Between Despair and Hope 3
……Neither of us had any weapons in our hands, poised for battle. Even though I was armed with my futanari dick, the magic girl had nothing but her fists. Despite testimonies of flashy girls wielding massive weapons, there was no sign of that here.
"Come to think of it, they said magic girls carried weapons. Did they get confiscated on the way into the arena?" I spoke first, probing for info on the weapons' whereabouts.
"My weapon exists solely to sever evil. Besides, fixing your twisted thoughts requires no more than these two fists."
"How kind of you." Just like Player 7, who had shot her hand up when I was pretending to be a cop. She brimmed with confidence, as if my worries were needless.
I need to subdue her before she pulls out a weapon. The fully transformed magic girl was endlessly arrogant. I lunged at her unguarded nose, aiming to grab anywhere I could—once I did, even a magic girl could be violated as easily as an executor.
Thud. She blocked with her arm without a second thought.
"Handing over your arm so easily? Must be your first time against a futanari…!" I yanked the captured arm.
…It's solid? But contrary to my expectations, it didn't budge an inch. It even felt like grasping a tree trunk. As I faltered at the power gap—
"You're facing a transformed magic girl for the first time too, right?" Side didn't miss the opening. Whoosh—she thrust her opposite fist.
"Kuh!" Fast! I barely dodged the heavy blow. I flung her arm away and retreated to create distance.
Is this a magic girl's power? Looks like I was the careless one… Unlike when I'd crushed the executors, overpowering a transformed magic girl with brute force didn't seem easy. Only now did I realize her boldness in fighting barehanded wasn't mere bluff.
"Hm… Dodging my fist. I thought my first strike would end it." She furrowed her brow at my unexpected movement too.
"You don't seem like someone who picks fights often. Trained in martial arts?" She seemed shocked I wasn't a total novice.
"I've lived to survive…" A harsh life teaches you one thing: anything can happen. "You never know when some thug might jump you."
That loathsome man who'd died as a debtor. My sister lying defenseless on her bed. The part-time jobs I'd taken since middle school to make money. Who knew self-defense would come in handy? Good thing I learned it. My life had been too fragile for society's protection, so I'd armed myself to safeguard my sister and me—or I couldn't sleep at night.
Ironic, using it to assault someone now. A wry smile crossed my lips at the violence wielded for protection.
"If I can just eliminate you, Side, I don't care about the rest!" To break the final obstacle, I charged again. I reached out—
This time, the magic girl dodged first. Twisting her axis effortlessly to prove she could too. Whoosh—another fierce punch flew.
Thud—I caught it with my other hand. She wrenched free, absorbing the force, then—
Crack! "Ugh." Her failed grab turned into a fist, striking my elbow joint.
"As expected… strong, but not invincible." There was a gap between us, but not as vast as between players and executors.
"Try this on for size!" Denying my words, she immediately launched a kick.
Thwack! "Kuh!" I blocked with both arms, but the impact was immense. I nearly toppled like timber under an electric saw.
Can't win with raw power. But joint locks or vital strikes…! I'd exploit techniques designed to bridge the physical gap between women and men.
I aimed a punch at her vitals. "Predictable." Thud—she wouldn't fall for it twice, eyes wide as she grabbed my fist.
Thwack! She yanked me in and punched. "Grah…!" Agonizing shock ripped through my gut. The world shook for a moment. I couldn't take many of those.
Thud—Realizing a prolonged fight favored her, I thrust both arms for a joint lock. If I can bend just her arms and disable her punches!
I twisted with all my might, just like I'd crammed in my spare time. "Useless!" Whoosh, she leaped. Her body arced along the twist's curve, spinning midair.
Is this the same person…? Feather-light motion. Utter freedom, unbound by anything. Even watching it was astonishing.
Bam! Her advancing kick smashed my shoulder. "Grah…!" Fresh searing pain coursed through.
It mocked my attempt to wreck her arm.
"Petty self-defense for protecting one person can't beat me fighting to guard the stars!" Seizing momentum, her fists rained mercilessly.
