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Chapter 11: Black Rose vs Ziege

I somehow made it in time.

When I managed to save Cherry Blossom by a hair’s breath, I was secretly relieved.

Apparently, my conversation with Karen was longer than I had expected.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“No, it’s fine. You’re here after all…” said Cherry Blossom as she was catching her breath. Plain to the eyes, her magic power has been completely spent. She fought with all she had.

“Now, who could it be?”

I glared at the young man in front of me¹.

Visually, he looked like a fine young man, however, the aura he exuded were the complete opposite. I can feel that he is dangerous.

“He is Ziege.”

“Eh, he is?”

“It turns out, that the black and white goat were two fragments of him. Just now, those two goats were absorbed into him, and now he looks like that.”

“I see….”

In other words, he was holding back even during that situation…

Although, even if Ziege was holding back, I have to praise Cherry Blossom for being able to push Ziege enough to make him serious and show his true form.

“Cherry Blossom, you can take a rest now. Leave the rest to me.”

“Yes… eh, did I ever introduce myself?”

“Eh? Ah, you, you see…”

Oh no! I had met Amasaki Sakura before, but this was the first time I met Cherry Blossom! Moreover, today was her first debut. It would be weird for Black Rose, who wasn’t there during the revelation, to know!

I desperately tried to come up with an excuse.

“I, I met a young man on the way. That young man told me that Cherry Blossom is currently in a tough spot and asked me to save you.”

“Is that so… Kurona-san, you really called for help…”

I felt a little guilty after looking how Cherry Blossom’s cheek slacken.

Sorry, he didn’t call me, he only returned after going away a little…

Even if that’s the case, there’s no way I can say that, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Are you guys done chatting, meh?” Ziege called us out after being tired of waiting.

“Yes. Excuse me for making you wait.”

“Waiting is one of a gentleman’s virtue, meh.”

“Then, can you stop this violent behavior too? It isn’t very befitting of a gentleman, is it now?”

“In that case, you should stop resisting and give up your energy to me, meh.”

“That is an impossible negotiation, though.”

“If that is the case–”

Ziege covered himself with dark magic power.

The situation has developed as he has expected.

“—Of course, there’s no way other than using brute force, meh!!”

“I knew it has to come to this!!”

I moved forward to Ziege to intercept him, who had started moving towards me.

I wrapped my leg with magic, and so did Ziege.

“Haa!!”

“Meh!!”

The magic clashed with each other. A massive shock wave expanded from a mere leg clash.

Stuff were blown away, and glass shattered.

Our leg strength were equal. Neither of us were pulling our leg back, and we instead wrapped our fist. It will be a close combat rush here on out.

I dodged, parried, and sometimes blocked. Of course, Ziege did so too.

Both of us were predicting the other’s next move, we were pitting against each other.

I parried Ziege’s punch. I then punched him, and Ziege also parried mine.

Not before long, after both of us saw the extend of each other’s ability, we both distanced ourselves.

Our physical strength were equal. No, Ziege had an edge over me.

Keeping our distance, I gathered magic power in both of my hands. I wasn’t going to attack with this gathered magic though.

“Form Change! Gunslinger Rose!”

The magic power on my hands expanded and wrapped my body. After that, it disappeared instantly, and a hand gun appeared in each of my hands. On upper part of my body, I was also wearing bikini-like clothes, and then higher up, I was wearing light clothing that can only be called a poncho, and and on the bottom half, I was wearing a skirt that hardly have any length, a pair of knee-high socks and boots.

“H, here it is!! A long-range oriented form that Black Rose has only used once in the past, Gunslinger Rose!! The thigh between her knee-high socks and hemline of skirt are the most supreme!!”

Cherry Blossom, thank you for the commentary. However, I wished you hadn’t revealed the form’s attack orientation or fighting style… Well, the opponent might be able to connect the dots themselves when they see a gun though.

Rather than that, that last part sounds like what a pervert would say.

“Meh… so you have another form, meh.”

Ziege was shaking a little. Although, he recovered his cool a second later.

“Meh don’t care whether you have another form or not! If you wish for a long-distance fight, then meh shall entertain you!!”

Ziege also vigorously covered his hands with magic and expanded it. At that moment, a large number of magic circle appeared around Ziege.

“Can you handle this, meh wonder?”

Right after he said that, dark bullets started shooting from the magic circle.

“I can.”

I replied Ziege curtly, I pulled the trigger of my handguns.

The magic bullet that came out hit one of the dark bullets. Immediately after, innumerable black thorns appear from the magic bullet.

“What!?”

The thorns instantly expanded and block the approaching dark bullets.

“Erosion Thorn.”

Erosion Thorn is a magic that consumes the opponent’s magic power in order to grow more thorns. This is why it grew as it consumes Ziege’s bullet. Well, it can’t actually absorb that much magic, so it wasn’t like it’s durable. However, it is sufficient to be a temporal shield.

