The sounds of yelling and heavy footfalls echoed in my ears and my head throbbed as reality snapped back into focus.
I was no longer inside that mysterious, ethereal space but instead, I found myself back on the Bronx River Parkway. Gone was the calm eerie ambience I was in, replaced by the din of combat and chaos surrounding me.
I stood there momentarily disoriented but felt a strange calm wash over me as though a steady hand was guiding my every move. Then, the world froze once as my vision began to fill with screens and bars that looked like an augmented reality overlay.
A heart icon with 'Vitals' written next to it showed a fluctuating bar that currently read '100%'. Another icon resembling a flexing arm was below that, labeled 'SP,' indicating '67/100'. To its right was an ethereal-looking spiral icon labeled 'MP,' which stood at '49/100'.
Then, at the bottom left corner, there was a compass pointing north. Besides that, a minimized map of the vicinity, noting the truck, the gang's cars, and what seemed like enemy positions, was highlighted with red dots.
To my left, an overlay popped up, briefly detailing a short list of 'functions':
> [Hijack]: Allows control of specified devices in the vicinity. Costs: Variable. Hijack feasibility has an inverse square relationship with distance.
>
> [Quick Analyze] Highlights the user's visual focus with indicators of interest. Cost: Passive
>
> [Analyze]: Rapidly scans the surrounding area to three Terran yards for useful information and items. Cost: 5 MP.
The mana and stamina indicators seemed like something out of a video game, but this wasn't any game.
This was life and death.
"Focus, Ikazuchi," the orb's voice spoke directly into my mind. "Our bond has allowed me to provide you with a heads-up interface to provide you real-time information and tactical support. Compartmentalizing routine initiated."
The data cluttering my vision receded slightly to the periphery, making concentrating on the immediate threats easier.
Shaking off the shock, I noticed the three foot soldiers approaching rapidly, their expressions filled with malice. One had a long machete raised, ready to strike, while the others moved to flank me with their rifles raised. The footsteps grew louder and closer. Without much time to think, I quickly looked around for anything I could use.
"[Analyze] function initiated," the orb intoned in my head.
A shimmering blue grid cascaded from my eyes, rapidly scanning the area. The HUD highlighted several dilapidated Aeolus-class Mk. I units scattered on the highway. My eyes darted to the nearby Aeolus Mk. I unit I'd searched through earlier. A distinct outline surrounded it in my HUD, marking it with floating text as a 'controllable asset.'
"Ikazuchi, I can only run basic commands on this unit. To maximize its combat utility, you will have to commandeer it personally. Basic available routines will provide ample assistance with your baseline knowledge and capabilities. Say Hijack out loud while focusing on the mech to proceed."
"Hijack," I responded under my breath out of instinct, reaching out mentally to the dilapidated vehicle.
The Aeolus-class unit quickly whirred to life, its once-dim lights glowing brightly. The engine roared, and the mech surged forward in an instant, positioning itself between me and the approaching foes.
The Aeolus-class Mk. I mech was an imposing sight. Towering roughly around 14 feet tall, it was the culmination of decades of Terran engineering. I'd read about it extensively while sending out my applications: it was a proof of concept on the cusp of completion on First Contact that'd required budding superconductor technology from Earth to finish.
Its frame was sleek but powerfully built, streamlined yet brimming with an aura of deadly precision. Unfortunately, hanging halfway off its position, the cockpit looked like it had seen better days. The tempered glass was covered with grime and scratches, and some of its panels dangled, barely hanging on by their last few screws.
Despite the evident wear and tear, the mech's movements were fluid, each step landing purposefully.
The attackers paused, momentarily stunned by the sudden activation of the once dormant mech. Their faces shifted from confidence to alarm as the mech leaned over before me. I immediately rushed for the cockpit, gagging a bit as I spotted the deceased pilot's decomposing skeleton.
But I couldn't afford to be distracted by it now. Yanking the corpse out with grim determination, I clambered into the cockpit and settled into the pilot’s seat.
