Chapter 25: Since My Best Friend, the Magical Girl, Has Fallen to Darkness, I’ve Decided to Bring Her Back

It happened right after I dropped Akashi off at her house.

A chilling sensation raced down my spine, and I instinctively looked up.

A viscous, malevolent magic energy—one that inspired terror—had suddenly appeared within the inverted space. Of course, my entire body screamed at me to brace for battle.

"—What is this?"

The first thing I felt was déjà vu.

Magic energy is a mass of emotional power. In other words, it takes on characteristics similar to the wielder’s strongest emotions.

What I sensed now was envy, hatred, resentment—strikingly similar to what Savaros had emitted during the final battle.

…Did he revive?

No. I had definitely ended him in that fight. Savaros’ body had turned to ash and vanished right after he fired the "Seed of Darkness" at Luna.

If that was the case, then there was only one conclusion to draw from this resemblance.

Suppressing the unease in my chest, I transformed into Amrutart and rushed toward the source.

---

To reclaim Haruto, I needed power.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, my body shifted into "Third Form: Trinity."

The only difference from before was that my skin was now sun-kissed.

Glancing at the cracked glass, I saw a girl reflected in it—her face twisted in an ecstatic smile.

But it didn’t stop there.

As I willed it, a miasma coiled around my body like serpents, radiating a pitch-black glow.

A crawling disgust—yet to me, it felt like nothing but exhilarating pleasure.

The miraculous power I once obtained to save the world—to save Minami—was now being defiled, inverted, and reshaped by malice.

The once-fluffy dress had drastically shrunk in fabric, clinging to me like a leotard. The alluring exposure of my thighs felt so provocative even to myself that I let out a heated sigh.

My once pure-white wings were now completely jet-black, dyed in a dull luster that evoked a fallen angel.

From my staff emerged a blade—black as night.

Yes, a scythe.

The reaper’s weapon.

Its weight felt oddly reassuring as I swung it effortlessly. Power surged through my entire body.

If I went all out, I could probably lop off heads with shocking ease.

But where’s the fun in that?

I’d drag it out—savor every second of their agony.

Just imagining what was to come sent waves of sweet euphoria rushing through me.

That bastard’s screams would finally ease the resentment I’d been holding in.

—I was weak before. That’s why everything was taken from me.

Then I’ll take it all back.

Surely, Haruto would look at me like this and—

"You’ve worked hard."

—pat my head and praise me.

Next is Amrutart.

I don’t know where he is, but I will find him and make him pay.

…I remember everything now…

This bastard used me as a shield…

That’s why I suffered so much.

Rage and hatred twisted together, urging me forward.

But I forced myself to hold back.

Because he’s second priority. Before anything else, I have to save Haruto from those clutches.

I couldn’t contain my excitement.

It felt like floating in a dream.

Laughter bubbled up uncontrollably.

And in that very moment—

"…Luna?"

—a voice so utterly dull reached my ears.

---

"…Luna?"

What I saw upon arriving in the inverted world was a lone girl bathed in moonlight streaming through the skylight.

Probably… Luna.

Probably.

Because her very essence had been twisted beyond recognition.

At a glance, it’d be hard to believe she was the same person.

—Her appearance was the same.

But the aura she exuded was unmistakably different.

Her once-pure form had been defiled, now resembling a witch.

The cause? She radiated not light, but this side’s magic energy.

"Amrutart… I was just thinking about you."

Noticing me, Luna narrowed her eyes and let out a shrill laugh.

Her voice, usually so clear and pleasant to the ears, now carried a sharp, piercing edge.

Malice had tainted her.

"I was just wondering how I should make you suffer, how I should get my revenge… But before that, I have something more important to do. I need to reclaim what’s mine—"

"…What happened?"

Luna’s eyes were unfocused.

The gaze that once held such strong will now stared vacantly at me.

To me, it looked like she was still lost in a dream, her mind somewhere far away.

"Nothing. But I finally realized—if I want something, I just have to take it. If someone gets in my way, I can just kill them. So—"

Dark magic energy—a miasma—rose around her, thickening into a fog.

