*
I grip the sword I materialised in an instant, giving a large swing in a mowing motion, before leaping in. Just like how I practiced, I leaped at a low height while using the sword as a impromptu sheld as the blood bullets explode into magical particles above my head. The murder case? There was finally a lead, in fact there was only one place left to go, after what happened yesterday...
She leaped backwards as she shot her bullets at full speed, in exchange for the higher speed and unbelievable power she couldn't shoot them like a machine gun. In other words, there were much lesser bullets to dodge, and the previous days had already honed my senses into dodging them before she even fired them. They form explosions closely behind me, the heat creeping up onto my neck and searing my skin, but physically they were completely avoided. Ignore the searing pain... And use the propulsion to further your movements...
Even random movements can be easily predicted, she showed me that yesterday when she could suddenly shoot her barrage of blood bullets directly at me. At that time I had no concept of dodging, I simply moved as my brought me instead of controlling my body properly. Even if it seemed like I was moving my body, I was leaving it to my instincts to bring me to a safer position. Now... I have to use my eyes... And carefully observe... Then select the best position... There!
By looking at someone's movements, one could see a lot of information. Visible information relayed to the opponent can be fatal to oneself. But at the same time, it meant that it was possible for me to read her as well once I receive enough training... It was obvious with her experience and how she carries herself, even her expression is telling me as I move to that spot that I chose... That she saw it coming!
I jumped upwards as I deployed some air deflectors. Once you got used to the positioning of the air deflectors, it was simple to raise their power and deflect the bullets even further. 5 degrees downwards! And... Jump over! Mid-air propulsion to the side to gain some distance, then a final propulsion into her! Today Palmicia was doing a lot more than usual, she jumped backwards a few times and actually move about the underground debris that we've been training on. She kept her distance and dodged a few of my attacks already, even then I suppose she expects me to land an attack...
Let's see, the first day I learned to sense and dodge attacks faster than me. On the second day I learned to combine that with my movements, even if my attacks did minimal damage upon making contact. Today was to fight a moving opponent, in other words it was an actual battle. I've altered my blade a few times to suit the distance between us, usually ending in a burst expansion of my blade to thrust into her position.
But she always ended up dodging. I need to hit someone faster than myself... Usually a prediction would work, but if she could react faster than me than she could also dodge the predicted attack at the last second... This was by far the largest obstacle... I think I see it now... I don't have to move faster or react faster than them at all... This was a specific scenario where the opponent is faster, stronger and more durable than myself. It had always been a race to find or invent a technique that would get me out of this situation.
But what I should be thinking about... Shouldn't be what technique will solve this problem... Techniques won't salvage this kind of situation. What I need is pure strategy, that's why I don't need to react or move faster than them. I no longer need to. I just need to discretely get them to move in a way that is convenient for me. If I could do that, then I could land an attack. For that... I'll have to use my skill. It's all that I have left. It should be incorporated into my strategy.
What then? What do I need next... While I have these intrusive thoughts, I'm busy dodging her blood barrage with constant propulsion and predictions. With her experience, I don't think feints will work on her. Surprise attacks won't work on everyone. I need a solid plan that would allow me to score a finishing strike.
For now... I'll continue to hone my evasion as I fight. At this point I could see the bullets clearly, it's less because of my kinetic vision improving, but more so because I can predict their trajectories and positions now. Strictly, I wasn't observing them with my eyes but with my mind. A visualisation of everything in my surroundings, maximum visual acuity. Over the past few days, with the same bloody bullets... My eyes have gotten used to this ridiculous movement that scans everything around me in an instant.
I slowly approach her as I dodge each individual bullet, finding cracks in her firing trajectories or making cracks with the air deflectors. She was walking backwards at the same slow speed that I was approaching her at. Now. I extend my sword thrust straight forward. Since she was moving backwards, it was best that I strike while she was in the middle of moving. This time she couldn't dodge due to the subconscious pressure she was receiving from me, my evasion while not physically harmful to her, had made her aware that I was approaching her. This awareness was the slight pressure that was needed to push her backwards in a straight line.
The bursting expansion of the sword blew away all the bullets approaching me and stabbed right into her torso. It was an extremely shallow cut, but regardless of that, there was finally a cut. I could now deal damage to those who are stronger than me, much less those that are around the same level as me.
***
The second day. After heading into the public bath, Paridia had claimed to be my friend and entered on her own... The bath owner seeing that she was the same age as me let her in just like that... No, wait isn't this a breach of privacy?
My face was already flushed from the hot temperature, but to have a cute girl like Paridia enter the baths with me... Ahh... This is too much pressure! Staying here was tougher than when Frena, that general from the Illnoia Administration forced me into the ground with her power! Hnnng! Calm down! Take a deep breath.... Fuuuh~ I could still feel it right now, my rapidly beating heart. But it feels more distant now as if it was no longer part of my body. My conscious... Is absorbed by the atmosphere. I am one with nature.
Thinking as such, I turn to face her casually with a struggling smile. Desperate to not let my eyes wander around.
"W... What are you doing here? This timing is supposed to be reserved for me you know? Anyway, I was about to leave..."
