Early on, she was incomparably overwhelming against any foe she had ever faced.
Originally, an opponent must at least allow for some form of response.
Humans can’t stand up to a storm.
They can’t fight against gales, and all they can do in the face of heat and cold is endure.
It was the same for him now.
However, an exception was granted this moment.
When the sacred sword emitted its light, even the wrath of nature-like blizzard and frost storm momentarily subsided.
Simultaneously.
“Why are you guys just playing around?!”
As if calling out to a friend, she sliced through the harsh cold with her arrival.
Aiseus.
“Pretty impressive skills, huh? You were hiding something like this? Bold move!”
Surprisingly,
her sword, which split the biting cold assaulting the human body, was absurdly powerful.
“…Why are you holding that?”
“Huh?”
Venus, who joined late, let out a dry laugh upon seeing the glowing object in Leo’s hand.
“What, you think that thing would go to someone like you?”
“That… That’s because Lady Riel told me to draw it…”
“What?”
What the hell is this nonsense?
“Hahaha-ha!”
While cleaving ice pillars and deflecting hail and ice shards with the wind,
Advancing forward as if running, Aiseus was clearly not normal in any sense.
“That chick’s lost it.”
“What in the world is going on with her?”
This wasn’t just Leo’s question.
“That family line has been famous since ancient times for hunting dragons and mixing dragon blood.”
And then, it was said they received blessings from the ancient native spirits residing in their territory.
“This one rejected the blessing, falling under a curse instead.”
In exchange for abandoning duty and responsibility, a girl who once had a glorious future ahead…
Rejected the grand future laid out for her by others and was cast out by her own country.
But thanks to her innate and prodigious talent,
wherever she went, she carved out her place and claimed her share.
There were no rivals of her generation.
And that remained true even now.
“Still, this is extraordinary by human or common sense standards.”
If something greater emerges, though, the story changes.
No sooner had Venus finished speaking than her body was flung back as if kicked by something unseen.
Even so, while rolling to absorb the impact, Aiseus managed to regain her footing and rise, showing how accustomed she was to such treatment.
“What’re you gonna do?”
“…”
“If you’re just gonna die, hand that over first. Then I’ll personally skewer her with it.”
“I… cannot do that.”
“Tch.”
Venus drew her sword with a scoff.
“Let’s settle this guy first, then we can talk.”
The battle unfolded fiercely.
Strangely enough, Aiseus displayed incredible responses as if used to such combat.
She countered even the magical onslaughts appropriately.
The resilience of Leo and his companions wielding the sacred sword wasn’t something to be underestimated either, given they were all warriors who had overcome countless adversities.
But.
No matter how much ants struggle, they’re still ants.
A pack of wolves might stand against a bear, but only when properly matched in strength and numbers.
Who decides these things, though?
…
The Demon King watched the situation unfold with apparent boredom.
To some, this might have been an intense, life-or-death struggle, but to her, it was all just someone else’s problem.
That changed when Carriel opened her eyes.
For the first time, a flicker of expression crossed her usually stoic face.
Her lips curved slightly as she gave a brief explanation of the current situation.
Right now,
while some were rolling on the ground and others were seriously contemplating amputation due to freezing limbs,
there were those piercing thighs with icicle spears, frozen solid yet still smiling madly as they swung their swords.
No matter how radiant and pure the sacred sword’s light may be,
it couldn’t counter mana-based magic, spells, or tricks.
Thus, the sacred sword offered no defense.
Helplessness. Weakness.
Perhaps the one most shaken was Leo himself.
Still, watching his comrades falter, he resolved himself.
Maybe.
If only he died, everyone else could survive.
But even so, Leo couldn’t bring himself to give up.
Not when the sacred sword itself emphasized perseverance.
Leo had no intention of giving up, not even a little.
“…”
And neither did Minette.
Perhaps this result could grant freedom to her and her younger brother, Rue.
But then,
what place would there be for her, the one who killed the hero?
Ultimately, there were only so many who’d accept her.
Why spare Bargo?
Partly to avoid unnecessary killing, partly because of potential future connections.
She herself would now be known as the Demon King.
Despite suppressing it until now, she had revealed herself.
It was no longer possible to avoid this fate.
Who would leave someone with power like hers alone?
She cursed her own intelligence.
If only she hadn’t known, she wouldn’t have to suffer like this.
“Uaaaaah!”
Suddenly,
the sacred sword in Leo’s hand began emitting fierce light.
The intense glow pierced the sky,
instantly dispelling all her established territory.
