is, the pillar of light...?"

Even if you read about it in a report, it likely was a phenomenon you couldn't truly picture without seeing it. Charlotte and I nodded in response to Sylvester, who had appeared behind us at some point.

"It always happens when someone performs a ritual at the Royal Academy,” I replied. “It's very mysterious."

Few students had ever seen the pillar of light. Other than Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest's students, only the Archduke Candidates and the archscholars who had participated in the dedication ritual had witnessed the phenomenon. And maybe some people who had wandered too close to Dunkelfelger's dormitory.

"I see. If you trigger such a phenomenon with a straight face, it's no wonder people would call you a Saint, or even the Incarnation of a Goddess."

Dunkelfelger's knights defeated the feybeast summoned by Rauffen. Be it their speed, the power of their attacks, or their ability to instantly adapt to the multitude of blessings, there was a world of difference between the adult knights and the apprentices.

Finally, Hannelore came out and performed the ritual to dedicate one's triumph to the gods and return the blessings that were granted. She turned her schtappe into the staff of Verfuhremeer and spun it in a circular motion above her head. With the soft sound of waves, mana seeped from the knights' bodies like a shimmer of hot air and rose toward the sky.

"These are the rituals known to Dunkelfelger." Aub Dunkerfelger boomed, while holding Leidenshaft's spear which had lost its blue glow. Shouts of admiration and excitement burst forth from the audience.

#Translation #P5V3