*
"Barius, it's time to initiate the plan. How many seconds do we have?" (Vibell)
A plan? Did they discuss this without the rest of us? Or was it because we arrived late to the meeting? Whatever it was, it seemed that we have another trick up our sleeves. That's relieving, while Kanou fights the other S-grade, our job was to take down this one in a surprise attack. As I was the only close range fighter, the plan was to have Kenzi use [Judged journey] on me to replicate my enemy's high stats. Essentially she was able to even the playing field for a short amount of time.
I had an odd feeling for quite a bit, as if there was something slightly different about the magical particles around us and I was right. This entire field surrounding all the S-grade and our sub unit had been infected with Barius' control. She had done it so discreetly that even I didn't notice with my superior sensing and passive skill sensing. Wait... If Vibell were to use her own skill to conceal it, it would only be natural for everyone else to think nothing was out of place until it was too late.
"My well has barely reached A-grade. One try, 5 seconds. Field wide technique [Second step to completion]------Time stop. " (Barius)
?!... What the hell...
A loud bang resounds, reaching and toying with my ear drums. Her power must only cover a certain area, so the sudden shift in the air and matter would recreate something like an earthquake while generating large amounts of force. This force is caused by the friction of outside matter against the still affected matter. I assume she allows the consciousness of her allies to remain, since she needs us to observe the situation while her control is still not good enough to allow us to move. She could still allow one person other than herself to move though.
With a greyish orange aura, she vanished in an instant from her spot. Her short brunette hair rushing over the strong breeze she generated as she reaches her target in an instant. Using a specific stance and set of movements, she maximizes the muscles in her body to thrust her katana in with all her will. Kenzi must have already used [Judged journey] to enhance Izumi the instant before Barius activated her small scale time stop.
I had forgotten that Izumi and perhaps Vibell and Kenzi were also short range fighters. In the Frena battle, they mainly kept their distance out of safety while I was the only front liner. They were able to support me so it had slipped my mind as it largely held onto what happened back then... Maybe I still couldn't get over that defeat. But one day, one day I'll be strong enough to defeat S-grade, then I'll demand answers from the God magical girls. Now was not the time, so I should still persevere.
Thrusting her blade into the hooded magical girl, she activates all her skills and uses all her strength and magic.
".... [ephemeral severance] and ONE!!!!! HUNDRED PERCENT!!!!!!!!! [CLEAN CLEAVE CLATTER]!!!!!!!!!!" (Izumi)
A blinding brilliance poured forth from her blade, enveloping everything in a 10 metre radius in bright white.
'CLANG!'
Her blade made contact, she drove all her strength and power into this one shot, aiming for the opponent's heart with her mightiest thrust. Her arms felt like they were being squeezed by 2 blocks of steel, her elbows tremble as all her focus had gone into her wrist and grip. Her entire body pushes forward into its destined spot, she grits her teeth and endures the stiffness of her muscles. All of her magic had been concentrated into her blade, her power was practically pouring out of its tip as violent gale.
' Cla-clang'
More metallic sounds resound in the area, but this time their source since to be coming from a different place... They didn't seem to be coming from Izumi. In fact they were right behind her. A severed blade full of cracks had landed some distance behind her.
"..." (Izumi)
Her eyes widened, she stares at the chipped katana blade on the ground and the broken hilt she was holding. Though she only gazed at it for a few seconds, that was an incredibly long amount of time for an S-grade magical girl. In fact, at least 1 000 000 times more.
'BANG'
A loud and wide clap, its force reminiscent of a car ramming into a wall, or at least that's what it sounded like. Most of us here were B-grade, possible possessing a single A-grade stat here. We possess 4000 to 100 000 times human durability, so that sound meant much more than a simple car crash. She removes the hood, her emerald green eyes and hair exposed to the world. Her hair fluttered in the violent wind as Izumi crashed into the ground 200 meters away. Looking at her, it didn't seem like she was going to be waking up anytime soon.
She wore a black jacket and white frilly blouse, followed by a simple lavender dress with flower embroidery and frills. Her waist was surrounded by a mammoth tusk-like metallic structure. Her bright green hair akin to healthy tree leaves was adorn by a similar structure of a small scale, looking like a small spiky tiara.
Both structures were a tinge of shiny gold and emitted a dense and dangerous black aura around themselves. It was slight, barely occupying the space inside the structures, but I could still sense it a slight bit thanks to my heightened alert. I hadn't raise my magic sensitivity to the maximum, initially, but thanks to Vibell, Kenzi, Barius and Izumi's stunt I was looking out for far more.
Why were the auras that the magical girl and their combat dress emanate in different colours?... It can't be... She was extraordinarily powerful enough as an S-grade, and now she has at least 2 Sticks? We all saw what happened to Izumi. Even if we were all alert, we wouldn't be able to react to her speed. If Izumi with S-grade stats and maximum power couldn't even deal a scratch, how were we suppose to deal with her? We can't ask for help from Kanou, she's busy enough with the other physical based magical girl.
