The Morning of the Decisive Battle with the Magical Girl
Before I knew it, the appointed day had arrived.
The place to fight is the usual Ranker Simulator.
There are spectators, but they have no bearing on the battle.
I woke up at Thalagong’s house, changed from pajamas into tracksuit, and headed to the living room.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. Breakfast is ready. Would you like some coffee?”
“I’ll have some.”
Sure enough, Thalagong is here today too.
We occasionally met, but until today, they always seemed busy.
Even though we heard that the destructionists have been quiet thanks to information from the Demon, that doesn’t mean we’ve been idle.
My condition has almost fully recovered, so it seems I can return to searching for the destructionists by tonight or tomorrow.
Breakfast consists of toast, salad, and omelet—an unusual Western-style meal—but it should go well with the coffee.
“Here’s your coffee. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, I rested thoroughly.”
Because of the snow, I couldn’t go outside except to the Fairy Realm, so I’ve mostly been resting.
When I tried to sneak out to hunt monsters, the Demon said “Absolutely not!” so hunting was impossible.
They did allow me to train via simulation, which was fortunate, but training and actual combat are different, so something still feels off.
“It may be strange for me, your opponent, to ask, but do you have a plan to win?”
One-on-one, I could surely win, but this is one against four.
They likely won’t keep running until my time runs out, but if it does, it’s an automatic loss.
Moreover, aside from the Peach Princess, the others excel in defense, so even if I self-destruct, I doubt I could take them down.
I watched the videos, but there’s no doubt they’re holding back some cards.
In that case, there’s only one thing to do.
Just like the first time I fought Thalagong, it would be safest to catch them off-guard.
Especially Arongante—I want to take them down first.
Their defense and mobility are formidable, and I lack confidence in blocking their fully charged railgun.
I couldn’t tell from the video how powerful their maximum output is, so it’s probably another card Arongante is hiding.
While I might not be able to block it, I might be able to counterattack with offensive magic.
Next is Thalagong.
In group battles, they make use of their surroundings, but in individual fights, they create a scorching field, making it impossible not only to approach but also rendering weak spells ineffective.
I’d rather not leave Thalagong until last.
“I don’t know until I try, but I have no intention of losing.”
“That’s the spirit. Do your best.”
We quietly ate breakfast, then I took a morning bath.
With the sleepiness gone, I’m ready.
“Let’s go then.”
“Yes.”
Together with Thalagong, I transferred to the Fairy Realm and headed toward the simulation chamber.
“You’ve arrived. You’re the last ones.”
In the waiting room of the simulation chamber were all the members except for Thalagong and me.
Even though we’re slightly early, the delay was due to my long bath.
I intended to finish quickly, but “just a little longer” kept happening.
“It’s fine since we’re earlier than planned. Stop nagging or people will call you a cranky old lady.”
“Hmph. Very well. So, is everyone here?”
The Peach Princess made a face as if she’d bitten into something bitter, then quickly changed the subject, knowing arguing wouldn’t help.
“Yes. The fighters and two observers are all present. Honestly, I don’t personally understand why Sister is here.”
“Why not? I’m curious about how much Inie can fight. I told you if you wanted to come, you could.”
“Well, fine. But please stay out of the way.”
Arongante still seems to be being pushed around by their sister.
It’s tough when both parties have free-spirited sisters.
“How should we set it up? Should we make it feel like real combat?”
Thalagong means the same settings as our first battle: full pain sensation, realistic expressions, deathmatch.
If we fight seriously, it would be more interesting to make it as close to an actual battle as possible.
“I don’t mind.”
“Inie says they’re fine, what do you think?”
“I don’t care either. There’s a chance to see Inie crying and apologizing, after all.”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
The Peach Princess agreed, and Fleur said it was okay too. Arongante shook their head in resignation before nodding.
And anyway, I doubt I’ll cry from pain?
I’ve lost count of how many limbs I’ve lost or how many times I’ve been shot through.
I’ve grown accustomed to pain.
Even if tortured, I probably could endure it.
Though, given the possibility of escaping through transfer, such a future is unlikely to occur.
“By the way, is everything alright with the requests?”
No one made a sour face at what Thalagong said.
Though it won’t be a very long time, having three Rankers—four including Jeanne—away could be troublesome, but it seems preparations have been made.
That’s reassuring.
By the way, Arongante is an exception, so they aren’t counted in the numbers.
“By the way, who did you ask?”
“Blade.”
“Blade-chan.”
Thalagong sighed, placing a hand on their forehead. “That idiot.”
…Seems like it might not be good.
“A somewhat concerning matter, but let’s start quickly and end quickly. It looks better that way, doesn’t it?”
“—Yes. Though Blade is an idiot, asking her wasn’t exactly wise either. Let’s beat Inie quickly.”
Isn’t that harsh, standing next to and holding hands with someone while saying that?
True, Inie has two losses, but realistically, beating a Ranker is usually impossible, right?
As we were about to move to begin, the others said to go ahead because they needed to discuss strategy.
Even though they say that, once they decide to do something, they’ll give it their all.
Also, having seen the Mastidizaya battle, they can probably estimate the strength during Arcana release to some extent.
(What’s the winning percentage?)
‘Just using regular abilities, it’s 0%. With Fool alone, 80%. Switching between Fool and Demon, it’s nearly 100%. With just Demon, it’s a bit disadvantageous, but still around 70%.’
Roughly speaking, that sounds about right. Without Arcana, 0% isn’t surprising, but unusually, the odds are high.
This could be considered the highest among battles with strong opponents so far.
Still, if I slack off, those odds could easily change.
Our opponents are at the peak of magical girls. Their experience and spirit far surpass those of ordinary magical girls.
Arongante is somewhat in a different category, but I’ve confirmed their strength with my own eyes.
They’re not someone to let my guard down around, but among the four, they’re arguably the weakest.
(So, this is a rare battle where I don’t have to worry about losing.)
‘Starting with the battle against Thalagong, lots of things have happened, haven’t they?’
(Yeah. Thinking about it, it’s surprising that I’m still alive after all that.)
When did I become so captivated by battle?
I’m trying to hide it from the Demon, but it’s only a matter of time before they find out.
To the point where I’m craving it desperately over the past week.
I suppressed the rising urges and focused on healing, but the number of times I tried sneaking out of the house is countless.
Finally, I have worthy opponents to fight, but I need to be careful not to get too excited or I might undergo another extreme transformation.
It’s good that strength grows with desire, but unfortunately, the body can’t keep up.
I sort of see a solution, but it’s not practical yet.
If my method works, I could drastically reduce the strain on my body.
On the other hand, there would be a cost in a different form, but it’s unnecessary to think about it now.
Things rarely go exactly as planned.
Besides, whether I live or die after everything is over doesn’t matter.
As long as I hold on until the final moment, that’s enough.
In any case, it’s better to think about this after the battle starts.
I entered the pod first and closed my eyes.
Alright, the fun party is about to begin.
