Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 40 - Chapter 3

Episode 3: The Next Magical Girl and Cooperator

Things were strange for Nana. The mysterious workings of fate had brought to light the secret origins of the Magical Kingdom of Folsaria. The civil war in the Holy Galactic Empire of Forthorthe was almost like an extension of Folsaria’s struggle, including Darkness Rainbow’s involvement. Darkness Rainbow had always advocated the Folsarians return to their long-lost home. Rainbow Heart, meanwhile, had long believed that Folsaria should clean up its own mess. The divide in opinion created a great deal of friction between the organizations.

Darkness Rainbow ultimately losing to Rainbow Heart, however, had ushered in a new era of cooperation between the two. And that cooperation developed even further when Folsaria’s true origins were discovered. The leaders of Darkness Rainbow were thus assigned as magical emissaries of a sort to Forthorthe, and Nana was assigned to accompany them.

“To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this,” she said, furrowing her brow.

Darkness Rainbow had been Folsaria’s sworn enemy until just recently. They’d committed a great many crimes that could not simply be overlooked or forgotten. Yet Nana understood that the girls of Darkness Rainbow had begun to change ever since their final battle with Rainbow Heart. While they’d resorted to different means, Darkness Rainbow had fought for the same ends—protecting their allies and making a better world. And at the culmination of the Forthorthian civil war, they’d jumped in to help save the universe from ruin. In the end, it was impossible to hate them. Even so, emotions ran high regarding their involvement. And yet... joining forces with them was necessary for the sake of everyone’s future. As Nana had implied, the situation was complex.

“The feeling’s mutual. I can hardly believe we’re sitting down for tea together. If you had told my past self that this would be happening, I would’ve thought you were crazy,” Purple said with a chuckle.

Purple understood exactly how Nana felt. By the end of the civil war, the individual members of Darkness Rainbow had all lost their reasons for joining the organization in the first place. Purple, for example, could no longer resurrect her late lover. Each and every one of the Darkness Rainbow girls had come to reassess what they fought for. They’d come to realize the value of their allies and re-realize the group’s initial objective of returning to their ancestral home.

Thanks to Elexis’s help, they were finally able to take their first steps toward moving to Forthorthe. It wasn’t how they’d envisioned it happening, but that didn’t change the fact that they were now on the right path. They’d inherited Elexis’s vision of making the universe a better place. And to that end, they were willing to work with anyone—be it Nana or Rainbow Heart. They would fight back their mixed emotions in service of carrying out their mission, just like Nana did.

“I’m sure that Maki would say something about being true to your most important feelings and that nothing else matters,” Crimson offered. She then tossed up a cookie and caught it in her mouth before washing it down with some tea. Her insight was praiseworthy, but her behavior not so much.

“Are you sick, Crimson?!” Green, who was gracefully sipping tea next to her, asked in shock. She took no issue with Crimson’s table manners; it was what Crimson had said that alarmed her.

“Rude!” Crimson shot back. “I think about stuff from time to time too!”

“For example?” Green asked.

“Like how deep fighting can be. Or how certain people are fun to fight.”

“And how you’ll do what it takes to keep a certain someone from getting away...?”

“Yup. Even if that means working with Rainbow Heart.”

Green was worried at first that Crimson wasn’t sounding like herself, but upon prying deeper, she realized that wasn’t the case at all. Crimson just wanted a good fight, and she’d do anything it took to get it. That was just like her after all. Green couldn’t help laughing.

“Seriously. Rude,” Crimson grumbled as she grabbed her cup. She was insulted to be laughed at for being so honest, which made the tea taste bitter to her.

“Our true feelings, huh?” Nana mused. “Yeah, that’s the ticket...”

“Nana?” Purple called out to her.

“My apologies. I need to go see an old friend,” Nana said, hopping down from her too-tall stool before bowing to the three Darkness Rainbow girls.

“Ah, you’re going to see Kanae?” asked Purple. She’d quickly discerned who Nana was talking about based on her choice of words. Most of Nana’s contacts were in Folsaria, so there weren’t that many people she would need to make a special trip to go see.

“You know Kanae-san?” Nana asked.

“Oh, do I look that old to you?” Purple asked in turn.

“That’s why I’m curious.”

“The previous Purple informed me of all the trouble you two put her through.”

“Did she also mention Kanae-san’s daughter, Sanae-chan?”

“To be so tormented by two generations... Fate truly can be cruel,” Purple answered with a shrug.

Dark Purple had always been skilled with necromancy, a branch of magic that specialized in converting mana into spiritual energy to attack and to control spirits and the dead. Anyone with a large amount of spiritual energy was a natural rival in her eyes, and the Higashihongan family was rich with it. Two generations of Higashihongan women had now plagued two generations of Dark Purples.

