Chapter 139 – Star (5)

When I woke up and looked around, I saw Rapid, Grape, and Esther confronting each other.
Keep a certain distance from each other and stare at each other without approaching.
Grape and Rapid are afraid that Esther will suddenly attack them, and Esther is wary that Rapid will use space movement to escape.
The portal magic that Rapid uses is short-distance connection passage, space movement magic capable of long-distance movement, and it is known that in order to move another person, you have to make contact with the body.

It holds a sword of fire in both hands, points its tail in front, spreads its wings, and is ready to attack at any time.
The moment Rapid raises his mana to use magic, he rushes in and tries to prevent contact.
However, Esther’s attitude changes as if she noticed something when she saw that Rapid couldn’t raise her magic at all.
Instead of suddenly rushing in and stabbing her with one blow, she intended to raise her mana and make sure to deal with it.

“How long will it take to recover?”
“… In about two minutes, it’s tight.”

I immediately understood the situation after hearing the conversation between Rapid and Grape from the side.
Rapid, who puts all his energy into rescuing people, sometimes concentrates on the situation without thinking about what will happen later, sparing no mana and using up all of his magic.
This is the moment.

“I guess you don’t even have the magic power to teleport a person?”

Esther, who is aware of Rapid’s condition, gradually raises his magical power.
The swords of fire held in both hands leaked white together and emitted heat enough to melt the ground.
That look seems to ask Rapid that I’m still full of energy, but are you already done?

“So, didn’t I tell you not to waste it recklessly just because you have a lot of mana?”
“Rapid, just think about recovering your mana.”
“Rapid~ It’s okay if I don’t have to help you? Do you think Grape can survive alone?”
“Shut up Esther, because you are enough with me alone.”

Esther approaches slowly.
The fiery sword, with its magic power gradually condensed into the form of a sword that glows white, swallows the blazing flame inside.
Like a wild beast facing its prey, its eyes are wide open and shining, and its sharp teeth are exposed.
Grape, who stood in front of Esther and put Rapid behind her, stood upright and raised her shield forward.

“Is it your specialty to buy time? Is it Grape? However… Are you really confident?”

This is where the two of Grape and Rapid fight together.
Rapid opens and closes the portal nonstop, almost exhausting his magic, and Esther is still full of strength.
Grape alone must stop Esther.

Ever since Esther was a magical girl, the number of times Grape has defeated Esther can be counted on one hand.
I lost by the score from the National Guard’s power check, and I also lost in a simple mock battle.
Esther lost only when Grape wasn’t fighting alone.
It gets worse after Esther is infected by Negative.

You don’t have to be alone to lose, and if Rapid is not by your side, you lose.
Still, I hold on to buy time, and I lose after holding on.
Not many have succeeded in winning or losing and buying time for support to come.

If Esther is not Rapid or Ash for nothing, she is not treated as an executive to a level that she cannot deal with alone.
The other negative cadres are also powerful, but Esther is more picky as she uses her experience as a magical girl to attack them.
She knows her weaknesses, she knows her strategies, she knows her fighting styles and mannerisms.

Esther didn’t call Grape a punching bag for nothing.
Since she was a magical girl, she often attacks one-sidedly when she trains like Grey Franc or conducts mock battles, so it’s a term she used to tease her.

Still, I don’t feel like Grape is going to lose to Esther.
The amount of magic flowing out of Grape’s body, which is blocking Esther, is strangely large, which is frightening.
It’s not a normal amount, but the density is ignorant.

As if something was wrong, mana was swelling.
It is different from suddenly recovering mana.
It boils as if it was forcibly raised for a while.

“Come on.”

As Grape spoke quietly, Esther’s sword charged at the same time drew a line in the air.

“Be cheeky on the subject of grapes!”

Beyond the shimmering space, the sword that was so hot that it could be burned was blocked by Grape’s shield.
To melt the shield, the sword of fire stretches out its magic power and charges at it, but Grape’s magic power quickly overlays the shield and withstands it.
Grape didn’t move at all from where he was standing.

