Sorry for the wait, I ran into some issues in life and got caught up in another project. But now, I can finally work towards my original goal of getting this chapter finished up before writing anything else.

In the meantime, I'd like to announce a game project in the works regarding my magical girl-based Super Robot Wars projects. I'm starting with one of my earlier projects that includes only three series (Cardcaptor Sakura, Tokyo Mew Mew, and Sailor Moon Dark Kingdom Arc).

However, I've also been collecting resources to do this series as well. This will have some changes compared to the original story such as including Minna early on and having her take care of the issue of the White Witch.

In any case, it's time to start finishing up this chapter.


Out in the North Sea, a massive black machine, enveloped by bronze and silver veins, hovered in the air. The design resembled a submarine, except it had four blocky vents that emitted gravity-defying forces and large fins that resembled a crescent moon. Behind the towering, crescent-shaped bridge were two turrets with three cannons each, runway sloping deep into the superstructure. Behind two small fins at the front was the logo of the machine: a circle with three spirals of silver, gold, and bronze; two wings of black and white sticking to the left and right with blue and red dots at the tips.

That was the same logo worn by the crew, who wore the emblem on their left breast. On their right breast was another emblem, a circle cut into thirds of black, blue, and green, surrounded by a white ring.

At the top of the bridge was a young woman with long, light blue hair. She stood by a podium with various buttons and screens. Despite being in her late teens, she served as the First Officer of this immense flying craft. She also served as the Chief Engineer and secretary for the commander of the ship. The young woman watched over a three-dimensional holographic image at the center of the bridge that displayed data inside and outside the machine.

"Ballistic missiles inbound," Maxine Stapleton reported. "Kurohana, activate the Bullet Globes to intercept them."

The sides and fins of the flying submarine featured twenty-four glass-like half-globes that emitted gold auras. Small shots of energy then burst from the spheres, aiming towards several dozen ballistic missiles.

Most of the missiles were not aiming towards their target, but there were so many of them that they could bombard the area. That was especially because each missile dispersed into several dozen smaller ordinance before impact. The Bullet Globes did their best to shoot down as many as possible. Many of the missiles outright missed the ship, but a significant number of them impacted the hull.

When the woman got a secure grip on the desk, she reported the damage to her commander.

"Hull breaches on Deck 4. Deploy Worker Drones to begin repairs."

"That attack isn't your normal bombardment," One of the non-standard crew members noticed. She bore red eyes and dark red twin tails that went down to her waist. Her uniform was a black gothic dress decorated with red frills. "Shouldn't they have gone straight for our bridge under these circumstances?"

"Either their guidance systems aren't working, or their aim got piss poor all of a sudden."

The response came from a woman in army green clothes and with a scar on her left cheek. A dark green wedge cap covered her long dark red hair. Her vest, with colors matching her cap, had two pockets by her breasts and a black belt strapped around her waist and right shoulder. She wore black boots and dark green leggings that went up to her knees. She carried a sidearm and a combat knife on her belt.

"Another wave incoming," Max called out as more signatures appeared on the holographic display. "Take evasive maneuvers while intercepting."

The black ship turned towards the volley of missiles that blindly cruised to its location. As the gold shots destroyed the main rockets, the smaller missiles broke out and did another bombardment of the area.

This one had slightly better luck as more hits reached the upper decks including the crescent-shaped top of the bridge.

"Where did that one hit now?"

"That one disabled the Mooncrest above," the first officer reported. "Theater Missile Tubes 1, 3, and 4 are offline. Bullet Globes 6 & 8 are damaged."

"Oi, oi! Won't they just stop firing on us already! Don't they even want to know where we are?"

The wail came from another girl that did not wear a military uniform. She had short white hair and blue eyes. She wore an elegant dress with a mixture of both colors. Compared to the more mature girl, she behaved more like a complaining child.

"Yelling isn't going to do anything, Lia," the gothic girl called to her. "It's already annoying that they attack us despite our situation. We just got moving again, and it was only bad luck to encounter the AMF first."

"Can we at least call for a truce or something? Do they even care that we're in another world?"

"They don't," the veteran military woman replied as she took out her sidearm. "Those metalheads would rather finish the job first, and then figure out that crap."

In contrast to her more professional attitude, she held back extreme stress from the situation. Ever since their ship, the Black Iris, got flown to this unknown location, she was as confused as everyone else. There were no satellites and very few electronic messages, all of them seemed to be broadcasts using technology from over a hundred years ago due to how easy it was to intercept them. Now, they have to continue fighting the AMF, who still thought about fighting them despite their situation.

"More bogeys detected," Maxine got new signatures on the screen. "The AMF must be attacking full force now. Airships and drones are approaching our position."

