Chapter 7 - Wrath

The earth artillery shell easily shattered her magic barrier and slammed into Yui's back, piercing through the Witch's Avatar that perpetually protected her, to reach her real body. It bore through, it ripping skin and muscle, breaking bone and flesh under its force. Intense pain instantly shot through her nerves as Yui desperately summoned as much mana as she could to block it from going further. There was no time for subtle tactics, every bit of mana she gather, she threw at the attack.

Wave after wave, her mana clashed against the bullet until it finally stopped. It fell to the floor with a thud. Exhausted, bleeding profusely, and barely alive, she gave a weak smile to the three under her before collapsing.

"DIE!!!"

A murderous cry startled Miyu, awakening her from her blissful sleep. She briefly glimpsed Yui’s expression harden to dead seriousness before her world rolled. Yui was now on top, pinning her down. A loud thump could be heard as the couch below buckled and broke, its legs snapping. Despite that, Yui held firm. Miyu heard Yui grunt from the pain and cough out blood. With blood still dripping from the corner of her mouth, she smiled before falling onto Miyu.

Miyu tried to support Yui, but the moment she laid her hands on Yui’s back, she felt a sickening squish.

“Y-Yui...?” Her voice quivering.

Peering through Yui’s scattered hair, Miyu notice that her hands were dyed red. “Yui!” She shook gently Yui in an attempt to wake her up. But all she did was cause more blood to flow out of Yui’s mouth as wheezing coughs.

“YUI!!!" Miyu tried to call her beloved Yui back. Her shakes and cries became increasingly desperate. "ONEE-CHAN!!!"

“STOP! STOP! YOU’RE ONLY HURTING HER!” Feeu grabbed Miyu, dragging her out from under Yui and away. But nothing she shouted got was processed by Miyu. With a burst of magic, Miyu threw Feeu off and rushed to Yui. Only to be greeted with a gruesome sight. Broken bones jutted out of mangled flesh. Bursts of brilliant blood bubbled and foamed out of her wound each time Yui drew breath.

The gaping hole on Yui's back cruelly overlapped with a memory...

Miyu slumped over beside Yui, motionless, staring.

-

A streak of green and brown launched itself at the standing Envy, she had managed to shatter her bindings when she shot her earth cannon, and tear off the damnable ribbon with her free hands. Dozens of wooden tendrils coiled around her, placing Envy in a cocoon.

Dryad had tried to block the attack but she was too late. She did not have any healing powers, so instead of powerlessly standing around, she captured Envy, for when her master awakened. Her master would awaken, she had no doubt about that, though the tendrils tightened, squeezing Envy and causing her to yell in pain.

-

Feeu ignored Miyu, Dryad and Envy, and instead ran to Eisst side, who had her hand over the wound, releasing small blue glows. Feeu finally took a good look at the severity of the damage. The question of whether she should even save the Witch did not even cross her mind when she asked, “Can you freeze everything? It’ll buy some time.”

“I-I can’t, the damage has reached too close to the heart.” Silent tears clouded Eisst's vision, wiping them away with her bloodsoaked sleeve, she pointed at a thin layer of flesh, each time it rose, more blood pour out of the crushed body. “One slip and I would kill her.”

“SHIT! Maybe I could cauterize it.” Feeu concluded. Grasping at straws, she raised her hand that ignited into flames.

“Feeu-san wait! Your control isn’t better than mine.” Eisst rebutted, throwing herself between Yui to shield her from the approaching hand. “For now, send what healing magic you know.”

Feeu extinguished her fire. Instead, she copied Eisst and positioned her hand over the injury. Soft red glows left her palm and fell onto the damaged tissue. The particles of light knitted together the flesh of the small area it touched, but for the severely wounded organs and bones, it did nothing. "Eisst, this isn't enough! She needs advanced healing." All Magical Girls were taught basic first aid and healing magic, this was beyond either of them.

"I KNOW!" Eisst shouted, tears spilling forth once more. Lust's condition was deteriorating fast but she could do nothing to stop it.

- 🎧

"Onee-chan," Miyu reached out, taking hold of Yui's hand, remaining oblivious to everything else. "Onee-chan, don't leave Miyu." Her eyes seemed to look through time, back into the past.

"Miyu finally has a family again..." They were having fun then too... She was eating her ice cream... Some of it dripped down her hand...

"Miyu finally has an Onee-chan again..." Onee-chan leaned over to steal a bite... Onee-chan laughed when she took her chocolate toppings... Miyu chased her around laughing too... Miyu loved to laugh then...

"Please don't leave Miyu again," Miyu begged, gripping Yui's still hand tighter.

