Tama vs The Maniacal Fool

The Fool Arc

The convention was well underway by this point. Four days of Magical Girl-themed frolicking and fun. Photos taken with sun-avoiding Otakus posing nervously with understanding cosplayers, mimicking famous poses from different anime and shows.

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine. One of the cosplayers had quit early. She’d taken a wrong turn out of the changing room and had run back to it, shivering, terrified, grabbing her belongings and leaving. Already rumors were spreading of a ghost in the old building. Those rumors made their way to the ears of one senior cosplayer, Mia, who dismissed them offhandedly: the building was barely a decade old, there was no way it was haunted.

But truth has a funny way of being overridden by fear.

♦ Magical Girl Tama ♦

“...Tama. Check the changing room corridor. It’s showtime.” I nod, and put the compact back into my pocket. I would not have been allowed here in my normal form, due to age restrictions, so I came in my Magical Girl form. It is very similar to my normal body, but slightly taller, so it is easier to reach things higher up on shelves.

I step into the corridor where I was ordered to go, wearing a thick duffel coat over my magical girl clothing. It smells of some sort of flower combined with cinnamon. It must be the scent of Rook’s home, as she leant it to me. I commented on it when she handed me the coat, but she did not respond, instead her face went red in a way that was not anger, so I think I made her happy.

I step into the corridor, and look around. It’s very dark.
“Nyamu. Light.” I say, and the fairy flutters up, out of a pocket in my borrowed coat, and into the air above me.
“Alright, be careful, mu.” He begins glowing, shedding bright light within my radius, and I nod, creeping in further.

There is a sound further inside the corridor. It is low and rumbling, but familiar. Like the combination of a hairball and when one of the park cats is eating and the tin scrapes around on the floor. Enveloped in the sound is a slow and steady dripping, like a tap left on.

“...It’s close.” Nyamu whispers, I nod at the fairy, and duck down low, taking more of a combat position, hands clenched into fists, like Rook had briefly instructed me. I have not yet fought on my own, which had worried Rinrin and Rook, but Bishop said that I would be able to win, and I trust Bishop.

The air is thick, and drips with tension as I move closer on the scraping-choking sound.

“So much… so much hope… so much…” it’s whimpering. A male voice. I approach cautiously.
“Please. Surrender.” I whisper, quietly, approaching the large hulking back of the thing. It’s sitting in a growing pool of liquid black sludge, leaking from its body in droplets. That would be the other sound I heard. I drop my borrowed duffel coat to the ground, it will only get in the way, and I do not want to return it to Rook damaged.

“It wasn’t… it wasn’t supposed to be like this!” The creature whispers. He arches his back inhumanly, body shaking and jittering in sudden convulsions.
“I’m right… I know I’m right. I’m right.” It repeats. As I approach, there’s a low slamming sound. I jump back, and reach out my hand.

“Resonance… Sniper.” The words are the same as last time, rising into my mind unbidden. I summon a large glowing rifle, something similar to a sniper that I had seen in one of Papa’s old war movies. I slide my free hand to the barrel grip and land, feet spread apart, aiming at the Maniacal’s back.

The Maniacal is jerking up and smashing its skull against the ground. Again and again, the wet slap of flesh followed by the pounding of bone against stone. As it does, it vomits up more of that black ichor, and turns to face me, chin slick with that black material, head half-horned.

It begins to stand, rising to its feet, dragging limbs against the ground with a thick grinding sound.

“Careful, it’s getting ready to- MU!?” The thing slams a hand and bats Nyamu down to the ground, his glow stops and we’re plunged into darkness. My breath goes slow, eyes trying to adjust to the sudden switch, my ears pricking up to try and hear where it’s coming from-

A heavy sound of wind moving, and I’m slammed into a wall, cracking the strong bricks beneath the smooth outer covering. I roll with the blow like I was taught, and look around. My vision is adjusting, the mass of the thing in the dark is blocking out my vision. I look around, remembering the plan, and grab Nyamu as I start running back up the corridor, the Maniacal moving up behind me, swinging elongated arms.

“KILL YOU!” It roars. I stuff Nyamu into my skirt and start running. The creature lashes out again and again, huge arms coming in to slam me from behind. As one hits and twists me around to face it, I kick off with my foot and fly backwards away from it, readying my rifle and firing. The magic-bullet hits true, knocking its arm back with a loud crackle, right as it was about to swipe me down. It goes for another, and another. I slam the bolt of my rifle into place with each shot, loading another round into the barrel, and fire off a shot while hopping backwards. Two… three.

On the third one, it stumbles back, and I run forward, slinging the rifle strap over my shoulder and hearing it hiss as it disappears. I run onwards, the exit is almost ready. Nyamu seems to awaken in my pocket, but he will be slow on his own.

“What’s happening? Where is it- nyam!?” The fairy says. I grab him, ignoring his shocked protests, and use all my strength to throw him out of the door as we planned.

There are only a few meters left of the corridor. The Maniacal behind me is crawling faster now. Once it’s out in the open, this will get worse. Bishop asked me to trust her, and she is my friend.

♥ Magical Girl Rinrin ♥

I’m waiting. Waiting for the signal. Once it’s through, I only have seconds to act. I can see the flash photography of the cosplay square, and really want to join them, but I definitely picked the short straw hanging out mostly in the boiling interior of the building. I'd spent some time with Bishop, but she was going between all three of us, keeping track of each of our positions, so she was able to get outside. At least she agreed to leave one or two bags of goods with hers, wherever she was depositing them.

The second Rook had sent the command, I’d found my way onto the roof and started running towards the cosplay area. I had to make it. The entrance corridor to the changing rooms. I was almost there. Almost… almost… I see Nyamu flying out of the door at speed. Seconds left on the timer. Next out is Anya, skidding across the ground, hunched down. There’s blood on her back, the outfit is torn like a tiger had mauled her, but I don’t have time to worry- I put that out of my head.

I breathe in, and ready, kicking off and flinging myself through the air. This is the moment.

It begins here.

Please let it end here, too.