Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 8 - Chapter 4

The Ski Resort and Signature Moves

Wednesday, February 3rd

After making it through the dim tunnel, light streamed in through the bus windows. On the other side of them was a silvery landscape. And even though the clouds were covering the sun, everyone was dazzled by the glittering snow.

“All right! Oh yeah! The mountains are calling me!”

Koutarou’s sparkling eyes were comparable to the snow outside as he pressed his face against the window of the bus. As a sports lover, the moment he saw the snow, he could barely contain himself.

“Please calm down a little, Satomi-kun.”

Kiriha, who was sitting next to Koutarou, smiled at his childlike manner. They were surrounded by their classmates, so she made especially sure to keep up her honor student act, but she couldn’t hide how she really felt. She continued to smile as she watched over the restless Koutarou.

“Kiriha-san, when do we get there?!”

“It’ll be a while yet. The bus will start driving up the mountain now.”

Kiriha looked up front as she spoke. Beyond the bus were mountains covered in white snow that appeared to be growing larger as they moved closer. Koutarou and the other first-years of Kisshouharukaze High School were loaded onto eight buses currently making their way to a ski resort. As part of their school trip, they would be spending the next two days there enjoying various winter sports.

“About thirty more minutes or so.”

“Damn, it’s still that far off?”

Even as he was talking to Kiriha, Koutarou’s face remained pressed up against the window. He was looking up at the ski resort, watching it get closer and closer.

“It’s no use, Kiriha-san. Once he’s like that, it’s impossible to peel Kou off the window.”

Kenji’s face popped up from behind Koutarou’s seat. He was seated right behind him.

“Shut it, Mackenzie. A weakling like you wouldn’t understand the appeal of the mountains.”

“You’re just being a child. What are you, a kindergartner?!”

“I’d rather be a kindergartner than a weakling!”

Despite the judgmental look Kenji gave him, Koutarou didn’t move away from the window.

“But it’s dangerous like that, Satomi-kun.”

“Danger always accompanies the mountains.”

“That’s not what I meant. Heehee...”

Kiriha put her hand in front of her mouth as she giggled. Her elegant smile had a serene beauty to it that was rare in girls her age. In fact, the boys who saw it were smitten, but Koutarou, who still had his face pressed against the window, showed no reaction whatsoever.

“Satomi-kun, it’s dangerous to stand up like that, so please sit back down.”

“Like I said, it’s impossible. I’ve tried for years.”

“Is that so?”

Kenji shrugged his shoulders, clearly writing off Koutarou as a lost cause. Kiriha, however, leaned in and tried whispering into Koutarou’s ear to convince him.

“Sit down, Satomi Koutarou. Do you want me to use magic on you again?”

In that moment, Kiriha had a devilish, provocative smile on her lips.

“Ugh...”

Her words had a profound effect. Koutarou, who had stubbornly refused to move away from the window before, now awkwardly sat back down in his seat.

“Sorry for getting excited about something like skiing!”

“Very good.”

As Kiriha smiled at the seated Koutarou, she pulled out a meat bun from her bag and gave it to him.

“Eat this and calm down a little.”

“Of course! It would be my honor!”

Koutarou nervously opened his mouth as Kiriha fed him the meat bun with her delicate fingers. The meat bun should have been delicious, but Koutarou was too anxious to taste anything.

“Kou, what happened to you?”

Kenji was astonished to see Koutarou acting this way with Kiriha. According to his own experience, it was impossible to get Koutarou to listen to anything once he got excited. However, Kiriha had easily reigned him in. Kenji could hardly believe it.

“Mackenzie, you don’t know this woman’s true nature. She’s actually―”

“Would you like another?”

“Mmmph!”

Before Koutarou could say anything else, Kiriha shoved a second meat bun into his mouth.

“Mmph, mmh!”

“Kiriha-san, what did Kou say?”

“Mrghh, mmph!”

“W-Well...”

Kiriha blushed and shyly looked down.

“H-He was just remembering the intimate times we spent together...”

“Whaaaaaat?!”

The next moment, Koutarou had plastic bottles, shoes, magazines, and all kinds of other objects hurled at him by almost everyone nearby. He was already struggling to breathe thanks to the meat bun that had been shoved in his mouth, so between that and the sudden panic at the incoming barrage, Koutarou blacked out for a moment. Once he came to, the person who was supposed to be sitting next to him was mysteriously absent.

“D-Damn it, that Kiriha-san...”

“Are you okay, Koutarou?”

“That was unfortunate, Satomi-san.”

Sanae and Yurika were working together to dig Koutarou out from the pile of items that had been thrown at him.

“...Thanks, you two.”

“Koutarou, you definitely shouldn’t go out with that woman.”

“That’s right. Satomi-san should only go out with Sakuraba-senpai.”

“Th-That aside, Yurika...”

Koutarou brushed the dust off his clothes and got up.

“What?”

“Don’t ever give Kiriha-san that magical staff. Who knows what she’d do for fun...”

In the event that Kiriha did get her hands on it, Koutarou would most likely be the victim of her whims. It would be even worse than having a busload of random things thrown at him.

“I understand!”

Yurika responded emphatically. She wouldn’t stand for the misuse of magic either.

“Not even if she offers you something delicious, okay?”

“O-Okay!”

Yurika nodded again. However, her determination had already started to waver.

“Not even if she tells you a scary story, okay?”

“I-I-It’ll be fine! Probably! Yurika, fight! Yurika, fight!”

Yurika nervously nodded and cheered herself on.

“...Are you sure?”

“I’m sorry! I’m not actually sure at all!”

It seemed like the security for the new magical staff was far weaker than Koutarou had hoped.

Theia had stood up from her seat and was looking over at Koutarou and the others. After confirming that Koutarou was all right, she let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.

“Your Highness, you could just go to Satomi-sama’s side.”

“L-Like I could do something like that! But even so, I’m still―”

“A girl, right?”

“...”

Her face red, Theia stared down at the ground in silence. She had been about to say “princess,” but the word caught in her throat and just wouldn’t come out.

“Your Highness, if there’s something you want, you can’t just wait for it.”

Theia still said nothing and continued to look down. Her long, golden hair hid her face and expression from Ruth.

“And there’s no guarantee that Kiriha-sama will always be helping you either.”

While it might have been harder to understand than using the staff the other day, Ruth believed that Kiriha had also done this for Theia’s sake. It had given her an opportunity to go protect Koutarou or see if he was okay, but she hadn’t taken it.

