My drone body suddenly jerked to life, and I felt a rush of energy flowing through me.

The world around me remained a monochrome gray, and I could feel the strange static noise echoing through the air.

But I could move.

I wasn't too far from where the fighting was taking place, maybe about 30 or 40 yards away from the action. The chaos beast had its back to me, and Celestial Sonata was frozen in place. She stood tall with a serious expression, drawing her bow back for a final attack.

But what could I possibly do from this distance?

I looked down at the drone's hands, which had returned to a metallic black and chrome-silver coloration. Everything else apart from the Beast of Liminality was still in that eerie monochrome. I bent down quickly, drawing the pistol from my belt and checking that it was loaded.

I turned back towards the battle, my mind racing as I tried to think of a plan. I couldn't hurt the chaos beast with the pistol, but maybe...

Wait.

I looked down at a patch of grass near my feet and noticed it had regained its green and yellow hue.

Was that my doing?

I scrambled ahead, grabbing a few pebbles and watching them come to life in my palm. I quickly tossed them in front of me and stared as color returned to the grass in a small circle.

It was me.

The world around me was frozen in time, but my perception wasn't. Everything I interacted with seemed to instantly return to normal.

Could I really use this information to help Celestial Sonata?

Wait.

Maybe I could...

I stared at the beast for a moment, realizing I only had one chance to get this right. The chaos beast stumbled, growling as its injured leg buckled. It was limping, and its form flickered and distorted.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I tried to focus.

"Rai-chan, how much does a Magical Girl's power protect her from physical harm, exactly?" I reached out mentally.

"Wuh — huh? We can move? How?!" Rai-chan squeaked.

Did trying to contact Rai-chan just now release her from the freeze too?

I didn't have time to explain. Frankly, I didn't know what was going on.

"How much, Rai-chan? Does a Magical Girl's power protect her from physical harm?" I repeated.

"Ah, erm. It depends on the refinement of her luminal aura," Rai-chan replied. "A Magical Girl's flesh will have give like any ordinary human's, but the metaphysical properties of her lumina make her more durable and resilient. In general, a Magical Girl can be bruised, cut, or otherwise physically harmed by an opponent. Still, their bodies are extremely resilient and heal selectively from wounds to the point it defies physical explanation. The more refined and pure her lumina is, the less damage she will take from physical attacks. Radiant Rhiannon famously called down a Russian thermobaric bombardment on herself thirteen years ago during the war on Earth. She walked out of it no worse for wear."

"Got it," I murmured.

"What do you have in m-"

I didn't hesitate. I raised the pistol and fired three quick shots.

The first shot hit went wide, missing entirely. The second and third shots missed as well, hitting the ground and ricocheting off into the distance.

"Ikki!" Rai-chan screamed in horror. "What are you doing?!"

But I ignored her, focusing on Celestial Sonata as the chaos beast turned its head toward me. I steadied my aim, gritting my teeth as I fired the fourth shot.

My perception of time seemed to slow as the bullet sailed through the air, a small dot of heated orange against the grey and white background. Celestial Sonata didn't react as it neared, her expression still serious and focused on the monster in front of her.

The bullet collided with her side, right underneath where her heart would be, and I felt my heart skip a beat as the bullet sunk into her milky white flesh.

She let out a small gasp, her eyes widening in surprise as she stumbled forward.

"Ngh...?" she grunted, briefly clutching at her side.

I was frozen in place, staring at her as she teetered for a brief moment. Color returned to her in an explosion of pink light, and she let out a small, high-pitched cough that resonated around the eerily silent battlefield as the bullet fell to the ground.

She glanced at me, her blue eyes widening in surprise for a moment before she whipped her head back towards the chaos beast.

Without a word, she flashed forward, her golden aura shimmering as she leaped up into the air. She landed a devastating kick to the beast's chest, sending it flying backward in a heap.

The Beast of Liminality scrambled to its feet, its aura flickering as it tried to regain its bearings. But Celestial Sonata didn't give it a chance. She drew her bow, notched an arrow of light as she flipped into the air, and fired.

The arrow flew through the air, and with a loud crack, the arrow slammed into the beast's chest, pinning it to the ground. Its flesh sizzled and burned around the arrow, and it snarled as it struggled to pull itself free.

Celestial Sonata immediately followed up with a barrage of golden energy bolts, each one striking the creature like a meteor.

Finally, with a flicker of golden light, Celestial Sonata flashed directly over the chaos beast, a glowing ball of sparkling pink energy in her hands.

A pipe organ crescendoed in the background as she raised the ball above her head and then slammed it down on the chaos beast.

"Starfall Coda!!"

