Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 40 - Chapter 2

Episode 2: A Normal Day for Maki and Crimson

Rainbow Heart stoutly believed in strict adherence to the rules and all that was right, so upon the group’s return from Forthorthe, the magical organization insisted that they all pass an academic achievement exam to prove they were qualified to move up a grade at Harukaze High. The looming test was a waking nightmare for Yurika and Sanae—but the situation was a little different for the former evil magical girl Maki, who also stoutly believed in abiding by the rules. She knew she could succeed as long as she reviewed the appropriate material ahead of time. She even thought she stood a chance of passing without reviewing at all, but a strict, earnest girl like Maki wasn’t the type to cut corners. Thus she was in the library to study again today.

“I should really learn more history...”

Today, she was going over Japanese history. Her table was lined with books and notes on the subject. The test would only cover what was in her textbooks, but she was additionally consulting reference books on the parts that were difficult to learn. Koutarou, who was carrying several books himself, was impressed when he saw her setup.

“I see you’re hard at work, Aika-san,” he remarked.

“Well, I wasn’t born in Japan, so this is one of my worst subjects,” Maki whispered so that only Koutarou could hear. Since she was from Folsaria, the subject was naturally foreign to her. Her grades in and knowledge of local history were average at best, and she saw that as a weakness to overcome.

“You’re both magical girls, but you’re completely different... Hmm...”

Taking a seat next to Maki, Koutarou cracked open a book for himself. He’d come to the library with her, but rather than studying for himself, he had someone else in mind. His goal was to find study materials for Yurika and Sanae.

“Yurika only ever tries to overlook her own faults. I wish she’d take a hint or two from you,” he grumbled as he flipped through Learn with Manga: Japanese History. He’d picked it up with the two slackers of room 106 in mind, knowing they would get bored with books that were nothing but text.

“Personally, I’m envious of Yurika,” Maki replied.

“You really shouldn’t be,” Koutarou assured her.

“But you’re always thinking about her.”

“Not in a good way...”

“Even so.”

Maki was beginning to feel like her stubborn commitment to rules and norms was a fault. It made her less memorable. Meanwhile, Yurika and Sanae—for all their faults—constantly occupied Koutarou’s mind. In fact, he was thinking of them even now.

Hearing Maki’s perspective on this, Koutarou stopped to think. He then glanced over at her before slowly reaching over to Maki’s right hand beneath the table. Maki was surprised at first, but she quickly took his hand in return.

“Satomi-kun, it’s hard to study like this...”

“You’re free to let go.”

“Absolutely not,” Maki replied, sticking out her tongue.

Their fingers intertwined as the smile on her face grew brighter. With only one hand available each,their study efficiency dropped like a rock. Even so, Maki was in a great mood, but it didn’t last for long...

“Wow, Maki, you should take a look at your mug in a mirror.”

“C-Crimson?!”

Unfortunately, the instant Maki spotted an old friend at the opposite corner of the table, she let go of Koutarou’s hand in a panic. She had no intention of denying her feelings for him, but she considered those incredibly private. She would much rather keep them to herself.

“It’s been some time,” Maki said, trying to pull herself together. “Since Forthorthe, I believe.”

“Too late to play it cool now.”

“Ugh...”

Crimson stared at Maki in amusement. The former Dark Navy was blushing and squirming. It was clear how rattled she was. Her earnest nature was betraying her.

What should I do...?

Koutarou wasn’t caught off guard the same way Maki was, but he didn’t want to say anything that might make the situation worse for her. He decided simply to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

“S-So, what are you doing here?” Maki asked falteringly. She was indeed curious as to why Crimson was in the school library, but her true aim was to change the subject.

“I thought it’d be fun to come see what you were up to,” Crimson replied.

“E-Excuse me?!”

“I’m joking. Calm down.” Crimson soothed Maki with a sly smile. She had little interest in romance to begin with, so she was only teasing Maki. Satisfied for now, she then replied honestly, “I actually got some unexpected time off, so I wanted to pay you a visit.”

“You got time off? Why are you even on Earth?”

Crimson and the rest of Darkness Rainbow were making use of their special talents as mediators between Folsaria and the galactic empire nowadays. They should have had their hands full with their new job back in Forthorthe.

“Well,” Crimson began as she leaned over the table, “Purple has business here, and Green is acting as her assistant.”

“Is it for some kind of negotiation?” Maki asked.

“You nailed it. They’re delivering a message from Forthorthe to Rainbow Heart with Nana.”

“I see. So you’ve already hit a snag coordinating the immigration.”

“Nailed it again. I see you’ve still got your head on straight, even in love.”

“Please, spare me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Hahaha.”