My HUD adjusted immediately as it somehow connected with the unit. The men behind the mech continued to shout, and I dimly realized one of them had opened fire on the mech.
> Hull Integrity: COMPROMISED
>
> Power Capacity: 21%. WARNING: CONDUCTIVITY STATE COLLAPSE.
>
> Shield Capacity: ERROR
>
> Armaments: Plasma Blade (retracted), Rollerboosters (50% functionality), Total Defense Barrier (Two remaining uses, duration 5 seconds), Riot gas, Shoulder cannons (EMPTY | Sonic mode | Air pressure mode).
I felt overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information flooding my mind, and the surrealness of the situation just hit me.
Was this really happening? Was I really about to pilot a Terran mech in the middle of a firefight? I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves as I took stock of my options.
The 360-view cameras flickered around me, and I saw the three attackers closing in with their weapons drawn.
In the distance, I could see Yomotsu-Shikome in heated combat, struggling against the combined assault of the gang leader and the mage. At the same time, several foot soldiers moved to encircle her. She was desperately fending them off with her staff, but she was clearly outnumbered and outmatched.
I quickly remembered why I was doing this. She had given me an opening, and I had to help her.
I slipped my arms into the limb controls — a weblike brace that doubled as a magic shock absorber, pulling down the neural headset. I’d studied the theory behind these machines as… any teenaged honor student with a geeky side would, really, but hopping into one was a different experience entirely.
It looked like the mysterious girl who’d come to our rescue was about to be overwhelmed, and I felt a surge of anger seeing her in danger, even if I didn't know her. It wasn't rational, of course — she was a stranger, a Magical Girl.
She looked like she was right around my sister’s age, and I clenched my teeth in fear and helplessness.
What could I even do compared to her?
But I couldn't let this girl be taken out by these thugs. Not on my watch. If I could relieve even a bit of pressure off her back, I had to try.
A switch lit up green in my new HUD; I quickly flipped it and followed my mysterious orb's guidance as I pressed several buttons that lit up without hesitation. Then, I sat back and quickly yanked the neural unit over my head. I felt a sharp tingle as the neural interface connected with my body, the mech's system linking with my mind.
The mech's engines roared to life as I spun it around to face the attackers, extending its roller-skate-like from its legs. They hesitated momentarily, their faces betraying a mix of shock and fear at the sight of the mech active and under my control in seconds.
The cockpit hatch began to close, but it was damaged and didn't quite lock properly. However, I had neither the time or means to do anything about it as I fired up the engines and slammed my foot down on the accelerator. The mech dashed forward in a spectacular burst of speed, closing the gap between myself and the attackers in the blink of an eye.
I didn't want to kill them, even if they were scumbags, but I couldn't let them hurt anyone else here.
As one of the rifle-wielding thugs raised his weapon out of instinct, I activated the plasma blade, causing it to extend with a blaze of blue. I swung it with eerie precision, and his weapon was cut in two instantly as the other two attackers opened fire. He scrambled to run, but I reached out picked him up by the legs and reared the mech's arm back.
With a flick of a switch marked as 'sonic cannon' on my console, I activated the sonic emitter mounted on the mech's shoulder. A loud screeching sound filled the air, and the attackers stumbled back, clutching their ears in agony. Then, I swung my captive like a bat through the other two in front of me and let go, pulling back on the force to avoid killing them. All three of them stumbled and collapsed onto the roadside grass with a groan.
I glanced toward Yomotsu-Shikome and the gang boss fighting in the distance, then back to nearly a dozen men moving to flank her. The mage had noticed me, and a wicked grin spread across her face as she gestured at me.
'Initiate rollerboosters,' my brain urged, deciding to pull another lit-up switch before I had time to fully process it.
The roar of the boosters came alive beneath the mech's feet, propelling it forward. I charged at the nearest attacker, forcing them to scatter and buy me some time. As they regrouped, I shifted my attention to the main brawl.