Instead, it was Sanae and Yurika who had gone to Koutarou’s side. Theia had fallen behind in her hesitation. And if she didn’t take action, she wouldn’t see any results no matter how many opportunities Kiriha created. On top of that, there was a limit to Kiriha’s cooperation. Even though she knew what she wanted now, Theia would never be able to get it if she didn’t seize it for herself.

“I know... Even I know that I can’t go on like this...”

Theia finally opened her mouth. However, it was hard to believe that such timid words were coming from Theia.

“But I don’t understand... I’ve only ever made connections with others with my own strength. Giving that up now and trying something different is... impossible for me to even imagine. Just what should I do...?”

Theia had been born a princess and spent her life bargaining with people she couldn’t fully trust. To survive, she’d learned to exert her dominance and make people fall into line by using force. That was the only way she’d been able to interact with people. Theia’s wish wasn’t to win Koutarou’s heart through force, but it was the only thing she knew to do. This conundrum puzzled Theia. She wanted to move forward, but didn’t know how.

“Then why not just show him your strength?”

“Huh...?”

Theia instinctively raised her head at what Ruth said. It wasn’t what she’d expected to hear.

“It’s meaningless. My wish won’t be fulfilled by doing that...”

“If you just demonstrate normal strength, that might be true.” Ruth put her hand on her chest and gently smiled at Theia. “However, you have a different kind of strength you can show him, Your Highness.”

“A different... strength...?”

“Yes, the strength of your feelings and how much you care for others. If you make use of that strength without holding back, I’m sure he will understand no matter what you do, be it playing games, drinking tea, or fighting.”

Ruth’s words were powerful and there was an intense conviction visible in her eyes.

How can you be so certain? What makes you so confident?

Theia couldn’t sense any hesitation in what Ruth said. She wanted to know just where all this faith was coming from.

“Our Theiamillis’s Blue Knight isn’t the kind of thickheaded knight who wouldn’t understand that.”

Ruth gently smiled as she spoke. When Theia saw her face like that, she finally understood.

I see... So that’s what you believe in...

Ruth believed in Koutarou. She believed that the person Theia longed for wouldn’t ignore her when he was so kind to everyone else. In fact, it was precisely that part of him that had made Theia long for him in the first place.

“Ruth...”

Now that she understood what Ruth had so much faith in, a small smile finally appeared on Theia’s face.

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“You just said ‘our,’ did you not?”

Theia was questioning Ruth, but her words were gentle. She was in no way criticizing her.

“Yes, that is indeed what I said.”

Ruth responded with the same conviction she had shown before.

“Then... are you fine with that?”

In fact, Theia was the one who had a slightly apologetic expression on her face.

“Yes. My ideal man is someone who will support you, Your Highness.”

“You’re not being very honest with yourself either...”

A tinge of bitterness crept across Theia’s smile, but Ruth simply shook her head.

“No, I just stubbornly believe.”

“Heh... Then I should believe as well.”

“In what, if I may ask?”

Ruth already knew. She already knew, but she had to ask because she wanted Theia to put it into words.

“In our Theiamillis’s Blue Knight.”

Theia answered just what Ruth hoped she would. She believed it was a wonderful thing for Theia to finally be able to say those words.

“Yes... As you wish, my princess...”

And so Theia and Ruth smiled at each other once more.

To the girl known as Nijino Yurika, a ski resort could be likened to hell. Not only did she dislike physical exertion, she also hated the cold. And since she lacked any endurance or discipline, there was no way she’d ever be good at skiing.

“Kyaaaaaaaah!”

As such, Yurika lost her balance just moments after getting off the ski lift.

“Save meeeee, Satomi-saaaaaaaan!”

Yurika was bundled up in so much clothing that she was almost round, and she rolled right down the ski slope like a barrel.

“Hey, Yurika!”

Koutarou quickly gave chase. However, Yurika was rolling at a frightening pace and she only picked up speed as she moved down the slope. It was like she was in freefall. Although he was athletic, as a skiing amateur, the distance between Koutarou and Yurika only grew.

“Save me, Satomi-saaaaan!”

Yurika looked like she would roll on forever, but...

“Uffh!”

She rolled right into a pile of newly fallen snow and stopped. Her two legs were the only thing that could be seen sticking out of it now.

“Wah, that looks bad, Koutarou!”

“Sanae, g-go on ahead and check on her!”

“Yeah!”

Sanae let go of Koutarou and headed for Yurika. Since she could freely fly, it was faster than skiing. She would be able to reach Yurika before anyone else.

“Are you okay, Yurika?”

“I-I’m nooot!”

Yurika had managed to get her head out of the snow, but she was completely trapped otherwise. She tried to move her arms, but there was no room in the snow. The only thing she could do was kick her legs, but that didn’t exactly help her. Luckily, Koutarou arrived shortly thereafter, kicking up snow as he slid sideways right over to the pile.

“How does it look?”

“She doesn’t seem to be hurt, but she can’t get out.”

“Save meee, Satomi-saaaaan!”

Yurika’s voice was slightly muffled as it reverberated off the snow. Based on her shouting and how she was kicking her legs, Koutarou could tell that she was just fine.

“Jeez...”

Koutarou let out a sigh of relief before removing his skis and approaching the pile where Yurika was stuck.

“Hey, are you okay, Yurika?”

“Yes. I’m not hurt,” Yurika replied. She sounded miserable.

“Are you stuck?”

“I can’t move my arms, so I can’t get out on my own.”

The snow had collapsed in on the Yurika-shaped hole, making it impossible for her to escape on her own. Without much of a choice, Koutarou reluctantly put his hands on Yurika’s legs sticking out.

“Kyaaah! Wh-What?!”

Yurika, who couldn’t tell heads from tails, panicked and began struggling.

“Pervert! Molester! Why are you trying to take advantage of me when I can’t move?!”

“You’ve got the wrong idea! Stay still, Yurika! I’ll pull you out of there!”

“Oh, I wondered why someone was grabbing me like that.”

However, when she realized that Koutarou was trying to pull her out, she completely stopped moving.

“Okay, Satomi-san. Hurry up and save me.”

“You idiot. Maybe I should just bury you instead...”

Despite being irritated by Yurika’s behavior, Koutarou grabbed ahold of her legs again.

“Here I go, Yurika!”

“Okay.”

When Yurika answered, Koutarou put all of his strength into his arms.

“Ouch! Owowowow!”

Yurika began screaming right away and started kicking her legs again.

“H-Hey, Yurika, stop moving!”

“But— Ow! It hurts! Owowowow!”

