Two white arrowheads suddenly appeared over Rushalka's head and hurtled towards the dead center of the three hundred Raptors in the sky that were biding their time to launch a heavy offensive.

  Thus, through Asya and Rushalka's desperate efforts and magical power, a technique of assured annihilation was unleashed.

  "Isn't that—Haruga-kun's power!?"

  A smile bloomed on Orihime's face.

  Rushalka had suddenly used offensive magic. Ice, snowflakes, and cold air were blowing in the sky above, rampaging unchecked, slaughtering the sword-wielding Raptors.

  Apart from the blizzard, Rushalka also created white arrowheads.

  Similar to ceramics in material, their texture resembled white porcelain.

  These beautiful arrowheads were vicious too. Firing sweeping blue-white lasers from their tips nonstop, they sliced through the Raptors' bodies.

  Unmistakable. Asya-san was using the Rune of the Bow!

  Orihime glanced at Asya the senior witch, lying on the ground nearby.

  The feedback of Rushalka's pain had rendered Asya unconscious, but the former Shootdown Ace of Europe had succeeded in her difficult task.

  Attacked by the technique of assured annihilation, the Raptors in the sky above were now in disarray.

  Preoccupied with fleeing from the dragonslaying laser beams, they even forgot about attacking Orihime and the others on the ground. However, whether this attack alone was able to wipe out the enemies... One could not be so sure.

  Orihime had a faint feeling that Rushalka would probably exhaust her strength before then.

  Was it a witch's instinct? For some reason, Orihime was quite certain. She had to do something herself too.

  "Akuro-Ou... Lend me strength."

  If Asya-san could do it, so can I.

  Such a thought did not cross Orihime's mind at all. Juujouji Orihime had neither the talent nor that kind of confidence. However—

  "Simply stated, all that was required was recreating the same feeling as from that time...!"

  After feeling "connected" to Hal for a brief instant, Asya had immediately summoned the rune.

  Through this, Orihime reasoned out the cause on her own. She knew that chances of success were not high, but regardless, what she needed to do now was do everything in her power and struggle as hard as she could.

  Taking the challenge. Courage. Determination. Foolhardiness. Resignation. Trusting to chance.

  Orihime's mindset was optimistic and a little irresponsible, while very resigned to the notion that "In the end, success still depended on whether God was accommodating"—

  She thought of the boy she loved the most in the whole wide world.

  To be honest, she felt that Haruga Haruomi had quite a lot of flaws despite his areas of excellence. Lack of sociability, keeping many secrets, inexplicably obstinate.

  But even after pointing out so many of his flaws, Orihime could not help but say.

  (But I love you. I love you so much.)

  She truly dared not say this in front of others. Too embarrassing.

  These words should be left until a time when the two of them were alone. Besides, Orihime thought, I love Haruga-kun so much, and Haruga-kun also _____ me, so—

  "The bond between us should be enough for him to transmit magical power to me across worlds."

  This confidence allowed her to recall the feeling when she was "one with" her beloved.

  Then Orihime felt it.

  Something was fondling her chest—the left breast nearest to a witch's heart. Probably as before, it was his right hand groping randomly.

  "My goodness. Sure enough, Haruga-kun is so perverted."

  By now, Orihime had already memorized the sensation of these hands.

  "I will let you... grope as much as you want. You are the only one I would say these words to. Because that is how much—I love you."

  Carefully savoring her loving feelings for Haruga Haruomi, she reconstructed her spiritual link.

  The Rune of the Bow appeared on the back of her left hand. Then all she needed to do next was use a technique of assured annihilation as usual, unleashing magical power to the max—

  At that very moment, Orihime and her partner Akuro-Ou underwent a dramatic change.

  Feeling as though she were struck by lightning, Orihime came to a sudden realization.

  Part 3

  In the past, Haruga Haruomi had said the following to Juujouji Orihime.

  I don't think you're cut out to be a witch. You are too upstanding, too wholesome. However, former dragon king Hinokagutsuchi had said that descent into darkness and unorthodoxy was not the only path available.

