Ryuji's POV:
When I had finished my 'Lovers Heart' pill, there wasn't a doubt in my mind I was going to win the tournament. Even if my pills quality was lowered because of a mistake, it didn't matter since quality isn't a factor in the final round. Even if the other two made legendary grade pills too, I would still win thanks to the results of the previous round being in my favor. I shouldn't have been so arrogant.
'Don't be too hard on yourself lad! That lass must be the youngest grandmaster in history! Nobody would blame you for assuming she was only a grand alchemist!'
When miss Su pulled of the metal covering, I felt a surge of energy flowing through the air. I struggle to describe it in words. It had such a detailed and strange shape. A center made of red pearls and a pair of rainbow circles looping around it. It was so tiny, yet it held so much power inside it. Just being near it feels like I am standing next to my clan's spirit spring again.
'Yes, it is rather amazing! Mythical grade pills are a rare sight even on the 3rd martial continent where high quality materials are more abundant!'
'What did she even use to create such a thing?'
'Hehe! She used other pills to make it!'
'Huh?'
'It's such an interesting idea, I wonder why I never tried it myself back when I was human! Materials become scarcer the higher the grade you want to make! It's one of the greatest problems alchemists faces! No matter what rank an alchemist may be, the pills we create are limited by the materials we have! However, that resourceful lass found a way to recycle low-grade pills to create one of a higher grade!'
'Is that even possible?'
'Well, it happened so it must be possible! Though, perhaps her aura had something to do with it! Lad, let's spend some time experimenting with this later!'
"GRANDMASTER SU! AS THE 1ST PRINCE OF THE 2ND MOON, I FORMALLY INVITE YOU TO SERVE AS AN ALCHEMIST UNDER THE TSUKI ROYAL FAMILY!"
Snapping me out of my mental conversation was the loud voice of the prince who saved me from that green bastard. He seemed to be interested in Miss Su and offered to be her backer. Though I'm a little concerned with what happened earlier, at least the prince doesn't seem to be a bad person. I'm sure he will protect her from the…
"Hohoho! Good one sergeant tight-ass! Now, please be a nice boy this year and hand Santa Su her Christmas present, or space invaders will steal your dreams!" She said, turning down the offer.
Why would she turn him down? Even if she is holding a grudge after what happened earlier, he was the one who helped her escape! Is she really that petty?
'Your thinking is flawed! Huh? Hold on a moment!'
Soon after I felt like my thoughts became clearer for some reason as a weight I didn't know was there was lifted from my mind.
'What happened?'
'There was something influencing your thoughts! I just removed it! How do you feel?'
'I-!'
*POP*
Before I could think of a reply, there was suddenly a giant spatial distortion right above us. Looking up I saw a number of glowing circles and lights of various colors. Then suddenly, an image of a bunch of perverts in their underwear was projected in the center of the arena.
"EHEM! UH, W-WE ARE THE EVIL SPACE ALIENS! HERE TO UHM!" The purple-haired lady in the middle said in her strangely decorated underwear.
"WE ARE HERE TO STEAL YOUR DRUGS AND STUFF!" Said the muscular man in a red see-through shirt and a duck tattoo on his chest.
"No, it was! WE ARE HERE TO STEAL YOUR DRUGS AND DREAMS FOR THE GREAT EVIL INTERGALACTIC EMPIRE OF BAD GUYS!" Said the only guy wearing women's stockings for some reason.
"OH NO! IT'S THE EVIL SPACE INVADERS! QUICKLY! GIVE ME THE GRAND PRIZE OR THEY WILL BECOME EVEN STRONGER!" Miss Su shouted in a panic.
Were these people after her?
*POP*
*BOOM*
"AAAHHH!"
Before I could think any deeper about the situation there was an incredibly powerful spatial attack that took a chunk out of the massive aerial craft.
*POP*
*POP*
*CLANG*
I then saw some metal bird-like creature fly out of the hole in the ship and block the next attack, before flying out of view. We could hear the sounds of combat fade into the distance shortly after. Not long after the perverts returned
"AHA! NOW UH! What was my line again?"
"Forget it! I'll just do it all! AHA! NOW THAT YOU HAVE WITNESSED OUR MIGHT, SURELY THERE ARE NO ONE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO STAND IN THE WAY OF OUR EVIL DEEDS!"
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, EVILDOERS!" I heard Miss Su shout.
"I, THE MAGICAL ALCHEMIST PRINCESS OF CHRISTMAS, SU, WILL NOT STAND BY AND LET YOU STEAL ALL THESE JUNKIES' DREAMS! TAKE THIS! MAGICAL GIRL CANNON!" Miss Su shouted as she fired a laser through the stadium barrier and into the ship.
"HAHA! YOUR MAGICAL CHRISTMAS CHEER IS TOO WEAK TO HARM OUR BAD GUY MOTHERSHIP! NOW TAKE THIS!" They mocked her before preparing an attack of their own.
Seeing them target Miss Su, I decided to step in and destroy that ominous contraption aimed at her.
*BOOM*
"I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU PEOPLE ARE, BUT I WON'T LET YOU LAY A FINGER ON MISS SU!" I shouted while trying to reassure Miss Su that I was on her side.
I don't know why, but for whatever reason it seems like someone was trying to get me to doubt her earlier through some form of mind control. I'm not sure why anyone would do such a thing, but I need her to know I'm on her side.
"THEY ARE TOO STRONG FOR ME TO FIGHT ALONE!" Miss Su exclaimed.
"Don't worry! I'll protect you!" I said, to calm her fears.
"IF ONLY THERE WERE ANOTHER MAGICAL GIRL TO FIGHT BY MY SIDE! OR MAYBE EVEN A PHANTOM!" She shouted.