“Eclipse! Grape! That… !”
“That’s what I said before! I know!”

Grape’s shield blocks Esther’s sword, which turns translucent and darkens as if it is covered by a shadow, and bounces it off.
Esther’s magic, Eclipse, is a bizarre magic that ignores the opponent’s attack and attacks her one-sidedly across the gaps in space.
It’s not magic that can be easily deflected with a shield.

Lapid and Esther, who know that fact, look at Grape with surprised expressions.
Looking closely, the area around Grape’s arm and shield was glowing dimly.
It is a sight that seems to have used some magic.

“Super vibration… ? You, other than activating magic awakening… !”
“It was just a quick shake!”
“What a disgusting bitch!”

As Esther said, Grape, who used a rather gross-looking method, vibrated his arm and blocked the attack with his shield.
Grape simply shakes her magic-enhanced arms at a speed that is abnormal even for a magical girl, so her magic power is almost not consumed.
Esther, on the other hand, must continue to drain her magic to maintain the Eclipse.
Realizing that fact, Esther releases Eclipse and attacks again.

Esther, who couldn’t finish it at once using Eclipse, spreads her wings and swings her sword while floating in the air.
When Grape blocks with her shield, a slight movement of her wings turns her sword’s trajectory and slashes.
Responding to that, if you twist and bounce her shield, the sword on the other side of her stabs.

Let her react once, and aim for her gap to grow.
Even though it’s an attack that shouldn’t be blocked, Grape deftly moves her shield to block it.
Blocks, deflects, and deflects all attacks without stepping back.

The heat burns and radiates around Grape, but it doesn’t reach where I and Rapid are at all.
Esther’s sentiments are transmitted to me as I blankly watch the fire splashing and spurting, burning both sides of me.
The angle of her shield is perfecting to the point of being creepy.
Grape’s shield skill is growing rapidly as if she’s realizing something she’s forgotten.

When she turns to her side and tries to fly away, Grape’s sword impedes her, stabbing her to the point of disorienting her.
Block with her shield, interrupt with her sword.
Esther, who was pressuring Grape, begins to be pressured by Grape on the contrary.
I force you to stay in front of me, to be chained here and to attack only me.

Block the stabbed sword with a shield and block another sword coming up from below with a sword.
When he slipped his stabbed sword and aimed at his head, he deftly twisted his shield and deflected the blade.
I twisted and stabbed the sword that had been blocked by Grape’s sword, spread my wings and rotated my body in the air to swing the deflected sword again.

At that moment, my left hand suddenly throbbed and something strange came into my head.
Annoyingly, if you block all cuts with the sword… Cheating.
It is a black trick that is wielded, and the real thing is hidden separately.

“The tail behind the sword!”

Esther’s tail, pointed at the tip, stabs herself behind the fiery sword that was swung along with her spinning body.
If you do not dodge the cutting sword and block it, you will inevitably get hit.
Grape reacted immediately to the voice that I reflexively shouted and changed the position of the shield.

I dodged it, but in case I was hit by Rapid or I, I blocked them all.
As soon as Grape deflects Esther’s sword and blocks her tail, the tail explodes.
The magic he was preparing at the tip of his tail exploded.

The magic from earlier was completely obscured by the light from the fiery sword, so even Grape didn’t notice.
It was a mortal wound if it was hit as it was.
Esther, who must have known that fact better than anyone else, twisted her expression.

“Angaaaaa!”

My left hand throbs, and I can feel the anger and betrayal from Esther that I helped Grape.
Instantly, the body trembles and freezes.

“Now, whose side are you taking?”

Esther’s magical power flows out like hot melted lava and covers the surroundings.
The overflowing magical energy pierces my left hand and conveys Esther’s feelings to me.
Staring at me, at Grape, and at Rapid, feelings of deprivation, regret, and anger… And, above all else, it raises envy.
Jealousy burns fiercely, and Esther’s magical power is explosively inflated.

“Grape, only you… I know I can amplify his magical powers with emotions… ?”
“What?”
“Now don’t be flattered that you’ve mastered a trick!!”