A brilliant explosion of pink energy erupted, and a wave of heat and light washed over me. I stumbled back, shielding my eyes as the world flashed with a bright pink light.

And then, it was over.

The chaos beast lay on the ground, its form flickering and distorting as it twitched, still impaled on Celestial Sonata's 'arrow' of golden light. Celestial Sonata slowly floated to the ground, her expression serious as she stared at the creature.

Its chest was partially open and exposed, and I could see a sickly, orange crystalline orb glowing in the center of its heart. Its body was smoking and scorched, and its purple aura had dimmed to a dull glow.

She narrowed her eyes, keeping her distance as she nocked another arrow and aimed it at the orb.

It was almost anti-climactic as the golden streak of energy slammed into the crystal, shattering it in a burst of shimmering light. The chaos beast slumped to the ground, its form falling still as the monochrome grey around us dissipated.

Celestial Sonata sighed in relief, slumping to her knees as she rubbed the side where the bullet had hit her. I broke into a sprint, my mind racing as I rapidly closed the distance between us.

She smirked as I approached, a soft, serene expression on her face.

"You know, if you wanted to get my attention, you could have just asked. Really?" she teased.

"I'm so sorry!" I blurted out, kneeling next to her. "I had no idea that would even work! I mean, I didn't even know I could move, and I didn't mean to shoot you, and oh god, I am so sorry."

She laughed, her voice musical and clear. "It's fine. You did what you had to do. And it seems like your aim is pretty good, too!"

I looked down where I had shot her — the skin hadn't been broken, but there was a slight bruise forming on her side between the fading slash marks the beast had left.

"I can't believe it took you so long to make your move, Mr. Mysterious," she joked, brushing a lock of pink hair from her face.

I stared at her in disbelief, feeling my real body flush with embarrassment.

"Ah, erm. Well..." I stammered awkwardly.

"Oh, don't be so shy," she said, leaning in. "Although I have to say, I'm surprised. You're quite the gentleman, aren't you? I have to say, though. It isn't every day a girl gets shot in the heart by a boy on a first outing."

I blinked, feeling my brain short-circuit for a moment as I tried to process everything.

She winked at me, and I felt a warm, bubbly sensation rise up inside me.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Anyway, enough teasing for now," she said, her expression growing more serious. "Our friends here need medical attention. There's no telling how badly they're hurt."

"R-right," I replied, feeling my mind clear as I turned to check on Coyote. I had no idea what he did with Falcon, but there was no doubt she was also in bad shape.

"Ikki, heads up! Sensing an energy spike from the chaos beast. Be on guard!" Rai-chan warned.

My eyes widened, and I whipped my head towards the creature. It was still impaled on the arrow of light, its form flickering and distorting as it shook violently.

Celestial Sonata immediately settled into a battle stance as she saw me react, her expression fully alert as she summoned her bow.

And then, with a flash of purple, the beast disappeared, leaving the arrow of light behind.

"It's... gone?" Celestial Sonata muttered. "What... what the heck? Just like that?"

"It must have multiple cores," Rai-chan explained. "The one she shattered may have been tied to its time manipulation ability, but it doesn't appear to have stopped it entirely. That one looked like a normal chaos beast's core, though, unlike the more... unique ones associated with an Imperatore."

Celestial Sonata narrowed her eyes, staring up at the orange vortex of energy still swirling in the sky.

"You know, forget it. I've had a really long day. A really long week, actually," she murmured. "And I don't know about you, but I could use a break right about now."

I nodded, feeling my real body ache and throb as I tried to focus.

"Yeah, I think I could really use some shut-eye right now," I replied.

"But we aren't done here, are we? Regardless, I think I can do something about this storm here," Celestial Sonata continued, stretching her arms above her head. "It should let us call down some help for those two, at least."

I watched as Celestial Sonata stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the orange vortex still swirling above us. She raised her hands, summoning a ball of pink energy in her palms, swirling with golden motes as she floated up into the air.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself as the ball of energy grew brighter and brighter. The swirling winds around us suddenly calmed, and I could see the clouds starting to break apart as a warm, golden light shone through.

The night sky began to turn a brilliant pink, and a soft, warm breeze washed over the plains.

"Magical Girls can forcibly shut chaos rifts and other similar phenomena without a horde leader nearby," Rai-chan explained. "It's a high-level technique that taxes their lumina significantly. It's not something normal girls below the highest echelon can do. For someone like Celestial Sonata though, it's child's play."

As Rai-chan spoke, the Magical Girl drew back her hands, and with a flash of light, the ball of energy in her palms coalesced into a massive arrow of pure light.