Forthorthe was planning to take in both the Folsarians and the People of the Earth, and the first step in arranging the move was establishing contact between the nations. Select members of Darkness Rainbow had thus returned to Earth alongside Theia and Clan as emissaries. Once on the planet, Nana and Purple had continued on to Folsaria. They’d taken Green with them for her intelligence and information processing skills.

“So what’s your role in the operation?” Maki asked.

“I’m the bodyguard,” Crimson replied.

“What are you doing here, then?”

“Don’t sweat it. There’s nothing to worry about now that Purple and Green are in Folsaria.” Crimson’s job was to escort Nana and the others, but after safely delivering them to Rainbow Heart, she was left with nothing to do until Folsaria decided what their next move would be. “So I found myself thinking of you.”

“And that’s why you came to see me? But still, now that I look at you, I have to say I’m surprised to see you in that outfit, Crimson.” Now that Maki had calmed down, she finally took notice of what her friend was wearing—the Kisshouharukaze High School uniform.

“You’re going to say that it doesn’t suit me, aren’t you?” Crimson asked. “Go ahead and laugh.”

“Ahahahaha!”

“Stop that!”

“Heh, I’m sorry. You were trying not to cause a scene, weren’t you?”

“Yet you’re still laughing... That’s not very nice, you know?” Crimson complained.

“That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to be lately,” Maki replied.

“You’re into something weird again, huh?”

Crimson was thoughtless in a different sense than Yurika or Sanae, but even she understood that showing up to Harukaze High in her usual outfit would have caused trouble. She’d accordingly changed clothes in order to blend in. So even though Maki felt the school uniform didn’t suit her, she didn’t say anything more on the matter.

“I’m sorry to say,” she began instead, “that I don’t have the same kind of free time, Crimson.”

“Oh? You got plans to do a little this and that with this man?”

“No! I have a test coming up!”

Koutarou watched their conversation unfold with great interest. He was seeing sides of Maki that she never revealed under ordinary circumstances. He could only assume it was because Crimson was an old friend. After mulling over their relationship for some time, Koutarou stood up from the table.

“All right,” he said. “I’m going to go look for more study materials.”

“Oh, sure thing, Satomi-kun.”

Koutarou had figured the girls would have an easier time talking without him present. They were close friends who hadn’t really seen each other since being forced to fight one another, after all. They undoubtedly had plenty to sort out between them, so Koutarou wanted to leave them to it. Fortunately, he had the perfect excuse. Finding more study aides for Yurika and Sanae would be a far better use of his time than getting in Maki and Crimson’s way. The two girls watched him disappear between the rows of bookcases. Now that he was gone, the subject of their conversation naturally shifted.

“You know... I really am surprised to see you two getting along so well,” Crimson remarked.

“This again? Please drop it already,” Maki begged as her cheeks flushed. She felt truly awkward discussing the matter, so she wanted to drop it as soon as possible.

“I’m not trying to make fun of you or anything. That’s honestly how I feel.”

“Crimson...” Maki couldn’t deny her friend. She looked so sincere that Maki felt compelled to reconsider and hear her out.

“I could hardly believe your face, Maki.”

“Was it that bad?”

At that, Maki realized that Crimson had only teased her before because Koutarou was present. She couldn’t help smiling a little at the thought. When she grinned, Crimson did too.

“I’ve never seen you look so innocent and open.”

The Maki that Crimson knew was always angry. She hated the world, which never played by the rules. It left her with quite a chip on her shoulder. Yet in spite of her aggression, Maki had a true and honest heart. That was why Crimson had taken a liking to her. She was easy to understand.

But Crimson had gotten an entirely different impression of her best friend upon entering the library. When she was sitting with Koutarou, Maki looked as though she’d forgiven the cruelty of the world.

“I get it now. You always wanted to be able to smile like that... I don’t think it’s something I’ll ever be able to do,” Crimson continued with a furrowed brow and bitter smile.

In the past, Maki had honored Crimson’s wish and agreed to fight her seriously. Looking back on it now, Crimson had to wonder if it had truly been worth it... and she found herself thinking the answer was no. She was a terrible friend, and that was all she would ever be.

“You think so?” asked Maki. “You helped save Green, so I don’t think it’s that far out of reach.”

Maki had a very different take on the matter. Not only had Crimson saved Green, she’d also come to see Maki at school of her own volition. Crimson had changed. The entirety of Darkness Rainbow had. They were all different girls now.

“Forget about that,” Crimson argued. “I dunno what I was thinking.”

Darkness Rainbow was originally an evil organization of magical girls hellbent on selfishly achieving their own goals, yet they’d all come together when it was time to save one of their own. That should have been unthinkable. The very thought made her bashful.

“I have good news for you, Crimson.”

“What?”