The clinging sensation made me grimace.

"I’ll kill Minami Akashi."

"Are you serious?"

Youta… killing her?

Stunned, I could only watch as Luna’s lips curled into a ghastly smile.

An expression so unlike her—one that would horrify anyone who saw it.

"She’s the enemy. A demon trying to steal everything from me."

Her steps were unsteady, as if delirious with fever.

She staggered forward like a marionette.

But in an instant, her demeanor shifted with her next words.

"But if you can’t wait your turn, I’ll crush you first."

Before she even finished speaking, Luna swung her scythe.

Where did she get such strength? Her movements were eerily swift.

A slash imbued with malice unleashed multiple shockwaves of darkness, surging toward me.

"Sorry, but stopping you is my job."

With a slight lean, I dodged.

Linear attacks were trivial to read.

The blade of malice pierced through the factory’s outer wall, accomplishing nothing more than improving ventilation.

I immediately created distance.

Then, channeling my own magic energy, I shifted into a battle stance.

—I don’t know what happened to Youta.

But one thing was certain:

She’s twisted right now.

My life means little.

I don’t cling to it—hell, she’s the one who saved me in the first place. If she truly wished for it, I’d offer it up without hesitation.

But the Youta before me is clearly not in his right mind.

If she’s left to act on impulse, she’ll bring about catastrophe.

And when she regains her senses, the guilt will crush her.

No—worse. She might never return, swallowed whole by madness.

So I will stop her.

The fact this is happening in the inverted world is a small mercy. Even if this abandoned factory sees little foot traffic, there’s no telling what could spill beyond it.

"Fine. Consider this the prelude, Dark Witch Luna! I’ll kill you with the power of darkness!"

Announcing her intent with a cruel grin, Luna unleashed her second assault.

Spinning midair, several feathers tore free from her wings, scattering—

—before each one morphed into pitch-black bullets hurtling toward me.

"Remember? This is where we first met."

"—Yeah."

I answered while vaporizing them all with lightning.

There was a slight inaccuracy in Luna’s words.

This was where Luna and Amrutart first met.

Not Haruto and me.

But I couldn’t correct her.

My true identity had to remain hidden.

Now, the bullets were countless, but it hardly mattered.

A surface of lightning cleaved through point attacks.

Overwhelming suppression—the reason I’m (however reluctantly) called the Thunder Emperor.

Frustration twisted Luna’s face as her assault failed.

"I’ve never beaten you. There were nights I cried into my pillow over it. But with this power—it doesn’t matter! I’ll settle every last grudge!"

Howling, she redeployed the bullets—then charged at me herself.

Accelerating wildly, she swung her scythe in a direct slash aimed at my throat.

"Naive!"

My lightning-formed sword intercepted the scythe one-handed.

Blades clashed, ringing sharply as sparks erupted.

With my free hand, I unleashed a bolt to disperse her encroaching black wings.

Anticipating this, Luna pivoted into a kick toward my gut.

I twisted aside at the last moment, countering with a warning shock aimed at her torso.

"Tch!"

Blocking the lightning with a barrier, Luna clicked her tongue and retreated.

---

Regaining my footing, I reassessed Amrutart.

Still strong.

He weaved through my enhanced attacks effortlessly.

—No, it’s his absurd magic reserves.

I’m struggling to control this power—my coordination’s off.

This body, once so agile, now feels unbearably heavy.

He seized the opening, closing the distance.

Given my weapon’s reach, this proximity put me at a disadvantage, forcing me back.

Gradually, I was being cornered.

What I craved was the visceral thrill of splitting flesh and shattering bone.

But he parried me like it was nothing—mocking me.

The intoxicating wine of his victory-blood remained frustratingly out of reach.

A single decisive spell could turn the tide, but—

Whether he sensed my intent or not, Amrutart watched me with icy detachment.

Those emerald eyes—so much like his.

And that superior demeanor.

Even now, it felt like he saw right through me.

Infuriating.

---

During the interval, I analyze the situation.

