[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/M5i4w53.png[/img]
[color=FE93EC][h3][b]✫✫ Nico ✫✫[/b][/h3][/color][/center][hr]

[color=FE93EC]"Hyah!"[/color]

Nico sliced through another one of the shades with ease, causing the remaining ones in the pack to grow slightly stronger as the ensuing mist spread among them. The annoying part was that this was additive; the power absorbed by one gets spread among the rest again once it was defeated, alongside its own base power. Sure, two weak things buffing each-other wasn't that much of a problem in isolation, but anything in excess causes unwanted trouble. Even now that the shades were down to about half from when Himeko and Nico started whailing on them they hadn't gotten too troubling, but once it was down to one or two left standing...

[color=FE93EC]"Hey, purple!"[/color] Nico shouted over at Kagami. [color=FE93EC]"Care to actually [i]do your job[/i]? If one of these breaks from the pack and hurts a civilian, I'm holding you accountable, y'know!"[/color]

Honestly, chewing out the arrogant magical girl probably wasn't the smartest idea. All it served to do was take Nico's focus away from the fight, and the fighting itself is just about the best part of the job. Heck, maybe she didn't even [i]want[/i] Kagami to help. The more Nico can chew through, the better! One of the shades thought he saw an opening through the kibbling and launched at Nico, who took notice and conjured up a small barrier to block its attack. The shade harmlessly bounced off and recoiled back, leaving an opening for Nico to cleave right through. Meanwhile, Himeko's flames caught another that attempted to jump on Nico while she was busy dealing with one of the hounds.

[color=FE93EC]"Thanks, foxy!"[/color] Nico cheered. The struck-down shades evaporated, leaving a small dozen still hiding among the woods. [color=FE93EC]"Not too long now..."[/color] Nico muttered to herself as she launched herself forward for another attack on the shades.