Side Story: Burning with Anger

The ferris wheel made a full rotation, and without much conversation afterward, we ended up going home.

Haruto walked me all the way back.

...No, I mean, today was fun, sure. But what am I supposed to do with this frustration?

Hoshiko's out with Mom and not even home...

Damn it.

She better be ready to answer for this when she gets back!

Guess I’ve got no choice but to sulk and sleep it off!

---

“Ugh—!”

A surge of lightning crashed down on me—now in my form as Luna.

...A magical beast had appeared near the abandoned factory on the outskirts of town.

Or so the Sacred Beast said, and I rushed over not long ago.

But what was waiting there wasn’t a magical beast at all.

The moment I was forcefully dragged into the Inverted World, a man was already lying in wait. He must have planned the ambush.

—Come to think of it, it never made sense for beings who feed off human emotions to target a place as deserted as an abandoned factory.

I should’ve realized something was off right then.

“My name is Amurtāt. The Silver Witch—show me what you’ve got.”

He was dressed head to toe in black, his face obscured like a ninja’s, making it impossible to read his expression.

—Tall, but with a frame that still looked a little immature. A boy. Probably around my age.

Even so, the pressure he exuded was overwhelming.

He just stood there, and yet a numbing intensity radiated from his entire body.

If I didn’t brace myself, I felt like I’d drop to my knees in an instant.

“Amurtāt...! That’s the one Leonia mentioned—the ‘Thunder Emperor’!”

“...Don’t call me by some weird nickname. I’m just Amurtāt.”

I’d already taken down two of the three top generals—Leonia and Diamante.

Which meant he was the last.

—I had no idea what his power level was.

In that case—!

“Moonlight Strike!”

I unleashed what was once my ultimate spell.

The shockwaves rattled the windows, glass cracking with sharp bursts.

It was several times stronger than before, but with everything I’d gone through, it was more of a warm-up now.

I fired the shot without much thought.

I didn’t expect to defeat him with this—but it should give me a read on his strength.

“An all-out move right off the bat. Looks like you haven’t learned.”

Amurtāt raised one hand and snuffed out my beam like it was nothing.

...Didn’t even flinch.

He really is strong—worthy of being called a general.

“Second Form: Accel Mode!”

There was no time to test the waters.

Deciding that, I unleashed my power.

My previously soft, flowing costume transformed into a sharp, angular silhouette.

A form I gained through battle—designed for high-speed combat and stronger resonance with the Sacred Beast.

This was the same form that had driven the previous two generals into retreat.

『Recommendation.』

A mechanical voice rang in my mind.

In this state, I can communicate with the Sacred Beast mid-battle.

They analyze the situation and support me. Invaluable allies.

『Power disparity: extreme. Recommendation: retreat.』

“...What?”

I couldn’t believe it.

That disbelief slipped from my lips—and at that exact moment, Amurtāt’s knee sank deep into my stomach.

---

“Cough! Cough!”

“Weak.”

It was over in an instant—literally.

Amurtāt tackled me, slammed me to the ground, and pinned me down by the neck.

“Binding Bind.”

At his words, chains of light wrapped around my arms and legs, binding me in place.

But he kept pressing on my throat.

...My airway was crushed—I couldn’t breathe.

『Recommend retreat. Recommend retreat.』

The Sacred Beast repeated the same phrase like a broken machine.

Which only proved just how bad this opponent was...

But retreating wasn’t exactly an option right now.

“Is this really the best you can do?”

His sadistic eyes stared into mine as I lay pinned.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Right as I tried to cry out, it happened—almost simultaneously.

“St—”

I couldn’t even finish the word.

A sharp crack rang out, and my vision was swallowed by white.

A scream that wouldn’t leave my throat.

An intense, burning pain seared through my body.

Even with my transformed state reinforcing my defenses, it didn’t help at all.

Pain like I’d been torn apart, followed by a deep, lingering burn.

—This isn’t just pain. It’s agony.

And with my body pinned, I couldn’t even flinch.

“...Pathetic. What a letdown.”

I heard his contemptuous voice—and finally understood I’d just been electrocuted.

I mean, I am a guy.

I’ve been in fights before, and ever since becoming Luna, I’ve been through battles way worse than this.

But this time was different.

I could feel it—instinctively.

Amurtāt could snap my neck at any moment. Especially now that I look like a slender girl, it wouldn’t take much effort.

And odds are, he wouldn’t even blink doing it.

If I’m lucky, he’ll just kill me. But it’s just as likely he’ll do something else entirely...

Disappointment was all over his face.

He didn’t see any value in me at all.

It was the way you’d look at a failed experiment you’re about to dispose of.

That kind of gaze.

I was terrified.

My teeth chattered uncontrollably as I trembled in fear.

“...You’re weak.”

After apparently finishing his assessment, Amurtāt finally spoke.

“If you keep fighting, you will die. —Even so, will you still fight?”

His tone wasn’t what I expected—it held a trace of admonishment.

But he didn’t loosen his grip.

“...a...”

I tried to shout something back, but all that came out were wheezing gasps.

“If you give up now, the Sacred Beasts will just find another vessel. You know who they’d choose, don’t you?”

A girl’s face floated into my mind.

Slightly shorter than me.

With big, round eyes that made you want to protect her.

“—Minami Akashi. She was one of the original candidates for Silver Witch, wasn’t she?”

—!

The Sacred Beasts had told me.

That I, a boy, being chosen was irregular.

The Silver Witch was meant to be a pure-hearted girl.

Minami-chan was the one who actually fit the requirements.

But by sheer accident, I became Luna instead.

And that’s why she didn’t have to go through this torment.

I don’t regret it.

No matter what happens to me at the end of this fight...!

If dragging Minami-chan into this is the alternative—!

Then I’ll fight!

I clenched my teeth, trying to swallow the fear.

And then—

“Uaaaaah!”

My heart blazed with resolve.

My mana surged, boiling like fire, and erupted from my body.

The chains shattered instantly, and I broke free.

“Flame Storm!”

“Oh?”

I didn’t try to aim or build it up.

I just let the flames explode straight toward him with raw emotion. A burst of fire roared up in response.

—It probably didn’t do much damage.

It looked flashy, sure, but it was basically a glorified smokescreen.

But I knew that going in.

『Escape possible. Recommend immediate action.』

“I know!”

I fled at full speed in Second Form: Accel Mode.

Fired a light blast to shatter the factory wall and slipped through the gap.

“If you insist on fighting—next time, I won’t hold back.”

His bloodlust pierced through my back as I ran.

So yeah. It didn’t work at all!

He let me go, but at this rate...!

I have to get stronger.

All I could do now was run like hell, with that new resolve burning in my chest.

---

—But not even once... did I ever manage to beat Amurtāt.