Considering it's a tree that's about the size of a multi-storey building, and that it suddenly appeared in broad daylight, firing magic lasers from the tips of it's branches, it's a wonder that the populace of the several-hundreds-strong, iron-age, rural coastal village didn't succumb to utter panic and declarations of Ragnarok.

Of course, that might be because those people are shuffling around, their bodies commanded about by ancient magic.

They just so happened to be also firing magic space lasers.

Flying low to prevent being an open target, she dove in and behind a stone house. A barrage of magic followed her, and a lot of hay and wooden structures surrounding it get set on fire.

Looking over the side of the house, Gyda winced. Magic may be perfectly non-lethal, but it isn't so merciful to the surroundings.

Looking at the hundreds of ensorcelled normals between her and that damn magic tree, she decided she needed a distraction.

Calling upon a huge mass of mana, she clumped it outside of herself and formed a spectre of pulsating pink light, roughly the size of her. She gives to it her outer Barrier Jacket, a pink hood and cloak with a drak-green trim.

Asking Raising Heart to take such a large amout of mana and bind it into a shape that vaguely resembles her was tiring enough. But now she's sending it out to fool the mass of ensorcelled while sneaking out the other end. If she gets caught and fired upon while in this state, she wouldn't be able to effectively fight back.

Still, she did it.

Sending out her magical doppelganger to draw enemy fire (and attention) away from her hiding place, she quickly zoomed out from her hiding place, staying low, flitting from building to building. She had set her little distraction to take a hit seemingly fall behind yet another stone building quite a ways away from here, leading the mass of ensorcelled to rush the stone building and away from the primary Lost Logia in a bid to end the magical girl once and for all.

Despite herself, Gyda smiled.

Dashing out of her hiding place right next to the giant, multi-storey tree, she raised Raising Heart, ready to seal it. She wasn't wearing her full barrier jacket, having expended too much magic for that. Instead, it was just the green undershirt part over her physical wear.

One of the many, many eyes stuck to the side of the tree swiveled around and spot Gyda, but it was too little, too late.

"Lost Logia no. 157, Hypnosis Seed, seal!"

It's been a handful of days she was put to the task of dealing with the sudden arrival of Lost Logia, ancient magic and machines from worlds beyond this one, far older than even the most entrenched and storied of family lines.

One could say it was a little much for any person, let alone a young girl of her age. Gyda personally thought that she could get quite used to this, actually.


Getting kneed in the stomach, and then punched in the face, are all rather painful experiences.

It worried Lando, then, that he might almost be getting used to it.

"Hah! Just a little scrape, and your nose goes crazy with the bleedin'? What weaksauce! No wonder father doesn't want ya to go on his raids. You're dead the moment someone looks at you funny!"

And with one final kick to the ribs, his brothers walked off, laughing.

Groaning, he rolled over, clutching his side. At least it wasn't as bad as yesterday. Yesterday they stole his wooden practice sword and shield and used it to feed the fireplace, claiming that they were hardly put to better used then when he was the one using them. It was a fact that he couldn't refute, it was the truth. He was a man who couldn't fight. Now, he had nothing else to lose, not even his pride.

I wish I was stronger. I really, really wish I was stronger.


Magic requires Energy. Your own body produces some, but if you want to cause bigger things than a mere stinging sensation, you'll need to Borrow a lot of it. That or Train.

Siggy remembered the first time she saw magic.

In Magic, your mind is the ultimate weapon. Axes and Spears may aid you, but a sufficiently skilled wielder of Magic can end your average Raider before they're aware that they're even in danger in the first place.

She remembered following her father out the door as a mere child. He was holding a knife in one hand, and a doll on the other.

A Part of One can affect the Whole. Blood is the best medium for this, though if pressed, Hair, Skin and Treasured Items may also do in a pinch.

The doll shaped like a wolf, and stuffed with the fur of a wolf, he told her. She herself was carrying a small cup of blood, careful not to spill a drop, let she risk her father's wrath.

Magic is not something alien to this world. Close your eyes, Siggy, and open your core. Can't you hear the magic, streaming though the wind and waves?

Moving down the farm yard, she could see them. The pack of wolves her parents kept and fed, despite not using them for anything at all, never once letting them out of their pen, with sides a few meters high to deter them leaping over to escape, making it more like an open-air cell than anything else. She had always wondered about them.

