CH 103

13-16 minutes 23.04.2023

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

「Bored, so bored, I’m bored, I’m so bored— oof.」

『Shut up and focus on securing the crystal!』

『It seems like everyone is pretty busy except us…』

Fifteen minutes had already passed since the match began, and Ex–Magna, who hadn’t encountered any Witches from other teams during that time and was only moving and securing crystals, was moving toward the crystal in the mid-southwest layer while somehow performing an impromptu song of her own composition over the communication.

Unlike Tyrant Sylph, who seems to have some special attachment to this match, Ex–Magna is participating in the Witch Cup only because it looks like fun. After making a deal with Tyrant Sylph the other day and saying that she would take it seriously, she was acting according to the strategy set up by Doppelganger, but she was frustrated because she was somehow lacking in stimulation. And if the other teams seem to be having a good time playing with each other, that’s even more so.

The Blue Team has not encountered any other team’s Witches since the first round, so they don’t know the specifics of the situation, but they can somewhat predict where and when the other teams will secure the crystals. For example, the Red Team had been wiped out or close to it, and now at least one Yellow Team is probably waiting to be resurrected.

Doppelganger who is the most available examines such information and shares it with the members as needed to update the strategy in detail, Tyrant Sylph is currently on her way to secure the Yellow Team’s large crystal, but the strategy given to Ex–Magna has been consistent from the beginning: secure and defend the crystal from the southwest to the southeast.

Tired of this, she moved her feet and when the desired small crystal came into view, Ex–Magna quickly hid behind a tree and began whispering to communicate with the others.

「I found Dragon Call! Can I do it?」

『Can you win?』

『Wait, perhaps someone from the Yellow Team is close by. Back up and take a look——』

「Sorry, I was found. Spin Ruler.」

Ex–Magna tells them that much unilaterally, cuts off the communication, and leaves the place in a sideways leap while activating magic.

It was a whisper that didn’t get on the communication, but Ex–Magna’s ears certainly heard the boisterous chanting.

Immediately afterward, with a roar, a barrage of earth and sand, like a sandstorm turned sideways, ripped through the trees and gouged out the ground.

「Yahho! My leader is telling me to pull it, can you let me go?」

「It says on your face, let’s play fast, Magna-chan. Sediment.」

「Uhehe, I got caught. Magnetic Load.」

Regardless of whether or not it has the ability to fly, Ex–Magna has no chance in a game of tag with Dragon Call that has superior basic physical abilities. So, in a manner of speaking, she was trying to pose that she was willing to follow the leader’s instructions, but it seems that her peers as a Magical Girl and as a Witch, Dragon Call, could see right through Ex–Magna’s true intentions, with a wry smile implying that this can’t be helped, a vicious sandstorm magic was unleashed from the mouth of the earth dragon that had been summoned before I knew it.

However, as if to block the breath of earth and sand, the surrounding giant trees floated up, roots deep in the earth, one after another, to line up in front of Ex–Magna, and the two collided with great fanfare, scattering dust and wood chips.

By the time the sandstorm had decayed and completely weakened its momentum, all the trees in the surrounding area had been turned into wood chips by the sandstorm, and only the bumpy, heaving earth indicated that there were majestic trees there.

「I may be small, but I may not be as dumb as you think.

Magnetic Junk Ball.」

「Sediment, Fire.」

A sandstorm was released from the mouth of the earth dragon with substance, just as before, and a beat later, a bright red magic circle appeared at the mouth of Dragon Call and flames were released. The two breaths mingled in the middle and became a tornado of flame with sediment, burning and crushing from one end the numerous thorn-like pieces of wood that had rushed toward Dragon Call.

「I knew I couldn’t win in a head-on shootout.

Joint.」

While Dragon Call was burning pieces of wood, Ex–Magna ducked a short distance away and opened the thumb and forefinger of her right hand to aim at the upper and lower jaws of the earth dragon, which was opening its large mouth, and vigorously lashed her fingers together with a chant. Then, as if in concert with her finger, the mouth of the earth dragon closed, and a sandstorm overtook its body, causing it to slowly collapse.

