Chapter 13: Try your best but fail to take a step back

The arrival of the magical girls sent a wave of excitement through the crowd.
They were saved!
Seeing the magical girls blast through the barrier, their hearts leaped with joy.
If Pride hadn’t frozen everyone’s movements, they’d be dancing and singing in celebration.
Watching her former comrades attack her without mercy, Pride felt a flicker of anger.
But she couldn’t blame them—after all, she was now a witch.
Rose, wielding dual pistols, chose close-quarters combat.
Gun-fu, her signature move.
Pride sidestepped lightly, her movements slow but steady.
Each step narrowly dodged Rose’s attacks.
Bang!
Rose fired at Pride’s chest, then closed in with a spinning kick aimed at her neck.
“Too slow.”
Pride dodged the bullet, grabbed Rose’s ankle mid-kick.
With a forceful pull, she slammed Rose deep into the ground.
The already cracked earth shattered further, deep fissures spreading outward.
“Rose!”
Jasmine shouted, her face filled with worry.
Unlike Rose’s recklessness, Jasmine was clearly more composed.
Charging blindly would only lead to a quicker defeat.
She needed to think, to find Pride’s weakness.
Pride glanced at Jasmine in the distance, her blood-red eyes reflecting Jasmine’s outwardly calm but inwardly helpless expression.
For the sake of their past friendship, Pride decided to give them a chance.
“I’ll stand right here. Hit me with everything you’ve got. If you can push me back, I’ll let these pathetic people go.”
Though Pride had no intention of killing everyone, she wanted to see what kind of power her two former friends, determined to protect everyone, could unleash with their full strength.
Rose climbed out of the ground, disheveled, and flew back to Jasmine’s side.
“Jasmine, she’s so arrogant. Let’s hit her with something big and show her what we’re made of!”
Rose wiped blood from her mouth, defiant.
Jasmine wasn’t sure their combined full-power strike could push Pride back. If Iris were still here, they might stand a chance.
But now…
She had no confidence.
Yet they had to try with everything they had!
“Rose, ready? This is our first chance to go all-out against a witch.”
“Do you even need to ask? My guns are starving for action!”
“Good! Let’s make a miracle today!”
Since witches emerged, no magical girl had ever matched them.
Even repelling a witch was nearly impossible. If they could push Pride back today, it’d be a miracle.
Hearing their spirited voices, the corner of Pride’s mouth twitched upward slightly.
As expected of her best friends, fearless even against a witch.
Jasmine brandished her spear, channeling all her magic into it.
The golden spear glowed with dazzling light.
Rose combined her dual pistols into a laser sniper rifle, pouring all her magic into it.
The rifle blazed with orange-red flames.
They struck together!
“Radiant Glory Spear!”
“Crimson Blazing Laser!”
The spear shot forward like a golden comet, trailing a long tail, aimed at Pride’s heart.
The crimson laser paralleled the spear, its searing power parting the air, targeting Pride’s forehead.
The massive magical surge lifted Pride’s long skirt, her white hair whipping back, faintly accompanied by the sound of tearing winds.
As the attacks closed in, Pride raised her left hand, palm forward.
A massive spider lily bud blazed into existence before her.
The two attacks struck the bud, their collision unleashing a tremendous magical shockwave that shattered the remaining barrier.
Ripples spread through the air, space visibly warping.
Pride’s left hand bore immense force, a slight tremor of pain running through her arm.
But if this was the extent of their strongest attack, it was far from enough.
Pride slowly clenched her fist, the bud blooming with her motion.
As the spider lily fully opened, an oppressive force erupted outward.
It completely dispersed the two attacks, the overpowering energy slicing between the girls, soaring past the city into distant mountains.
The strike rebounded their magic, smashing a corner of the mountain range, causing the ground to quake.
The shockwave whipped Jasmine and Rose’s hair, the fierce winds like razor-sharp blades stinging their skin.
Staring at Pride’s emotionless face, their shock was beyond words.
“Gulp… Jasmine, did I see that right? She blocked our attacks with one hand and bounced them back?”
Rose swallowed hard, uncertainly seeking confirmation.
“We lost.”
Jasmine lowered her hands limply, defeated utterly!
They couldn’t even push Pride back a single step!
They were too weak!
The magical girls’ defeat doused the crowd’s newfound hope, plunging them back into endless despair.
Their hope had failed…
The witch’s merciless slaughter awaited them; they’d surely die here!
“I gave you your chance. Since you couldn’t push me back, then…”
Pride snapped her head toward the crowd, an immense pressure slamming everyone to the ground.
Some scum who’d mocked her before her transformation deserved death!
Anyone who hindered her from saving her sister had to die!
With a single thought, those who’d obstructed her were crushed by the overwhelming force.
The crowd was terrified, tears streaming uncontrollably.
“Witch, stop! Let them go, I’ll be your hostage!”
Jasmine couldn’t bear the slaughter, shouting out.
“Jasmine, are you crazy!” Rose couldn’t believe it.
Jasmine would sacrifice herself for strangers?
To Rose, being a witch’s hostage was certain death!
Sure, Rose was a magical girl, protecting people.
But she wasn’t absolutely selfless; she had her own desires.
She wouldn’t sacrifice herself for meaningless people, especially not for heartless ones who blamed them.
Her full effort was for her close friends, her family, those who cared for her.
Jasmine now, and Iris before, were people she cared about.
If it meant saving them, she’d sacrifice herself.
But for these ungrateful people who criticized them?
She couldn’t do it.