‘This…’
Dangerous.
Just moments ago, it seemed so frail, so easy to break.
What made him this way?
“…”
Following Leo’s gaze,
despite his own battered state,
was he angered by concern for his companions?
And did the sacred sword respond to that anger?
Instead of seeking vengeance, he chose to protect.
Realizing this brought another wave of despair.
Why did it have to come to this?
If only he were overwhelmingly stronger, making her defeat inevitable…
that might have been better.
‘But.’
She couldn’t let that happen.
With her movement, the freezing winds intensified,
rising like a dragon, matching the towering pillar of light.
Though dwarfed by comparison,
it showed no signs of weakening or fading.
Instead, it grew stronger.
‘Maybe.’
She might lose.
But she had to survive.
No matter how great the sin.
What crime had that child committed?
Or was being born itself a crime?
She didn’t know.
Still, the world was cruel and harsh,
and often the strongest wills and hopes were casually broken and trampled.
“Rudines!!”
“…”
Didn’t you remember her name was Minette?
What sorrow arose within her upon realizing this?
As the massive storm surged toward Leo and his companions raising the sacred sword,
breathing deeply, Leo prepared to meet it head-on.
…
―?
‘Wh-‘
Why are you here?
An impossible figure stood before them.
The dark youth gripping the longsword in his right hand
soon drew another blade from his waist with his left,
standing amidst the clash of light and storm,
confronting everything
-with swords in both hands.
‘Why?’
“Why are you doing this?”
‘Why are you here?’
This wasn’t just Minette’s question.
Even Leo, noticing this too late,
had already swung his sacred sword.
Above all,
the most bewildered by this situation seemed to be
the golden girl,
the Demon King herself.
…
Just minutes ago,
this kid, who always took on others’ suffering willingly,
was about to face the cruelty of reality.
The death of an acquaintance.
The powerless feeling of watching helplessly.
All this would eventually drive him to grow stronger.
While it might break others,
he was different.
Though living a tough life,
he was still like a flower in a greenhouse.
No matter how much you struggle in dreams,
they aren’t reality.
So, by confronting and overcoming reality’s harshness,
he would become stronger.
Yes.
That’s how it should have unfolded.
Except,
this body shouldn’t even be able to move.
Humans, no matter how strong-willed,
can’t do what can’t be done.
Can’t is absolute.
Then why―
did you stand?
In this environment where standing itself is difficult,
why can you walk forward?
Struggling to hold even a single straw,
how can you lift such a heavy sword?
“What are you planning to do?”
I don’t understand.
What are you trying to accomplish now?
The situation has passed.
Minette will retreat once Leo dies,
or if Leo somehow miraculously defeats Minette, it won’t harm you.
Your efforts won’t affect the outcome.
“Are you listening?”
…
What is he looking at?
What does he seek?
I don’t understand.
Why wield the sword? Why stand?
His condition is critical.
Being alive right now is practically a miracle.
Taking even a single step is tantamount to inviting death.
At any moment, he could perish from this suffering alone.
Can a body in such a state even walk?
Even disregarding that,
in this situation where even healthy individuals struggle to stand,
how can you advance through this biting wind and cutting cold?
Seconds, tens of seconds.
Yet, he somehow walked forward.
Upon reaching his destination,
he simply stood there for a while,
as if waiting for something.
Soon, an eerie silence descended.
Can this situation even be called silence?
On one side, a frost storm rises to the heavens,
freezing everything and reducing the area to wasteland.
Only Leo’s vicinity remains intact, protected by the sacred sword.
Yet Karrielle stands outside even that sanctuary,
completely exposed.
How can you even stand?
Why aren’t you affected?
Or rather, can this even be called unaffected?
‘This…’
Wasn’t expected.
I have limits too.
There’s a clear difference between recklessness and boldness.
Though I’ve pushed you beyond human limits,
those were all in dreams.
Illusions.
In reality, I would only encourage observation,
not reckless throwing oneself into certain death.
Certainly not in a situation like this.
“No…”
Surely not.
Could it be…
you’re standing there to protect that sacred sword kid?
The positioning feels off.
And why draw two swords?
As if targeting both sides?
By this point,
there’s nothing to do but follow the scene before my eyes.
Thus,
the full force of both sides converged instantly.
No, this was a collision.
And at the point of impact,
the barely standing Karrielle
raised his swords toward both sides.
It was as if…
trying to uphold a collapsing sky
with merely human hands.
Those small two hands.
Truly reckless.
Truly foolish.
Something unbearable to watch with open eyes.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
