Villamvihar

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

While Sylvia and Ember had their talk somewhere in the city, Hotaru had to deal with the realities of battle, a fickle and ever-mercurial beast at best. Exactly as the suddenly appearing mound of cotton candy mixed with popcorn proved, absorbing Evil Eye into itself instead of… she did not finish the thought, for the Warrior had no mind for trickery. She knew not what the club’s mastermind tried to accomplish, only that it was beyond her and that it slowed down her target. Unfortunately, Diamond seemed to have accomplished her goal anyways.

Fortunately, Nyxia remained on point. Her laser would have hit the hand holding the arrow if it were not for the frog girl’s intervention, creating a true disaster of a situation as everyone gathered around Tsubimi. Hotaru was intent on the same. Strangely enough, Ember did not disagree, which meant that she had free rein. And indeed, a grin took over her face as she ignored Willow - that girl never had any sense, nor did she have anything in her skull resembling a brain - leaving her, along with that rotten light girl, to deal with the shield asshole along with the laser asshole.

They could shoot at Hotaru all they liked. Sylvia would soak up all the pain anyways and if this body became damaged, there should be one nearby that she could jump to. The light girls would not even know what hit them. Indeed, Hotaru’s fellow dark girls appeared one after another to engage the whores. Unfortunately, she was still a bit away, but at least she approached from one of the smaller alleyways, so she would likely have a drop on Diamond.

Just a little more. Just a little more! Hotaru drew on more of her magic to enhance her movements, leaving cracked pavement in her wake. She crossed the distance by practically leap-running through her streets, descending like lightning on Diamond to knock her away from Tsubomi. She specifically tried to backhand the batter, because sinking her claws into the light girl would mean taking the time to yank them out.

Then she asked Sylvia-

Where was Sylvia?!

Not used to keeping track of everything in a fight, Hotaru fumbled her next step and instead of becoming the whirlwind she had intended to be, she merely succeeded in placing herself in the crossfire. Everyone present could hit her without as much as trying, but on the bright side, the light bitches had to go through her to get to Tsubomi again… Unless they resorted to a ranged attack.

Shit. Where were her comrades when she needed them the most? She had not counted on Ember, of course, because she sided with the light girls, but Sylvia? Even if Sylvia hated the warrior’s guts, she would never stop looking out for Hotaru, right? The protector would never abandon her even if they disagreed… right?

But all Hotaru heard in her head was utter. Deafening. Silence.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

The more the schemer thought about their situation, the more she realised she had lost the plot a long time ago. She tried to keep everyone’s needs and feelings in mind, to ensure that there would be as few imbalances between them as possible and that they all lived as happily they could inside a shared body, even if it did mean sacrificing herself but… What did it result in the end? They had been scattered to the winds because she went about it the wrong way. She also did not really pay attention to the others, now that she could look back on it with a clear head.

It stung. Ember had thought she knew Hotaru and Sylvia well. She thought she could guide them as a proper adult should, never realising that her role was that of an older sister. Not a mother. Nor a grandmother. Not that she wanted to become that given their past.

It stung so much she wanted to cry.

But as she had learned oh so long ago, that it was up to the adults to pick up the pieces when children misbehaved. So Ember locked away her feelings for later, then reached out with her magic in an attempt to see what happened with her comrades, which brought back interesting results: she could still feel the other two across the city. She could still identify them as well. Hotaru ran towards some sort of goal, while Sylvia remained in one place, just like Ember herself.

Even better, the connection felt strong. Solid. Maybe that meant their bonds were not completely broken yet. She also felt a link to the other bodies, the Oss scattered around the city. They felt almost as though they were attached to strings on her fingertips. A strange, yet very apt metaphor as she pulled on one as an experiment and the Oss immediately appeared beside her in a rush of magic.

She yelped as she scrambled away from the body, staring at it with wide eyes. That was not supposed to happen! Not only was it farther away than their usual reach - a distant part of her wondered how she could tell that - she definitely could not teleport them like this before. Did the split somehow make her powers stronger? In a sense, yes, but she could feel that other parts of her were much diminished in return.

The amount of magic she wielded, for example, got reduced to roughly one fourth of its former size. Ember frowned at that discovery, but it did make a certain amount of sense. Even if Chiaki slept deep inside their shared consciousness, even if they kept her safe from all the evils of the world, it made sense that she would also get an equal share of their power. Which also meant that there was likely a body Chiaki inhabited right now, if she followed her own logic.

Yet there was no such thing. She could not find Chiaki’s presence anywhere. Was she even ali- Focus, Ember! Hotaru and Sylvia’s lives are in your hands! Don’t you get lost in thought now! You can worry about her later!

Bringing her hands together in front of her, Ember clapped to bring herself into focus and cast her gaze back into the tapestry of strings before her. Now that she looked and felt at it closely, she could feel that there were threads between the Oss as well, along with the Khir. A web appeared before her, with each body being a node that connected to every other one.

She could definitely do something with this. Maybe she could start with Sylvia...

---

Running through the streets proved all too easy. Somehow, Hotaru felt more alive than ever before, her movements flowing into one another with perfect strength and precision. She did not even need to use as much magic as before to propel herself forward. Everything fell into its rightful place, as though she had been born into this body and if she were honest with herself? She loved it. She did not even notice the lack of her friends as she pushed her body to the limit, splattering the Miseria that happened to run into her.

Every step felt like a breath of fresh air. Freedom at last! The ability to step as she liked, to move her arms as she liked, to breathe as she liked! The more she ran, the more she felt like perfection embodied and the more she wondered: Why did it not feel like this when they worked together? They were supposed to be sisters-in-arms. Three parts of a greater whole. Something that became more than the sum of its parts, even if she would not put it that way herself.

But something happened. And now she felt- She felt-! She had no words for it, only grinning as she utterly wiped the floor with Miseria. There was a big one coming too, but in this state, she felt more than ready to take it on. Come hell or high water, she would be ripping it to pieces with her claws, disproving all “rumors” Ember worried about. There was nothing to fear with her at the helm when it came to battle, after all!

However, instead of a giga miseria or one of the freaky birds that she expected, Hotaru came up against a scene that had her stop. Fragments of concrete scattered as she stopped abruptly, trying to make sense of the situation: a gigantic dinosaur assembled from blood - likely Oros; - a torn up concession stand; a mechanical light girl flying through the air; Evil Eye hanging from a swarm of her own Mogalls; and another light girl carrying someone on their back.

It was Tsubomi.

Were those bitches trying to ruin everything again?!