“Is this friend of yours strong?!” Crimson asked excitedly.

“Crimson, you just came home from playing with Navy... Jeez,” Green complained.

“She was strong in the past, but it has been a while since she retired and I don’t think she’s as good as she was back then.”

“Then I’m not interested. You can go by yourself.”

“That was the plan. If I don’t go see her now, I’ll be so busy soon that I won’t get a chance to at all.”

The two most important people in the world to Nana were Kanae and Yurika. She could see Yurika whenever she wanted, however, so she wanted to make sure she got in a visit with Kanae while she could. That would be her own way of being true to her feelings. She, too, wanted to ensure a better world for Kanae and her daughter—even if that meant working with Darkness Rainbow.

The news that Nana and Darkness Rainbow had recently delivered to Folsaria—that the Holy Galactic Empire of Forthorthe was prepared to accept Folsarian immigrants—threw the kingdom into a tumult. Nana’s schedule was immediately cleared after the fact in order to give the council of elders time to convene. Thanks to that, Nana and Darkness Rainbow both ended up with a few days off, and Nana was now using that time to visit Kanae.

“Heh, this place hasn’t changed at all. Sure takes me back...”

Upon stepping through the magical gate, Nana arrived in Kisshouharukaze and proceeded toward the Higashihongan estate. She’d once been in charge of the newly formed city and was headed to an old friend’s house, so even after all these years, she still knew the way.

“You should stay for dinner.”

“I couldn’t impose on you...”

“It’s fine! A cooperator isn’t limited to helping with investigations and combat!”

Nana recalled all sorts of fond memories as she walked down the road. Kanae meant a lot to her, and the thought of seeing her again made Nana’s heart flutter. There was a spring in her step as she went.

“Here I come, Sanae-chan!”

“Do your worst!”

As she got closer, Nana could hear hearty shouting from the estate garden. Both voices were familiar to her and put a smile on her face. She broke into a hearty run herself.

“I see you’re here too, Yurika-chan!”

When Nana reached the house, she found just who’d expected to see—Nijino Yurika, who meant just as much to her as Kanae did. Hearing Nana’s excited voice call out to her, Yurika reflexively turned to look, and when she did...

“Nana-sa— Ack!”

A badminton shuttlecock slammed into her face. The birdie was too light to do any real damage, but it was enough to surprise Yurika and knock her off balance. With the shuttlecock still buried in her cheek, she tumbled to the ground.

“Yurika-chan!” Nana shouted.

“Nana-san... I didn’t know you were here...” Yurika groaned.

“I-I’m sorry! I should have thought twice before calling out to you!”

Nana hurriedly ran over to help Yurika up. Fortunately, the younger magical girl wasn’t hurt aside from a red spot on her face.

“It’s fine,” said Yurika. “This is nothing. It was just an accident.”

Yurika ordinarily would have whined up a storm, but Nana was special to her too. Instead of complaining, she offered her dear mentor a smile. Relieved that her protégé was all right, Nana then turned to Sanae.

“Yay, it’s Nana!” Sanae cheered.

“Hello there, Sanae-chan,” Nana greeted her.

“And are you okay?” Sanae asked, looking at Yurika.

“I’m good,” Yurika said as she got up. She rubbed her butt a little in apparent pain, but she quickly smiled again for her friend too.

“Are you here to see my mom?” Sanae asked eagerly, turning back to Nana with sparkling eyes.

To Sanae, Nana was the original real magical girl and an object of great admiration. Nana had actually lost the majority of her mana, but since it had been to protect Yurika, that only made Sanae respect her more. The additional fact that Nana was her mother’s partner was the coolest of all to Sanae.

“I am,” Nana answered politely. Sanae was both Kanae’s daughter and Yurika’s friend, so she inherently meant a great deal to Nana as well. “Is she in?”

“Yeah. She should be out here any minute now,” Sanae replied.

Kanae had found the girls preparing to play badminton and excitedly agreed to join them for a game. Since she was wearing traditional Japanese clothing, however, she’d had to go change into something more conducive to the sport. And just as Sanae explained this, Kanae arrived.

“Sanae, Yurika-chan! Sorry for— My, if it isn’t Nana-chan!”

“It’s been a while, Kanae-san.”

Kanae had been taking tennis lessons with the neighborhood housewives and felt primed for battle. Nana was thrilled to see her old friend again, but the reunion was a little awkward for Kanae. The two women went back over a decade. Unlike her husband, Soutarou, Kanae hailed from a normal family that was simply blessed with abundant spiritual energy. She’d never received formal training in using it, so she instead relied on her intuition. She’d thus performed exceptionally well in archery during high school and university, which was how she met Nana. It could even be said that her intuition was what led to Nana’s fateful fight with Darkness Rainbow.

