*
"... Guess you got beat by a bunch of B grades huh?" (Edalsear, Grundo alliance Warlord)
"... Have you heard what they said or at least what they're trying to do?" (Elliot, 6th general of the Illnoia administration)
"Yeah, they think we're here to take their resources and dissolve their faction. To them, we're the invaders this time. But haven't you gone soft? Even if they think they're right, it doesn't mean we should forsake our mission. Not when it concerns the world. " (Edalsear)
"... Going soft or not doesn't matter when you look at what we're doing. How many lives do you think has been wasted? How many of our side died for our cause and how many of their side died for their home? This is horrible... I didn't become a magical girl to starts wars... " (Elliot)
"... So you became a general not to kill but to defend your home? It's hypocritical. These people are defending their own homes too.
Well this is your own dilemma to deal with. I'm not the one to care about such petty things. My form of justice is much more straight forward. If there's an enemy, I'll kill them regardless of their objectives.
But now I can guess how you lost. You didn't have the will to skewer them and use your last skill, so you hoped they would give up? " (Edalsear)
They both wielded difficult expressions, hard to see under the dim light of their primitive lamp, but also bright enough to tell what each other were thinking. They were hardened warriors who had fought for years, even before The Great Disaster. It was simply the scale of the battle that had changed. They fought and killed believing in what they chose to believe, but now the mass appearance of corpses from a war would even made a seasoned veteran retch up in disgust.
She returns back eye contact after thinking over and organising her thoughts. Her heart shooked and bounced a little before settling down with the rhythm of her breath. They were both sat in wooden chairs inside a large tent. There was a large camp that they had made with their armies, the structures and furniture made by the magical girl's in their ranks. It was surreal to see a bunch of young girls fighting in a war, but they couldn't do much about it. Nature decided that the body of a young girl conducted magic the best, and so anyone who had awakened as a magical girl naturally transformed into one.
At first it was assumed that they may have lacked some body parts or organs that a girl would have, but strangely enough everything was there. This lead to things outside the public eye, things people would rather not say. These dealings were like rats, they kept multiplying while hiding in the dark. It was always there, people just chose not to speak about it. Moreover the labyrinth was practically a paradise without any of these things.
"Damn it. Why did they have to bring the whole world into this. Couldn't they have settled it among themselves?!" (Elliot)
She punched the ground in anger. Even as she had made sure to control her strength, the land around them proceeded to shake like a tremor. It alerted the guards outside, but as they were so close they easily checked that it was nothing. Nothing but a mere temper tantrum from one of their superiors.
Even if it didn't exactly apply to Elliot in particular, some magical girls were indeed from as young as middle school. The thing was that there was no time to verify before hand. So some magical girls... Inevitably got traumatised. Tending to them would be the duty of those who were better off mentally. Magical girls use to only operate in the dark, but The Great Disaster changed all of that. A magical girl ruling a country wasn't unprecedented as well, but they were never this open about it. Only such a great power could warrant unearthing this tremendous secret.
"... We still have to watch out for the union. We're in Sanctuarian territory now, so we're safe. But you never know." (Edalsear)
"... I reckon we'd be the best guards for each other, so we should take shifts." (Elliot)
"Aight." (Edalsear)
The white haired girl gave off a slight smile as she agreed. It was a tiny moment of respite, but it was valuable nonetheless as it gave her peace of mind. She gave Elliot a slight nod to thank her, but she wasn't sure if Elliot caught on. So she proceeded to set up her sleeping bag and rested for the night. Elliot simply stared at the entrance, and then at Edalsear. It was an odd partnership to work with such a big authority such as a general from another faction. She was just glad that her partner wasn't anyone too difficult. Even if their values differ, Edalsear had stayed truthful to her and confronted her in a civil manner.
Seeing as she had pure white hair, it meant that Edalsear had an extremely fast rate of growth in battle. It meant that her partner was strong and reliable, but also scary at first. Seeing as she was also a warlord from a mideastern faction called the Grundo alliance, she didn't know what to expect as well. What surprised her was how readily Edalsear agreed to retreat. She thought that she would have given her much more trouble than that, and ultimately get herself killed by enemy forces. Now, she was really thankful instead.
***(Kaoru)
"... How do you want to proceed, going forward..." (Barius)
"Pff... It's not like you to be shy...
I wouldn't be able to see much in these outskirt regions so I'm thinking of exploring normal human society at Central. They've given some funds for me to live comfortably for a bit, maybe I'll return later."
"... I know it's not in my place to say this but... I'm disappointed. You were the one who supported me, told me I was needed and kept me from running away. And now you're running away yourself?! "(Kenzi)
"... I have no excuses. "
"... I'm... A little disappointed as well. But I don't think I can leave you alone, so I'm coming as well. "(Myuu)
" Thank you... Myuu... "
"... I can't dictate what you do with your life. With our contributions the war in fending off an S-grade magical girl, we've earned that freedom. "(Fiel)
" I am of the same opinion. Listen here, I'll get stronger than ever before, to the point that you'll see me as a threat. "(Garion)
" Thank you! I'll look forward to it. "
" We still have some things to take care off, but we may join you some time in the future. " (Izumi)
" Forsooth. " (Vibell)
" I'm sure it won't come down to it, but everyone else would be glad to welcome you back here if things don't work out. " (Xin)
"... I suppose that would be the first thing I do. Anyway, bye guys!"
