CH 107

Chapter 3 — Dry scrape, burn and perforate! • Episode 3–4 — Witch Cup ⑫【Wind VS Ice】

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

Following Ex–Magna-san, who was one step ahead of me in resurrecting and moving, I will jump out as soon as I am resurrected.

I really wanted to ask Doppelganger-san directly why she had been holed up in our base all this time until we were revived, but since we didn’t have time to stop and ask her, we decided to ask her via communication as we moved.

『Doppelganger-san, why didn’t you move?』

『We’ve discussed the strategy at length, haven’t we? We can’t let them take the big crystal. The one that makes it harder to make a strategy because it’s point-wise and the resurrection is random.』

『You said you would be flexible if the situation changed. Isn’t that exactly what you should have done in the current situation, Doppelganger-san? After all, no one ever came close to the big crystal, did they?』

『That’s a consequence. I didn’t move, so they were alerted to my presence and couldn’t come and get me. If there are more small crystals on the Blue Team before you two come back, they’ll know that no one is protecting the base, right? How can you be sure that someone won’t take the big crystal away from us in the meantime?』

『…I understand. Sorry for saying something strange.』

『Don’t worry, I don’t mind. Now, let’s turn things around from here.』

Is it just because I thought I really need to win, and because I’m in such a hurry, that I’m concerned about Doppelganger-san’s strangely calm demeanor?

After listening to what Doppelganger-san’s had to say, I realized that she might have a point in not moving from our base. I understand that once a big crystal is taken, it will be difficult to reverse the situation with little time remaining.

In fact, I myself followed Doppelganger-san’s decision that the Yellow Team had no one, and went to get the big crystal, and sure enough, no one was there at first. There is no guarantee that the same situation will not arise.

I understand the logic. I also became somewhat aware that Doppelganger-san’s strategy just doesn’t mesh with my current psychological situation.

But apart from that, something else doesn’t add up. I don’t feel the same seriousness of trying to win, even for Ex–Magna-san, but there is something different, something more than that from Doppelganger-san…

『Urgh!』

As I continued my flight while thinking, I was approaching the Crystal area in the southern outer layer when suddenly the forest below me was covered in ice and a fierce snowstorm broke out. She’s here, Permafrost-san is challenging me that I am here.

I can continue to fly and go secure another crystal. Since I am far more mobile than her, it’s not difficult to ignore this master of magic and continue on.

But then I just can’t win. I was thinking while waiting for the resurrection. One of the Magical Girls from the yellow team is right up there. If we just keep taking and being taken, the numbers will not change. The crystals at this location have already been taken. All the Magical Girls on the yellow team must be alive and well, so we have to beat them to win. Right here, right now.

『Field Magic :『Tempest.』』

The great storm and the blizzard collided with each other and gently dissipated, rolling up and blowing away the frozen trees, and there, where the clouds had blown away, was the glistening, depressingly bright sun.

I guess that means she wasn’t serious when we fought the Duke-class Diest previously. My magic must be stronger than it was then, but I couldn’t drown it out one way or the other. It means that Field Magic isn’t a deciding factor for both of us.

『Empty Adult!』

I create a wind giant, and I enter around the center of its chest and manipulate its huge body as if I were piloting a robot.

Originally, this Empty Adult was a magic I learned to counter Permafrost-san. There is no way to win without first containing the magic of Extra Freeze, a magic that Extend-san was unable to do anything about and was put on ice.

Then I wondered how to respond. Why didn’t Permafrost-san use it when she fought the Duke-class Diest?

If it was just a lickspittle, then clearly there is no way to counter it. Since I don’t even know the detailed specifications of the magic in the first place, it’s a problem before I can exploit her weakness. But what if there was a reason why she couldn’t use that on a Diest adversary instead of a lickspittle. If so, there will always be an opportunity to take advantage.

And what I came up with was size. No matter how much I learn and enhance it, there is a limit to the size of the magic. My Wind Blade magic, for example, could probably make more blades fly at once if I trained it, or make it into a bigger blade, but it still wouldn’t be as destructive as Tornado Mixer.

Similarly, I thought that Permafrost-san’s Extra Freeze might not be effective against very large opponents.

「Gatling Maximum Drill Icicle!!」

『Sextal Tornado Mixer!!』

I don’t know if my prediction was right or if it was just for fun, but Permafrost-san didn’t come to me using Extra Freeze.

A number of those huge ice drills that I had seen before, spinning at high speed, formed in the air and shot out at the Empty Adult one after another.

I intercept them with a swirling tornado, but the destructive power is even. With each collision between the drill and the tornado, shattered pieces of ice are scattered by the collapsing tornado and spread around the area. The rotational speed of our attacks are almost even, and while Permafrost-san’s drill never hits my giant, my tornado never reaches Permafrost-san either.

If that is the case, I will just have to get close and hit her directly!

「Diamond Storm!」

『Wind Armor!』

As the Empty Adult stepped toward Permafrost-san, scattered sharp shards of ice surrounded her, spinning like a storm and chipping away at my body of air, blocking my way.