  'It is a principle of nature that the sacred light of the priestess can be used to bring the demonic 'serpent' closer to divinity.'

  Orihime reestablished her link with the companion in another world.

  Originally, Orihime's power should not be capable of accomplishing this, but she knew—Her thoughts and feelings for her beloved would be sufficient to enable her to surmount this challenge.

  Even without tainting herself with darkness and fiendish qualities, she could still become stronger.

  This confidence pulled Orihime to a higher realm, granting her new blessings.

  "Light...?"

  Orihime whispered lightly.

  The affinity of her partner, Akuro-Ou, was Fire.

  However, leviathans with multiple affinities would occasionally arise. There were two of these rare cases right by Orihime's side.

  Asya's "Blue" Rushalka had dual attributes of Water and the Moon.

  Luna's "Good Witch of the South" Glinda had dual attributes of Gravity and Illusion.

  Both were renowned leviathans whose stature in the witch world had earned them monikers, due to their powerful magic, varied abilities, and capable partners.

  Orihime had personally seen these "Shootdown Ace-class" leviathans in action.

  Hence, she instantly understood the identity of what resided within Akuro-Ou, the fire-aligned leviathan.

  "Another power..."

  It was an awakening, growth.

  Rather than darkness granting Akuro-Ou a new power, it was the growth of a witch with a sacred heart and soul that allowed a second pseudo-divinity to appear in Akuro-Ou—the new power unleashed by Orihime.

  This happened to take place just as Rushalka's full burst attack ended.

  "Akuro-Ou, use sun magic!"

  Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

  Roaring, her partner invoked the second pseudo-divinity.

  Akuro-Ou was an emulation of a fire deity. The new power was the Sun. Emitting light and heat to illuminate the world, it was a solar deity's power to banish darkness.

  What this sacred power created was of course—

  At the ruins that resembled an open-pit mine, there were four leviathans and hundreds of wounded Raptors.

  Seeing the product of Akuro-Ou's pseudo-divinity, hanging high above—in the sky—Hazumi was very touched.

  "It's really like the sun... Nee-sama, you are so amazing!"

  Akuro-Ou had created a "gigantic sphere of light" in the sky.

  Seventy or eighty meters in diameter, it was giving off sacred golden light.

  This sphere occupied the air above them. The targets—the hundreds of Raptors equipped with swords—were circling there. Even though Akuro-Ou and Minadzuki were growling to keep them at bay, they continued to fly haphazardly in the air, looking for a chance to attack.

  Next, the offensive began. The sphere of light fired invisible rays in a frenzy.

  Without activating magical sight, Hazumi would not be able to see these rays.

  From all over the "giant sphere of light," the rays shot out in every direction.

  Even a glancing blow was fatal. Raptors melted with a sizzle when struck, instantly vaporizing. They were like snow sculptures coming into contact with super-high temperatures.

  Accuracy in aim was not high, but the rays were too many to count.

  Furthermore, they were invisible and impossible to dodge. The Raptors were vaporized one after another.

  This was a combined skill between the pseudo-divinity of the Sun and the Rune of the Bow that had crossed worlds to grant Orihime power. Its potency made Hazumi watch in fascination. At that moment, she heard a feeble voice call to her.

  "H-Hazumi, -san."

  "Luna-san! Are you okay!?"

  Just earlier, Glinda had been struck by the dragonslaying sword.

  After fainting from the resulting pain, Luna Francois now regained consciousness. Hearing the senior witch's voice, Hazumi rushed over to her side.

  "I will ask Minadzuki to heal you now!"

  "No... Before that, we need to do that together first."

  Supported by Hazumi, Luna Francois managed to sit up.

  It must be very painful. Luna had her right hand pressed against her magnificent bust—in the area over the heart. Her beautiful face also looked haggard.

  However, the blonde master-class witch was gazing at Hazumi with intense energy in her eyes.

  "Namely, to slice open this barrier by using the same method as Asya and Orihime-san to borrow Harry's rune. It should be possible if the Rune of the Twin Katana could be used."

