(Babaluno)
One night ten years ago, in a southern city in Esperia.
Back when magical girls' powers had yet to become widespread, Monsters invaded while I was still a child. In my memory, everyone panicked, their negative emotions swelling far beyond what they did today. Frantic, people scrambled to escape the world, desperate to get away from the invasion.
Against that backdrop, my mother and I became separated as we fled.
I was still little then, with no understanding of many things. I feared the crowds more than the Monsters I had never seen for myself, so after losing my mother, I instinctively headed somewhere less crowded-only to encounter one of those terrifying, hideous Monsters.
Back then...
A magical girl descended from the sky and stood before me, her tall figure like a hero from a story.
But no one could have imagined that, as the magical girl protecting me fought fiercely against the Monster, my mother would come back looking for me, only to be caught in the aftermath of their battle a street away... and fall into a coma that lasted ten years.
And now...
Great Blood's lance slammed into Miss Ice Dragon's tower shield like a battering ram, the blow heavy and powerful.
The latter did not back down, but the soles of those armored boots sank into the ground... The Dormitory District's ground was concrete. Great Blood was using Dad as a pile driver.
"Ceruno, watch out."
SpiCa's warning came suddenly.
Great Blood hurled her lance at me while my thoughts wandered.
Unlike her previous throws, this one carried the force of an all-out attack, like a bolt of black lightning.
It was like a baseball pitcher throwing the decisive pitch in the final inning, but that was rather bad news for me.
It came from