*
As expected, she used {Swap} to get closer, flitting behind me. I could imitate her and use two swords too, but I chose to use one and block both with a horizontal grip.
I recognise my skills aren't as great as hers. At long range our abilities aren't so wide in disparity that I could defeat her. At close range, she clearly guided me into breaking posture twice. Even then, it's all I have. With her experience, she wouldn't fall for any tricks. She would try to avoid attacks where we mutually receive damage. Nothing was going well.
I stepped forward and slid into her left, dragging my blade across hers before pushing them off. She regained balance and was relentless with next wave. Swing after swing she assaulted the body of my sword as I gradually retreated out of her range. With {Feed}, I shot bullets from the ground to my right, aiming at a low angle to take her by surprise. One if them slices her feet tendon, weakening her stance.
A few more shot at her face, but wielding 2 blades made it easy to block. I swung my leg high and kicked at her chest, she intercepted with her blades, to which I barely reinforced my heel in time. Her feet dug into the ground, dragging a few metres before coming to a stop. I couldn't send her flying... Was I really that weak?
No. I can't rush in, even if I begin doubting my own strength. Stay calm... It might be what she wanted. I upped my speed, running to the side to escape her sight. Naturally she tries to follow with her eyes, preparing her two swords to ambush like a predator. She reaches maximum focus with nothing impeding her. I'm sure the other magical girls wouldn't let me die... It would be shameful to accept their help in a personal duel, but at least I'd live...
Right now her guard is up, with the heavenly king's radio wave power, her body has been enhanced enough to match Pandora's physicality. Nothing is going well. Eterna's suppressive power might run out before we reach the enemy, allowing them to swiftly eliminate us. Time is not on our side, the other magical girls are likely raring to go.
Pandora was simply the combination of everything I had so far... It's far more draining than any other technique in my arsenal, I'm also running out of time... I pounce at her with a neutral stance, blade brought above my head before swinging down with all my strength in both arms. She blocks with her duel blades, even pushing despite my effort to put my body weight into it. I suppose a little body weight for magical girls is infinitesimally smaller compared to our muscle strength.
I step in, using the same swing momentum I slash from the side, then repeat. Desperately, my arms ache, smashing blade against blade. Rapidly hopping from each of her two sword to deflect both. I feel my centre of gravity lowering, she's bring down my sword with her own blade and wrist strength as leverage. Each parry decreases in height, prophesising a terrifying future.
Here.
My attack magic activates. Upon slipping through the net defence of her 2 swords, a dense dark red bullet flies off the tip of my blade, it slices cleanly through her cheek before detonating next to her head. With a pitch that surpasses human auditory nerves, the world was momentarily silent before a slight hum overwhelmed us. She layed flatly on the ground, sweat coated her skin acting as an adhesive for all the burnt soot and wafting ash.
Smoke swiftly dispersed, revealing her skin slightly blackened from the sheet of ash coating her. She was no longer the pristine perfect magical girl veteran that Lastia once met. This was Sariel at her worse, it couldn't be the same Sariel that the previous Lastias wrote about. She could remember Sariel's name and appearance, but not the memories associated with them. Perhaps eventually, she would really find out how the previous Lastias felt.
Sariel wasn't moving, but she wasn't dead either. Her eyes were wide open, staring unfeelingly. Was she frustrated? Of course she is, I ruined her plan. I proved that she was weak. I proved that I had enough power to beat her without outright killing her. That even with restraint I had the capacity to defeat her.
"... You lost." (Lastia)
She won't apologise. It would just be an insult. Even Sariel knew that, she understood Lastia was coming from a place of understanding. That's why... Whether she apologised or not, Sariel felt that her dignity had long been trampled on. She was outgrown, and finally surpassed. She can't make excuses. Only a single conclusion. She was weak. She borrowed power, and it still wasn't enough. What if she had fought normally? How much worse would it have turned out? An instant defeat?.
Before she knew it, her tear ducts were broken through. Her sight flickered between blurriness and clarity as warm fluid dripped down her cheek. She hunched over, unable to bear having her face exposed. Inevitably, some droplets fall to the ground. She wasn't bleeding after her injuries healed from the explosion, she wasn't hurt, just fatigued. A tight warmth enveloped her from the outside, her head pressed against something soft as a pair of sweat palms press over her autumn gold dress.
A pair of arms brush against the black armour plates covering her joints. It was Lastia. Who else could it be? She couldn't stop her shoulders from shivering, she attempted to halt the tears but they kept flowing. At least... She could refrain from whining and screaming, only breathing erratically as her own spittle clogs her throat. She grabbed Lastia back, hugging her tighter than anything else she ever had in her life.
"If you just blame someone, blame me. I had to grow stronger, I had to work harder so everyone can survive.
I'm not saying you didn't have to, or that your efforts were in vain. Nothing you did was meaningless, and you are irreplaceable." (Lastia)
" I... I can't take it... Why did everyone... Suddenly get stronger than me?
I started this... I worked hard the earliest... I protected so many people... I... I don't want to be alone anymore... " (Sariel)
She muttered under her breath, only loud enough for Lastia to hear. Lastia could only hope the others gave them privacy...
"... Really? You can't take back your words, because I'm never letting you be alone again. " (Lastia)
She declared half as a threat. 'Even if you wanted to be by yourself, you'll never be able to now.'