Ch.141141. Dies iræ

“Vine…?”

“A filthy magical girl and… a failure. What a pathetically mismatched combination.”

Vine’s eyes.

Those eyes that once shone clear as amethyst had lost their light.

“How dare you speak my name with your filthy failure of a mouth. As expected of a mere failure, you’ve betrayed us and sided with the magical girls.”

“Vine…? What, what are you saying…?”

“Shut up.”

Indiscriminate attacks launched from behind Vine.

Even Elise, who was once her comrade.

“Dodge!”

For now, I grabbed Elise and dodged.

“Elise, come here. I’ll remove your seal first.”

“Uh, okay…?”

Without delay, I unfasten the white collar from Elise’s neck while still holding her.

I also forcibly help circulate her magic to help it return faster.

“Ugh… feels strange…”

“Bear with it. We don’t have time to worry about that now.”

As the dust settles…

“…Hah. A magical girl indeed. You who dared to detain the Boss.”

“Vine…?”

Elise keeps calling out to Vine desperately.

But what comes back is…

“I told you to shut up, didn’t I?”

A concentrated attack aimed at her.

“Kyaaah!?”

“Elise!”

She seems to have recovered somewhat, as her evasion is solid.

“Elise. Don’t go near Vine. You’ll get caught up in this too. Didn’t you say you wanted to talk first?”

“W-what are you saying! If I go and talk to her…!”

“That’s just it! Does Vine look like she’s in her right mind? That’s something wearing Vine’s skin. Would the real Vine attack like that?”

Such chaotic, disorderly attacks.

If it were really Vine, she would have aimed precisely to end it with a single strike.

But looking at the pattern…

This goes beyond chaotic.

This isn’t Vine.

I know this for certain, having watched her for so long.

This isn’t Vine.

Vine wouldn’t make such unnecessary movements.

Even at Marina before, she never moved this inefficiently.

BOOM—!

“Hah.”

“Blanc…? Are you crazy…? You’ve lost it, right? You’re insane, aren’t you? That’s why you’re seeing Vine wrong. Right? Right, right…?”

“How is that Vine? Don’t those movements seem strange to you?”

“…I can’t really tell.”

“…Sigh. Look at the movement of her legs.”

“You seem to have plenty of leisure for chitchat, magical girl?”

Vine starts targeting us.

This time, not with her tail, but with a gun.

Ratatatatatatata!

“Huff… See. She’s not properly controlling the recoil. Like someone handling a weapon for the first time. And that weapon—it’s the one Vine used most often.”

“H-how can you be so sure about that?”

“…Because I was Vine’s enemy. We fought for years. If I didn’t know that much, I would have lost long ago.”

That’s how close it was.

The difference was paper-thin.

Even in our last battle before Ragnarok, the fight with her was truly fierce.

…It was because of you that I could grow so much.

How many times do you think I’ve watched your movements?

Analyzing them while eating, with footage playing beside me.

Reviewing before bed, confirming when training after waking up.

Every day I thought of every variable to counter you.

And you did the same to counter me.

There’s a reason they called us arch-enemies.

Actually, could it be called a blood bond?

Not the kind of blood bond that means family.

But truly a bond forged through blood.

Because I analyzed even your smallest habits.

But now.

But now…

Why is none of that showing now?

“So. I’m certain of it. That’s not Vine. Vine is… Vine is…”

“…It can’t be. No, it can’t be… The Doctor must have done something strange…!”

“…Elise. What did you say before? If you came along and took Eden’s side, they would truly free you then. Right?”

“…I haven’t met the Boss yet. So, this… let’s deal with Vine first. Vine is too strong…”

“Vine is strong, you say? Ah, well.”

I draw up my magical power.

Assessment complete.

What is this? It’s disappointingly simple.

It’s even easier than the Association’s hologram that imitates Villain Vine.

Even easier than a hologram imitating third-year Vine.

As I reach the critical point, my outfit’s appearance changes.

Second awakening form.

There’s still more.

I’ll end this decisively, then head straight to the boss room.

I endure the torrent of magical power.

And when I reach another critical point…

Third awakening.

The previous Vine could withstand up to my third awakening.

But now.

“Kugh…?! W-what is this… magical power suddenly going berserk… Are you planning to self-destruct? I cannot allow that! I will guard the path to the Boss!”

“Vine. For now… we’ll treat this condition later. We need to put out the urgent fire first.”

Shing—

I draw my sword.

The sword I’m most familiar with, the rapier.

“This might hurt a bit?”

Some indescribable emotion flashes through my mind.

My vision blurs, but now.

Now I must endure.

Even if this is Vine’s body now.

Even if her physical abilities have grown.

Without Vine’s greatest advantage.

That clever mind. That cunning. Without that.

