What the magical girls desire
The battle between Inie and Mastidizaya was going in Inie’s favor, but every time the restraints loosened, she began to lose her advantage.
Especially after the left arm was released, it could be said that the situation became one-sided.
Once, Inie’s left arm was cut off, and though it quickly regenerated, her magic started to have no effect on Mastidizaya.
Marin clenched her fists and watched Inie’s battle seriously.
The venue that had been bustling yesterday now echoed only with screams and shouts of anger.
Several magical girls and fairies tried to stop the simulation by heading towards the simulator room, but the room where Inie and Mastidizaya were located was sealed with a barrier, and no one could enter.
A witch had cast the barrier to prevent any interference.
This barrier was so strong that even top-ranked individuals couldn’t break it, and thus the fate of the nine magical girls was entrusted solely to Inie.
However, neither the audience present nor the dignitaries of the Magic Bureau believed that Inie could win.
An atmosphere of resignation already hung in the air, and they merely watched as the magical girls met their end.
Though Marin wanted to complain to such people, doing so wouldn’t save Inie.
Magic leaked out in response to Marin’s anger, but she didn’t notice it herself.
Inie chanted “O breath of life, come to an end” and took a brief rest.
“…It’s a tough battle, isn’t it? Are you alright, Arongante?”
Through Faye’s eyes, Inie appeared battered and bruised, on the verge of being killed at any moment. She screamed when her arm was severed.
Though she immediately healed it with magic, some spectators fainted or vomited at the sight of the battle.
Despite this, Inie continued fighting without changing her expression.
Seeing Inie like this, blood dripped from Arongante’s clenched fist.
If possible, he wanted to intervene right away, but he understood from Thalagong, who went to the simulator room, that he couldn’t.
Moreover, due to something the witch mentioned before leaving, Arongante couldn’t leave the commentary booth.
“Yes. Mastidizaya has already become close to S Rank strength, far surpassing the upper levels. No matter how talented among the rookies, defeating it is… ”
Arongante couldn’t bring himself to say that this was Inie’s limit.
He thought saying it would mean the end.
Inie had fought hard.
She challenged a monster that was impossible to defeat and reached this point.
Now, even if she rested, no one would criticize her.
Yet…
A beam swept through the fragments of “O breath of life, come to an end,” and Inie barely avoided it but was blown back violently.
After bouncing several times on the ground, she stopped herself by thrusting her staff into the ground. Both legs bent unnaturally, and bones protruded from her arms.
“So this is the end?”
“Even though I had high expectations, you’re just an ordinary magical girl who hasn’t surpassed the rookie level.”
The dignitaries of the Magic Bureau gathered in the VIP seats during the New Demon War, throwing heartless words.
They had placed great hope in her but now expected her to fail.
Among the magical girls participating in the New Demon War, there were those favored by the Magic Bureau, whose deaths they preferred to avoid.
But with rookies gone, replacements were always available. Though losing profits from this event was unfortunate, there was nothing to be done about it.
“Still, if only we could incorporate that witch, she might become our trump card against Kaede…”
A man who had been given a terminal by the witch and input programs into the simulator casually remarked.
As the witch predicted, Inie wouldn’t win, but seeing Kaede panic made him feel vindicated.
“But their ideology is dangerous. Considering the kind of monsters like this one and the barrier currently surrounding the simulator room, incorporating them might be premature.”
“Regardless, for now, all we can do is wait for this magical girl to lose and the New Demon War to end. Honestly, why doesn’t she just die already?”
To these men, magical girls were merely resources. However, for appearances, they reluctantly observed Inie’s battle.
If Arongante, Marin, or Kaede ever found out about this, the VIP seats would surely be drenched in blood.
Meanwhile, the men ate snacks and drank wine, killing time.
1
The spot where Inie had been blown back was where Dendrobium, Orlantan, and other magical girls were fleeing. They were shocked to see Inie suddenly appear in tatters.
Both feet pointed in strange directions, and her arms were in a terrible state.
Despite bleeding profusely all over, Inie struggled to stand up.
When Inie cast a spell, her injuries healed, but the traces of blood remained, telling of the intensity of the battle.
Inie briefly looked at Dendrobium and others before standing up as if nothing happened and attempting to walk away.
“Wait!”
“Are you okay? You’re bleeding so much…”
Dendrobium and Orlantan instinctively cried out.
While they, as fellow magical girls, could do nothing but flee, she silently intended to return to the monster.
Inie stopped and turned around.
Orlantan almost stepped back upon seeing Inie’s face.
Though her wounds were indeed healed, her once beautiful face was now covered in blood and dirt.
She swayed as if she would collapse at any moment, unsteady on her feet.
And yet, despite challenging an SS-class monster alone, there was no trace of fear in her eyes. She didn’t utter a single word of complaint or shed a tear, continuing to fight the monster alone.
At the sight of her, Orlantan felt sheer terror.
Being looked at with eyes that negated everything, Orlantan swallowed hard.
“It’s fine. Excuse me.”
“Wait! Is this really okay? Fighting alone… We too…”
“You’d only be in the way. Haven’t you heard from Dendrobium?”
Caliprulnus snapped at Inie, but Inie showed no change in expression. She simply stated the truth.
If the other nine faced the current Mastidizaya, they wouldn’t last thirty seconds.
Their mere presence would be a hindrance.
“But you’re bleeding so much, and you look like you’re about to fall!”
Though magic healed her, the extent of her injuries and the amount of blood she had lost were evident from her tattered robe, dyed red.
The spectators and Arongante didn’t know what words to offer.
They already knew.
That Inie was the only one who could fight Mastidizaya.
But they also knew that Inie was nearing her limits.
The worst future was fast approaching.
