In an act of pure instinct, I latched on to Celestial Sonata in a hug and doveto the side.

A crystal spear materialized in the air and smashed into the ground, embedding itself deep in the dirt beside me. I flinched, narrowly dodging a second one that stabbed into the ground on the other side. To my surprise, the red, shadowy electricity surrounding Celestial Sonata didn't seem to affect my drone, and the sparks shimmered and flickered harmlessly off my metallic form.

The monochrome world slowly returned to its natural state, color, and sound resuming as the creature landed, clutching its head in pain.

Without hesitation, I threw Celestial Sonata over my shoulder. I turned to run, slipping and tripping as I hurriedly scrambled away from the creature.

"Come on, come on, wake up!" I frantically whispered. "Sonata!"

She didn't respond, and I could barely feel a pulse. Her heart rate was erratic and shallow, and I was worried that she was dying in my drone's arms.

Suddenly, a sharp pins and needles sensation began to stab through my body, and I let out a cry of pain.

I stumbled, feeling a sudden sense of vertigo and nausea rising up within me. My body was finally catching up to me, and my nerves were firing at full blast.

"What's... happening?" I groaned, feeling my vision through the unit blur and cut out.

"You're suffering from severe mana exhaustion, Ikki," Rai-chan explained as she pulled my HUD, flashing a solid 0. "We're trying to get you treated, but your body's going into shock."

"I... can't let her die..." I bit out through gritted teeth, forcing myself to push on despite the mounting pain and discomfort.

The Beast of Liminality snarled, snapping out of its own stupor and lurching after us at a thundering pace. It was fast, incredibly so, and I could feel its searing hot claws reaching out for us with every step.

"The overloaded chaos core from the mech is still active, disrupting its abilities. It won't be able to fire off any more portals without a second or two of concentration. But it won't last long! We only have a few minutes before it regains its full abilities," Rai-chan replied, her voice laced with a tone of encouragement.

Thoughts raced through my head, and I felt the familiar, unwelcome buzz of dizziness and nausea coursing through me. I was running on fumes and could barely focus on my current task.

But I couldn't let that stop me.

I reached for the heavy hand cannon strapped at the drone's hip and desperately fired away at the creature's massive torso.

The shots bounced off, each impact exploding into a small burst of light and noise, causing me to grit my teeth.

Then, in a burst of speed, the creature surged forward, striking out with its claws.

"Oh hell no you don't!"

Coyote's mech darted from the shadows, cannon up and firing away. The blasts slammed into the Beast of Liminality's flank, staggering it.

The creature roared in anger, attempting to stumble toward me. However, Coyote's mech slid between us, crashing to a halt and bracing itself to the ground, directing a green hexagonal barrier forward.

"I hope you have a plan, Sparky," Coyote stated dryly over his intercom before his thrusters fired at full blast.

The chaos beast in front of us barely managed to summon another crystal spear before Coyote slammed into it at full speed, dragging it back towards the trees.

Another jolt of pain shot through my body, and I felt the world growing fainter and fainter around me.

I didn't have a plan. I was just a clueless kid way in over his head, and I had no idea what I was doing. I had the life of one of the most famous Magical Girls in the world in my hands, and I had no idea how to help her.

I wasn't a mage or a soldier. I was just a normal kid with a drone at best, and I had no magic of my own to speak of, apart from whatever aid Rai-chan could offer me.

But I refused to just roll over and give up. Not now, not ever.

The girl in my arms tremored as she wheezed, her breaths coming out in ragged, uneven gasps. She gasped, trembling slightly as she suddenly clutched onto me, bracing her head against my padded, metallic shoulder, her body freezing cold to the touch of the drone's sensory feedback.

I took a step away from the fighting behind me, feeling the world spin and blur around me. But I ignored it.

I grabbed her head with my free hand, cradling her gently and feeling her body quake with pain. She was burning up now, and I could feel her teeth chattering.

"Sis I..." Celestial Sonata breathed. "I'm sorry. I let you down. I couldn't stop that thing. I don't even know why it's attacking us. It just showed up here out of nowhere, and—"

The Beast of Liminality launched itself into the air, firing a pair of crystal spears toward Coyote's mech. The pilot expertly weaved out of the way, firing his own weapon at the Beast in return. The twin barrels glowed a bright green, and a barrage of blasts sent the monster skidding and tumbling through the air.

What could I do? I could run for the woods to try and hide, but there was no chance I could make it in my condition before the protection offered by sacrificing my mech wore off. After that, there was no doubt the Beast of Liminality would be able to finish off Coyote.

Coyote drew a short beam saber from a sheath at his hip, his stance narrow and light.