Magic that acts directly on Magical Girls is blocked by the protections and cannot pass. The same is true for the Magnetism of Ex–Magna, which can be taken away if it’s an object that originally reacts to magnetism, such as a special weapon, but Dragon Call who understand this are fighting without using a special weapon.

However, that is only for the Magical Girls themselves, and that protection doesn’t exist even for objects created by Magical Girls.

「I’m afraid she’ll get angry if I spend too much time on it, so I guess it’s time to get serious. Magna Giant.」

Ex–Magna was aiming to win the MVP with a showy battle that would look good, but she cut off the joker, which would be the most exciting, thinking that it would only become redundant if she continued to dawdle.

It’s a simple and clear magic to manipulate magnetic objects into humanoid form, but mass has enormous energy just by being there and by moving violently. Size is power. Simply because it is simple, it is simply strong. And the bigger it is, the more flashy and spectacular it is.

「Oh–oh, very, very splendid view.」

The trees and the earth, gathered from a range that is incomparable to the magnetic field straight ahead, form a giant, and Ex–Magna sits comfortably on its shoulders, taking in the scenery.

There is a limit to the number of things that can be attracted by magnetic force. For example, cars, computers, home appliances, and other items that contain metal are examples of such items, and at first glance it may seem that the forested area chosen as the field for the Witch Cup isn’t a good match, as very few items are attracted to such magnetic forces. But if you can’t fight at that level, you are not a Witch. A Witch is one step beyond Magical Girls. As she actually demonstrated earlier, even trees and earth and sand, which aren’t originally attracted to magnetic forces, can be brought under the control of magnetic forces in the hands of Ex–Magna.

「Take this! Magna Punch!」

With the trees that had been in disarray pulled out, there was already nothing around Dragon Call to hide behind. Dragon Call evades the swinging giant’s fist by spreading her wings and leaping into the sky, but Ex–Magna is also calling out that she will naturally come that way.

「Magnetic Storm」

This magic, which creates a pseudo storm by magnetically stirring the atmosphere into a mess, was a natural enemy of Dragon Call. At least with the support of a wind dragon or fire dragon, she could fly, as she did when she fought Tyrant Sylph, but with only her own strength, she would be rolled up by the storm and dropped to the ground. In fact, Dragon Call managed to avoid the giant’s fist by flying for only a few seconds, but she soon crashed.

From the report from Tyrant Sylph, Ex–Magna knew that the fire and wind dragons were in a state where they couldn’t materialize. That’s why she was able to handle Dragon Call, who is ranked higher than her in the pecking order, with such a comfortable margin. It may look like a joke, but it was all calculated from the beginning.

But people make mistakes.

It’s not every day that everything goes the way you want it to.

A Witch is a milestone for a Magical Girl, but it’s not the end of her growth.

「It’s the end! Magna Final!」

With Ex–Magna’s exuberant shout, the blow was delivered as if smashing down from the top of a storm, leaving no escape route, and was caught by something.

Bright red scales, glistening lizard-like eyes, and above all, its huge body. And above all, its huge body. A red dragon so large that it approaches the Magna Giant of Ex–Magna. The giant’s blow, created by the trees, was caught by a large red-scaled dragon.

「Dragon Call…!」

That this enormous red phosphorus dragon in front of her is Dragon Call herself.

It was not summoned by summoning. Ex–Magna saw it for sure with her own eyes. That the body of Dragon Call, clothed in light, swells just before she was crushed by the giant’s fist. That Dragon Call is neither running nor hiding.

「——So cool!」

Ex–Magna’s eyes were shining like a pure boy’s as she was ripped off the arm of the tree that had caught her from the elbow tip and burned herself with a breath of flame like a heat ray that was spat out before she had time to escape.

.

