Transformation or Death

Like Family (6)  

A bright red light bloomed brilliantly like a comet, tracing a straight line. On the opposite side, a purplish line connected the path. When the two lights met, it was like a fantastic sunset appearing.

Faint sparks fluttered up, filling my vision. I couldn’t help but squint my eyes at the overwhelming brightness.

The meeting of the former Red and the current Red. The intersection of the past and present. The red flames and violet heat rays started to confront each other.

I hurriedly evacuated outside the building, and explosions could be heard from inside where the two were fighting. 

“Hmm. You’ve gotten stronger, it seems.”

“Why are you taking Mr. Jae-jung!”

“Why indeed?”

Red Vega looked quite exhausted. She must have depleted her stamina exploring this dark matter all night long. The situation was quite unfavorable for her.

“Oh? What’s that supposed to mean, you’re hurting my feelings.”

Virgo immediately covered my mouth. The flames on Red Vega’s fist moved to wrap around my neck. It was an obvious threat that if I said anything unnecessary, these flames would burn my entire vocal cords.

“Stay quiet.”

Sagittarius One (Four Season Day).

Her unique ability to steal a magical girl’s magic was still intact.

“What did you do to Mr. Jae-jung!”

“Why do you care? Look at you blabbering. How cute.”

Perhaps it was because her magic was stolen from her, and she put me in danger too. Red Vega seemed quite enraged.

“I do care!”

The crimson flames of heat gathered at her legs. Red Vega leapt into the air, further compressing her magic into her legs. 

Soon, her legs started raining down thunderous flames onto Virgo.

Illo. Combustion Whirlwind.

“I’m Jae-jung’s mentor!”

She rushed in mercilessly, using her ultimate move from the start.

“Mentor? You?”

Virgo lightly mocked her and enveloped the flames she had stolen from Red Vega into her fist, letting the owner directly feel the heat of those flames.

With a bitter laugh, the two starlight beams combined. Amidst the red flames tracing lines like machine gun tracers, the violet beam passed through.

“What could you possibly teach?”

Bang!

The two starlights clashed and another powerful explosion occurred. The shockwaves caused the already weak surrounding buildings to collapse, kicking up opaque dust clouds.

Without any delay, the violet beam circled through the dust cloud.

“What is there to respect about the likes of you?”

Deep, disdainfully.

“Just collecting taxes to feed yourselves, unable to properly protect people! All you do is pretty yourselves up and smile in front of cameras! Just playthings to allow those who could be defeated at any time a temporary escape from reality, right? Mentors? What could you possibly teach? This is ridiculous too.”

The words she was spitting out now were the most sincere of all the things she had said so far.  

“You’re just disposable trash that can be used roughly and thrown away. Disposable, an abundant excess product, scrap! Don’t think for a second that you actually amount to anything…”

She fired beams to clear the dust cloud. Her firepower was top-tier even among villains, and with the magic she stole from Red Vega, her power seemed to know no bounds.

Their figures emerged from the dust cloud. In contrast to the unharmed Virgo, Red Vega looked quite fatigued with scratches all over her body.

“Disgusting.”

She should have finished it with her ultimate move earlier when she had the chance. Unfortunately, her prospects of winning grew even more distant now.  

Red Vega looked at Virgo and smiled.

“To spout such nonsense over a mere mention of being a mentor… Did I strike a nerve with the has-been senior?”

Pah, she spat out the sand and blood in her mouth roughly, then took a stance.

“I’m so disappointed to see what kind of person the former Red has become. It’s very unfortunate, but you’re mistaken.” 

Her outburst of anger was clearly an excessive reaction compared to the content, anyone could see that.

What on earth did she experience during her magical girl days to elicit such a hysterical response? I felt a renewed sense of pity for Virgo’s life. 

She always boasted about forgetting everything due to her amnesia, but it seemed the past wounds she should have forgotten the most, she couldn’t forget at all.

Red Vega glanced at me and grinned. Virgo’s displeased expression was nowhere in her view.

“I’m going to become a great person.”

Flames spouted from the tips of her feet. She lightly leapt over Virgo and in an instant arrived in front of me, embracing my waist.

“And, I cannot give up on the person who will make me a great person. I heard an interesting opinion about magical girls.”

Red Vega hugged me and flew straight up into the sky. 

“Personally, I don’t agree though.”

“…ro…”

Virgo muttered while looking up at this place with creepy eyes.

“Wow… That’s scary.”

“Why are you provoking that scary friend?”

“If you give up because it’s scary, you’re not a magical girl! Then should I just stay quiet after that insult?” 

