Air Support: Ceruno

(Ceruno)

Because the bubbles are so light, they can easily pull me back with telekinesis.

That wasn't all. The Octopus Monster's telekinesis began to apply uneven pressure to the surface of the bubble, as if an invisible giant hand was recklessly kneading it. The bubble lost its spherical shape, and the elastic parts became taut, also restricting my movement within the bubble.

No.

If it were to be attacked by Alpha under such circumstances, the inelastic bubble would absolutely not be able to withstand the attack...

"Ceruno! It's not too late to bow your head now!"

Although it was an alias, the magical girl who called herself Qianhua was still trying to persuade me to surrender; she really didn't want me to die like this.

Is it just because of the task her father gave her?

No, it seems to come from the heart...

"Understood, I surrender."

I don't want to die like this either.

But as a magical girl, this is the limit of what I can do. Even Miluno needs to borrow Mono's power to fight against increasingly difficult witches. For me alone to deal with Alpha, a witch whose strength is comparable to that of Fomalhaut, plus four Elite Monsters, would probably be quite...

As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.

Alpha seems reasonable enough; I'd better save my life first.

However, before my humiliating declaration of surrender could even finish, golden, phosphorescent dust began to fall from the air.

This is...

Alpha frowned and immediately covered his mouth and nose.

"Aww! Ahhh!!!"

A Monster began to burn, howling and rolling on the ground.

Then, the remaining enemies also burst into flames, including the Octopus Monster that was squeezing me with telekinesis, and... Alpha.

Her clothes were easily burned, but unlike her subordinates, she didn't roll around on the ground trying to put out the fire, as if the flames on her body had nothing to do with her.

"Fire Phosphor?"

Looking up at the sky, the magical girl soaring above with outstretched wings is Heat Haze... no, she's Magical Girl Phoenix.

The fusion of Heat Haze and Falcon, a magical girl powerful enough to rival a witch, is currently unleashing incendiary bombs above the domain.

Air Force support.

Alpha doesn't have a sword aura as long as Fomalhaut's, so it would probably be difficult for it to reach Phoenix in the air. But this is the Witch Domain, and Alpha, being a witch, is repairing the damage to her body with an exaggerated regenerative ability.

Surely not every witch receives an enhancement from this field?

Unless her Simulacrum Factor can be shattered, otherwise...

"Ceruno! Lie down! Cover your eyes!"

The telekinesis had been released, and the moment I heard the shout, I instinctively prostrated myself on the ground. The Fire Phosphor in front of me swirled towards Alpha, then formed a towering pillar of flame. The shockwave from the explosion seemed to blow me away, and the high temperature and flashes were equally unbearable.

However, Qianhua's timely use of her Flower Shield blocked most of the remaining damage.

Phew, Phoenix almost indirectly took us down!

The road surface was left with large, charred craters, vehicles parked on the roadside were burning in the high temperature, and houses on both sides were also on fire, with their outer walls even collapsing with a roar, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured Alpha, which was located at the center of the solar storm.

She remained silent for a long time.

Did it vanish into thin air?

No...

She was repairing her physical injuries. When she emerged from the dust, despite her burns not yet healed, she still used her fingers to hold several thin blades and threw them as projectiles at the low-flying Phoenix. Her movements were so fast that my eyes couldn't keep up.

"Hmm--?"

Phoenix crash-landed beside me, clutching a horrifying wound on her side, as if a piece of flesh had been cut off, with blood gushing uncontrollably from between her fingers.

What's wrong?

Isn't Ms. Falcon capable of piloting flying vehicles?

Perhaps it was because the blade was so thin, small, and sharp that it was a projectile that would be invisible once released, making it impossible to control with magic that Flight Control manipulate it...

However, Alpha's four subordinates did not survive the Heat Haze's ultimate attack; their bodies were completely charred beyond recognition.

"Ceruno, are you alright?"

"It's alright... no, let me stop the bleeding first!"

"Don't worry about me, that guy's tough to deal with!"

Seeing Phoenix fall to the ground, still engulfed in flames, she drew her straight sword and assumed a fighting stance.

Her sudden attack with her knife was so swift that I couldn't even see her movements clearly. I could only quickly release a defensive bubble for Phoenix.

Like a baseball, the weightless bubble was deflected by the blow, but the hastily created bubble couldn't withstand the impact. Heat Haze flew in an arc and crashed into a burning house by the roadside. (She had just started the fire.)

"She's a magical girl, yet she possesses such power."

Dark Energy erupted from Alpha's body, shaking off the burning flames, and not even his clothes were burned.

"I'll deal with this dangerous guy first... then I'll take you back."

"No! Let her go, and you can take me away right now!"

"This is not a choice for me."

The ability to quickly recover within a domain is too overpowered.

The scene where Heat Haze puts herself in danger to protect me feels strangely familiar.

I have to do something to stop her...

Damn it, oh damn it!

Why is it always like this...? Why haven't I improved at all after being a magical girl for so long...? I'm still so weak.

Self-loathing won't change the outcome.

I have to get moving...

No matter what you can do, you have to start taking action first.

She picked up the Ruby Wand and rushed towards Alpha, her entire body covered in a completely light-blocking Bubble Membrane.

She took out the small blade again to try to cut the Bubble Membrane, but this time, the blade couldn't reach the Bubble Membrane, and without reaching it, it couldn't cut it.

"Um?"

The rules within my bubble are governed by my thoughts, but they must be things I believe in. So most of the time, my bubble is like a real, existing substance, such as a rubber balloon or extremely hard glass.

Going a step further, it includes things like "water-permeable rubber" and "soundproof glass."

Such superficial rules are a result of my lack of imagination.

Allowing the blade to pass through would block Alpha itself.

While it's easy to imagine, it's not so easy to achieve. Imagination alone isn't enough; you also need confidence.

Have full confidence in the rules within the bubble.

While it may sound a bit idealistic, my magic does indeed require some "thinking."

The Bubble Membrane Alpha not only blocks out light, but also blocks out internal and external sounds and airflow. Even if there is some kind of internal energy circulation, she can't see or touch it right now.

That's at least in theory.

I can't think of a way to defeat her; trapping her like this is my limit.

In short, we need to get Phoenix before she leaves...

I turned and ran towards the burning house, but behind me came a despairing sound.

"In the end..."

It should obviously be soundproofed.

Dark Energy seeped from beneath the Bubble Membrane, and Alpha exuded a dangerous aura.

"... Are you still going to force me to use this witch's power?"

Etc!

Miss Alpha, she...

So far, no magic has been used?!