But she was here to find out. After endlessly bugging him about it, he told her that he would finally use those mutts for something, and she was coming along with him.

The wolves perked up, having noticed her father stopping in front of their holding place. They seem to expect him to start feeding them, as was the case for the last few weeks since their capture. They have become disgustingly used to depending solely on another living being for their sustenance, a high fall from the mighty predators they were.

But her father would soon ease their pain. He asked her to hold out the cup of blood, and he dipped his knife in the blood.

He then stabbed the wolf doll right in where it's gut would be.

The effect was instantaneous. The body of one of the wolves near the point in the cage where they were the nearest sank down to it's knees, blood pooling out from beneath it. Her father dipped his knife in the cup of blood once again, and pulled out another stuffed wolf doll.

This time, instead of a stab to the gut, he sawed off the doll's head. Another one of the wolves howled as massive, gaping, moving wounds were forming around it's neck. Eventually, at the same time, the doll's head plopped off, the real wolves' head had dropped off and landed in the grass, a geyser of blood shooting out and reddening the grass.

Siggy's jaw dropped.

Ever since then, she had learned everything her parent's could teach her. The ability to manipulate the environment and other beings via force of will and elaborate arithmetic, an ability that hardly anyone but them knew, because they were the only ones they knew who were capable of such things.

That was then, when Siggy was still smaller than a mutt. Now, she was a woman, married to Earl Haraldson, ruler of Kattegat.

She was making plans to mentor her children in the same manner, in the same subjects that she was subjected to.

This was long before the incident with the off-world artefacts.

Now, creatures and items have appeared that were far beyond the scope of Midgard to handle, she knew they were off-world because she recalled her father's repeated mention of worlds other than this one every time he got the chance, and because they gave off the wrong frequency of magic, completely independent from the familiar rhythm she had found shared between men, beasts, the land, and the sea.

Seeing Thyri, her dear daughter, with a charm, a contraption that helped concentrate and automate such as Bardiche was a massive shock. It was magic, but done in a way that seemingly went against everything she knew about the practice. The device did reassure her, telling her that her magic and daughter's magic was the same, only the latter's was helped along by a incredibly advanced intelligence, but she was still unsettled...

Still.

Still, she realised, now she was living in one of the interesting times in living memory. Artefacts of great power from beyond the void of the night sky were now scattered throughout the land, ripe for the taking by those with the means and the will to take them.

And now, her loyal, loving daughter shows up with one of those artefacts, a living polearm that serves her like her own personal thrall, with power enough to take her to the skies and put these "Lost Logia" under it's control.

Siggy was a cunning woman. She was not about to let an opportunity like this slip by her like a fish in a stream. She would catch it, with bare hands, even, if there happened to be nothing else left.


R-Really? You think there's another mage here, living in Kattegat!?

[It is the most reasonable conclusion I have reached, my master. These Lost Logia we have been sealing, they have been sealed before. My database recognises them.]

So I guess they simply can't get un-sealed by crashing into something really hard, right?

[My master, magic can only unlock magic. The TSAB had been layering protection spells on the artefacts that they have found for many millions of years before they were ended. Even a top-level mage would find difficulty in unlocking them without significant time expense.]

B-B-But that means whoever them is releasing is as strong, if not stronger, than a top-level mage!

[Indeed, master. While this planet has been, will be where the TSAB's most celebrated Ace Mages hail from, this combat unit still finds it very unusual regardless.]

. . . Gah! . . . I guess this is rather selfish to admit, but I was also kind of annoyed that I'm not the only one with magic around any more.

Raising Heart did not have an answer for that.

S-Sorry Raising Heart, I know you may not understand this, since all of your previous masters probably knew more magical people than non-magical ones, but, before all... this, I was just a simple farm girl, you know? I wasn't at all good at hand-to-hand combat. You, know, using swords and spears and hand-held shields, trying to make your opponents bleed? It was the only form of combat that I knew before I met you, Raising Heart.

The magical transformation trinket -slash- weapon-of-mass-destruction blinked it's acknowledgement. Gyda looked around. Yet again, she was in the town marketplace, this time accompanying her mother.

But it wasn' that I was less-than-stellar at it, no, it was that I didn't want to get better at the shield and axe. I didn't want to hurt people. I was too afraid.

[...]