" [Arrival of one's space]" (Elliot)
Instinctively, I blocked the area in front of me and activated my defensive techniques as the space distorted in front of me a short bit after. The space around me completely distorted into vague lines, I was flying backwards from the impact infront of me. I would hit the buildings behind me at any moment now and black out...
The attack was too strong, the force was still acting on my body so I couldn't turn around or roll to disperse the fall. It was a straight forward show of power that I could do nothing against. My barrier only managed to defend me from the direct impact of her attack. But the amount of force that came out of it was enough to lift both me and my barrier through space and shoot me backwards...
...
An orange-black aura surrounds me. It was Kenzi's last bit of power. Barius had run out of magic with that short gamble, and everyone else was not going to survive from the attack anyway. Did she judge that I had the best bet of surviving this attack? It gave me just enough strength to bend my body slightly of course and roll off the force.
She stares straight at me, her expression unchanging as if looking at an insect. After all Kenzi's power only improves my physical stats so I can move and react at the same speed as the enemy. It couldn't boost my magic stats as that would defy the law of conservation of mass. Well, not that it has mass when it's dilute enough. For some unknown reason it only gains mass once it is compressed enough.
In any case it was a simple theory. It was a type of illusion magic that tricked the world. It tricked the world, physics and my body. It replicates the physical stats of the opponent with less magical particles then it would actually take. But since it is spending magical particles to maintain its effects, it can't increase my well or will. The opponent simple needs to enhance themselves with a little more magic or a strengthening skill, and they would effectively beat this skill. It copies their base speed, power and endurance. Not their full powered or enhanced forms.
There is no choice, I need to use my own Stick. I hadn't unleash much of my own magic yet since it's still early in the battle, so I wasn't too depleted at the moment. My speed has matched up to hers, from here on it comes down to technique. Not to mention the buff lasts quite a short amount of time. Thankfully the time doesn't deplete faster when I use my power. Materialising my Stick, ominous black horns solidify behind my neck and stretch out of my hair. There were S-shaped and pointed outwards.
Everyone has experienced growth at a terrifying rate. Why am I the only one lagging behind? Then when it comes down to it, still be left last? Shouldn't the weakest be taken out first.... No it was because I was weak that everyone opted for a surprise attack, and when that failed they only had me left. Tch, now was not the time to argue about it. Who was I even arguing with? Myself?
Before I noticed, I had been surrounded by multiple distortions in space... How do I put it? They were like very hazy spheres of black as light had been cut off in some parts of it, leaving a mix of pitch black and a slight white glow in the air. Deploying a barrier with my second skill, I rushed head first and past the distortions to close the distance between us. After all, I was a short range fighter. She kept her distance, casting more of those space distortion attacks while jumping backwards and to the sides. Numerous detonation echoed loudly behind my back, it's deadly heat and radiation nearly creeping upon my back.
Pivotting on the ground, I twisted my ankle and leaped forward at a different angle. I shouldn't waste my magic shooting projectiles as well, sticking to my specialty of being close range was far more advantageous for me. Steadily enhancing my body with my skills, I begin to cover the distance between us at a steadier rate, all the while having to dodge each and every attack. If I was hit once, I would lose my momentum and have to start over again, so I cannot waste it!
Even if I have to drop a little in speed, I should dodge the attacks first before focusing on the chase. As she was manipulating the space where these attacks occur, her experience really shows in their placement and manipulation. There were many close calls that I barely escape at the last second. Small scale spacial detonation, they take less of her magical particles but still do enough destructive damage when they actually hit.
Running with her back facing me, she begins to place her attacks right behind her instead of side stepping in the same space we've been fighting in. Perhaps her attacks could only be used a limited amount of times in the same space. It was possible that the spacial coordinates around here had its own integrity that is slowly being whittled as she casts her attacks. Having the attacks appear in front of my face was very troublesome, it forces me to concentrate fully on my surroundings and lateral movement, it seems like she knows about my limited time.
Space isn't a substance, so I cannot manipulate her attacks. All I can do is dodge and hope I slowly catchup. But at this rate... I might not make it. I enhance my body even more by pouring even more magical particles into my skills. If anything, I need to give her a single punch! I need to get closer! So I need more speed!
Jumping over one of her attacks, I use its force to propel myself forward. It was not enough to catch up to her, but it was enough for me to ourun her next attack. Now I was inbetween her attacks and herself. I'm slowly catching up, I strengthen my grip in anticipation. I can't user her attacks to propel myself anymore as they are too far behind me.
She hops into the air, intent on doing the same thing. This... Is a horrible position to be at.