“In that case...!”

Yurika kept struggling and complaining, but having determined that they wouldn’t get anywhere at this rate, Koutarou ignored her pleas and yanked as hard as he could. When he did, he pulled a snow-covered Yurika up out of the pile.

“Ow...”

“Are you okay, Yurika?”

Yurika rubbed her neck with tears in her eyes. That was what had hurt the most when Koutarou was pulling on her.

“I thought my head was going to pop off.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just snow.”

“Show some guts.”

“You’re wrong!”

“How?”

“The deeper snow is denser and harder, and that’s where my head was stuck.”

“But in the end, it’s still just snow, right?”

“You’re wrong! Satomi-san, I think you should be more gentle with me!”

“I don’t care...”

As Koutarou, Yurika, and Sanae sat on the snow and talked, more of their classmates came skiing down the slope. Someone on a pair of skis and someone on a snowboard glided towards Koutarou and the others with great speed as they crossed each other’s trails. They then both came sliding to a stop, kicking up snow right in front of Koutarou and the girls.

“What are you doing, Kou?”

“What are you sitting down here for?”

It was Kenji on the snowboard and Shizuka on the skis. Both of them were quite skilled.

“Well, Yurika crashed into that snow pile over there and got stuck, so I had to help her out.”

Koutarou responded sourly as he wiped off the snow that had been kicked into his face by Kenji and Shizuka’s flashy stunt. Yurika, who didn’t seem to care much about the snow in her face, immediately gave them her side of the story.

“Satomi-san is just terrible! Even though I said it hurt, he just kept pulling! I thought I was going to lose my head!”

“Nijino-san, Kou’s always been reckless like that.”

Kenji saw an opportunity and took it. Yurika could be his way to get back at Koutarou for his daily little pranks.

“Just the other day, he woke me up using hot water—did you know that?! He definitely needs to be more gentle with me!”

“I know just how you feel. He’s normally way too rough.”

“So you understand, Matsudaira-san!”

“Of course!”

Yurika and Kenji firmly shook hands, both rejoicing at having found someone who understood them.

“What are those two doing...?”

Koutarou and Shizuka watched them with cold stares.

“They’ve already moved past the pain and are just complaining now... Oh, right! Satomi-kun!”

“Yes?”

“Regardless of what happened, the truth is that she fell, right? Her neck might really be injured, so I think we should take her to the hotel infirmary, just in case.”

“The infirmary?! I’ll go! I’ll go!”

The moment she heard the word “infirmary,” Yurika’s eyes began sparkling.

“...You just don’t want to ski anymore, do you?”

“You’re wrong! Oh, ouch! Ow! Oh, Satomi-san, my neck! It hurts!”

Yurika brushed aside Koutarou’s suspicions. She held her neck with both hands and wailed in pain with a big smile on her face.

This girl... She’s planning on using her neck pain as an excuse to skip out...

Not only did Yurika not like sports, she also hated the cold. It was obvious that she wasn’t planning on coming back out once she went inside.

“Fine, I got it. Let’s go to the infirmary, Yurika.”

“Really?! Thank you! I knew you were a gentle person the moment we first met!”

Yurika grabbed ahold of Koutarou’s hands and shook them up and down.

“That’s right, there are times you have been gentle with me lately! You must really love me, Satomi-san!”

Yurika was ecstatic over not having to ski for now.

“...Don’t get so full of yourself.”

“Are you sure she needs to go? She doesn’t look hurt to me.”

“What can I do? There’s still a chance that she actually is.”

Koutarou was well aware of Yurika’s underlying motives, but he still felt an obligation to take care of her. He let out a sigh and stood up, then dragged Yurika up as well.

“Let’s go, Yurika.”

“Okaaay.”

“Satomi-kun, Mackenzie-kun and I will take care of the skis.”

“Please do. Thank you, Landlord-san.”

“What? No thanks for me, Kou?”

“Koutarou, I don’t like infirmaries, so I’m gonna go play with Theia and the others.”

“Yeah. You do that.”

Theia and Ruth were in the middle of getting skiing lessons from Kiriha. Tagging along to the infirmary would just be boring, so Sanae decided she’d rather go join up with them.

“Well, I’ll leave the rest to you, Landlord-san, Mackenzie.”

“Satomi-san, Satomi-san! Can you give me a piggyback ride?”

There was a loud thud.

“I said not to get too full of yourself.”

“Okaaay...”

And so Koutarou and Yurika walked down the rest of the slope. Sanae had already flown off looking for Theia and the others, so the only ones remaining were Shizuka and Kenji. Kenji stared at Koutarou and Yurika as they walked off, his head tilted to the side.

“Kasagi-san, are those two going out?”

Shizuka’s eyes opened wide upon hearing Kenji’s most unexpected question.

“Satomi-kun and Yurika-chan?! Why do you ask?!”

“Why? Well... don’t they seem too close for just classmates? It’s like you can’t get between them...”

“Ah, they certainly do have that going for them.”

Shizuka looked up from picking up the skis and watched Koutarou and Yurika as they walked off too. Yurika was cheerfully talking to Koutarou with exaggerated gestures, while Koutarou was responding with a variety of expressions and by occasionally hitting her on the head. There was certainly a sense of intimacy between them.

“But I don’t think they’re going out. They’re both terrible at hiding things, so I’m pretty sure we’d know.”

“That’s true, but... Hmm...”

Kenji wasn’t fully convinced, but he had to agree that there was no way they could keep it a secret if they were dating. To him, the two of them had a very strange relationship.

It’s only natural for it to seem strange to you, Mackenzie-kun. In reality, the two of them are living together.

While feeling a sense of admiration for Kenji’s keen observational abilities, Shizuka smiled wryly. The reason Koutarou and Yurika were so close was because they lived together in room 106. As roommates, they got a little closer every day.

Well, the same goes through for the other girls too...

Although the residents of room 106 all had different interests, they had built up a mutual trust between one another. Shizuka, who had lost her family, was somewhat envious of that.

Yurika’s diagnosis was just what Koutarou had assumed—nothing. She was fine, but the doctor on duty had told Yurika to take it easy for the day just to be on the safe side. That was just what Yurika had hoped for.

“Really, that Yurika... This is why she’s so unreliable.”

Because of that, Koutarou would be returning to the slopes alone. Yurika had gone to sleep in the infirmary, but she stayed on Koutarou’s mind even after he left. Despite how he might act, he was always worried about her.

“What’s the matter, Satomi-kun?” someone called out to Koutarou.