When magical girls’ identities were exposed to normal people, the standard protocol was to erase their memories. If certain conditions were met, however, the magical girl could request their assistance instead. In Kanae’s case, she was strong both mentally and physically. She also had a sense of justice and psychic powers. Nana had thus made the decision to join forces with her. Between Kanae’s bow and Nana’s magic, they’d made an unusual team capable of thwarting Darkness Rainbow time and time again. They were a persistent thorn in the evil magical girls’ side at the time, and so Darkness Rainbow had hatched a nefarious plot to steal Sanae’s spiritual energy and put pressure on Kanae.

Kanae stopped working with Nana when her daughter was hospitalized—but it wasn’t by choice. Nana had been the one to ask her to retire. Sanae was targeted because of Kanae’s connection to Nana, and Nana didn’t want any other harm to befall her. Their union was thus dissolved, and the two women went their separate ways.

It wasn’t until some time later that they crossed paths again, after Nana had been devastated in battle with Darkness Rainbow. Since then, Koutarou and his many companions had worked to restore Nana’s body with elaborate prosthetics. Nana had been in her new body for months now, but she’d been so busy that she hadn’t had the time to visit Kanae. Her former cooperator was thrilled to see her.

“You look so good, Nana-chaaaaan!”

None of that was the reason the reunion was awkward for Kanae. She was simply embarrassed to be caught in her tennis outfit—but that only lasted for a moment. She quickly switched gears and welcomed Nana with a big hug. Nana was like a second daughter to her, and her tight embrace was an expression of that love.

“Th-That hurts, Kanae-san.”

To be honest, Nana had anticipated—or hoped, rather—that Kanae would respond this way. Nana easily could have dodged her if she’d wanted, but she willingly let Kanae wrap her arms around her. Just as Kanae saw Nana like a daughter, Nana saw Kanae like a mother.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kanae apologized. “I was just so excited to see you.”

Seeing Nana in pain, Kanae relaxed her grip a little, but she didn’t let go. She was too happy to see Nana looking as healthy as she had in the past.

“You look good too, Kanae-san.”

“Maybe, but I’m not as lithe as I used to be...”

“Don’t worry. You always hugged me like that.”

“Oh, you...”

Nana was equally glad to see Kanae acting like her old self. She’d been afraid to hug the former magical girl so tightly the last time they’d seen each other for fear of her fragility. The fact that she was willing to do it now made Nana incredibly happy. She’d be forever grateful to Koutarou and the others who’d made this possible.

“Nana-san and Kanae-san really are good friends,” Yurika remarked, watching over them with a smile.

There was a time Kanae and Nana had kept their distance from each other out of mutual concern for one another. But things were different now. The battle with Darkness Rainbow was over, and they could freely meet as friends without worry. Yurika thought it was wonderful.

“A real friend’s a beautiful thing to have. All’s good that ends good,” Sanae agreed, nodding repeatedly. She was proud that the magical girl she respected so much and her mother were such close friends—as proud as if she’d had something to do with it.

“Mama, you two used to raise hell and stuff, right?!” she asked eagerly. She’d only heard bits and pieces of stories, so she was dying to know the truth.

“No, I just helped Nana-chan since she’s not from around here,” Kanae replied.

“But Nana said that you would mercilessly beat up anyone you didn’t like!”

“Nana-chan said what?!”

“I didn’t put it like that!” Nana shouted in her own defense.

In reality, the truth was quite different from what Sanae had imagined. Both Kanae and Nana were quick to set the record straight.

“We did not, as a matter of fact, ever raise any hell! We worked together to protect the city,” Kanae corrected her.

“So you never beat up anyone to protect the city?” Sanae asked.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Sanae-chan!” Nana cut in. “Kanae-san never beat up anyone she didn’t like. She gallantly defeated evil demons and magical girls.”

“Huh, so you two were kinda like me and Yurika,” Sanae mused.

“What a bummer,” Yurika threw in.

Sanae was disappointed that her dreams of hearing about her mother’s rowdy days were dashed. Yurika was similarly let down, although in her case, she’d been hoping to hear a story like something out of her favorite manga.

“But you were both strong, right?” Sanae asked.

“Well... I suppose you could say that,” her mother replied.

“Kanae-san was known as the Swift Archer,” Nana added.

“That’s so cool! Did you have that embroidered on the back of your jacket like some delinquent?!” Sanae asked further, her eyes sparkling once again.

“I did not! Stop trying to make me out to be a delinquent!”

“Whaaat?”

“That’s enough, young lady!”

Sanae had always had a mental image of her mother being wild in her younger years—the perfect partner for a real magical girl. She was crushed to find out that wasn’t even close to true.

“So you were just a normal friend to Nana? That’s a disappointment...” she complained.