「Ahahahah! Wow, amazing! This is more fun than playing with Dragon-onee-chan～!」

『I am not enjoying this at all!』

「But, but it would be unfair if only Sylph-onee-chan rode on such an interesting thing! Come! Looseless Adult!」

When my Empty Adult swung its fist down on Permafrost-san, blowing away the ice storm that had been clinging to her, the Looseless Adult, which had been formed to grow gnarly out of the ground, caught the fist. Permafrost-san is sitting on the giant’s shoulders, smiling and wobbling her feet.

『Please be mature and get beaten!』

「No— I don’t want to! We’re going to play a lot more!」

The drills and tornadoes are hitting each other all the time, but they are hitting each other at very close range and no longer have time to cancel each other out by bumping into each other. The ice drills are blowing wind holes into the Empty Adult one after another, and the tornadoes of the drills are cutting through the Looseless Adult like shaved ice.

I’m able to continue the fight because I manage to protect the center of the chest where I am, but Permafrost-san was able to get off the Looseless Adult and escape the attack before I knew it.

『This is the end of this!』

It was my giant who stood at the end of the fierce attack and defense.

A fist of wind pierced through the torso of the Looseless Adult, lifted it up, and smashed it to pieces on the ground.

My Adult, which is highly fluid and can quickly regenerate even if it has a hole in its body, is not as efficient as the Looseless Adult, whose volume is reduced and cracks every time it is attacked. I’m sure she could’ve done the same if she had tried to keep playing, but it’s obvious that she would’ve run out of gas sooner or later.

「Uh–uh, I got beat up. But it was fun, and I’m done. Extra Freeze.」

『Wha—!?』

Permafrost-san, who had been smiling happily earlier, suddenly chanted with a cold expression on her face, and the entire body of the giant was covered in ice. Apparently, only the surface of the giant is iced now, but slowly and gradually the inside is starting to ice over as well. This is going to get bad if I let this. Even I will be frozen!

I had considered the possibility, but I never thought she was really just playing around! She could’ve beaten me anytime she wanted to…!

But my Empty Adult wasn’t without meaning. Without it, there would have been no time to think this way. I haven’t lost yet. I haven’t given up yet!

『Sextal Tornado Mixer!』

There is not enough space on the inside to generate a tornado, so I hit it from the outside as if I were cutting it off, but it doesn’t budge.

This ice is not as strong as the drills and giants I saw earlier!

Quickly! I have to do something quickly!

『Union!!』

The six tornadoes combine to form a single giant wind dragon, chipping away at the ice on the surface.

I can go! Little by little, it is chipping away! If I focus on a single point, I can create an escape route!

「Persistent! Gatling Maximum Drill Icicle!」

Any glimmer of hope that was seen in the midst of despair was easily drowned out. A large number of drills pierced and devoured the wind dragon, killing the giant monster.

I can’t win…

If I don’t do this… no matter what I do now…!

But if I lose here, there’s no chance for the Blue Team to pull off an upset!

I have to win. I must need to win! I can’t start over!

『I’m going to win! I’m going to win and come back!』

Father and Mother rarely ever came home.

Even when they did come home occasionally, Father was always busy and never once played with us.

When Mother saw us, she started shaking as if she was afraid of something, and I don’t remember ever touching her.

Even the housekeeper who took care of us was just doing her job and wasn’t interested in us.

The only family I had was Futaba.

I am sure it must’ve been the same for Futaba.

That’s why I thought I had to protect Futaba, that I was the only one for her, even though I should have thought so…

At some point I was so afraid that Futaba would hate me that I ran away, looked away, and resented her.

And yet Futaba went out of her way to find a place for me and came to pick me up. She came to make me a family once again.

It’s such an unbrotherly thing for me, to make Futaba, my sister, go that far and then give up here!

I won’t give up! I’ll definitely, and absolutely win!

『I’m taking it back!! For my famiilllyyyyyy!!!』

With a scream, the Adult’s output was forcefully increased and it tried to forcefully destroy the ice from the inside, at which time its vision switched in an instant, and instead of the oncoming ice, there was a blank door in front of it.

Strangely, I didn’t care where it was, I didn’t even think to look around, as if guided, I gently touched the door in front of me and put my hand on it.

「——Wind God.」

.

With her back to the Empty Adult, whose Freeze was slowly eroding, Permafrost was about to go secure the next crystal. Once Tyrant Sylph almost escaped with powerful magic, but if the erosion had progressed that far, she would no longer be able to save herself. Knowing this, she acted accordingly.

The Extra Freeze used by Permafrost is an extremely advanced magic among those used by Witches. Ordinary Magical Girls, of course, and even fully liberated Witches, with the exception of a very few, have no way of accomplishing this once they are trapped.

Yes, except for a very small number of Witches.

「No way～…」

Permafrost, about to run out of the house, turns around in surprise when she notices a seven-colored light and lovely effects leaking out of a windhole in her chest before she knows it.

There was Tyrant Sylph, who had broken the Extra Freeze from inside the giant and was pointing her large staff at Permafrost.

However, her expression is somewhat vacant and her eyes are unfocused, and although her gaze is directed toward Permafrost, her consciousness seems to have wandered off to some other place.

「Aha, haha, you’ve opened it as well… the ultimate…」

With a delighted smile on her face and spitting colorful effects from her mouth, Permafrost fell down and slowly disappeared as she was about to say something.