"Void Heart, I could use your assistance, I'm down an arm and the target's emitting an anti-magic field-"
You're Alice Takanashi, Void Heart.
And you're currently staring in horror from your concealed vantage point high above as your love fights Subject 001 – and struggles.
It's such a shocking sight you feel your heart briefly stop. Your wings still, and you nearly fall out of the sky.
Honestly, you were expecting Kaina to paste this girl. Kaina's Infinity Princess, and Infinity Princess is the strongest in the world. Infinity Princess doesn't lose. Infinity Princess doesn't struggle.
But here Kaina is, struggling because this girl's able to turn off Kaina's magic.
Anti-magic magic. What a horrifying ability. Unprecedented too, and it's making you distinctly uncomfortable that the damn corpos have actually managed to acquire a Magical Girl capable of harming your love – But that's a problem that you can deal with later.
You have a more immediate problem you need to deal with right now.
Kaina's – Kaina's hurt. Kaina's bleeding, and frankly, you're seeing red because of it.
This – This slut, this cybernetic bitch, this corporate lab experiment, how dare she lay her filthy hands on your love, how dare she how dare she make her bleed.
You'll kill her for this. You'll kill them all for this. The scum who created this girl. The scum who ordered her construction. The filthy fleshbags who'd dare to think about harming your precious love. They'll suffer, oh yes they'll suffer, you'll drag them out of their hiding holes and inflict such pain on everyone involved in this – This travesty.
That's your general reaction as you swoop in to save your love.
Anger.
Furious, blinding, unrelenting anger.
You can feel Subject 001's anti-magic field as you swoop in, fingers curled around a few fleshy capsules you're already readying. It's a startling feeling, feeling your mana reactor turn off. The sudden lack of energy, the sudden chill down your spine is… Unsettling to say the least.
But then, warmth blossoms in your core as you start burning through the stored reserves of Essence you've accumulated. Pink sparks of corrupted magic jitter about your fingers as you channel your Essence, testing to see if it still functions within this field, and you smirk as you realize that oh yes, your essence does work within this field.
As well as all of the under-the-hood biological modifications you've made to yourself. This isn't an anti-magic field, it's an anti-mana field. A very important distinction that you put to good use now.
"Get back!" You shout as you hurl the capsules you've prepared at Subject 001, channeling your Essence into their fleshy surfaces, and they blossom into slick tendrils midair. Kaina jumps back, and you catch her, grabbing onto her beneath her armpits and hauling her up into the air as the biological monstrosities you've conjured unfurl down below.
Thick tentacles lash out, and Subject 001 leaps back as a tendril smashes against the concrete.
Tentacle monsters on demand. Some of the more useful creatures you've bioengineered. The Essence cost is ruinous and in all honesty, these aren't going to be anything but a minor roadblock for any serious opponent, but they're damn useful when it comes to providing a distraction.
"… Void Heart, I require healing," Infinity Princess says through gritted teeth, and you swallow as you feel the warm, sticky red patch staining her Raiment.
"Sure, on it -" The tentacle monster you've conjured roars. You hear the sound of metal cutting through flesh, and you watch with consternation as one of the tentacle monster's appendages is sliced in twain. The still-wriggling limb writhes about on the ground, even as Subject 001 flicks her sword with a flourish and takes advantage of the opening to dash past your tentacle monster, running -
Oh crap, she's coming for you, and she's raising her arm. Hold on, did it just transform into a projectile launch system?
Uh-oh.
"Incoming," Infinity Princess hisses as you jerk to avoid the goddamn micromissile Subject 001 just fired at you, just barely managing to dodge it.
Of course, then it explodes in midair in a hail of shrapnel and you grunt as a rain of shrapnel slices through your skin. Goddamn proximity fuses.
And you're still inside her anti-mana field.
"Void Heart, you're hurt-"
"It's fine, I can actually regenerate from this," you grumble as you channel a bit of essence to your wounds and your flesh knits. Sheesh, this hurts like hell but it's better than bleeding out all over your love.
… You can't really afford to keep burning essence like this though. This state of affairs is definitely unsustainable, especially if she's going to keep shooting at you. Gosh, this would be so much easier if she'd just give you some room…
Your tentacle monster lumbers back into view, distracting Subject 001, and the crazy cyborg actually turns away from you. Considering how sharp her thermal katana is, you've got a feeling she'll turn your disposable minion into diced calamari pretty easily, but it's a brief opening you capitalize on by landing on the roof of a nearby building.
Infinity Princess grunts as you let her go. Your love staggers, clutching at her shoulder. She's clearly in pain…
"… Void Heart, we're still in range of Subject 001's anti-magic field," your love says.
"It's fine, I can heal you now, just give me a moment…" You reach out, laying your hands right above your love's shoulder. Warmth fills your body as you fill her with your corrupting Essence, mentally keeping track of what exactly you're doing to her body.
And much to your surprise, your essence is actually able to influence Infinity Princess' body. In moments her flesh begins to knit, her skin begins to heal as you use your biomancy to stitch her back up.
Oh thank goodness, it actually worked!
… Wait, it actually worked. Oh. Oh, you see what's going on here.
Typically, you wouldn't be able to influence Infinity Princess like this. The overwhelming torrents of mana she generates would burn off any corrupting influence before it could even begin to get a foothold in her system.