Yomotsu-Shikome's Pewter Staff spun in the air, reflecting and deflecting several magic spells and projectiles. However, the wiry mage's spells started taking a toll as a cage of ethereal red energy formed around her. My heart raced seeing her struggle. Without hesitation, I directed the mech at them, its massive, surging presence causing them to momentarily pause their assault.
Using that split-second advantage, I engaged the Plasma Blade and swung it, cutting down the ethereal cage holding the Magical Girl. She gave a quick nod of appreciation, her cloak billowing behind her as she quickly returned to the offensive, her staff glowing bright orange.
"You alright?" I asked over the mech's comm system, trying to sound more confident than I felt. The adrenaline was pumping so hard that my hands were shaking. I didn't want to mess this up and get us killed.
"T-thanks for the save!" Yomotsu-Shikome shouted back, clearly still focused on the fight. "Wait. Who the hell are you?! And hey, how did you get one of those Terran mechs working!?"
"Uh, yeah. Name's Ikazuchi. Um, I just kinda hijacked this thing?" I replied quickly. "We need to take out the cyborg and the mage. They're the ones calling the shots here!"
"Who's the little shit in the mech?!" the leader yelled, his voice thick with fury. "Forget the little girl! Take out the mech first!"
As the thugs regrouped and refocused on me, I turned to glance back at Yomotsu-Shikome.
She was staring at me now, a flicker of surprise and… there was a flash of something in her eyes as her eyes landed on my half-open cockpit. She seemed to be hesitating and afraid. Concerned, even.
Was it because of me? Something I said?
I stared at the unit's damaged cockpit in frustration. The half-open cockpit meant that I was still vulnerable to gunfire, but I had no choice but to take a risk if I wanted to make it out of this.
The other combatants on the field could barely react as I thought about accelerating the mech, and my HUD highlighted another pedal by my leg. All eyes turned to me as I charged past the truck, the wind audibly rippling past the mech's frame and rippling against my clothes as I raced toward the mage.
The mage stood her ground and faced me, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the threat I posed. I could see her lips moving, and I wasn't about to find out what she was trying to do. With a burst of speed, I charged toward her, the roller wheels kicking up dust and debris as I plowed through the battlefield.
Yomotsu-Shikome's eyes widened in surprise as she spotted me moving in to intercept her, but before she could react, a flurry of bullets and spells were aimed at me. The gang leader pressed his attack, jumping at Yomotsu-Shikome as one of his hands expanded into razor-sharp claws, but she managed to duck and roll away.
I dropped the mech into a low split, aiming the exposed cockpit toward the ground. The sudden shift in angle allowed me to shield myself from the gunfire from the foot soldiers as I swiftly rolled closer to the mage. Her wicked laughter echoed through the chaos as she hurled a massive flaming spell my way. I gritted my teeth, focusing on the mech's Total Defense shield as a switch lit up, and I hit it.
I could only stare in satisfaction as an array of green hexagons appeared in front of me, deflecting the incoming energy. The air shivered in the wake of the shield's release, and I felt intense heat as the shield flared to life in mid-air, protecting the machine and me from the mage's attack. I briefly noted a sharp resistance as it slowed like a hard wall pushing against molasses, floating in the air and forcing me to slide back with the thrusters as one of the mage’s spells collided against it from twenty yards away.
Then, I swiped my hand across the console, triggering a release of riot gas from the chest-mounted cannons. The gas billowed out in a thick cloud, enveloping the area and causing the attackers in my wake to cough and wheeze.
The mage was momentarily stunned, her mouth agape as she gasped for air. She was vulnerable now, and I wouldn't waste this opportunity.
I flipped a switch, the plasma blade extending again as I smoothly slid around the floating, dissipating shield as the mech charged forward, cutting through the gas cloud. I screamed in my cockpit as I rapidly closed in on the mage and swung the mech’s sword.
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Then, with a brief shimmer and smirk, she vanished into thin air in a flurry of ash tree leaves. My eyes darted around, searching for any sign of her as the mech came to a stop. I was panting, my heart racing as I scanned the area.
