Between Despair and Hope 4
A change came to the one-sided battle that had been tilting in my favor. The power of despair burst from the transformed magic girl's mouth, an unknown energy wrapping around my body.
She's recovered now, but I struck her arm. With this power...
My body felt heavier than before, but the effect was undeniable.
And this abnormal regenerative ability... As long as I don't collapse first, I have a chance.
Our bodies were connected to each other's chargers. Non-lethal wounds meant little.
Endurance is my advantage.
I'd walked a thorny path my whole life—I was used to pain. Body or mind, I could endure any agony if it meant breaking the magic girl before me.
"That look in your eyes... I won't indulge it anymore."
As I steeled my resolve, Side mirrored it with a fierce glare, like something out of a mirror.
"Only mafia can make their eyes sparkle at night!"
She thrust her hand at me again.
"Predictable attack."
Thwack!
Side parried the same strike identically.
Clank!
This sensation... She's definitely bound.
The moment we connected, the sensations linked once more.
"Come... here!"
Clank!
I yanked the heavy dangling chains toward my body, repeating the successful formula.
"Hup!"
Clang!
But the learning Side sliced through the taut straight line with her opposite hand blade, severing the flow.
Whoosh!
She spun her pulled body and launched another kick.
Thud!
"Ngh..."
I blocked with my arm again.
She's no novice.
Fluid, free movements. Sharp probes into any gap. The more we clashed, the clearer the skill gap became.
"...Shallower than I thought."
Side eyed my body, unyielding even after a direct kick.
"The chains wrapped around you... Is that your ability?"
Her starry eyes scanned the heavy aura coiling around me.
"Anything works now. As long as I can drag you down!"
With my will to pull that free butterfly into the abyss, my body grew even heavier. Like moving deep underwater, I closed in again.
Thump!
"Got you!"
With dogged tenacity, I seized her small hand.
Shlurp!
Black liquid oozed from my fingertips. A robust energy surged, now visible even to my eyes.
"Ngh, stronger than with Player 5..."
The arm wrapped in liquid thrashed futilely, unable to escape. The magic girl's unease showed on her face.
"Yeah, no one escapes this game arena! Even if you flee empty-handed following me, nothing but those things await outside!"
Each time I mulled over that nauseating, vicious reality, black liquid poured out like pus from a wound. If this power needed a name, nothing fit better than despair.
"That's why we magic girls exist. To bring hope to this star!"
Flash! An intense light exploded from Side's fist like a camera flash.
"Ngh...!?"
Blinding...!
I squinted, lowering my eyelids against the piercing glare.
Scree!
"Huh?"
When I opened my eyes, her escaped hand was already a fist incoming.
Thud!
"Gah...!"
A sharp impact spread across my face. Strong enough to shove my weighted body back. The fist pierced through despair, carving into my gut.
"Sparkle sparkle... Such a kindergarten power... Really rubs me the wrong way."
Even the star embedded in her accessory-like chest glowed blue. Like the black liquid I'd unleashed, Side wielded a fist shining blue.
"To smother that light, I'll just pour out more."
Power welled from deep in my chest; squeezing my fist amid the coiling aura made black liquid overflow between my fingers. My hand turned black, gloved-like.
"I smothered Player 6's hymen that way too. Pumped her full of cum till I couldn't tell if blood or what was spilling from her pussy. So when I use you, don't get upset if it's not your first time."
Laughter escaped at the thought of grabbing her with my defiled hand and staining her white insides.
"Disgusting... Yumina, you are evil."
Her chest star shone brighter.
"Don't spout nonsense about what you don't know!"
Boom!
Shining and shadowed fists collided.
"You abandoned Player 6, who desperately chased the magic girl, didn't you?!"
Boom!
"Ngh!"
My heavy fist crushed the magic girl.
"I watched to save more people! For the greater good!"
Side thrust back defiantly.
"Greater good?"
Shlurp!
I yanked her reckless hand with dangling black liquid.