“What is a disappointment, exactly?” Kanae asked.

“How strong was Kanae-san really?” Yurika jumped in rather tactlessly.

Both girls knew firsthand just how strong Nana was, but Kanae was a different story. They’d fought alongside her once and they still weren’t sure. Yurika was hoping to get the full scoop from Nana.

“Why, she was very— Oh, I know! I have a great idea,” Nana said with a smile. She then leveled the badminton racket in her hand at a confused Yurika. “Since we’re all here, why don’t we have a showdown between the old and new generations.”

“Nana-chan, are you serious?!” Kanae asked in shock.

“I am. I’m curious to see what you can do nowadays, Kanae-san.”

“You’re still so young, but I’m not quite as...”

“Even so, doesn’t being underestimated by the next generation rub you the wrong way?”

“Ugh... You’re right. It’s on!”

In the past, the genius magical girl and the Swift Archer had been an unbeatable duo. They’d only disbanded to protect one another. And today, they were joining forces once more. The battlefield was only a badminton court, but there was something special about being able to work together again. The two women smiled at each other and shared an enthusiastic high five.

“Bwa ha ha, it looks like Mama and Nana are raring to go!” Sanae cheered.

“Are we gonna be okay...?” Yurika muttered.

“Not with that attitude! You gotta get yourself fired up! The new duo in town is here to kick butt!”

“When did we become a duo...?”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff! Anyways, get pumped!”

“Rrright!”

Up against Nana and Kanae were a self-proclaimed magical girl and a self-proclaimed beautiful psychic. Despite the “self-proclaimed” part, they were both well trained and experienced. They had no idea what kind of battle they were in for, but they had no intention of losing. They were going to give this fight their all—and win.

None of the four ladies were serious badminton players, so the rules of their match were fairly lax. When serving, for example, they were allowed to stand on whichever side made it easier for them. Without such concessions, the match would have been a real struggle—especially for Yurika.

“Here I gooooo!”

Yurika stood on the right side of the court and served to the left, where Nana stood on the opposite side of the net. She knew it was her good side after playing around a little with Sanae earlier. The shuttlecock sailed lightly through the air in an arc toward her mentor.

“I’m starting to get the hang of this!” Nana called, using her petite body to her advantage in returning the serve.

This was Nana’s first time playing badminton, but she looked nothing like an amateur. Her form was already looking better than Yurika’s. She was living up to her reputation as a genius.

“Then it’s about time to get serious!” Sanae shouted.

Sanae took a swing at the ball and sent it flying back over the net with beautiful form. She played badminton frequently, and while she wasn’t as good as someone on a badminton team, she was quite skilled when it came to handling a racket.

“Slow down! I still haven’t shaken off all of the rust!” Kanae cried.

Kanae, on the other hand, was having a hard time. Her intuition had been even sharper than Sanae’s when she was young, but she wasn’t as spry as she’d been back then. She didn’t have as much stamina now either. She was indeed rusty. She improved over the course of a few rallies, but she was still floundering.

“Don’t mind her!” Sanae shouted. “Smash that birdie, Yurika!”

“Okaaay!”

Unfortunately for Sanae, the new generation was notoriously impatient. Unable to wait any longer, they brought their full strength to bear in the middle of the match.

“Wh-Whoa!” Kanae was in the middle of adjusting her grip on her racket when Yurika smashed the shuttlecock her way, leaving her slow to respond.

“Don’t worry! I got it!” Nana called to her, leaping into the shuttlecock’s trajectory and dexterously hitting it back.

“Thank you, Nana-chan!”

“Our enemy gives no quarter!”

“Right!”

At that, the look in Kanae’s eyes changed. Even if her intuition wasn’t what it used to be, she still had her old instincts to rely on. Back when encounters with evil magical girls were a daily occurrence for her, she’d honed her sense of battle—and that sense was starting to kick in again. If she thought of this match like a proper battle, she knew how to handle herself as a warrior.

“Uh, Yurika, my mom’s starting to freak me out,” Sanae said worriedly.

“Yeah. Reminds me of when she faced Maya-san,” Yurika replied.

“So this is what she looks like when she gets rowdy...”

“Let’s do our best to make sure she doesn’t beat us to a pulp!”

Yurika had seen Kanae in a real fight before, and Sanae could detect the change in her spiritual energy. They were now both keenly aware that Kanae was not to be underestimated. Their battle was about to begin in earnest.

Kanae seemed completely different from just a few seconds ago. There was no longer any hesitation in her movements, and she only grew sharper as the game continued. She was learning by doing. She alternated from static to dynamic, capitalizing on her current strength.

“Raaaaaaaah!” she roared as she took a swing from where she stood. Using her full height and all her muscles, she smashed the shuttlecock as hard as she could as soon as it entered her reach.

