Miracle of Survival
*Wiiiiiiiiiiiiing!*
The sharp warning wail blasted from every siren installed between the buildings the instant Dark Blue finished speaking, flooding the entire street with its piercing tone.
The citizens who had been sneaking glances at them a moment ago vanished in a blink, leaving the road completely empty.
“…Purifier Blue.”
The figure standing before her still wore that bone-chilling smile, mouth already opening to utter the exact same words Kim Min-ah had used.
“Transformation.”
Blue mana and purple mana collided, swirling around the two girls’ bodies in a vortex of light.
One body wore a blue dress over a white shirt, covered by a short blue jacket, black stockings hugging her arms, white gloves, and clutched a long purification spear.
The other body was clad in a black-and-red suit with a sadistic edge, wearing a coat where semi-transparent and opaque fabrics twisted together, one large gauntlet gripping a massive battle axe.
Finally—
*Clank.*
Black visors slid down from both sides of the face, red lines flashing across the eyes.
The grotesque smile on her lips made it look almost like a smile of pure horror.
“Execution begins.”
“Who the hell do you think you are!”
*Ka-a-aang!*
Metal slammed into metal, sparks exploding outward, the sharp metallic crash driving straight into the eardrums.
Purifier Blue launched forward first, slamming her spear down with all her strength.
Right in front of her, the black visor reflected her own distorted face as she squeezed her eyes shut, pouring every ounce of resolve into beating her clone.
For some reason, beyond the opaque visor, Dark Blue’s mocking gaze burned into her.
“You’re still so weak.”
“Shut your mouth!”
Dark Blue shoved with all her might, driving the weapons apart.
The gap between them widened in an instant, but she landed with perfect balance, pushing off her toes and leaping again.
This time she seized the spear’s midsection and thrust it forward like a stabbing blade.
Dark Blue twisted her body; the spear tip barely missed her.
*Kang!*
Asphalt shards exploded outward, scattering debris everywhere.
Dark Blue caught the battle axe with both hands and swung it in a wide arc from behind.
*Kw-a-a-aang!*
“Kh…!”
The air tore as the blade whistled past, slicing across her skin.
If it had landed directly, she might have lost an arm.
“Too bad. Had it landed clean, I could’ve cut off at least an arm…”
*Pow!*
Before the sentence finished, Purifier Blue’s fist slammed into the face of her clone.
“…Useless.”
She staggered back from the impact, yet her eyes remained locked on Purifier Blue.
The red line on the visor flashed.
“I… will never lose!”
She swung the spear again.
Dark Blue threw herself backward to dodge, then launched forward, resetting her stance.
With a single motion she summoned a black crystal filled with Nightmare’s dark mana and drove it straight into the side of the battle axe to charge it.
“Another one of those attacks…!”
An unknown magic that absorbed mana from the Demon King’s Army or the magical girls and used it as a weapon.
But it was different this time.
It was probably the same action as the magical girls’ spells—something that sharpened the resolution needed for magic.
If that was true, there had to be a counter, just like with other spells.
Considering her memories of their last fight and everything since then… maybe the perfect counter was…!
“Purifier…”
“No good!”
Before Dark Blue could swing her sword, Purifier Blue charged in and drove the spear tip straight into her body.
*Ka-aang!* A sharp metallic ring rang out as the thick purple mana on the blade scattered.
Black-and-red lightning crackled across the ground, sending sparks flying.
“Again…!”
Every spell has a weakness.
No matter how perfect the illusion, no matter how powerful the magical girl, strike the core of its structure and it would shatter.
This one’s weakness was probably the long cast time before the mana could be released.
That meant…
Keep pressing her and she could win!
*Kang, ka-aang!*
The clash of spear and sword rang endlessly, sparks flying.
Her arms ached, her lungs burned, but she couldn’t stop.
One second of hesitation and the leftover mana on that sword would swallow her whole.
Kim Min-ah threw herself into the trance state, swinging the spear without pause.
“Useless.”
*Kw-a-aang!*
“Kh…!?”
A burst of black-and-red mana exploded from Dark Blue’s body, blasting Purifier Blue away.
“Not bad effort, Original.”
She raised her hand, brushing dust off her left shoulder with a casual flick.
“Heroes aren’t supposed to lose to the villain, right?”
“Yeah, what’s the problem?!”
“No problem at all.”
*Whoosh.*
Dark Blue twirled the battle axe in her left hand as if it were a light stick.
“I quite agree. It’s touching.”
Then she spread her fingers and clapped slowly.
“But.”
