[color=fff79a]“NICE, Kichi!~” [/color] Haruko’s voice bellowed, and in it was every fibre of her inexperience. There was no concern, or even self-preservation. No, her grin was wide, eyes matching manically. As smog poured from this hive of desolate horror, Haruko rubbed her hands together hastily, before the resounding ‘clap’ echoed through the smoke. It was a simple action, but it heralded her only, truly useful ability as a new magical girl. Just in time, too. Her poor mentor was sustaining some injury! [color=fff79a]“YAHOOOOOOO!”[/color] The second, the literal second that Aki’s beacon revealed the congregation, the shifting forms of their enemies, Haruko leapt on them like a startled frog. Why would she do something so reckless? Partially because it was Haruko, mostly because of the glimmering, yellow constructs of magic that eclipsed her fingertips. Claw-like, similar to Kichi’s and yet undeniably smaller and much gaudier. Of course, using them was a different story. Haruko simply swung her arms like a fool, mentally debating if she should use them to stab or strike, opting for the latter. This lack of expertise cost her a barrel-roll away from the smoke, a large puff of it sending her hurdling backwards onto the floor. Down, but never out. Within seconds she was almost literally flying back towards her prey, a burst of her own magic heralding it. Haruko’s second most useful ability, speed. Yes, she hopped, jumped, skipped and limped while using it, but there was purpose here. She wanted that scoundrel of smoke and misery down for the count. A few hissing, serpentine noises heralded Haruko’s clipping of a lesser Vice, and with the force she was flailing around at, perhaps a lucky strike at that! [color=fff79a]“Quick is my middle name! I won’t let’cha down!” [/color] B O O M Haruko froze. Something flew past her, straight into her victim Vice. It’s skeletal ‘face’ became clear, twisting in a horrific scream as a hole had materialised in its head, the wound inversely sucking the creature into a swirl of nothingness. Just a simple, dark crystal left behind. [color=fff79a]“A h . . .”[/color] She slowly, slowly turned to Aki, white with shock, her face said it all. Was that... was that YOU, Aki?