NOVEL NEXT 4 – Battle!
It was finally time. Jessica’s first raid as a demon minion. She wasn’t quite sure whether to be scared or excited. After all, even if she was only pretending, this would make her an enemy of humanity.
On the other hand, there was a chance she would meet the magical girls again. Or rather, it was pretty much guaranteed. For some reason, the magical girls always showed up shortly after a demon attack, no matter what.
With that said, the timing was a bit unfortunate. Obviously, she wanted to be at her best today to keep the facade up, but she also wanted to preserve some energy for hanging out with her friends tomorrow. It wouldn’t do to make Erika worry even more.
Jessica looked around at her teammates. Everyone was in the standard demon minion costume, with a light blue crescent symbol on their chests. Other than their various body builds, horn shapes, and hair, everyone was practically identical.
“Get ready!” a voice spoke to everyone through telepathy.
That was, of course, their combat-incapable squad leader. Not even he was allowed to speak during raids, so telepathy was the only way to give commands.
Still a dumb rule.
Jessica tensed up, ready to break through her designated window and start flailing around like a proper minion.
“Relax. I’m sure you’ll do just fine!” a more familiar voice resounded in her head. She ignored the demonic spirit this time.
She briefly glanced up at their general floating in the air, who was running the show today. Salem, the moon witch. Dressed in a striking black dress with light blue patterns etched into it, wearing a stylized blue domino mask, and wielding her signature staff.
Just as expected, she didn’t even get to start anything before the magical girls appeared. They had to have some kind of radar for trouble and a teleporter, seriously.
“Hold it, Salem! Whatever you are planning, we will stop you!” the girl with wavy fiery-red hair and dress, holding an orange shortsword, shouted from up above. Her three teammates flanked her, staring Salem down.
“Mmph! Are you sure you have time to worry about me?!” Salem shouted back at them whilst raising her staff and making it glow.
The ground beneath shook and various cracks appeared in the pavement.
“Go!” came from the squad leader.
Jessica quickly recovered from the earthquake, punched the window, and broke through it. Usually, that would result in her getting cut all over, but thanks to being a demon, and because of the cut-resistant suit, she wasn’t injured at all.
All the other minions in the squad also burst out from wherever they were hiding. From behind windows like her, from under tables, from the newly created cracks in the ground, from the sewers – poor girl, that one – and began thrashing the amusement park their general had decided to raid.
Screams of the visitors were everywhere and Jessica honestly felt quite sick even knowing that any civilian injuries would easily get healed with magic afterward.
“You fiend! Attacking an amusement park?! How low will you stoop?!” the red-haired magical girl shouted.
“I’ll take care of it!” Pretty Bloom yelled.
“I’m coming with you!” Pretty Spark added.
Pretty Frost and Pretty Flame against Salem, while the other two cleaned up the minions, Jessica noted. The heavy hitter and a tank for the boss, while the scout and the support took out the mobs. A fair distribution.
Well, not like this was a video game.
Jessica was in the middle of tearing apart a plastic horse in a carousel with vengeance – she definitely had no grudge against these due to something from childhood – when she was interrupted.
“Stop that!”
She reacted just in time and threw herself to the ground as a blast of sparkling magic passed through where she had just been standing.
When she looked up, she saw her. Dressed in a green dress shaped like a flower embroidered with various plants. The ribbon in the middle of her chest was decorated with a flower-shaped pin. Her green hair was tied into a loose bun behind her, held in place by hairpins with flower ornaments. She held her signature Blossom wand.
Pretty Bloom was here.
Jessica almost gawked at the magical sight if it wasn’t for the fact that her hero was glaring at her. Yup, time to get into the role of a demon minion rather than an awestruck fan.
All surrounding minions stopped what they were doing and threw themselves at the new arrival. But before anyone could reach her, she shouted “Budding blast!” whilst raising her wand into the air, making it shine.
Jessica was quick to jump behind one of the plastic horses to shield herself, only to hear a loud pop followed by screams and groans and subsequent thuds against the ground.
Well, that was her group wiped out, probably. Just the standard life of a minion.
“Good job dodging that! I knew you had potential!” Nomed said into her mind. She still opted to ignore him, but it did make her quirk a smile.
She glanced around and noticed that another minion managed to hide behind the ride to save his butt. Their featureless masks made eye contact.
“You good?” Jessica sent to him via telepathy.
He got startled for a second before giving a nod. No telepathy from him. Probably couldn’t use it.
On cue, both of them stood up to see the carnage left in Bloom’s wake. Dozens of minions lying around, some of them already dissipating into thin air – or rather, being teleported back to the castle to be treated.
“Ugh, there’s more?” Bloom exclaimed as she noticed the two.
Jessica steeled her resolve once more and tuned into telepathy again. “You go left, I go right.”
The other guy ran left without any complaint – not that he could complain without telepathy – as Jessica stepped to the right, intending to flank the magical girl.
“Reap what you sow!” Bloom shouted whilst horizontally slashing her wand forward. A sparkling wave of magic shot out of it. The particles quickly covered the two demons and began to glow. They transformed into roots and vines, quickly snaking around to restrain both of them.
The other guy screamed as a proper minion should, but Jessica on the other hand decided to keep going for a little longer.
She gathered magic all around her and then let it burst out of her body, ripping apart her bindings.
“Wha-?!” Bloom was startled.
“Nice!” the spirit cheered in her head.
Jessica couldn’t help but grin under her mask. All the hours of burying herself in books and practicing had paid off. She was glad she had managed to pull off this special anti-Bloom technique despite her heart beating out of her chest due to the adrenaline.
She stood up straight, lifted her hand palm up, and gestured with her fingers in a ‘come at me’ motion.
Bloom frowned and pointed her staff directly at Jessica before firing off a generic blast of magic. Jessica, wanting to test herself decided not to dodge this time, and instead quickly formed a black ball of magic in her hand and shot it back.
The two blasts clashed, blew up, and ultimately canceled each other.
“W-what is with this minion?”
It was too bad she wasn’t allowed to talk back. What would she give to have a chance to use her acting skills right now?
Well… then again, it wasn’t as if she really was the magical girls’ enemy anyway.