The Beast of Liminality surged forward, thrusting forward with its claws. Coyote quickly sidestepped to the left, moving in a blur as he drove his blade forward.

He was much, much more skilled than I was at piloting a mech, that was clear. The man probably had years of experience on me, and every movement he made was calculated and precise.

The creature lashed out with a kick, and Coyote blocked it, redirecting its force with a barrier and sweeping it to the side. He struck out with the beam saber, twisting his torso to give the strike an additional measure of power. The sword left a gaping gash across the chaos beast's chest, leaking an eerie purple light.

But the creature barely reacted, immediately clutching the mech's sword arm and tearing it off in a burst of vicious strength.

Coyote backed up, desperately deflecting the creature's quick succession of counterattacks with its crystal spear, using impromptu barrier after barrier to perform last-second parries. There was no elegance behind the creature's technique, but the savagery of its attacks was overwhelming, each one powerful enough to bring the mech to its knees.

I glanced over at the Magical Girl and felt her body still shuddering and shaking, the red lightning surging around her form. What could I possibly do?

"It's... it's okay," I whispered, setting her on the ground over my metallic knees. "It's going to be okay."

She breathed shallowly, her body wracked with visible pain.

"I deserve this," she muttered, the malevolent red energy surging in intensity. "I... don't know what to do anymore. Maybe it's better this way. For everyone."

Her voice was so defeated and hopeless that I felt my heart breaking.

"That's not true," I blurted out. "No matter what's happened in the past, there's always hope."

"I... hurt people," she mumbled, her tone breaking. "I wasn't strong enough, Jeanne. I got my family killed. Twice."

"I can't ever imagine what that'd be like," I replied, feeling something wrench inside me. "But... it's not too late. We can always try again, right?"

She didn't respond, her face contorted in pain as sparkling tears floated from her eyes.

It was strange. This shouldn't be a heroic moment. It shouldn't be a touching moment. I knew that my actions weren't nearly so dramatic, and it wasn't like anyone was cheering us on.

But somehow, it felt like this moment was more critical than any other moment in my life.

It was the first time I'd heard Celestial Sonata speak, but there was something so familiar and human about her voice. This larger-than-life, radiant, golden star evidently lived a life full of tragedy.

I felt this sense of warmth and empathy wash over me, drawing from some deep well within me. Maybe it was just the desire to console someone in need. If I just disconnected from my drone, I would be completely safe.

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But I couldn't leave them alone, not now.

Coyote's mech looked ready to blow — it was missing an arm, and a near miss of the cockpit by a purple energy blast had scorched the front of it. The green thruster ports at the back were flickering, and the mech's legs were shaking with the exertion of piloting it in this state.

The chaos beast had barely been scratched, or at least it didn't seem to. Its movements were just as graceful and menacing as when the battle had started.

With one last defiant charge, Coyote brought his mech's remaining hand into the creature's gut, firing all its weapons at point-blank range. The smoke and explosions of the attack obscured the battlefield, and I could hear the metal-on-metal screeching of a mech being pummeled by the chaos beast.

As the smoke cleared, the Beast of Liminality stood triumphant, its claws buried deep through the mech's front. The mech went slack, and the creature stared at it in curiosity. Then, with palpable contempt, it kicked the mech, sending it sailing through the air. Coyote's final, valiant gesture had failed, and the remains of the machine now lay in a heap between us.

The creature raised one glowing hand, summoning a portal with a single crystal spear ready to strike out.

That was it.

Coyote and Celestial Sonata were going to die.

I didn't have time to think. I closed my eyes and focused on the trickle of energy flowing through my drone. The chaos beast loomed over us both, and Coyote's mech looked about ready to blow, the metal and wires starting to pop and spark from the inside out.

I gently picked up the Magical Girl in my arms, lifting her form into the air and cradling her closely to my chest while on my knees. She gasped, trembling slightly as she nestled her head against my padded, metallic shoulder, her body freezing cold to the touch of the drone.

My form began to glow, and I could feel the threads of her aura. Her lumina flowed through me, pulsing and tensing.

She coughed a hacking, rasping cough that forced her body to spasm.

The painful pinpricks rushed to my forehead, and I bit my lip, gritting my teeth through the dizzying agony.

"We're here with you now," I whispered. "I won't let you give up on me. You aren't alone. Come on... Worse comes to worse, I promise I won't abandon you."

The chaos beast raised a single arm, preparing to fire the crystal spear.

I turned around desperately, trying to block it with my body and using it as a shield. It wasn't the best plan, but it was all I had.

And then I did the most human thing I could.

My fingers curled around her palm, and I squeezed. She didn't respond, but her eyelids fluttered.