The tables had turned. Crimson was now blushing and Maki had a twinkle in her eye. The former Dark Navy rested her chin in her hands and continued in a teasing tone, “When I first met Satomi-kun, I thought I’d lost my mind too. I told myself that everything would go back to normal... even though I was vaguely aware that I was just deceiving myself.”

In the past, Maki had convinced herself that her infatuation with Koutarou was nothing more than a delusion. That her eagerness to see him was just eagerness to complete her mission. She felt that Crimson was behaving much like she had back then—pretending that her budding feelings weren’t real. In Maki’s eyes, Crimson was walking a path that she had already tread toward happiness.

“You’re dead wrong, Maki. It’s just... What’d you call it?”

“A strategic necessity?”

“Right, that’s it.”

“Heh, then I won’t say anything more for now.”

Maki knew it was a long journey. Even with Signaltin’s help, it had taken her several months. And without that boon, it would take her former allies even longer. Rather than poking and prodding in a way that might spur her friend in the wrong direction, however, Maki simply decided to steer the conversation elsewhere. They talked about this and that afterward—recent goings-on, how Forthorthians were taskmasters, how obstinate Folsarians were, and so on. Aside from the otherworldly specifics of their conversation, they sounded just like two old friends catching up.

“You could just use magic to make the test a breeze,” Crimson said. “Like to read other people’s minds or enhance your memory.”

“I despise cheating.”

“Yeah, you’ve always been stubborn and set in your ways.”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone so obsessed with fighting.”

Maki and Crimson had both been evil magical girls who thrived in the shadows of society—yet here they were, casually chatting in the sunny library. Fate was full of strange twists and turns.

“Rude! It’s not like I pick fights every chance I get.”

“You don’t?!”

“Y’know, Maki, your personality’s really changed since you switched sides.”

“Heh, maybe so. But now that you mention it, it’s true that you didn’t pick a fight with us.”

After going all out against one another, Maki and Crimson had parted ways with an agreement not to hold back the next time they crossed paths. With the unexpected developments to follow, however, they’d never had their rematch. Like Crimson said, she didn’t always pick a fight.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t tangle with you guys. I think, anyway,” she confessed.

“Really?” Maki asked. “Have you truly changed your ways?”

“Shut up. I’m still ready to throw down.”

“So you escorted Purple and Green all this way in hopes of venting some frustration, but alas, no enemies appeared to fight you?”

“Yeah, it was a total snoozefest.”

“And so you came to see me because you’re bored.”

“Nailed it. So, Maki, wanna try to assassinate me?”

Crimson was indeed grateful she hadn’t had to fight Maki and the others in their most recent encounter, even though she still thirsted for a good fight. Crimson was simple in that way. It was perhaps what had saved her friendship with Maki in spite of their previous skirmish with one another. It was a virtue of sorts—although she was belligerent by nature. Even now, her unfulfilled bloodlust was smoldering inside her. That was why she’d invited Maki to attack her.

“No, thank you. What’s even in that for me?”

Of course, Maki immediately refused the violent offer. She had no desire to fight her best friend, the most dangerous combatant in all of Darkness Rainbow. She hadn’t wanted to fight her even back when Crimson had asked the first time years ago.

“I’m sure you can come up with something,” Crimson continued, cajoling her friend.

“You’re as eccentric as ever...” Maki sighed.

“It cost me a good friend.”

“Don’t worry. I’m still your friend.”

When Maki and Crimson had last crossed staffs, they’d done so with the understanding that it would be the end of their relationship. But things don’t always go as planned. Thanks to the strange workings of fate, the two girls were as close now as they ever had been. This thrilled Maki, and she was sure Crimson felt the same way.

For a while, Koutarou walked back and forth browsing the shelves. He was planning on returning to Maki with the material he’d found, but as soon as he stepped out from the bookcases, he stopped in his tracks.

“It cost me a good friend.”

“Don’t worry. I’m still your friend.”

Maki and Crimson were still happily chatting away. They were using their library voices and Koutarou couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could tell based on the looks on their faces. He thus decided to head for another table to pore over the books he’d gathered.

“Hmm?”

Koutarou kept quiet so as not to disturb the girls, but he couldn’t escape Crimson’s sharp senses. She’d noticed him, and so had Maki. The two girls silently watched him walk off again. Once he was out of sight, Crimson called out to Maki with a smile.

“So he’s not just a great warrior, eh, Maki? Did you fall for that hidden delicate side of his?”

“I suppose so. He also knows the real me.”

“Mm, I see...”

Crimson had been trying to tease her, but Maki answered earnestly. Koutarou was the most important thing in the world to her, so she was more proud than embarrassed of their relationship. And when the talk of love turned serious, Crimson’s plan backfired and made her bashful instead.