"Who the hell are you saving, then? Planning to revive my sister after she dies?!"
Thud!
"Krrk!"
I struck her worthless excuse of a body.
"Ha, to think you'd muster this much... power."
Side crumpled to the floor briefly, staring at the black liquid stretching from my fist along her body.
"I don't resent anyone. It wasn't Asmodeus that made my sister and me miserable... not my company... not that president back then... not the backbiting gossip mocking me... not even our parents who up and died...
I couldn't pin the cause of the tear-like black liquid on one thing.
"I'd given up on everything, killed my heart... and now you say you'll save us without any plan? Who the hell are you magic girls even saving?!"
Shlurp!
I pulled the justice-posing magic girl again.
"You're the one killing my sister right now!"
Bam!!
I slammed down with both hands clasped.
"Gweeeek!"
A scream erupted from the impact amplified by heavy black liquid.
"I don't resent anyone... that's why I can trample you like this."
Because I knew I couldn't resent every hand that never helped. I felt no guilt using other players to fund my sister's treatment.
"Now, just drop out. For my sister. For me. If you're a magic girl, sacrifice that body to save poor us."
As the fight reached its end, a pillar rose amid the writhing chains. My cock, stirred by battle lust, twitched erect.
"Yumina, you... just make excuses that it's inevitable... but you're enjoying the game, aren't you."
"Enjoying? Me, of all people?"
It was utterly ridiculous. As if this pain-filled life had any joys.
"You're smiling right now. Like when you opposed the final vote..."
"......"
Side pointed at my face with her mended finger, pinching my upturned, rainbow-inverted smirk.
"Come to think of it... I've forced plenty of smiles, but rarely held back real laughter."
Skipping childhood. My genuine laughs? Probably sharing 50 million won with Hanna. After that, every mafia night...
Tracing joyful memories led only to this game.
"That's why I hate you trying to end the game on your whim and ruin it!"
I smashed down to wreck her regenerating body.
Flash!
"Ngh?!"
Another flash!
She burst light again. Such a crude trick, unworthy of a magic girl.
"I'll shatter that joy too..."
Opening my eyes, Side stood tall.
She cut the chains again.
The liquid binding her hand and body was scattered on the floor.
I'll make so much more she'll struggle to sever.
I raised my fist, wringing out liquid. The black glove now covered my arm. My body grew heavier with more liquid, but it didn't matter—one hit would end it.
"Accept it now, Side!"
I reached to wrap chains around her body.
"......"
Side stood still. Not twitching at one step, two steps.
"Finally giving up!"
Crack!
I seized her slender neck, face lighting up.
"...Huh?"
The hand meant to crush her nape turned fist. My black hand phased through her body.
Scree!
The intangible Side punched freely. I could block a free hand.
Thud!
"Gek?!"
Yet her fist bypassed my guard, slamming my gut.
I definitely blocked it?
The truth my eyes saw clashed with the pain.
"Surprised? Classic arrogant villain face."
"Side...!"
Rage boiled at the magic girl's mockery.
"How?!"
No matter how I swung, I couldn't grasp her. Visible, but no substance.
Scree!
Right side...!
Now her fist flew openly.
"Useless."
Thud!
"Ugh...!"
And I couldn't block.
Feels familiar...
A mirage visible but ungraspable—déjà vu pierced through hazy memories.
Right... like catching fish in the stream...
Following the déjà vu led to childhood with my sister. Unlike the surface, fish fled when you reached in.
"Refraction...?"
"...!"
My word rippled Side like water.
"Shining fists, camera flash... refraction too... So your power manipulates light?"
I realized her bizarre ability amid stinging pain.
"...You could've been a great help if you'd joined us."
Exposed, Side looked regretful.
"Now I absolutely can't let Asmodeus have you."
She steeled with sharp eyes.
"That's enough, magic girl!"
Whirr!
By then, time was up. The door opened, and countless slaves appeared.