  "B-But will I manage?"

  Hazumi's cousin Orihime had awakened Akuro-Ou's dual attributes.

  Hazumi believed instinctively that Orihime's power as a witch was most likely even greater than the Level 3 Shirasaka Hazumi.

  Hearing Hazumi's question, Luna Francois replied without hesitation, "I suppose not. Orihime-san's current power is probably Level 4... Possibly master-class, even, but you haven't reached that yet. So, you will be in charge of supporting me. Just as you can see, I am in this sorry state."

  Due to the earlier damage, Luna was all haggard. Speaking faster than normal, her usual mischievous composure was nowhere to be seen.

  "But rest assured, there is no reason why I can't do it if Asya could in her injured state. So please help me out, because controlling the twin katana is harder than the bow. Understood?"

  "But Luna-san, in your condition..."

  "Silly child. Don't think about such matters until we succeed in the magic!"

  "B-But—"

  "If you used other magic first, you might forget the feeling of Harry's touch just now. Because of that, we have to finish before that happens."

  Without the slightest hesitation, Luna chose her pride as a witch over the condition of her body.

  Common sense would dictate the opposite. Rather than bothering about stuff like magic, it would be only right to worry about a companion's health from a humanitarian perspective. However, Luna reprimanded Hazumi for having the wrong notion.

  This was her "rotten" side that she normally masked using gentle words and behavior.

  "Hurry up. Orihime-san can't possibly last forever!"

  "U-Understood!"

  Hazumi extended her left hand and clasped the senior witch's left hand, thinking single-mindedly about Haruomi-senpai who was in a different world.

  A minute or two later, a cross-shaped emblem appeared on the backs of their left hands.

  "A-A reaction!"

  "...Excellent. According to the feeling just now, Harry was clearly about to croak, but it looks like he managed to survive. Did someone perform first aid...?"

  Compared to Hazumi who simply felt innocent joy, Luna was thoroughly practical.

  Despite seeing the same Rune of the Twin Katana, the two girls reacted completely differently. It was not simply because of age and experience, but presumably related to a difference in resolve and mental strength too.

  I must work even harder—Hazumi thought intensely to herself.

  Just as during the summer break in New York, what she had learned from Shamiram inside that ark.

  Meanwhile, Luna Francois finally got ready to activate the technique of assured annihilation.

  "Yin and yang... Combining diametrically opposed elements into an attack embodying the rivalry of complementary opposites. Even without Harry here, I must make it succeed...!"

  Holding hands with her junior, the master-class witch declared boldly.

  Hazumi secretly glanced to the side.

  "Good Witch of the South" Glinda was collapsed powerlessly on the white sand. No signs of standing up. The twin katana did not look like they were going to appear.

  Even with a master-class witch's power, was this highly challenging task too great a burden?

  However, Luna gave a great shout, "The opposite powers of light and darkness must reach a balance in order to use this rune. Compared to the 'darkness' I am responsible for, the 'light' seems to be too weak. Holy and evil, right and wrong, yin and yang, demonic and divine... Hazumi-san, you and Minadzuki need to become even more sacred existences!"

  "Y-Yes!"

  Hazumi did not know what counted as sacred existences.

  She simply knew she must not falter. Picturing her ideal single-mindedly, making maximum effective use of her magical power and partner, she strove for that goal, just as what Luna Francois was doing right now.

  "I wish... for all the people I treasure to be safe and sound. I don't want to see them hurt. So please, Minadzuki!"

  She conveyed her sincere prayer to the leviathan.

  Hovering near them at that very moment, Minadzuki cried out clearly.

  Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

  Nineteen runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over the emerald serpentine dragon's head, glowing with platinum splendor.

  'I summon the twin blades of exorcism, to deliver seraphic punishment to nefarious evil dragons.'

  This arrangement signified exorcism and the purification of evil magical power.

  Minadzuki possessed two forelimbs. Her right forelimb usually held a jewel, but this time, the jewel had transformed into a great blade at some point.