“By the way, I’d be curious to know what your ideal man is like, Crimson.”

Thankfully, the topic turned to her. Talking about her own love life wasn’t easy, but it was leagues better than listening to Maki gush about hers.

“He has to be the strongest,” she answered honestly.

“And then you want to beat him?” Maki asked.

“Yup.”

“But wouldn’t that be bad?”

“If I can beat him, it just means he wasn’t the strongest after all. And if I can’t beat him, then I’ll bear his child then raise them to be stronger than their father.”

Crimson’s answer was a little too off-the-wall. Even when it came to choosing her partner, power meant everything to Crimson. While that was simple and easy to understand, Maki wasn’t really sure how to respond.

“I’m not sure I see where the love is in that...”

“I don’t really understand love.”

Crimson had no experience with romance. She lived entirely for battle. Rather than men, she pursued strength and strength alone. Her lust for it had twisted even her views on relationships.

“You really are helpless... Oh, I know. Should I ask Satomi-kun to fight you if he’s not busy?”

“Please do! I love you, Maki!”

“I thought you didn’t understand love...”

Even if Crimson didn’t know love, Maki at least wanted to help relieve her boredom. She loved Crimson back in her own way, after all.

Since Maki rarely asked for anything, Koutarou decided that he would agree to whatever she wanted before she even said it. As long as no one’s life was on the line, he enjoyed a good fight himself, so even hearing the details of her request didn’t change his mind. He was actually quite excited by the prospect, so Maki quickly arranged a sparring match for him and Crimson.

“Sanctuary! Modifier: Effective Area, Colossal!” Maki incanted, holding her staff up as it began emitting a yellow light.

The magical glow was a barrier that would keep people away as well as prevent sound, light, and radio waves from escaping the area. The group likely wouldn’t encounter any unexpected visitors in the mountain clearing where they’d set up, but Maki wanted to be certain. With her magic, they’d have no reason to worry now.

“So, what are the rules?” Koutarou asked, a little excited. He welcomed any opponent he could go all out against—and getting to face one he bore no enmity for was especially rare.

“Anything goes as long as nobody dies,” Crimson replied eagerly.

She was even more amped for the fight than Koutarou. Her eyes were aglitter with anticipation. Seeing her like this reminded him of Theia, despite their difference in height.

“Hmm? Is something wrong?” Crimson noticed the smile on his face and cocked her head.

Koutarou nearly told her the truth but ultimately reconsidered. Just like Theia, Crimson probably didn’t want to be compared to anyone else. “I was just thinking that you must really like fighting,” he said.

“That’s right. Strength is everything.”

Even Crimson’s motto sounded like something Theia would say. Because of that, Koutarou began to suspect that some other motivation was driving her beyond a raw hunger for power. She’d come all this way specifically to see Maki, after all.

“I have to say,” Koutarou began, “I probably won’t live up to your expectations if those are the rules.”

“Huh, why?!”

“You should know that I’m not very powerful on my own. Aika-san’s stronger than me.”

In a no-holds-barred fight against a serious combatant, Koutarou would be lucky to hold his ground. He had considerable skill with a blade, but overall, that was it. Without Saguratin, Signaltin, and Sanae’s psychic powers, he knew he was nothing—especially compared to the invaders. The only one he might stand a chance against was Kiriha.

“Don’t say something so pathetic,” Crimson rebuked.

“I’m pretty honest about my limits,” Koutarou said in turn.

“Reminds me of someone. Heh, I guess you found a man who’s a lot like you, Maki,” Crimson teased.

“Except Satomi-kun is a liar,” replied Maki.

“I bet they’re all necessary lies in your book.”

“...Maybe. The rest is just him hiding his embarrassment.”

“Jeez, can you please not gush about your love life with such a serious face?”

“Heh heh, sorry.”

“So, what do you want to do?” Koutarou cut in.

“Well, it wouldn’t be much of a contest if you brought out that rainbow sword...”

Crimson stopped to think. Koutarou wanted to go all out without relying on anyone else’s power. As far as Crimson was concerned, that wouldn’t be much fun. The fight would be over too fast. But on the other hand, if Koutarou pulled out all the stops, the fight would be over just as quickly. There had to be a balance.

“How about this, Crimson? Satomi-kun will only use his golden sword, Saguratin, and I’ll support him with magic,” Maki offered as a compromise. Her idea was to cast spells that would assist Koutarou in combat without attacking herself.

“That’s perfect! Just what I’d expect from you, Maki! Keep slinging spells to keep him on my level!” There was a glint in Crimson’s eye as she praised Maki. Sensing a good fight ahead of her, she was starting to get excited again.

“Yes, yes. I know,” Maki replied with a happy smile.

Seeing the two girls like this, Koutarou was glad they’d been able to stay friends.