Hotaru blitzed forward as fast as she could, aiming to cut off Diamond’s route of escape or at least catch her with an opportune strike if such a thing presented itself. She channeled her magic into her legs along with her claws, reinforcing them so they would be able to menace anything that came her way.

---

Eventually, both tears and terrors faded.

Sylvia did not know how long she spent curled up, but she felt that her face had swollen and that a miserable weight settled in her chest along with her throat. Having done nothing to help herself or the situation, she had only exhausted herself beyond caring about anything. Because what was the point?

She thought she had escaped hell. When Ember reached out to them, speaking of a place where they could be free from Grandmother and Grandfather, she had thought she had been saved. She would no longer have to be a bad girl. She could be a good girl who got sweet treats instead of whatever punishment Grandfather or Grandmother decided on. All things considered, she felt it was a small wish, something that could be granted even to her, who had been born to a disgraceful daughter.

Of course, that did not mean she could be useless. She had to take on the pain of the others. To shield them from the most awful things they encountered. But could she really do that when Ember and Hotaru shouted at each other, hurling barbed javelins at Sylvia?

Could she protect “Them”? She did not want to. She wanted to run as far away from “Them” as possible. It was just too much and yet… and yet… and yet…!

She sobbed even though the tears would not come. Her throat had dried out a long time ago, feeling as though it were a desert seeded with razor blades. Her sorrow made her legs feel half-frozen along with the pins and needles that appeared because she hugged them so tight.

All because “They” fought again.

…

That is right. Maybe she was not at fault. Maybe “They” were at fault for all of this. Right. Right! That made sense. That made so much more sense! “They” hurt her. “They” hurt her a lot. Sure, Sylvia was a bad girl and she deserved everything that happened to her, but “They” still hurt her like this even though “They” didn’t have to do it. Everything made so much more sense now, because it meant she did not have to protect “Them” anymore.

She laugh-sobbed as she wiped her tears away, because she did not know if she could trust “Them” anymore either. Not unless… she did not know. Could she trust Grandfather and Grandmother? Of course not. They lied all the time. They punished her all the time. Because she was a bad girl. But did she deserve the punishments they gave her? A part of her nodded along and yet there lay a spark in her heart.

A spark that told her that maybe, not even bad girls had to be punished like Grandmother and Grandfather punished her.

She stuffed it in the corner of her heart, of course, because it was wrong. It could not be right. But it was right about one thing: “They” were wrong to argue again, because arguing meant that it was Sylvia’s fault. And she wanted “Them” to get along, so it was “Their” fault that it was Sylvia’s fault.

”Ember… Hotaru… were you… were you really my friends?” she wondered out loud as she tried to massage the blood back into her legs. ”Do you… do you want to hurt me…?” Because if so, then she could not remain around them. Even if it hurt a lot, she could not stay. She had to get away, just as she got away from Grandmother and Grandfather, because if she did not, then she would die.

She wanted to find it out. No, she needed to find it out. She… it felt like poisoned razors being dragged across her body when she thought about abandoning the warrior and the schemer. But if it had to be done, then it had to be done. She would do it somehow, even if it meant injuring herself seriously or talking with Kiyo about it. Sure, she seemed scary, but she also knew a lot about magical girls, so surely she would know what to do in her situation.

But first, she needed to talk to the others. So Sylvia gathered all of her strength before casting out with her magic and let the thread she felt brush across her, pull her into another location.

---

”Ember…?” Sylvia asked as she found herself staring into a pair of blue eyes. The schemer nodded in response even as the sounds of fighting, along with something big moving around could be heard in the distance. What is more, Sylvia could feel a magical girl approaching.

”Yes,” nodded the schemer. ”Listen, Sylvi, I am aware that you have a lot of questions and while I would normally answer them as well as apologise for the poor decisions I have made, I am of the opinion that we do not have time for that.” Ember all but rushed through her sentence as she stepped closer to the protector, grabbing her hand and bringing it closer. ”Can you still find it within your heart to listen to me regardless and trust me when it comes to our safety?”

Sylvia flinched and retreated, the touch feeling like a whip of fire on her skin.

”I… I don’t know,” she responded honestly, her voice trembling.. ”You… you shouted like…”

”Like Grandmother and Grandfather.” Ember’s voice carried a heavy weight, as though she knew she had committed an unforgivable sin. ”I… I apologise from the bottom of my heart. I swear that I will never repeat it again.” She knew how those words would sound to Sylvia. To the protector, who saw promises broken hundreds upon thousands of times. To the one who endured all the pain because Chiaki was too weak to face it all alone.

Yet Ember could do nothing but hope. She tried to imagine herself from the outside, to really see how she would look in Sylvia’s eyes. She found nothing to grasp save for dry straws.

Ember’s heart thundered in her body. Not their shared construct. Her body. Her nails dug into her palm. [b]Her[b] palm. She wanted nothing more than to pull at metaphorical strings, to appeal to Sylvia and to keep talking until she found the lever she needed to pull. She wanted to say she did not mean the arguments, that she did not mean to hurt Sylvia. That her intentions had been pure. But all of those would be one thing: a lie.

Sylvia took a step away from Ember and the schemer’s heart sunk. For not only did Hotaru no longer listen to her, she knew she had broken Sylvia’s trust. What she had built up over months of work, both when they were by themselves and when they spent time with the detention club, shattered like a piece of glass.

All because she did not really pay attention.

”I… I don’t know if you’re… you’re like them.” Sylvia forced those words out. Her voice strained as she fought her ”I just don’t want to be hurt again.”

It was such an innocent wish. Yet at the same time, Ember knew it was the most devastating thing Sylvia could have asked for.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Fury replaced the blood in Hotaru’s veins. She had told everyone. She had told them that light girls were not to be trusted and yet they did not listen! Those whores almost killed Chiaki! Fuck, if it weren’t for the warrior’s intervention, they would have killed Chiaki! And now they were back at it again with the help of their mole, the one she had to tolerate because of the foolishness of Sylvia and Ember. No more. She would not suffer at the hands of these-so-called warriors of justice. They had to go; evicted from the city, injured beyond recovery or dead.

She did not notice the hypocrisy of her own thoughts, nor did she notice the shield impacting the leg of Shuuko’s body, snapping the shin with a loud crack. The spike of pain did little to distract her from her targets, the blow swallowed by Sylvia in the back of their shared consciousness. In fact, it only caused her vision to tunnel even more as memories of past atrocities returned in flashes.

