"Perhaps it would be pointless of me to attempt an escape, but... how about a dialogue instead? There's no way for me to flee from you, and this isn't a battle you can lose, right? So why not entertain yourself with some conversation instead? I for one think it a great honor to be able to speak with Vritra, the greatest king of the Asura." You use as much of your charisma in your voice as you are able, trying to use that as your weapon in this exchange. Had she wished it, Vritra could've killed you immediately, so it's clear that something other than hunger or bloodlust is driving her.

"Hoh, you're attempting to flatter me, human?" The blonde haired dragon stops in her tracks. "Well, if you want to speak with me for some time before I devour you, then I won't rush things along. It's impressive that you managed to discern my identity from just a glance, this current form of mine was unlike that which I took in life. But you saw through it anyway, I see why Orochi feared your power." The blonde woman carelessly reveals.

"I'm actually attempting to figure out just this one question." This has a chance of going either really well, or really really poorly. "That Japanese godling, did he really successfully tame you? Why on Earth would a dragon as great as you want to serve a worm like Orochi? Aren't you a greater dragon of disaster than he?" You attempt to appeal to the ego of the dragon.

"Ha! Control me? I follow his requests because that's what I feel like doing! If he were to turn those Command Spells of his against me, I'd kill him myself." Awfully confident, but unfortunately for Vritra, she doesn't actually seem to be anywhere near as powerful as Orochi is. It must have something to do with her manifestation as a Servant, her current body might be tremendously powerful, but as a Beast, even a false Beast, Orochi is quite a bit more powerful. So despite her bravado, Vritra is very much a slave to the Beast, even if she won't accept that she is one herself.

"Really? Then if you found a reason not to eat me right now... you wouldn't?" Still, with her ego being something you can very much use to your advantage, you decide to do so. Using a Command Spell right here would be suicide, Chiyome would be the only one of your Servants that could actually provide assistance against somebody like Vritra so deep into Orochi's lair, and for as much faith as you have in the ninja girl... you kind of doubt that any battle against somebody like Vritra will end up favorably for her.

"It'll have to be an awfully good reason, after I spent so long chasing after that white robed magician and he disappeared into thin air when I finally got close, I'm in an especially bad mood." The woman crosses her arms as she takes another step closer to you. "Let's turn this into a game, shall we? If you can convince me before I finish walking over to you, then I'll let you go, but if not...!" The woman gives you a savage grin. "Well I think you know what." At her current distance, you only have about six paces before she closes the distance totally.

"Well them, first things first, I can use my magecraft to crush the shackles binding you to Yamata-no-Orochi. Ten seconds of contact is all I'll need to free you from the indignation of being forced to even have to refer to yourself as his 'Servant'. I can free you from having to be under the control of such an inferior god!"

"More tempting, but..." She takes a step forwards, leaving you with only five paces. "Not quite tempting enough, I know you can break my contract, Orochi knows too. But what would that leave me with? An overtaxed human magus who is a a thousand meters away from the rest of his allies? You may as well just be offering to kill me." Vritra shrugs. "What else have you got?"

"Well, are you aware that I'm one of the wealthiest men on the planet? I can offer you the finest food this world has, all the beautiful women singing and dancing you could wish for, and whatever pleasures from the modern era may take your fancy. Doesn't that sound more interesting than being made to chase a slimy incubus magus around a forest?"

Another step. "Well, I suppose that does sound nice, but a life of decadence alone can't satisfy me, without conflict, I'd be awfully bored. I want to see humans struggle to succeed and overcome the obstacles placed in front of them! While I would certainly enjoy such gifts, I wouldn't gain more than a surface level of satisfaction without something to entertain me beyond that!

"Then let me pass. Let me go and face off against the Beast who would wish for humanity's destruction. You wish to see the struggle of a human? Then allow me to show you just how powerful we can be. For I... I am the most powerful living human on this planet." That's only somewhat true, but in terms of what your magic is capable of doing, it's pretty much definitely true. "If you aid me here, then I promise you that you'll not just be able to see humanity struggle against an obstacle, but you'll be able to see the greatest of humanity struggle against the greatest obstacle!" You yell at the dragon woman. Who is smiling at you now. A wide and dangerous smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Vritra stops in her tracks, before she starts to laugh. "Very good! Very good! You're much too amusing for me to just eat!" The mood of the room seems to change in that exact moment, as the woman on almost a switch decides that she doesn't want to eat you anymore.

Part 29