Chapter 11 – A Lazy Day (2)
Thanks, soldieroffortune813, for pointing out the typos.
Miyu’s voice drifted down to the basement, dispelling the heavy atmosphere. “Onee-chan, breakfast’s almost ready.”
“I’ll be up soon,” Yui called back, turning to leave. She had enough food for thought to last a while. About Envy, about Miyu, about Miyu’s soon-to-be-dead contractor.
“Two more things before you go,” Vili stopped her. “Don’t look like that, I’ll make it fast."
“I won’t bore you with the details, just know that there are two branches of contract magic. One is used in contracting Magical Girls and Witches, the other was what I used to stop your girls from talking about the Incarnate.” Vili held up two claws, “The latter is what concerns you. That magic is not omnipotent, a clever contractee could exploit verbal loopholes. That’s why we don’t really use this magic. You'll need to follow up on them and keep their mouth shut.”
“Oh, I can think of several ideas to keep them quiet.”
“Good. Now for the second matter, and don’t take out your anger on me when you hear this.” Vili created a magic shield around herself and took a deep breath before saying, “Miyu doesn’t have any special abilities.
“I’ve checked multiple times. Initially, I thought it was because she was a Witch of another Etativi since it would indeed hinder my investigation. But now that I know of her altered contract, I think her lack of abilities is intentional. Without any abilities, she would lose most of her fights. Each loss fuels her wrath for when Gam needs to activate her Incarnate.”
The barrier did nothing to prevent the frigid aura from Yui. Her single "I see" chilled Vili's blood. Someone will suffer greatly, and that person’s name starts with G. Vili smartly did not let out a peep, allowing Yui to leave, before releasing the breath she held, cold sweat dripping down her back.
—
Yui's mind was so full of imaginative ways to torture that scum Etativi, that she did not realise she had reached the kitchen.
The clatter of utensils snapped her out of it. She watched as Miyu fluttered around in her frilly white apron, leaving a trail of red sparkles while Miyu did the final touches to breakfast. Her frosty frown melted under Miyu's sunny smile, she would not forgive the despicable Etativi who would harm such a precious person. But for now, she will bottle up the matter, she did not want to worry her Miyu.
"Mi-chan~ How are you feeling today?" Yui called out as she grabbed Miyu from behind, hugging her waist.
"I'm fine, Onee-chan. I feel very well-rested." Miyu pinched Yui's hand that roamed into her apron. "Not now, Onee-chan. I'm nearly done with breakfast."
Yui sniffed Miyu's hair. "Mi-chan, have you bathed yet? Mi-chan smells like sweat~"
"Mou~ Onee-chan you meanie~" Miyu pummelled her with weak fists and she laughed.
"I think Onee-chan should go outside."
"Ehhhh~? Don't kick Onee-chan out." Yui hugged Miyu tighter.
"It's not that Onee-chan, it's the demons. I’ve tried to settle them down but they’re determined.” Miyu explained, "They've gathered outside."
“Another problem so early in the morning." Yui sighed. "What do they want?"
“It’s better if you see for yourself,” Miyu said.
“I’ll take a look.” Yui gave Miyu many headpats. "By the way, I like all of Mi-chan, even a sweaty Mi-chan." Yui left a kiss on Miyu's hair before heading to see what the fuss was about.
-
The view out the front door of her mansion was undamaged, the gigantic central tree dominated the landscape of endless fields of flowers. A crimson sun peeked from over the distant mountains shining through an amethyst sky.
Yui saw all her demons, except Fenrir, assembled outside the mansion. On the gravel path and in the flower garden, her wolves, stone golems, mannequins, bears, and shield knights, with Sebastian, Sofi, and Dryad, at the forefront, stood. And the moment she stepped out, all of them prostrated. All their heads facing the ground in disgrace.
Something she should see for herself, indeed. Mi-chan~! You could have at least given me a warning.
“Get up, all of you.” Yui ordered, but none of them rose. The over fifty demons held their deference in silent trepidation as if awaiting their execution.
She looked at them in confusion and sighed when realisation set in. "What am I to do with you all?" She sighed in loving fatigue. "There is nothing to apologise or punish. I know you've done your best to try to rescue me and Mi-chan. In fact, I should be the one who is bowing. Even though none of you are bonded to us, you've still rushed to save us. Thank you for coming to our rescue."