And if I've never met you, than maybe I would've become stuck to the peasant life, marrying a man, living in a farm, doing housework, bearing children... /she shuddered/. And that would've been the end of it. Content, maybe, but always wondering what might have been. It scared/ me, you know? The future. I always felt that there was more I could do with my life other than fight and farm, fight and farm, fight and farm... and then going to Valhalla, where I won't need to farm anymore, but all that leaves is making fighting, and then getting killed, and then fighting, and then getting killed again, the only thing you can/ do reasonably do anymore. I-I felt like...

She gripped Raising Heart hard.

I felt like I had no control over my destiny. None at all.

She held up her device at eye-level, looking at it. If Raising Heart were shaped like a human, she would've looked it straight in the eyes.

But the moment I met you, I realised what I could do, for myself! A new path that I could walk, and me alone!

And for that I thank you Raising Heart, I thank you with every fiber of my being...

The two do not speak, for a moment. But then the hyper-advanced, magitech AI called Raising Heart responds.

[Do not worry, master. This Device understands completely.]

Upon Gyda's questioning look, Raising Heart continued.

[When my former master Nanoha Takamachi first received me, she was in a very similar place in her life.] the device explained. [She too, like you, felt useless and was not quite sure what to do with her life. She was one of the most fiercely independent people this combat device has come to be familiar with. Her family were warriors as well, albeit non-magical ones, and she hated being a burden. So when came the opportunity to do some right in the world, to be useful, she jumped at the chance, and when it turns out that she immensely skilled with it, she never looked back.

This combat device believes that Master Gyda can also be the same, that she can find her own purpose in life if she so wanted to... and whatever path she chooses, this device will stand right by her until the end.]

Gyda looked at her device in wonder.

Yes, you're right! I don't know what in the world am I weeping around for! I have, I am/ doing good for my people. I battle and seal dangerous magical artefacts, so that innocent people don't have to suffer! And if what you say is true, Raising Heart, and there is another mage here, one who is unleashing these Lost Logia on the people, then that is one enemy I, Gyda, daughter of Ragnar Lodbrok, will gladly fight!

It took all her self-control at the moment to not transform in the middle of the crowd and fly off to blow up gods-know-what.

Oh, what the hell, just look at me. I keep on whining about not being special anymore, and yet my father has left to sail to the west, against the Earl's wishes, based on nothing but tall tales. I guess one doesn't have to have magic to be someone special, just a lot of fearlesness.

Still, I'm really worried though, for father...

"Gyda!"

Her mother's sharp voice pierced through the conversation like a knife through butter. "What is making you take your time, young lady?"

It was then that Gyda realised that she had stopped walking somewhere in the middle of her very engaging conversation with Raising Heart. She flushed in embarrassment. "C-Coming, mother! She said, rushing forward."


[Master. Lost Logia detected within 1000 metres of current position.]

Right!

"Um, mom, I really have to go to the latrine."

Her mom sighed. "Gyda, I've always told you to go before we leave the house. Can you hold it in a little while longer?"

"N-No..." Gyda shook her head. "I really, really, really have to go!"

"… Fine, fine. Go. But we're going to have a little talk when we get back home, young lady." she said as Gyda ran off, with Bjorn snickering behind them.

Ducking behind a building hardly anyone uses, Gyda transformed into her Barrier Jacket, a mouldable, wearable, personal shield of mana that are a mainstay of users of magecraft everywhere. Her normal robes fall away, only to be quickly replaced by a green vest and darker forest-green skirt, both with prominent pink highlights, and over that was a hooded cloak, pink with dark-green highlights.

She flew off in a streak in pink light and saw it from the air, the Lost Logia.

It was a huge pulsating mass of sickly green flesh, with multiple, long, whiplike appendages on it. Flying closer, she could see what appeared to be a large gemstone set partly within the creature's "forehead", and upon even closer inspection, she could see... a person!?

Yes, a person! A youth was unconscious within the giant genstone, curled up in a fetal position.

R-Raising Heart! There's a boy! There's a boy inside that thing!

[… Yes, my Master. Many Lost Logia have an emotional energy matrix that enables them to react to and gain power from the sufficiently strong emotions of people.]

"What in Odin's name is-AAH!"

Gyda spotted a man getting his leg snatched by a tentacle, and being led to another tentacle with a big, gaping mouth at it's end.

"No!" Gyda cried out, and pointed Raising Heart in his direction.

[Shoot.]

A barrage of pink lasers stabbed through the tentacles, but most of them weaved skillfully around them like abominable gymnasts.

[Divine Shooter.]