Koutarou leveled the tip of his sword at Crimson. Right now, Saguratin was under Maki’s control via her crest. It wouldn’t injure Crimson much the same way Signaltin had refused to harm Koutarou when in Maxfern’s hands. That meant Koutarou could go all out in this duel, for wielding Saguratin against Crimson was no different from wielding a toy sword.

“I see you’re all fired up, Satomi Koutarou,” she remarked.

“I don’t hate this sort of thing,” he replied. “I see you’re raring to go too.”

“Things have been so peaceful lately that I’m just dying of boredom.”

Crimson pointed her staff at Koutarou in turn. She liked wielding it as an axe in close-quarters combat and relying on it as a magical tool to sling spells from a distance. In short, she enjoyed a flashy fight. This, too, reminded Koutarou of Theia. Crimson normally relied on powerful spells meant to finish her opponents in a single strike, but for today, she would be limiting her arsenal so as not to injure Koutarou. She wouldn’t use anything powerful enough to break through the defensive barrier Maki had cast.

“All right,” said Crimson. “If you land a clean hit on me with your sword, I lose.”

“And what about you?” Koutarou asked.

“Same rule applies. Any clean hit means I win.”

“Simple enough.”

Their match would end with the first direct hit. Grazing and glancing blows wouldn’t count. It would have to be a hit good enough to end a real fight.

“Double Cast: Haste, Lightning Reflexes,” Maki incanted.

“Oh?” Crimson remarked. “Going for a speedy match?”

“Yes. Your Inferno Fire has too big of an effective area.”

“Well, I won’t lose... Double Cast: Haste, Lightning Reflexes!”

Orange light wrapped around both Koutarou and Crimson. This set of enhancement spells would increase their movement speeds and reaction times considerably. A full-throttle bout between them like this would almost be like watching two wild beasts fight.

“Let’s get started,” Koutarou announced.

“You could have just attacked without waiting for me to finish my spell,” Crimson reminded him.

“I’m like a surfer who waits for the wave to reach its peak,” he replied.

“What a coincidence. So am I.”

In truth, the battle had already begun. As the two combatants exchanged some light banter, they watched each other carefully. The first to let their guard down would be at a huge disadvantage.

“Yikes... I should have just attacked instead of acting cool,” Koutarou lamented.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. With his spirit sight, he could tell that there were no gaps in Crimson’s defenses. The recklessness she’d demonstrated before was nowhere to be seen. She was clearly different now. Koutarou’s intuition told her that she’d grown much stronger since their last fight. And knowing that, he couldn’t carelessly close the distance between them.

“Waiting for me to make the first move? How naive,” Crimson taunted, but she was also struggling to take the initiative. She sensed Koutarou had grown stronger as well.

As expected of somebody who has defeated several powerful foes. He’s acting like he’s having a hard time attacking, yet he’s not showing any sign of panic. Yeah, he’s definitely got the guts of a master swordsman...

Koutarou was young and still had room for improvement, but through his many battles, he’d gained a wealth of experience. That firsthand skill and knowledge made him a force to be reckoned with, and Crimson struggled to get the better of him because of it.

It looked like their battle would turn into a stalemate—but Maki wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Say, Satomi-kun...” she began.

With her speed and reflexes enhanced just like Koutarou’s, Crimson effectively had the upper hand given the range of her spells. Maki’s plan was to level the playing field a little.

“If I can help you win, will you give me a kiss as a reward?” she called loudly.

“A k-kiss?!” Crimson stammered.

“Aika-san, what are you—” Koutarou shouted.

Maki’s request had elicited quite a reaction from both fighters—presenting Koutarou with just the opportunity he needed.

“Ah, so that’s what you were doing!” he muttered to himself when he realized what was going on. The invaders’ daily mischief-making had taught him to think on his feet.

“Damn!”

Crimson, on the other hand, was slower to collect herself. She wasn’t used to having friends, much less being teased. Maki had thrown her for a real loop, which Maki had anticipated and used to Koutarou’s advantage.

“Let’s do this, Crimson!” he rallied.

“I’ll remember this, Maki!” Crimson roared.

“Oh, how scary.”

Koutarou and Crimson both made their moves, but because she had been slower to react, Crimson didn’t have the time for a long incantation. Instead, she gripped her staff-axe in both hands and charged at Koutarou. Now that she’d lost her chance to open with powerful magic, she was being forced into close combat.

“You really have a rotten personality, Maki!” she shouted.

Sparks flew when Koutarou’s sword met Crimson’s axe. Neither weapon damaged the other, but that wasn’t the end of their respective attacks. Both weapons were imbued with magic, so the real clash unfolded after they made contact.

“Whoa!”

