Showdown at the Scrapyard

The Magician Arc

Since the catastrophe a few decades ago, many junkyards have sprung up around Tokyo. Mostly, they had the ruins of things from the old city. Lumps of building, broken glass, trashed cars. At first, the idea was to use those parts to reduce the cost of repairs, but the international aid was great enough that in time, recycling those old goods was no longer a necessity or priority.

This was one of those junkyards. Old cars that were top of the line when they were placed here provided excellent places to hide, and giant concrete tubes provided apt cover. Which was fortunate, given the rapid duel that was going on. So far, neither the Magical Girl Racer, Starplus, nor the cat-like Magical Girl, Tama, had gained any ground on the other as they bounced and jumped around, using debris as shield and platform to launch strikes at the other.

Really, they could not have asked for a greater battlefield. Perhaps that was the plan of the biker as she led the way onwards.

Despite appearances, Starplus could be quite fastidious and a good planner. She’d spent the previous day racing around town to learn as much about the layout as possible, and put it to use now. Aware that she was being followed, she'd led the potential attacker to the perfect place to unleash Magical Girl abilities.

The only difficulty would be getting the civilian riding on the back into safety.

♦ Magical Girl Tama ♦

“...!” I let out a small wordless grunt in surprise as the stranger launches her attack. I do not understand why she is attacking, or why she has kidnapped Kurin-Senpai, but I know that she is an enemy. No-one who is a friend would do something like this.

I raise my rifle to my shoulder and fire. One, two, three shots. Rapid succession, slamming the bolt back and in between each one. I am not aiming for lethal shots, I have depowered them to make sure that they will only knock the target out. Magical Girls do not commit crimes.

However, this lady is not a Magical Girl. But she does not move like a belowling. Something… in between the two. Could she be another Maniacal? A Maniacal Girl?

I fire two more shots, then back up to try and get away from her as she charges at me while kicking high. I block with my rifle, but my arms shake from the force. I am not physically capable in close quarters, I remember that from before, training for the fight against the Maniacal. The last Maniacal, not this one.

She tries to come in again for a close range attack and I grab the door handle of a nearby truck, wrenching it open and causing her punch to slow as her fist goes through the metal and fibreglass, getting stuck inside. I skip backwards, towards one of the concrete tunnels, firing again and again at her, keeping her ducking and weaving, unable to close the gap between us. Inside the tunnel, the firing becomes louder, and I consider depowering each shot to stop the noise from echoing so much, but shake my attention away from it. There is no time to consider such an act right now.

The Threat approaches into the tunnel, running fast towards me, and using the walls of the tunnel to dodge each of my next shots. She leaps across to try and punch me and I switch to run forwards, sliding narrowly under her. The concrete tube rattles and dust falls as it withstands the impact of the punch.

She is behind me now. And I do not have the time to turn and fire. Instead, I rely on my advanced speed to get to the other end faster than she can, and turn around.

She is standing at the other end of the tunnel. The far end. I take aim with my rifle, and then hear her voice echoing.

“Resonance: BIKER!” She yells, and in a blinding flash of light, a bike materializes over her body, revving up its engine, a brilliant light shining from the front and blinding me.

With an impossible acceleration, it heads straight towards me. The light in my eyes means that I cannot see which side it is coming from…

I look up. Grabbing the rim of the tunnel and throwing myself on top. I narrowly manage to avoid serious injury, but the bike hits my thigh and there is a loud crack of pain through me.

No time to stop, I turn to fire at this Maniacal Girl as she swings her bike around. Now that I know her resonance, I am aware of how to fight her. I must not be caught on ground level again. I take aim from atop the tunnel and fire.

But on the bike, she is faster than anticipated. She skids the front tire out and ducks low, my shot merely grazes the front of the machine. I want to power up a shot to fire better, but that could potentially be lethal force, and that would be wrong.

I fire another shot and jump onto a tall piece of concrete scrap. Then another, fire and move to a place her bike is unable to reach.

On top of one of the concrete pillars, I ready my rifle to fire, taking aim. Only to see the Maniacal Biker zooming towards me at speed. Her bike slams into the base of the concrete outcropping and she flings herself up with the momentum, the added force to her kick sends me flying backwards, back onto the floor.

Not one to stop now, she chases me down, and kicks at my back. Another hit, I land with a roll, but make a punch at the inside of her thigh as I go from crouching to standing.

We stand opposite each other. This is what Rook called “Squaring Up”. I also remember what Rook taught me about what to do next. As the threat looks like she is about to move, I take the opportunity to dash forwards and slam my hand into her throat hard.

“Tama. You’re weak, but fast. Use that. Little hits, but lots of them. Never stop moving in a fight.” That was what Rook had said to me when we were preparing for the last Maniacal. The Fool.

I am a good girl, and I trust my friend’s advice. I dive back before this one can react, and when she swings again, I punch her side a few times. It seems to be working. I go for another hit and dive, fast-strike attack, but this time the enemy is ready for it. She slams my cheek with her fist and I roll in the air, slamming hard into the ground.

But it is okay. I am used to pain. I get hit a lot.

My hand clutches at the ground, and I get back onto my feet to run at her again. As she prepares to strike me, I throw the handful of dirt and sand I’d grabbed into her face, splattering it across her eyes, and deliver a headbutt straight into her gut right as her hands go to cover her eyes.

Knocking her down, I try to keep moving to get past her, but she rolls back onto her front and grabs my ankle. I slam down on the ground, hard, head and shoulder hitting concrete. I kick down with my free leg at her wrist until she lets go and scramble to my feet. She does the same.

♥ Magical Girl Rinrin ♥

I don’t know who this girl is, but she didn't seem bad when she rescued me. I don’t get why she and Anya are fighting. But I have to stop them. There must be something I can do.

Nyamu and I exchanged glances, and I began running towards him. He led me around and towards a sheltered area. Right as I arrived, looking up at him, I began pleading.

“You have to stop them! Something’s not adding up here, and they aren’t gonna listen to me… And if I get in the middle of that…” I shudder. Those two were punching holes through cars and throwing lumps of metal at each other. I had first hand experience watching what a Maniacal could do to a person, and it was not something that I wanted to happen to me.

“Not sure that would help, mu, but I brought this!” As if lugging a large weight, Nyamu dropped my Compact into my hand. And I flinch, recoiling from it and almost dropping it to the floor.

“Transform, nyamu!” He urges me on. I bite my lip, looking from it to him. I take a deep breath.

“M-Magical Girl of Hearts, beat!” I say, stuttering a little. I clutch the pendant to my heart as I always do, and… nothing. No power, no rush of energy. My breath is hard, and my hands are clammy. I look at the compact in my hands, shaking.

“Magical Girl of Hearts, beat!” I yell out again, but… nothing. Something’s churning inside me each and every time I look at the compact. That was why I’d left it at home.

Nyamu is looking at me concerned. I try again, and again, but each time I stammer out the words, nothing happens but that twisting mass inside me growing. I can’t leave Anya out there fighting this threat alone.

…But I can’t transform.

“W-why? Why won’t it work!” I cry out, looking at it. I open the compact, the transformation pendant is inside safely, where it should be.

My stomach churns as I look at it. That’s what’s different. I’m scared.

Every time I looked at it, I remember the pain of that thing in my leg. I remember the terror of seeing Anya lying there, unconscious. I’d acted on instinct, but I was scared. I’m so scared.

“Please, mu! Please, Rinrin!” Nyamu cries at me. I clutch the Compact to my chest and try the phrase again. I’m terrified, I’m shaking… but I’ve transformed in scary situations before, so why now? Why won’t it work!?