V2: Chapter 14: I'm Definitely not Going to Lose to a Bratty Girl, Right? (Part 1)

Chapter 14: I'm Definitely not Going to Lose to a Bratty Girl, Right? (Part 1)

A dark, deserted, crumbling ruin. Standing there are a magical girl with short, bright red hair and a freckled girl with gray hair reaching her eyes.

"Can we really do something about this, Flamma Big Sis?"

"Stop calling me 'Big Sis,' and besides... we do have to do something."

The gray-haired girl's magic, which generates powerful radio waves, doesn't produce enough power to harm people. Therefore, she's unusable in actual combat... but she's perfect for jamming radio waves and communications like this.

The drawback is that it leaks out magically charged radio waves like this... but this time, even that becomes an advantage. After all, the goal this time is to lure someone out. 

"Just to be sure, I'll ask! You're the ones who hijacked the radio waves, aren't you?!"

"What if we said... it's not true?"

Of course, the girl called Flamma probably didn't mean it seriously.

"Mistaken identity... I apologize! My bad!"

"Ah, ah..."

But in the end, she turned on her heel and tried to leave. While taken aback by this...the flickering flames unleashed towards her back were a precise and swift blow... or so it seemed.

"Ugh, I can't believe you're lying!"

"As expected of someone ranked third, troublesome..."

However, it was extinguished by a larger fireball, leaving her unharmed. While it sounds impressive to say her magic manipulation was so fast that there was no sign of it appearing...this is all she knew.

"Just to be sure, are you interested in joining us?"

"That's a problem... I've made it a rule not to listen to conversations with people who seem smarter than me..."

She, Bradia, doesn't have any grand cause like stopping the New Star Magical Girl Association. She came here because there were people doing bad things... and she'll fight even if they're Magical Girls. That's all there is to it.

"Let me tell you something good. If two flames of the same weight and a person collide... which do you think is stronger?"

"Well, it's obviously the flames, right?"

Even if they're not heavy, a person wouldn't stand a chance if engulfed in fire. That was self-evident.

"Then, what about ice and fire of the same weight?"

"The fire would have more destructive power... you're not..."

It's obvious that a flame of the same size would be stronger than a chunk of ice. Such an extremely simple thought led her to a terribly simplistic conclusion.

"In other words! My flame, the hottest and biggest!!! Is the strongest!!!!"

A gigantic fireball, shining like the sun, suddenly appeared on the ground.

"This is my [Flame: Overload Empress]!"

Now──it bares its fangs at its adversary.

"[Mirage]!"

The magical girl known as Flamma's magic is the 'Mirage' magic, which simultaneously causes disruption and attacks with flickering flames. There's no doubt that she's a superior Magical Girl, wielding magic that is both highly versatile and possesses undeniable offensive power.

"[Flame: Overload Empress]!"

The gigantic fireball she unleashed burns away the mirage.

Even with all that, she couldn't reach the third rank.

Ranked 3rd in the Magical Girl rankings, Bradia doesn't engage in any tactics in combat. This is because she dedicates all her resources to casting magic.

"[Flame: Overload Empress]!"

Her only defense against the flickering flames flying towards her is using fireballs as a shield.

The magical girl with the fiery crimson hair has no tricky tactics or applications in her hand. She doesn't dodge attacks, but tries to counter them, and even with a shield, she attacks even if it seems possible to avoid them. She fights day after day without a partner, solely to dedicate everything else to casting magic.

"[Flame: Overload Empress]!!"

She continues to deal with the ever-increasing heat haze with flames that surpass its speed and range.

Simply straightforward. Too clumsy... too muscle-brained. Furthermore, her magic is simple and basic: 'creating flames with mass.'

"Don't you feel anything? You have that much power... You have the power to change the world, so why...!"

"Oh, what are you talking about?"

The temperature of the ruins was rising at an incredible rate because she had continued to scorch the surrounding area.

While many Magical Girls were using their wits and ingenuity... the fact that she, who seemed to be relying solely on brute force and not thinking at all, was ranked 3rd remained unshaken.

That means that, in this state... where she doesn't care about her surroundings, there are only two magical girls stronger than her.

"There must have been other Magical Girls that could have been saved by you, not just Satellite-sama... everyone else too..."

"No way? If I'm going to worry about the past, I'll just train! Training never betrays you!"

That's why this situation was a perfect match for Flamma, the Mirage Magical Girl.

After cleverly concealing the surroundings with mirages... a simultaneous attack by multiple magical girls who had been hiding as ambushes. It was obvious that the third-ranked girl would be strong, which is why the surprise attack was necessary.

From an unexpected angle, a single blow exceeding the opponent's capacity would be delivered in an instant... deciding the match. An incredibly simple and effective strategy.

"Fall, third-ranked girl!"

"[Flame: Overload Empress]!!!!!"

