A Magical Anomaly
Chapter 9 Combat Turn END
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Choice Made:
[x] [X] Fuck it, you're a magical girl. And you have a Chrono core. If you can't save a girl and kill a villian, what's the point of being shunted back in time! Use your core, you've not done this before. But there's nothing like an stupid choice to give you some broken power in your time of need. (Story action) (Requires 2 Chrono charges) (Disables Core use for 1 day) (Girl is Saved) (Leader is Killed or Subdued (Choose)) (Has consequences) (+1- 2 Merciful Rep) (+1 Lethal Rep if the Leader is Killed)
-[X] Subdue
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Effects:
* -Story action initated
* - -2 Chrono Charges
* - Core use Disabled
* - Girl is saved
* - Leader is subdued
* - + 2 Merciful Rep
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Cold annoyance fills your veins.
You like to think you're rather calm most times.
Except when you have those weird visions.
And when you're in the middle of a fight.
Which now that you think about it… has been most of your memories…
But you still like to think you're calm most of the time.
An angry villain as a stupid villain.
But now. Just this once. You want to be annoyed.
You're a Magical girl.
Past/Future you sent you back in time, broke who knows how many laws of magic or Magical girls do so. All so you could set things right.
And this is your first chance to do so.
You intend to do this right.
Even if you have to drag reality kicking and screaming into the proper future its meant to be.
One where you're not choosing between idiot villians and … you don't want to say civilian's… her glare looks like its making one of the guys piss themselves, but civiliians.
A heat grows in your chest, and grab it. Raw force of Will blends together with your annoyance at whatever is forcing your hand melts together in a raw slurry of focus.
You've not tried this before.
But past you might have.
But you're not past you.
Nor future you.
You are Filia.
A Magical Girl.
And a Villian worthy of that capital V.
You focus on that sundial inside you. The bright purple sun reflecting its shadow on the edge as a pointer.
You focus on that line.
And you will it, force it, order it to STAY.
Your chest burns, your neck feels like it'll melt as your skin scorches.
There's probably smoke rising from you in some form.
But you force your core to stop this. To freeze time around you so you can do this.
And it obeys.
Something shatters. A sharp pain ripping through every nerve in your body.
You want to scream, to shout and tell the world of your pain.
But you clench your jaw.
That would be unsightly.
Not something you will do.
You force that dial to stay in place as the world goes black.
You take a deep and slow breath in the shadowy void.
Lines slowly trace themselves around you.
First the floor.
Then the crates nearest to you.
Then the ones further away.
Seconds tick by. The heat in your chest gets hotter and hotter, but you clench your jaw and start moving in the direction you saw the leader running.
Each step echoes in the black void, a trail of white rippling out like water on a still lake, filling in the space around you in a wireframe of the world.
Light doesn't work here. The particles or whatever makes it up unmoving and still.
You don't know how you know that.
But honestly, you don't care at this moment.
Every second that passes burns you deeply. At a level you've never felt before.
You get closer and closer to the door. Eventually reaching it and wincing at the pain.
You go to summon a weapon.
But PAIN ripples over your being.
Time shudders to a start.
You force it to stop.
A fraction of a second passing as you mentally whine out in pain.
But the burning doesn't stop.
Maybe… maybe it was too early for this…
Your fist slams into the ground.
The new pain helping to focus you.
Doubts and regrets later.
Idiots now.
Your back on your feet. And you punch the guy in the face.
He recoils for a split moment as your fist meets his face. But freezes when you're no longer in contact with him.
A spike of pain ripples through your center as you touch him. The heat tripling.
But you punch him again.
And again.
And again.
Until you're satisfied, and calmer.
He'll probably pass out from that.
You ask Elly to make sure he does. And while she doesn't speak, she does nod.
Oddly, you notice that her wings are now hundreds of small tentacled eye stalks.
All watching you as you take a breath of burning hot air.
It hurts to breathe.
But you push forward.
A Magical Girl does not give up when the going gets tough.
They beat the going until it lets them through.
And so you do.
Step after step, until you're in front of the girl.
The punch you send into the first grunt is cathartic. And he'll slam into a crate when time resumes.
The second gets a kick to the crotch. And then a punch to the neck for good measure.
The third gets his kneecap shattered.
You're… so hot by this point.
But
You trudge over to a half sized crate, near the girl. And force yourself to sit down. Crossing your legs into as prim and proper a form as you can manage.
Elly appears, her tentacled eyestalks shiver, and the Leader snaps into view, leaning against a crate with some rope tied around his limbs.
You worry for a moment.
Wondering if maybe you won't be able to start time again… if maybe you're stuck in this state of silence and darkness forever.
But raw will force's time back to normal.
You gasp silently. Mouth opening as FEAR surges through you, but its downed out as every nerve burns and every muscle tightens at once.
The men all crumple and shout. Masking your own cringe of pain as heat wafts off your body.
You push it to the side again.
This won't kill you.
Probably.
The girl's eyes are wide as time resumes.
Filled with fear and defiance before confusion settles in as she looks around.
She spies you on the crate, and she mumbles something.
