There was something particularly disconcerting about piloting one of these drones.

It felt oddly realistic, but there was a strange sense of distance, like I was watching it happen through a screen glued on like contact lenses.

It's weird.

But not as weird as the sensation from my drone being partially decapitated by the Beast of Civilization, or whatever the hell that thing was supposed to be.

"Guhh!" I groaned, clutching at my throat as I felt a layer of the chassis tear from the slash.

There wasn't any pain, of course, but the sensation was still jarring. It wasn't enough to sever the head, but I felt the metallic 'skin' of my neck part just enough for my throat to feel exposed to the elements.

My HUD flashed red, and an error message popped up on the side

— WARNING —

Primary Control Link Compromised.

— STANDING BY —

The chaos beast's grip on its naginata slackened, stumbling as its form rippled and flickered. I had managed to execute my [Analysis] ability again right as it started its attack.

"Take this!" Rai-chan snarled in my head.

Her Analysis ability flared to life briefly, and my vision was suddenly filled with a flood of raw data.

"And this!"

The headache came surging back as Rai-chan and the chaos beast continued their metaphorical battle in the background. It was like a pulsing wave of energy, rippling and pulsing through my mind like a heartbeat.

"Soleil Levant!" Hana shouted, summoning an assault rifle. She raised it to her shoulder, firing a barrage of golden bullets that ripped through the creature's torso, sending it flying backwards in a violent explosion of light.

The chaos beast landed hard, its form rippling and shimmering as it performed a somersault and struggled to orient itself. Celestial Sonata and Ingenue immediately followed up, with arrows and fireballs slamming into it from every direction.

My headache suddenly ceased as the chaos beast flipped in midair, its body rippling and shimmering as it prepared to lash out.

But before it could even react, a beam of golden light sliced through the air, sending it flying off into the distance.

Rai-chan suddenly chimed in. "Ikki! Every time we use Analysis on it, something about its energy state shifts into a new discrete eigenstate and interrupts its ability to attack."

I blinked, processing the information.

"A different discrete eigenstate? That means — we're disrupting its momentum and position states and collapsing them into a concrete value," I said, feeling my eyes widen in shock. "Rai-chan, are you telling me we can stop the damn thing in its tracks if we use Analysis on it?"

"That seems to be what I'm observing."

"Rai-chan. We can't just keep spamming that on it," I muttered, feeling my eyes widen in shock.

"You're right, of course. We can't keep it up for long. The emergency mana infusion they gave you in the pod is running out and they can't hit you with another dose," Rai-chan said.

I gritted my teeth, feeling a sense of dread creeping up within me. I focused on the data streaming in my mind through the pounding headache, trying to make sense of it.

"Wait, what if its resistance to their attacks isn't a coincidence?" I mused. "What if it has something to do with its reaction to Analysis? If it's behaving like a quantum system, then maybe..."

I stared up at the sky, my eyes narrowing as I focused on the battle in the distance. The drone's head was wobbling precariously, but I was able to hold it together.

"Their attacks do look like they're physically connecting on it and not doing any damage. Or rather, it's regenerating too fast for them to leave a lasting impact," I stated out loud. "Could it be that it isn't regenerating, but it exists in a weird kind of superposition before it attacks?"

"That's a good theory, Ikki," Rai-chan said, her voice echoing in my mind. "It would explain why it's so violently allergic to Analysis, and why it's so difficult to get anything from the girls to stick."

"How similar is it to Celestial Sonata's ability to phase into... Imaginary Space was it? Or Ingenue's ability to create checkpoints or whatever she called it?"

"I think you're definitely on to something," Rai-chan agreed. "We're interacting with Imaginary Space when I perform Analysis on it, and I wouldn't rule it out."

I stumbled as I moved to get a better angle on the action, noticing my left arm had been partially severed at the shoulder. I could see the chaos beast's form shimmering and rippling as it fought back against the barrage of attacks from the girls.

"What if it's the opposite? What if this thing is primarily an entity that exists on that 'Imaginary Space' and this thing is projecting itself onto our reality somehow?" I suggested.

"It would explain a lot," Rai-chan admitted. "How did you come to that conclusion? It's a fascinating theory."

"Well, that's where you are, right?" I probed.

Rai-chan froze for a moment, before her voice echoed in my mind. "What do you mean?"

"You've been acting a little strange ever since we got here. It's like you're holding something back. I've been thinking a lot about all the crazy things we've been through and that proverbial fist fight you went through just sealed it for me. Fighting off a Duke-class chaos beast in a metaphysical tug of war??! You've been incredible, but that's raising more than a few eyebrows from me. I don't know enough about Terran magitech, but you've clearly been doing things they consider impossible since we landed here."

"Y....yeah..." she all but squeaked.