She did not notice a black flash come to a stop next to Yui.

Vili the Etativi had arrived.

-

"Move you goody girls," Vili commanded Feeu and Eisst. She took a long whiff, "Hmm, there's a lot of lust mana here. I wonder what two eternal enemies, Magical Girls and Witches, could have been up to together?" Vili even had time to smirk at them, well, as close to a smirk as a plushy cat could, anyways.

"Who ar—" Feeu wanted to smack the cat but was silenced by Eisst.

"Etativi-san, please focus on saving her." Eisst chided. Her face was covered in tears, but the seriousness of the situation had caused her to shed away her indecisiveness.

"Fine," Vili grumbled, immediately getting to work. She weaved a complex magic pattern that enveloped Yui. "Let's see what's the damage. Blunt abdominal trauma. Spine shattered. Multiple broken ribs and bones. A punctured lung. And the heart has partially ruptured from cardiac trauma. How careless of her."

Suddenly, a burst of magic and the sound of wood splintering interrupted the conversation.

"AHAHAHAHA! I KILLED HER!" Envy, the perpetrator of the entire incident, roared with laughter. She had awoken not long after the foursome began. Suppressing her fury of being used as a sex toy, she slowly gathered scraps of mana together, storing it and finally releasing everything when their guard was at their lowest. When she heard Vili's diagnosis, she drew what remaining magic she had to blast a tiny hole, enough for her to gloat.

"Shut up bitch." Feeu slammed the cocoon with a mana-coated fist, getting more laughter as a response.

"C-Can you heal her?" Eisst asked, fearing the worst.

"It'll take a huge amount of mana, but thanks to you girlies," Vili winked at Eisst. "That's exactly what we're surrounded with. She'll be fine."

"IMPOSSIBLE! YOU'RE LYING! THAT BITCH IS DEAD!" Envy trashed around in her bindings, but Dryad sealed off the hole, preventing any more words.

"Let barking dogs bark," Vili ignored Envy, "How about you girlies step back for a bit and let me do my magi—"

But as Vili stretched out her paw to cast her magic, the sky raged.

-

Miyu clasped Yui's hand with both of hers, her grip trembled as her body racked with silent sobs, but no tears flowed. "Miyu is a bad girl, Miyu did not keep the promise she made when Onee-chan died. Is that why Onee-chan is leaving Miyu?"

"Miyu is not a strong girl. Miyu did not cry at the funeral. Miyu did not cry at Izumi-Obachan's¹Aunt house. But when Onee-chan asked to become family... Miyu couldn't stop herself, Miyu is a weak girl. She needs Onee-chan, please don't leave."

In the midst of her despair, a loathsome voice pierced through the shroud, laughing and relishing in her Onee-chan's demise.

Something stirred inside her, something primal. Bubbling, brewing, seething, she had never felt this before. It clawed at her heart, squeezing just hard enough for her heart to not burst. It tore up her lungs, she could not breathe, her mind, she could not think.

That voice was beyond disgusting, it told her, that voice should not even exist. And it was right.

Miyu embraced it, allowing it to course through her. It b͔͔̳͈̊̆ͥ͂͜͝urn̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥed every fib͔͔̳͈̊̆ͥ͂͜͝ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧr of her body͙͙̪̰ͫ͌́, like m̰̰̹͚̙̂ͦ͗͠o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞l͖͖̰̝ͭ̀͘ten magm̰̰̹͚̙̂ͦ͗͠a͔͔̜̗̦ͩ̅̎ pumping̬̬̱ͩ͋͟͟ fro͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞m her h̨͚͚͖ͯ̒̄͗͞ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧart out to her extṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧm̰̰̹͚̙̂ͦ͗͠ities. Yet, it was rel͖͖̰̝ͭ̀͘i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧv̹̹̘̼̞̻͆ͩ̓ͪ͢ing. To ṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧlḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧasḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧ ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧv̹̹̘̼̞̻͆ͩ̓ͪ͢eṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟y͙͙̪̰ͫ͌́thing, to d̶̵̯̯̼̘ͨ̓est͖͖̠̬͛ṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞y͙͙̪̰ͫ͌́ every͙͙̪̰ͫ͌́thing, I̡̨͙͙̪̹̾͟T̼̼̖̾͟͞ F̼̼͓̙ͤ̋̅̚͞͞E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡Ļ͓͓̣̽͟T̼̼̖̾͟͞ G̯̯̩̙͆ͣ͟Ơ̷̴̪̪̝͈̥͈̆̀̚Ơ̷̴̪̪̝͈̥͈̆̀̚D̷̨̥̥̥͖̞͐ͮ̄.