The sneers. The grins. The mocking tone. The looks that Chiaki did not notice. The jokes that went over an innocent child’s head, who thought of light girls as friends because she did not know better. And worst of all, the pretend ignorance when these supposed ‘friends’ saw the bruises on Chiaki’s skin.

”I know you remember too!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. Her voice echoed in their shared space, reverberating in the skull they called home. ”So why aren’t you taking my side? We could kick their asses if we worked together!” Her voice snapped like a whip and lashed across the protector, who whimpered, pulling her legs to her chest in an attempt to protect herself.

”It is blindingly obvious, ‘Ru,” responded Ember as she walked closer to Sylvia with a frown, her lips pursed. She lowered herself in an attempt to meet the shivering girl’s eyes, but only a strangled noise escaped from the protector when she pulled her legs even tighter, curling up into a ball. ”It is thoroughly unhelpful to direct your anger at the wrong people and you are only hurting us by doing so. I am also furious at the-”

”You don’t sound angry to me.” Hotaru’s eyes narrowed as she interrupted Ember. ”You know what you’re like? You’re exactly like those light bitches. All those niceties, all those words, Ember… they’re nothing. You’re hollow. Like a damned robot.” Ember looked at the warrior without as much as a twitch in her expression.

”I will not allow you to talk to me like that.” She straightened up to face Hotaru head on, their gazes meeting with the silent noise of steel on steel. ”Especially not because I happen to hold an opinion that differs from yours. I demand that you speak to me like a human being.”

”You and what army?” grinned Hotaru. ”You can’t get rid of me. And you can’t undo Sylvia’s wounds either.” Her hands tightened as she spoke and she too, stepped closer to the protector.

”You speak as if your words and your tone were not something that affects her, ‘Ru. She’s terrified of you.”

”Only because you filled her head with lies.” Hotaru sneered. ”What did you say to her that she now wants to be friends with those assholes?” Though she tried to keep her voice level, it once again struck as though it were thunder, causing Sylvia to let out another whimper.

”Please… please stop… don’t… like Grandma…” She spoke barely above a whisper.

”See? You’re turning her against me, because it’s convenient for you!”

”If you listened to her closely enough and really cared about her, you would hear the wish in her heart, ‘Ru.” Ember folded her hands, her eyes becoming colder than before as she regarded the warrior. ”We are res-”

”No. You’re the reason she’s like this.” Hotaru slammed her hands together and the echo of flesh on flesh made Sylvia flinch again.

”Listen to me, ‘Ru. If for nothing else, then for the sake of Chiaki and Sylvia. They have done nothing to deserve this sort of treatment. I do admit my fault-”

”The hell you do! Just listen to yourself, talking at me, looking down from your high horse!”

”So spoketh the one with the mind of a mule.” The venom in Ember’s voice surprised even herself, sounding much colder than she intended. However, instead of backing down, the warrior grinned and took another step forward, raising her hand as her fingers folded inward to form a fist. Her intention rung clear as day: to strike whom she believed to be the most hypocritical of them.

”Don’t fight… please.” The protector’s words repeated as she sobbed into her knees. But instead of sliding off the two like water off a duck’s back, something happened. On the outside, as Shatterscape’s body fell to the ground, the sound of shattering glass could be heard, seemingly coming from all directions. At the same time, fragments of mirrors came into existence all around her, scattering to the winds, each of them shattering further as they travelled, seeding her surroundings with magical shrapnel.

The body fared little better. Whatever forces worked inside, they ravaged it from the inside-out and melted it as though it had been tossed onto a funeral pyre before separating into three streams of magical energy coloured the freezing cold of ice, the gentle embrace of a verdant forest, and the faded yellow of fire preserved in amber. Entwined as they were, the three appeared to want to head into different directions before they each dove into one of the mirror shards.

Whatever happened, it left a barely recognisable body on the ground, its surroundings looking as though someone had assaulted them with a rake that had razors instead of tines.

---

Whatever happened, it lead to Hotaru waking up in full control of Shuuko’s body, her senses scrambled but intact and very much capable of perceiving a flight of Mogalls crossing the air above her. They were arranged in a thick formation, which could only mean one thing in her mind: Evil Eye was in danger.

Her heart squeezed. Never mind what happened, never mind her conflict with her comrades, if Evil Eye got hurt again- Her legs responded to the thought before she could finish the thought. She reached for her magic, not even noticing how she could only access a fraction of what she formerly could, then directed it towards her legs. She rushed in the same direction as the Mogalls did, leaving them behind even if it cost them the body in the end. After all, it was only one amongst many, was it not?

---

Whatever happened, Sylvia woke up in full control of Shuuko’s body, without the familiar presence of Ember and Hotaru in her head, but with the feeling of a sharpened knife in her throat. It felt tight - so tight she could barely swallow - because “They” fought again. Like Grandma and Grandpa. And it was her fault… her fault! Filthy, stupid, useless girl. She should have never been born. Then Ember and Hotaru would be happy. “They” would not be fighting over nothing. “They” could live like a happy family.

She knew reconciliation to be hopeless. “They” could never agree. Whatever the topic, it would repeat over and over again, because Sylvia was the one at fault. And “They” could never fix her. She could never fix herself either, because she was a bad girl. She would remain one no matter how much she tried, because her birth had been wrong.

So she did the only thing she could.

”I’m sorry… I know I’m a bad girl…” She apologised to empty air. ”Please… don’t fight. And come back… please…" Such a foolish hope. Her words would never reach “Them.”

---

Whatever happened, Ember woke up in full control of Shuuko’s body. Her head ached from the argument she had with Hotaru, a dissatisfied frown on her face as the conversation finished without an actual conclusion because…

She did not know.

She only knew that Shuuko’s magic - their magic? - did something that left her without other voices in her head and a body that was… hers? Or at least it felt as though it belonged to her. As though it were a proper vessel instead of the shared body they constructed together, belonging to all of them, but not hers in a true sense.

But it did not make sense. Sure, the control they had over their bodies had been getting better and the sudden appearance of a mansion of the mind had been strange, but there had been no signs-

The schemer could not even finish the thought if she wanted to be honest with herself. She knew little about magic, but she certainly knew that it reacted to emotions. It also reacted to thoughts, which is why the three of them could direct it. Indeed, in hindsight, they had been quarreling with each other. Developing different desires. She even pushed Sylvia to make her first friend. A friend that the protector would do anything for.

The schemer had been such a fool. The biggest fool of them all.