There was no sign of her, and it was eerie how quickly everything had gone silent. Had I scared her off, or was she moving to reposition?
The power capacity flashed 16% on my HUD, and I knew I didn't have much time to think. I had to act fast.
Suddenly, I caught a flicker of movement in the corner of my eye. I spun the mech around, and my eyes widened in shock as I saw the mage materialize a few feet away from me. She raised her hands, and I could feel the air crackling with magic.
Before I could react, a blast of energy slammed into the mech, sending it flying through the air. I felt my body jerk to the side, hitting the cockpit and bouncing off the walls. The built-in gel cushions had been worn down by time and decay and failed to absorb the shock properly. I yelped in pain as I felt my body pinball around, and the bruises immediately began to form on my arms and legs.
My vision blurred, and I could feel blood trickling down my forehead.
Somehow, I'd managed to stabilize and reorient the mech before it hit the ground, sliding into another low split, but I knew I couldn't let my guard down.
With a groan, I pulled myself back up to the controls. The cockpit was riddled with sparks, and the warning lights blinked frantically. I coughed as the dust filled the cockpit, struggling to catch my breath as I tried to move the mech. I felt a sharp pain on the left side of my back and knew I had a bruised or broken rib. I gritted my teeth, trying to focus on the situation at hand.
I scanned the area for any sign of the mage, but there was nothing. She had vanished once again, leaving me tense and anxious.
A quick check of my surroundings revealed multiple thugs regaining their composure and readying themselves for another assault. I could see Yomotsu-Shikome, staff in hand, squaring off against the tattooed cyborg leader. The energy between them crackled and sparkled, with arcs of electricity weaving intricate patterns around them. All the thugs had been taken care of by her.
A bright light flashed from the edge of my view, followed by an earth-shattering explosion. The mech's display warned of an incoming projectile, and in the milliseconds that followed, I yanked the control levers, jolting the mech to the side, narrowly evading the blast. As I steadied the mech, I traced the source of the attack and found the wiry mage floating mid-air, her eyes glowing with a fiery hue.
"Impressive for a child," she sneered, her voice echoing with a strange reverberation. "But playtime is over!"
Sparks flew as a series of red projectiles were hurled from her direction. She wasn't holding back, her incantations becoming increasingly complex and destructive. I tried to weave through the rain of deadly spells, but the mech's declining power made it difficult to dodge every assault.
On the ground, the duel between Yomotsu-Shikome and the cyborg leader intensified. Both combatants were locked in an intricate dance of magic and raw power. The earth quaked beneath them, and the sheer tension of their clash created cracks in the ground.
I slammed a lever, thinking quickly. I didn't have much left in the tank, so I would need to make what I had left count. The sheer difference in power and ability between us was palpable. She was a trained mage aiming to kill; while I was a teenager piloting a mech I’d read about in a goddamned textbook. Every move I made was out of sheer desperation, but I wasn't ready to give up.
"Can we overclock the boosters for a final burst?" I said out loud, looking at the mech's control panel. "This isn't working."
"That is within my operating parameters," the mysterious orb responded, echoing in my mind. "However, overclocking will result in a total system shutdown afterward. As for the cyborg, his implants have vulnerabilities but will require you to be within a Terran yard's length. If you get close enough, I can attempt to interfere."
I quickly ran the conversion through my head. That was about ten feet or just a bit over three meters.
I'm only going to have one shot at this, then, I thought as I eyed the Total Defense barrier's switch.
"Here we go then!" I shouted, slamming both levers forward and activating the overclocked boosters. The mech's engines roared louder than before, a blinding light emanating from its core as I feigned a shot at her with the cannons.
Realizing the threat, the mage aimed her hand at me and immediately manifested a massive ball of red energy.
I gulped, and without hesitation, I activated the Total Defense barrier for its final use. The hexagons sprang to life just in time, deflecting the destructive ball of energy and creating an immense explosion that illuminated the skies. The light was so blinding it momentarily dazed her, and the sound waves from the explosion sent shockwaves throughout the area as it rippled around the green hexagon. The barrier shimmered as it was quickly overwhelmed.