Another black crystal formed in her grip, even darker and denser than before.
“Useless.”
*Pa-zzi-zi-zi-ik!*
The crystal charged the blade with an aura far more vicious than anything before.
“That’s it…!”
*Ka-a-aang!*
Purifier Blue leaped again, driving the spear into Dark Blue’s chest.
Then—
*Pu-uck!*
The spear tip pierced something soft with a wet, fleshly resistance.
The sensation was far more intimate and grotesque than slicing through normal Demon King’s Army minions.
“…Huh?”
In the instant she registered the wrong feeling, Kim Min-ah froze.
*Clank.*
The visor peeled away from Dark Blue’s face, revealing a smile she could never hide and a look of utter contempt.
“How does it feel to have your own stomach pierced?”
“Th-that… what…?”
“Purifier Stillrash.”
For a split second, Kim Min-ah was stunned.
Dark Blue swung the mana-charged sword.
Not at her.
At the building right beside her.
*Kw-a-a-a-aang!*
The first floor shattered in a shower of glass and concrete, pillars collapsing, the structure imploding.
“…Why…?”
Kim Min-ah tried to speak, but the words died in her throat as realization dawned.
The words she had muttered in her nightmare were the exact same ones Dark Blue had just spoken.
“If the building is tall enough, anyone who hasn’t made it to the upper floors is still trapped.”
A bitter smile crept across her lips.
*Ku-wooong…*
*Kyaaaaaaaak!*
From high above, screams of pure panic and terror echoed down like a nightmare.
“Wh-what…!”
Purifier Blue turned instantly, even though the battle wasn’t over, rushing to help the civilians.
The moment her back was turned, Dark Blue’s smirk vanished like a lie.
*Chwa-ak!*
“Kh…!?”
With a casual backhand she sliced Purifier Blue’s left knee.
It wasn’t a deep cut; it was shallow enough to heal without scar tissue if she used healing magic or a little blood magic.
But with every step, blood welled from the wound inside the knee, soaking the white stocking crimson.
“Bad…!”
“I won’t stop you from saving them, but…”
Dark Blue’s smile returned, even more cruel.
“I wonder if you can save those people above me while carrying that leg.”
*Thuk, thuk.*
She gripped the spear shaft still embedded in Purifier Blue’s stomach and shoved it aside with brutal force.
Black blood dripped from the hole in her torso, but Dark Blue’s face remained stone.
She almost seemed… happy.
“Then, goodbye.”
Still smiling, she took one step back and vanished into the thick shadow that swallowed the ground.
*****
*Kuuu-uuugh…!*
Every time she moved, blood pulsed from the inside of her knee.
She hobbled, dragging one leg, barely reaching the upper floors of the building.
She had no idea how much blood she’d lost—the dizziness told her it was far too much—but it didn’t matter.
“Haa… haa…”
She had finally reached the top floor.
If she could just check this level, everyone inside could be saved.
“Citizens! Are you there?!”
“Y-yes, over here!”
A terrified woman’s voice came from behind the collapsed wall.
“Just a moment! I’ll get you out right away!”
She kept dragging her ruined leg, pouring mana into her arms to clear rubble.
*Ku-kung…*
The building shook again, her body tilting dangerously to one side.
“Kh…!”
Standing with only one leg was agony.
But she couldn’t stop…
*Thud…*
“Hurry over here!”
“T-thank you…!”
She grabbed the hand of a young man and led him toward the emergency staircase she had already blasted open.
She knew she might be the last one, but she couldn’t let her guard down.
“If you’re in here, answer me! Are you still alive?”
She kept shouting as she searched every floor, starting from the top and working her way down.
One corner after another, voice cracking with each word.
The taste of iron filled her mouth, dizziness grew worse, and her knee throbbed like fire.
But if she could save even one more person…
This pain was nothing…
Halfway down, another tremor hit.
*Ku-kung…!*
“Eek?!”
A mountain of debris crashed down from above.
She closed her eyes, thinking, *I’m going to die here.*
*Kw-a-kwa-kwang…!*
The building collapsed around her.
All she saw was—
“Blue! Are you okay?!”
“Heart…”
“Sorry, support requests from other places flooded in so fast…”
*Thank goodness.*
She had arrived in time.
She had come to help.
It was so, so grateful.
But she couldn’t smile.
*It hurts…*
The pain in her heart hurt worse than her body.
If only she had come sooner.
No—if she had been able to handle just one person like Seoyeon in front of her, maybe the guilt and jealousy mixed together…
“…I’m fine.”
She couldn’t bring herself to say it.