Chapter 18: V2C3 – Encounter

"Yosh...that should do it."

After brutally murdering a bear [Curse], the party took a rest.

"They really are like demons..."

"Even if they aren't blessed by the Goddess, [Magical Girls] are amazing with taking those things down on the daily."

"Agreed, I wonder what other [Magical Girls] are like besides Ai."

"Wait... everyone. Something...horrible is coming..."

"What are you talking about Rino?"

"This disgustingly evil mana, and in such a condensed form...take positions."

The party readied their weapons and narrowed their minds. The next moment, a bishoujo with fluttering long black hair appeared at the scene. She was recognizable to some of the team who had done their research on what happened in their absence. The [Ethereal Princess of Darkness], [Magical Girl Aki]. But, this presence does not feel like a [Magical Girl], it's somewhat reminiscent of a dastardly demon. Without lowering our weapons, Ryosuke spoke commandingly,

"Who are you?"

"Magical Girl Aki."

"What do you want?"

"I sensed some unusual things so I came to check it out. What about you? What are 7 high schoolers doing in a place like this dressed like that?"

It was as if Aki had already blown through their identities. This girl who looked to be their age was on a different level of imposing. The group was a bit shaken...

"..."

"[Curse] subjugation is for [Magical Girls], but you guys don't seem like [Magical Girls] do you? Do you mind telling me how you've been fighting them?"

"..."

Aki pressured harder and glanced at the weapons they didn't lower. Satomi had a staff, Rino had a short sword, Ayame had a broadsword, and Yui had a scepter.

"The boys are unarmed, are they making only the girls fight!? Anyways, it seems that they've been glaring at me pretty hard for a while now...I wonder why." Aki pondered.

"I know you're true identity, [Demon Lord] Vetheris!"

"Hmm? What's this guy on about."

"Wait, Ryosuke, that person doesn't feel like the [Demon Lord]. They feel undeniably evil but they don't have the same signature as Vetheris. This presence is like, the wills of hundreds of [Curses] wriggling in unison impossibly..."

"It doesn't matter if you're the [Demon Lord] or not, but that evil air of yours definitely makes you a threat. You could be Vetheris's servant for all I know."

"W-W-Wait! I'm not associated with this Vetheris you speak of and I'm not looking for a fight! I don't know who you guys are but attacking a [Magical Girl] is not such a good idea..."

"Hmph, don't look down on me!"

"This stupid hotheaded battle freak! Is he desperate for answers because he hasn't made progress in finding Vetheris!?"Aki thought.

O Goddess, grant me the power to slay an unthinkable evil

I, Hero Ryosuke Hikaru, call upon the holy treasures bestowed with light

To protect the world and write it over,

[Heavenly Armament] !

Ryosuke manifested a shining white armor over his chest and a two-handed [Holy Sword]. Glaring at Aki's profile, he took a lunge and slashed with his mana-rich sword.

"Guh!"

Aki barely avoided it with physical enhancements after pouring mana hastily.

"Wait I said! I'm not your enemy!"

"I doubt that!"

Ryosuke struck again while the others watched.

"Ayame's cold stare hurts..."

Aki manifested a single [Realizer] and blocked Ryosuke's blow by strengthening it.

"Satomi! Seal her movements and buff me!"

"You got it! [Increase Strength], [Increase Speed], [Movement Barrier]."

[Movement Barrier] is a magic spell that creates a barrier around the target's body to block movements. Aki immediately noticed this and used [Mana Drain] to absorb the barrier completely.

"W-What? My barrier...in an instant..."

Ryosuke who had gotten careless after thinking her movements were completely sealed was full of openings. But, Aki wasn't after their lives. 

[Core Grenade: Light]

After using a flash bomb like [Core], she fled to the nearest vantage point of the battlefield and watched the 7 heroes from above.

"Calm down and listen to me! Why are you even attacking me in the first place? I'm not associated with this Vetheris your talking about nor did I want to fight!? Are you too braindead to understand that?"

My mannerisms might have been a bit inappropriate for a girl...

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"Shut up! Take a look in the mirror and tell me your not some kind of evil spirit or demon."

"Rude...well my mana might be a bit sinister but it's nothing to attack me for! Get to know me first!"

"As a hero, I don't have the freedom to do that."

Hero?

"Finally talking, so tell me more about why you're a hero."

Ryosuke bit his lip. Aki is probably not associated with Vetheris because she doesn't know their identities as [Heroes] which is something only someone from [Orvinus] would know.

"I have no obligation to share it with you."

"...so you don't intend to tell me anything about what you are huh."

"Yeah."

"Then I guess--"

"Now do it, Yui!" 

Aki looked to the sky in a hurry to see a giant [Ice Spear] aimed at her throat, spiraling at intense speed to her. It seems that Yui was preparing this in the time Aki was busy with Ryosuke.

"Are you idiots unleashing this in the middle of the city!?"

"Save it demon!"

"Who's the real demon..."

[Hexad Barrier: 16-Release]

Aki layered the barriers on top of each other to block the incoming mana shot. She clad the manifested cutlass with darkness, preparing to unleash [Darkness Form Realizer: Dark Vortex] to counter it smoothly.

"That dark magic, I knew it..."

"You fools~!!!"

 The spear crashed through the barriers and Aki thrust the sword forward unleashing a wave of darkness that sucked the surrounding light. After, fragments of ice fell from a height and onto the floor.

"It's no use, they can't be reasoned with. They think I'm some kind of monster...I look human though..."

The hero party had run into plenty of human transforming demons in [Orvinus] so if Aki was a demon, then that would not be so surprising to them. Looking back at the 7 resolved high schoolers, Aki lost motivation and ran away annoyed with max output physical enhancement. They tried to follow with their [Physical Enhancement], but theirs contained less mana and was therefore slower. They lost track of the [Magical Girl Aki] after their first encounter...

"What's with them, attacking me out of nowhere!"

"In all honesty, Aki, you probably look like a terrible beast to them if they have mana perception abilities which they probably do."

"Okay, I can see how it's partly my fault, but they didn't listen at all when I told them that I didn't want to fight. I didn't strike back even once either."

"Let's see...let's just say you're both in the wrong."

"Ugh...I couldn't get any answers but I think I can piece things together. They said [Hero]...[Hero] and [Demon Lord]...[Orvinus]. It's like those isekai novels."

"Are you basing your assumption off of light novels?"

"Yes, got a problem?"

"Many. But, we'll go with that assumption for now."

"Yeah, they're probably returnees from an isekai world."

"They're also out for your blood."

"Oh shut it."

Aki and Yoru ventured home, leaving behind the heroes.

---

"What was that? Was that really [Magical Girl Aki]? No way!!!"

"Her dark presence was surprising, but we might've been too hasty. She didn't want to fight after all."

"It was likely all a trick to get close to us and surprise attack! A cowardly strategy for a demon who hides her true form."

"It doesn't feel like she had bad intentions though."

"Really now? With that mana?"

"She was hot though..."

"Tatsumi shut up!"

"Well, I hope we can sort things out better if we meet again...the mysteries increase. Also, cool it Ryosuke."

"Yeah yeah, I'm calm."

The group looked dumbfoundingly in the direction Aki escaped and wondered.

"I don't get it...I really don't."

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