As night fell, Fuyuki City lit up. The Mio River Bridge, a major traffic artery, remained packed with an unceasing flow of cars and pedestrians.
Yet the passersby failed to notice the irregular flashes of light and distant humming that repeatedly flickered within the clouds beneath the night sky.
"Ruby, please~!"
"OK! Mana loaded!"
"Fire! (Feuer)"
In the deep, boundless night sky, a wild Magical Girl clad in a pink-dominated combat outfit accented with pale white and decorative patterns gripped a pink wand brimming with mana in both hands. Like firing artillery, she opened fire on the target standing atop the Mio River Bridge—a knightly princess in black armor wielding a red-and-black magic sword.
"Buzz!"
However, the moment the compressed pink magic bullet drew near, the knightly princess standing atop the bridge cleanly swung her sword through the air.
"Shhk!"
A red-and-black crescent blade instantly cleaved apart the incoming magic bullet, then continued onward, blasting toward the wild Magical Girl in midair.
"Slash! (Schneiden)"
Seeing the vicious gale bearing down on her, the inexperienced Magical Girl hastily raised her wand and formed a blade-like beam of light at its tip to meet the attack.
"Boom!"
But when the two currents of mana collided in midair, they immediately triggered a violent explosion. A fierce shockwave swept outward in all directions. The pink Magical Girl, lacking battle awareness and having failed to erect a Magic Barrier beforehand, was instantly blown away by the surging airwaves and fell uncontrollably downward.
In contrast, the black knightly princess on the Mio River Bridge was far sharper and more experienced. She immediately seized the fleeting opportunity, kicked off and leapt upward, then used the mana jets beneath her feet to soar forward through the air like a cannonball, taking advantage of the moment to strike at