Satou and Rikya exited the fort. Satou watched Ichi and Renya disappear into the forest. Above the treetops she noted tree trunks cast up into the air from their fighting.
"He's a little, hotheaded." Satou said to Rikya.
Rikya smiled. She pushed against Satou's side as they approached the tentacle mass.
"Before that, aren't you worried about the 'Worst'?"
"I never told you about 'him', did I? Then again, I don't remember you saying anything about that fox girl." Satou squinted as she accused Rikya.
Rikya smiled in response. Satou took that as, "It's natural for both of us to have secrets between each other, aren't our families always one step from tearing each other apart?"
Rikya would be slow to talk, but quick to smile and stay silent. Satou knew that was Rikya's impenetrable defense. As long as Rikya looked happy, Satou couldn't argue with her. Satou didn't want to argue with someone looking that happy.
Which is why it was convenient three others were there as targets for her abilities. Satou waved her hand at thin air.
"Being social is expected at a gathering. You'll never get a good job if you can't maintain small talk. Connections and saying empty words are part of social graces, if you know that, why don't you act on it, Syon?"
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A dull golden shackle with a chain and ball attached looped around a foot that condensed out of the air. The dull golden ball thudded into the ground, carrying Syon with it. Syon's head spun around as she tugged fruitlessly at the ball and chain. It didn't budge. Her magic couldn't activate either. Her hand went into her robes for her magical girl journal, her fingertips brushing by Ichi's shikigami. For a moment her hand stopped, then Syon shook her head. She pulled out the journal and went to write, but Rikya stepped in and pulled the journal from her hands.
"A magical girl?" Rikya said as she started thumbing through the pages. Syon sweated as she stared at Rikya's eyes searching through the pages.
Myon was watching from the treeline since Scipio hit the ground. It had barely been a minute of time, but already Scipio was a pile of slowly regenerating flesh on the ground due to Ichi and Renya.
Myon walked out onto the battlefield, her eye on the dull golden shackle chain and ball on Syon's leg.
"Betrayal." Myon muttered.
Rikya held out her hand and chains shot out of the ground pulling Myon down.
"That implies we were friends."
Electricity cracked as Myon's strength tightened against the iron encircling her body. The chains started to break. Then, Satou stepped in.
"You rely on your sister too much." Satou said waving her hand at Myon. A dull gold shackle chain and ball appeared on Myon's stomach, pulling her onto the ground.
Rikya pocketed the magical girl notebook, following after Satou who walked to Scipio's body. Syon looked at her with embarrassment etched on her face, her hand held out as her eyes flickered to Myon bound on the ground.
"Worse than worst." Syon sighed as she watched the two girls approached the mass of tentacles.