A tremor rippled through her demons when she bowed and thanked them. The demons howled and wept, her appreciation was wasted on them, them who could not save their mistress and little mistress, them who could not even break through the boundary WRATH created. They did not dare receive their mistress's thanks, they cried for her to stand up, to punish her unfaithful demons.
Yui could figure their intentions from their desperate howls, "I'll rise when you do."
All her demons instantly stood up, save one. She examined her precious demons and smiled as she addressed them, "I will not accept your apology. I've only asked for your best, and you have delivered it. All of you can stand proud that you are my demons, for you have not failed me nor disappointed me."
A loud roar that rose to the sky erupted from her demons, she allowed them to have their fun before returning them to their posts. Now for the problem child, Dryad remained in her kneeling position.
"Dryad, why are you doing this?" Yui asked, even though she knew Dryad could not speak. "I've already said that you did not fail me, must you punish yourself so?"
"Is it because you could not protect me?" This elicited a nod from Dryad.
"Even I could not foresee Envy breaking her bonds..." Yui sighed, she knew Dryad would not stand without receiving some form of penance. "Very well, I have a need for a research assistant and test subject, that will be your punishment."
"Now come, Mi-chan will get angry if breakfast gets cold." Yui smiled and helped Dryad up.
———
Elsewhere, in the TransMagica Ship, the command staff once more gathered, today with the Metermi, to listen to the account of two Magical Girls about their time with the Witch of Lust. Feeu and Eisst recounted their time in the otherworldly garden, skimming past their erotic encounters.
“Thank you for the report. Is there anything else?” Captain Lejto, the muscular second-in-command, asked them, who shook their heads. “No? Then, Dr. Lilian how’s their condition?”
“Yesterday’s overnight observation has shown no build-up of foreign mana, even the lust mana left in Eisst-kun has disappeared. Similarly, there are no abnormal bodily conditions. They’re clear, they may return to school, for some normalcy. Though, I advise giving them a break from Magical Girl duties.” The buxom doctor replied. Under her breath, she muttered quietly to herself, “So unfortunate... I would like more mana samples...”
Since no one had anything else to add, the Commander closed the debriefing. “Magica Eisst, Magica Feeu, you're dismissed. Use the next three days to recuperate. You may return to school but report to Dr. Lilian immediately if any complications arise.”
The Magical Girls bowed and filed out.
Chief Engineer Adams waited for the soundproof door to close before saying, “There’s something they’re not saying.”
“Hmph, you don't say,” Dr. Lilian scoffed. Pushing up her bewitching bust when she crossed her arms. "Have you forgotten which Witch's Garden they've visited?"
“Get your head out of the gutter, woman. I’m not talking about their usual bashfulness,” Adams double scoffed. “It’s like they have something they really want to tell but they stopped themselves.”
"And you, of all people, would know what a woman thinks?" Lilian triple scoffed.
"..." Adams ignored her. "When I was going through their medical report, something popped out. Traces of Lust mana were found throughout their bodies. If the Witch of Lust extracted it, there would be no trace left behind. Something else must have forcefully pushed out the Lust mana then been removed."
"While that is indeed in the realm of possibility, the magnitude needed to do that is definitely something they would report." Lilian laughed.
"That's why I'm saying they're hiding something." Adams countered.
Captain Lejto interrupted. “Whatever information they are withholding. We’ll just have to trust them, trust that they know what they're doing. Let's drop this for now and move on to more pressing matters.” Adams and Lilian acquiesced to his request.
Lejto looked to the Commander for her approval before he chaired the next issue, "The next agenda is an alliance with the Witch of Lust. Is it possible and should we pursue it? Lilian-dono?"
"Envy attacking Lust has once again shown there is no goodwill between the two and that there are two different factions of Etativi in play here," Lilian stated her interpretation of the situation. "While the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, they would serve as decent fodder, especially if we can learn how to create artefacts from them."
"Adams-dono?" Lejto asked.
Adams took some time to organise his thoughts. "Etativi factions fighting each other is nothing new, the ongoing conflict in North America is an example. In all such circumstances, the collateral damage to the surroundings and population is high. The Etativi, and Witches by extension, clearly do not share the same values as us. Any alliance would be purely transactional, there is nothing binding."
