Shatter Everything
"..."
Dark Blue remained in her precarious state, her eyes fixed on Purifier Blue as she pressed a button on her wristwatch with one finger.
The image of her mirrored through the visor and the readings displayed on it were still broadcasting abnormally unstable signals.
Clearly, after being overwhelmed by despair and losing her sense of purpose, she had inverted and corrupted. Yet how was it possible for her to retain her sanity at all?
It was impossible. It shouldn't be possible. The knowledge in my mind whispered the truth.
"Original, you are...!"
Just as I muttered in disbelief.
[9.9]
—KWAANG!
With the explosive sound, the floor beneath where she stood split open, sending debris flying and leaving dust billowing in the air.
In the blink of an eye, Purifier Blue had closed the distance and swung her staff with blinding speed.
"..."
I quickly raised my sword to block the strike.
But.
—KIKIGIKI...!
The attack carried power I couldn't stop. Pain shot through my arm as if the bones were shattering, and my body was sent flying far away.
—KWAAAANG!
"Kruek...!"
I rolled across the ground, and sharp fragments of debris sliced across my body.
[9.8]
"..."
Still not enough.
To take down the clone within ten seconds, I needed to move faster.
Even as my body felt like it would break apart, muscles screaming in agony, bones cracking with every impact.
I straightened my posture in an instant, swung the staff again.
—CHWAAK!
The tip of my staff grazed the edge of Dark Blue's neck by a hair's breadth and missed.
Dark Blue twisted out of the way, her face pale, and wrapped her palm around the back of her neck before quickly regripping her sword.
[9.7]
"This... defective model...!"
Upon hearing those words, Purifier Blue charged forward without a single change in her expression.
—KAAANG!
She kept swinging the staff.
[9.6]
After the swing came the fist.
After the fist came the kick.
After the kick came the staff tip aimed once more.
[9.5]
—CHWAAAK!
As the staff tip swung down, Dark Blue's suit tore open, red blood splattering through the air.
"Kruek...!"
She let out a faint groan.
From the beginning, her design as a combat unit had removed all unnecessary functions, including excessive pain along with emotion and self.
Everything that could interfere with the mission had been stripped away.
Yet somehow.
The Dark Blue before me was clearly.
"Wha...?"
I felt a flicker of fear.
[9.4]
[9.3]
[9.2]
The red LED numbers on the wristwatch kept dropping.
With every number that fell, the burden on my body intensified further.
"Haa, haa...!"
The edges of my vision blurred, and the air kept being sucked from my lungs.
My throat swelled, a thick metallic taste filled my mouth and lingered at the tip of my tongue.
—SAEAEAEK!
As the staff tip cut through the air, it rushed straight toward Dark Blue.
Surprised, she instinctively raised her sword and blocked with the edge.
—KAAAAANG!
"Kruep...!?"
The shock that pierced the sword edge traveled straight through my body and into my heart.
The pain of ruptured organs forced dark blood from Dark Blue's mouth.
[9.1]
"Kleu, kuek...!"
"Haa, kruep...!"
The sudden vertigo made Purifier Blue slam the staff butt into the ground and barely hold herself upright.
[9.0]
[8.9]
[8.8]
[8.7]
[8.6]
[8.5]
"Kleu, kehek... kleu...!"
Blood mixed with the pain as it spilled, staining my white gloves red.
But there was no time left for this kind of struggle.
[8.4]
Time was running out.
[8.3]
I gripped the staff again and charged at Dark Blue.
And.
—KWAAAANG!
I brought the staff down.
"Kruek...!"
[8.2]
[8.1]
[8.0]
Dark Blue's body slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crack.
"Kueeueuk...!"
The recoil sent her body flying upward, her back arching in agony.
[7.9]
[7.8]
[7.7]
—WHOOSH!
Purifier Blue spun in the air and launched a powerful kick at Dark Blue.
—KUWOONG! KWAAAANG!
An explosion erupted, and she was blown backward through the building wall, crashing into the street far away.
"Kleu, kuek...!"
Dark Blue staggered to her feet with difficulty.
—Twuck, thududuk...
Fragments rained down from the hole in the building wall.
And then, right there.
—KWAAAANG!
Purifier Blue flew forward and drove her right fist into Dark Blue.
"Kuk..."
Dark Blue clenched her right fist and swung it back at her.
—PEOONG!
Fists collided, shockwaves spreading and shattering the building's glass windows.
