Snow White
The pained voices increased in number. The inner thoughts of the magical girls in the school were almost like screams. If she were to listen to every single one of them, then she would struggle to even move. Snow White had the skill to pick out which voices to listen to, but you still couldn’t call that easy.
“It seems…Frederica has acquired a…new power… One that she…didn’t used to have. She’s killed several of your subordinates,” said Snow White. She told Old Blue of all events that seemed particularly important and heard her voice in turn each time.
“Hmm.”
Old Blue’s inner voice was surprisingly calm. There were few waves. It was peaceful. Even when told of her student being in trouble, the Lightnings being killed, or Frederica’s unknown nature, her replies were composed, and that was not just a front, but from the heart. Snow White understood that she was not at all without emotion. She had feelings, and she controlled those feelings, was able to restrain them so that they did not affect her behavior.
Snow White learned of the situation through Old Blue’s thoughts. Old Blue had not taken action with full preparation. She had not managed to learn detailed information about the ruins and the relic that Frederica was after. But since Frederica had made her move, Old Blue had to do so as well, and so she’d just done the best with what she had. And neither had she managed to do a complete survey of what sort of defenses the master of this school, Halna, had laid out. The situation was one incomplete move on top of another.
But her inner voice was always peaceful. This may have been the first time that peacefulness had made Snow White afraid. Old Blue was also well aware that Snow White felt afraid of her as she ran by her side.
“And the courtyard… I just can’t pick up any voices there. But it seems like the battle isn’t over.”
“I see.”
It wasn’t only the voices—the sounds of physical destruction she heard from the courtyard hadn’t stopped, either.
Based on what Snow White said, Old Blue made some minor revisions to her strategy. She would eliminate the magical girls hard at work in the courtyard, or directly take a look at the ruins while they were busy fighting the Lightning group. Her plan would fork based on what she saw there.
One of her plans was the destruction of the ruins. Old Blue hypothesized that whoever carried that out would most likely not return alive.
While it was difficult to understand, Old Blue did love the Lightnings. She had a grasp on the characteristics and personalities of each and every one, loved these girls who worked for her sake, and even then was treating them as disposable. She would not let her feelings drag her down and misjudge what she had to do.
The courtyard entrance was drawing near. Snow White tried to call out to her to take care, but her voice was drowned out. She tried to yell as loud as she could, but her yell would not carry here. As lightning and magic flew back and forth, the courtyard was filled with earsplitting sounds and the thick, visceral scent of blood. There were so many fallen girls, there was no place to step. Even just what she saw at a glance made her feel overwhelmed. If Hell existed, then surely it would look like this.
Passing through the gates that were at the entrance, they went into the courtyard.
Old Blue was striding forward without any hesitation at all. Snow White walked three steps behind her. Over the burnt and shattered curb, through the now-pitiful trees with their leaves scattered around, she practically slipped their way along, on the way, striking at one or two of the masked magical girls who were fighting with the Lightnings. With a clap, clap, like good friends striking their hands in a high five, she hit one on the chin and one on the throat, and the magical girls crumpled without a sound. Seeing magical girls fighting even farther ahead, she came to a stop.
Snow White had only ever seen her from her chat avatar and photos in her textbook, but she could tell from her appearance who it was. The Musician of the Forest, Cranberry, was there. Slipping through the Lightnings’ bolts, with a sound strike she blew them all away, dug up earth and all.
Unfazed by the sight of Cranberry, Old Blue moved forward, and then suddenly, Diko Narakunoin appeared behind her. She had teleported with her magic.
Old Blue didn’t even look at Diko. When Diko thrust out with a spear-hand, she captured it, threw her casually, then kicked her. Right before the kick connected, Diko vanished once more, and then as if taking her place, Cranberry moved forward.
Old Blue’s mind was calm. From the voice that reached Snow White, she could hear the memories of Cranberry having mercilessly killed one who she loved. Hearing that, Snow White’s heart trembled. But despite that, even with the Musician of the Forest, Cranberry, who she hated more than anything, before her, she didn’t even waver. That was not only because with her magic she saw the true nature of the enemy before her. Old Blue was strong. No matter what happened, she would not become upset in a fight.
Diko cried out. “After her! She’s the enemy leader!”
Diko appeared behind Old Blue once more, while Cranberry ahead of her kicked at the same time. Old Blue grabbed Diko’s arm, backed up, and evaded. Master and student became entangled, and the two figures disappeared, with the group of Lightnings swarming over them. One of the Lightnings, worrying about whether she should save Old Blue or support her friends, came to a stop, got struck right in the face with some mysterious green fluid, shrieked, and was flung backward.
Snow White thrust out her weapon to support Old Blue and was blocked.
When she saw her opponent, her breath caught.
She heard confused cries coming from the Lightnings around her. The homunculus that had blocked Snow White’s weapon and was gradually pushing her back was just like Snow White herself, except dyed all black.