Maxine turned to the girls' superior on the ship. The commander was a bald man in his forties. His uniform was unique with prominent decorations on his shoulders and several colored ribbons pinned to his chest. He remained silent throughout the entire conversation.

"General, the AMF serious about finishing us off. Even if we get through this engagement, I cannot guarantee we won't have any casualties on our side."

"We still haven't heard anything about Officer Liu, haven't we?"

"Unfortunately, we have not. We don't even know if he came into this world with us."

"Of course he did!" Lia cried out. "He'll come to save us for sure! You'll see!"

"We've been searching for the Titania's signature ever since we got the sensors and communication systems back online. Even if they're not fully operational, our chances of finding Mr. Liu is low."

The General ignored the rattle and observed incoming hostiles. He stood up to issue orders, facing the woman in the army green military uniform.

"Commander Mio will take the twins and scramble. Intercept the enemy drones and provide anti-air support," he turned to his First Officer. "Lieutenant, turn the Black Iris towards the head of the enemy air fleet. If the enemy's tracking systems are inoperable in this area, we should limit possible damage to the bow and break their formation. Keep them away from the bridge and engine."

"Yes, sir! You can count on us!" Lia complied.

However, another array of signatures appeared on the screen.

"Hold on, we have new contacts heading towards our position," Max reported. "It's not…the AMF. They're magical signatures!"

"What?" Max's report raised one of Mio's eyebrows.

"Magical girls in this world?" Ria was also surprised.

"Analyzing data. So far, the database is not picking up anything. And…wait," Maxine called for a moment of silence as the analysis finished. "Identity confirmed on one of the signatures. It's Officer Liu's Titania."

That report altered other important members of the ships. Lia was the most excited as she boated in front of them.

"I told you that Kyoko-san would show up!"

"I'm more curious as to how he found us," Ria walked over to the holographic image. "And what's with all of those other magical signatures?"

"Maybe he brought friends along!"

"Lieutenant, can you confirm the IFF of the unknown signatures around the Titania?" The General ignored Lia's assumption as he ordered Maxine.

"Getting a visual now."


As the Black Iris continued to do battle against the approaching AMF forces, Kyoko cruised behind Izetta, who guided him through this world's ley lines. Behind him was Alice, the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, and the Halifax Bomber carrying the White Witch's new weapons. Commander Wilcke and Major Sakamoto flew behind the Titania as they followed the Machina Weapon. It wasn't long before Groman also got the sight of the ongoing battle.

"Commander, we have visual sight of the mysterious black vessel," the Britannian officer reported to the leading witches through the intercom. "It is currently in a battle against unknown forces."

Wilcke knew that the enemy would not be unknown for too long. As outlandish as it was, Kyoko gave the details long ago that the Black Iris came to this world along with the AMF forces that were most likely hostile. She had her intercom connected to the Titania ever since they took off.

"Mr. Liu, we are approaching the designated combat zone. Are you sure that we will find friendlies in the area?"

Kyoko didn't have to say "yes" or "no" to that question. He already had the screen on the Titania zoomed in on the flying submarine.

"It's the Black Iris alright, and it looks like they're already doing battle against the AMF forces. See them for yourself."

"I confirm seven enemy airships and at least thirty small aircraft nearby," Mio used her eye to zoom in on the hostile forces. The enemy airships were boxy with large pods on each side that had unusual propulsion systems and carried most of their weapons. Four of the ships fired what looked like huge rockets that angled towards the flying sub and then dispersed into several smaller rockets that bombarded the area. Three of them launched small flying wing aircraft as they patrolled the fleet, armed with more conventional weaponry, unlike the Neuroi. "You say that these are forces specialize in anti-magic weaponry?"

"Their weapons will tear through your shields if you fight them head-on. You'll have to rely on speed and keep your distance if you want to have a chance at fighting them. I'll deal with the brunt of the enemy force."

"Are you certain of your capability?" Minna questioned. "Izetta will not help you remain in the ley lines if you advance further. And if what you say is correct, that your Machina Unit is an irreplaceable weapon for your allies."

"I should have more than enough mana to keep me going a few minutes. I can just land on the deck to recharge if need be."

"Understood, you can proceed," the commander of the 501st confirmed as Kyoko went ahead. That last part where he could refuel by landing on the deck intrigued her for the moment, but she immediately switched to issuing orders. "Izetta, fall back to the Halifax as they collect the special ordinance. Barkhorn, Hartmann, follow my lead and back up the White Witch as she delivers her payload to the enemy fleet. Sakamoto, I'm leaving the rest to you."

As the Commander flew away with her team, the Major issued her orders to the rest of the unit.

