*
"Haa~ Haa~ Haa~"
"... You barely grazed me, and you call the a trade? I'll show you a real punch. " (Sariel)
By reflex, I had begun to accept her blows. The impact from her punches were tough, they weren't as overbearing as general Frena's pressure, but they still made a visible impact everytime they hit. Even with my barrier on, I was slowly getting pushed back and my magical particles spent on reinforcing the barrier. At this rate, I'm going to lose horribly. A suicide attack like last time didn't seem to be enough, and a battle of attrition is an assured defeat. What do I do then?
I can not see her, but I can read the flow of wind. Well, anyone can do it at this rate. With the strength of her punches, powerful shockwaves originated from the point of collision to spread throughout the room. Anyone could at least tell where she was punching. I should take advantage of it. Pretend that I was fighting for attrition and continue to put up the barrier. There's a chance I'll miss if I punch from the side... If she simply pulls back her arm or if she moves too fast, then it'll be a miss.
I need to find something. Anything. Since her skill works on my brain, it'd be safe to assume that it not only affected my sight but my other physical senses as well. I suppose this is the last resort, since it will spend a lot of magical particles. A final push. Lifting the barrier, I twisted my waist to the left and shifted my entire body to the right, using my centre of gravity to balance my stance while moving rapidly. I lock my left arm into place for support and unleashed a punch from the side, timed to hit her right arm...
"GAHAGHHHHHHH!!!"
Her attacks continued. Struck in the side without a barrier this time, I was sent flying into the wall. It cracked under the force of my landing and had extensive damage where it wouldn't be a surprise if it collapsed at any time soon. My fatigue had accumulated and risen above tolerable the threshold. My chest heaved in and out uncontrollably, not stopping once to catch a break. Was I dying? Why is my body so weak? Even though I've been through so much, defeated an S-rank by luck and fended off another one to run away from.
Haven't I done enough? Am I still not worthy enough to be a magical girl? No, wait, I must calm down. She's walking nearer, I can hear her soft footsteps. I should take advantage of it and act weak, while releasing my magical particles all over the room. This... Isn't over yet. I have to fight... I can't stop now. That's right, I've been through a lot. Maybe not as much as other people... But surely... It has its own worth...
Using first skill to move all the substances, saving magical particle cost. One final storm, albeit a super weak one. It's like a tornado was inside the open room. I don't... Have to win... I just need... To secure our lives... There! She was a bit of a distance away. She hadn't been punching away of my barrier, but she was using long range attacks instead. Her first skill was invisibility, the second was... Something that enhanced her speed and power while being similar to mine.
Perhaps it had something to do with moving, but there was no time to deduce how she fought from long range. Stick activate, they still don't have a name but it's undoubtedly bound to me. Annihilate, use your last bit of magic power to twist her insides...
There was no sound. No cry of terror or pain, just deafening silence. Tch! I hit a fake! I have one more try but I can't mi-?!
***
A strong 'crunch' sound reverberated through the air. Blood was spurting from multiple locations on Kaorin's head. Her body layed on the ground in an uncomfortable location, her joints nearly bending the wrong way. Her body was unmoving as her eyes also looked dead and sunken. Her information stated that she had grey hair, but it seemed to have become a light grey at this point. She was growing. Unlike other coloured hairs that have a chance of conveying something more, the spectrum of grey hair only indicated the speed of their growth. It was merely a meter that can measure them in another way.
If Kaorin was growing at her speed of growth, that meant that she had potential. Unfortunately, she has to go now. That's what sariel was here for. A captain directly under a general from the Illnoia administration, usually seated by grade As, but here was a grade B captain. She was in a similar situation as Kaorin. But she still had a bit of family left. So she has to continue fighting, to protect them and ensure the prosperity of her faction. She prepares a final punch, meant to obliterate Kaorin's neck. She kneels down to shorten the distance and have an easier time in executing a loathsome enemy.
"Die." (Kaorin)
Jett black horns ostensibly arose out of thin air, solidifying in an instant to emanate a wicked aura. Of course, that is only how it looks like. The aura was its residue magical particles floating off into the surroundings. All in the span of a second, the Stick was summoned once more and a twisted hole was torn from Sariel's chest.
"?!... Kughkuhhkghkghkghkgh?!" (Sariel)
Her hands shook uncontrollably at the sight as her legs became weak and wobbly and her vision began to darken.
'Have to... Get out of here!...'(Sariel)
For a second, there was another bright flash. It looked like light was converging into Sariel from every direction, travelling like a flickering flashlight.
*... BoooOOOOOOOOMMMM*
A wave of destruction spread forth like a rushing tide, it's violent energy ravaging the surroundings like a paper shredder tearing up the last bits of paper. Smoke and dust permeated every nook and cranny of the room, making breathing extremely difficult. Her efforts managed to hinder anyone if they were trying to pursue her. Fortunately enough for her, the only people aware of her existence was Kaorin and Myuu. She had poured all her magical energy into her repelling skill and shot it at one small spot of the ground, compressing all that energy into an explosion that continuously spreads outward.