Block! My damaged shoulder creaked. I defended the onslaught with one arm.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Half-blocked, and even that left my arm mangled.
"Hng… Guh…" The rest pierced through; I could barely stand.
Strong. Strong. In raw power. In skill called technique. Every clash hammered home the insurmountable gap—my mind directing my body, my limbs drawing power.
She knew arts beyond my ken. Her fists arrived faster than mine.
Can't win? Bitter defeat flooded my mouth. The blood from burst wounds tasted infuriating.
"I thought I'd finally escape… after surviving this long!" Thorns burrowed deep in my chest, shredding my insides. Swallowing despair, it surged up my throat.
"Climbing by trampling others yields only emptiness." To silence my desperate cry, another fist flew.
Thwack! "…Ugh!" Thwack! "Grah…!" Time dragged. I saw the trajectories, but my body lagged.
Can't ever be truly happy? All the lingering pleas from day and night drowned in pain. The cost of those joyful times overwhelmed me. Stance and will crumbled slowly.
"Changed your mind yet?" Side looked down, as if she'd pummeled me enough.
"Haa… haa…" Heat rose from beaten spots. In my drooping vision, my flaccid dick—erection faded—hung limp, stepped on.
Having entered the game twice, I couldn't just wait meekly in the hospital like before.
"I'm… Yumina… I have a little sister… Her name's Yumirae…" Beaten senseless, I wouldn't fall. In my hazy mind, I recited why I stood here.
"If I don't win, she'll die… No other way to save her…" Reality shackled my ankles, keeping me upright. Body scorching in agony. Facing unbeatable foes.
I couldn't escape the chains. They crushed me with weight.
"So… please die for me instead, magic girl." Reality, intolerant of surrender, dragged me back to battle.
"Still?" She clenched her fist again. "Yumina, I'll fight till you give up. As many times as it takes…"
To end me, struggling to survive under the guise of saving the world.
That's why I shouldn't have hoped from the start. Endless torment. Fleeting hope glimpsed. Despair blocking my path again.
I hated and resented it all. Feels like the old days. When I could do nothing…
No more thoughts. No crude joint locks or techniques needed. Only the long, interminable chains extending from the past, binding present and future.
I wished she'd feel my suffering, even a little. Let this pain continue for her. Drag her into the abyss too.
With fervent wish, I thrust my despair-laden hand.
"Hit your limit? Simpler now." Smack! My ever-useless hand was swatted away. Pain-soaked fingers grasped air.
She didn't miss, thrusting her fist mercilessly.
Clank! The punch that should've cratered my face halted midair.
"Eut?!" The unexpected shook her smug brow.
"…Chains?" Her starry eyes traced from her wrist along my arm to whatever bound us.
Bound…? Invisible to me too, but sensation flowed. We'd connected since my strike.
"Yeah, you can't escape…! Neither can you!" Rattle! I yanked the linked arm with superhuman force. Simultaneously, opposite fist at her detestable face. Heavier body swung.
"Chains here too…!" Her starry eyes swept my sluggish punch.
But dragged by chains, she couldn't evade. She raised one arm to guard instantly.
Thud! "Hngh!!" Heavy swing packed power. Her trunk-straight arm bent blunt.
Lips that mocked leisurely trembled.
"Ha, haha! You can make that face too, Side!" Suffering bloomed like petals. First thrill in the fight.
"Haa…" Side massaged her hurt arm pathetically.
Clang! Her healed arm sliced the binding force with a handblade.
"Magic girl transformation includes healing? That's cheating." Irked by her brushing off my masterpiece and rising.
"Same for you, Yumina." She pointed at my shouldered stomped earlier.
"Huh? For real…" My creaky shoulder moved smoothly, freshly oiled. Still heavy, but better than unusable.
"You're wielding the star power too… no, the power of despair."
"Despair… Spot on." As she said, power surged in me. But a crushing force too—against my will, an emotion driving self-destruction.
"Enough to crush your neck, though. Round two now."
"Ha, fine."