"Litvyak, you provide support from the rear as Juutilainen provides support. Alice, accompany Izetta and the Commander as they engage the enemy ships. Lucchini will be with Jaeger, Miyafuji will be with Bishop, and Clostermann will follow my lead. Everyone, move!"

Upon confirmation, Izetta flew behind the 501st as the Halifax opened its underbelly. She flew under each of the torpedoes and touched them as the pilot disengaged the locks. The large weapons trailed behind her as her escorts accompanied her by the sides.

"The White Witch has obtained the special ordinance," Commander Wilcke reported to Groman through the radio. "Fall back to the rear and await observe for further instructions."

"Roger!"

Princess Fine watched Izetta take off with the rest of the girls to assist their allies. The guests beside her were just as bewildered as they witnessed the humanoid machine fly off against a completely alien threat. Now, they're about to see them in combat against an unknown hostile force that was neither Neuroi nor Germanian.

But that was also the deepest concern for the princess as it was for the nearby Murlock. The Neuroi were already an outlandish opponent thanks to their technology and weaponry. The new enemy force looked between them and the Germanians in terms of technology, but their use of anti-magic weaponry already marked them as incredibly dangerous opponents in their minds.

Fine could only pray for Izetta's safe return, but he noticed Tipler gazing through the window but not at Alice.

"Aren't you concerned about your friend, Tipler?"

"Yes, but I sense a more terrible phenomenon approaching."

"A terrible phenomenon?"

Fine wondered what those words meant.

Tipler said that he was from another world as well. Could it be…no, it can't be, Fine shook her head at the thought. But if that were true, then Eylstadt's future is even more uncertain.


On the Black Iris, the major crew members were just as bewildered as they witnessed the visual data of the Titania's escorts, all of whom were unknown to them. However, unknown to the incoming force, they intercepted the messages that confirmed them as friendlies.

"Well, what do you know," Ria crossed her arms. "Not only did Kyoko find us, but he brought a bunch of friends with him."

"What's all those weird machines they're using on their legs?" the childish twin sister asked while looking away. "And why are they in underwear?"

"Can't handle fashion sense, can you?" Mio smirked at the young girl, who was both disgusted and amused at the sight.

"Visual data and signatures are similar to Machina Units," Maxine analyzed. "However, the designs are substandard compared to our arsenal."

"So this is what we got for reinforcements," Ria shook her head. "We've dealt with worse than this. Having extra hands is better than nothing."

"Indeed, and if they are Officer Liu's allies, we cannot neglect them," the General agreed. "We are proceeding as planned. Scramble and assist the allied force. Eliminate the enemy force before they can destroy the ship."

"Well, you heard him!" Mio shouted. "We may be thrown into some Wonderland here, but the mission's the same. Let's get out there and blast these crap buckets back to our home planet!"

"Yes, sir!" Lia said cheerfully as she followed the officer.

"On it!" Ria followed alongside her twin sister. The two of them held a small, thin, and white cylindrical crystal. As they went out to the top deck of the submarine, the trinket glowed bright white, triggering a transformation.


By the time the girls on the Black Iris took off, the 501st and the others already engaged the enemy force with Kyoko spearheading the assault.

A squadron of five flying wing aircraft already moved to intercept his Titania. From his knowledge, the Arahi military forces identified them as "Wingers," unmanned interceptor drones that also served as fodder in air-to-air combat.

As expected, they fired short-range AAMs from their underbellies as a first strike maneuver. For this reason, Kyoko took the lead, using his Titania as a decoy for the missile volley. He used his machine's inhuman agility to break the missiles' targeting system as they exploded in mid-air. He had to cut a missile and even block a few with his shield. But when the dust settled, his efforts were enough to reduce the threat of his new allies getting blasted a few seconds into the fight. They faced a highly advanced enemy from the future after all.

The rest of the 501st advanced forward by following Kyoko's example. Major Sakamoto went forward by charging towards a Winger. She dashed to the side as the unmanned drone fired rounds from its two guns; it came to shock that the shots traveled far faster than the usual machinegun rounds and left streaks of light that she could still feel in her hair. That was an indication that she had to be quicker than usual to avoid being cut to ribbons.

When she used her katana against the Winger, it came as another surprised. Although she was able to make a cut, she felt her arm snag suddenly, nearly tearing from her arm clean off. As the unmanned drone plunged to the water and exploded in mid-air, she could see that her katana suffered small fractures on the blade.

Minna's group suffered a similar ordeal as they engaged another squadron of Wingers. The machines were already far faster than the usual aircraft. They also appeared to use jet turbines for their propulsion system, something that was experimental in their timeline. Furthermore, they were incredibly agile despite having such powerful engines, making an Immelmann at faster speeds and with barely larger arc lengths than their standard aircraft.