Well, I wasn’t using it purely as a shield this time.

I gathered some magic into the guns on both of my hands.

“Can you handle this, I wonder?”

I threw the same words that he had thrown at me earlier.

I then pulled the trigger, and magic bullets flew.

The bullets flew through the gaps in between the thorns and towards Ziege.

“Wha-!?”

I didn’t feel any respond. It appeared that he dodged it by a hair’s breath. However, it doesn’t matter.

I kept pulling the trigger without any concern.

Fire. fire, fire, fire, fire, firefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefire–!!

I kept pulling the triggers in succession. All the bullets passed through the gaps and flew towards Ziege.

“–tch!! Damn you!!”

Ziege kept dodging while cursing at me. He sometimes summon a dark shield to block it. However, it doesn’t matter. I focused on shooting.

“Y, you’re persistent, meh!!”

The irritated Ziege released a shock wave at the flying bullets.

When the thorn makes contact with the shock wave, it crumbled.

“What a persistent tactics meh!”

“That sounds like a praise to me.”

I kept shooting at Ziege who is swearing at me.

“I’m not feeding that anymore, meh!”

Perhaps being wary of the Erosion Thorn, Ziege doesn’t counter the bullets, only dodging them.

I have expected it. It looks like Erosion Thorn won’t be useful anymore.

“I will come at you this time, meh!”

Ziege run towards me, perhaps deciding that a long-range fight would put him in disadvantage.

Earlier, our physical strength were similarly strong, however, right now I’m using a long-range oriented form, so my physical strength are also dropped. Ziege foresaw that and opted for a close range battle.

There are heroes, magical girls, and others who can transform according to the situation on the field. However, it’s a rare ability, so you rarely see them. I’m one of those people who can transform, and it looks like Ziege also have past experience with these kind of people.

He was quick to consider and analyze the situation. He showed no hesitation as if he already have prior knowledge.

“It looks like meh shouldn’t underestimate you anymore.”

The moment he said that, Ziege vanished. However, in the next moment, I sensed him on my right side.

I immediately point my right hand gun and fire.

However, it didn’t hit. As I expected, he moved out of the line of fire before the bullet flew.

“Meh are slow!”

“Khu!”

I sensed him behind me, and I used my arm to shield myself from him. However, even a punch felt heavy. I can’t take this punch too many times.

“Haha! You don’t seem too confident with your speed, meh!”

I can sensed him from every direction.

This isn’t something that can be suppressed with just a gun.

He kept attacking me from every direction. I blocked them with my arms and legs.

“You have only been fighting defensively, meh! Is it all over for the infamous Black Rose?” taunted he.

He said infamous, but I’m not famous, nor am I strong.

“Meh have learnt a lot from our close combat! Your techniques are impressive, but meh far exceeded you in every other aspect!”

I’m not going to argue against that. I also know that.

“You might have beaten meh in my earlier form, but you definitely can’t beat meh in this form!!” Ziege said with composure. He kept hitting me while saying that.

Nothing that Ziege said is wrong. I myself also know that.

However, Ziege was wrong on one count.

“You made an error.”

“Meh?”

“I will never lose to you. The winner of this fight has been decided.”

“Haa! Aren’t you wholly dedicated to defense until now?” said he, face confused.

Wholly dedicated to defense? It is regrettable that he thought that.

Besides, even if I was, I won’t lose. I can’t lose.

Cherry Blossom — Sakura-chan gave her best. It was her first transformation, yet she fought until she was battered. She spent all magic power until she couldn’t stand up and suffered wounds all over her body.

I can’t show my half-hearted appearance when she gave her all like that. I refuse to give up in front of she who had waited for me.

However, that’s not the only reason.
I fight because Sakura-chan gave her best is only one reason. My biggest reason is because Karen had been wounded.

Karen was hurt from saying insincere things. She must be hurt, but she pushed herself for my sake. I should have helped her, but during my moment of indecision, Karen took on that duty.

I won’t think of myself as the main character of a tragedy story and consider myself to be sole cause of this situation. However, I won’t forgive myself. I contributed to this situation, even only a little. And most importantly, Karen, who had prepared herself to say those things in order to protect me was stronger than me who was lagging behind her in terms of preparedness. That was very pathetic of me.

Both Karen and Sakura-chan are strong. But, both of them carries weaknesses appropriate to their age. Those younger girls have tried their best, so I can’t be falling behind.

And so, as you have guessed, making Karen hurt is the primary reason that I won’t forgive Ziege.

“You are assuming that this will be a brief and decisive battle.”

“…meh will beat you promptly.”

“That’s impossible. Since…”

I caught Ziege’s punch that were coming from behind me.

“–what!”

“It’s my turn now.”

I pulled Ziege’s arm against his will and threw him airborne.

“Just now, you said that many of my aspect are inferior compared to yours. You aren’t wrong, almost all my aspect are inferior against yours. However-”

I kicked the ground, and I instantly appeared right behind Ziege.

