My breath caught in my throat as I stared at Yuzu, her half-lidded jet-black eyes looking at me with a weak smile. There was something unnatural about it, something that sent a fresh wave of panic crashing over me. Her face was pale, her body limp, and yet, despite it all, she forced her lips to curl upward.
“Mashiro… Yuzu bery… pain Yuzu…” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Each word came out strained, as if speaking alone was too much effort for her battered body. I felt something cold clutch my chest, a deep-rooted fear worming its way into my veins. Yuzu wasn’t the type to complain, not about pain, not about anything. The fact that she was saying this now meant it had to be bad, really bad.
Panic surged through me. My breath turned shallow, uneven, and my hands trembled as I reached for her. “Yuzu! Hang on there!” My fingers hovered over her, uncertain, afraid that touching her would somehow make things worse. She looked so fragile, so hur, too much for my mind to accept. How had this happened so fast? One moment we were talking normally, and the next, she was barely clinging on.
“Catherine, help!” I screamed, my voice cracking as I whipped my head up toward the crimson witch hovering above. My vision blurred, whether from the rush of emotions or the lingering pain from our fall, I couldn’t tell. But Catherine barely spared a glance in our direction. Her glowing crimson eyes flicked to Yuzu for the briefest moment before she scoffed, her expression utterly unconcerned.
“Oh, don’t be dramatic. She’s fine.” With that, she turned away and resumed her relentless assault, hurling wave after wave of crackling red magic at the violet-robed witch in the sky.
My mouth fell open in disbelief. “Wha—what do you mean?! Look at her!” I shouted, my voice rising with sheer frustration. How could she say that? Yuzu was right here, barely conscious, barely breathing, and yet Catherine was acting like it wasn’t even worth her time.
“She’s fine, meow.”
The lazy voice came from my right. My head snapped around, and there, sprawled out on the ground like she had all the time in the world, was Yuki. Her golden eyes glowed faintly as she lazily gazed at Yuzu, completely unfazed by the explosions ripping through the air above us. Her tail flicked behind her in that infuriatingly slow rhythm. “She’s quite an actress.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!” I screamed, my voice raw with desperation. What the hell was she saying? What did she mean, "actress"? This wasn’t a game! Yuzu was right in front of me, wounded, wasn’t she?
Before anyone could answer, Yuzu’s weak smile widened fully, mischievously. A chill shot through me. And in the next instant, before I could even react, her entire body shattered into a swirl of black feathers.
Crows. A stunned gasp tore from my lips as the illusion crumbled before my eyes, the form I thought was Yuzu dissolving into a fluttering mass of dark wings. The flock burst into the air, scattering like ink against the stormy battlefield above. My breath came fast, ragged, my mind barely able to catch up with what had just happened. If that wasn’t Yuzu, then where—
I looked up. There she was. Perched above the violet witch.
Another Yuzu. The real Yuzu. Her katana gleamed under the flickering light of magic, her dark hair whipping wildly in the wind. She was already in motion, a shadow in the sky, descending from above with silent, deadly precision.
The "injured" Yuzu had never been real. It had all been a trick. A ruse.
My heart pounded in my chest as I watched, my mind finally piecing it all together. While we were distracted, Yuzu had already made her move. She had never been hurt, she had been hunting. And now, her prey had no idea what was coming.
With a silent, fluid motion, her blade came swinging down.
“Nyo one hurt Mashiro!!” Yuzu’s voice rang out, fierce and unwavering, a stark contrast to her usual playful speech.
Her figure blurred as she descended, her katana gleaming with a cold, merciless light. The violet-robed witch barely had time to react before the blade sliced through the air, aiming straight for her exposed shoulder. A sudden gust of wind erupted between them, a burst of magical force sending ripples through the battlefield.
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The violet witch’s eyes widened in surprise, but she wasn’t defenseless. With a flick of her fingers, a shimmering violet barrier materialized, catching Yuzu’s strike at the last second. Sparks flew as katana met magic, the force of impact sending a deafening shockwave through the clearing.
But Yuzu didn’t stop.
With a graceful twist, she used the recoil to propel herself back into the air, her dark hair whipping wildly as she flipped midair and landed lightly on her feet. Her katana pulsed with energy, black feathers drifting around her like an ominous storm. Her jet-black eyes locked onto the witch, a dangerous glint in them, one that sent a shiver down my spine.