A series of pink orbs came after, but what happened to them was even more preposterous. Those tentacles with mouths came up to them and ate/ them like a nice mid-afternoon snack.

Ah, th-they ate them!

[Master, enemy appendages incoming.]

Wha-GET BACK!

Gyda rapidly retreated out of the range of the creature, many, many tentacles.

Huh, these tentacles are really annoying me… Ah, I know! Raising Heart, can you make these modifications to Divine Shooter, please?

[It can be done, my Master]

Great! Here I come!

She sent out another barrage of pink orbs. As expected, the appendages devour them, but right before they are fully absorbed, they detonate. Tentacles are blown apart and get separated from the main body. The creature pauses in apparent shock.

There, an opening!

Gyda rushes in while the creature is distracted, and flies up to the body encased in gemstone.

Is he alright, Raising Heart?

[Yes, His vital signs are intact, my master.]

Then do you think I can talk to him telepathically?

[If the Master wishes, then it will be done.]

And so it was done. Gyda started to hear a second voice in her head as she started to concentrate.

I'm weak.

What?

I'm weak. My brothers always beat me to a pulp seven days a week, and my father won't let me bring me with him to the raids to the east. I'm an embarrassment to my family.

Gyda blinked. Well, this was new. But she had to save the day and save it soon, so there was no time for subtlety here. She took a deep breath.

Alright, SHUT YOUR WHINING, MAGGOT, AND LISTEN UP!

Wha-Y-Yes Ma'am!

Good. Now, you say you're weak, young man, that you're a shame and embarrassment to your family, is that it!?

Y-Yes, I'm afraid so-

Well, you'll continue to be so unless you stop thinking about such silly things. The first step in fulfilling any goal is start believing that you can do it, and purge any thoughts that say otherwise! Think positively, is what I say!

Believing?

Yes. Now, right now, you're depression is causing a great and vile beast that draws strength from negativity to manifest itself and to start snacking on your fellow townsfolk! Can you live with yourself, knowing that this atrocity came about because you were too busy hating yourself!?

T-That's preposterous, there's no way-

It's true. Just look for it in your heart.

My god, it's true! What you're saying is true! What am I going to do with myself!

Calm down. There is one thing you can do. This monster uses you to power itself, so deny it that power! Fight against it's control! Think happy thoughts!

That's... I'll try. I don't know if I can actually make a difference, but I'll try.

It was about this time that the tentacles started noticing Gyda again, and they rushed towards her location, hoping to devour her and her tasty linker core. But just a few inches from her, the tentacles stopped a little short. They shook and shivered, as if they were trying to break free of an invisible net.

There. You've done good, you've done very good. Now, please forgive me, young warrior, but I believe this is going to hurt just a little bit.

[Master, let's shoot it. Divine Buster.]

Yes, let's.

At that command, magical energy began to coalesce on the tip of Raising Heart. A magic circle forms under her feet.

"Shoot!"

A pink beam fired from the tip of her talking staff, all the way to crystalline prison of the boy/name. It holds, but then a few cracks form.

Gyda gritted her teeth.

The cracks grow larger, and larger, until it shatters and the young lad falls out. The tentacled Lost Logia gave out an inhuman wail of despair, before melting into mass of disgusting green.

Diving down, Gyda caught the falling boy in her arms. His eyes open, and stared at the girl in the glowing clothes, carrying him in her arms and flying through the air in defiance of all logic.

His eyes closed again and his head tilted back.

[He is unconscious.]

Thank you, Raising Heart.

Putting him down in an area that made it plausible for him to conclude that he must've just fallen asleep and dreamt up the whole crazy thing, Gyda looked about.

There were unconscious victims everywhere, and some of them were starting to waking up.

Time to finish this now, then.

"Lost Logia no. 166, Oob-Niggurah, seal!"


Meanwhile, high up in the sky, beyond the sight of anybody but the keenest of hawk-eyes, the Earl's daughter stood, on a glowing golden circle of runes and glyphs, and watched the fight's conclusion intently.

My, my... Thyri thought to herself. She's strong. Clever, too, far more than one would expect from a simple farmer's daughter. And one without a single drop of magical heritage, too, if mother is to be believed...

Her eyes stared down in appreciation, then are cast upwards, towards the sky, her tone turning regretful, almost wistful.

Too bad she has to be killed. Her and her entire, traitorous, family... All for the greater good, of course.