Chapter 27:

4:33 pm.

"—!"

The color on the fairy's face changed as the Oracle 'looks' at her. Something wells up inside the fairy, from the pits of her stomach it rises from nowhere like water. It's a feeling. A familiar feeling. A feeling she felt from long ago. Long ago? How long was it? How long ago did she last feel it?

"Chi—?!"

*SQZZZ!*

"—!"

In response, the fairy 'looks' back at her. Chika points her spear at the shell, slightly angled towards her armless side. The shell gets closer as she readies her body, her only feet twist to the side.

The moment the shell makes contact with shell, Chika immediately pushes the flying spinning metal. She pushes herself aside, just a little, as she slightly alters its trajectory towards her right side. The tip of the shell now points towards the shallow flood below.

*KSSSSSHHHING!*

*BAM!* *SPLASH!*

*SPLASH!*

With the bullet now out of her way, the bullet grinded away at Chika's right slot creating sparks as it flew past her. The moment her shoulder reached the butt edge of the shell, she flung towards the flood below. The heavy lump of metal hits the water and crashes against the concrete below it.

Chika twisted her body in the air, recalibrating her rotation before landing on one foot on the shallow flood.

"Hihi…!" Chika smiles, as the adrenaline from earlier catches up to her.

"Hihihihihi…! AHAHAHA…! HIIIIIIIISTOOOOOOOIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRE!"

*SPLASH!* *SPLASH!* *SPLASH!*

Chika, with one foot, hops towards fairy.

*BAM!* *PSSSSSSSSSSSSH!*

"—!"

A rocket suddenly shoots from the side. The fairy raises its hand and pieces of glass suddenly appear from wherever, piercing the rocket's body.

*BOOOOOM!*

The rocket explodes and dust quickly covers the entirety of the fairy.

"—!"

Through the dark smoke, appears Chika, her grin from ear to ear, her weapon raised, and her 'eyes' locked directly into the fairy's 'eyes'.

The fairy raised hand towards the Oracle, and water suddenly shoots from under the one leg, one arm green haired spear woman.

"Kh—!" Chika raised her knee towards her chest and pulled her arm to her, hardening herself as much as she could as the water hit her.

It pushed her away from the fairy, disrupting her momentum towards her and allowing gravity to pull her down. Chika once again straightens herself, rotates her body using her stomach as a pivot, and recalibrates herself before landing on the asphalt with one foot.

"Tch! Quick bitch–!"

*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

The moment she looked up; 3 balls of fire raced towards her.

Not having enough time to even click her tongue in annoyance, 1 of the fireballs is already dangerously close to her. She hops to the right; the fireball hits the ground and explodes like a 12mm shell just hit it; leaving a crater.

The moment she lands the 2nd fireball is already on her. She puts her power on her legs again and flips in the air, avoiding the flaming ball of fire. While in the air, the 3rd fireball changed course and is now heading straight towards her. She's still in the middle of her flip.

*BAM!*

Chika lands unscathed. Something had hit the fireball before it could hit her.

She looks to where that something came from. Down the main road, is a hunk of metal that the military often uses. A tank.

"Those meddling little—!"

*BAM!*

A flash. Something fell from the sky in a bright light and a loud bang. A light so bright that Chika squinted her eyes, as the tank she just saw is now flattened and charred. It was as if it was cooked and smashed with a hammer at the same time. She can see the smoke coming out of whatever orifice the tank has.

*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

Plenty more falls down from the sky. Lightning storm on a cloudless day. Like footsteps of a giant, the series of lightning races towards her at breakneck speed.

"Fucking hell—!"

*BAM!*

Chika rolls to the side at the last moment, lightning falls from where she last stood. She didn't have time to recover as she flips back, as another lightning falls from where she recovered.

*BAM!*

She has to keep moving. The moment she thought that she immediately twists her foot to the right, and leaps. Another lightning strike from where she moved.

She lands and twists her foot towards the right again, facing the fairy that's still high above her. Both of their 'eyes' instantly locked at one another. And both of their 'eyes' instantly cancel one another.