”Maybe I am the one with the mind of a mule,” she spoke out loud as she came to an inevitable conclusion: They had split. Not only in mind and soul, but also in body. And this time, it might be impossible to make them whole again.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Earthshaker leapt straight into the belly of the beast, right into the thick of its teeth, as if wanting to be swallowed by it. As useless as she was, Ember knew that she could always escape if things turned tougher than she expected, or just arrange one of her bodies properly to call for help before jumping back into the thick of it. While phoning each other remained an option, it was inconvenient and so the decision she had made was between a body or two or a valuable member of the Detention Club lost to foul play.

Unfortunately, neither of Ember’s companions saw it that way. Nyxia, having seen the schemer’s weakness first-hand, likely spoke up based on it and supported Earthshaker taking the threat head-on. Fortunately, Ember had not shot all of her shots yet.

”While I would agree with you in most circumstances, there is very little that we are aware of in this situation. While my suggestion may seem foolish at a first gla-”

”Ember!” Sylvia’s mental shout almost swept the schemer away. She could not even finish her sentence as the protector’s voice filled their mental space. ”There’s something wrong outside! I feel it!” Ember’s eyes widened in response to that as she processed the warning and she shifted her gaze towards Earthshaker in order to try and figure it out.

The next second, it happened.

Shuuko’s body exploded into motion without Ember’s input. The everyday appearance burned away in a shower of reflective mirrors, transforming into Shatterscape mid-motion. Magic flared brighter than it had any right to, similar to when Hotaru boosted the body’s strength by channeling it through Shatterscape’s body so her strike could behead her foe. Pain flared. Flesh changed.

Agony. The protector could not, or would not shield her comrades from it.

Through the window. Outside. Towards Earthshaker. No time for words, only actions. Grab her shoulder. Throw her away. Green eyes - not red, or sprinkled with green - met Roche’s.

The pain reached new heights as a beam of light pierced Shatterscape’s torso. Barely an inch thick, it nevertheless blew her open and immediately cauterised the wound, almost separating the body’s shoulder from its collarbone. Indeed, had Earthshaker remained in place, kept busy by Morganite, the attack could have found its mark anywhere, disabling or even potentially killing the tribal girl. It would have only taken two attacks from different directions; Earthshaker’s shield could not have defended against both of them.

Or at least such had been Sylvia’s panicked logic when she blitzed towards Roche. Now that it was done? It did not exist anymore. Only poisonous fire remained where her body used to be, consuming all of her mental strength as she tried her best to shoulder the experience. It still bled through to everyone, including Hotaru. And while the warrior may have refused to help the other two so far… Everyone had their limits.

”I will strangle that bitch!”

Shuuko’s body changed hands two times in as many seconds as the warrior seized its lips in order to form a wolf-like howl, then smashed into the ground like a meteorite. With Sylvia taking on the pain, Hotaru could blitz straight towards the source of the beam, right arm stretched out to tear the light girl into shreds, even while her left dangled uselessly at her side.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Ember let out a theatrical sigh as she heard everyone make their points, not to mention almost swarming out of the Detention Club’s room as though they had nothing better to do than rush head-first into conflict. Then again, she should have followed them up instead of arguing with her team-mates like she was about to do.

”While I agree that she is a supremely annoying individual,” spoke the schemer, ”She is also a member of the detention club. She deserves our help just as much as anyone else. That said, flanking them is a good idea, so I agree with Roche on the condition that we keep near the conflict.” Which also meant that Sylvia and her would be near easy rescue, within reach of their allies. It certainly risked Hotaru acting up with Hizuki again, but it was the choice she made between being buried under a pile of Miseria and attacking a light girl who did not deserve it.

At least both of them had a chance to intervene with the latter one. The former? The practice sessions were almost useless. The only thing they had helped with is that they would no longer be tripping over their own feet, which made them about as useful as a pair of soleless shoes.

”Ummm, Ember? Is it okay if I also watch out for Roche, and not just for you and Hotaru? She’s nice… Huh. That was also a new variable that the schemer would have to watch for. The bond between the Rulekeeper and Sylvia… Then there was Kiyo and Hotaru… and the other club members, too. Just thinking about it gave her a headache, which did not last long as another light girl appeared right outside their window, bearing some sort of silly banner.

Ember had Shuuko’s body palm her face.

”Really.” She could not help it. ”Out of all the… She is likely here as a distraction from whatever the GEMS are planning,” she said, lowering her voice so that Morganite would not be able to hear. ”This also means they can attack us at any time or even possibly aim to ruin our reputation within the school with whatever they may carry out. I suggest that at least…” She blinked. ”... One of us stay here. Unfortunately, I would be the most natural choice for the task, as I am capable of calling for help even across vast distances.”

Or in other words, it was the worst possible scenario for her. She could not exactly let it be known that she was incapable of defending herself.

”But then Roche could get hurt.”

”I know. However, Evil Eye is gone and besides her, we are the only ones who are capable of covering vast distances quickly. Hizuki would be an option as well, if she had remained here. I do not like that we have to leave our comrades alone in this case either, yet the situation leaves few other options.” Ember could practically feel the protector’s frown in Shuuko’s mental space. But was there really another option? If they started chasing Morganite around, they would be practically giving her what she wanted.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Suki did raise a good point about hiding, if it were not for the case of Ashbringer. Or the light girls that ambushed Tsubomi and her. Even with the extensive coverage of Kiyo’s Mogalls, things were bound to slip through the net, because not even she could pay attention to everything all the time, something that became more apparent as time went on. Perhaps an increase in patrols would solve the issue, but they also had lives in the city.

Shuuko’s mouth pressed into a thin line as Ember thought about that, then Haruna spoke up about the GEMs and… No matter how unreasonable Hotaru’s hatred towards light girls, it seemed a little more justified in the face of the implications. The schemer would have to talk to Haruna more about it in private to see if the picture she got matched the actual situation, however, this did not seem to be the place or the time for such things. The Daybreak’s proposal also risked her own health, a point which she was about to raise-

Only to get slammed with the most unpleasant possibility by the Rule Keeper herself. Ember barely managed to rein in the reaction of Shuuko’s body to the statement, because she knew that her newfound incompetence would be on full display. Not to mention the sheer number of bodies she could lose in a fight against other magical girls. So she tried to reach out towards Hotaru again.

”Hotaru? Please? I know you’re furious about the light girls, but can we please talk?”

”I’d really like it if you were here again,” Sylvia spoke up as well. ”I miss you.” A touch of longing and loneliness coloured her voice, far more than Ember could ever manage, for the protector spoke true and without the considerations of the schemer.