There's more fear. And you think you see a bit of… scheming is the right emotion or something… but it's all you can think of with how your head is pounding.
You walk over to her.
You don't limp or struggle. Projecting as much of Elly's proper form as you get close to her.
You rip the tape off of her, and then, before she can speak, you grab a knife off of the ground behind her, having placed it in advance after breaking on of the grunts.
A quick slice cuts the ropes on her hands and feet.
You don't both reacting as she turns, rushing for a gun from one of the grunts before pointing it at you.
She stays there, two hands holding a pistol at you as she eyes you warily.
"Who are you!"
You blink at her.
And then give her your best impression of a sarcastic "Really?" as you can.
You like to think you did pretty well with how her grip tightens and she glares at you.
Maybe you're actually pretty good at this pissing people off thing.
One point for the Villian.
"I said who are you! What do you want from me?!"
Fair question you suppose.
You grab your skirt, channeling more of Number 20 as you curtseying to her before pointing to your throat and shaking your head.
"You're… you're not one of David people then"
Really? The Leader 's name is David?... huh.
You point towards the Leader just in case, giving her your best head tilt and questioning expression. Ignoring how it makes your world spin for a second.
"Yes, him!"
You shake your head no.
And if anything, that makes her more cautious.
You don't think it's particularly nice to be holding a gun to your savior.
Sadly you can't snark that at her..
Meh, it probably makes her feel safer.
"I… I… Do you know where we are?"
You go to pull out a piece of paper or something…
Wait…
Did you ever grab a notepad? Or pen when you left?
Crap you didn't.
Uh… Elly?
She saves you from making a blunder, matching your motion to having a piece of old looking parchment appear in your hand.
Eh sure, you can work with that.
Elly gives you an address and you write it down as a pen snaps into view.
Leaving the parchment on the table for the girl as you casually walk past her and to your crate.
Sitting down honestly makes you feel a lot better.
You keep an eye on the gun as she carefully walks to the table, always pointing it at you.
Honestly, it's a little flattering that she thinks you're a threat to her… though it could be the pile of bodies… or maybe all the screams she heard before seeing you appear.
You incline you head to her, motioning towards her once she finishes reading and before she takes a phone of someone or something.
"Huh? Me?"
You nod at her… Elly refuses to make more paper for you as she revels in your communication struggles.
You heard that stifled giggle!
"Shouldn't I know about the person who saved me first."
You give her your blankest look. And she rolls her eyes at you.
"Fine. I'll be generous -" Attitude, great! "My name, is Satsuki. Satsuki Akane"
She looks at you for a moment… like shes expecting a reaction.
You just keep a polite smile on your face, mainly because you have no idea what reaction shes expecting.
"You know… Akane? From the Akane family?"
Again, you give her a polite smile as she palms her face.
"I'm… just gonna assume you don't care."
She eyes her gun, and turns towards David.
You stand up just in case. But she clicks the safety on it before putting it into a pocket.
"God… Fathers going to smother me when he finds out about this…"
She looks around, and a crate falls over, shattering on the ground.
"Really… I'm never getting out of the house without a group of guards…"
You motion to her again. And she leans against one of the taller crates.
Now that you have a better look at her… she's probably at least 5'7… Taller then you at the very least. Red eyes, Long black hair. Probably rather smooth hair too, though its a little ruffled up right now.
She's in casual clothing, smart casual maybe? Black dress, comfortable looking heels, a lot of black now that you look at it… even her stockings and gloves are black.
Though there are shades of red around it too… a bit of grey too with a few accessories.
Very vampire… or perhaps gothic is the right word.
You snap back to focus as she finishes inspecting the place. Looking right at you as she narrows her eyes.
"What's your name?"
On one hand, you can't really introduce yourself…
But you decide to start getting a name underway.
You point at your eyes. And she narrows them in thought for a moment.
"Purple?"
You nod.
"You're called Purple?"
You shrug at her, keeping up your polite smile and manners.
She sighs, nodding at you in acceptance.
"Then… Thank you Purple. The Akane family thanks you. If you ever need a favor. I will always be there for you."
There's practice behind the phrase… but it sounds genuine you feel. And so you nod back to her. Giving her a Number 20 bow with hopefully at least half as much of their own fluidness.
You do wonder on that favor… maybe you can use it to make a friend or something in the future… though, maybe burning a favor on a friend isn't worth it… it does sound kind of lame.
You shake your head slightly.
And then you idle for a moment… the pen and parchment are still there… you could probably use it to ask a few questions… maybe… assuming it doesn't spontaneously combust or something.
You pause as you think that. Waiting to see if it will.
It doesn't.
So… questions… you need questions.
You turn to the thousand voices that whisper advice to you. (Choose one)
[x] The voice's answer.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
[] (Write your questions)
[x] They stay silent.
When you finish asking questions (Choose what you do next)*
[x] Continue the hunt into the rift. You're tired, and hurting. But the rift should hopefully be worth it.
[x] Don't chance it. Return and rest, you've done your good deed for the day and grown quite well for now. You even have part of a Magical Girl name.