*
She hopped into mid air ready to propel herself off her explosive attacks. I need to strike her while she's in mid air. Boosting myself even more, I shot forward while swing my right fist. The attack.... The distortion of space appears right inbetween us. It was not that attack itself that completely turned the nature of the chase. She switched places with the spacial distortion, her leg ready in a kicking position, and the spacial distortion ready to propel her kick attack on me.
*Boom!!!*
A short but quick detonation went by the river of time. It was as if she could determine when her attacks exploded this whole time. As a result, her leg was launched into my face and destroyed my nose and cheek.
Stick auto-technique, using skill [The gap of impermanence is a cage] for body manipulation, using [Hollow calamity] for recoil manipulation. Instant auto-counter. With the Stick I was able to use some skills automatically with minimal input, and inputting a combination results in this. An automatic technique. As the opponent's leg smashes into my skull, my right arm that had bunched up into a fist acts not on its own accord. As if. A supernatural force had possess it without and regard for the position of its bone and muscles, it bends at an unnatural angle and launches an attack in the middle of the opponent's attack.
It does nothing to defend me, and if the opponent had enough physical strength to kill me it would practically be a gamble. But this time we had the same physical stat, and I was the one with the strength enhancements. I strike her abdomen, my shoulder socket felt like it was tearing itself apart to say nothing of the pain that my face felt. The exchanged attacks send us flying into opposite directions, although they didn't actually do enough damage to put either rof us down. Unsteadily, we both pick up ourselves and walked towards each other at a gradual speed. As if waiting for some signal to begin round 2.
I clutch my right arm, the pain permeating my joint as if it had been bent beyond its usual function... The blackish orange aura waned and dissipated... I was now left without Kenzi's buff... I can't react nor can I defend against her now... Throughout this time, my strength stat had finally gone from a B-grade to an A-grade. But that was all. It was the result of months of training, and this was where I ended up. Not being able to properly use it ever. Her speed was between 10-100 times my own. I would easily get blitzed by her, now that I had nothing left.
Some smoke was wafting off of her abdomen. It seemed the punch I did still left a little mark. But even then, it was all about to become meaningless.
"Second skill. [Mythical armour manifestation]." (Elliot)
Matching her emerald green hair, an armour with an identical sheen started to form around her body. It was a full body armour that doesn't seem to be made out of normal matter. It was energy armour. It most likely enhances her stats. Beyond what I already lack, she piles more obstacles upon it as if to emphasise my helplessness. An all around despairing situation. I could only meet it with a poker face. Was I used to it? Have I been broken by undergoing too many battles. This was the second. For some reason, I don't think I'll get spared this time like with Frena. She came here to kill us,and nothing else. Nothing could change this outcome, I've done all that I could.
I even want to think that I made her use her second skill. But she only pulled it out to toy with me. I couldn't move her nor could I move myself. I'm stuck at this impasse, slowly awaiting my death. Hahah, I don't want to die... What is this... Is it tears. I'm crying now? While clutching my right arm and kneeling down from my weakened legs. It looks so pathetic on me right now. I hate it. I don't want it anymore. This image of me being reliable. I don't need it if it gets me killed. I don't want to die.. All that talk about resolve? That was all bullshit. I hate this power. I hate this situation. I hate everything.
My life wasn't so interesting before. It may be a little more interesting now, but at what cost? Every since I got this power, it's been nothing but danger! Life and death! The meaning of life! The meaning of friendship! The value of everything around you! Screw it all with all those flowery words. If I had my completely normal life back, I wouldn't need to ponder over such basic things! If I were still living my normal life I wouldn't lose enough things to start thinking about such things! Who would have thought?! Who would expect a magical girl to keep reflecting on herself and the world around her, and then question topics as simple as friendship?!
I... I'm too tired... For this hero stuff... I don't want to fight anymore... I'm too exhausted.... I'm not suited for this kind of thing... It's so foolish... To fight over something I would lose one day anyway....
Elliot approaches me. She stands a metre in front of me, about to bring back her fist. A familiar sound bounces into my ear drums, like thousands of rocks grinding into each other to form a chaotic bass requiem. A warm palm touches between my neck and shoulder as if trying to comfort me. My body was still shaking, but I turn around and see through the tears. Due to a passive from my combat dress, substances cannot obscure my vision. So I see pretty clearly through my tears, as if they were small glass shards. On her face was an expression that was a mix of pity and sadness.
"B... Barius.... Your magic is back..."
"... Sorry I didn't make it back in time. You lasted quite a while huh, you did great. You really did... Leave it to us. From the tears it seemed that you aren't ready to die yet. I had a tool that was charging magic the whole time, so this time stop will still last a little longer.