But Infinity Princess – Kaina's mana is off right now. Her mana reactor's clearly off, her magic's clearly non-functional and those factors will stay that way as long as Subject 001's anti-magic field is up which means...
… Which means that there's a possibility here. A chance to directly influence your love through your Essence. But you can think more about that possibility later.
You have more important things to deal with right now – Like murdering the crazy science experiment that just made your precious Kaina bleed, how dare the slut, how dare the psychotic bitch, ooh you'll have her guts for garters -
"… Void Heart, how were you able to – Never mind. Another time," Infinity Princess flexes her armored shoulder, rotates it, clenches her fingers experimentally. "… I believe I'm combat-capable now. Please drop me off and fall back to provide long-ranged fire support while I re-engage-"
… What?
You stare. "… I think that's a horrible idea. You just got stabbed, K – Infinity Princess."
"I did," Infinity Princess acknowledges. "… But I believe our odds of success are better if I engage the target in hand-to-hand."
You blink, mentally reeling from the utter insanity of what Kaina's saying right now.
It's crazy even by your standards and… Alright, you'll admit it! You're crazy. You're certifiably insane! You're obsessed with cute girls, you're hopelessly in love with three girls, and you're entirely willing to drown this wretched hive of a city in oceans of blood if it means those girls will love you.
So when you say that Kaina's absolutely insane and the plan she's just described is complete lunacy, well, that's saying something isn't it?! For the first time, you're thinking your love might be even crazier than you are!
Sure, Kaina was able to hold her own just now. Even though she was losing, she didn't instantly die and sadly that's more than you can say your maids would be able to accomplish. But…
… Oh. Oh, you think you see what Kaina's going for here.
"You're planning on tying her up in melee so I can get a good shot in, aren't you?" You groan.
"… Yes. Void Heart, please help me."
Ooh, your love's got that glint in her eyes again, that steely wonderful look that honestly makes your panties a bit moist, Kaina has such lovely eyes and you can't help but stare into them even though the situation's a bit dire to say the least…
… And you find yourself wavering.
--
Sparks fly as Subject 001's thermal katana grinds against Kaina's sword. Kaina grits her teeth as the force of the blow jolts her arms, sends her skidding back several feet. Dull, aching pain lances through Kaina's forearm. The bones there never did heal quite right after Kaina broke them punching out Lokwyn.
Not that it matters. Kaina puts aside the pain easily. It was startling, to be hurt after being invulnerable for so long, but in a way?
Pain's an old friend for Kaina Shikinami. Kaina knows pain well, and physical pain can't possibly compare to the mental anguish of losing the people you love. Of losing your mother, your best friend, everyone you knew, Alice-
Steel clashes against steel as Subject 001 strikes again, attempting to overwhelm Kaina with brute force. Kaina steps back with the grace of the seasoned warrior she is, her eyes narrowed as she tracks each and every one of the cyborg's movements, striking and moving with renewed focus. Warmth flutters around within Kaina's chest as Alice's Essence courses through her system, heals her wounds, and Kaina finds herself tugging on that strand, that tendril of energy Alice's left within her.
That dark energy's familiar, especially now that it's coursing through Kaina's system. No wonder Alice is so irresistable, no wonder her mere presence is so heady and intoxicating. Of course that would be the case.
Dark Magical Girls tend to be that way. This isn't mana that's coursing through Kaina's body right now.
It's essence. The corrupted power source Dark Magical Girls use, the power Kaina's intimately familiar with after having to fight Dark Magical Girls from time to time during her long tenure as Infinity Princess.
There are questions. There are so many questions Kaina would like – No, that Kaina needs to ask Alice. So many questions about this test subject Kaina's fighting, about Alice's presence, about Alice's history…
But those questions can wait. For now, Kaina reluctantly draws on the reserves Alice's left her, and closes her eyes.
Alternative power source accepted. Rebooting.
Warning – Reserves at 2%. Mana reactor offline.
Recalculate power consumption. Shut off non-essential functions. Prioritizing reflex-tuning and processing power.
Analyze movements. Predicative algorithm launched.
Kaina takes a breath, her eyelashes fluttering, and in the next breath she takes, it's Infinity Princess who's facing Subject 001 again.
Begin counterattack.
Dodge left. Dodge right. Parry blade. Thrust.
Missed. Subject 001 dodged. Suboptimal, but continue attack sequence.
Dodge. Dodge. Parry – Damage received.
Check surroundings. Void Heart is in position. Opening required. Calculating.
Optimum opening acquired.
Step forward. Thrust, and deliberately miss. Subject 001 thrusts, capitalizes on deliberate mistake.
Pain registered. Arm impaled. Subject 001's sword is trapped within arm.
Excellent. Counterattack while pulling back – Subject 001's leg damaged.
Opening provided.
Warning – Power at 0%. Entering power-saving mode.
"Void Heart, fire now," Infinity Princess says calmly as her Raiment winks and flickers away in a sheen of rainbow light. Her arm hangs down limply, blood dripping down her fingers from the thermal katana still lodged in between the bones of her forearm, and there's another scrape on her cheek -
But Infinity Princess, Kaina Shikinami, is still standing.
And high above, Alice Takanashi, Void Heart, unleashes her own attack, and a hail of pink Essence-based lasers rip through Subject 001's anti-mana field…
… And vaporize her limbs, as well as most of the lower half of her body.
Kaina watches her foe fall, closes her eyes and sighs.
It's over, for now. Good, that's… That's good.
--