When he turned around to see who it was, he spied one of his classmates.

“Oh, Aika-san.”

“That’s a gloomy expression you have there. Is something wrong?”

It was a girl named Aika Maki. She was a transfer student who had come to their school around the start of winter. Maki was supposedly one of Yurika’s acquaintances, but she hadn’t left much of an impression on Koutarou, so he didn’t have many memories of her.

“Yurika hurt her neck, so I took her to the infirmary...”

“My, Yurika-san did?”

Hearing that Yurika had been injured, Maki’s eyes opened wide.

“The doctor said she was fine, but she refuses to leave the infirmary.”

Koutarou turned to look at the door behind him with a dissatisfied expression. Yurika was sleeping in a warm bed just on the other side of that door.

“I see...”

Hearing what was going on, Maki’s expression suddenly got sharper.

Regardless of the circumstances, this is my chance to investigate...

Maki had been trying to make contact with Koutarou for the past few days. She decided this was her chance and approached him accordingly. She’d set up magical devices to gather information on room 106 while they were away on the school trip. Now she just had to question Koutarou and the majority of her goals would be complete.

This is also my chance to outsmart this man. Don’t be too rash now. Just tread carefully...

Maki calmed herself to keep from doing anything foolhardy, and then smiled at Koutarou.

“Then why don’t we talk for a moment as we take a break, Satomi-kun? I’ll buy you a soda.”

Behind that smile, however, Maki was getting more and more nervous.

When Maki left to buy soda from the vending machine, she activated two spells that had been dormant. One was a spell to allow the user to see through lies, and the other was a camouflage spell that concealed the mana. The first was because she didn’t want to be fooled by Koutarou’s slick tongue, and the second was because she didn’t want Koutarou to know she’d used any magic. Maki had specifically prepared these two spells before she made contact with Koutarou.

The rest is up to me...

Maki pulled herself together and approached Koutarou with two plastic bottles in her hands.

“Here, Satomi-kun.”

“Sorry for making you treat me.”

A green light was now surrounding Koutarou’s body, visible only to Maki. It was the effect of her first spell. Whenever Koutarou lied, the light would waver.

It doesn’t look like he’s been dishonest so far...

The light surrounding Koutarou was a steady green, proof that he hadn’t said anything untrue.

“Let’s have a seat.”

“Sure.”

Maki and Koutarou sat down side by side on a bench in the corner of the hotel lobby.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Koutarou asked.

Waiting for an answer, he removed the cap from his bottle and put it to his lips. He hadn’t told Maki what soda he wanted, but she’d brought him his favorite cola.

“Well... it’s about Yurika-san.”

“Yurika?”

Taking care to act naturally, Maki removed the cap from her bottle too and took a sip.

“Yes, that’s right. Actually, things haven’t been going well with Yurika-san lately...”

Maki despised lies, so she tried not to outright lie herself. Since she and Yurika were enemies, it was certainly true that things weren’t going well between them.

“So please tell me... Has something happened with Yurika-san lately?”

Maki appeared rather concerned. Because of that, to Koutarou, it just looked like the transfer student was worried that her old friend had changed.

“Do you mean since you transferred here?”

“Yes, I think it’s something very recent.”

The mana pool in room 106 had recently grown much larger, meaning something must have happened involving either Yurika or Koutarou. Maki decided to start her line of questioning with Yurika.

“Recently, huh?”

Koutarou began seriously thinking.

Something major happened to me, but... Yurika’s the same as ever. The only thing that’s happened with her recently was making children cry with her acting as Alunaya, right? But that probably has nothing to do with why things aren’t going well with Maki-san...

“Sorry, I can’t think of anything.”

In the end, Koutarou was stumped himself. He had no memory of anything major happening to Yurika.

The light is stable... So does that mean Satomi Koutarou is the reason for the mana pool’s growth? Or the enemy he fought during the play?

The light enveloping Koutarou was still a stable green. It was confirmation that he was telling the truth. Maki immediately began wondering about all the possibilities that could mean for her investigation.

“...No, wait.”

But then Koutarou suddenly remembered something and his expression changed.

Couldn’t you call that a substantial change?

Koutarou had no recollection of anything wrong with Yurika, but something major had happened.

“So did something happen?”

“Yeah. Actually, Yurika’s dream finally came true.”

Koutarou had given her a magical staff as a present. Thanks to that staff, she was now able to use real magic, weak though it may be. Koutarou just thought of it as a tool for self-defense, but it might have been a big deal to Yurika. In truth, Yurika had cried tears of joy when he gave it to her.

“It’s complicated, so I can’t go into detail, but something she’s wished for with all of her heart finally came true. Maybe that changed her a little.”

“Something she wished for with all her heart...?”

Maki knew what Yurika’s dream was. She wanted to become a splendid magician. A splendid magician that could fulfill the duties of her predecessor, Rainbow Nana.

If that dream has been fulfilled, that means... she’s drawn out power from the mana pool and gotten a great deal stronger? Or perhaps Yurika’s own mana has increased somehow, which is making it look like the mana pool in in room 106 is bigger now?

Either Yurika had become a powerful magician using the mana in room 106, or the mana pool only looked like it had grown because Yurika herself had gotten more powerful. Either way, the light around Koutarou was still a stable green, which meant that he wasn’t lying.

“So, if you could, just give her a chance to adjust to things.”

“I see. I understand.”

At this point, Koutarou and Maki weren’t at all on the same page. It was like they were having completely different conversations. Despite that, both of them had come to the conclusion that Yurika was now a splendid magician. And since they were both being honest, neither seemed to notice the disconnect.

Either way, the increase in mana has only made Yurika stronger... That’s problematic.

Maki took another sip of her cola. It was one of her few favorites, but no matter how much she drank, it did nothing for her parched throat.

After parting ways with Koutarou, Maki hid in the woods around the ski resort and contacted her allies using a portable magical tool for communication. It was similar in shape and size to the charms sold at temples. Because of its size, however, it was only possible to talk with one person at a time. The person she chose to contact was the dark magical girl who dressed in purple, known accordingly by the other members of Darkness Rainbow as Purple.

“Purple, it’s me.”

“Navy... what is it?”

“There’s something I wanted to report to you right away.” Maki wasn’t interested in wasting any time and quickly got down to business. “It seems like that increase in mana has directly affected Yurika’s power.”

“What?!” Even the normally calm and collected Purple was shocked. “Are you sure?!”

“Yes, sadly it seems to be the case. That’s what the information I obtained from making contact with Satomi Koutarou indicates, and I was able to confirm via my magic that it was true.”