“Sanae-chan!” Yurika cried.

“No worries! Take this!” Sanae called back.

Kanae’s strike had sent the birdie sailing toward the most energetic player on the court, Sanae, who was able to return it.

“Grr, I guess I should have expected as much from my daughter,” Kanae growled, equal parts pleased and frustrated with Sanae’s play.

“You’re starting to sound like the Swift Archer I used to know, Kanae-san,” Nana couldn’t help giggling. She recognized Kanae’s style on the court. It was just like how she’d always fought with her bow—the perfect balance of stillness and swiftness.

“It’s too bad I’m the only one living up to my old name,” Kanae teased.

“Oh, we’ll see about that!” Nana shot back.

Sensing the change that had come over Kanae, Nana began to adopt her old tactics as well. In the past, she’d always moved swiftly and struck with powerful attacks that would keep opponents in Kanae’s range. In this situation, that would mean putting the opposing team on edge and forcing them to send weak returns Kanae’s way. With that in mind, Nana started targeting Yurika’s side of the court.

“Haaah!”

Yurika wouldn’t go down without a fight. She’d grown too much for that, and she wanted to show her mentor how far she’d come. That imbued her with an extraordinary amount of focus, and thanks to that, she was able to send Nana’s shot right back—right where Kanae was waiting for it.

“Classic Nana-chan... Hah!”

Once she was in position, all Kanae had to do was make the shot at max power. Ignoring the time it took for her to adapt, she was Nana’s superior in terms of strength and speed. When she smashed the shuttlecock with all her might, it whistled violently as it tore through the air.

“Incoming!” Sanae shouted.

Sanae had predicted her mother’s smash—but she couldn’t stop it. It clipped her racket and changed directions, but still landed within the bounds of the court.

“Dang, I grazed it!”

She’d been oh-so close to stopping her mother, which made it all the more frustrating. That frustration, however, became fuel for the competitive fire growing in her heart.

“I’ll get the next one, Mama, so you better prepare yourself!”

“That’s the spirit, Sanae! It all comes down to guts!

Both mother and daughter hated losing. They stood on opposite sides of the net with identical expressions on their faces. It was an endearing sight. Both Nana and Yurika smiled as they beheld it, and eventually, they too realized they were wearing identical expressions. Their smiles only widened.

The intense match went back and forth. At first, Sanae’s and Yurika’s youth gave them the advantage, but once Kanae and Nana regained their edge, they seized the lead. As a result, Sanae and Yurika took the first game, while Kanae and Nana took the second. The pairs were now intent to break the tie with a third and final game.

“You’re pretty good, Sanae. You too, Yurika-chan!” Kanae cheered.

“Eeheehee! We’re still active as magical girls after all!” replied Sanae.

“I can’t be dependent on Nana-san forever!” Yurika threw in.

“That’s the spirit, Yurika-chan!”

But by the time the final match rolled around, however, Kanae’s breathing was starting to get ragged. She hadn’t kept up her training in the long years that had passed since she and Nana parted ways, so she could scarcely keep up with the other three. If not for her abundant spiritual energy, she likely wouldn’t have made it to the final game in the first place. Her flagging stamina shifted the balance of power between the teams yet again, more or less putting them on even footing.

“Now that it’s come to this, it’s time to get serious,” said Sanae, boasting the same mischievous grin she always wore right before pulling a prank.

“Oh, I’ve been serious this entire time,” replied Kanae. “You haven’t been, Sanae?”

“I’ve been taking this seriously as your daughter. But what if I take it seriously as a magical girl now?”

Sanae had indeed been fighting seriously. So had Yurika. But they’d only been playing as normal girls—meaning they hadn’t been using their psychic powers or magic. Sanae was suggesting they change that.

“Interesting. I’m in! You’re fine with that too, aren’t you, Nana-chan?” asked Kanae.

“Strictly speaking, that would be against the rules. But we’re all affiliated with Rainbow Heart here, so we could consider this a training exercise.”

While Kanae was all for the idea, Nana had some reservations. This was the perfect opportunity to see how much Yurika had grown, however, so she caved in the end. This decision left Yurika the most nervous of all.

“Are you sure we’ll be okay, Sanae-chan...?” she asked timidly.

As Nana’s disciple, Yurika knew better than anyone else just how strong the genius magical girl was. In an anything-goes match, Yurika had no confidence they could beat her. Sanae, meanwhile, showed no such fear and approached her teammate with an emboldened look in her eyes.

“Either way we do this, Nana and my mom are both incredibly strong.”

That being the case, Sanae wanted to fight them at their absolute best. She wanted to get a glimpse of her mom’s glory days. Moreover, she didn’t think the ultimate victor would be decided by the use of magic. The strong would win, regardless of what tools they had at their disposal. So why not go all out?

