Ch.3636. Constricting You.

“Is Arin awake?”

“Ah, Yunseul unnie! You’re here?”

“Well, you look fine. How was your experience facing Bine?”

“Ugh… I never want to do that again… The overwhelming difference in strength was too much…”

“Really? Bine, I heard you went easy on her.”

“Yes, I did control my strength.”

“But Arin looks so dejected. Huh? This hat…?”

“I wasn’t sure about Arin’s exact skill level. I’ve only seen videos, so how could I accurately gauge her abilities?”

“You lost the hat, huh?”

“You’re making the same argument as Arin. The match is over, so I just put it on her.”

Blanc looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

What’s wrong with putting my precious hat on someone I care about?

Blanc asked Arin, who was still lying down:

“So, you’ll continue training with Bine like this from now on. Will you be okay?”

Stunned by Blanc’s words, Arin stammered incoherently before finally gathering herself to answer.

“Wha…? What…? Huh? I… I’ll continue from now on…?”

“Yes, why?”

“Ah… so… until I can beat her…?”

Hmm, Arin seems to be misunderstanding something.

“I’ll explain the training plan later. For now, Arin should come watch the match between Blanc and me.”

“What? You’re going to spar with Yunseul unnie…? Even if it’s Bine unnie…”

“Arin worries too much. Blanc and I have fought so many times it’s become tedious. Let’s just call it a light warm-up.”

“A warm-up…?”

“Yes. We’ll be using our bodies more with Arin from now on. I’ll need to become Eden’s Bine and act as your hypothetical enemy.”

“Ah…? Will we continue matches like today…?”

“No. We won’t just be sparring. Don’t worry.”

“You were a bit scary today, Bine unnie…”

“Ah, I’m fine now. You can relax.”

“More importantly, in future training… will I have to keep seeing that side of you…? It was scary seeing you not seem like yourself…”

“Even if it scared you, you’ll often encounter villains like that in the future. I’m actually quite a mild villain, you know? There are villains who do unspeakable things right before your eyes.”

“Haah… okay… I think I can move a little now. Ugh…”

Arin said she was fine as she got out of bed.

But the way she’s moving now is clearly not okay.

“Hmm, you seem to be having trouble moving. What are Red Hair and Crybaby doing? Why aren’t they carrying Arin?”

When I pointed them out, they both rushed forward, each insisting they would help Arin.

Arin protested that she was fine and didn’t want to be carried, but she eventually ended up on Red Hair’s back as we headed back to the training ground.

When we arrived at the entrance to the training ground.

From here, going up leads to viewing seats where one can safely watch.

Arin and the other magical girls will watch from there, while Blanc and I spar in the training ground.

We should part ways here for now.

“Oh right. I’ll return this hat to you.”

Saying that while being carried, Arin put the hat on me and said,

“This hat, I’ll wear it myself when I win fair and square! Right now, I need to go up and analyze Bine unnie’s strength!”

“Haha… Oh, Arin. Thank you. Yes, I hope you can take it with your own strength someday.”

I adjust the hat Arin put on me.

So the emblem sits in the center.

Beside me, Blanc opens the door to the training ground and hands her belongings to Crybaby.

Then, she takes out her wand and transforms.

“Well, how should we start once we’re inside?”

“How about we begin when Arin signals from above?”

“Sure. Are you ready?”

“Are you ready yourself, Blanc?”

“Yes, let’s go in.”

We enter the training ground, each taking our position.

I move my body a bit to check if there’s any magic energy buildup anywhere.

Checking each part to make sure everything moves properly.

And, as always:

“It’s been a while, Magical Girl Blanc.”

“Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you like that.”

“How long have we been fighting?”

“Easily over 10 years.”

“The record… I’ve won more, haven’t I?”

“No, I’ve won more.”

“It’s probably just a difference of one.”

“That’s right. I have 855 wins, you have 854.”

“Today will make it a tie then.”

“No, the gap will widen.”

“Says who?”

“Ha, feeling confident? Aren’t you about retirement age now?”

“If I’m retirement age, then what about Yuri unnie and the other magical girl unnies?”

“Those are people who live long and slender lives. Your achievements are quite substantial. Isn’t it about time you ended it?”

“Well, I was thinking of retiring due to lack of motivation, but hearing you say that has reignited my passion.”

“Is that so? Well, I’m happy if you’re enthusiastic. It means we can have a more interesting fight. Should I set up a scenario for you?”

“What childish role-playing.”

“For example, I could be the evil villain who kidnapped your precious sister.”