That was my opening.
I rushed toward the collapsing barrier and jumped, kicking off it right before it collapsed. Using the momentary lapse in her focus, I redirected the mech's trajectory, shifting away from the mage and back toward the cyborg leader.
The world turned into a blur as the overclocked boosters kicked into overdrive. The residual energy from the explosion masked my approach, and in the brief moment when everything was thrown into chaos, I locked onto the cyborg leader. The indicator on my HUD flashed urgently as the power capacity dwindled down to single digits.
Sensing the approaching danger, the leader turned to face me, his eyes widening in shock. His metallic arms spread out, attempting to catch me mid-flight. The mech was too fast for him — I felt a strange sense of triumph as I realized my rapid acceleration had caught him entirely off guard. He yelped in pain as I scooped him up and lifted him up in the air as we traveled down the remains of the Bronx River Parkway at hundreds of miles an hour.
However, in a split second, the cyborg shifted his weight, augmenting his cybernetic muscles to their maximum capacity. The sheer force of our impact created a monstrous shockwave, sending ripples throughout the vicinity and pulverizing the ground beneath us.
The force of my attack caused his augmented body to crumple under pressure, but with impeccable savagery, he managed to stop the mech's momentum with his other hand. The violent recoil threw the mech off-balance. Smoke billowed out of the mech's systems, and the internal HUD flashed with multiple alarms, warning of immediate system failures as we tumbled over each other to land sideways on the ground.
Gasping for breath, blood smearing my vision, I gazed through the cockpit to see the cyborg leader's twisted form on the ground, breathing heavily. His metallic parts were deformed, sparks flying erratically from his short-circuited circuits. I could see anger in his organic eye, a burning rage directed squarely at me.
"I'm going… to kill you," he hissed through gritted teeth.
I clung to the controls of the battered mech, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. Smoke and dust filled the cockpit, making it hard to see. The power gauge was blinking red, ticking down from 2% to 1% and I knew that the overclocked boosters had pushed the machine to its limits.
This was it. All or nothing.
An alert flashed in my vision, and I saw an icon that said '18 ft.' appear over the man in front of me.
The man crawled to his feet, his cybernetic limbs whirring with an eerie mechanical sound.
"I'm going to enjoy this…" he hissed. "Nice and slow…"
Come on, Ikki. Just play possum.
I slumped in my cockpit, making it seem like I was just as beaten as he was. I could hear his mechanical breathing, growing closer with each clanking step. As he approached, the scent of burning metal filled the air, a predatory grin spreading across his face.
Just a little closer, I thought, my heart pounding in my chest.
But then, a voice cut through the haze of pain and exhaustion.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on him, you oversized tin can!"
A sharp pewter staff embedded itself into the ground beside the cyborg leader, sending out a shockwave that threw him off balance. Emerging from the dust and debris, Yomotsu-Shikome kicked him away with a resounding crash, her cloak fluttering behind her and her raven-black hair gleaming in the sunlight.
The young Magical Girl stood between me and the cyborg, her stance wide and threatening. I could see her glowing orange eyes burning with fury as she turned to me.
"Are you retarded or something?!" Yomotsu-Shikome shouted at me, more exasperated than anything else. "Do you have a death wish?"
"Hey!" I shot back, adrenaline making my voice shake. "I had a plan! Had him dead to rights!"
"You call getting pulverized a plan?" She shot back, twirling her pewter staff in her hand and leveling it at me. "You really are a fuckin' moron!"
"I had that oversized toaster exactly where I wanted him! I just needed another second!" I countered.
Yomotsu-Shikome shook her head. "Yeah? And what, you were gonna throw a taco at him?"
I opened my mouth to retort again, but then something clicked. Why did this give me a strange sense of deja vu?
It was like I had done this with her before, many times over.
But our bickering was interrupted as the mage returned to the fray, her form glowing with an unnatural red light. She floated above the ruined landscape, her arms outstretched and fingers sparking with energy. The leader let out a furious growl, pushing himself to his feet with great effort.