Gertrud already had trouble engaging the craft because of their speed. She had to use her typical method of charging at the enemy drones, which was only restricted to when they came after her. When she projected a shield the enemy fire, her instincts immediately told her to back away as the gunfire tore through it like tissue paper. One shot grazed her by the hip, causing her to writhe while barely focusing on her target. She managed to get her assailant with her cannon before it passed by her.

Perrine had snapped out of her infatuated state when she fought another pair of Wingers. She had better luck as she used her electric abilities to disable the enemy craft, sending them into the ocean. She nearly got hit by a stream of gunfire, but as the Winger flew by her, she sensed her hair frizzling with electricity. The observation nearly distracted her from another stream of gunfire, forcing her to move away. A few bullets grazed her Striker Unit, causing it to cough up some exhaust and sending her spiraling for a few seconds. But the sensation was enough for Perrine to make a realization.

They're using mere electricity to fire munitions? How advanced are these people!?

Lynette was busy firing at the enemy drones from afar. This was as easy of a job as fighting Neuroi since they were unmanned weapons compared to the Germanians. Yoshika supported her friend as they destroyed several drones. One Winger was lucky enough to launch a missile at them, prompting Bishop to guide her shot to destroy it.

Eila watched from afar as she and Sanya held back. She had problems with the enemy even though she wasn't even fighting at all. Her special ability as a Witch was clairvoyance, which allowed her to foresee enemy attacks before they happened. However, these ones were much harder to dodge. When she wanted to foresee the moves of the enemy drones, her vision turned out fuzzy; she couldn't get a clear view of their trajectory or even the line of fire. She had to rely on luck as rounds flew past her and Sanya, nearly tagging her by the thighs.

However, that was not the only worry Eila had. Just like Tipler back on the Halifax, she sensed another danger approaching them. Perhaps it was also due to the AMF's presence that she could not get a clear idea, but it was more than just Germania or the Neuroi suddenly entering the fight. No, it was something much bigger.

In the process, Alice remained close to Izetta as several Wingers pursued them. Alice had a much better time than the other girls thanks to her agility. She also used her fire abilities to destroy the missiles and drones, just she did for a couple of drones.

Izetta had a little more of an issue because of the torpedoes. Unlike the Witches' shield, her nearby swords and lances lasted much longer against the enemy weapon fire. She guessed that it was due to her using physical objects for protection rather than relying on magical shields. Nonetheless, the drones' guns depleted her of the swords, leaving only her explosive lances for protection.

"Now!" the White Witch called out as the drones stopped firing. Her weapons impaled and blew up three of the pursing drones, though another came on her tail. Two missiles fired from its underbelly, causing her to send two more swords to destroy them. She was later saved by the Titania craft, which destroyed the Wingers with its butterfly-like wings.

Minna observed the whole battlefield conditions from afar. It was already a few minutes into the battle, and even though they had support from the Titania, they could already see the disparity between their power.

Even though we're winning, the enemy's firepower and technology are incredible,Minna held a tighter grip on her gun. There's no way we could win alone against this kind of might.

The enemy's abilities were both obvious and subtle, yet they were overall formidable. Even now, the AMF's weapons seemed to affect her powers as well, as if they were jamming her ability to sense the enemy. She had to rely on the naked eye or even Mio just obtain some kind of situational awareness. This is just a small battle group, too, and if Kyoko's words were true, this wasn't their best technology. She could not bear to imagine how they would face their true force as a worldwide military organization.

Her train of thought nearly caused her to miss an incoming Winger drone coming towards her. She was suddenly saved by another guest that entered the battlefield.

Ria took care of the nearby drones shortly after takeoff. Black, rigid armor protected her knees, shoulders, and elbows. She also sprouted two red, dragon-like wings of magical energy and emitted claws of similar energy from her fingertips.

"So you must be one of Kyoko's new friends," the gothic girl flew over to the Witch. "You came at the right time, that's for sure."

Minna found herself amazed by the girl's power. She took down the drones effortlessly compared to Mio from earlier, though the Major started to get better at tackling the enemy drones. She was also impressed by the girl's ability to fly without a Striker Unit, but that wasn't too surprising considering she was from the same world as Kyoko.

"Are you with Kyoko Liu? With the Black Iris?"

"Can't say that he's with us, but we're in the same boat either way. And who are you?"

"Commander Minna Dietlinde-Wilcke of the 501st," Minna addressed. "To whom am I speaking here?"

"Ria, Ria Ustez. And I'm here because of my sister, Lia."

At the same time, Lia came in her magical girl form. She sprouted bright white wings that emitted a blue aura and had a more elegant dress for her uniform. The cheerful girl flew over to the Titania and waved to the pilot.