Paridia with her fluffy light pink hair turned into a darker shade of wet drooping pink, sat a metre away from me with a relaxed look, seemingly enjoying the hot temperature of the water. As if she didn't hear my question at all, she closed her eyes with a big smile as her head tilted towards the ceiling. This caused her body to arch backwards in a way that emphasised her meagre assets. Well, I like all sizes so it didn't matter much to me. In fact I was around her size as well, thinking so, I decided to check out my own.
"I can tell you're looking you know?" (Paridia)
As I was in the middle of inspecting my own size, she spoke up. Her bell like clear and high voice gave me a jolting fright as my chest bounced over the water surface. My heart had finally calmed down, but now its beating fast out of shock! Dammit, is she just messing with me? I'm not interested in that kind of thing, so for me sexual attraction or romance has an off switch. I just needed to get serious by increasing my focus on something else. It was vital to focus on your opponent in battle after all. While I didn't have a particularly low attention span, it still took effort to make your thoughts or sight wander elsewhere in the middle of battle.
"Right, right. You caught me I guess. Anyway, what are you doing here? Did you also have some training nearby?"
Without turning her head, she spoke with a soft and monotonous tone, as if the conversation bored her to death. It felt like she had no emotion in that speech, but it was more likely that she was just tired. Back when I was a shut in for a year, I had a similar way of speech. It wasn't a phase where I hated the world and suppressed my emotions like a Chuuni, it was just that my sedentary lifestyle while very inactive had still left me feeling lethargic all the time.
This lethargy was what made me too lazy to add emotion into my speech and eyelids, so I always looked bored or have no interest in the first year of highschool. That was why it led to me having so little friends. Regardless, I made a couple of good friends that I would still try to remember even now. I hope they're doing alright. Though, all of that has very much changed now that I was a magical girl. Life was full of colour and excitement in the labyrinth, then the kidnapping and finally the war. It was such an ugly colour, but so vibrant at the same time.
It was just like normal life, but with added spice. There is no doubt, I enjoyed spending my time with the other magical girls, learning and sparring with them. I aimed to be the strongest knowing I was weaker than everyone else due to the anti-magic messing up my constitution. But thanks to that anti-magic leaving a hole in my body, I was able to absorb magic very quick and had a large growth spurt right after I recovered.
Title: Kaorin
Magical girl effectiveness level: B
Perimeters:
- Physical: A
- endurance: B
- speed: A
- will: B
- well: B
Magic combat dress:
- Passive 1, Gradient perception and Substance analysis. Can be used as a radar if living organisms are classified as a heterogeneous substance as relative positioning is revealed.
- Passive 2, Meagre recoil management. Recoil from punching and kicking is negated and transferred into the attack power of the punch or kick.
"I just wanted to relax.... And perhaps talk to you about something." (Paridia)
Could this be? A confession? Ah. The hot spring has already made my cheeks tomato red, so she won't notice if I'm blushing right now, right?
"... It's about the case isn't it. "
" Yeah. I walked here hoping I wasn't tracked, then I caught a slight presence of someone following me. That slight presence I felt, could have been magic instead of a person following me. The rushing water of this hot spring should hopefully churn out noise to block up that information gathering magic. " (Paridia)
" I knew it... Looks like we're being watched. Hopefully not in here though... Anyway, what would their motives be? "
" Killing Palmicia. It's a powerful A grade magical girl with a super high level of concealment and information gathering. If I were to make a guess, maybe a ninja themed magical girl... " (Paridia)
While she spoke about grave things her cute and high pitch didn't match up with what she was talking about, giving me a slight sense of confusion. She finally turned her head over to look at me while I had been staring at her from the start... Ah shit, I'm a pervert aren't I... Well, that's nothing new. I was simply too good at hiding it! Was I? Does Myuu know...? While my mind wandered about chaotically in this inappropriate venue for discussion, Paridia continued to speak with a frown.
"First a dragonoid then a ninja... I should have known... We were too naive to expect that there was only one A grade in this region... After all our own region had me and Gerald, why wouldn't other places have at least 2? Manpower issues? Not enough A grades to in the world to recruit? No... That shouldn't be a problem for the cult. Unlike the dragonoid, this one must have worked closer to progenitor magical girl, so she received instruction beforehand to spy on us... " (Paridia)
"... How do we deal with this one...? "
" With patience. You continue your daily training and pretend nothing is wrong. We wait until she comes out herself. I'll watch closely on Palmicia when you're not training with her. Remember, we are irregularities. She likely hasn't bothered to see your training, so when it's time you can surprise her. "(Paridia)
" Got it. "
Ah... I don't have to look at her directly to enjoy the view. So I turned back to look at the ceiling and closed my eyes. I can predict the shape by feeling the flow of magical particles... This is not cheating right? It's an ability everyone has afterall! Heheh, what a nice view.
"Jeez! I said I can tell if you are looking!" (Paridia)
Reprimanding in an angry huft, she crept behind me and slipped both her arms under my armpits.
"Ah! What the heck! "
How unfair! It felt wrong for me to touch them so I settled with observing only, but now she's touching mine?
"Hng~! Are you done now? Please let go... "
She grabbed them vigorously, moving them into different directions and shaking them like a child playing with toys. It was beginning to get irritating... Well, I could somewhat understand her frustration. After all, hers can't shake or move about as much as mine.
In the end, I still flashed her a smug look which sent smoke flying out of her ears.