One strike is all it takes.

Vine tries to defend with an attack, forming a bullet curtain with her gun and tail.

I lightly channel magic and let it flow.

There’s power, but it’s not threatening.

Not the kind of move that’s impossible to dodge.

A predictable move.

A move that’s obvious to the eye.

A random strike from someone who’s flustered.

This kind of thing.

I’ve approached right in front of Vine.

If it were the real Vine.

She would never have allowed me this close.

“Vine. Let’s get some sleep. You look very tired.”

Unknown droplets fall one by one.

Vine’s unfocused eyes waver as if confused.

The rapier cuts through Vine.

Of course.

Being a monster, she only bleeds a little.

It’s just enough impact to make her faint.

Thud—

Vine’s body falls limply.

“…Hyewon, take care of Vine.”

“Me…? Ah, yes…!”

Just a moment ago we were clearly fighting with Vine.

Ah, combat units are rushing in from behind.

I see.

“What about the remaining combat units?”

“Our team will handle them. You brought them along for that purpose, after all.”

“Right… Take good care of her.”

“After treating her so roughly. And even if you didn’t say so, I was going to take good care of her, you know?”

“My, weren’t you saying you’d kill her before?”

Hearing those words, Hyewon blushes.

“T-that…! Since our sister forgave Vine! Now I was going to treat her like a cute little sister, and, well, our sister likes Vine too so I don’t really have a reason to dislike her, and she is cute but, you know, that, um, eek…”

Hyewon’s tongue gets tied as she rambles incoherently.

Well…

I can understand that.

I also, for now…

Came to save Vine, so I too.

I’ve also fallen deep.

The battle must have looked intense.

Fortunately, they don’t seem suspicious.

Yes, this is better.

Elise, standing in front of the door, looks at me and says:

“…Our Boss is behind this room.”

“We’re going in.”

“…Something must have happened to her. That damned doctor did something to our Boss… to our Boss…!”

“I’ll count to three and we enter. Three, two.”

One.

* * *

“We meet again. Foolish magical girl.”

“I’d prefer if you’d just shut up and sleep.”

“I have achievements to fulfill. A being with a mission to lead humanity, which is as weak as you. How dare a mere magical girl stand in my way?”

“B-Boss…!”

“…Ah, Elise.”

“Boss, it is you, right…? I couldn’t be wrong. So, what happened to Vine? Did she hit her head badly on the way back from Marina, and that’s why she’s like that…?”

“Vine? Ah. You mean Vine. It’s nothing. Prepare to welcome a new sister. Using this magical girl as material will surely produce an excellent monster, don’t you think?”

“B-Boss…?”

“Isn’t it right to fix a tool that doesn’t listen? I merely made her obedient.”

“W-what are you saying, Boss…”

“Remember your role. Remember why you’re still alive with that consciousness. Have you forgotten?”

“…To assist.”

“Yes. You know well, don’t you? Knowing your role, yet you act like this? Your role is to assist the new monster, the new success. To realize our ideals. I’ll personally assign that failure as your guard.”

“Ah, aah…”

“What? Have you grown attached? I can understand that.”

“V-Vine is…”

“Too small and insignificant. No dignity. Yet she was still somewhat useful. Despite her appearance, didn’t she survive longer than the other leaders you served?”

“Ah, aah…”

“I remember that incident, so I’ve kindly recycled that body. Come back to me quickly and do your duty. The Doctor is also waiting for the creation of a new monster.”

“…”

Elise’s expression contorts.

This is information I learned when going through Elise’s memories.

A being who crossed dimensions to this world with Eden’s Boss.

A being who has served many masters over a long period.

After being born, when the Doctor tried to discard her, the one called Boss saved her.

For that grace, even as the masters she served fell one by one, disappeared.

She alone remained in that position.

And then.

And then, a single ray of light descended.

A cute, lovable sister-like being who depended on her.

That being was Vine.

Casting aside all her rigid appearances.

Vine was the first master she served with her true heart.

Even during Ragnarok, Vine thought of me.

That was a first for her.

Living through such a long time, wandering through various worlds.

Finally meeting someone she connected with. And the Boss says.

Now that she’s served her purpose…

Perhaps it’s because she realized that she too would be discarded once her usefulness ended.

“Elise.”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“The Boss is evil.”

“…No.”

“I know your memories. I… I know.”

“No. The Boss is not evil.”

“…That’s all an illusion. In the end… the one called Boss used you and Vine for his own safety.”

“No, no… it shouldn’t be…”

As if trying to escape reality.

She clutches her head, hanging it low.

“You, magical girl. Do you have any intention of joining our side?”

“…I’m definitely going to destroy you.”

Fate cruelly seems to ignore Elise completely.

The boss raid has begun.