“O-Okay. I kinda wanna see them at the top of their game too.”

“Well said, Yurika! There’s a real woman for you!”

And so the group agreed to a final no-holds-barred match. Although Sanae had had many reasons for suggesting it, her primary concern was for her mother. Allowing the tired Kanae to use her special powers should make the game easier for her, and Sanae simply wanted to play more with her mother. That love was what truly motivated her.

“All right, Nana-chan, let’s do the usual!” called Kanae.

“Lightning Reflexes! Mighty Power!” Nana incanted.

“Let’s do this, Yurika! Full-Blast Maiden Power!” Sanae shouted.

“Mirage Image! Short Teleport! Modifier: Delay!” Yurika chanted.

In short order, the lights of magic and psychic powers started flying back and forth in the Higashihongan estate garden. Although the four women looked like ordinary people, they were all experienced fighters in their own rights. The match that was about to go down would be truly out of this world.

Now that Nana had enhanced her strength and reflexes, Kanae could smash the shuttlecock harder and faster than any pro. It made for a rather formidable attack.

“I won’t loooooseee!” Sanae shouted as she moved into position.

Kanae’s shots would have been difficult for a normal person to even follow with their eyes, but Sanae was on top of them. Even if she couldn’t see the birdie, she could sense it. With Kanae’s pinpoint aim, Sanae was able to read her moves and stay ahead of her. Nana, however, kept Sanae on her toes and running all around the court. Sanae was only able to keep up because she was heightening her physical abilities with her psychic powers and because of Yurika’s short-range teleportation magic.

“All right! Do it, Yurika!” Sanae cried.

She’d just barely managed to catch the birdie, so there wasn’t much strength in her swing. It was lazily sailing back toward Kanae and Nana—the perfect opportunity for one of them to smash it. Thankfully, this was where Yurika came in.

“Activate Mirror Image!” she called.

As the shuttlecock sailed over the net, a dozen more appeared. They were illusions that Yurika had created to hide the real one.

“Quick Cast Amplifier!”

However, Nana and Kanae weren’t about to go down without a fight. Using the power of the staff built into her body, Nana cast a spell of her own to dispel Yurika’s magic and used her mana to amplify it. That reduced the flurry of shuttlecocks to three. Kanae’s intuition would take it from there.

“Good job, Nana-chan!” Kanae shouted.

Her beautiful swing at the real birdie sent it sailing back toward Sanae and Yurika’s side of the court. Yurika had just cast a spell, and Sanae had just landed from her jump shot. Kanae was sure that this would be the clincher.

“Not so fast!”

However, Sanae, who shouldn’t have been able to move, managed to return the shuttlecock. Despite her bent posture, she caught it just as it was about to hit the ground.

“What?!” Kanae gasped. She and Nana were both unable to respond as the birdie hit the ground at their feet. “What was that, Nana-chan? My daughter just flew through the air... That wasn’t Yurika-chan’s magic, was it?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, but it seems Sanae-chan has a talent for psychic powers.”

“Psychic powers, huh? My daughter sure is something...”

Sanae proudly raised her index and middle fingers in a victorious V shape. She hadn’t exactly been hiding her powers, but they’d certainly caught Kanae and Nana off guard. She was quite pleased with herself.

“Well, if she can fly, we’ll just have to take that into consideration!” Kanae rallied.

“That’s my mama! Let’s see you get wild!” Sanae cheered her on.

“I’m not old enough to lose to my daughter yet!”

Although they’d just lost a point, Kanae and Nana had overcome far greater dangers in the past. They wouldn’t let this defeat them. In fact, they were even used to facing foes with the power of flight. Kanae looked at her daughter with a glint in her eye like she was enjoying herself. Meanwhile, Nana beheld Yurika with a softer look.

“Keep it up, Yurika-chan! You’re doing good, but your incantation gestures are getting a little sloppy because you’re tired.”

“I’ll be more careful!”

Nana had managed to dispel most of Yurika’s illusions because she’d been slow in casting the spell. If the younger magical girl had only been more precise, her team undoubtedly would have scored that last point sooner.

“No giving her advice in the middle of a match, Nana-chan,” scolded Kanae. “Save it for later.”

“Sorry, but I do want my disciple to get stronger.”

Nana apologized while sticking her tongue out. It was a special face she’d only show Kanae, and it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. She knew that Sanae and Yurika were no easy opponents.

The neck-and-neck competition continued for several more rounds. Kanae and Nana had the advantage in terms of technique, but Sanae and Yurika had more stamina. The younger girls gained more of an edge the longer the match dragged on. However, since the players were now allowed to use psychic powers and magic in any way except for directly on the shuttlecock and their opponents, wits and experience were just as important. The tense battle between the two teams took them straight to a deadlock deuce, with neither side able to seize the win.