Ever since she had spoken with Koutarou, the anxiety Maki was feeling had turned her throat into a desert. If the increased mana in room 106 was all under Yurika’s control, Maki and the other evil magical girls had no chance of winning. It was obvious that they’d be sent packing if they tried.

The truth of the matter, however, was that Yurika hadn’t powered up at all. The staff Koutarou had brought home may have had a lot of mana within it, but that mana was divided among many types of magic, so it wasn’t actually very powerful. Maki was just so eager for a fight that she had misunderstood the situation. Of course, Darkness Rainbow had no way of knowing that, but it was about to lead to yet another grand misunderstanding about Koutarou and Yurika.

“That’s bad...”

“I agree. We should avoid a direct confrontation if possible. At this rate, we’ll suffer an even more crushing defeat than we did against Rainbow Nana.”

“I understand. I’ll consider out next move, you continue investigating and― Hang on, Navy. Green is saying something.”

With those words, the girl in purple fell silent. A few solid minutes passed before her voice could be heard through the magical tool once more.

“...Navy, are you there?”

“Yes, I’ve been bored to death waiting.”

“According to Green, a powerful demon has appeared at the top of the mountain near you. It arrived there at roughly the same time you did.”

“A powerful demon...?”

In Maki and the others’ homeland, the magical country of Folsaria, there existed abnormal looking monsters known as demons. Occasionally they would stray to Earth and cause chaos. A lot of the monsters and devils in legends and myths were actually demons from Folsaria.

“We want you to capture that demon and make it your familiar. Normally we’d send you some backup, but we’re not in a position to do that now, I’m afraid. That said, if we do nothing at all, Rainbow Heart will exterminate it.”

One of the jobs of the organization Yurika belonged to, Rainbow Heart, was to exterminate demons that wandered to Earth. So sooner or later, this demon would likely meet the same fate.

“So now that Yurika’s gotten stronger, we’ll want to increase the odds in our favor by gaining allies, even if that comes with a risk, huh?”

Maki realized what the girl in purple was really suggesting, and she confirmed it.

“That’s right. Will you give it a shot?”

“I’ll do it. Fortunately, creating familiars is a specialty of mine.”

A familiar was a demon that served a magician and followed their orders. In order to gain a familiar, the magician either needed to bind it using contracts and curses, or manipulate its mind with magic. Maki specialized in the latter: mind manipulation magic. A job like this was right up her alley.

“Besides, I need to get some more power too or I won’t be able to win against Yurika or that man.”

“We’re counting on you, Navy.”

“Yes... Hmm?”

At that moment, Maki’s sharpened senses detected that someone was approaching her.

“Purple, I’ll contact you again later. It looks like I have a guest.”

“Be careful, Navy.”

After finishing her call, Maki tucked her magical tool away in her bosom. And when she turned around, she saw a lone girl approaching, weaving her way through the snow-covered trees.

“Very impressive, Yurika. To think you could sense mana as feeble as this.”

“Maki-chan, what are you doing using magic in a place like this?”

Yurika looked far more serious than she normally did. It made the usual carefree expression she showed Koutarou and the others on a daily basis almost seem like a lie.

Yurika had sensed the mana from the magic that Maki was using and come out to investigate. While it may have only been feeble mana from a magical tool used for communication, Yurika was cautious of Maki using magic under these circumstances. For the past few months, Maki hadn’t made any suspicious moves. She’d simply been acting like a normal classmate. She hadn’t been using magic or causing trouble. So why start now, in the middle of their school trip? That was a question Yurika couldn’t leave unanswered.

“Do you think I have an obligation to explain myself to you?”

A smile appeared on Maki’s lips and she looked Yurika up and down.

From what I can tell, she’s not powered up in her current state... Maybe her staff has something to do with it.

Yurika was currently wearing colorful winter clothes, just like Maki. Maki couldn’t sense anything different about Yurika’s mana the way she was now, so she started to suspect that the strong magic may have been coming from her staff or her magical girl outfit.

“Maki-chan, I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’ll be your opponent if I have to.”

The snow crunched underfoot as Yurika mustered her courage and took a step towards Maki. She was terribly scared of fighting, but as a magical girl, she couldn’t just back down.

“Those are some big words, Rainbow Yurika. Do you really think you can beat me with your skills?”

“It’s not about winning. I’m simply doing my duty.”

Yurika in the past probably would have run away in a situation like this. But ever since she came to room 106, she had slowly been building up her courage, and that courage now supported her.

But I will definitely win. I have to win and protect everyone so I can graduate together with Satomi-san and the others!

It wasn’t so much the courage of a magical girl as it was the courage of a regular girl named Nijino Yurika. She had a strong desire to protect her life as it was, both in room 106 and at Kisshouharukaze High School. Everything had led up to this—even Koutarou hitting her on the head earlier.

“That’s awfully confident... Let’s see how long you can keep that up,” Maki said as she readied herself.

This courage... from the same Yurika who would always run away? She must have gained a considerable amount of power.

Maki wasn’t as optimistic about the situation as she sounded. She didn’t think she stood much of a chance after taking Yurika’s supposedly drastic increase in mana into account.

And then there’s the terrain... This footing is disadvantageous to me.

Maki, in her snow boots, was standing on fresh snow. She fought using a combination of mind manipulation magic and martial arts. In comparison, Yurika’s fighting style primarily relied on long-range spells. Because of that, Maki was at a disadvantage in the snow where she would have a hard time moving. With that in mind, Maki decided she should prioritize retreating and getting her hands on a familiar.

But just running away isn’t my style!

Despite the situation, there was a fire burning in Maki’s eyes. No matter how strong Yurika had gotten, her pride wouldn’t allow her to just run away without putting up a fight.

“Here I come, Nijino Yurika!”

Maki thrust her right arm forward.

“Maki-chan?!”

Yurika’s response was slightly delayed, but she put both of her hands up in front of her.

“Come, Nightwalker!”

“Come! Angel Halo, Encyclopedia!”

In response to their summons, three staffs appeared. Nighwalker appeared before Maki’s right hand, and a staff appeared on either side of Yurika. Angel Halo was on the right and Encyclopedia was on the left. Both girls snatched their staffs out of the air and raised their right hands over their heads as they began concentrating.

She has two staffs?!

Maki was caught off guard by Yurika having a staff in each hand. She had made the first move, but her incantation was slightly delayed because of her surprise, so she and Yurika ended up chanting the same thing at the same time.