—KUNG, KUUNG!
Our bodies tumbled across the ground, pain searing through every limb.
"Keup..."
Purifier Blue barely rose, glanced at the watch, and checked the numbers.
[5.5]
Remaining time: approximately five seconds.
With this power, this speed, it was possible.
Even if, after this, I could still keep my sanity.
Or perhaps, like the corrupted magical girls, the Association would issue a counter-order.
"..."
I gripped the staff with both hands.
[5.4]
[5.3]
[5.2]
I charged straight at Dark Blue.
"Kuk...!"
Dark Blue also launched herself and thrust her sword toward Purifier Blue.
The moment the sword tip was about to touch her body.
—WHIIK!
She twisted.
"...!"
Instantly, the staff in both hands swung and.
—KWAAAANG!
Dark Blue was blasted high into the air.
—PUK!
Purifier Blue drove the tip of the staff into the ground and.
—KWANG!
With a surge of power, she leaped upward.
Then, one leg raised high, she brought her heel down on Dark Blue's body floating in the air with full force.
—PEOAK, KWANG!
Dark Blue's body smashed onto the road, then flew back up into the air once more.
[4.0]
While still in the air, Purifier Blue spun her body and hurled the staff with all her strength at Dark Blue.
Because of fatigue and exhaustion, her movements weren't as sharp as before.
This was the last chance. I instinctively knew it.
So.
[THREE.]
With maximum power.
—KWAAAANG!
The staff pierced Deep Blue's heart.
Both legs extended and bent into a perfect stance.
[TWO.]
"Purifier, kick..."
At her resolute declaration.
[ONE.]
"DAYBREAK!!!!!"
The sky turned red.
[0.2]
I launched.
—KWAAAANG!
Cracks raced along the road, and pieces of the shattered asphalt flew into the air.
"Kuek...!"
As if nothing had happened, Dark Blue's body dropped from above and rolled across the street.
From far away, Purifier Blue stood barely holding her staff and, with trembling lips, continued in a voice that had long been split.
"9.8 seconds."
—Pazzik, pajizik.
Blue sparks erupted from both our bodies.
"That was the time it took for you to fall into despair."
"Kuk, kueok...!"
Dark Blue clutched her heart and stared at Purifier Blue's back.
"Enjoy hell."
[TIME OUT.]
"Kuek, kueuaaa...!"
—KWAAAANG!
A blue explosion lit up Purifier Blue's body.
The already rusted orange jacket looked as though it had regained its original color for that moment.
"Oof...!"
—CHANG!
The staff was hurled into the air with a sharp metallic ring.
At the same time, Purifier Blue knelt and collapsed onto the ground, barely supporting herself with her arms.
"Haa, haa..."
—Chiiiiiiik...
The sound of flesh searing and smoke rising from her skin.
Soon.
"...Min-ah?"
Innocent Heart approached, glanced around, and upon seeing her, her eyes widened in shock.
"Wh-what...?"
She too felt the inverted mana emanating from the magical girl kneeling before her eyes and shrank back.
"I couldn't protect you. Seoyeon..."
"Wh-what...?"
"Siwoo believed in me... I was his friend. I..."
—Ddukeuk.
"Oof...!"
Kim Min-ah clutched her heart.
Side effects crashed in one after another.
The emptiness after revenge hadn't eased the despair already filling her heart.
Instead, it had turned into even deeper emptiness and self-loathing, carving deeper into her chest.
"I... if I had been stronger..."
"Min-ah, calm down! You're..."
"I look like I'm calm?"
Even knowing it was wrong, the arrow of resentment pointed at Seoyeon.
As emotions continued to rage, and she was about to spit out hateful words.
—WARAK!
"Kim Min-ah! I'm fine! Calm down!"
From the alley, Jung Siwoo rushed out and pulled her into his arms.
A moment of silence passed.
Kim Min-ah, momentarily not fully aware of reality, reached out with trembling fingers and hugged Siwoo.
"Siwoo... ya...?"
"Yeah. It's me. I'm fine, so..."
"...Ah."
Thank goodness.
He was alive.
—Twuck, thuduk.
"The rust... is gone."
Tears streamed down her cheeks and soaked Siwoo's shoulder.
"Sorry... I'm sorry, Siwoo...! I should have protected you... uuu...!"
Siwoo listened in silence and gently patted her back without a word.
Just like when Kim Min-ah had poured out her nightmares.
He simply comforted her from the side.