" Hey! Aren't you forgetting someone! "
(Barius)
Her face sat a little flush, but her overall demeanour suggested otherwise. She was simply mad. Her eyes reflected a glint of myself in them as she stared directly at mine. It's times like this that I hate direct eye contact, other than making things awkward and uncomfortable, they also reflect myself. They show me how other people see me. They show me what I don't want to see. But I suppose this was Barius, given her personality she would do this.
I return a smile. While she can proudly face her limits head on, I must deceive others to face mine. I must deceive them and I must deceive myself.
"What is it? You coming as well?"
"I will become perfect. When that time comes, I'll be omnipotent or at least have large amounts of power then. So if you have any problems or worries then, come to me for help. I'll be that much stronger than you, so completely and utterly advantageous that I can even provide some respite. Don't hesitate to rely on us. " (Barius)
" Hahah! That's way too much to say you'll miss me. I'll visit sometimes. But I think I'll look for a new life. "
"... " (Barius)
***
As it had only been a day after the attack, we took it slow with the travel. We started some walking before gradually adjusting to higher speeds with our magical girl augmentations. Within a few hours, a view vastly different than what we were used to appeared over the horizon. From the outside, it was still a somewhat familiar mix of wooden and rock homes, though they are considerably more polished. But what shocked us was not what was in the vicinity. It was what anyone could see in the distance.
These buildings were the norm during modern times. Concrete sky scrapers. It felt like we had returned to civilisation for a second, until we realised the labyrinth was full of such buildings. The difference was that these ones had numerous varying designs rather than a monotone simple cuboid. At this point, civilisation has progressed enough to not only barter with other goods, but also use currency.
As the day went by, we quickly found a cheap place to rent as we accustomed ourselves to the city's layout. As it was only the first day, we took our time in only exploring the main streets. Compared to where we used to be, there were so many more people and stores here. Multitudes of goods and different food was being sold, and though there was some compact housing, single floor facilities had become the norm.
"Look Kaori! Skewers!" (Myuu)
"hehe, want to buy some? My treat!"
"Really? Are you trying to buy a favour of me?" (Myuu)
"... No, it's more of an apology. Let's go."
For a moment, we couldn't maintain our smiles under the heavy atmosphere. But all of that was blown away when the stall uncle handed our food to us. Strangely enough, he had a comforting smile under his heavy grey mustache. He had decently sized muscles on his arms and legs, but he had accumulated somewhat of a belly. His arm bristles had grown long on his forearm, acting as a form of insulation for his large grill.
Everything was made better by the food, and before we knew it, we had finished it and resumed our tour. Shops that sold tools and other practical equipment were far more common than say luxuries, such as books and toys. But just the fact that this place has begun to resemble modern society, even at the far outskirts of Central was immensely relieving. Humans, people are getting back what they lost. Perhaps after a few generations, the scars of The Great Disaster would have left everyone's heart.
"UUUUUuuuuhhh!!! AAAAAAaaaahhhh!!!!!!" (?)
"?!"
A man who looked to be in his 40s was hollering while sprawled over the sidewalk. He didn't seem to be an undead type controlled by parasitic monsters. His skin complexion was fairly average rather than being too pale, his looks of ragged unkempt hair flailed around like a dirty mop, as he dug his nails into his cheeks and pulled his face down as much as possible. His clothes were dirty and full of stains, he wore a thin light bluish cardigan and grey shirt with torn jeans. The smell that came off of him was not very pleasant as it drove everyone away, causing the crowd to walk around him.
He stops screaming to look into my eyes, before shifting his gaze down. My body felt uncomfortable, squirming under the examination and ready to punch him into a back alley. But before my thoughts solidified in my mind, he hollered once more.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!" (?)
He screamed his entire heart out, tearing out all his vocal strength and throat muscles. His body quivered on the ground exceedingly, as if he had went into a shock. But the next second... A shop owner actually kicked him to a back alley. I could only stare at what had happened with an open jaw, slowly digesting the situation that just happened.
".... Seeing as such, you girls aren't from around here. Are you magical girls? Guess you girls have got it good, if you aren't used to this." (Rikur amsedio)
"...".
"... It's PTSD... I'm more surprised that you girls aren't aware of it. If a world ending cataclysm had happened and had taken everything people held dear, it's only natural for some to end up that way no?"
Their mind has broken, and they become slightly able to sense your magic and freak out when they do. That's why the other magical girls can't do much about it, if the patient freaks out upon sensing magic." (Rikur)
Another stall owner who was selling fruits had explained it to us. He had brown braided locks and a relaxed demeanour. His tan face looked slightly youthful as if he could split into a smile at any time. But his eyes were jagged and his voice was coarse.