“Kyaaah!”

A meter-large shuttlecock hit Yurika in the forehead... but it barely hurt. The moment it crashed into her, it returned to its original size and fell to her feet. Its size had only been an illusion.

“Aaaaaahhh, she got us! Nana, you’re pretty good!” Sanae wailed.

With that point, Nana and Kanae had caught up and the score was once again tied. The game was now 29-29. In tennis, play would continue until there was a clear victor; but in badminton, the first team to 30 would be declared the victor. Losing their single-point lead put them in a tight spot, but Sanae couldn’t help praising Nana. The giant shuttlecock had been a clever trick to keep the score even.

“I’m just glad it worked,” Nana said modestly.

“You really are good with magic, Nana-chan,” Kanae complimented her.

“I can understand why Darkness Rainbow hated fighting you,” remarked Sanae.

“Heehee. That’s my master,” giggled Yurika.

The illusion had been a simple one, requiring a minimal amount of mana to cast. The real key to the trick was timing. The illusion had taken effect right as Yurika was about to swing. That threw her off, making her uncertain where and how to hit such a massive target. Really, losing the point hadn’t been a demonstration of Yurika’s ineptitude. Rather, it was a testament to Nana’s mastery.

“Why do you sound so proud?” Sanae grilled her.

“Ah, right. I need to work hard too!”

“That’s right! This is the moment of truth!”

The girls had lost their lead, but Sanae and Yurika were still raring to go. Their goal wasn’t to win so much as it was to show off their power. Yurika wanted Nana to see how much she’d grown, and Sanae wanted to test her mother’s strength (as well as show off a little herself). They wanted to keep going all out.

“I’m relieved, Nana-chan,” said Kanae.

“Why?” Nana replied.

“It looks like you’ve really perked up. Yurika-chan and my daughter are both so strong.”

“It’s too early to let your guard down, Kanae-san. It is our responsibility to give our protégés a real run for their money.”

“You can say that again! Let’s do this, Nana-chan!”

“Indeed!”

Serves in badminton weren’t as dynamic as in tennis, but all the same mind games applied. Kanae purposefully aimed closer to Yurika than Sanae. Sanae’s range was huge, and her mother was intentionally striking right at the edge of it. Kanae’s goal was to make both of them hesitate over who should go for it.

“This one’s yours, Yurika,” Sanae called to her teammate.

“Okay!” Yurika responded.

Concerned about what trick Nana had up her sleeve, Sanae deferred to Yurika in favor of preparing for the next attack. With the countermeasures they had in place, she was confident they could take whatever Nana had in store for them.

“They’re starting to wise up to us!” Kanae cried. “What do we do?!”

“I have an idea! Just keep this going for a while!” Nana replied.

The rally continued for a while with the assistance of minor spells and a little psychic power, but both sides already understood each other’s attack patterns by now. That made it difficult to get a decisive edge, which meant the match would come down to pure badminton skill. The first to mess up would lose—and knowing that increased the tension for all four players.

“Aaahh, I’m terrible at this kinda stuff!” Yurika wailed.

“Hang in there!” Sanae shouted back. “We’ll clinch this soon! Show me your guts!”

“Now this is fun! This is what competition is all about!” Kanae roared.

“Here I go, Kanae-san!” Nana cried.

As the tension reached its peak, Nana made her move. She hit the shuttlecock to the younger girls and launched into a chant. This was it. This would be the final showdown.

“Over here, darling!” Kanae called.

“Mama?!” Sanae replied in shock. “Why are there two of you?!”

While the younger girls’ eyes were glued on the birdie, Nana had turned into Kanae. Sanae and Yurika weren’t sure if it was an illusion or a full-blown transformation, but they knew one thing for certain... They were in trouble.

“Yurika, blow that magic away!” Sanae instructed.

“Okay!”

The shuttlecock was en route to Yurika’s side of the court, but Sanae made a mad dash to return it. She was buying time for Yurika to break through Nana’s magic. Little did she know that was exactly what Nana wanted.

“Quick Cast Anti-Magic Field!”

Yurika dispelled Nana’s magic, and when she did, something truly surprising happened. One Kanae turned back into Nana—but the second Kanae disappeared entirely. As far as the girls knew, nothing should have happened to her. Yet lo and behold, the real Kanae abruptly appeared mid-smash.

“Mama?! Oh nooo!”

“K-Kanae-san?! How?!”

It turned out that Nana had doublecast—one illusion spell and one invisibility spell. She’d disguised herself with the first and hidden Kanae with the second, all while the girls believed that she’d only cast a single spell. It was a basic enough diversion, but one that was difficult to detect in such a tense situation when everyone was focused on the game-deciding shuttlecock. Rainbow Nana was still a genius, even in her retirement.