The result? Koutarou was knocked back. Crimson had channeled a spell that used wind pressure to blow her opponent away. It was a basic and rather weak spell, but it was quick and easy to cast. Thanks to that, she’d managed to finish it in time and successfully knocked Koutarou off balance.

“Whatever are you talking about?” Maki called back in response to her friend’s taunt.

“Like how you’re keeping me from seeing my target!” Crimson replied.

The feisty magical girl brought her axe down on Koutarou, yet the powerful swing caught nothing but air. That was thanks to a spell cast on Koutarou’s sword—a simple illusion to deceive his opponent and temporarily rob them of their sight.

“If I don’t do this, Satomi-kun might lose,” Maki explained.

When Crimson recovered, she saw three Koutarous standing beside one another. Two of them were illusions Maki had conjured while Crimson was blinded.

So this is why she messed with my vision!

“What happened to your memory-wiping trick?” Crimson clicked her tongue in her mind as she began casting the quickest attack spell in her repertoire.

“I can still do that, but it would make things harder for Satomi-kun.”

“I see you’re surprisingly devoted!”

Simple spells that a caster knew well didn’t require an incantation to invoke. When Crimson swung her arm, three crescent-shaped flames flew toward the three Koutarous.

“I’m pretty surprised myself. Besides... I don’t really want to mess with your memories.”

The crescent flames were rather weak and would only singe their targets at best. In fact, they did nothing at all to the real Koutarou—but they were enough to dispel the illusionary two.

“Stop being so naive and come at me for real!” Crimson bellowed.

“Don’t be so hasty,” Maki scolded her.

A flash of a sword. The whistle of an axe. Koutarou and Crimson were the ones locked in combat, yet the two magical girls were the ones carrying on a conversation in the process. Koutarou couldn’t help noticing this curious dynamic.

Their situation never allowed it before, but they really are good friends...

Nevertheless, he was fine with it. He just thought of it as Crimson and Maki playing in their own way. It was far preferable to them fighting seriously.

“All right, time to get serious!” Crimson roared.

“I thought you were already serious,” Maki replied.

“It’s a matter of mindset. Don’t be so nitpicky.”

“Then I’ll get serious too.”

“That’s the spirit!”

The girls really did seem to be enjoying themselves. Koutarou thus decided he’d avoid making any missteps in the future that might jeopardize that happiness.

The battle approached its end a few short minutes later. Fighters can only go all out for so long. Even enhanced with magic, humans have their limits—and Crimson reached hers first.

“I-Inferno Fiiireeeee!”

“Whoa there! You could really hurt someone with that!”

The flames licked Koutarou’s bangs. He thought he was done for, but the slight delay in Crimson’s timing saved him. She was actively fighting while casting spells, which was far more taxing than simply keeping up a sword fight like Koutarou was. She was already gasping for breath.

“Satomi-kun, fifteen seconds of shadowboxing please,” Maki instructed.

“You’re so kind, Aika-san...” Koutarou did as asked and began taking practice swings with his sword.

Maki’s intentions were clear. She wanted to give Crimson some time to recover and use up a bit of Koutarou’s stamina. The fight was effectively two against one, after all, and Maki wanted to make sure things were fair. A little handicap was accordingly in order.

“I hate that earnest-to-a-fault side of yours!” Crimson shouted.

“You came all this way, so why not enjoy ourselves a little longer?” Maki replied.

“But you won’t hold back, will you?”

“Of course not,” Maki said with a bright smile. She found it strange that Crimson wasn’t using the opportunity to attack Koutarou. In truth, Crimson had no room to criticize anyone for being earnest.

As the smile faded from Maki’s face, Koutarou finished swinging his sword.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, his breath ragged.

Koutarou was running out of steam and Crimson had calmed down. Just as Maki had intended, they were evenly matched now.

“Let’s settle this, Maki,” said Crimson.

“Agreed,” said Maki. “Satomi-kun, please give it your all.”

“I have been from the start.”

“Then surpass your limits, Satomi Koutarou!”

“My opponent isn’t supposed to tell me that...”

Koutarou turned Saguratin on Crimson again. Once more, magical light wreathed both fighters. They were preparing for their final clash.

“Crimson, you prefer to fight head-on, right?”

“It’s the most fun.”

“I feel the same way.”

When their enhancement spells took effect, both fighters stepped forward. Since they weren’t waiting for the fight to start this time, Crimson could have attacked Koutarou straight away with magic—but she chose close combat with her axe instead. She’d used all of her mana to enhance herself one final time. Her dream was to go toe to toe with the strongest foe imaginable, after all. As she charged, there was a smile on her face.

Too bad she’s a girl! We could have had even more fun if she was a guy!

