Ando Meiko clearly saw the figure rushing past her. She sighed, then slowly shook her head.
Well, someone really had dared to go in.
Honestly, why was this girl in such a hurry? But just watching wasn't an option either. Once this spider absorbed all the Demonic Aether into its body, who knew how much stronger it would become.
"Conserve your magic and choose the best attack positions yourselves! Get as close as possible before attacking, or you'll just waste magic for nothing."
"Three Purities, I'll cover you."
"Okay."
The Void Spider noticed the two magical girls approaching. Still absorbing Demonic Aether, it turned toward them, raised its front legs, tensed its muscles, and suddenly thrust them forward.
"Ruby Splash!"
Specks of red starlight gathered with the swing of the magic wand. As Ando Meiko thrust her hand forward, the bullet-like red motes shot out at extreme speed and struck the spider's leg.
Her attack did not injure the Void Spider, but Ruby Splash knocked the spider leg slightly off course, allowing it to brush past Rin.
And that was the perfect time to attack.
Once she entered her range, Rin held nothing back and flung the Talisman Scripts in her hand at the spider. Some of the talismans exploded violently upon impact, while others turned into flames that rapidly spread across the spider's entire body.
After the Void Spider shook the flames onto the ground, they continued burning even through the liquid Demonic Aether.
Could flames released through Talisman Scripts actually burn even Demonic Aether?
[Could these flames be the legendary Samadhi True Fire?]
Ruby's astonished voice reminded her of the xianxia stories she had once read online. Come to think of it, Rin could use Talisman Scripts, and even the decorations on her combat outfit featured yin and yang.
Kajieliena had also mentioned that Three Purities's magical girl inheritance did not come from this place, but from a great nation on the other side.
If that was the case, then Rin's Star Tarot theme, Three Purities, might be something related to Taoism?
However, Ruby's guess was correct. The flames contained within those talismans were the Samadhi True Fire, capable of burning everything to ash and continuing to burn without end.
And that was why Rin believed she could burn all those cocoons to ashes.
Gigigigigigi...
A fierce gust swept in. The flames on the Demonic Aether had completely dissipated, while pure black energy erupted from the Void Spider's body. It fused with the Demonic Aether that had not been fully burned away and spread across the ground, blanketing the entire area before long.
This was an ability possessed only by God-Tier Void Beasts: a domain.
"Impossible! A domain? How could a Ghost-Tier Void Beast possess a domain that only God-class creatures have?"
Yōichi's disbelieving voice echoed in the girls' ears, but none of them had the leisure to think about his question.
Rin, who was closest to the spider, became its first target. Once the domain fully formed, its speed nearly doubled. In less than a breath, it arrived before Rin and Ando Meiko.
"Three Purities, watch out!" Her magic wand transformed into a gigantic frying pan. Ando Meiko raised it before herself to block the thrust of one spider leg, then tilted the pan and redirected it aside.
At the same time, the knocked-back Ando Meiko gripped the frying pan's handle with both hands in midair. Using her waist as a pivot, she swung it with all her strength.
Volume One: The Story of How I Was Tricked into Becoming a Magical Girl: Chapter 62: Physical Magical Girl
With an ear-piercing metallic crash, the frying pan collided with another thrusting spider leg, knocking its attack off course as well.
The powerful recoil slammed Ando Meiko out of the air and onto the ground. Yet the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet brought her no joy, because her hands and feet had already gone numb from the shock.
Rin forcibly grabbed Ando Meiko by the collar and dragged her, temporarily taking her out of the Void Spider's attack range.
As the spider moved in pursuit, three consecutive light cannons struck its face with pinpoint accuracy. Faced with the blasts hitting its eyes, it raised its spider legs in a remarkably humanlike manner to shield its face.
"Nice support!"
The two missiles falling from above made the spider's advancing body jolt. It raised its abdomen toward Furago, and white spheres shot from its spinnerets, transforming into a massive net that covered Furate.
"You think you can catch me at this speed?"
The external thrusters blasted fiercely with exhaust flames, and the explosive acceleration swiftly carried Furate out of the net's reach.
Having successfully lured the Void Spider from the mall to this area filled with high-rise buildings, the magical girls' offensive officially began.
"Move immediately after attacking. Use the buildings for cover and keep moving. Contain the Ghost-Tier Lord Spider here and eliminate it!"
"Understood!"
"Attack!" The magical girls unleashed their attacks together, all of them landing on target. No matter how agile the spider was, the cramped city gave it little room to maneuver.
Yet even without dodging, the tough carapace covering its body blocked every magical attack, leaving it almost completely unharmed.