“Yuzu…” I breathed, still trying to process what had just happened. My heart pounded painfully in my chest, the sheer intensity of her presence making it hard to believe that just moments ago, I thought she was dying in my arms.
She turned to glance at me, her expression softening for the briefest second. “Mashiro, bery okay?” she asked, concerns flickering in her eyes.
I swallowed, my throat dry. “I, yeah, but—” My words caught in my throat as another explosion shook the battlefield, Catherine and the violet witch resuming their fierce duel above us.
Yuzu didn’t wait for my full answer. Her attention snapped back to the enemy, her grip tightening around her katana. Her posture, her aura. Everything about her was different now. She wasn’t just playing around anymore.
"You fox-kins are sly as usual." The violet witch laughed, her voice laced with both amusement and irritation. Floating above the battlefield, her eyes gleamed with a predatory light as she flicked her wrist, conjuring a new wave of violet energy around her fingertips. The air crackled with magic, raw and untamed, swirling around her like a storm ready to be unleashed.
Yuzu didn’t respond with words. She merely adjusted her stance, katana in hand, her dark eyes never leaving her opponent. Her expression was unreadable, a mask of cold determination that sent a chill down my spine. The way she stood, poised and unwavering, reminded me of a predator lying in wait, ready to strike the moment the enemy let their guard down.
The violet witch’s smirk widened. “No witty remark? No bery funny joke this time?” She tilted her head, a mocking glint in her gaze. “Or maybe… you finally understand that you’re outmatched?”
Yuzu remained silent, but the way her grip tightened around her katana told me everything.
The witch chuckled. “Smart little fox,” she mused, before thrusting her hand forward. Instantly, the gathered energy burst forth, a torrent of violet light surging straight toward Yuzu like a roaring tidal wave. The sheer force of it distorted the air around us, shaking the very ground beneath my feet.
I barely had time to react before Yuzu moved.
With a single step, she vanished. Not dodged, not ran, vanished, like a shadow slipping through the cracks of reality itself. The violet energy struck where she had stood just moments ago, scorching the earth and sending a powerful gust of wind in all directions.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Yuzu reappeared behind the witch, her katana already mid-swing.
A sharp metallic clash echoed as the violet witch barely managed to raise a barrier in time, blocking Yuzu’s blade. Sparks flew from the impact, and for the first time, the witch’s smirk faltered ever so slightly.
“Oh?” she muttered, intrigued.
Yuzu didn’t let up. She pressed forward, her katana a blur of motion as she unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes, each one faster than the last. The violet witch gritted her teeth, her hands moving swiftly as she conjured barriers to deflect the blows, but I could see it. Yuzu was pushing her back.
She wasn’t outmatched. She was winning.
"Huh, you're quite more serious than the first time I've met you…" The violet witch's voice dripped with amusement, though there was a sharp edge beneath it. Her eyes flickered toward the abandoned shrine in the distance, something unreadable glinting in their depths. Then, slowly, her lips curled into a sultry, teasing smile. "I wonder why."
Yuzu didn't react immediately, but I could feel the shift in her energy. The way her grip tightened around her katana, the way her breathing steadied into something sharper, controlled, yet simmering with something beneath the surface. She didn't speak, but I knew.
The violet witch's smile deepened. "No answer? Hmm…" She tapped a finger to her lips, feigning thoughtfulness before tilting her head. "Could it be… that you've finally found something worth protecting?" That was the moment Yuzu moved.
With a burst of speed too fast for my eyes to follow, she lunged forward, her katana slicing through the air with deadly precision. The violet witch barely had time to react, her playful smirk vanishing as she raised her arm to conjure a barrier just in time. A deafening clash echoed through the battlefield as Yuzu's blade met resistance, sparks flying as the force of her attack cracked the protective magic.
But Yuzu didn’t stop. With a twist of her wrist, she shifted her stance, her blade carving through the air in a second, even faster strike. This time, the violet witch was forced to retreat, flickering backward midair as Yuzu pursued her without hesitation.
No words. No banter. Just pure, focused aggression. For the first time, the violet witch’s eyes flickered with something that almost resembled surprise. Then, just as quickly, it vanished, replaced by something else entirely.
Excitement.