Koutarou flashed a grin too, much like the one he wore when catching beetles with Kenji. In fact, he found himself wondering if Crimson might like to go catch beetles too. He was also savoring the idea of a pure test of strength, so he refrained from petty tricks like pelting her with spiritual energy bullets. He, too, was saving everything for their final clash.

“Raaaaah!”

“Hyaaaaah!”

When axe and sword collided, rather than a metallic clink, there was an explosive sound. The attack spells in the weapons had canceled each other out. Covered in soot from the ensuing blast, Crimson and Koutarou continued to attack one another. Without using their weapons this time, they each swung a leg up into a kick. Their attacks canceled each other out again, and they both used the recoil to gain some distance and prepare themselves for the next attack. And yet again, the advantage Koutarou and Maki had as a team came into play.

“Aika-san—” he called.

“Quick Cast Force Field!” she incanted before he could finish.

“Yes! Thank you!”

Koutarou kicked off a yellow disk of light that appeared in front of him and jumped up high. The timing was perfect, and it allowed him to close in on Crimson in the blink of an eye. Coming down on her in a spin, he took a swing.

For some reason, Crimson just stood there for a split second, defenseless against the incoming attack. It was uncertain, however, if there was anything she could have done to defend herself. Koutarou and Maki’s teamwork was nearly flawless.

“Haaaaah!”

Koutarou’s attack struck true, claiming victory for himself and Maki. The blow didn’t hurt Crimson, but the sheer force of it staggered her and knocked her down.

“Ahh, I lost...”

In spite of that, Crimson was smiling. She’d been bested in a two-against-one match, but she was still satisfied with the experience.

“You really are amazing. You’re probably stronger than any other single fighter I know on their own,” said Koutarou. He knew he’d only won with Maki’s help, so he respected what Crimson was capable of.

“You’re only saying that because you haven’t fought Nana,” Crimson replied. “She’s stronger than anyone, for sure.”

“Then let me rephrase—fighting you is fun,” Koutarou continued, holding out his hand to Crimson.

“That much I can agree with. Fighting you is fun too.”

She took it without hesitation and stood up. This brought her face to face with Koutarou, and he took the opportunity to ask her something that had been on his mind.

“By the way... what had you distracted there at the end?” he whispered so that Maki couldn’t hear. With his spirit sight, he’d seen Crimson drop her guard at the last moment.

“So you could tell, eh? I sensed your bond with Maki. I was thinking about how happy she must be,” Crimson answered in an equally hushed voice. She didn’t want Maki to overhear her, but saying it to Koutarou was a little embarrassing too. She was blushing faintly.

“I see. Crimson, why don’t you bring Green next time? I’m sure that’ll help Aika-san understand that you’re happy too.”

“Koutarou...” Crimson’s eyes went wide. She pressed a hand to her chest, then gave Koutarou a dubious sidelong glance. “Now I see how you seduced Maki.”

For the briefest instant, she’d genuinely been touched. With no instinct for or experience with romance, however, she was able to pull through. It was truly a close call.

“I haven’t seduced anyone,” Koutarou argued.

“Men really are stupid. You don’t even know what you’re doing...”

“What are you on about now?”

Crimson was exasperated, but Koutarou simply cocked his head. All he could think was that Crimson was accusing him of nonsense. Women remained a mystery to him.

“What are you two talking about?” Maki asked.

“About how dense your man is,” Crimson grumbled.

“He’s not when it really matters, so it’s okay.”

“This is all because you keep spoiling him...”

“Sorry, but how is that related?” Koutarou asked.

“My god, you really are an idiot!” Crimson shouted.

“Rude,” Koutarou shot back.

“Now, now, you two...”

By the time their battle was over, Koutarou and Crimson had gotten a little closer. They were both near and dear to Maki, so she welcomed this development. Even as she played mediator between them, she wouldn’t have minded letting them go on a little longer.

Once Koutarou left school for his part-time job, the two magical girls went out into town. Crimson had come all this way to see Maki, so Maki wanted to show her a good time. Moreover, Crimson would be leaving again soon and the gate back to Folsaria was in the city.

“See? It really suits you. You’re tall, so this sort of outfit shows off your long legs,” explained Maki.

The former Dark Navy had chosen a pair of long pants and a tunic for herself. Meanwhile, Crimson wanted nothing to do with skirts, so Maki had picked out a pair of pants with a belt and a tee for a feminine look. And she’d expected, they looked good on her friend.

“These clothes will fall apart if I get into a fight,” Crimson complained.

Crimson was puzzled by the outfit. It wasn’t easy to move in like her usual clothes. It was too tight, and she knew it would tear if she tried to fight in it.

“Then please try not to get in a fight while wearing this outfit, Crimson,” said Maki.