"Ikki... I hope this boost is enough," Rai-chan whispered.

The Chaos spear carved its way through the air, headed directly towards my metallic chest, and I felt a phantom pain in my stomach as it flew through the air.

No, it wasn't a phantom pain at all.

A sharp pain flared through my stomach, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. The pain radiated out from the left side of my stomach, and I felt a sudden shock flow through my body as my vision sharpened.

The trickle of mana — the fumes that had been running through my artificial body erupted into a roaring wave of energy. It cascaded through my form, and I could feel the energy surge and pulse around me.

"Heh..." the girl in my arms breathed out as I briefly felt her roaring, soothing aura blend in with the trickle I'd been trying to support her with. It was like feeling an ocean wash over a puddle.

The chaotic red lightning surrounding the Magical Girl vanished like glass shattering, and her form grew warmer in my arms. Golden light bloomed around her form, and her long, luscious pink hair floated in the air.

Then, time returned to normal as the world around me blurred. I couldn't even process what was happening as I felt my own body leave the ground in a flash of gold and pink.

The chaos beast's eyes widened as the spear flew harmlessly past us, crashing into the ground behind it.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as my addled, blurred vision continued to sharpen. The cold sweats and fatigue seemed to melt away, and I was filled with a new surge of energy. I numbly realized that the positions the Magical Girl and I were in had been completely reversed, and she was now holding my drone's body in a bridal carry.

"Um. What?" I mumbled in surprise.

Celestial Sonata laughed, and her voice sounded like a musical symphony, echoing across the stormy plains.

Her eyes were still closed and tear-streaked, but there was a quiet serenity behind her expression. She had a sad, solemn smile on her lips, and she was still breathing heavily.

"Such a wretched daughter, I am, to suffer and cry in self pity at such a dire hour."

She paused, taking a shuddering breath as a sparkling tear trickled down her cheek.

"So this wicked daughter shall bear witness for all my love and resolve, with the forsworn clan's wisdom in my heart."

I stared at her, dumbstruck by her words.

She continued to glow, her radiant lumina shimmering through the sky, rippling like a beacon in the mist. Her hair floated around her face, and the tears seemed to evaporate off her skin as she smiled wider.

Her aura had changed, a warm, soothing presence radiating off her as her lumina bloomed brighter and brighter as it expanded. It was like a sea of stars in the sky or a sunset on the horizon.

She was truly breathtaking, like a star, blazing and radiant, and for a moment, I felt like I was staring at a goddess.

Her expression was a mix of grief and relief, and I could feel my heart beat faster.

She continued, her voice trailing off in a sigh.

"So, with the Way of my sworn sisters, I give thanks, and carry on."

And then, with a twitch of her wrist, a barrage of rainbow darts faster than I could track shot into the ground beneath the Beast of Liminality. The creature didn't even have the chance to react as the ground exploded. It was sent sailing through the air to the side, directly where Rai-chan had driven my abandoned mech.

The wind rushed past us, and I could feel her body starting to tremble. She took a deep breath as we quickly floated toward the earth and set me on the ground.

"Thank you," she stated, her voice soft and tender.

"For what?" I replied, completely stunned.

"For being here today. And for the pep talk."

The air was charged with a momentary tension, and I could hear a rumble of thunder in the distance as her golden aura quickly coalesced around her hands.

"Well, er, you're welcome," I replied awkwardly. I was glad I wasn't here for real, because I would have been a blushing mess.

She laughed softly, and her voice was a beautiful, clear tone that made my heart flutter.

Then, her expression turned serious as a bow formed in her hands. She aimed it at the sky as she steadied her breath, her mana fluctuating in visible intensity.

Her eyes finally opened, and they were a deep, beautiful blue, like the ocean or the vast expanse of the sky. They filled me with a sense of hope, of peace, and I couldn't help but let out a gasp.

"I, alone am honored by both Heaven and Earth..." she stated loudly.

I could only gape in awe as a chill ran through my spine. There was a deep resolve and meaning behind those words that I couldn't wrap my head around, but I could feel the raw emotion running through her body.

As she recited the words, I could feel her energy shifting, growing brighter and warmer as it flowed through her hands. The bow and arrow glowed a bright, blinding gold as the treble clef design pulsed and shimmered in the air.

"...For I, and all beings, have attained the... the Path," she choked.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she closed her eyes once more.

The arrow glowed a bright golden light, shining in the air as a surge of energy gathered around it.

"First Movement: Star Song's Soothing Arpeggio," she almost whispered, her bow glowing to the point that it was difficult to look at.

And then, as a splash of sparkling, prismatic tears traced through the air, she fired her golden arrow into the sky.