Chika leaps forward, before another lightning falls down on her. She zigzags her way towards the fairy's longitudinal location. Dodging the lightning attacks from the sky and actively avoiding the puddles of water from the flood.

The moment she's underneath the fairy, she twists her body upward in mid-flight, and throws her spear towards the unsuspecting fairy.

The fairy merely looks, and the spear is struck down by a bolt of lightning.

"Even there—!"

She twists her body and plants her foot on the ground. Then, leaps over to an alley.

"Haa… haa… fucking Histoire…!"

She knows, with just one foot and one arm, it's difficult to make any powerful movements and swings. Arms are used to balance the body, by extending one arm up you can make the body tilt backwards as far as your body can. It's the reason why badminton players raise their hands before hitting the shuttlecock for a smash.

Legs beget more speed. As the other leg recovers from kicking the ground, the other has already rested enough to push the body forward. It is also another balancing tool like the arms. Like how figure skaters can land perfectly from a triple-triple, by extending their legs and leaning their bodies forward the moment they land.

With both of her balanced and speed compromised, her knee starts to hurt from compensating for the lack of power from her artificial leg. And without her other arm, she has to solely rely on her arm strength for throwing her only weapon.

"Dammit…! Dammit…! DAMMIT—!"

Why is this happening to her? She was so close! She was so close! She even used her 'eyes' and it still wasn't enough. Were all her sacrifices just for show? Was it all in vain from the very beginning? Was the fantasy of being with the one she loves just that? Was seeking revenge on the girl that took away her entire world just fools folly?

Of course not. Everything she did, from the moment she laid eyes on the woman, from the moment her heart beats for the first time, was all for her. It was all for her. So, what must she give now? What price must she pay? She'll do anything, she'll do anything. Just to get that goddamn book.

*BRRRRR!* *BRRRRR!*

Her phone rings. She awkwardly takes the phone from her right pocket. And puts the speaker near her ear.

"Have you gotten the book yet, Chika?" it's her.

"…" from the background, she can hear some sort of rhythmic beating. And she's speaking through some sort of speaker. A helicopter perhaps?

"Hrm? What's wrong? Did she give you fright? I say, she's a real handful, I understand. You can just moan for me if yes"

"I didn't"

"What?"

"The book, I couldn't get it. I lost my arm and leg again… I'm sorry…" Chika gravely says to her savior.

"I see. Nothing to worry about, nothing to worry about. We still have time, Chika Hakozaki. If it's an artificial arm and leg, then surely, we can have someone from Lastation deliver them to you"

"I can't accept it! I can't accept it! From you of all people! I can't accept it! I'll find another way to get that book without your help! Please don't trouble yourself for me!"

"I understand how you feel, Chika. I'd also be ashamed if the person I admire did anything more than push me forward. But this is no time to humble yourself. I failed you by asking you to retrieve the book in your state. I should've done it myself"

"Please don't! For Vert, I'll do anything you ask!"

"For Vert, yes. It's as you say. So, I ask you to accept my offer. My, you won't be able to get that book in your sorry state. Even if you were to get it, you'd probably be in a much sorrier state. Don't you want to see your precious, Vert?"

"But—!"

"No buts, Chika Hakozaki, we both want the same thing. So please, accept my Deus Ex Machina to you"

"Thank you, I promise I won't fail you this time!"

"Of course. Now rest Chika, and wait"

4:38 pm.

"You're considerate" Mina snaps.

"? I am considerate, Mina. How can I achieve your goals, if I don't do some of the work myself?" she argues.

"While still using Chika?"

"You can't expect me to be 2 places at once. I do have my limits after all"

"…" Mina holds her tongue.

"Are you sure Chika will get the book from her?"

"Of course. But she won't do it for me. If God doesn't exist, then it is necessary to create one. For her, this is merely all a sacrifice, a pre-ritual. And would you look at that, Chika's God happens to be a Divine being herself. Aren't you the same as well, Mina Nishizawa?"

"…"

"Man needs something to move them forward. Towards a fiery hell, or the flowers of paradise. We find meaning in responsibility, then who, if not the self, willingly accepts that burden?"