"Lia, Ria, get your behinds back to the submarine to defend the ship!" the twins' officer barked. "You think we're here to have handshakes and hellos here!? That goes for you, too, Officer Liu!"

Even Minna felt disturbed by the shouting, which reached even the intercoms of the other Witches. That prompted Major Sakamoto also contact the girls.

"This is Major Sakamoto of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing. Are you from the Black Iris?"

"This is Lieutenant Maxine Stapleton of the Arahi Military Forces and First Officer of the Black Iris. You must be accomplices of Kyoko Liu."

"That's correct," Minna took over. "This is Commander Wilcke, leader of the 501st and the commanding officer in this area. Kyoko Liu told us about his affiliation with your group. We have no intention of hostility and will gladly assist you against the AMF."

"We appreciate your assistance," Maxine confirmed. "As you can see, several Frodo airships have launched a continuous bombardment against our vessel and several squadrons of Wingers for air support. Help us destroy those ships, and we'll do everything we can to assist you."

"Understood," Minna confirmed as she gave orders to her unit. "Izetta, we will proceed with the plan as Kyoko stated. We will provide support while you use the torpedoes to destroy the enemy ships attacking the Black Iris."

"R-Right!" Izetta confirmed.

"Sanya, Bishop, I need you to assist Izetta as well. When she runs out of torpedoes, we'll need you to help destroy the rest of the enemy fleet."

"Roger," they responded with different tones.

"Kyoko, are you still able to support us?"

"I'm not out of energy yet. I'll help distract the ships' anti-air fire while your Witch friends take them down."

"Glad to hear. Good luck out there."

As Kyoko nodded, so did the head of the Titania, prompting Lia to giggle.

"Let's go!" Lia went ahead first as she cruised towards the enemy Wingers. She emitted blades of white energy from her arms and charged as a streak of light, cutting down three Wingers in her path. Kyoko assisted her by firing her beams from the Titania's right hand, destroying another drone in his path. He took down another with his sword after stream of gunfire struck him by the leg, then made his return to the Black Iris.

On top of the deck, Commander Mio already took out many of the enemy drones. While the Bullet Globes provided some support, the military girl did most of the work. Actually, it was more of her weapons that did most of the work.

As part of her power, Mio has several heavy machine guns floating in midair with her power. Both of her hands gestured movements that made the guns aim and fire their weapons. It was already stressful to deal with the waves of drones and missiles and she was on the verge of tiring out. Kyoko helped take out several drones and missiles with her energy weapon and swords as he descended for more energy.

"It's about time you showed up," Mio commented. "Looks like you've been playing with your new friends a little too long."

"Sorry about the delay," Kyoko replied, a little annoyed by the girl's attitude. "I got caught up this world's business and a lot of things happened."

"You can save the discussion later. Right now, you need to get moving and take down those flying boats before they blow our ship to scrap!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," Kyoko grunted as he felt his mana reserve recharging. "Our new friends are already on it."

Meanwhile, Ria was already near one of the Frodo warships. The blocky ship launched two more Wingers to intercept her, but the gothic magical girl responded in kind. Like from a horror movie, she ejected a portion of her body, which quickly regenerated. The eject part then turned into a clone of herself and they each pursued one of the drones. They both used their speed and agility to outmaneuver the Wingers and cut them both at the same time.

When another pair of Wingers intercepted form another ship, they raised out their right hands. Concentrated blasts of red energy manifested in their palms before firing and in a synchronized fashion, they obliterated the flying machines.

Izetta remained startled, completely awestruck by the girl's abilities. Excluding the sludge part that nearly made her sick, she was startled by the newcomers' capabilities.

The White Witch returned to reality as more gunfire erupted. Four anti-air turrets, two on the top rear and two on the bottom front, turned to attack the magical girls. Ria and her clone disperse to separate the anti-air fire as they fired red blasts at the ship. Although they did not breach the airship's hull, they were enough for a distraction and at least damage the defense guns. Izetta nodded to herself as an opportunity to attack.

Inside the Frodo Assault Ship, soldiers with gray uniforms prepared to launch two more Wingers into the battle. They were completely off guard when Izetta flew into the hangar bay and observed her surroundings. The officers quickly drew their sidearms and opened fire on the Witch. One bullet nearly got her arm, and she was forced to use her lances for protection. She could even feel it harder to move the torpedoes as they barely kept afloat inside the ship.

Not taking any chances, Izetta called one of the torpedoes to ram into the center of the vessel. Unaware that she targeted the ship's engine, a large explosion occurred within the airship, sending the crew and docked drones flying to the ceilings. Izetta herself was pushed back, but she recovered enough to realize that the ship was falling. She hightailed through the door, feeling her energy recovering after making it outside, and escaped the falling and burning wreckage of the airship.

