She pressed a single hand against the dull pendant on her chest.
Is something wrong with this?
Is it keeping me from transforming?
…It doesn’t matter.
Seventeen deaths.
Seventeen restarts.
Under the [Precision Operation Engine]’s momentary activation, Leon’s mastery over mana, her tolerance for pain, her understanding of every cell in this body, and her countless post-mortem reviews and deductions…
All of her efforts were reaching their critical point at this very moment.
Even without external aid, her soul was steadily approaching that boundary on its own.
The girl lifted her head, her face pale, yet her eyes burned with an unprecedented fighting spirit.
A confident smile already graced her lips.
She lowered her voice, making a declaration with a cool, imposing tone.
“Smile, full marks.” The mana in the air seemed to hear the command, converging upon her like a storm.
It violently expelled the silver throwing knives from her wounds, and they clattered onto the grass.
“Fighting Spirit, one hundred percent.” Guided by an unseen intuition, she revised her transformation phrase once more.
The Holy Light enveloping her body began to glow a deeper red.
She took a deep breath, then uttered a new incantation that sprang from her soul, born from this body’s original transformation phrase yet containing an even stronger will.
The girl’s voice, somewhere between singing and chanting, echoed through the forest: “Burn the heart’s fire.” “Break its body!” The Holy Light transformed into crimson flames, swirling around Leon’s slender, naked body as if about to devour her.
The girl spread her arms, as if to embrace this power that could burn her to ashes, her face showing an indescribable excitement and devotion.
Her hands returned to her front, striking that standard starting pose: “Are you ready?” I’ve been ready!
(<ゝω·)~☆ BOOM!!!
This time, Mana did not betray her again.
A crimson pillar of fire, two meters in diameter, erupted from the ground, completely engulfing the girl’s body.
No uncontrolled explosion occurred.
It was the cheer of power submitting!
In an instant, the vast Mana seemed to pour into the earth, causing the surrounding soil to slightly vitrify from the intense heat.
Within that brilliant radiance, the Holy Light covering her body finally began to weave and solidify.
The girl’s originally smooth, sakura-pink long hair instantly transformed into a burning crimson under the wash of Mana, the tips dancing wildly in the wind like flowing lava.
Her eyes, once a different hue, were now ignited, turning into two crystal-clear rubies.
The light condensed into a tangible “Spirit Dress” that covered her body.
It was an idol-style battle outfit with deep red and pure white as the main colors, its cut sharp and cool.
The red skirt resembled a blooming spider lily, yet for some reason, this outfit looked somewhat damaged, with many parts appearing as if they had sustained battle damage, fitting her currently heavily injured state perfectly.
But even so, this Spirit Dress had finally emerged, making her feel an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.
This meant…
Magical Girl Momo, arriving on the scene!
As the flames dissipated, the crimson girl looked at the Head Maid Doll, who seemed slightly on guard.
She stylishly spun her wrist in the air, and the surrounding Mana particles gathered frantically in her palm.
Vroom…
A long, rod-like object materialized out of thin air, spinning at high speed in her hand and creating a whistling wind.
The girl gripped it firmly, slamming it heavily onto the ground.
It was a staff of peculiar design, resembling a microphone, its entire body a dull crimson.
The upper-middle section featured a mechanical structure like a megaphone, with sharp lines and a star-shaped bracket embedded at the very top.
At the center of that star, a deep red gem floated, its light flickering in sync with the Mana and emotions surging within Leon’s body, radiating a dangerous aura.
Leon gripped the staff and brandished it violently in the air.
In that instant, exhilarating music began to blare from the staff, echoing through the forest.
It sounded like a carnival parade, with human voices weaving through the melody.
It was as if a grand carnival had just begun.
An excited flush returned to her pale face, like a final flare of life before the end.
The girl slowly spoke, uttering a line that no one here could understand: “Come on, it’s showtime.” At that same moment, blazing and brilliant flames poured from her staff!
– “Hyaa!” Accompanying a sharp cry with a distinct tremor, the thick mist was forcibly torn apart by the continuous bursts of muzzle flashes.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Several deep blue bullet trajectories streaked through the air.
The Maid Doll, which had lunged like a ghost, was struck mid-air by the dense barrage of energy bullets, its body convulsing violently as if electrocuted, shattering on the spot.
The broken doll was sent flying backward by the immense kinetic energy of the bullets, crashing heavily into the grass, black smoke drifting from its severed joints.
The one who had launched the attack was a girl of imposing posture.
She stood just over 1.6 meters tall, her deep blue hair flowing down her back like a waterfall, each strand shimmering with a gentle, water-like glow.
The girl wore a sleek, dark blue combat skirt, leaving most of her long legs exposed, and her hands tightly gripped two streamlined, deep blue pistols.
On the rotten soil at her feet, besides the Maid she had just defeated, lay two other shattered dolls, almost unrecognizable.
It was over.
Only after confirming the monsters were no longer moving did the girl’s tense nerves suddenly slacken, her legs giving way as she collapsed unceremoniously onto the muddy ground.
“Hah…
hah…” The twin pistols in her hands slipped away, dissolving into streams of water.
She pressed her hands against the ground, gasping for breath, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Fine beads of cold sweat covered her forehead, making her already fair face appear even paler.
Crack.
A sudden, crisp sound echoed.
A gentle white light erupted from the girl’s body, and her ornate blue Spirit Dress dissolved into countless points of light.
When the glow faded, the Magical Girl who had wielded the twin pistols was gone.
In her place stood a much smaller figure.
It was a girl who looked like a first-year middle schooler.
The girl wore a sailor uniform: a crisp white short-sleeved shirt paired with a bright red scarf.
Her lower body was clad in a black pleated miniskirt, and on her feet were brown round-toed sneakers.
White knee-high socks wrapped her slender calves, giving her an air of childishness and youthful vigor.
Her long blue hair had returned to its original wine-red color.
She leaned forward with her hands on her knees, panting heavily, her emerald-green eyes, clear as gemstones, still holding a trace of lingering shock.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
A slow, steady sound of applause drifted from the depths of the mist.
Suhō looked up in alarm, only to see a tall figure slowly approaching.
It was a young woman about 1.7 meters tall, her long, silver-gray hair flowing loosely over her shoulders, shimmering with a metallic luster in the faint light.
Her figure was slender.
She wore a tight-fitting black racerback tank top, with a short-cropped khaki tactical jacket thrown casually over it.
Her lower body was clad in a pair of faded, worn-out jeans that hugged her straight legs.
This slightly wild outfit perfectly accentuated her curves, which were not exaggerated but just right.
The half-fingered tactical gloves on her hands added a touch of heroic and spirited flair.
And strapped to her back was a longsword that concealed its cold glint even within its scabbard.