Starlight Dream

Chapter 52

"And all the players are here!" Kaguya said, arms spread wide. "To witness my rebirth!"

"I see Reiko's death doesn't bother you," Seina replied, mouth in a firm line. "But I suppose she was never a friend."

"Never,she served our purpose."

"Tsk, figures." Takako clicked her tongue. "But what do you get out of this? You realize what your partner is?"

Just thinking about it made Seina's blood boil. Of course, that blight had returned to haunt her. This creature was responsible for everything she and everyone else had suffered.

"It matters not." Mei unsheathed her weapon, its steel glinting starlight from the countless pinpricks of light above. "To obtain what I desire, I'll sacrifice anything. Kill anyone."

"Why not work with us, then? We can help you." Seina said. "No one else needs to die!"

"Empty promises," Mei replied, tone emotionless. "The Fairy Queen couldn't help me, and neither can you."

"Then maybe it wasn't meant to be, dumbass," Arisu said, finally speaking. "You gets to a point where you need to accept reality, Mei. What makes you think Kaguya can fulfill your greatest wish?"

For the first time, Mei showed genuine emotion, clenching her teeth behind her metal face mask. "It doesn't matter. How could you understand what I've suffered?"

"We've all suffered! I've had a hard life, too." Seina said. "But you can't allow your pain to define you."

"Diligence wouldn't have wanted this. She..." But Charity didn't get a chance to finish.

"Enough." Mei's eyes hardened. "Your words are meaningless. You oppose me, and now you must die."

"There you have it. Seems like Mei wants war. Ready to play, my heroes?" Kaguya stepped back, vanishing into nothingness.

"Hey!" Seina said. Where was she going?

"Typical Kaguya, letting others do her dirty work," Arisu said, summoning her staff. She covered her face with a cloth mask. "Fine by me. I'm looking forward to trashing this traitor."

"Yeah! I don't care what your reasons are," Seina said, summoning her staff. "The nightmares stop!"

"You realize we got lucky with Reiko, right?" Emiyo said, sighing. "But never mind. I'm seeing this through."

"Pain is no excuse," Himari said. "We all have hardships we must bear. You have no right making life worse for everyone else just because you're suffering."

"I don't need to give some pithy speech about justice. I want to kick your ass so I can live peaceful days of just reading manga!" Takako said, her ribbon dancing around her.

"Useless." Mei's cold eyes stared at them, levitating herself into the air. "Shall I show you true terror? Dark form change."

Darkness gathered around the girl, her usually black armor gaining another dimension of despair. Ebony feathered wings spouted from her back with white tips. There, the imperial Devil Princess floated above her enemies, a god giving judgment no those foolish enough to oppose her. An aura of evil washed over everyone, choking them with her pure malevolence. It drove the breath from Seina's lungs, making her legs tremble with fear. What was this magical girl? Had she discovered a level of power above the rest of them? Like Reiko, Seina sensed something sick about this new form. It was a perversion of a magical girl.

"Erase," Mei said, extending a hand.

Pain filled Seina's entire being, overloading her senses. Years passed, agony became her entire being. Or was it only seconds? Seina could hardly tell either way. Through stinging eyes, Seina forced them open. Darkness surrounded her, making her wonder if she was dead. No, that wasn't true. Pinpricks of light caught her attention, making Seina realize she was still in Starlight Dream. The force of the blast must have blown her clear. But she froze when she realized she'd made an incorrect assumption.