"Miss Su, did you not here me?" I asked, as she was starting to act… Well, she has always been a bit strange now that I'm thinking about it.
"*sigh* I thought at least the phantom would show up!" Miss Su muttered quietly in a disappointed tone.
"Miss Su?" I said, as I felt something was off.
*SWOOSH*
"WITH THE LAST OF MY MAGICAL GIRL POWER, I WILL BANISH YOU ALL TO THE DEEPEST DEPTHS OF REHAB!" I could hear her shout as she flew towards the aerial craft while dodging a storm of laser beams.
'Those aren't-!'
*Pop*
"STOP! THIS IS TOO DANGEROUS!" I shouted at her after teleporting in front of her.
I intended to catch her mid-air before teleporting her to safety, before she got hurt. Even if she is a grandmaster and an aura specialist, she is still mortal. One lucky strike from the enemy and that could be the end for her. I can't let her risk her life like that.
*Swoosh*
Before I could catch her, she threw her wand at me. I caught it with ease of course, thanks to my quick reflexes. However, …
*Bang*
"Ugh!"
The yellow star at the tip of the rubbery wand suddenly detached when I grabbed it, before flying into my left eye. It didn't do much damage, due to me being a blue core nascent soul, but it still felt like someone poked me in the eye. While I was distracted, miss Su managed to pass me. One I realized this, I quickly turned around to try and catch up to her, but …
"Ugh! WAIT! AAHH! MY EYE!"
There was suddenly a bright light and I couldn't see a thing through my right eye, and the tears flooding my left after getting jabbed moments ago were making it hard for me to see anything. Disoriented I ended up crashing into the audience stands while trying to chase after her.
I then heard some loud noises before I finally remembered I could use my 6th sense to substitute for my vision after an embarrassingly long time. When I looked up into the sky the aerial craft was gone and Miss Su was nowhere to be found.
'You okay lad?' I heard my master say in my head.
'Yeah, I'm fine! What about Miss Su?'
'She escaped with the ship!'
"DAMN IT! IF ONLY I HAD-!"
'I said escaped, not kidnapped lad! As long as the monarch doesn't catch her, she will be fine!'
'Huh?'
'I tried to tell you earlier! Those lasers were not meant to kill, and you should thank your luck they weren't, or you would be missing an eye right now!'
It was then that I realized my right eye that had been shot was still there.
'But if they were harmless then why can't I see through my right eye?'
'Same reason why you shouldn't stare directly at the sun you, knucklehead! The bright light damaged your retina causing your vision to deteriorate! If you're lucky the blindness is only temporary!'
'Then what about Miss Su?'
'Hm? I wonder?'
'What is it?'
'It's nothing! Anyways, I'm pretty sure those perverted youngsters, and the lass were on the same side, so you have nothing to worry about!'
'WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! THERE IS NO WAY MISS SU WOULD BE FRIENDS WITH THOSE PERVERTS! DIDN'T YOU SEE HOW THEY ATTACKED HER?!'
'Stop shouting and think! At what point was the lass actually in any danger?'
'Well, there was that ominous looking weapon I cut down!'
'You don't know whether or not it was dangerous because you destroyed it before anything happened! Meanwhile, all the lasers they fired after were practically harmless!'
'I have a blind eye that begs to differ!'
'Okay, relatively harmless! Either way, she was never in any actual danger! Don't you think that is a little strange?'
'Now that you mention it, those perverts also were acting a little weird, besides the skimpy outfits I mean!'
Those perverts kept stuttering while looking uncomfortable as they made strange demands.
'They were acting strangely because they were acting and terribly at that! You probably didn't notice because your mind was probably still reeling from the mind control!'
'Why?'
'Probably some form of strange diversion that lass cooked up!'
'Diversion?'
'Do you recall how the prince invited the lass to work for him?'
'Yes, but I still don't understand why she refused!'
'That my dear disciple is the difference experience between you two!'
'Huh!'
'A prince of the very country we stand on, publicly announced he wanted her to work under him! Do you understand the weight of that!'
'So, just because he is the prince she felt scared and ran away?'
'*sigh* No! When a figure of the upper class makes an offer in such a public setting, they put their pride and status on the line, and anything but a yes would be treated as a grave insult! A person of no status saying no to a prince in such a way is considered less majesty, which is grounds for execution in most countries!'
"WHAT!?"
'You understand now! Normally, if someone of high standing wants to recruit someone they do it in a more private or secretive way, but by publicly inviting her like this, he is basically saying work for me or die! If I was her, I wouldn't want to work for someone who employed such a tactic either!'
'So, if she hadn't run away, she would have died!'
'It's a possibility!'
"Oh crap! I need to find her!" I stood up as I recalled our reason for being here.
She was being targeted by the Dark Empire, it's the whole reason why she came here. I forgot to tell her she could tag along with me to the 3rd continent before she left. She is probably freaking out thinking she blew her shot at getting a backer.
'Hm? It doesn't disappear completely no matter how much I try! What is this!'
'Did you say something, master?'
'I said, aren't you projecting a bit here! She never actually said she needed a backer! She could just have been after the pill of immortality!'
"Hm? WHAT THE! EWW! GROSS! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!"
As I started to regain my sight a little bit, I noticed the gross thing I had clenched in my hand, before throwing it away in disgust.
'That would be the wand the lass has been waving around all night.'
"Wait! WHAT?!"
That was when I remembered how I had caught miss Su's wand earlier. Looking closer with my one good eye, I also noticed how similar in shape and color the handle was to her wand.
'It seems her associates are not the only perverts abord that ship!'
*Gulp*
"Y-You think she used it?"
'Hey, I said stop showing me your lewd fantasies!'