It looked like we had only bought ourselves a momentary reprieve. The mage and the leader were ready to go on a full assault.
The mage's voice took on an eerie resonance, "Finish them now! I'll provide cover!"
The leader's cybernetic limbs began to whirl, gearing up for another attack. His left hand turned before clicking off to reveal a cannon as a red energy coiled around his arm. The gleaming energy pulsated with menace as he aimed it straight at us.
"We need a new plan!" I shouted, trying to rally what little strength I had left.
"You think, smartass?!" Yomotsu-Shikome shot back.
The way she rolled her eyes was incredibly annoying in a familiar way and it seriously grated at me. However, I couldn't really quite place my finger on it.
"Forget it!" I yelled, scanning the controls. There had to be a plan.
Then, my eyes widened as they landed on a big red button, and description text began forming over it.
“Is this accurate?” I reached out to the presence in my mind.
“Yes, the Aeolus-class light combat unit was outfitted with a state-of-the-art shock absorption mechanism designed for pilots to continue combat against Aberrants upon failure of the unit in any condition. What do you have in mind?”
"Hey, Magical Girl. Can you flank them!? Get behind them and hold their attention for just a second?"
She shot me a look that was half irritated and half amused panic. "What, and leave you to your brilliant 'plans'? Sure thing, genius!"
"Shut up and get over there! I need you to catch me!" I shouted, already shifting the mech into position.
She blinked. "Catch you? Wait, what?!"
"Just go!" I shouted frantically as I angled the mech.
Trepidation followed by resignation lit up her face, and she spun around, sprinting like a bolt of purple and orange lightning to the side. My eyes frantically landed on the Emergency Eject button. I briefly hesitated — what if this didn't work? But I had come this far and wasn't about to back down now. Taking a deep breath, I slapped my hand down on the button, feeling a sudden rush of energy as the limb controls folded into a mesh and propelled me out of the mech.
A primal scream erupted from my throat as I briefly caught the gang boss smirking with a sinister glint in his eye. In a split second, the cockpit shield opened, catapulting me out like a missile aimed directly at the cyborg boss as the neural control mechanism disconnected and erupted into a white foam around me. My vision was a blur, the wind roaring in my ears, but my focus and timing were laser-sharp.
"Hijack!" I commanded the orb, extending my hand.
The gang leader's eyes widened in surprise as he lit up in my HUD — a mark indicated in bright red words that his cybernetic implants had been successfully hijacked. Then, a massive burst of blue light tinged with an orange edge erupted from my hand, slamming into the man’s arm with the red fluid.
The limb control mesh — which had been rapidly foaming around me, expanded and suddenly formed into a translucent blue bubble. I felt a rapid sense of disorientation and vertigo as it suddenly suspended me in the center while the ball skidded and tumbled rapidly toward the gang leader.
The mage regained her senses just in time to witness my human-projectile assault on her boss. Her eyes widened, a look of genuine surprise and anger painted across her face. But it was too late for her to intervene.
My Magical Girl ally surged ahead and around in a blur of purple, meeting me as I crashed into the ground. I gasped for breath, feeling the g-forces as the magitech device caused me to move in a straight line like a bullet as it quickly decelerated and burned away.
Yomotsu-Shikome barely caught me in time as the ejection device gave out, wrapping her small arms around my waist as I slammed into her and took her for a tumble. Her staff glowed brilliantly as she used it to brace our combined weight and stabilize us. The impact shook the earth beneath us, creating a mini crater with us at the center and me on top of her. The whirlwind of dust and debris around us began to settle, and I could feel my pulse thundering in my ears.
"You...stupid… insane..." Yomotsu-Shikome panted, trying to catch her breath. "How did you even do that?!"
I coughed, laughing weakly before I suddenly realized the compromising position we were in. I had one hand on her shoulder, and the other around her waist, with my face inches from hers.
