Chapter 38: Discussion About the Plan to Defeat the Demon Queen

We headed to the baths to wash up. There were only two hours left before the fusion would end. With everything ready, we entered the bathhouse to meet with Ranma.

—Alright, now we just need to find Ranma. She should be somewhere in here.
I said that telepathically to the others.

Then we heard a familiar voice.
—Hey, girls. I already know it’s you—the fusion. Come over here, into the big bath. Let’s talk about the large-scale attack we’ll soon launch against the Demon Queen, her army, and the traitor Kori.

We turned and saw Ranma inside the large bath. Steam rose from the hot water. First, we cleaned ourselves off, and once we were done, we joined her in the big bath. She wasn’t alone—two of her friends were with her.

One was a fair-skinned girl, pale as snow, with blonde hair streaked with black and deep red eyes. Her long, loose hair floated in the water. The other had darker skin, black curly hair, a small nose, and a slightly plump figure. Both gestured for us to join them.

Once we had settled in, Ranma introduced them:
—Well then, Tamiakemizuki—or should I say Taiyaki, Mizu, Rem, Mizuki, and Akane. I see you’ve managed to create the fusion. Now tell me how you did it. If we can learn the process, each squad of five Magical Girls could perform their own fusion. Then, together, we’d form one Mega Ultra Super Magical Girl Team and crush all the demons, the Demon Queen included. At last, peace could return to this world—at least from the threat of demons. Normal monsters, or the less dangerous ones, can still be dealt with. So, tell me… how did you achieve the fusion?

We all thought telepathically about how to explain it. Akane came up with the answer and told us in our minds:
—Let’s touch her forehead and share the knowledge directly. That way, she’ll understand everything in one go. With her experience, I doubt she’ll have trouble processing it.

We agreed. Placing a finger gently on Ranma’s forehead, we transmitted all the steps we had taken to make the fusion possible.

She fell silent for a few minutes. Then, with a serious tone, she said:
—So that’s how you managed it… I must say, you’ve shown great talent to accomplish something like this. But you still have a long way to go. Even so, now I see that we have a small chance of defeating the Demon Queen. She isn’t just any demon—she’s far more dangerous than that. Her rank isn’t Z… it’s Legend, the highest rank a being of any race can achieve. Very few ever reach it. The only other I know of is the Goddess herself. That’s far beyond us, but I believe she will grant us enough power to stand a chance.

She paused, then continued:
—I also see that nearly an hour of your fusion has already passed. Tomorrow, we’ll begin training to perform fusions ourselves. Meanwhile, you should practice whenever possible, so you can get accustomed to the state and gradually increase your power. That way, you’ll be ready for the Final War—Humans against Demons. This battle will decide the future of the world, of humanity, of everything we know. We must win against the Demon Queen. Sometimes I fear this could be our end… but if we don’t fight, this conflict will never end. As the saying goes: “Those who risk nothing, gain nothing.” But remember—risking everything doesn’t always guarantee victory. Even when you give your all, sometimes you still fail. Life is a challenge you must face as a person, as a human being. Still… I believe that if we unite, we will have the possibility of victory.

She rose from the bath.
—Well, it’s time to go. We’ll pray to the Goddess now. You should head to the dining hall and wait for us. It wouldn’t be wise to appear before the Goddess while fused. I don’t know what Lady Aqua would think of that. We’ll see you at dinner. Let’s go, Lilit, Teto—we’re running late.

—Of course, Ranma, we’ll go with you, —said Teto, the blonde girl, supporting her.

—See you later, ladies, —added Lilit, the dark-haired one.

The three of them left. We stayed behind for about five more minutes before getting out of the bath, drying ourselves off, and dressing in clothes tailored to us by special magic. Then we headed to the dining hall to wait for the girls.