However, the miscalculation was... that even 20 magical girls working together wouldn't be enough to exceed her capacity.

The difference in firepower was so great that even 20 Magical Girls working together couldn't match her.

Flamma was breathing heavily, likely from overusing her magic, while Bradia still had plenty of energy left.

The match was practically decided.

"You got to be kidding me! It's a mistake to think someone like this is third-ranked...!"

"There is no distinction between noble and base power, is there? Power is what makes it noble!"

It was a terrible, outrageous statement, but not entirely wrong.

Ultimately... since neither the association nor their ideology is wrong... only power can determine the outcome.

"Besides, just because you don't like the present, what have you done?"

"I've been working hard too..."

"I'm practicing magic almost all the time, except for school, sleep, meals, and visiting sick people."

"...Huh?"

She doesn't know any other way than to work hard, because nothing has worked out for her so far.

"I told you, training never betrays you."

A genius of effort who overcame differences in combat sense and talent through immense training.

That was the Crimson Magical Girl, the Magical Girl known as Bradia.

A gigantic fireball, likely unleashed to end the battle... illuminating the entire area, floated brightly in the night sky.

Even if her appearance was like a mirage, it didn't matter; she dealt with the enemy, along with the ambushers... her only clever method.

"It's alright, I'm just using the blunt side of my fireball!!!"

"Blunt side of a fireball? Are you stupid...!"

She was the last one standing, having turned the entire area into a sea of ​​flames...

"Come to think of it, there's no such thing as a blunt side to a fireball, is there?"

She was hopelessly stupid.

★

A deserted ruin a short distance from the patrol area. The ground was gouged and scorched, probably from a battle fought by Bradia during her recent patrol. On the highest point of the crumbling ruins, the green-haired girl was swinging her legs... and when she spotted her target, a seductive grin spread across her lips. 

"You're late, Second Rank lady. Bell is exhausted from waiting..."

"So you're here, huh? I didn't expect you to be alone."

"Hmm? I thought I could easily handle second place on my own ♡"

"You're underestimating me..."

Instead of a reply, a heat ray emanated from the green-haired girl's feet... melting Gracia's Ice Mirror. Lasers fired in quick succession pierced Gracia's body—but she instantly transformed into mist.

"You haven't even offered me a word of recruitment?"

"No, because... I don't need it ♡"

But as if to say she knew it was an illusion, lightning struck from the sky, and fist-sized ice floes rained down.

However, there was no real impact.

"....."

"Hmm, you didn't even flinch at that?"

"Fire, ice, lightning, lasers... what kind of Magic are you using?"

"Who knows? Try and guess if you can, Second Rank lady ♡"

Tinkerbell's 'Magic' uses magic power when activated, but hardly any when maintained or deactivated.

Therefore, it was probably a prepared kill zone, but if it were that easy to take down the Second Rank... she would have been kidnapped by the enemy by now.

"You had lightning and ice waiting in the sky, right? And fire and lasers under your skirt..."

"Wow, you can tell that much? Well, I can't let this drag on any longer then!"

Since they couldn't be sure if the other was telling the truth, they couldn't take each other's words at face value.

They were both searching for a solution, but... it was Gracia who made the first move.

The generated Ice Mirror was launched with great force...and stopped moving just before hitting its target.

"You're so pathetic! ♡ Is this all you've got, even though you're Second Rank?"

"You've clearly studied me quite a bit. I'm honored by your assessment."

Naturally, the more famous someone is, the more their capabilities become apparent.

Illusions created by Ice Mirrors, attacks... information gathering. Unless all of these are thoroughly countered, this battle wouldn't even be possible.

In other words, time works to Gracia's advantage. The green-haired girl probably understands that too. However, if she misjudges the timing of her moves, the match will be decided at that point. Continuing to attack carelessly will only lead to her hand being revealed.

"Even during that incident... if Bell had been by her side, I could have handled it a little better than you, you know?"

"Hmph, that's a cheap provocation... I won't fall for that, you know?"

It's working.

She must have instinctively understood that; 'anger' is very effective in making her lose her composure.

"I never thought that with Gracia, the perpetual second-rank fighter, so close by, you'd let Satellite-sama get snatched away so easily...!"

"Is that all you have to say?"

Therefore, she continued to provoke her repeatedly.

And perhaps out of anger, a large block of ice began to form above Gracia's head as she attempted to crush her with a giant ice mirror.

"Ah, I might get hit~?"

"Be crushed!"

A blow that, if it hit, would undoubtedly not only render her incapacitated but also severely injured.

But the moment she was about to launch a direct attack was the moment she had been waiting for.

"...Just kidding♡"

"What...!?"

The instant the giant ice mirror was unleashed, threatening to crush the enemy,...

BOOOM!

An explosion occurred at her feet, staining the ground red.