Hailey was still getting used to the sensations of being a magical girl when Himari, or Dragonfly, attacked.
She closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye and Hailey barely dodged, feeling the breeze created by her left hand swiping inches from Hailey’s face.
Hailey nearly fell over as Dragonfly pressed the attack, forcing Hailey to take steps backwards, each one somehow feeling as if she was allowing Dragonfly to get her where she wanted Hailey.
Even though she didn’t know what she should do, Hailey was confident that she needed to do something in order to keep from having Dragonfly control the entire battle and keep the advantage that she’d clearly started out with.
Inside, Haiely felt something that she hadn’t felt before.
It felt like it was starting to bubble up inside her, like carbonated soda that built pressure up until it either found an outlet or made her uncomfortable until she released the trapped air.
Yet, instead of feeling like she needed to burp, she felt it center around her chest, radiating out to her arms and hands.
As if she knew how to control this sensation, she held up her hands and somehow stopped Dragonfly’s attack for a moment.
Though, that’s exactly how long the shield she somehow created lasted before Dragonfly was attacking her again, forcing Hailey to continue to back up further towards the edge of the alley.
“Not bad.
Instinctively using your magic to try and stop me.
Too bad you’re not experienced enough for it to make any real difference.” Hailey clenched her teeth as she knew she needed to find a way out of this situation.
For one thing, she wasn’t sure if Dragonfly was really trying to kill her or if this was the way she tested out another magical girl’s strength or whatever.
Then for another thing, she felt something inside her wake up and refuse to let Dragonfly push her around.
Hailey wasn’t sure what was bringing up feelings like that, as whenever she’d gotten bullied before, she always had let it go and submitted to the abuse.
Primarily because she hadn’t seen anything that indicated she should try and fight it.
Because on some level, she felt she deserved it even if she couldn’t explain how or why, even to herself.
Yet, here the feeling that was welling up inside her felt familiar and strange at the same time.
Almost as if she and that feeling had become estranged and had lost contact but had suddenly run into each other.
Hailey took an extra step back as she dodged again before bringing her foot up for a clumsy kick, hoping to somehow break Dragonfly’s momentum.
However, Dragonfly blocked Hailey’s kick without effort and continued to force Hailey to retreat.
Desperate, Hailey jumped up, not sure how far she really expected to be able to jump.
So, when she found herself suddenly twenty feet in the air, it took her a moment to collect herself.
Which seemed to be all the time Dragonfly needed to continue her attack on Hailey in the new direction.
“Not bad, but it’s still clear you’re a novice,” Dragonfly remarked, sounding rather smug.
Which Hailey supposed was warranted when her fist connected with Hailey’s face, snapping it back, causing blood to start flowing from her nose.
Hailey wasn’t sure why, but the more Dragonfly kept up her attacks, the more determined she was to somehow turn things around.
Even if it was for just a moment.
So, when she realized playing defensive wasn’t going to work, she decided she needed to go on the attack.
Do something that would keep Dragonfly from being able to continue mopping the floor with her.
At which time, she felt the same feeling bubbling up inside of her, though this time it felt almost hot, like boiling water.
Water that Hailey was confident wouldn’t hurt her, but it would hurt Dragonfly if she could just get her close enough.
Then when she landed on the ground and twisted to dodge another of Dragonfly’s attacks, she shoved her hand out towards Dragonfly and felt the ‘water’ flow through her hand and come out as a spray of crystal shards, hitting Dragonfly point blank before she even had time to register the attack.
Dragonfly jumped back and started laughing.
“You’re not bad.
Better than I expected, at least.” Hailey wasn’t sure if she should continue her attack, since she wasn’t exactly sure if this was the end of the fight or if she’d somehow passed the test.
As if Dragonfly was really trying to kill her, Hailey had a feeling that right then, there wouldn’t be anything that she’d be able to do to stop her.
Not with the distinct difference in their power levels.
Or at least combat prowess.
“Is that it?” Hailey gasped, struggling to catch her breath now that she wasn’t having to constantly dodge Dragonfly’s attacks.
“Or are you giving me a breather?” Dragonfly shook her head, her eyes narrowing at Hailey.
“In a fight you never let your enemy take a ‘breather’.
You keep going until they either submit or one of you dies.
Doing anything less is asking for them to kill you.
No matter how much stronger you are than they are.” Hailey nodded, sinking to her knee as she felt relieved that the fight was over.
At least considering Dragonfly’s logic, at least.
“So, what’s next?” Hailey asked, hoping that they could at least talk some more about what magical girls were about.
As Hailey felt confident that they should be more than what had been said so far.
Even if she didn’t understand what else that something ‘more’ might be.
“Well, if you want me to tell you more, you’ll have to first get yourself to be able to manifest your magic armor, Crystal Flower.
However, at your level, I’ll probably be back on my way to Japan before you even come close to manifesting it.” Hailey wished there was something more that she could do to stop Dragonfly, but at the same time, she couldn’t think of what there was that she could do.
“Would you at least tell me more about magical girls?” Hailey asked.
“You don’t have to tell me any secrets, just things like why do we have to fight?
Why are there different factions of the faeries?
And why are magical girls forbidden from being created in this country?” Dragonfly smirked.
“I supposed I could share a little more with you, but keep in mind that I don’t know all the answers.
Some you’ll have to figure out for yourself, regardless of what those answers might be or if you’re even able to come up with them yourself.”