Kaorin and Myuu were fine due to Kaorin's skill that manipulated the wind, easily preventing the debris and smoke from entering a certain area that she sets. Safeguarding both her and Myuu's breathing space and safety. Before long, the violent storm from Sariel's escape had died down and silence befalls the building once more. The temperature falls, bringing a soft cooling breeze against their skin. While Myuu was down, Kaorin was still barely conscious.
She sat against the wall, her eyes putting up one last ounce of resistance to stay open. She was lying on the ground due to the heavy blow she was dealt with by Sariel, and she had counterattacked with her magic while on the ground. She only put herself up against the wall in a sitting position as she was used to resting like this when she was tired. However that took the final bits of her strength away. She was going to pass out anytime soon, like the peacefully sleeping girl next to her. Well, Myuu was knocked up, but one can suppose this was valuable rest. Especially in the middle of this war.
Distant foot steps can be heard getting nearer, they were light and had an intrinsic attribute to it, as if the sound that these foot steps made could be 'refine'. The soft click clack of it and its familiarity almost made it endearing.
"... How pathetic. I assumed someone like you, someone who I recognised as a rival wouldn't end up like this on the first day...
How disappointing. You were the type that boasted confidence. Unlike me, you were the type that inspired confidence in others as well. One who looked like they could turn over the tide itself.
At this rate, you'll merely be considered as an above average soldier. I guess that's my very own mistake, for jumping to such conclusions about you."(Barius kleine eyer weils)
Along with her white low-heels, she wore her usual magical girl combat dress. An open black robe reached to her hips and revealed her white top. A jacket similar to a lab coat hung off her bag and shoulders. Her black pleated miniskirt reached her knees which was covered by opague knee high black socks along with the rest of her legs.
As magic has evolved alongside humans, some people believed the magical girl combat dress was a reflection of ourselves. They assign meanings to different types of clothing along with the sizes and colour tones of our combat dresses. Moreover a magical girl's combat dress only stays in one form their entire life, unless they unlock a new skill. They can then either choose their new combat dress derived from a new skill, or stick with their original dress. This in turn make others believe that gaining a new skill would change one's personality. Of course these kinds of rumours never get taken seriously.
"... Sorry." (Kaorin)
Her body tumbles to the ground. Her conscious headed to somewhere else.
"Haa~... Why do you put yourself in so much danger... There's no need to exert yourself so much when you can help in the back..." (Barius)
"Are they asleep? Let's bring them back for now. The invading party has retreated, so it should be safe to bring them to the hospital now." (Garion)
"Tch! I can't get it out of my head. How disappointing... You carry them to the hospital. I'll check up on the others and deliver other errands instead." (Barius)
"..." (Garion)
***
... Where..am I? It's those blinding white lights again...? A hospital huh. The smell of the air is the same as ever, along with the silky soft fabric of these bedsheets and the blanket. I wonder how long I've been out for, maybe a day or 2? I'd be dead if it was a weak, there's no guarantee that the sanctuary resisted the joint alliance by then. These hands. They're soiled. They're so soiled. So much blood has gone on them and I cannot take it back. I can't bring them back. Even if I did, there's no guarantee to tell if the magic brought them back or recreated them.
A vital part of our magic lessons, back when we were in Jein sensei's class to get our licenses, was the differentiation between magic that rebuild or recreate. A philosophy that constantly pops up over and over again. Usually we thought nothing of it. Whether the magic had discovered a true phenomenon to manipulate, or if it recreated one based on our own conceptions of it. If instead of increasing gravity, the magic recreated it instead, would gravity be proven false? Or would it be proven true instead?
It was a mind boggling perception and analysis of magic that lead to absolutely nowhere. Even though we finally have access to magic, at the end of the day we were still humans. We were just as powerless now as we were before. Nothing changed. As for God magical girls, their own perception of reality perhaps greatly differed from ours. If it existed, would you let it exist or not? That was just a mere guess from a human's point of view, it may be possible that something much more imcomprehensible would appear instead.
I suppose to most direct and closest example, would be the revival of the dead. Were they the same people that died in the past? Or are they instead mere recreations? If they are mere recreations, would it be alright to treat them differently from the original?
There is no line to draw from any of this. The safest procedure was to stay away from this. Was stopping Myuu from reviving her mother the right choice? Was anything I've decided to do, right so far?
"You awake? How did it go?" (Myuu)
"Yeah... She manage to escape. But at least we lived..."
"... Hmpf... I was too reckless. I guess I got saved by you again." (Myuu)
"Again...?"
"Hehe, nothing. Let's get up and meet with the others." (Myuu)
"mmm."