“If you want to help me, please stay together and keep your distance. That’s more than enough.”
Still, Inie refused to give up and continued her challenge.
Her attitude was exemplary for a magical girl.
But her figure was unbearably painful and tragic.
“Why… Why can’t we do anything? We’re magical girls too…”
Orlantan muttered these words to no one in particular.
It was likely what all the magical girls here, except Inie, were thinking.
An SS-class monster wasn’t something an ordinary magical girl could oppose.
It would be futile death.
Then, following Inie’s advice, escaping and staying together would cause the least trouble.
“In the future, grow stronger. This one is enough for me. I will definitely defeat it.”
“Inny Flowering… I’m sorry.”
Inie’s words deeply moved their hearts.
Even in such a condition, she still intended to protect them.
She had conveyed her determination to win.
Inie took flight.
Her figure resembled a savior angel.
2
After Inie began flying, light overflowed from her staff and was absorbed into her.
“What exactly is that?”
Faye, who had been shedding tears over the exchange between Inie and the participants of the New Demon War and whose voice still trembled, tilted her head in confusion.
“I don’t know, but since Inie isn’t chanting any spells, it seems to be something other than magic…”
Even after the light disappeared from the staff, there was no change in Inie’s appearance, and the battle with Mastidizaya resumed.
Mastidizaya waited in mid-air without pursuing Inie after blowing her away, as if it had no intention of fighting anyone else.
Arongante, reflecting on the battles so far, realized that the Mastidizaya Inie was fighting now was likely different from the one he defeated in the past.
Without a doubt, the Mastidizaya Inie was facing now was more cunning and powerful.
Even with the facial restraints still in place, it was probably already at SS-class strength.
—A strength that Inie couldn’t possibly overcome.
Even if, by some miracle, the facial restraints were destroyed, Inie would be killed instantly.
From this point onward, Inie’s fighting style shifted from trying to win to giving it her all.
She skillfully used various magics to maneuver and bet everything on one strike.
But then, Inie’s black wings disappeared, and Mastidizaya seized the opportunity to launch a slash attack.
With the disappearance of her black wings, Inie, who couldn’t move agilely, failed to dodge completely and had her left arm cut off again.
Unlike before, when it regenerated instantly, this time she only stemmed the bleeding and didn’t regenerate the arm.
The audience thought she must have run out of magic power to heal it.
“Ah. Is it over then…”
“No, not yet. It’s not over.”
In a state without an arm, Inie somehow managed to hold her staff and chant a spell.
Doing so caused her left arm to vanish and create five magic circles.
Chains shot out from these toward Mastidizaya’s limbs, restraining it.
“Looks like she used part of her body as a catalyst for magic. Though restrained, it’ll probably only last for tens of seconds.”
“What does Inny Flowering intend to do?”
Anyone could see that Inie had reached her limits.
Her face was pale, and blood still flowed from various parts of her body.
Her grip on the staff seemed weak, her arm wrapped around it as if holding on for dear life.
Inie faced away from Mastidizaya and slowly began chanting.
As if making a final desperate attempt, she moved her mouth feebly.
“To the chaotic world, deliver salvation.”
Presumably, Inie’s final magic resounded throughout the venue.
Mastidizaya was enveloped in light, and a sound like shattering glass echoed.
The simulation field began to turn black, and Mastidizaya let out a roar that shook the heart as its true form emerged after the restraints were removed.
Its appearance had completely changed, sending chills down spines even through the screen.
The Mastidizaya that Arongante had fought in the past did not undergo such a transformation when the restraints were removed.
“What is this creature…”
Such a thing, whether human or magical girl, couldn’t possibly win.
Faye’s mind was filled with such thoughts.
“Inie… please…”
One could say the match was already decided.
On one side, Inie, having lost her left arm and battered beyond recognition.
On the other, Mastidizaya, unscathed and roaring as if finally ready to unleash its full power.
Marin clasped her hands and prayed fervently.
Perhaps it was futile,
but thoughts must surely transform into strength.
That’s what magical girls are supposed to be…
However…
Mastidizaya moved at a speed that blurred vision and approached Inie.
Realizing this, Inie attempted to escape but was too late.
Mastidizaya’s sword pierced deep into Inie’s abdomen.
Everyone turned away simultaneously, unwilling to witness the end of the battle.
But Marin, Mika, and Arongangan refused to avert their gaze, determined to see the battle through to its conclusion.
“ZUDON!”
From the commentator’s booth microphone came the sound of something breaking.
Arongangan, enraged upon seeing Mastidizaya laughing while impaling Inie with its sword, smashed part of the equipment.
“Excuse me…”
Attempting to mask his fury, Arongangan apologized.
Inside, however, he was seething, wanting to shout uncontrollably.
The current Mastidizaya could easily kill Inie with a single cannon blast, yet it deliberately chose to stab her with its sword and laugh.
Arongangan understood the reason and couldn’t suppress his anger.
(That bastard, he intentionally didn’t kill Inie but instead forced her to see his own eyes… How cruel!)
Upon meeting Mastidizaya’s gaze, Inie’s eyes widened momentarily before closing.
Arongangan surmised that she had reached her limit due to excessive blood loss and mental strain.
Mastidizaya brought its right-arm cannon close to Inie’s face.
Everyone anticipated the end.
Even if she transformed into Enhanced Form at this point, victory would be impossible.
Marin closed her eyes and quietly shed tears.
Mika sobbed, mourning the death of her best friend.
But Arongangan continued watching until the end.
Thus, he noticed Inie’s lips moving faintly.
As the cannon barrel emitted light, ready to fire its projectile, Inie’s faint voice reached the arena…and Arongangan’s ears…
“…Release…”