Lynette got lucky with one of her own shots. Unintentionally, she hit one of the Frodo's thrusters, causing it to push starboard into another vessel. The crew on a nearby Frodo tried to run as they collided with each other, causing the missile banks on the first one to detonate. Both ships exploded into a ball of fire, leaving the Britannian Witch dumbstruck before shaking her head.

Shirley and Francesca circled another airship. The Witch from Romagna was left in the dust as Shirley used her speed to match the drones' speed. Their agility was another story, but she got a few lucky shots with two drones by shooting their turbines up close. Now she distracted and disabled the enemy airships' CIWS. Francesca flew randomly to avoid all the shots from the bottom turrets and had to dive near the water for extra speed. One ship that had larger cannon turrets underneath nearly got her with its larger rounds, causing her to nearly plunge into the sea, but she recovered after a short period. Once she regained her flight, she found Sanya already took care of the enemy craft, firing her rockets on the missile banks above.

At the same time, Kyoko already cut down another Winger and approached the second-to-last airship. Alice already destroyed the ship's turrets, so Kyoko could easily smash the bridge and send it crashing down into the sea. Likewise, Izetta evaded the enemy gunfire after Ria's clone got torn to shreds as a decoy. One torpedo was shot down, but the last two made safely into the hangar doors

A tired Eila, who was already wounded by several cuts from gunshot wounds, witnessed the remaining Winger drones falling into the sea. Without their command vessels, the drones turned themselves off and became inoperable.

Thank the White Witch that's over…


The guests on the Halifax roared over the performance of their new allies and enemies. They had no idea where they came from, and Fine and Tipler did not wish to mention it, but they were astounded by the victory from the 501st and White Witch. This is going to be a hot topic, even if it was to be confidential as of today.

"This looks like another mission accomplished by the White Witch," Groman called from the back. "What do you say, Princess?"

"It sure is," Fine replied after nodding. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see me when we-"

The princess was distracted after something startled the Murlock beside her. She could see Tipler writhing in fear, almost enough to attract attention.

"What is it, Tipler? What happened?"

"It's coming…They're coming…"

"Who's coming?"

"It's them. They're already here!"


Back at the battle zone, Minna was ready to wrap up the mission. With just about all AMF forces eliminated, they were ready to rejoin their outlandish allies back on their flying sub.

"This is Commander Wilcke," Minna contacted the Black Iris. "All hostiles are eliminated. We request permission to land."

After a few seconds, a dark male voice came through the intercom.

"This is General Ishida of the Arahi Military, Commander of the Black Iris. We understand you have no intention in engaging hostilities and are willing to negotiate. We request a designated location for refueling and resupply, and we can discuss matters in the process."

"I understand, General," Minna confirmed. "If you can secure a safe area, we shall land on the upper hull of your craft and happy to-"

"General!" Maxine's voice interrupted the intercom. "New contact detected!"

"What?" Minna jumped to the report, expect she saw nothing unusual.

"An unknown singularity is forming at our location! It's the same one as-"

Before the First Officer could finish, space in the sea stretched as a hole tore open in the sky. The hole formed a swirling tunnel as the nearby personnel covered their eyes.

Before they knew it, many unknown entities descended from the tunnel. Most of these unknown beings were grotesque airborne monsters. They looked like a crossbreed of hawks and wasps; the former for one set of wings and talons for legs, and the latter for its stinger tail, multiple limbs, and insect heads. The rest of them looked human, dressed in green and brown robes. They were dressed similar to priests or village chieftains from ancient times and had hoods covering their faces.

Only one of them was kind enough to show her face, revealing a dark-skinned woman with black hair tied to a braid. She had bracelets and necklaces made of wood, leaves, and shells. The jewelry and revealed face displayed her rank as the head of this expeditionary force.

Already, the girls could feel a terrible aura emitting from the group…No, it was more of like intense pressure crushing their hearts and souls. That alone demonstrated how powerful this group was in front of them.

"It appears that there was quite a commotion," the leader of the group hovered over the battlefield, witnessed the destruction. "Too bad that we could not have come much earlier."

"Another band of invaders, huh?" Alice smirked, unfazed by the new force's display. "Well, I got something to say about that."

"Alice, stay back," Tipler's voice cried out from the intercom. "That woman is after you, and those Hawkwasps were made to come after your friends."

"After me?" Alice then realized what he meant. "So this is them, huh?"

"I'm afraid so," the Murlock answered with regret.

"That hole was made from the future. And that woman and her followers are known as the Vilag."