Should they say the girls' attack methods were too limited, or that they lacked combat awareness? How could such scattered firepower possibly break through a lord monster's defenses?
Watching their chaotic fighting style, Ando Meiko slowly sighed.
Not only had their attacks failed to break the spider's defenses, they had made the Void-born monster even more enraged. It curled its abdomen, wildly firing balls of spider silk as though venting its anger. Every silk ball that struck a building burst into a large web.
"This monster's aim is really terrible. Girls, put some more effort into it. Focus your attacks on its legs and weaken its mobility first."
"Okay." Several magical girls responded. After landing, Furate, who had been handling harassment, retracted her flight armor. Only the two combat cannons connected to her body remained.
She did this not only to conserve stamina and magic, but also because the surroundings had unknowingly filled with spiderwebs, making it impossible for her to fly freely.
"Not good!"
Ando Meiko looked at the enormous net gradually spreading across the city. Once she came to her senses, she immediately understood what the spider was trying to do.
It was not firing randomly at all. It was shooting with a purpose, intending to completely seal off this area with webs and trap everyone like turtles in a jar.
She turned and met Rin's eyes. Ando Meiko could see a trace of worry in them; clearly, Rin had reached the same conclusion and seen through the spider's tactic.
"Everyone, cover me."
Rin attempted to attack again and interrupt the Void Spider, which had been continuously releasing webs. Meanwhile, as Ando Meiko accompanied Rin in charging toward the spider, she kept gathering magic inside her wand.
After landing, Furate was the first to fire two rockets. Propelled by magic, the high-speed rockets flew past the two girls and struck the spider's head first.
The rocket attack briefly stiffened the spider's body, creating an excellent opportunity for Ando Meiko and the others to attack.
This time, Rin drew out four blue talismans completely different from the previous ones. She flung them forward, and the four talismans turned into four streams of blue light that attached themselves to her limbs.
As she charged toward the Void Spider, Rin formed a series of somewhat complicated hand seals.
"Lin, Immovable Wisdom King, strength reaching the heavens!"
After all the hand seals were completed, Rin herself showed no visible change, but the Blue Talismans attached to her limbs all lit up at once.
"This is... huh?!!!!"
Ando Meiko did not even have time to be surprised. Having arrived beneath the Void Spider, Rin stomped fiercely on the ground. A burst of force erupted, spreading several visible cracks across the ground beneath her feet.
Riding the recoil of her earth-shattering stomp, she shot upward from below like an arrow, piercing straight into the spider's lower body.
Her clenched fist shot upward like a rising dragon. The force was so immense that even the Void Spider, as large as a two-story building, was knocked several meters into the air.
When Kajieliena had said she had fought Rin before, Ando Meiko had wondered who could possibly defeat this physical magical girl. Now, she somewhat understood the principle behind it.
To defeat a physical magical girl, you had to become a physical magical girl first.
Leaping backward into the air, Rin finally took out her own Star Tarot. Yet Ando Meiko did not see her swipe any card. The Star Tarot activated the moment Rin threw it out.
Magic condensed into a wall behind the girl. She pushed off the Air Wall with both feet, shooting forward again like a spring compressed to its limit. Pivoting around her waist, she spun through the air and swept out a powerful kick.
The spider, struck squarely on the forehead, staggered back again and again before crashing directly into a building, sending countless shards of glass flying everywhere.
The Blue Talismans completely faded away. After returning to Ando Meiko's side, Rin's hands were trembling. Though the effect seemed obvious, the attack had put no small strain on her.
"Rin, how is it?" Yōichi asked doubtfully through the earpiece.
"The carapace on its body is like armor. It's too hard. My attacks just now felt like I was striking metal. I don't know whether they did any real damage."
As soon as Rin finished speaking, the Void Spider rose from the rubble. Unlike before, there was now a sunken fist mark on its head.
The effect looked obvious, but it was useless. Their attacks still could not break through the sturdy defense of its carapace.
"Rin, fall back for now and get yourself into shape."
"Okay."
"Furate, clear the surrounding spiderwebs. Everyone else, spread out. Azure Magical Girl, do your best to cast speed-enhancing magic on everyone."
"Roger."
Yōichi issued commands to the girls fighting through the earpiece, and nearly everyone scattered away from the Void Spider at the same time.
The Azure Magical Girls, who did not even have familiars yet, chanted their spells. Several beams of light in the same color shot toward the dispersed girls, all plunging into their bodies at once.