With a terrible scream of pure fury and destruction, she appeared in mid-air and the crimson sky knelt to her presence. She was not the Witch of Wrath, nay.

S̢̼̼͖̺͖ͪH͇͇̹͊ͪ́̕ͅE̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡ W̧̤̤͇̣̥͂͐A̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅS̢̼̼͖̺͖ͪ W̧̤̤͇̣̥͂͐R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜A̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅT̼̼̖̾͟͞H͇͇̹͊ͪ́̕ͅ Ļ͓͓̣̽͟E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡T̼̼̖̾͟͞ E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡V̵̡͔͔͔̭̾̀̂̑͞E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜Y̧̬̬͇̖̳̏͌͞T̼̼̖̾͟͞H͇͇̹͊ͪ́̕ͅI̡̨͙͙̪̹̾͟N͔͔̥̺̞̿͊̇G̯̯̩̙͆ͣ͟ Ḋ̤͇̮͙ͥI̶̴̗̗̦͍ͨͭ̉͢͟E̸̖̪̱͚ͨ̀͜

-

Feeu sensed a colossal pressure originate from the spot beside her. Mana twisting and convulsing, its perfect purity matched by its unceasing intensity. It torched her skin, burrowing deep into her soul, igniting a fire she struggled to quell. As a red dome fell across the area and the building crumble around her, she knew this was her doom and felt no fear, only a bubbling rage.

"Which bastard did it?! I'll kill that lil' bitch! Giving ou— Fluffle!²Vili's unique cursing" The Etativi created a magic barrier around herself. "Wake up girlies!" The shout and magic slap snapped Feeu out of whatever trance she was in.

A figure wreathed in crimson stood high above, emitting pulses of destructive mana, chunks of wood and stone disintegrated the moment they touched. And yet, Lust laid there, unprotected and unharmed. "Shield yourselves and suppress the growing wrath. Hold her back before she destroys everything."

"Wha—" Feeu could not comprehend the situation. 

"No questions! Buy me time if you want to live!" The Etativi focused everything on completing the healing, layers upon layers of complex spell formations surrounded Yui.

A flash of blue shone and Eisst stepped forward fully clothed in her Magical Girl clothes, her katana pointed to the hovering figure. Taking the cue, Feeu too summoned her Magical Girl outfit to cover her naked body. 

Gripping her trusty claymore, she took to the sky with Eisst. Simply breathing in the absolute oppression of wrath mana was labourious, not to mention flying or fighting.

As they got closer to the figure, she had no illusion of who they were about to face. She knew what it was, it was an instinctive knowledge dredged froth from the depths of her soul. That was WRATH. It was no longer the Wrath who followed behind Lust like a little puppy. When she could see WRATH clearly, there were no features. Merely an outline of a woman, shrouded in blood crimson, nothing that identified her originally as the Witch of Wrath.

Standing in her presence was suffocating, Feeu could see Eisst hovering a distance below her, struggling to even keep her altitude.

A̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅA̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅA̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅA̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅA̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅA̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅR̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜

Wrath released an earthshattering roar. Feeu could not think straight, something clouded her mind. Her soul burned, she could feel it, it hurts just being here. Why must she be here in the first place? For some lusty bitch? She was a Magical Girl! Her tortured mind gave form to previously unthinkable thoughts. Why should she protect an Etativi? WHY MUST SHE LISTEN TO THEM? SHE MUST KILL THAT LUSTY BITCH AND THE NOISY CAT!

"Feeu-san! We nee—"

"KILL!"

As Eisst spoke, a bloodlust cry rang out. She readied for the oncoming attack but was totally unprepared when Feeu charged downward towards her, screaming for blood.

"Feeu! What are you doing!" Eisst watched her partner draw her claymore and summon her flames. She tried to find some reason for Feeu's action. Why is she coming to me? Is she attacking me? Why? Why!? WHY!? But each time she questioned, the angrier she got. An insidious red rage snaked its way into her mind, scouring all thoughts except for destruction. THAT USELESS FLAT CHEST!?!! ATTACKING ME!?

Eisst lifted her katana, ice running down its edge. Pouring her magic, she gave a powerful swing. Shards of icicles darted towards Feeu.

Bet you didn't see this coming?

To those wondering why Envy could do so much damage to Yui, even though Yui is so much stronger.

She did save up her strength just to deal a decisive strike to Yui when her guard was down. But more importantly, Yui did not have her OP artefacts with her. I believe Yui is only able to contend with those much stronger than her because of her artefacts. Yui herself is strong, yes, but I think her power level is around a mid/late level-2 Witch when she is without her OP items.

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