In the Martial Arena, I stood facing a magical girl in a black jacket.
She swung a chain, her hair dyed a deep purplish red, looking like a delinquent girl caught up in a street brawl.
"Miluno! You can't use magic right now, can you?"
"That's true, but I don't need magic to deal with you..."
"Huh? Don't underestimate how much I've improved lately!"
She swept her hand through empty air, conjuring a magic circle above my head. Countless silver chains rained down from it, hurtling straight at me.
Sky Lock was really living up to her name now.
She was still inexperienced as a magical girl. Although she'd taken part in plenty of battles, she'd mostly played a supporting role, so she wanted to improve her practical combat skills at the Martial Arena before the raid on the Enheria Stronghold.
And Alpha and Foehn had pushed me forward as the beginner-level sparring partner.
Beating me before earning the right to challenge the other two had become an unwritten rule of the Martial Arena.
So I ended up being the one who took and dished out the most beatings every day...
Why me?!
I raised my wooden sword to block a couple of strikes, but it quickly snapped under the blows. Even after I escaped the magic circle's range, the chains curved around to chase me-though their speed and accuracy left something to be desired.
A single black horn thrust out from one side of my forehead, and my physical abilities rose along with it.
All the while, Sky Lock kept both hands raised to control her magic. Even as I closed in, she seemed unable to move her feet. Clearly, she couldn't keep controlling so many chains while moving...
"Hah!!"
Seeing me draw closer and closer, she simply dismissed