”I’ll return when you pull your heads out of your asses.” The response did not shock Ember in particular. Sylvia, on the other hand, hung her head low as her expression turned into a sorrowful frown even as the warrior’s presence vanished from their vicinity.

”We’ll get her back some day, Sylvi," assured Ember as she turned her attention back to the detention club. Suki suggested a trap, Kiyo spoke about Willow and Haruna was clearly suicidal as she literally leapt through the window when she learned of Willow being in trouble.

Shuuko’s body laced her hands and squeezed them as hard as humanly possible.

”Right. I am of the opinion that we should catch up with her before either the GEMS or the unknowns force her into a situation from which there is no escape. Unfortunately, they are not near one of my bodies, so I am also stuck following her in the mundane way.” She could technically swap to being closer to her, but safety lay in numbers, especially when there was no way she could fight by herself.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Ember blinked as she gave Haruna another once-over just in case she missed some detail that she could use to place the girl. She came up empty, just as the protector and as she considered herself good at remembering faces, it seemed odd that the girl said they met recently. Then again, it could be the fact she referred to their meeting during the night, which made more sense.

”My sincere apologies,” responded Ember as she bowed slightly. ”Though for future note, not all magical girls are capable of recognising each other when they are not transformed. Please do keep that in mind for the future.” She straightened up with a smile on her face. Following that, she took her well-deserved seat beside Kiyo, listening to the others. Thankfully, Nyxia caught her up quickly and then the discussion proceeded to monkeys attacking Kiyo’s eyeballs and the GEMS getting the jump on them.

Of course, then the matter came to her reassignment. Honestly, it had not been a surprise given that Hotaru wanted nothing more than to be rid of Haruna, but it still stung deep down. Ember tried her best to keep her expression straight, turning her expression into a mask of a pleasant smile as the faint sting of betrayal slapped at her heart. It had been even worse when they first discussed it. The only solace she along with Sylvia could take was that it would not be permanent.

”About the monkeys…” she spoke when she felt she would no longer let her emotions show in her speech, ”They retreated when I made an example from one of them during the night, so it might not be plausible to follow any kind of trail that they left and I honestly doubt that the one who met Haruna is also the one responsible for the monkeys. It is highly unlikely, so please do not get your hopes up about it.” She shot a look at the light girl and nodded, acknowledging her contribution to their cause.

”But on the other hand, it might mean that there are two more Dark Girls we can recruit… speaking of which, is Kana-san well?” Worry entered Ember’s voice as she looked at Suki’s partner, then at Suki. ”I do not mean to be demeaning towards her, but she sounds and looks as though she had drowned.” She frowned. She knew that the girl could appear emotionless and disinterested, however, this seemed to take things much too far.

”It feels like she’s not even here,” chimed in Sylvia with her observation before a shiver went down her spine and she shook her head. ”But she’s still scary! Please be careful, Ember. I’ll step in if I have to.”

Ember gave a mental nod to Sylvia before she returned to the conversation with a question.

”And are we aware of how many GEMS there are? Kana-san and I have encountered three different individuals for certain.”

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Tempestuous Reflection

---

Some time before the detention club met...

”Ember, are you sure this is a good idea?” The protector worried. It was in her nature to do so, for she saw threats that the schemer could not perceive. However, it was also in the nature of the schemer to make plans when the opportunity or the need arose and this time, needed her plan they did.

”No. I’m really not, Slyvi. But I don’t think we have any other options.” She sighed as she responded, massaging her temples in their mental space. ”We have to practice. Not only is it good for us, it is also good for Hibusa Town.” Less Miseria meant more people on the streets. More people on the streets meant the illusion of safety. The illusion of safety meant that over time, people would be moving into Hibusa Town. It would not quite get rid of the rumors, but it seemed like solid logic to the schemer.

”I know… I’m just… I’m worried about Hotaru. What if she thinks… that we’re taking away her role?”

”Then she can speak up for herself, as she likes to say. Look, Slyvi,” the tall woman lowered herself to meet the eyes of one of her charges, ”I’m… not sure I know why she did what she did. And while I know she’s our friend, I think we’ll have to make sure she doesn’t get to front until she’s talked to us.”

As if I’d want to front. No, I need my strength to get rid of that light whore.

Indeed. Unbeknownst to them, despite the metaphorical distance between the three girls, Hotaru had been listening in on their conversation. It was something she discovered recently by sheer blind luck - she had been trying to find something to do alone in Shuuko’s head when she discovered that she could tune into her companion’s conversations if they did not focus on keeping it private.

”So please be careful, okay? I know I can trust you with this. You’re the best at keeping an eye out. So if Hotaru returns-”

Be careful? No, Ember. YOU be careful of that lying, cheating-

”I’ll stop her. I know… I just wish we wouldn’t have to hurt Hotaru.” Slyvia let her head hang, her hands wrapping around her shoulders as she tried to give herself some warmth, but ultimately failed. She remained that way for several moments before she spoke up again.

”I promise to watch out. She won’t get past me.” Steel rung in her voice as she made her vow, but Hotaru knew that it would not be enough. Especially now that she knew of their attempts to block her. She would just slip by them, avoiding their grasp instead of relying on brute force. They could plan for her all they wanted; she would accomplish her goal this time.

With that resolution firm in her mind, Hotaru left the two others to their own devices as they took control of Shuuko’s body at night and had her transform into her magical girl attire, ready to face Miseria. Or at least so it would have been, had Hotaru been present with them. Without her, the large gauntlets covering Shuuko’s hands might as well have been shackles that bound their wrists together. Large, unwieldy and difficult to use properly, they were not exactly the ideal beginner’s weapon.

Which was why Ember and Sylvia decided to practice on the myriad of the monsters lurking in the narrow alleyways, tracking down a group of six.

Normally, the gauntlet around Shuuko’s hand would have splattered all six of them across a nearby wall, but without the warrior’s expertise, the other two squashed a mere one by dropping the gauntlet from above. The creature’s miserable existence exploded all over their surroundings, coating everything with a thin paint of nightmarish fluids, including Shuuko’s open mouth.

The coughing, hacking and retching that followed could be heard through the entire neighborhood, no doubt attracting friend and foe alike.

Upon hearing the noise, a mildly curious Nyxia, who had just finished gleefully massacring her own cluster of Miseria, decided to locate its source. There were many possibilities for the cause of such sounds, but none of them included the sight the Neon Tempest was greeted with when she reached her destination. There, below her, was the club’s high-strung “High Priestess”, the metal-fisted girl looking as if she were about to vomit, even as five Miseria closed in around her.