“Take this!”

With Kanae so close to the net, her smash came even quicker than normal. She swung with all her might too. Even if Sanae or Yurika had been able to respond in kind with their maximum strength, they wouldn’t be able to handle that. The birdie whistled through the air and slammed into the ground at their feet.

Even after the match, Sanae and Yurika were still training with rackets in hand. Sanae hated losing, so she’d demanded a rematch and had eagerly begun training for it. Yurika normally didn’t have a competitive streak, but things were different when Nana and Kanae were involved. She wanted to put Nana at ease by showing off how strong she’d become, so she’d joined Sanae for extra training.

“One thing I learned for sure is that Mama and Nana are super strong,” said Sanae.

“If we could be like them, we could do almost anything,” replied Yurika.

“The goal’s within reach! I’m sure we can do it if we just try harder! We’ll beat them next time!”

“Yeah!”

As for the winning team, they were watching Sanae and Yurika through the large window in the parlor. They’d gone inside to take a break after their victory.

“They sure are full of energy... They’re still going at it,” remarked Nana.

“They’re young, after all,” added Kanae.

The two women were enjoying some tea as they watched the girls train. They didn’t have as much energy as Sanae and Yurika. Kanae was past that time in her life, and Nana had lost the stamina necessary to continuously cast magic when she was grievously injured in the fight that forced her into retirement. They’d both hit their limit.

“I tell you,” began Nana, “that vigor of theirs is a serious threat. Our game just now was a close one.”

“They’re growing so fast,” said Kanae.

“If their friends had been here to cheer them on, I imagine they would’ve come out on top...”

“You’re right. Those two don’t work very hard for themselves.”

Kanae and Nana had won the match, but only by a narrow margin. Under different circumstances, or if they’d been forced to play another game, victory would have gone to the younger girls. They were sure of that.

“Maybe retiring was the right choice,” mused Nana.

“Yes, I believe it’s our duty to entrust things to the next generation without being too intrusive,” agreed Kanae.

Both women believed it was time to pass the torch, and while they were happy their disciple or daughter had become stronger, it still saddened them. Nana and Kanae had grown weaker and could no longer endure practical work. It could be said that their value as a team had diminished. They knew they’d be fools to try to deny that, but they still clung dearly to the old days they’d spent together in their hearts. No one could blame them for wanting those to go on a little longer.

“Without being too intrusive, huh...?” Nana murmured as she looked out the window. Yurika and Sanae were currently living out the wonderful days she remembered. It was a bittersweet sight.

“Not yet, Nana-chan. It’s still too early to pull back entirely.”

Kanae, however, saw things a little differently. Even though it was time to pass the torch, it was too early yet to step back and bask in nostalgia. They weren’t out of the race altogether, for there were things they still needed to do.

“Kanae-san...?”

“Nana-chan, you’ve only retired from combat, haven’t you?”

“Well, yes. I’m here on assignment to act as an emissary of sorts.”

“Then why don’t you and I get back together and revive the old team?”

“What...?”

“When it comes to work like that, I’m definitely better than you.”

As a former magical girl, Nana would be serving as a mediator and advisor for various forces in the future. Kanae had been doing something similar all along as the wife of a shrine priest. She could still be of help to Nana in that regard—certainly much more than the younger girls like Sanae and Yurika could.

“Are you sure?” Nana asked hesitantly.

“Of course. We don’t have to worry about Darkness Rainbow attacking these days, and I don’t have my hands full with Sanae anymore. Besides, doesn’t it sit wrong with you to leave everything to the kids?”

“Kanae-san...”

Kanae’s proposal was an attractive one. Neither she nor Nana were as strong as they’d once been, but there was still plenty they could do. They could still work together to protect the peace of the world, just like they had in their heyday. It would mean putting Kanae at risk, however, so Nana furrowed her brow to ponder the matter.

“So, what’ll it be?” Kanae pressed her.

“...I’ll be counting on you.”

In the end, Nana accepted Kanae’s offer. Their work would be diplomatic in nature, which was far less dangerous than their old line of work. Even if a threat did arise, Nana could personally protect Kanae. She wasn’t good in a long fight, but she was confident she could do at least that much. Moreover, she simply couldn’t resist the temptation of working with her old partner again. Nana loved Kanae, after all.

“You’re being awfully honest today,” Kanae remarked.

“I learned from the girls that sometimes it’s better to be honest,” Nana replied.

“Don’t let them rub off on you too much, okay?”

“Ahaha!”

And so Rainbow Nana and the Swift Archer were set to make their comeback. They wouldn’t be out on any combat missions and it was unlikely that they would make a name for themselves, but they didn’t care. After years of being apart, they were simply thrilled at the chance to relieve the wonderful time they’d spent together.