“Costume Change! Modifier: Quick! End: Permanent!”

“Costume Change! Modifier: Quick! End: Permanent!”

It was a transformation spell. The two girls were wrapped in blue light as their winter wear vanished and was replaced with different outfits. After the blue light faded, Yurika and Maki were wearing pink and indigo magical girl outfits respectively.

“And...!”

“What?!”

Maki’s incantation ended there, but Yurika’s continued.

“Arming: Angel Halo!”

After finishing her incantation, the staff she was holding above her head, Angel Halo, began emitting an orange light which gradually grew large enough to envelop it, obscuring its silhouette. Once the light was bright enough, it suddenly divided into balls of light of several different colors.

“She armed her staff?!”

While Maki watched on in disbelief, the balls of light crashed into Yurika’s body one after another, into her head, her back, her chest, her arms, and her legs. For every ball of light that touched her, her outfit began changing. The balls of light that crashed into her limbs and chest transformed and added glowing white embellishments. The ball of light that crashed into her back transformed and added angelic looking wings. And the final ball of light, the one that crashed into her head, transformed into what could only be described as an angel’s halo. Thanks to the transformation, Yurika’s normally revealing outfit, which always screamed “cosplay,” was given a heavenly makeover.

“I am the magical girl of love and courage, Rainbow Yurika!”

As her whole body glowed white, she swung her other staff, Encyclopedia, around using both hands.

“I will protect the peace of this city!”

Yurika pointed the tip of her staff towards Maki. Her dignified stance made her look powerful for once.

“I see, so that’s your new power...”

Seeing Yurika’s new appearance, Maki held her breath. She had prepared two staffs, binding powerful magic into one of them and arming the other. While fighting normally with one staff, she’d be looking for a chance to unleash the bound magic in the other.

I see you put some thought into this, Nijino Yurika!

Normally, a lone magician could only use a limited number of spells at the same time. However, by using powerful magical tools, it was possible to increase that number. Maki believed that’s how Yurika would try and use the mana from room 106.

“That new staff holds quite a lot of power, I see.”

“Its power may be insignificant, but I won’t let things go like they did last time!”

“‘Insignificant’? Do you think I’ll fall for that?”

Maki gritted her teeth.

Highly dense mana from artifact-rank magical tools, the highest level of magical tools whose means of creation had been long been lost, was flowing out from Encyclopedia. When Yurika called that insignificant, Maki was slightly irritated.

Eek! I hope she doesn’t see through my bluff!

Yurika, on the other hand, was secretly feeling anxious. It was indeed true that the staff she had gotten from Koutarou held large amounts of mana, but as its name alluded, it was sort of like an encyclopedia. Since it could use a wide variety of spells without relying on the user’s mana, the power of each spell was below average. It was super flexible, but weak. So rather than relying on Encyclopedia’s power, she was counting on it as a way to disguise her own magic while in front of Koutarou and the others. But since the staff did indeed hold an impressive amount of mana, it also worked as a bluff against Maki. That’s all the meaning the staff held to Yurika, whose magic repertoire was wide enough as it was.

“I guess I’ll give it a shot...”

Maki readied her own staff, intent to test Yurika’s abilities for herself. Now that she had revealed her new power, it was a great opportunity to see what it could do.

I can’t show weakness now! Yurika, fight! I’ve grown since then!

Yurika mustered up all her courage and pointed her staff at Maki.

“Sanctuary! Modifier: Effective Area, Colossal!”

“Sanctuary! Modifier: Effective Area, Colossal!”

The two girls again began their incantations at the same time. This time it was a spell to keep other people in the area away. It was an unwritten rule for magicians to use it whenever they fought each other, and it doubled as the gong to start the fight.

“Quick Cast Acceleration!”

Maki was the first to move. After casting a spell that improved her reaction speed, she began closing the distance to Yurika.

As I thought, this footing is terrible!

However, as expected, Maki’s movement was impeded in the snow. She was still moving faster than a normal person, but the poor footing slowed her just enough to give Yurika an opportunity to attack.

“Energy Bolts! Target Option: Spread!”

The spell Yurika chose created multiple magic arrows to attack her target. Those magic arrows normally worked like a machine gun, but Yurika altered the spell to work more like a shotgun. It was a necessary adjustment to score a hit on the quick Maki.

“Tch! Quick Cast Anti-Magic Shield!”

However, Maki wouldn’t just take that lying down. Before Yurika could fire off her glowing red magic arrows, Maki created a translucent yellow shield around herself. Yurika’s magic arrows smashed into it like rain. Since Yurika had spread the shots out to cover a wider area, their power was weakened some. The shield Maki had created easily blocked them.

“Tiny Memory Flash! Modifier: Touch Trigger!”

Still protected by the magic shield, Maki charged forward. At the same time, her staff began glowing indigo. That light was a mind manipulation spell—Maki’s forte—that induced a short-term memory lapse. She infused her own staff with the spell so that it would activate at the same time she struck her target.

“Take this, Yurikaaa!”

As Maki wound up for her swing, the shield protecting her vanished. She dismissed it in order to attack.

“Now!”

“Kyaaaaaaaah!”

Unexpectedly, the snow below Maki’s feet suddenly rose and lifted her up with it. It was a spell that Yurika used to control the snow and slow down her target. However, Yurika hadn’t recited a single incantation. Her new staff was what had activated the spell.

She can cast spells without any incantation whatsoever?!

Maki was left astonished. She had expected Yurika to use her own magic in addition to the power of the staff, but she didn’t think its effects would be instantaneous. Unlike Koutarou and Kiriha, Yurika knew the ways of magic and understood how it worked. Because of that, she didn’t need to say anything in order to control the magic of the staff. That was the original intended power of Encyclopedia.

“Flame Lance! Target Option: Auto Homing!”

And while Maki’s body was still midair, Yurika created a spear of fire. She was able to cast two spells, one right after the other—something that shouldn’t be possible. The flaming spear soared through the air towards Maki.

“I’ll get hit?!”

Seeing the burning spear charging at her, Maki realized that she had no way of dodging it. She couldn’t take any evasive actions while she was falling.

“Damn it! In that case...!”

Maki pointed her staff upwards.

“Energy Release!”

Maki released the magic infused in her staff and created a small explosion. Thanks to the shockwave of the explosion and a little help from gravity, Maki was able to slightly change the direction she was falling in. The fire spear grazed her as it sailed past, singeing her outfit. It continued on until it crashed into a pile of snow, blowing most of it away and melting the rest. The intense flame continued burning even after all the snow was gone, scorching the earth below.