Her weapon is an oversized scythe.

Each strike carries tremendous weight, but that inevitably leaves her wide open.

Of course, her momentum-driven attacks are a genuine threat.

But if I can block them, that very reach becomes a hindrance to her mobility.

In other words, if I can just slip inside her guard, neutralizing her should be easy.

She must have transformed recently—she’s still unfamiliar with wielding this power.

The abilities of the Dark Witch, the magical girl of shadows, seem fundamentally different from those of the Silver Witch.

Where Luna’s previous fighting style relied on rapid combos, the girl before me now prioritizes single, devastating blows.

What makes her the Dark Witch is the vast amount of magical energy supplied by the "Seed of Darkness."

But that doesn’t necessarily give her an advantage. If anything, she seems barely able to control it.

In that case, a swift assault is my best bet.

—And as a bonus, it’ll keep her disoriented.

Time to go all out.

"Binding Chains!"

Chains erupt from the ground at Luna’s feet, forcing her to scramble back in panic.

Binding Chains is a spell that restrains its target—the same one I used to immobilize her in our first fight.

She must remember it, because she’s desperately dodging as I relentlessly barrage her with more chains.

I keep up the pressure, driving her toward the corner of the factory.

"Quit it already!"

Ignoring her frustrated click of the tongue, I fire off several bolts of lightning.

Cornered, she leaps into the air to evade.

The stray electricity strikes a discarded machine behind her. Sparks fly as circuits short out, followed by an explosion that shatters the silence.

The blast catches her midair, sending her hurtling forward with unexpected acceleration.

She’s thrown off balance.

But I’m not letting up.

I immediately follow up with more lightning and chains, keeping her on the defensive even in midair.

Though Luna has the ability to fly, her aerial maneuverability is inferior to her ground movement.

Humans weren’t meant to have wings.

She compensates with mental adjustments, but that extra processing inevitably slows her reaction time compared to when she’s on foot.

On top of that, the explosion has created turbulent air currents.

While the initial burst gave her a speed boost, controlling her movement has only gotten harder.

Which makes predicting her next move child’s play.

I exploit that weakness mercilessly.

In an instant, I summon my lightning blade again and close the distance.

With a swift upward slash, I strike the shaft of her scythe, sending her crashing to the ground.

"D-dammit!"

"Take this—Thor’s Hammer!"

My ultimate spell, forged from highly condensed magical energy.

I bring down a bolt of lightning, compressed to its absolute limit, right onto Luna as she sprawls on the ground, cursing.

"Don’t look down on me! My magic’s stronger now too!"

With another click of her tongue, Luna regains her footing and conjures a magic circle.

Unlike the silver ones from before, this one is pitch-black, forming at the tip of her scythe.

"Aporia Dark Matter!"

A vortex of gravity capable of swallowing even light itself unfolds, intercepting my lightning.

Her output is probably higher than mine. At best, our attacks cancel out. At worst, hers overwhelms mine completely.

But even so—it doesn’t matter.

Right before the dark matter collides, a deafening roar fills the air, and the world turns white.

The sheer force of Thor’s Hammer is enough to temporarily blind and deafen even me, its caster, if I don’t take precautions.

An unprotected civilian would be vaporized, bones and all.

I deliberately detonated it earlier than intended.

As a result, her ultimate move was baited out prematurely.

The shockwave hits us both.

Frankly, it’s a miracle the already ruined factory is still standing.

The very air crackles with residual energy, but the shock-resistant spell I pre-cast shields me from the worst of it.

"...Ghh!"

Luna lets out a pained groan as she tumbles across the ground.

—That’s right. That last spell was a feint.

A dazzling distraction, using the overwhelming presence of an ultimate spell.

She must have been caught off guard, losing her balance to the blast before the real clash even happened.

"Rrraaah!"

Now or never.

I seize the opening and charge in, driving a knockout strike straight at her.

...Direct hit.

Just as I feel the dull impact and start to pull back—

"Guh...!"

A searing pain erupts in my abdomen, and I collapse, vomiting blood onto the ground.