“You?”

“Well, kidnapping Arin and doing this and that. It’s not like I haven’t created corrupted magical girls before.”

“If Yuri unnie heard that, she’d be furious.”

“Why bring up that unemployed person now? Let’s focus on our match.”

“Haah, whatever. Let’s go with that. So, how do you want to do this?”

“Right now, you need to defeat me and rescue Arin. Well, I’ll try to defeat you and gain another test subject for my corruption experiments.”

“Fine, let’s go with that. The scenario is so cutely you.”

“…Was that supposed to be provocation?”

“Seeing your expression twist slightly, it seems to have worked.”

“Ha, as if I’d show my expression.”

“You did. Don’t tell me you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“Ha, really.”

“Well, Bine. Shall we begin?”

“Yes, let’s go, Magical Girl Blanc.”

“Really, it’s been so long, Bine.”

“Yes, Magical Girl Blanc. The vines that have hindered your path at every turn have returned.”

After sending a signal to Arin that we’re ready, she pressed the button behind her to start the countdown.

The Association President spent money on unnecessary things.

The count goes from 3 to 1.

Our energies cross and fill the arena.

When the buzzer breaks the silence of the training ground,

The magical girl’s sword,

The villain’s daggers,

Point at each other as we charge.

I block the magical girl’s sword, which comes crashing down from the sky after she kicks off the ground, by crossing my two daggers.

I fully open my laser and aim it at Blanc.

Blanc always dodges to her left.

Well, I’ve set a trap there to guide her firmly to the right.

I fire my rifle in the direction Blanc would have dodged after seeing the laser.

As the dust that filled the training ground settles, Blanc, who didn’t dodge the laser but blocked it with her sword, admires the broken wall of the training ground behind her.

“Wow… you broke this wall? The Association President will have something to say about this.”

“Ha, as if they’d complain about something so minor.”

“True, they knew we’d be fighting like this. They won’t say anything about this.”

“Focus, Blanc.”

I charge at the distracted Blanc.

I aim for her neck with a reverse-grip dagger.

Naturally, my attack is easily deflected by her sword.

But that’s not what I was aiming for.

I draw a gun with my usually unused hand and fire immediately.

How did I manage to hit Blanc?

For now, it’s better to create some distance.

Having cornered her against the wall, I hit the wall with my tail and fly to the opposite side to observe the situation.

“Ha, that was a surprise attack.”

“I saw it coming, what surprise?”

Well, as always, Blanc is unharmed.

“Shall we start for real now?”

“Let’s do that.”

We know each other too well.

I adjust my hat that got disheveled during the intense battle and look at Blanc.

Now I can predict what attack Blanc will use.

The possible attack methods are:

Taking out her first wand to attack with magic…

Continuing the attack with her second wand, which is the sword she’s using now.

Well, she could also use physical enhancement for hand-to-hand combat.

Right now, there’s a slight force in her legs, and magic is flowing into the hand holding the sword.

“Here I come, Bine.”

In an instant, Blanc is in front of me, thrusting her magic-enhanced blade.

Unfortunately for her, I dodge slightly, and the blade ends up embedded in the training ground wall rather than my body.

I aim my tail at Blanc, who has a slight delay in her movement due to her sword being stuck.

I fire the laser I had prepared at her.

As Blanc jumps around dodging the laser, traces appear on the wall behind her.

I slightly deflect Blanc as she leaps toward me.

“Well, is it over?”

“You look a bit tired. At this rate, I might win?”

“You look more tired than I do. Are you such a fool that you can’t even assess yourself?”

“What did you say?”

Blanc charges at me again, swinging her sword.

The speed and direction of her swings are so irregular that I rely solely on instinct to defend with my tail.

A slight difference in speed determines the outcome of the battle.

That thrill I couldn’t feel during my fight with Arin returns to me.

Those boiling times come back to me, and a faint smile appears.

“Hahaha! This is it, Blanc. Isn’t it exciting?”

“Indeed. The villains these days don’t require much effort, but I can’t believe you can still exert this much power.”

Both Blanc and I,

The stimulation from this match is something we haven’t felt in a long time.

A stimulation that allows us to remember our youth.

As if we’ve both gone back to those days.

Blanc’s sword emits light and shrinks, and a wand forms in her hand.

I also fully deploy my precious tail, aiming at her.

A total of 476.

Ha, a bit insufficient.

For the insufficient parts, I’ll just have to dodge.

Her wand emits light, creating numerous magic circles around her.