That was close! If I had been just a moment slower, I would have been defeated!

As Maki mentally wiped the cold sweat from her brow, she quickly rolled across the snow before getting to her feet. She then readied her staff again, but she was still quite taken aback.

To think she’d use magic like that...

Artifacts were powerful magical tools said to be created by god. Any mortal means to create them had been lost to the ages. Because they were so powerful, they tended to be used for large-scale magic. However, no matter how powerful the artifact was, an incantation was required to cast such a spell. That was true for the majority of the artifacts that Maki knew of. However, Yurika’s Encyclopedia worked completely differently. The spells it used were so minor that there was no need for an incantation and it required no focus or casting time. On top of that, it could be used completely independently from Yurika’s own magic.

Maki wasn’t sure which was more dangerous—Yurika’s more powerful spells that required incantations, or the weaker magic that could strike at any moment—but she knew both were a serious threat.

The staff Satomi-san gave me isn’t useless after all! This was made to fight against magicians!

Really, Yurika was just as surprised as Maki was. She’d thought the only use for Encyclopedia would be disguising her own magic, but she’d now realized the true worth of the staff. The staff was an artifact that defied the common rules of magic. It allowed her to attack at just the right time when her opponent had no chance to evade or block.

But I can’t let my guard down! Maki is still better than me!

Yurika grabbed the staff with both hands and stared straight at Maki. Yurika had more mana than Maki thanks to her staff, but when it came to using each spell effectively, Maki had more experience. Yurika knew if she relied on the staff too heavily, she would suffer for it.

“Impressive, Nijino Yurika. That staff surprised me.”

“But you’re still standing, Maki-chan. There’s no point in just surprising you.”

Yurika had no intention of giving Maki a chance to attack.

Theia-chan is always telling me that I’m too weak on the finish!

Thanks to the games that Yurika had played against Koutarou, Theia, and the others for over ten months now, Yurika had gradually gotten better at thinking strategically when push came to shove. Sensing that, Maki clicked her tongue in her mind.

You’ve gotten much more skilled than before, Nijino Yurika... It seems your wish truly has come true...

Yurika had always had the air of a mere apprentice, but not now. Maki now saw for herself what Koutarou had said about Yurika becoming a splendid magician was true.

“Playtime ends here, Nijino Yurika.”

Maki decided to switch gears. If Yurika was now strong enough to be properly recognized as a member of Rainbow Heart, she couldn’t be taken lightly. That meant Maki would go all out in order to defeat her. In other words, Maki was forced to admit that Yurika was a worthy opponent.

“Maki-chan!”

Yurika could also sense that Maki’s demeanor had changed. Her seemingly overconfident expression had vanished and was replaced with a more serious one. She now came across as desolate as her indigo outfit.

“Nightwalker! Recall Precast Category Alpha!” Maki loudly declared with her staff pointed towards Yurika. Maki’s body was then wreathed in colorful lights.

Maki’s new staff, Nightwalker, came equipped with a special ability. A magician could prepare a certain number spells beforehand and store them, and Nightwalker increased that capacity. The two spells Maki had used when talking with Koutarou earlier were a good example, but they weren’t the only spells she had stored in her staff.

What Maki had done now was release more than ten spells all at once. All of them were spells that increased her combat abilities. They enhanced everything from her physical strength to her toughness, from her eyesight to her thinking speed. All kinds of spells activated and enveloped her, greatly amplifying her original power.

“The staff is...?!”

But what attracted Yurika’s attention the most wasn’t Maki, but her staff. It was enveloped in red and indigo light, and its form had greatly changed. It now appeared in the shape of a large sword. The red mana that manipulated physical energy had transformed the staff into a sword, and the indigo mana that controlled mental energy was surrounding it to make it more powerful. It was a potentially deadly combination of spells Maki had picked out personally.

“Here I come, Yurika!”

Maki made a quick dash forward. With her entire body enhanced by magic, Maki was far faster than before. She was closing in on Yurika in the blink of an eye.

“She’s fast!”

Yurika had had Maki targeted with her staff, but Maki was now so fast that Yurika couldn’t keep up with her, much less keep her aim on her. Despite being slowed by the snow, Maki was too fast even for Yurika’s eyes.

“I can do this!”

As Maki closed the distance between her and Yurika, she felt she had a chance of winning. Even though Yurika could combine instant, weak magic with her own normal, powerful magic, she couldn’t cast anything on an opponent she couldn’t target.

But to think I’d have to use this against Yurika...

If Yurika could use spells at any time, Maki would just have to attack her using overwhelming speed and power. That was only possible thanks to precast spells she’d prepared beforehand, but she hadn’t actually planned on using them against Yurika. She’d wanted to save this ace up her sleeve for her fight against Koutarou.

Maki had fixated on the white light Koutarou had summoned around his sword, and this was the way she’d planned to overcome it. Koutarou’s sword had the power to dispel magic, so using overwhelming speed to avoid it was an absolute necessity. And since she knew he had more mana at his disposal, a drawn-out fight would be to her disadvantage. She would move to finish it all in a single hit. That had been Maki’s plan to defeat Koutarou, but it seemed that it was also effective against Yurika. She could defeat Yurika without giving her a chance to cast any spells.

“Maki-chan?!”

As she turned her head, Yurika spotted Maki in her peripheral vision.

“Too slow!”

However, by that time, Maki was already swinging her sword. The next moment, Yurika ordered her staff to cast the same spell as before, disturbing the snow under Maki’s feet. However, Maki was far faster than before, and she instead kicked off the snow and jumped into the air before she could lose her balance.

“Haaaaaaaah!”

“Kyaaah!”

With no time to cast a spell of her own, Yurika was only able to use the staff in her hands to protect herself.

Maki’s sword and Yurika’s staff collided. Yurika was barely able to block Maki’s swing. As she held her ground, she ordered her staff to cast another spell.

“You’re too naive!”

But in spite of the situation, Maki didn’t relent. She instead prepared for another attack.

“Oh no!”

The reason for that was the indigo magic infused in Maki’s sword. It erased several seconds of its target’s memory. Maki watched as the spell passed through her staff and into Yurika.

“Huh...?”

The next moment, Yurika lost sight of Maki.

Amnesia?!

However, since she had been hit by this same spell before, Yurika wasn’t too shaken up. She recognized its effects and began looking for Maki to counterattack.

“Hiyaaaaah!”