“Just stay quiet…”

“Huh? Why are you taking that woman’s side? It’s uncomfortable. You’re not enchanted because that freak is pretty, are you? Here’s the real lovable and cute Red, you’re not thinking of giving her a sidelong glance…”

“Re…turn…”

Pewing!

A beam flew towards this direction.

“Uwah?!” 

“Be careful! You’ll get hurt like that!”

“It’s not me, it’s Jae-jung who needs to be careful! What can a bare body do against…”

Before Red Vega could dodge, another beam flew at her.

“Return it─!!!”

Dozens of beams filled the sky. The densely packed crimson beams falling like rain recreated the beautiful evening sky from morning.

But that wasn’t all.

“Ugh…?! My…body…”

“What’s wrong? Hey!”

Red Vega had intended to fly away quickly, but she couldn’t fly as she expected. Much more magical power was consumed than usual. Not even half of the expected output came out.

Naturally, it was because of Virgo. The magical power she drained ate away at Red Vega to an unimaginable extent, and Red Vega gradually began falling downwards.

“Huh…? Uh uh uh…?” 

“Vega! Above!”

Virgo didn’t miss a beat. In an instant, she spread her wings and flew up above Red Vega, aiming her finger at her head.

The seemingly casual barrage of beams was actually to herd her to a certain position in the wide open sky above.

“Jae-jung, if I die you have to cry at my funeral for sure?! It wouldn’t be bad to grab my portrait and confess while holding it either!”

“Don’t say such worrying things, you brat!”

Without any delay, I attached a belt around my waist. Virgo grabbed my shoulder and pulled me up, while Red Vega also firmly grabbed my waist, not wanting to let go.

“Let go!”

“I can’t give you!”

“Ugh… ughh…”

Of course, I felt like I was going to die. Beings beyond human strength were pulling me from both sides. The pain of my skin tearing dug into my nerves.

“Ah.”

Realizing this, Red Vega let go of my waist, and I ended up cradled in Virgo’s arms. 

Virgo roared angrily.

“Let go! Don’t take him! Don’t take him either!”

A blinding beam gathered at the tip of her finger.

“Don’t accomplish anything!”

I quickly grabbed her arm and raised it upwards. The beam meant to pierce down at Red Vega flowed back and drew a long line across the sky. An impressively high beam, even in the chaotic world of maniacs where such disturbances always occur.

It may have become a signal flare for people looking for someone to gather around.

As I was thinking that, Virgo stretched out her right leg. Another beam gathered at the tip of her shoe.

“This crazy…”

“Kya ha ha ha! You thought I could only do it with my fingers?”

I couldn’t stop that in time. So, I had no choice. 

“I’m good with my legs too!”

The beam that came straight down at Red Vega knocked her to the ground as she fell. Bang! With an ear-splitting boom, the ground caved in and dirt and dust burst upwards roughly.

“Don’t do anything. Don’t gain anything.”

From within the rough smoke, Virgo turned her hand and snickered.

“It’s a world destined for destruction anyway, so what’s the point of working hard to live?! World destruction! World destruction!!!” 

Raving about destruction like a prayer verse, Virgo soon realized the empty feeling of her arm and smiled dejectedly.

“…What are you doing?”

“What am I doing, you mean you can’t tell.” 

Contrary to before, I muttered while cradling Red Vega. The crackling sounds of the embers tickled my ears annoyingly.

Red Vega seemed to have been affected a bit by that earlier beam, as she was unconscious. Her wheezing breath tickled my arm, but fortunately it didn’t seem to be life-threatening.  

As a result, I inadvertently granted her wish not to clearly know my identity.

“I’m rescuing her.”

“You? Why? Rescuing is the job of those people over there. You’re like me.”

Virgo pointed at her own chest in disbelief, at the empty central decoration of her now gem-less dress.

“You’re supposed to be on the destroying side, like me. You have to be. You have to… be.”

Muttering as if resentful, Virgo soon turned to anger and displayed her characteristic hysteria towards me as well.

“…Why isn’t it me?”

Her words were not a question.

“I’m the one who protected you. I’m the one who empathized with you. So why… Why…”

The answer had already been completed within herself.

“Did I turn you into a maniac?”

“No.”

Unfortunately, her guess was not the right answer.

“It’s because you were evil.”

“…Ahha.”

Virgo laughed again.

“So in the end, it’s my fault?”

Unfortunately, this was the right answer.

“How annoying. There were no kind maniacs like that in my time… Be envious.”

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