“What the fuck…?” Nyxia muttered, her mind having some difficulty comprehending the incongruous sight. Although the Neon Tempest hadn’t ever bothered to remember the girl’s name, mundane or magical, she knew that the self-proclaimed “High Priestess” was serious, focused, and, she had to admit, rather competent when it came to culling Miseria. Yet, the shuddering, retching young woman before her now was the complete opposite of that image, a pathetic, distracted figure in dire need of rescuing. Nyxia had no clue as to the reason for this discrepancy, but she had all the reason she needed to kill Miseria, and so that was precisely what she did.

With a loud screech, the Neon Tempest’s oversized death ray disgorged a writhing tendril of ruinous energy, one which she swept across the ring of Miseria before the creatures were even aware they were under attack. Once the last one had been vaporized, Nyxia dissipated the baleful beam and called down to her ostensible ally.

“And here I thought you were supposed to be one of the club’s stronger members,” she sneered, while placing a hand on her hip. “What happened? Did Oros force you to eat some of the dog shit she calls food?”

The thing tasted beyond foul, almost as though someone put a big ol’ helping of Despair into Shuuko’s mouth. To say that it sent shivers down the body’s spine was to make the century’s greatest understatement as Ember had no words for the gut-twisting experience that it bestowed upon all of them. Then, of course, as though to add insult to injury, Nyxia showed up and blasted the Miseria they had intended to use for practice, annihilating the whole group in a split second. Exactly how she, along with Sylvia, had intended their bout to go.

”I suppose… gah…” Ember tried to start her sentence, but she almost gagged. The taste lingered in her mouth, turning her words into a grim reminder of what happened. ”You wouldn’t believe… bleh… that I’m testing… something new, correct?” It was technically even the truth as far as the schemer was concerned as she was trying to figure out how to correctly pilot Shuuko’s body.

Unfortunately, as welcome as Nyxia’s arrival had been, her presence did pose a problem. Namely, Shuuko would look incompetent - even more so than she already was - in the eyes of the Club if she stated her need for practice. It would also look suspicious if she denied Nyxia’s assistance, as the three of them had tried to build up a reputation of being team players. And yet, all of that seemed to be on the verge of crumbling into dust right now.

“Testing something new?” Nyxia inquired with a raised eyebrow, the Neon Tempest’s skepticism clear in her voice. “What? How to be as much of an ineffective hindrance as possible?” the teal-haired young woman added with a derisive sneer as she literally looked down on the gauntleted girl from her elevated perch.

”I suppose that much venom is well-deserved given my difficulties.” Shuuko’s body coughed a couple more times to clear the lungs before she drew back to her full height and turned towards Nyxia. Splotches of Miseria blood still clung to her clothes, but she made no effort to be rid of them. ”Nevertheless, it seems I have strayed onto your hunting grounds. I believe I owe you an apology for that. I had not intended to disturb your nightly ritual.”

Nyxia actually seemed slightly taken aback by the apology, such a response being wholly unexpected. “W-Well, uh, I don’t actually have any ‘hunting grounds’,” the Neon Tempest replied with a frown. “I just kill Miseria wherever I find them, s-so there’s no need to go apologizing,” she added, her voice and visage betraying her awkwardness. “In fact, the only reason I came over here was because I wanted to see what was making all that disgusting noise.”

The body’s eyes widened slightly as Ember failed to mask her surprise, trading a glance with Sylvia in their mental space. The protector shook her head to indicate she did not know either. Then again, they have not spoken much with Nyxia. She seemed a ball of rage and hatred directed at the world, looking for targets of opportunity. But the way she spoke right now did not give that impression. Maybe Ember just had not been paying enough attention to the Tempest? She quickly re-evaluated her views and considered her words.

”I understand,” she nodded, a smile growing on her face. ”So maybe I will apologise for coughing up my lungs in your vicinity.” The smile reached her voice as she spoke, becoming too much to be taken at face value. ”But if it is as you say, would you mind some company? My many-eyed companion did not wish to join me tonight.” Because Ember did not even ask, but that was beside the point. Getting to know Nyxia better would serve their interests in the long-term, even if they did have to be careful about what they did in the raygun-toting girl’s presence.

“Uh, I guess that’d be fine,” Nyxia conceded. While she’d never previously entertained the idea of working alongside any of the other club members, aside from her partner, she had promised Roche that she would try to be more sociable. Plus, the self-proclaimed high priestess herself seemed far more cordial than the Neon Tempest had ever remembered her being during any of their previous, admittedly brief, interactions. “So, um, what exactly were you testing, anyway?” she inquired, genuinely curious as to what could have placed the normally rather competent young woman in the horribly compromised position she’d found her in.

Fortunately, Ember had a lie prepared for this exact question.

”I am attempting to find new angles for using my gauntlets, in both the figurative and literal meaning of the word,” she spoke as she folded all but her index finger on her right hand and used it to indicate her left. ”I have observed that I rely mostly on swiping attacks as though it ought to be natural, which leaves me with limited room to maneuver or change up my tactics.” If she did not wish to reveal her ability to teleport, but hopefully, Nyxia would be able to figure that out. The rest of the picture would build itself in the other dark girl’s mind.

With that, she started to walk, only to stop almost immediately. All but frozen on the spot, Ember let a slightly embarrassed smile take over Shuuko’s face before she asked the question that just came to mind.

”Do you have a pattern you usually use for your patrols? I believe it might be in our interest if we followed your preferred route.”

“Not really,” Nyxia replied with a shrug from her position on the roof edge. “I usually just search around until I run into some Miseria. The fuckers are pretty much everywhere, so it never really takes long,” she added. “Plus, I can kinda sense where they’re gathered. Anyway, I also usually do my hunting from up here,” the Neon Tempest continued. “Not only does it give me freedom of movement, it also gives me a better vantage point from which to find and kill the little shit stains. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy slicing them apart up close from time to time,” she clarified with a sadistic grin. Then, a thought occurred to her. “Y’know, if ya wanna try new moves out, have ya ever thought of using ranged attacks?” she inquired. “I know ya got those huge ass claws, but you can also make stuff outta clay, right? Have ya ever thought of makin’ somethin’ ya could throw at an enemy ya either couldn’t or didn’t wanna get close to?”

”I appreciate the advice along with the consideration, however, if I do wish to use ranged attacks, I will have to take a different route.” Ember made Shuuko’s voice sound genuinely thankful as she spoke, turning back towards Nyxia and raising her gaze to meet the dark girl’s eyes head on. ”For one, the substance I use may look like clay, but it is more akin to flesh. And for two, it is difficult for me to summon it in the middle of combat.” Perhaps if they had Hotaru, they could try to have one of them concentrating purely on summoning the stuff, even if they did not have that luxury right now.