  Naturally, the kodachi was held by the left forearm. With a sword in each hand, she became a dual-wielding swordsman.

  However, unlike the stances of human swordsmen, she was holding both swords in reverse grip. Using the two swords—slicing vertically with the larger and horizontally with the smaller of the two—Minadzuki carved a cross on the ground of sand.

  This was the mark of the twin katana. Hazumi rejoiced from the bottom of her heart.

  The serpentine dragon leviathan then stabbed the twin blades into the ground as though concluding, pouring a great quantity of magical power into the cross emblem on the sand!

  "We did it... Thank goodness!"

  Not only that, but Minadzuki used magic again. This time, seven runes of Ruruk Soun appeared to signify "healing hand."

  The effects were readily apparent.

  Wounded in the back by the dragonslaying sword, collapsed on the ground until now, Glinda the chimera—the lion leviathan with a goat head on her right shoulder and a dragon head on the left shoulder—slowly stood up.

  She stretched. The wound on her back had healed!

  "Well... In the end, you still used the power of healing."

  "S-Sorry!"

  The painful expression vanished completely from Luna Francois' lovely face.

  Her quickened breathing also returned to normal. She seemed to be in much better shape. Now that her partner had recovered, the pain felt by the witch also vanished.

  However, Hazumi apologized on reflex. Doing so had clearly gone against orders.

  "Don't worry, though I don't think you needed to apologize," said the blonde genius witch calmly.

  She had regained her usual composure, probably because the healing was very effective.

  "This would seem to be a huge matter for you. Besides, the all-important mission is accomplished. I have no reason to complain."

  Minadzuki had stabbed the twin blades into the desert at a point.

  With that point as the center, a zone twenty or thirty meters in radius had turned into an "ocean."

  What had been clearly an endless white desert earlier now had this one sea-blue zone turning into seawater.

  Rather than a vivid blue, it was the color of Tokyo Bay.

  Once the transformation into seawater was complete, they would be able to return to their original world... Informed this by instinct, Hazumi listened to Luna Francois.

  "In our world of witches, results are everything. Regardless of means taken, the winner dictates what is considered right and proper. Hence, Hazumi-san, well done."

  "I-I see."

  Luna Francois winked casually at her and made a thumbs-up.

  Hazumi was dumbfounded by her frivolous attitude when it happened.

  The pseudo-sun that had been firing invisible rays nonstop—It suddenly vanished.

  There were some remaining Raptors left in the gray sky. Although only a few dozen, surviving remnants were still targets. Why had the attack stopped when there were still enemies remaining?

  "Nee-sama!?"

  Orihime was collapsed nearby.

  Staring at the gray sky the whole time, she had ordered Akuro-Ou to use pseudo-divinity of the Sun. Unfamilar magic had sapped her strength excessively, finally causing her to collapse.

  The nine-tailed Akuro-Ou also dematerialized and vanished.

  Now that the rays that had been killing enemies every few seconds vanished, the sword-equipped Raptors fleeing all over the sky calmed down.

  There were fifty or sixty enemies remaining in the sky.

  On their own, they flew towards the ground—to attack again!

  However, Minadzuki still had her twin blades stabbed into the "sea-blue ground." Pouring in her own magical power, Glinda supported the dual-wielding swordsman.

  "L-Luna-san, what should we do!?"

  "Minadzuki needs to control the twin katana while Glinda needs to maintain her assistance. Neither of them are free to intercept the enemies..."

  At this rate, they were sitting ducks to be slaughtered by the Raptors.

  Just as they held their breaths nervously, an unexpected savior descended from the heavens.

  Ruahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

  Blue Rusahlka. Her lost wing had been restored. Hazumi's earlier prayer for the safety of everyone she treasured had not only healed Glinda but Rushalka too.

  The wyvern with the lone horn on her forehead charged into the flock of Raptors.

  A blizzard and dragonslaying lasers. Another full burst attack. She had used the Rune of the Bow.

 

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