Old Blue
Old Blue had been getting detailed information about Snow White ever since the end of Cranberry’s final exam. If Ripple were to find out about that, she’d be sure to give her a punch or two.
Old Blue was just that interested in Snow White, and more than a little curious. Of course, she did not proactively want to do her harm.
But the Lightnings were whimsical individually, and also whimsical in groups. Even with Old Blue as their commander, it was difficult to give them minute instructions. Managing them gently by having them operate under broad orders was best. Ordering them not to attack only Snow White when storming in was bound to slow them down when Snow White herself would be acting to protect her allies.
She would have them fight Snow White—and pray there would be no misfortune in the process.
Acting based on the information she got from the Lightnings, when Old Blue stepped out in front of Snow White, she was privately crying in joy that things had gone well. Snow White was valuable to use in many ways. Her cooperative relationship with Ripple would grow longer, too.
Presently, Snow White was working from within the Magical Kingdom, but privately, she had the desire to change the Magical Kingdom to protect magical girls. She was a part of the system, and Old Blue was the leader of an organization that aimed to overturn the system—but even if full cooperation was out of the question, some limited coordination was possible. For example, to work together here and now to defeat Pythie Frederica.
Snow White was injured. That much was to be expected in a fight against the Lightnings. The more she was weakened, the fewer options she had.
She looked at Old Blue like a small cornered animal as she made her request: “Promise me Miss Calkoro and my classmates will be safe.”
Of course, if Snow White was going to cooperate, then it would come with conditions. It was a demand made for her compromise, made precisely because she could read her thoughts—in other words, Old Blue could not reject it. Old Blue nodded and gave orders from her headset.
“I’m forbidding anyone from attacking the members of class 2-F other than Drill Dory. If they flee, let them go. If they attack, then you’ll have to respond accordingly.”
She would have liked to reduce the burden on the Lightnings by reducing their orders as much as possible, but this was better than having Snow White complain to her.
“Why is Dory an exception?” Snow White asked.
“She’s affiliated with the Lab.”
“That doesn’t matter. She’s still a classmate.”
Without giving Snow White a direct answer, Old Blue gave the instruction, “I also forbid attacks against Drill Dory.”
“Thank you very much.”
“No need to thank me. Now then, it appears we have an agreement.”
Snow White dropped her weapon and raised her hands.
The King of Spades Lightning cutely snorted. “May we attack?”
“No attacking noncombatants,” Old Blue cut in, indicating to Snow White and Rappy as well as the Lightnings that she was willing to accept the conditions.
Seeing Snow White directly with her own eyes now, she had to revise a few things about her perception of the girl. Snow White was weaker than had been spoken of in the rumors. Her body wasn’t suited to combat, but she’d brought herself to the battlefield through training and obsession. And was her heart of unflinching strength? Not at all—she was constantly hesitating and worrying.
But as for whether those facts lowered her opinion of Snow White—that was not at all the case.
Snow White was weak, injured, and mentally worn down, but she hadn’t lost the shine in her eyes. Those were the eyes of someone who didn’t give up. And even though she was aware of Old Blue’s evaluation from reading her mind, and she knew that Old Blue judged her to be weaker than she’d heard, that still didn’t dim the light in her eyes. She was stubborn, and persistent.
She’s so much like her.
The magical girl who had never flinched, even in front of the Musician of the Forest, Cranberry, and her overwhelming violence. Her heart had been stronger than her body. Old Blue—Lapis Lazuline, back then, had loved her grandchild, and her granddaughter had also adored her.
“As long as we’re together, Granny, we’ll never lose.”
The grandmother had smiled to hear those words, and the Musician of the Forest had sneered.
You really do get a different impression from hearing about someone, versus actually meeting them. Considering how Old Blue’s magic worked, of course one eyewitness would be better than many hearsays.
In fact, she was satisfied now.
“What will you do?” she asked the magical girl next to Snow White.
Rappy Taype nodded several times and replied, “I won’t resist.” She dropped her magic wrap as if it was filthy.
“I heard there was one other person with you,” Old Blue said.
Snow White shook her head. “We were together until just now, but I don’t know where she went.”
It was true that there hadn’t been time to discuss. It could be that one had decided on her own to go hide. Old Blue’s magic was telling her that Snow White would not tell petty lies in a situation like this.
“Snow White, can you make sure that girl will not attack us?”
“I don’t think she’ll attack unprompted.”
“I’ll believe you. You three Diamonds—keep Rappy safe.”
The implication wasn’t much different from kidnapping. Old Blue ordered the Lightnings to surround Rappy and prevent her from resisting. Old Blue planned to take Rappy to headquarters and use her to negotiate with the Magical Girl Resources Department. Juube might pretend to be heartless, but she wasn’t the type to abandon her humanity.
“Um…just me?” Rappy timidly asked.
“Just you,” said Snow White.
Rappy looked over at her, eyes wide, and tried to say something.
“I will stay behind. They need me,” Snow White told her.
Rappy swallowed what she was about to say and heaved a sigh.
“Weren’t you in the same class as me?” said one of the Lightnings.
“Oh, I’m not sure. I was in the same class as Princess Lightning, though.”
“What did you think of me? Did you like me? Hate me?”
“I didn’t hate you as long as you didn’t eat the leftover desserts at lunchtime.”
Ignoring the Lightnings’ cackling at Rappy’s joke, Old Blue turned to Snow White. “Well, then.”
She could use Snow White. Old Blue understood that at the very least, Snow White had no intention of betraying her right now. Snow White and her magic were useful tools. If someone laid a trap, being able to read their thoughts, Snow White could give appropriate advice. If Ripple were to get mad at her for keeping Snow White on the battlefield, Old Blue would say, “I thought she’d be safest with me,” and whether that would pass or not aside, there would be no problem so long as she could hand her over safely. If Snow White was not safe, then Old Blue would also in all likelihood not be safe herself, so there really was no problem.
Snow White had to be picking up all of this from Old Blue’s thoughts, including those calculations regarding Ripple, but there was no change in Snow White’s attitude or in her expression. While aware that she was being listened in on, Old Blue didn’t change her attitude or expression, either.
“You can keep up, right?” asked Old Blue.
“Yes.”
Perhaps because she could read her mind, things thankfully moved quickly. Old Blue nodded.