Unfortunately, Maki was quicker on the draw. She kicked her leg into Yurika’s side. She was still just disoriented enough from Maki’s memory-erasing spell that Yurika took the blow without being able to cast anything to defend herself.

Maki had magically enhanced her legs to increase their speed and strength, but she’d also covered them with a spell that exploded on contact. Taking such a powerful kick directly, Yurika was sent flying and crashed into the snow.

“Urgh...”

A pained groan escaped Yurika’s lips, but luckily, she was still able to get back up. The snow had acted as a cushion and reduced the damage she took from the fall. If it wasn’t for the snow, she probably would have been knocked out right then and there.

“Good job getting back on your feet, Nijino Yurika! As expected of Rainbow Nana’s successor!”

Maki didn’t ease up on her attacks. She readied her sword with both hands and charged towards Yurika.

I have to hurry! The time limit is near!

Maki was continuing to attack at full power to keep Yurika from counterattacking as much as she was out of necessity. The several spells she had prepared beforehand all required a massive amount of mana to keep active. Though she could use that power to easily overwhelm an opponent, she couldn’t keep it up for long.

“Wh-What can I do to capture Maki-chan?!”

Maki was approaching Yurika at high speed while rapidly changing directions to throw her off. And with Yurika still reeling from the damage she’d taken, she couldn’t aim properly at Maki.

“It’s impossible for you the way you are now! And even if you enhance your own strength, it’s already too late!”

Maki could taste her victory. Yurika was thrown off by Maki’s movements and couldn’t cast any spells. The next strike would take her down. But though she was confident, Maki made sure to play it safe and began taking careful aim for Yurika as she waited for the right time to attack.

What can I do?!

While Yurika was racking her brain, Maki moved in on her. Sensing the incoming attack, Yurika did her best to defend herself.

“Quick Cast Anti-Magic Shield!”

Maki’s sword met the shield that Yurika had created.

“Well done blocking it!”

Maki took the opportunity to back off instead of attacking again. As she jumped back, the snow covering her body was scattered into the air.

Huh...?

Seeing that, Yurika looked down at herself. She too was covered in snow, but it was nothing compared to the amount that had accumulated on Maki.

“I see! I could do that!”

Realizing a potential path to victory, Yurika’s eyes started sparkling as she raised her staff above her head. While chanting her spell, she mentally ordered Encyclopedia to cast a spell too.

“I’ve got you!”

To Maki, this looked like a golden opportunity. Since she was confident that Yurika wouldn’t be able to hit her, she didn’t care what spell Yurika was preparing. If anything, with Maki’s speed what it was, Yurika had left herself wide open.

However, Maki hadn’t anticipated the spell combination Yurika was about to use.

“Quick Cast Acid Cloud! Modifier: Effective Area, Large!”

Yurika unleashed a spell that created a potent cloud of acid. She’d also had Encyclopedia call forth a cloud. It was made of poison gas which, if inhaled, would spread through the body.

“What?!”

Maki was shocked. Yurika had cast the clouds around herself, so Maki jumped right into them as she went to attack.

“Th-This is...?!”

The two thick clouds obscured her view, making it difficult to see Yurika. They then began eroding her clothes and skin.

“Guh! Kah! T-To think she would use such a reckless tactic! But with this, we’ll both― No, wait! So that’s what she’s planning!”

Maki saw through Yurika’s plan. Since Maki moved around a lot more than Yurika did, she would come into more contact with the acid. And since she was so much more active, her body consumed more oxygen, meaning she would need to breathe in more of the poisoned air. That meant Maki would suffer more damage from the clouds than Yurika would. On top of that, Maki had lost sight of Yurika and could no longer attack.

That was the strategy Yurika had come up with after seeing the snow covering Maki. If she came into that much contact with the falling snow, surely the same would be true for an acid or poison cloud. It was a simple but effective means of indirect attack.

“Energy Bolts! Target Option: Spread!”

But Yurika’s attack didn’t stop there. She fired the same kind of magic arrows as before at the area where she assumed Maki would be.

“C-Curse you, Yurika!”

Maki hurriedly moved to dodge and was able to get out of the way in time. Although Maki’s speed had marginally been compromised by the acid and poison, Yurika wasn’t aiming for her directly.

“Heh, to think you’d become this strong!”

And the result was exactly what Yurika was going for. Since Maki needed to move quickly and take large steps to dodge, she would suffer even more from the acid and poison. Her entire body was now covered in the acid and she was taking massive damage. Moreover, the slight amount of poison she had already breathed in was beginning to spread throughout her body. There was no need for Yurika’s attacks to hit. Even if Maki dodged them, Yurika still had the upper hand.

“Ugh!”

Maki clenched her jaw in pain and leaped with all of her strength, trying to escape the effective area of the clouds. Staying in them any longer would lead to her defeat.

I’ve been had! To think victory has slipped through my fingers after all this!

After leaping from the clouds, Maki turned around. If she didn’t treat the damage from the acid and poison, she wouldn’t be able to continue fighting. And as things were, she didn’t have enough remaining mana to switch things up and try to fight long-range. Either way, she realized she was no longer in a position to come out on top.

You won’t get so lucky next time, Nijino Yurika!

Frustrated and humiliated, Maki retreated while telling herself that she was sure to win against Yurika in the future as long as she took her time to prepare.

“...She ran off?”

Realizing that the attacks had stopped and Maki’s presence was moving away, Yurika dismissed her spells. The clouds dispersed and a glowing white Yurika appeared from their center.

“No, she probably didn’t... Maki-chan probably just let me go because she wanted to avoid going down together...”

Yurika leaned against her staff and let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t think that she had won against Maki. In fact, Yurika herself had taken a beating from the acid and poison. If the fighting had continued on much longer like that, it wasn’t hard to imagine both of them collapsing from serious damage, regardless of who won.

“Maki-chan is really strong...”

After letting out another sigh of relief, Yurika began using healing magic to treat her wounds. If she hadn’t noticed that Maki was covered in more snow than she was, she definitely would have lost. And though it was only by a narrow margin, Yurika felt a deep sense of relief that she’d managed to escape defeat.

But, but...

But at that time, Yurika was gripped by a terrible doubt—one so profound that it threatened to undermine her entire identity.

“But, but... Should a magical girl of love and courage really be using acid and poison?”

The magical girl of love and courage, Rainbow Yurika now had a signature acid and poison cloud attack combo.

“It feels like Maki-chan is the more magical girl-like one here... At least she used a sword...”

While she had gotten a second transformation and a power-up, Yurika felt like she had lost something important as a magical girl.