I could feel my face turn a shade of red that would make a raspberry jealous.
WAY too close to a stranger, Ikki.
"Uh, s-sorry," I stammered, scrambling off hurriedly and getting to my feet. “Personal space.”
My vision swam momentarily, the adrenaline wearing off as exhaustion took its place.
"Eh, don't sweat it. Not like there's anything spicy there," she grunted, struggling to her feet and brushing dirt from her cloak.
“Huh?" I said, blinking away the stars.
What did she mean by that?
Yomotsu-Shikome's eyes suddenly widened in embarrassment and… realization? She stammered and turned red. "Uh, I meant – I mean… Sorry, never mind. It’s all the head shots I took talking. Ignore me."
Ah, whatever. I just flashed her a smile. The momentary lapse in her confident demeanor was endearing in any case.
"Sure, I guess," I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. "Thanks for the save again."
She looked at me, her orange eyes narrowing as she scanned me up and down, a look that practically screamed like she was trying to determine how much of an idiot I was. "You sure got some giant brass balls doing that. Not bad, I guess."
"I didn't... I mean, I was just trying to—"
"Save the day?" She interrupted, smirking. "You got a hero complex or something?"
I scowled. "Look, we didn't have a lot of options."
She tilted her head slightly, looking like she was studying me, before sighing. "You remind me of someone, y'know? Someone who really loves to leap without looking. A literal genius who is a complete fucking moron denser than a brick of lead, even."
Her statement was more accurate than she'd think, and I winced. Even if she didn't know, I knew I tended to get into trouble in situations like this.
Our banter was cut short by a thundering growl.
We turned in unison to see the cyborg leader, looking even more battered than before but still standing. A cacophony of sparks and electronic buzzes emitted from his form. His entire body convulsed, and he looked at me with unadulterated rage. “What… d-d-d-d-did you do to m-m-m-me!”
The space around the cyborg leader began to fluctuate, his metallic limbs and parts jerking around uncontrollably. I felt the residual energy from the Hijack command — it looked like his limbs were in turmoil, caught between accepting a set of commands and resisting it.
"When I… w-w-w-w-ww when I get my hands on y-y-y-you," he stuttered through the malfunctions. His form started to move erratically as if he were caught in a video game glitch. His once intimidating stature now appeared almost comical.
"Uh, I think you might have broken him?" Yomotsu-Shikome quipped, eyeing the malfunctioning boss with a mix of amusement and concern.
"That's enough!" the mage yelled, descending from the sky. "It's time to cut our losses here and retreat."
She moved swiftly, summoning a gust of wind and red motes with her hand. The gust caught the cyborg leader and pulled him toward her. He floated, twitching and convulsing until the mage wrapped him in a protective cocoon of shimmering red energy.
The air crackled as the two of them rapidly ascended. In a matter of seconds, they disappeared into the horizon.
Panting heavily, I took a moment to survey our surroundings. The battlefield was a chaotic mess of debris, dents in the ground from the fights, and scattered gang members either groaning in pain or knocked unconscious.
I sighed, "Alright, glitter puff, how are we going to deal with this mess?"
She threw me a look, one eyebrow raised as she crossed her arms. "Glitter Puff? Really?"
I shrugged. "Hey, I suck at nicknames."
She huffed, rolling her eyes. "Clearly. But alright, Ikazuchi. Mind if I call you Ikki? let's get these people rounded up. And maybe check on your friends in the truck."
I palmed my face, letting out a deep sigh as I shook off the last of the cobwebs "I guess the name's going to stick wherever I go, huh?"
Yomotsu-Shikome shrugged at my question, before eyeing the truck thoughtfully. "Hey, take it as a term of endearment. And yeah… we might need a few more hands to get this done. Hopefully whatever freaky mojo that lady did wore off when she left."
"We'll figure it out," I said, wincing and instinctively holding my ribs as the adrenaline began to dump out of my system.
The Magical Girl nodded, a smirk playing on her lips as she jumped up close and beamed at me. "Well then, let's get to work… Ikki."