The dark clouds were gradually thinning—a fact that should have been a relief—but as the sky above seemed to be ripped open, Kyoko Sakura couldn't help but stare with wide eyes. Within that fractured space, thousands upon thousands of Kyubeys were falling from the sky in a free fall.
Some unlucky ones were impaled on sharp objects and died instantly, but they were a tiny minority. The vast majority simply rolled upon hitting the ground and vanished without a trace. A small portion of them began falling toward the direction where Kyoko, Madoka, and the others were standing.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Despite her complaining, she didn't forget Lancer previous "order"—protect Madoka and the others.
Her method of protection was simple: kill every Kyubey that got close!
Kyoko, who had been suppressing a stomach full of rage, finally had a legitimate way to vent it!
If Kyoko previously relied on the unique properties of her "chain-spear" in combat, after Lancer special training, she had gained a new understanding of spear techniques. At the very least, her thrusts and maneuvers looked professional even without magical reinforcement.
However, no matter how fast she attacked, she felt a bit overwhelmed by the "deluge of Kyubeys." While she could use magic for a large-scale ultimate move, looking at the endless rain of creatures, she had no idea when it would stop. Wasting magic now would be trouble if she needed it later.
Just then—
"Stay away from Madoka and the others, you creeps!!"
Accompanied by Sayaka Miki spirited shout, Kyoko snapped a "return-horse" thrust behind her, only to see Sayaka holding a broken piece of railing, her palms bleeding.
Kyoko eyes narrowed. Red magic surged from her Soul Gem into her spear, followed by a violent horizontal sweep.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind cleared the immediate area around the four of them. Holding her spear in one hand, Kyoko walked toward Sayaka with a serious expression.
Perhaps because Kyoko usually acted like a delinquent, her sudden seriousness left the three girls feeling flustered. Sayaka, being the target of her approach, felt her heart race and her nerves tingle.
Kyoko forcefully grabbed Sayaka hand.
"Be careful. Lancer told me to protect you guys!"
Though she was "scolding" Sayaka, the speed of her healing was not slow at all. Soon, the wounds on Sayaka palms were completely closed, leaving only faint, barely visible brown marks.
Whether it was because of the healing or the fact that her wrist was being held, Sayaka felt a strange itch in her palm and became quite embarrassed. Once she realized her hand was healed, she pulled it back with a red face.
"We can protect ourselves!"
Perhaps to emphasize her capability, or for some other reason, Sayaka voice went up several notches. After a brief pause, Kyoko made a decision.
"True. These guys aren't a huge threat. Letting you help might speed things up..."
As she coated the broken railing with red magic, the original object transformed. When the magic faded, the railing was gone, replaced by a strange red-glowing staff.
"I don't think you'll need it, but use this if you want to help."
With that, Kyoko stopped wasting words and swung her spear to continue clearing the path.
Lancer had told Kyoko to take the three to a safe place; in her mind, the only truly safe place was that man's house. According to his description, he had set up numerous traps there. They should be effective at blocking the seemingly omnipresent Kyubeys.
Previously, the three girls were running in front while Kyoko circled them to handle threats. Now that she was focusing on clearing the path ahead, the team's speed increased significantly.
Kyoko only thought about delivering the three to their destination so she could rejoin the real battle.
On the other side, Mami Tomoe's situation was a bit more troublesome than Kyoko. It wasn't that she was weaker—their abilities were roughly equal—the issue was the difference in attack rate caused by their combat styles.
Against a powerful opponent, her high-damage muskets paired with binding ribbons were devastating. But against Kyubeys that shattered upon contact, her clearing speed was noticeably slower.
Even so, she maintained a high speed toward the shelter. However, "Kyubey" was causing her significant interference during the trip.
It wasn't a matter of strength, but pure "mental pollution."
A massive number of Kyubeys said the same thing to her as they fell—
"Help me, Mami."
It was just a simple sentence, but with her naturally gentle personality, she couldn't help but remember the several years they had spent together.
No matter what, a bond built over years isn't that easy to sever completely.
Just as her pace instinctively slowed—
"Get away from Mami!!"
With a high-pitched, childish voice, a massive black shadow loomed over the sky. Mami eyes widened in shock.
Falling from the sky was a giant silver beast resembling a lizard. As it landed, it opened its massive maw and swallowed the Kyubeys surrounding Mami in one gulp. The monster's throat undulated as it chewed.
If the beast made her jump, the sight of the person who called her name left her paralyzed. She saw someone who shouldn't be here.
"Nagisa?!"
To prove his claims, Lancer had once let Mami and Kyoko see Nagisa Momoe, who was sealed in a Grief Seed. Seeing the girl now, wearing a Mitakihara Middle School uniform, Mami wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Nagisa smiled and nodded.
"That's right~ It's Nagisa~ Big Brother let me out of that place. As for the details, you can ask Big Brother later~ For now——would you like some cake? Mami"
Looking at the cheesecake held out by the girl, Mami paused, then smiled and took a bite.
It was soft and very sweet. Delicious. And it wasn't just her imagination; she felt her stamina and magic rapidly recovering.