Episode 28: Orange
Without a moment’s delay, [Strawberry Pink] activated the forced-awakening programme.
She had learnt her lesson from her battle with the [Witch of Pisces].
Magical girls dreamed of the Witches they killed.
She never wanted to see something like that again.
And yet…
*
“An offensive firewall of my own design. Don’t imagine you can counter it with the hacking techniques of some [Red] working for the government.”
An overflow of black light, black M-particles. The dream swallowed [Strawberry Pink].
＊
She had always loved tinkering with machines.
“From [Strawberry Pink] to [Chihuahua Yellow]. I’ve been had.”
*
A room full of mechanical junk.
A room belonging only to herself and her friends.
A room where she repaired old games she’d picked up, so everyone could play them.
“I’m temporarily withdrawing from the front line.”
“Hey! [Orange]!”
Her friends had come to visit again today.
“Don’t pursue them too far. They’ve installed something in their own hearts, their Magus Engines.”
“Let’s play Street Fighter 8! I’ve practised a whooole lot!”
Sure, [Blue].
“They’re crazy.”
Hang on, where were the [Green]s?
If they were going to play games, they’d have to invite those girls too, or they’d get in a mood…
“They’re fighting, apparently.”
Oh, dear.
“Oh, dear.”
“…Tampering with the source of M-particle generation, their own hearts… They’re not even adults yet.”
Well, the [Green]s were always fighting. That was nothing new.
“… [Orange], [Blue].”
“Oh, [Brown]!”
“It wouldn’t be surprising if you blew yourself to pieces, you… [Witch]…!”
How unusual. It wasn’t every day that [Brown] came to her room.
“Lend me a game console.”
“What!? The [Brown] wants to play games!?”
“Stop it.”
It would snow tomorrow.
“The [Green]s’ fight is getting serious. To bring the situation under control, I hereby declare a gaming tournament!”
“Woohoo!”
“What a load of useless information…”
[Brown] was clever.
“You’re just all idiots.”
“Your [Emotions], your [Thought]…!”
Even as she said that, [Brown] looked rather pleased with herself.
[Blue] was carrying as many game consoles as she could hold in her arms.
Behind her, [Orange] hurried after them, laden with cables.
*
“Don’t pour it into me…!”
*
The [Green]s broke.
[Brown] died protecting her.
[Blue] was dead, Sere-chan had told her.
*
“…There’s no way I don’t know what you’re suffering through.”
*
The rain striking her skin brought [Strawberry Pink] back to reality.
The heart she had stabbed with her magical cyberdeck staff… The [Witch of Cancer] had apparently escaped somewhere.
The accumulated logs invaded her brain.
“From [Chihuahua Yellow] to Senior [Strawberry Pink]. I failed.”
“From [Chihuahua Yellow] to Senior [Strawberry Pink]. Please respond.”
“From [Chihuahua Yellow] to Senior [Strawberry Pink]. Run! Please, run!”
Suppressing her headache, [Strawberry Pink] glared up at the rain-darkened sky.
“[Chihuahua Yellow] to Senior [Strawberry Pink]. The [Witch of Gemini] has been completely revived!”
*
The [Witch] spread her wings.
Grotesque wings made of iron blades.
A jet-black mask. A black dress. Two torsos.
*
Two Magus Engines, both beating with light.