”I believe the best ranged attack I could manage is grabbing one of my bodies to disrupt my enemies, yet I feel that would be counter-intuitive.” A small smile came to Shuuko’s mouth as the body spoke, her tone becoming light to indicate some kind of a joke.

“Oh, uh, okay,” Nyxia replied, not exactly an expert by any means on how the other girl’s abilities operated. “It was just an idea. Anyways, I guess I’ll just follow you and make sure ya don’t get completely fucked over while ya try out those new moves of yours,” the Neon Tempest added with a smirk. If nothing else, the gauntleted girl would serve as adequate bait.

”That would be much appreciated,” nodded Shuuko’s body, beckoning Nyxia to join her on the ground. The roof was not exactly her place even when Hotaru contributed to their movements, so now it would likely turn into a disaster if she tried her hand at fancy acrobatics. Indeed, they would be lucky to get the basic attacks down until the next time something big happened, because Hibusa Town always seemed to have something in store for the four of them.

Not noticing the odd thought, Ember piloted the body slowly at first, then with the help of Sylvia, they took off into a run. Every movement felt as though they balanced on a narrow, wooden beam above a pool of water, with two concrete weights on their arms, the gauntlets almost dragging the body after themselves with their inertia. They kept their balance for now, but they could fall any time they made a careless movement, so they had to pay close attention.

Unfortunately for the two, Miseria had been attracted to the noise she made. At least two dozen of the sorrowful things showed up in an alleyway, with more rushing in from the sides. The two dark magical girls found themselves outflanked. A perfect, target rich environment for Nyxia and a perfect ground for Shuuko to ‘experiment’.

This time, when the body rushed the creatures close by, Sylvia and Ember did not put as much force into their slam. Nevertheless, the heavy iron gauntlet struck like the wrath of a hammer, squishing the Miseria. Its flesh burst open just like before, but at least its contents did not scatter with quite as much force, not to mention Shuuko had her mouth closed. That meant Ember’s idea could work, even if their efficacy would be reduced to a fraction of what it had been with Hotaru’s help.

While Nyxia would have preferred to remain on the rooftops, she decided to relent to her companion’s obvious wish for them to operate side by side. The Neon Tempest didn’t know what, exactly, was wrong with the gauntleted girl, but something was undeniably off about the High Priestess, and so she figured it would be best to stick close, at least for the time being. The fact that such positioning meant that she was unable to deal with the current ambush was slightly annoying, but it also allowed her to display some of the melee skills she’d been telling her ally about. With a series of mighty thrusts and slams, she used the energy bladed edge of her beloved death ray to cleave through and impale several of their swarming foes at once. Kicking one to the alley wall and pinning it in place with her high-heeled foot, she fired a massive energy blast point blank into the malign creature’s head, utterly vaporizing it, but leaving the wall behind it unscathed. “ Hahahahahaaa! These fuckers are absolutely pathetic!” Nyxia cackled as her twin eye beams sliced another Miseria in half vertically. “Need any help with yours?” she inquired, sparing a glance Shuuko’s way.

The High Priestess moved with more care and contemplation than Nyxia had seen before. It almost seemed like she calculated everything beforehand, but still ended up coming short several times, as while the Ultraviolet Rainbow dismantled everything around her in a flurry, Shuuko’s body was still in a chaotic melee. Miseria kept attacking her, slowly picking away at her defences along with her body. Ripping up the clothes. Coming at her from seemingly unexpected angles when Nyxia had seen the other girl dodge worse.

The attacks too, seemed off. While a certain degree of bumbling about could be expected from someone who tried to expand on their arsenal, this went beyond that, as Shuuko acted like some unholy combination of a mechanical puppet and a drunk sailor. Her blows left her off-balance several times, which the Miseria capitalised on, not to mention that she never followed through properly. Very little finesse could be seen as she executed the Miseria one by one instead of cleaving through them like she usually did.

”I am all right,” called Ember as she deflected a Miseria with her gauntlet on the left, only to open herself up to another one on the right. Some of her skin got damaged as well, for Nyxia could see the tell-tale black marks of Miseria eating into flesh. ”This is just another body.”

“Uh, okay…” Nyxia replied, although both her voice and visage betrayed her skepticism. Admittedly, she didn’t fully understand how the other girl’s abilities functioned, so it could have been entirely reasonable that this particular “body” was merely defective in some way, but the Neon Tempest still couldn’t help but feel there was more to it than just that simple explanation. That said, Nyxia hated when people tried to pry into her personal matters, so she wasn’t about to do the same to Shuuko. Instead, she simply waited for the gauntleted girl to finally finish dealing with her opponents, even if the lackluster display was at times painful to watch.

The warrior made it look all too easy. Injuries kept mounting as Shuuko’s attacks refused to be more on point than before, so much that it took her several minutes to be rid of her opponents. Needless to say, this was a far cry from her previous performances, so maybe… maybe they should sit the next crisis out. They had to be able to reach Hotaru, no matter how deeply she retreated into her own corner, because this? This would take weeks at least, if not months.

Ember let out a sigh using Shuuko’s body.

”It’s all right! We’ll be okay,” said Slyvia, trying her hand at sounding reassuring but… Well, she was a teenager and Ember was an adult. It did not help.

”It appears as though this will take time to perfect. Maybe you are correct; I should try to invest my time into ranged attacks if I am able to.”

“Yeeeeah…” Nyxia replied with a doubtful frown. “Something tells me that probably won’t work either. Your main problem seems to be accuracy. Getting your attacks to land right. I thought that just came naturally to magical girls,” she added placing a hand on her hip. “I mean, it did with me, and whenever I’ve seen you fight before, you’ve never been so… sloppy. Something’s obviously wrong,” the Neon Tempest stated in her typical blunt manner, narrowing her eyes as she gazed intently at Shuuko. “Beyond just ‘trying new moves’. I’m not gonna pry into what, but you should really try and work it out before we face something bigger than these measly fuckers,” she continued, gesturing to the fleeting remains of the Miseria they’d wiped out. “Cuz something tells me your partner isn’t gonna be coming to your rescue like I did.”

It was beyond obvious.

That realisation smashed into Ember’s consciousness like a none too gentle hammer, sending it flying at least several hundred metres. She thought that she had done an adequate job of at least making it seem like she knew what she was doing, but if she noticed herself… then of course others would pick up on it as well. Which meant that the problem was greater than she had thought. Not only was Shuuko’s social situation challenged, was there even a use for a dark magical girl who could not fight?