And then, before he could turn around, I kicked the flying Ziege.

“-Just on speed, I surpasses yours.”

Yes. My strength is not within my form change. My strength is in my overwhelming speed. I am confident that no one can surpass my speed.

On top of that, I’m a little confident with my keen eyes too. I have managed to understand Ziege’s attack pattern.

I read the opponent’s attack, and then I overcome them with my speed. There’s no risk of defeat.

I cut Ziege’s path, who was just kicked flying, and then I kicked his face, which I think was pretty, to my heart’s content.

“Akh-!”

“That’s not all.”

I kicked, and then cut him midway, then kicked him and then cut him, and then I repeat this process.

My speed increased gradually, it’s already as if a storm was raging in the vicinity.

Inside the storm, Ziege was imprisoned and can only receive the relentless attack.

I kicked him, and then while he is being blown away, I expertly predict his path and then fire my guns at him with expert accuracy. And then I chased him down, kicked him again, fire at him again. I repeat this process. It is a merciless and relentless attack.

“How, could, this be-!”

“Of course, your every aspect is superior compared to mine. I recognize that.”

However, that can also be called all-rounder, or to put harshly, jack of all trades, master of none. As he said, from the aspect of pure strength alone, being a jack of all trades is not a problem. However, should he face an opponent that specializes in an aspect, then that pure strength became a fragile weapon. The more versatile you are, the less strength you can leverage in order to overwhelm your opponent.

“As long as I have this speed and wish to protect someone precious…”

I inserted magic into my hand gun. This will be my final attack.

“I won’t lose to any opponent–!!”

I fired the gun, blank point at Ziege’s abdomen. This is the best and strongest attack up until now.

“Magic Bullet: Black Rose!!”

“Gaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

A high powered bullet was pushed into his body, and Ziege was slammed to the ground in an instant. he landed without being able to take any defensive posture.

A big tremor and deafening sound reverberated. All floor in the hall cracked. At the center of the crack was Ziege, eyes rolled back and wide open. He can’t continue fighting anymore.

I slowly flew down, and my feet touch the ground.

“As long as there’s someone to protect behind me, I will not lose.”

Ziege wasn’t fighting to protect someone, but to rob. I, who fought to protect someone, can’t lose to someone who fight with self-conceited reason.

I released my Gunslinger Rose form and returned to my normal form. Gunslinger Rose exposes too much of my skin, it is so embarrassing.

“Maple, please bind him so that he won’t run away.”

“Understood, mep!”

Leaving the matter of restraining Ziege to Maple, I walked towards Cherry Blossom.

“Thank you for your hard work, Black Rose.”

“You can stay seated. Cherry Blossom, you are tired, aren’t you?”

I urged Cherry Blossom who was going to stand to stay seated.

“Yes, I am exhausted.”

“It was the same with my first time. Besides, Cherry Blossom’s magic power is also depleted. Of course you would be tired.”

“Ahaha… I’m not good enough. I wasn’t cool at all.”

Cherry Blossom weakly laugh and mocking herself.

I agreeably grunted a little on her remark.

I then held her face with both of my hands, and squished it. I applied a little force into my hands and wrapped her cheek, and then redirected her face towards me.

“H, hat ii it!? Aa wi kissing!?”

She said something out of the left field with surprised tone.

“We aren’t. …listen? Cherry Blossom. You, you have fought with everything you have in order to protect your important person. You may not have relied on your smarts to fight, but even so, if you say you are fighting for the sake of someone, no one can ridicule you for that. I won’t let anyone to.”

“Y, yes…”

She replied in tearful voice. It might be from the relief that everything is over. Or, the adrenaline from the first battle has disappear and fear has started welling up. Whatever the reason is, her tears has started flowing down.

I gently hug her head. She wouldn’t want anyone to see her tearful face, after all.

“Your first battle must be scary.”

“Yes…”

“It hurts.”

“Yes.”

“You did your best.”

“Yes…s”

“You must be glad to have protected.”

“Yes…s”

“You were cool, you know.”

“…kh!”

Cherry Blossom wrap her hands around me, she press her face to my bosom. And then, she start wallowing, the sound is suppressed.

And so, this marked the end of my great battle to reconcile with Karen.

My relationship with Karen has been restored, and I, we, we made a new friend.

Cherry Blossom. She was a magical girl that is brave and would have the strength to do her best for others. However, unlike me, she is an actual girl. He carries the tenderness unique to girls.

I gently stroke Cherry Blossom’s head.

The warm evening sun begin shining down on us. We softly hug each other.

1. I know that I have been very careful not to refer to a Phantom as a person, but the original, this time, explicitly use the term, “young man”, so I followed suit. Now, that put me in a dilemma between referring to Ziege with a ‘he’ or an ‘it’ going on. What do you think? Comment below. For now, I will just refer to Ziege with a ‘he’.