Their speed increased slightly. Although Ando Meiko and Rin had retreated earlier than anyone else, the spider had no intention of giving them even a moment to catch their breath.
The moment it saw their intention to retreat, it let out a roar. Its eight spider legs swung back and forth, becoming indistinct afterimages as it rapidly closed in on them.
"Wow, this guy is really angry."
It was obvious that this giant was not merely angry. It looked like it was about to explode with rage.
Volume One: The Story of How I Was Tricked into Becoming a Magical Girl: Chapter 63: Holy Armament—Starlight Radiance
Two rockets streaked past the girls.
Unlike the ones they had seen before, these two rockets were entirely red and carried unusual magical fluctuations. They were clearly magical attacks transformed from Star Tarot.
The rockets did not strike the spider's body. Instead, they landed beneath its feet. The violent explosion overturned the ground, and billowing dust immediately filled the air.
"That's..." Ando Meiko glanced toward the spider. Using the dust cloud from the explosion as cover, she did not hesitate to pull Rin into an alley between the buildings, causing the Void Spider to lose sight of them.
Once the dust settled, the Void Spider had lost its targets, Rin and Ando Meiko. Rather than search for them, it turned its long spider legs into blades and began wreaking havoc on its surroundings without restraint.
"This is bad. If it keeps destroying things like this, it'll have a major impact on the Reality World too." Rin thought to herself. Ignoring her physical condition, she rushed directly out from behind cover.
"Hey! Don't go..."
Another four Blue Talismans transformed Rin from a magical girl into a physical magical girl, but the moment she rushed out, an incoming spider leg struck her head-on.
Although she had assumed a defensive posture, she was still knocked backward. She flew past Ando Meiko, hit the ground, and rolled several times miserably before stopping.
The repeated use of Blue Talismans had pushed Rin's body to its limit. Even after she stood up again, she staggered unsteadily, barely able to remain on her feet.
"Three Purities, fall back. You've reached your limit," Yōichi shouted sharply. Before the spider could catch up, Ando Meiko carried Rin on her back and sprinted toward the shelter of the buildings.
To cover Ando Meiko and Rin's retreat, the other magical girls attacked simultaneously. Even Furago transformed her external armor into a fighter jet and resumed her harassment tactics, temporarily drawing the spider's attention.
However, the sky filled with spiderwebs restricted her movement everywhere, preventing her from fighting at full speed like she had at the beginning.
"Ruby, can you still use that attack from last time?" Yōichi's voice came through the communication watch.
That arrow? That arrow truly had the aura of concentrating everything into a single point. If she could recreate it, it should be enough to break through the spider's defenses. Even if it could not kill the spider, with some guidance, severely wounding it would not be impossible.
But for Ando Meiko to perform triple charging alone, she needed more than just magic. She needed time as well.
"Is there an ideal firing position?" She peeked out from behind cover and surveyed the battlefield, only to realize that no matter where she stood, she would be spotted immediately if she remained still to charge...
"The rooftop. Ruby, don't worry about me. Get up to the roof and find a firing position." Rin's reminder made Ando Meiko hesitate for a moment.
Then she gritted her teeth, set Rin down, and ran up the stairs all the way to the roof of the tenth floor. From there, she observed the Void Spider and roughly confirmed her line of sight.
"Bow, bow, bow!" After that intense battle, there was simply too little Aether left for her to manipulate. If she could still recreate that state...
"Eek!"
A scream from the distance interrupted her thoughts. Ando Meiko leaned over the railing and looked toward its source. Furate's external armor had turned into Aether and dissipated after her magic was depleted. Before she could land, inertia carried her through the air and stuck her to a spiderweb.
The spider moved closer to Furate. Bound by the web, she could not break free at all!
To rescue Furate, who was trapped by the web and unable to escape, Rin, whom Ando Meiko had left behind cover, revealed herself again. She placed Blue Talismans on herself once more and tangled with the Void Spider.
This is bad. Ando Meiko immediately closed her eyes where she stood.
Her consciousness drifted back to the moment she had drawn the great bow and broken through her own magical limit.
It was an elusive feeling, as though it did not exist at all. Yet after changing the flow of magic through her body, it brought an indescribable sense of exhilaration.
But in that instant, she also recalled the first time she had seen Three Purities in the Void World, when the Void Spider's leg had pierced through her.
Only, in her mind, Three Purities's face was replaced by Rin's, while the swirling and scattering Aether became splashing crimson blood.
Hurry... Hurry, there's no time left...
No matter what happened, she would protect Rin. That was the promise she had made to Rin before they entered battle, and Rin had trusted her enough to place her back in her hands.
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