One Thing Counters Another

(Ceruno)

"You... you haven't used any magic before?"

My question received no response.

Although she could "speak," Ms. Alpha, separated by the Bubble Membrane, still couldn't hear or see what was happening outside.

However, she easily broke through my defensive bubble using only her "swordsmanship"... which is to say, "normal slashes".

And now, her darkness seeps out from within the Bubble Membrane, even using this method to make a sound...

The Supreme Council's First Warrior—this title is truly well-deserved.

However, this isn't the first time darkness has broken through the bubble.

There was a time when Miss Halley, who had become a witch, used Dark Energy to break my magic, but recently I've been able to control that Dark Energy properly. Today's situation is something I haven't experienced in a long time.

I wonder who is stronger, her or Fomalhaut...

However, with her subordinates being turned into takoyaki by Phoenix, she didn't seem interested in negotiating.

Just as the Bubble Membrane restricting her movement was torn apart by Dark Energy, I had just rescued Phoenix from a burning house by the roadside. Miss Alpha, holding a knife in one hand, stood alone before us, the blazing firelight illuminating her colorful, ornate dress, further highlighting the chilling atmosphere...

Qian Huaze stood to the side with a solemn expression, and it was unclear what she would do...

"Um, do I still have a chance to surrender?"

Miss Alpha expressionlessly raised her straight sword. What her magic was remained a mystery, but her actions spoke volumes...

She has no intention of negotiating with us.

Phoenix died along with her unborn child. Now that the Octopus Monster is dead, perhaps I can find a way to bring her to life.

That's what I thought, but not knowing what Miss Alpha's magic was, and being overwhelmed by her aura, I was a little hesitant...

My magic might become unstable.

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

Loud shouts and yells came from overhead.

Before anyone could be seen, a giant golden mace came crashing down on Alpha's face. Alpha simply raised his knife with one hand and blocked the blow, while Tiger Cub followed up with a kick to the giant golden mace.

The increased force forced Alpha to raise its hands to block, which then sent Tiger Cub flying to the side.

No, perhaps she wasn't having it so easy either...

Alpha held the straight knife in her left hand, but her right hand trembled slightly... Even when she parried with one hand just now, she hadn't shown any real ease.

"Miss Tiger Cub? You'd better leave quickly, you're no match for her!"

"You're telling me you can't win before we've even fought? That's ridiculous!"

"But if you can't beat them, you can't beat them! You'll die!"

Tiger Cub, who has only recently become a "Fake Magical Girl," and Alpha, the number one warrior of the Supreme Council... the gap in strength between the two is despairing, a gap that cannot be bridged by mere enthusiasm.

"Stop yelling! Don't order me around!"

The Azure Tiger Society, which she used to lead, seemed to be a militant gang?

Courage and recklessness are different. While the spirit of not being afraid of death is commendable, one must die in a meaningful way. Her act of going after Alpha is like a newbie venturing into the Four Heavenly Kings.

Although I don't think she can win, I can't just watch her get herself killed.

He tentatively placed a protective shield around her and her giant golden mace, warning, "My shield cannot completely stop Alpha's slashes; it can only guarantee you won't die from one blow."

"Oh! Thank you, that's enough!"

Tiger Cub seemed very... excited?

But Alpha just watched her coldly, as if she were a clown... no, a dead person.

Feeling this contempt, Tiger Cub was also somewhat annoyed, but she did not swing the hammer to continue.

Although straightforward, he wasn't entirely without brains, given his past as a gang leader.

Perhaps their first encounter gave Tiger Cub some insight into Alpha's strength...

"Aaaaah!"

No, I overestimated her.

She still Past the sledgehammer at Alpha's head, but the latter was quite agile. The moment she raised the hammer, he turned into a blurry afterimage and appeared beside Tiger Cub. A flash of light appeared, and a sharp, cold blade slashed down.

Wielding the heavy hammer, Tiger Cub had no time to stop and block... but she actually managed to pull her hand back.

The heavy hammer, which seemed to weigh several tons, suddenly changed direction without any momentum. It slammed into Alpha's knife with a clang. I was surprised that she could fight Alpha back and forth.

Miss Alpha herself seemed quite surprised.

Is Tiger Cub really that strong?

Come to think of it, she was originally a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) coach, so she might have more combat experience than the average person...

Miss Alpha was no longer composed; she gritted her teeth and glared at Tiger Cub with increasing anger.

But she hasn't used magic yet...

Perhaps she felt that using magic on Fake Magical Girl like Tiger Cub would mean defeat.

This is a formidable opponent with an extremely strong sense of self-respect.

She raised her blade and slashed at Tiger Cub, who raised his hammer to parry. But the hammer was incredibly sturdy; my Bubble Membrane had shattered after several impacts, yet the long-handled golden hammer remained unmarked... Although it looked quite sturdy, was this thing harder than my defensive bubble wrap?

The two of them actually started hammering away, and Alpha didn't complain about me occasionally adding a protective layer to Tiger Cub.

"Ceruno."

After Phoenix finished treating the wound on my abdomen, she leaned against me and whispered:

"... Who is this guy?"

"She calls herself Alpha, the first warrior of the 'Supreme Council,' and is very powerful as a witch, perhaps even comparable to Fomalhaut..."

"No, I wasn't asking about the witch with the knife."

She shook her head, clutching her slashed kidney, and then pointed at Tiger Cub.

"What is the identity of that orange-striped catgirl?"

Oh, you were asking about Tiger Cub?!

"She's Fake Magical Girl, originally a former gangster in the Old District. Her father's Proxy stuffed a Contaminated Crystal into her... She was originally intended as a tool for those insiders to create chaos, but it seems she has her own ideas now."

Incidentally, that Proxy is right in front of us, but if she attacks Miss Qianhua now, she'll most likely be joining forces with Miss Alpha.

Right now, survival is the most important thing. With her defensive magic, our chances of winning are even slimmer.

"The underworld? That makes sense. Her fighting style and reaction speed are quite good. SpiCa had considered having active-duty special forces soldiers or fighters accept the Star Crystal to become magical girls. They would definitely be stronger than magical girls transformed from ordinary people, but the adaptability of the Crystal cannot be forced..."

Clang--

With a crisp sound, the clanging of metal finally stopped. I looked up...

Miss Alpha's straight knife broke.

"Huh?!"