So, there's the next part of the chapter.

In the meantime, here are the bios for the characters introduced.


Maxine Stapleton

Alias: Max, Maxy/Maxi, Electronic Fairy
Birthday: July 19, 2040
Age: 16
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Arahi
Rank: Lieutenant/Secretary (Arahi Military), First Officer/Chief Engineer (Black Iris)

Maxine Stapleton was originally born in a family that valued education over everything else. When they moved to the newly established island of Arahi, they sent her to the highly fortified elevator school of Floyd Academy. However, the pressure from her family and the school's regulations prevented her from engaging in many social activities and therefore, had very few friends. The immense stress on her life resulted in her becoming a magical girl to help break out of this isolated lifestyle. Shortly after her new life as a magical girl began, her parents were killed by a Destroyer, a corrupted magical girl made from impure desires. Since then, she had turned her attention away from social activities and used her time to hunt Destroyers that dwelled the island.

Initially, Maxine kept much info about magical girls and the AMF to herself. She hated Aya for getting into her personal life and only accompanied her group to pursue her own activities. After Floyd Academy is destroyed and its staff executed, she is forced to work with the group and learn more about Aya as a person. As she relies on her comrades, she improved her confidence, professionalism, selflessness, and welcomeness towards others.

When the AMF invaded Arahi, Max already enlisted into the military, serving the General as his secretary and one of his liaisons regarding magical girls. She assisted in the military's Black Iris Project and currently serves as its First Officer and Chief Engineer.

As a magical girl, her main weapon is a pen-like staff for casting spells, which usually involve a primary shape (triangle for offense, square for defense, and circle for status effects) and two alchemical triangles for elemental manipulation. Extra rules and symbols create a variety of additional effects. Powerful spells reasonably require more concentration, energy, and time to cast. Spells can be either aimed or drawn on the ground, drawn mentally or physically with the staff. To save time and spells, Max's staff also has a "save" option; whenever she creates a new spell, she can lock it with either the name and/or even an incantation upon casting. As the engineer of the team, she created many devices for her team, from standard communication devices to Black Iris and its Machina Units.

When she obtained her second transformation, dubbed Electronic Fairy, her magic system changes to mere circles with runes similar to programming code. Aside from expanding her list of spells in variety and power, she also gained hacking abilities, can project holographic images, and transfer information to her allies. She also no longer needs her staff to cast spells and can perform them more instantly compared to her first form. As a standard perk, she also gained a digitalized pair of wings resembling a blackbird, formed by 14 drones that assist her in battle. These drones also have a high-speed mode, combining into two large engines coupled with Maxine's acceleration spells.


General Ishida

Birthday: December 21, 2012
Age: 44
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Japan, Arahi
Rank: Captain (initially), Colonel (before Arahi), General (After Arahi), Commander (Black Iris)

General Ishida was just an ordinary Captain in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. After the Gunyawei Waves struck, his forces were the few units that remained intact and calmed the populace more effectively and without killing anybody, which promoted him far quicker than usual. At the end of the fallout and beginning of reconstruction, he already reached the rank of Colonel, but Arahi Island offered him to become General of its paramilitary forces. Even though it gave him fewer military troops to command, he took the position because he was concerned about protecting the refugees.

Of course, taking the job was never easy as he was tied up by the bureaucracy within the government. The increasing crime, gang violence, and chaos from the citizens did not help things either. Even he was no different as he funneled resources into various military projects. All that changed when Aya's magical girl activities became apparent. At first, he had them apprehended to soothe public opinion. However, the nasty actions of the AMF prompted him to establish deeper ties with the group, enlisting several key members into the military. With help from other magical girls who came to their aid, they rid the island of the AMF's influence and ran the island from there on out.

Even after the AMF invaded and reoccupied Arahi, he never stopped helping the magical girls considering his situation. By using the military projects he spent developing, including the Black Iris flagship, and contacts with international forces worldwide, he has become their best non-magical supporter. In addition, his experience told him first hand that as powerful and dangerous as they are, the girls are not political or military tools, nor test tubes in that matter. They are alive, human, and independent entities unclassifiable in any kind of system.


Lia and Ria Ustez

Birthday: May 22, 2042
Age: 14
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Arahi

Lia Ustez

Lia is the more cheerful and optimistic of the twins, even if she's not very bright. She had always cast her support for Aya ever since they first met. However, she's also known to be childish and an "innocent pervert," always sleeping on or smothering into other girls with large breasts.

As a magical girl, Lia's abilities focused on strength and endurance. Her attacks consisted of two arm blades and wide-arc energy blasts for crowd control and close quarters. She has abnormal toughness and strength and can grow at least twice her size. But while she's has regeneration capabilities, they and her speed are slow compared to her sister's.