"Time to end this!" she shouted, her voice carrying over the plains as she drew her bow.

She aimed her arrow and fired it with a flash of light. The arrow sailed through the air, leaving a trail of golden light in its wake. It slammed into the orange vortex with a brilliant explosion of light, and the energy it released rippled through the sky and down to the ground.

I shielded my eyes, blinking away the spots in my vision as I stared up at the sky. The storm was gone, along with all the rifts around us. The stars were twinkling through the clouds once more.

I could feel a sense of relief wash over me, and I slumped down to the ground, exhausted.

Celestial Sonata floated back to the ground, landing next to me with a sigh.

"Good grief, I'm exhausted!" she laughed, plopping down on the grass next to me. "I need a nap. Or a bubble bath. Actually, both sounds nice."

"That was...incredible," I breathed, unable to believe what I had just witnessed. "That was one hell of a beatdown you put on that thing."

"Aw, you're sweet," she giggled, before huffing in exhaustion. "Still, that was a close call at the end. I hope you don't mind if I stick around here for a breather. It's been a minute since I've had someone around my age to talk with about something other than work."

"You?" I blurted out in disbelief.

"Yeah, between all the training, studying, recording, and fieldwork I do, I don't exactly have a lot of time to hang out with people my age who aren't also in my line of work," she continued. "I heard you were sent into that drone from Saint Antonia's Academy. That'd put you around the same age ballpark as me, right? I'm actually only fifteen."

"Well, yes, but..." I trailed off, feeling a sense of awe. She was so confident and composed, but she also seemed so... normal and genuine.

"Anyway, our friends here need medical attention—and fast. I'm calling in some help," she said, pulling out an intricate-looking phone from a strap beneath her dress. It was decorated in pink frilly ribbons and shaped like a miniature violin.

"Rai-chan, can you get on that now that the storm's been cleared?" I reached out.

"Way ahead of you guys; I phoned it in at the command room when you pulled Coyote out. You should let her know you've had it taken care of."

"I've already taken care of it from this end," I replied, tapping the comms unit on the drone's wrist. "They should be on their way."

Celestial Sonata smiled, shaking her head in amusement. "My, my. Here I was underestimating you again."

We sat in silence for a moment, the breeze blowing softly around us. She breathed deeply, holding up a pink orb between her hands. I looked at her quizzically, and she smiled as she glanced at me.

"I'm just doing a little exercise. Unlike normal mana, a Magical Girl's lumina is tied to the hope and inspiration she can invoke in people. I can sort of feel the echoes of the little things I do to help others," she explained. "So I'm just doing an exercise to accelerate my body's natural intake. It's like a little recharge."

She closed her eyes, and I could see a faint, sparkling golden glow emanating from the orb. It swirled and danced as she breathed in and out, and I was transfixed by the sight.

"Woah," I breathed. "So that's what 'lumina' or whatever looks like?"

"Yeah, it's something else," she murmured before opening her eyes. "I wonder sometimes if there's something deeper to it, though. Like maybe there's more to this power than I realize. Why can I just weave and spin it as naturally as breathing for some people? Why me?"

She sighed, shaking her head as she dismissed the orb. "But what do I know? I'm just a little girl with some freaky talent and an even bigger ego, without the bite to back up that bark and bravado."

I was taken aback by her sudden shift in tone. "Well, you don't seem like that at all. I meant, what the heck! You're super cool and amazing, and you know what you're doing. I mean, you just put a beatdown on that thing like it was nothing!"

She smiled sadly, staring up at the stars above us.

"What even brought that about?" I continued, feeling my real body blush in embarrassment. "I mean, it's clear you have a ton of confidence in your abilities and it's well-deserved."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I have a lot of confidence in my ability to fight. And maybe to put on a song and dance with some pyrotechnics. But when it comes to anything else, I'm a total mess. I'm just...just a mess."

She closed her eyes again, and I could see the faintest hint of tears forming at the edge of her eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I just...I don't know," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. "I think about how much I could have done to help the world if I was better, stronger, faster. I think about all the people I couldn't save."

I sat there in silence, unsure of what to say. I couldn't imagine what she must be going through.

"Sheesh. Uh, I'm sorry for just springing this on you. That attack the woman with the mask hit me with made me face some of my greatest failures, and I've had an absolutely shit week. I just...I just can't stop thinking about the people I let down."

I felt a pang of sympathy for her, and I suddenly understood. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine what you must be going through."

She nodded, taking a deep breath as she wiped her eyes. "It's fine. I shouldn't even be burdening you with this. You don't even know me."

I glanced up at her, feeling a sense of admiration welling up within me.