Run while you still can. If you believe in our faction, go hide in Central. If you don't, no one would blame you for hiding in the Grundo alliance or the Illnoia administration. "(Barius)
Her voice contained a slight tinge of resignation and melancholy. It was a steady and sombre tone, it spoke about her will and resolve to carry things through even though the situation looks absurdly horribly right now. The biggest difference was that it didn't shake as much as my own voice.
"!?! Her defense is too strong! She hasn't even revealed her final skill yet! You guys will die!! Please, you guys should run too! "
I cry my voice out like a child. It felt like my throat went sore, but I couldn't give up. Just like moments ago, I imagine their deaths like I did mine, and I hated it. I couldn't stand for it. Not when I fought this hard for them and for myself. I've killed so many others yet I cry like a kid when it's my turn. It's disgraceful. Egotistical even, to value my own life more than that of others. Saying it's necessary to kill them and take the life of others. I'm sure Elliot thought the same as well, pausing in shock at how shameless I was.
"... And leave Kanou to die? And leave everyone fighting on the main front to die?
Kaori. I've respected and admired you since you took charge in Illnoia. Even through your cowardice and weakness, you decided to take charge to make things easier on everyone.
We knew you weren't the perfect leader. But honestly, we were all just too scared to do it back then. Think about it. You were the leader of the rebel group, the scapegoat, the person sticking their neck out the most.
But even so. No, its precisely so. Its the same throughout history. Those who are not willing to die will rely on those who are. In exchange they survive and tell tales of those who have fallen. Its the same now isn't it? " (Barius)
" I.... I.... I know it's annoying, but I don't want you guys to die either... "
There it was again. My selfishness. What would it make me, if I were to run now and give up the life of a magical girl? Of course I have thought about it before. What was the point of a magical girl? Obviously it was for fighting those monsters that appear in the wild instead of fellow magical girls. But this was how war ended up. I killed to survive. I killed so that less of my comrades were killed. I killed so that there would be less suffering. But then what about them?
Every single one of them were intelligent human beings. They weren't monsters or anything incomprehensible. They had their own consciousness, wills to survive, stories to tell. And I cut all of that short. I gave up long ago on becoming the ideal magical girl, the special heroine that was innocent and perfect to all. I saw the reality of this world through the repeated attacks by other magical girls, and strived to protect my new friends instead. I lost all I have, my family, my valued possessions and merch, my hobbies, my school life. I was clearly a very materialistic person. I held my feelings inside and griefed for my belongings instead of my family, blaming it on our minimal communication. Because I thought that if I cried for them now, I wouldn't stop.
And now? I have no more power to offer. I have nothing left to offer. No plans, no strength, no value. Only burden and tears.
" I know. I was watching a bit before you started crying. You were agonising over us before your tears came out, right? Because you cared about us, you couldn't run away. I'm sure someone as strong as you could easily stand up and run away. But you sat there agonising over other shit instead. "(Barius)
... Huh? I was? No, I wasn't. I was only thinking about myself.
".... And now through your dropped jaw, I can tell you were shock. Well, you are right. You never think about us. Only about yourself and how you think. Now is no time for this.
It's okay. I'll tell you right now, you are faultless for wanting to survive. It's fine to be selfish as you are. At the end of it all, please rely on us instead. " (Barius)
She looks over at Elliot who was just a metre in front of me. She stands inbetween us, her own magical particles permeating out as a deep blue aura. A large chunk of water materialises in an instant to wrap around Elliot. Usami shoves her hand into the blob of water, releasing loads of electricity into it. Barius carries me before doing a backwards jump to make some distance. She puts me down before taking a few steps forward.
"Run now. Well, it's up to you after all. Die here or survive. For me, for the rest of us, we will resist to the very end." (Barius)
Picking my body back up, I could only stare on in silence as Barius initiates another time stop. Xin, Usami, Myuu, Garion and Fiel launch various long range attacks at the opponent's still figure. The smoke from all the attacks colliding on the opponent's body fades away. Her armour sustained not even a single scratch. It was as if we were still at the very start of the battle. But only the 7 of us were here. Kenzi, Vibell and Izumi were still knocked out.
What did I want to do? What can I do? There was no way around this. Kenzi was completely out and there was no way for me to be able to get through her defence. There was nothing I could do... I need to... Reevaluate my own values... No one was here to tell me what to do. No one was here to help me now. These girls were determined to fight to their deaths while I just sat here. This fear of death is not something I could easily overcome. What then? What the hell do I do in this disaster....
I wish I wasn't such a dreadful hypocrite.