In her second form, dubbed Tiger Priestess, Lia's strength and endurance have increased considerably. Her speed and regeneration ability increase far more, although it's still inferior to her twin sister's. Her arm blades can extend twice in length compared to those in her magical girl form. Her energy attacks are in the form of rapid-fire wife-area blasts - like an automatic shotgun or autocannon - and a single large beam. Finally, she is able to both grow or shrink ten times her normal size.

Ria Ustez

Ria is the more stern and bitter of the two girls. She had extreme reluctance to join Aya for her idealism and parallels to her twin sister, who was the favorite to their two mothers. Outside of such complex, she hates being alone and is far more mature and chaste than her air-headed twin sister, who calls her "Twinsis" to her annoyance.

As a magical girl, Ria focused on mobility and long-range support. She is faster, agile, and can regenerative much more quickly compared to her sister. However, she's also frail and her attacks are weaker. Instead, her energy attacks focus on small concentrated blasts and short claws from her fingers. Ria's unique feature is the ability to create duplicates of herself. Although they're incapable of regeneration, they are still useful as decoys or extra firepower. After enough practice can create up to three of these clones.

In the second form, dubbed Dragon Mistress, her speed and regeneration rate increase, but her endurance and power are even more so, although they are still inferior to her twin sister's. Her energy blasts can fire at a faster rate, her claws extend farther, and she can create up to nine clones. She can additionally charge shots with far more penetrating power and precision than Lia's energy beam to snipe single targets from a distance.

Overview

While the girls have their unique set of abilities, they still revolve around the same concepts: superhuman performance in a certain area (Lia's strength to Ria's speed), magical energy attacks in both melee and ranged form (Lia's arm blades and shotgun blasts to Ria's claws and concentrated shots), a growth type of power (Lia's growth in size to Ria's clones), and regeneration abilities. They can also combine to fire an energy cannon, dubbed Dual Shot by Lia.

Their magical girl transformation is different because their power is split between both girls as twins; to transform back, the girls must come into contact with each other and focus on each other's thoughts. Due to this and their regeneration abilities, they must be killed together, or rather the second must die before the first can revive.

In their second forms, they both gain flight and the ability to project Mana Barriers, enveloping shields made of magical energy. But their most important power is Dual Sync, a state where the twins synchronize each other's thoughts. Although they can not grow or create clones in this state, their speed, agility, power, endurance, and regeneration rate not only match each other but increase up to four times their initial performance. Although the effect weakens when they are far away, their new abilities more than compensate for it: a larger energy cannon and a type of Mana Barrier said to be capable of distorting spacetime.


Mio Sergeant

Alias: Sergeant Mio, Commander Mio
Birthday: April 21, 2038
Age: 18
Blood Type: AB
Rank: Commander (Arahi Military)

Mio came from a military family, which inspired her to become an officer like her father, even when he died following an incident. He worked for an organization in a nearby community that welcomed her, only to find out that was a cover training AMF personnel. After obtaining magical power, she massacred the AMF personnel within the community and escaped with her childhood friend, who went by the name "Private Mei." Since then, the two formed a duo and founded a resistance group with several other members on the island of Arahi. The group was minor and had little success until they discovered Aya's power and put her and several new recruits into a training regimen that made them a cooperative team despite their flaws.

Mio acts like the typical drill instructor during training. However, she deeply admires the idealism of typical magical girls, something she could never practice or follow. This shown in her training style as she deliberately makes herself an enemy of her recruits so that they can fix their insecurities and establish mutual trust and respect among each other. She also cares about them following their ideals and takes the helm when it comes to compromising decisions.

In contrast to the other magical girls, Mio is a Destroyer, a corrupted magical girl. However, the original of her power does not come from impure intentions, but rather her unfettered methods to complete a job. For that reason, she follows a different power system compared to her magical girl allies. She holds vast amounts of magical girl power that she uses to enhance her physical capabilities. She also carries a backpack with endless space that stores an arsenal of small arms and other equipment. She can make object hover in mid-air, but can only and aim and fire them in two separate directions. Furthermore, she has to make hand gestures of her pulling the trigger, which the variety of weapons she can use at a time. Outside of training, she is a very competent commander and an experienced soldier, knowing more about combat against the AMF more than anyone else in the resistance group. It's because of her experience that Aya leaves most of the planning to her. Upon enlisting the Arahi military, General Ishida appointed her as the Executive Officer for all its magical girl units as well as the drill instructor and commander of the complementary forces within the Black Iris.


I'll be sharing more data about the ULJA series soon, including the characters introduced. So expect more info dumps in the following parts.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.