"No, it's not fine. You deserve to have someone listen to you," I said firmly. "You've done so much for the people in this world. And I mean, you literally just saved us all. You can't possibly blame yourself for not being able to do everything. It's not healthy to just take on as much as you do."

She sniffled, a soft smile on her face. "Hah. I thought you'd be an interesting guy before I flew out here to be your cavalry. And I thought I'd be all cool and suave about it. Yet, here we are."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I know. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind either."

"How old are you, anyway?" she asked. "You seem to be handling all of this pretty well."

"I'm fifteen too. And honestly, I'm just trying to keep it together and do what I can to help."

"Fifteen?! People don't usually get pulled in for field work until they've had a year as a terminal jockey at least," she noted with a frown.

"Well, they kind of threw me in the deep end," I answered with a shrug. "I was the only one compatible with some... magitech I used to gather intel."

She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head to one side. "Hmm. That's... interesting. And unless I was mistaken — we are dealing with multiple Novel Aberrants here capable of utilizing the Authorities associated with the historical emperors?"

I blinked in surprise at her sudden change in demeanor. She had shifted from a vulnerable, emotional teenager to a calculating and focused professional in the blink of an eye.

"Seems so," I commented.

"And you could move during that fox monster's time stop?" she continued. "Would you happen to be a magic user as well?"

I shrugged. "I don't know how it works, but yeah. And no, I haven't waved a magic wand or anything even once in my life."

She nodded, her expression serious. "That's something we should definitely look into. There were a handful of Magical Girls in the history books I'd read who found a workaround for the Imperatore of Liminality's time-freeze ability. Still, I've never heard of someone no-selling an Authority outright. Much less someone who's ostensibly normal."

"Maybe," I murmured. "But I don't really know how it works, or why everything I interacted with seemed to break out of its time stop."

She stared at me for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she appeared deep in thought.

"Hmm, curious. I think you and I need to have a chat once this is all over and things aren't so crazy," she mused. "It sounds like there's definitely more to you than meets the eye."

I looked up, seeing the faintest hint of a smile on her face.

She stared up at the sky, and for a moment, I found myself unable to take my eyes off her radiant glow. Her pink hair fluttered in the wind, and she closed her eyes with an unreadable but serene expression.

The sound of helicopter rotors filled the air, and we both turned towards the approaching lights in the distance.

"So, you've picked up data on that anomaly, right? What did you find exactly?" she asked, turning towards me.

"A lot of raw data that's probably being processed by the command center right now," I replied. "But I'm pretty sure we can run some algorithms to figure things out on the fly if needed."

She nodded, her expression serious once more. She glanced down at her violin-shaped phone, frowning as she scrolled through the screen.

"Well, looks like we found out where the fox thing sent one of the chaos beasts, at least," she grumbled. "Looks like there's a distress signal being sent out. It's weird, though."

"How so?" I asked curiously.

"No time to explain right now. I've got to go," she said, getting to her feet.

She paused before turning towards me thoughtfully and tapping her chin with a finger.

"Say, you said you could analyze new data on the fly, right? And you've had experience with this sort of thing before?"

"Yeah, uh, I guess you could say that," I replied.

She raised an eyebrow, grinning menacingly.

I suddenly felt a sense of unease creeping up inside me.

"Hmm, should I? Or should I not? No-selling an ability like that of the Chronos core. Hmmm..." she trailed off, her voice dripping with mischief.

"Ikki, I think you're in trouble," Rai-chan muttered.

I sighed, feeling a sense of dread rising within me as I took a step back. "Oh, boy. I don't think I'm going to like what comes next."

She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling as she leaned in.

"I hope you don't have a fear of heights," she said, grabbing my drone by the shoulder.

"W-wait a second!" I stammered. "What are you—"

Before I could finish my sentence, she suddenly grabbed me and lifted me into the air, hoisting me over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Wha—huh?! No, wait! What are you doing?!" I blurted out in alarm.

But it was too late. With a flash of golden light, she took off into the air, darting up towards the sky above us.

"Hang on tight!" she called out, her voice echoing through the air as she soared above the plains.

I closed my eyes, feeling my real body's stomach drop as we flew higher and higher. Sonta paused momentarily before firing off a pink flare in the sky. Then, she pointed down at the ground and fired two orbs from her hands, lighting up Falcon's mech and Coyote's body where I'd left him.

"W-what the hell am I even doing here?!" I blurted out, suddenly regretting all my life decisions.

"Oh, hush," she replied, giggling maniacally. "Think of this as just squaring things up for shooting me!"

And then, without warning, we shot off towards the horizon in a terrifying golden flash.