『Contender Dragon Call! How did she come up trumps at this last minute!? It was an upset victory! It looked as if Contender Ex–Magna was going to win the bottom of the standings, but it was Contender Dragon Call who had the last laugh!!』

『As the Magical Girls who are fighting against external enemies may know, being big has its own terrifying power. Contender Ex–Magna’s Magna Giant and the magic of turning into a huge dragon by Contender Dragon Call both lived up to their name.』

『Wow, it’s exciting to watch this battle on such a large scale! But if they had such magic, why didn’t they use it earlier!? Especially Contender Dragon Call, although I’m sure there have been occasions when they could have been of use so far, isn’t it!?』

『If you think about it simply, it’s possible that she decided to leave it out against Contender Tyrant Sylph and that she could win without using it against Contender Rabbitfoot. But it’s hard to say in general, because there could have been some reason why she didn’t want to use it or why she couldn’t use it. Perhaps, this is a newly awakened magic in this Witch Cup.』

『Ohhh! What a hot turnout that would be! Isn’t it just like in a manga or anime when she was cornered by the rival Contender Ex–Magna and awakens to a new magic!』

『It’s just a possibility. As for me, I was more interested in Contender Ex–Magna. I’m sure Contender Tyrant Sylph shared some information with her in advance, but even so, I think she could’ve used Magna Giant from the beginning. Since she are ranked above her in the pecking order, they shouldn’t be in a situation where they can afford to be stingy with their performance.』

『I see! Perhaps Contender Ex–Magna had a plan! But unfortunately, this time she was to fall before the persistence of Contender Dragon Call! Contender Dragon Call who dyed the crystal in the mid-southwest layer red seems to be heading for the crystal in the outer west layer, which may be a form of avoiding Contender Permafrost in the inner southwest layer!?』

『She probably will. It’s also important that Contender Dragon Call secure the crystals on the south side in order for the Red Team to turn the tables. The fact that she dared to turn back must mean that she’s wary of Contender Permafrost. During the Witch Cup, Witches with limited openings also use openings, but there is still a difference in ability compared to Witches with full openings.』

『Meanwhile, that wary Contender Permafrost seems to be heading for the inner southeast to secure the crystals instead of going after Contender Dragon Call!』

『For the Yellow Team, the Blue Team is probably the priority opponent to deal with rather than the Red Team at present. The number of small crystals they have secured isn’t much different, but since the Yellow Team is waiting for two people to revive, they have to be aggressive in taking the Blue Team’s crystals or they will only widen the gap.』

『As usual, there’s no movement over Contender Doppelganger, so it seems to me that the Blue and Yellow Teams are the same in that there’s currently only one person who can move freely!?』

『We know that Contender Doppelganger was still in the base, but Contender Permafrost do not. And even if they knew that, as long as they don’t know when Contender Doppelganger will make her move, the Blue Team’s response is still the priority anyway!』

『So that’s how it was!! Eh, Contenders Wigs Crosseau and Extend Traveler are getting their act together and securing the northwest mid-range crystals! Looks like Contender Extend Traveler was using her magic to speed things up as they move along!』

『Perhaps they intend to eat into the center of the position secured by the Yellow Team to some extent, and then split up. It’s not a situation where you can say it takes two people to beat one, and above all, it would be inefficient to put Contender Wigs Crosseau in the middle of a two-man team.』

『Huh!?!? What a surprise! Amazingly, Contender Tyrant Sylph! She have her hand on the big crystal of the Yellow Team!! I wonder if she have just started to pour her magic power into it, because there are pieces of ice scattered all over the place!? Will this be the first big crystal takeover of the match!?』

『If you keep an eye on the movement of the crystal being painted over, you can see that two Yellow Team members are likely to have fallen, so she must’ve changed her strategy in a hurry. If she can get a large crystal, the advantage is quite large. However, it has been quite some time since Contender Red Ball was taken off the road by Contender Extend Traveler. I think it’s about time for her to come back, but will she make it in time?』