"I see," Lejto continue, "Personally, I feel we should—"
"Vilinori," the white plushy cat with an orange strip, who had been silent throughout the debriefing, interrupted suddenly. She stated that single word so confidently as if it explained everything.
After a while and noticing there was no further elaboration forthcoming, the Commander asked for everyone. "Vilinori?"
"Hhmm~ Ohh..." the Metermi realised they did not know who that was. "Vilinori is the Etativi my girls encountered. Purple-black and cursing with ‘fluffle’. I bet my fluffy tail it's her."
"Is there anything we should know about this Vilinori?" The Commander pushed for more crucial information.
"I've only met her once. She’s a well-known enigma. Despite possessing both immense knowledge and power, Vilinori prefers to stay out of conflicts and pursue her own agenda, though she won’t shy away when necessary." The Metermi explained. "An Etativi that does not act like one. If she is the contractor of the Witch of Lust, there might be a chance for a stable alliance. She has been known to work together with Metermi occasionally when a danger that threatens both races arises. The most recent being when she spearheaded the creation of the joint Anti-Incarnate pact between Metermi and Etativi."
"I remember as clear as day, the way she handled those obnoxious Etativi during that meeting. Now, that was a sight to witness." The Metermi gazed off into the distance. "Even though she's an Etativi, I admit that I respect her. I wonder what grand design she is planning."
Meanwhile, in the basement of the mansion, Vili lounged on the bed, eating her favourite tangerines. "Phew, I thought Yui would kill me... I must have used up all my luck to survive that apocalypse— ACHOO! AACK!" The great Etativi choked on a tangerine seed.
Back in the meeting, "We take it you agree to the alliance," the Commander addressed the Metermi and asked her second-in-command. "Captain Lejto, what is your position on the matter?"
"Commander, an alliance with the Witch of Lust is tactically sound, however, I fear the price we must pay. That Witch has shown repeatedly to have an attraction to the girls, she would undoubtedly ask for them when we propose the alliance. Are we just going to sell them off?" Despite Lejto's overwhelming physique, he was the softest marshmallow to the Magical Girls, looking out for their interest with a stern face.
The room fell silent. The Captain's concerns brought to light something they had overlooked, or perhaps something they did not want to consider. The morality of an alliance.
"Understood," the Commander acknowledged simply. "The next course of action is..."
-----
Outside the meeting room, Feeu walked down a metal corridor with Eisst beside her. Their footfalls rang along the metal walls, step, step, step, each step echoed the pounding of her heart. Feeu could almost feel it tingling on her skin, an unseen pressure caused by the unbroken silence between two friends.
It started when they did their medical check-up, no, perhaps it was even earlier when they returned from that Witch's Garden, but as they sat facing each other on the medical beds, they did not speak to each other. No usual jokes or gossip, no laughter, nothing, as if a barrier had been erected between them.
Even now, as they walked, its presence could be felt. A thin barrier that a finger could pierce but she did not have the courage to do so, how could she after everything that happened in the Garden. While she forgot much of when she was possessed by WRATH, she did recall fighting Eisst and all the malicious things both of them said to each other. Was that what she thought of Eisst? Was that what Eisst truly thought of her? She did not dare ask. And so she maintained her silence, walking that half-a-step further from Eisst.
Eisst, too, was lost in thought, though, for a totally different reason. She did not remember anything concrete during the time she was a thrall for WRATH. No, what she was contemplating was the incident before WRATH, something her friend seemed to have completely forgotten about.
Eisst replayed the scene in her mind, after the Witch of Lust was sneak attacked by Envy, Lust laid unconscious. And as Eisst tried to stabilise the critical situation, she distinctly recalled Wrath crying out two names. 'Yui' 'Miyu'
While she did not know any 'Miyu', she did know a 'Yui'. Misaki Yui from her school, the fabled Ice Queen, someone who helped her out in the student council regularly. But that was impossible, she couldn't be the Witch of Lust, could she?
Prologue End
New issues arise, a new enemy is made, and a new toy to play with. Does Eisst know Yui's secret identity? How will Yui hunt down Gam? Will she be able to tame Envy? Will Feeu and Eisst rekindle their friendship? What is the next move of the TransMagica?
Find out next time on MGBT2
This wraps up the prologue. I seriously didn't expect it to take this long. BTW, any good witch names for Yui and Miyu? leave them in the comments below?
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