Crimson was enamored with destruction, but somehow, the thought of destroying these clothes bothered her. Maki couldn’t help but find that funny. She understood the sentiment, however. She knew it was only because the clothes were a gift from a good friend, so she held her laughter in.

“It’s totally not my style, though,” Crimson grumbled as she dubiously beheld herself in the mirror. Maki had given the outfit her seal of approval, but Crimson wasn’t totally convinced. She knew she was too rough around the edges.

“Nobody in this town knows you, so they won’t know it’s not your style. They’ll just see a beautiful girl when they look at you.”

“I dunno...”

In spite of Crimson’s doubts, Maki was confident. And Crimson soon got a taste of what Maki was talking about—although she didn’t particularly enjoy it.

After the boutique, the girls stopped by the salon, where Crimson underwent a complete and total transformation. She now looked like a tall beauty with absolutely no hint of a violent streak.

“I swear, it’s just one guy after another... Take a closer look at someone before you hit on them!” she growled.

Crimson was personally unhappy with her makeover, as her new look was attracting a lot of men. Every twenty steps or so, a new guy would call out to her. So before Crimson could blow her lid and punch one out, Maki took her into a cafe.

“Heh, they did look carefully before calling out to you. There aren’t many girls prettier than you out on the streets.”

“I’m not interested in anyone who only cares about my looks,” Crimson hissed.

“I can agree with that.”

“Besides, they’re all weaklings.”

That was the greatest point of irritation to her. Not a single strong-looking man had shown any interest. Even on Earth, power meant everything to her. She dug into her cake in frustration, and the wonderful strawberry mousse helped soothe her. She was so angry that she quickly plowed through to her third dessert.

“Heh, I like the weaker ones myself,” Maki said, narrowing her eyes and shrugging lightly.

She didn’t see eye to eye with Crimson on the matter. Maki knew there was more to a man than his strength. But instead of criticizing her friend’s point of view, she wanted to help her see the light.

“You’re talking about him, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes...”

Maki blushed and bashfully scratched at her cheek. She needed Koutarou in her life, but she also wanted to be needed herself. That wouldn’t happen if Koutarou were too strong.

“You can’t call a guy like him weak, though,” said Crimson.

“Really?” replied Maki.

“Someone who acknowledges their own weakness is in the process of becoming strong.”

“That sounds really convincing coming from you.”

“Think about it. No one has ever scorned him for his weakness, have they?”

“You’re right... I think we all want to help him overcome it.”

Maki dug into her own cake to hide her embarrassment. She was so preoccupied that she could barely taste the chocolate.

“That’s what brought you into the light,” said Crimson.

“I suppose so... Yes, I think you’re right.”

Wanting to help Koutarou wasn’t the only thing that had drawn Maki into the light, but that was how it had started. That desire taught her to see the world, herself, and the friends around her with compassion. Crimson didn’t think that was a weakness at all, for accepting one’s own weaknesses was a form of strength unto itself. Maki could agree with that much.

“Maki, there’s something I’ve learned from spending today with you.”

“Hmm? What’s that?”

“You really belong in the light.” Crimson stopped eating her cake to look up at Maki. Perhaps because of the change in topic, her frustration had waned and she was smiling now.

“I’ve learned something too,” said Maki.

“Yeah?”

“You’d be able to live in the light too.”

Maki had come to the same conclusion about her friend. What she’d once wanted for Crimson was now something Crimson had the power to achieve herself. Maki believed in her.

“It’s not my style.”

“I felt the same way at first. Including about dressing up, but you managed to do that today.”

“Ugh.”

The path Crimson was currently walking was one Maki had already tread. She understood it well. It was full of unknown joys, excitement, and great bewilderment. There would be the desire to cling to her old ways and deny that anything was different. Maki knew that, so there was no way Crimson could fool her.

“Besides, if it wasn’t true, there’s no way you’d come visit an old friend on your day off just because,” Maki said with a joyful smile. She put her hand in her purse and pulled out a folded handkerchief to reach over and wipe some cream off of Crimson’s cheek. “With how much you’ve grown, you can live as yourself now, Karen—even if that means wanting to become the strongest in the light.”

Karen was Crimson’s real name. Only Maki knew it, and she rarely used it. It lent a special power to what she said. Even so, Crimson couldn’t fully agree. Changing was hard. Even if she was slowly seeing it happen to her, it was hard to admit.

“Don’t call me Karen... If anyone else did that, I’d coldcock them.”

“If you’re going to hit me, wait until after I’ve finished my cake.”

“You really have changed...”

“You think so? Thank you.”

Maki smiled happily, and when she saw it, Crimson couldn’t help thinking about how different the two of them were. And yet Maki’s lifestyle of smiling, dressing up, and eating cake... Crimson didn’t hate it.