”I… I see,” was all she could respond as Ember had Shuuko’s body suck the air through her teeth. ”My gratitude for the feedback. It seems I really should stop embarrassing myself, huh?” Her voice became distant as Shuuko’s body tilted up to look at the stars, which seemed exactly as unreachable as the solution to their problems.
”I can front if it’s really bad,” offered Sylvia in an attempt to further reassure the schemer, but the latter only shook her head both in their shared mental space and in real life. Could she even solve the problem? Maybe if she started experimenting with the bodies in her spare time. That work always suited her, so if she could maybe turn them into sacrificial vessels of some sort, then they might have a chance.

It would hurt Sylvia beyond belief. Ember too, would be in agony. But did they have any other choice?

For her part, Nyxia was feeling equally awkward. She’d never been good in social situations, and Shuuko was practically a stranger, but even so… “Um, have you talked to anyone else about what’s bothering you?” the Neon Tempest tentatively inquired. “Someone who’d actually be able to help?”

”Thank you very much for the suggestion, however, I have already tried that solution,” responded Ember, which was technically true. She did discuss it with Sylvia and she even tried talk with Hotaru but the latter seemed impossible to move away from her position. ”And yet here I am, balancing on the razor edge of pretense, having believed it was a fortress wall.” She allowed herself this much honesty at least. ”Or perhaps… shall I indulge your question? Pray tell, what method of solving this infuriating problem would you choose?” Shuuko’s body turned back towards Nyxia with a smirk on her lips.

“Well, first I’d have to know what the problem actually is,” Nyxia replied in a tired deadpan. “Since you’re being so cryptic about it, I imagine it’s kinda personal, and I don’t really do ‘personal problems’ all that well, but if ya still want my help, then ya need to tell me what’s going on.”

”And therein lies the problem which nests inside the problem which further nests inside the problem, like an infinite fractal.” Ember commanded Shuuko’s body to sigh. ”Nevertheless, I appreciate the perspective. I will consider it, however, it is something that benefits from more than one night of sleeping on it.” She then started moving in the direction of Nyxia, towards where her home lay. ”I wish you the most pleasant of hunts. I hope we meet again in better circumstances.”

“Uh, all right then,” a confused-sounding Nyxia replied. “Um, thanks… You, too,” she added with an uncertain frown as she watched the gauntleted girl depart, before muttering under her breath, “What a weirdo…”

And with that, Ember was off to try and tackle the issue by herself once more.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Ember had been busy. Not only had she been trying to mop up after the warrior’s outburst, she had been experimenting ever since she had met Nyxia that night. Though the other dark girl had been a blunt instrument when compared to her, she told the truth: Sylvia and Ember performed abysmally in combat. It might have become better now that they had nights to practice, but the schemer no longer fell under the illusion that they would come across as anything remotely competent.

So she experimented. She ripped an Oss to pieces, then tried to change whatever she could about its composition while Sylvia ‘rested’ in the back of Shuuko’s mind. Her magic burned bright every night as she worked hour after hour, the mental exhaustion taking such a toll on her that Sylvia had to front most of the days. That likely had an effect on their social relationships which… honestly, it was not worth it. The results, while promising, where nowhere what Ember had hoped for: while she could manipulate Oss more easily now, she could not use them as suicide drones just yet.

And who even could help her with such a project? Perhaps Kiyo, but laying another burden on the shoulder of her ‘big sister’ felt as though she were making use of Kiyo. Roche would refuse to help because she looked at Sylvia with doe eyes throbbing from love. Or lust. Or both. Maybe Nyxia after their last talk, though she still knew little of how the Tempest really behaved, so she did not want to hedge her bets. Besides, the less people knew about her issue, the better. There was no need to rub it in their noses.

”But what if we have to fight?”

The million yen question. If only Ember knew the answer.

Regardless, the schemer applied a smile to Shuuko's face. She got rid of the signs of exhaustion on this body earlier today, so it appeared pristine and she could pay enough attention to her posture to enter like she belonged. She then knocked on the door - as was polite - before she stepped in to regard that she arrived last. Again.

”My apologies for my tardiness,” she bowed slightly. ”Could you please elaborate on what I surely have failed to hear?” Her eyes swept over the room, naturally spotting Haruna as they did so. ”I see we also have someone I have not met before. Kuroki-san, you did speak of adding a new member. Would she be the one who is to dwell amongst us?”

As Shuuko's body spoke, Haruna could no doubt sense that even for a magical girl, there was something wrong with Shuuko's desires. Contrary to their previous meeting where she could read a focused desire from them, it was a jumble: Ember's wanted to be seen as proper, Sylvia wanted to hug Roche to see if it would feel as good as last night and Hotaru wanted to be rid of Haruna. At least that last one seemed to be consistent, if nothing else.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Ah, Willow the ever-annoying pest. If it had not been for her ill-timed comments on Evil Eye, perhaps Ember could have kept control of the body with the help of Sylvia, the only one of them who seemed to be at least somewhat sensible these days. Then again, the schemer understood why events unfolded like this. Indeed, as she ran through them in her head, the sequence seemed inevitable. So much that she knew she should have seen it coming. Now, however, she had to deal with something else: the fallout.

The more she thought about it, the more severe the potential repercussions became in her mind, their consequences too much to really predict. Her only solution? Talking to everyone get a sense of how they felt regardless of the light girl accepting her apology. Or their supposed leader boasting about being strong enough to kill the GEMS while bathing the area in pure terror. At least Sylvia was there for that, the protector eagerly standing in front of the impulse to flee.

Ember still felt the shiver travel through Shuuko’s body, her heart squeezing in her chest. Air fled from her for a moment as fingers soaked in ice wrapped their fingers around her body, their touch lingering not on her skin, but on the core of her being.

”Perhaps you ought to think it is partially because of my unacceptable behaviour,” Ember spoke as she rose from her bow. ”And yes, I do think we should talk about this in detail later.” Small mercies. Hizuki did not seem to be interested in making things right this very moment. Or bashing Shuuko’s body in the face. That would not even be that big of a surprise at this point.

”But to cover the gist of why I acted… I did not recognise her at first.” A flimsy excuse. It would likely not get past Kiyo’s sharp eyes, yet Ember did not have anything better. ”I should have paid more attention. I will not let it happen again.” A note of steel entered her voice as she spoke, turning her head towards Hizuki before nodding at her.

”I will make it up to you.”