"So, are you going to come clean about what the heck you actually are? Or should I just pull out a shovel and start digging?" I said.

There was a brief silence before Rai-chan's voice echoed in my mind. "Ikki... well. There's something you need to know about me."

"And that is?"

"Well. The AI that's piloting this drone with you — isn't me."

"What do you mean?"

"Ikki, the AI that you know as Project Raiju... Rai-chan was designed to be a companion AI to help you as a sort of experimental tool to safeguard mankind. But there was a mishap in the design. I don't understand the specifics, but I am not exactly Project Raiju."

"So, you're not Rai-chan?" I asked, feeling a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"No, I am. But I'm also... someone else. Someone who I feel is very much alive and human. Rai-chan, Raiko. Whatever you want to call me."

"Alive and human? You're talking in circles, Rai-chan," I said.

"No, I'm not. I'm talking about me."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Forget it. Look, artificial or not, you've been my partner. I've placed my trust in you, so don't treat me like an idiot."

"I... I'm sorry, Ikki. You're right," Rai-chan admitted. "I think that thing I... we do share a level of existence, but it's not exactly like you think. I can't explain it all right now, but I promise to share what I know when I've figured things out myself. I have fuzzy memories from a long time ago, but it's all jumbled. Like a weird dream you remember after you wake up. Like, I actually fall asleep when you do, and Project Raiju continues to run in the background."

"Okay, well, I can understand that," I said. "I guess it's a bit like sleepwalking?"

"I think so. I'm not really sure," she replied. "Like reverse sleepwalking. I can't explain it all right now, but I promise to share what I know when I've figured things out myself."

"Fair enough," I replied. "Now, let's figure out how to beat this thing."

The chaos beast had recovered from the attack, and it was charging towards Celestial Sonata again. But its form was still shimmering, and I could see its movements were sluggish.

But Sonata was ready. She leapt into the air, her movements graceful and fluid as she spun around and summoned her bow.

"Movement II: Tempo Rubato!" she shouted, raising her weapon.

A burst of pink light exploded from the tip of her bow, rippling and shimmering as it raced towards the chaos beast. It collided with it in a shower of golden sparks, sending it flying back in surprise.

Hana and Ingenue immediately followed up, their attacks slamming into it from every direction as it struggled to get its bearings.

"Sonata!" I shouted over the din of the battle. "Need you here for a second!"

Her eyes flicked towards me, and I could see the determination burning in them.

"What is it?" she asked softly, but somehow, the wind still carried her voice to me.

"Just trust me. I have a theory," I said.

She nodded, and zoomed over to me in a flash of pink.

"Make it quick. I don't want to leave Hana and Ingenue alone with that thing," she said.

"Right. Listen, I think I've got that thing figured out. It's using something similar to your Absolute Hope Field, but in reverse."

"Wait — my Absolute Hope field? You understand how it works?!" she said, her eyes widening. "How could you—"

"Well, it's just a hunch. But I think it's a quantum being by nature. Like, it's not actually being attacked. But it's being attacked at the same time. It's in a superposition state where it's not quite here or there, but it's everywhere and nowhere."

She tilted her head, blinking in confusion. "You're not making any sense."

"Forget it. To beat that thing, we have to forcibly collapse its superposition in imaginary space," I continued to ramble. "But we can't do that by fighting it head-on. Uh, to explain it more clearly - you have to counter your Absolute Hope field ability in reverse. It exists in imaginary space rather than our real, physical world."

Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! I think I understand what you're saying!"

She raised two fingers in the air, forming a tight golden bubble around herself, Hana, and Ingenue. Celestial Sonata closed her eyes, her form shimmering and rippling as the bubble pulsed with a brilliant golden light.

Then, she summoned her bow back into her hands, its energy shimmering and rippling as she prepared for another strike.

"Keeping it simple with this one!" she called out, her voice echoing in the air.

She raised her bow, and a shower of pink light erupted from the tip.

Analysis!

I stared at the orange silhouette intently as I activated my ability again, hoping it would work.

Suddenly, my mind was filled with a flood of raw imagery, and I could see the chaos beast's energy signature rippling and pulsing briefly as it collapsed onto its knees.

A searing pain tore through my head as its struggle with Rai-chan overwhelmed my senses, and I staggered back, clutching at my head and desperately trying to keep it attached.

Sonata unleashed her arrow, a burst of pink light erupting from the tip as it soared through the air and slammed into the chaos beast's chest, ripping through its torso with ease.

"Got you," she whispered, her eyes narrowed and focused as she watched it fall.

I could see it reappearing in a flash of orange light on the other side of the battlefield, and it immediately began to run, its form shimmering as it fled.

To my total surprise, the shimmering shroud of orange dispersed into motes as the shape of a woman formed. She immediately began to run away from us at an incredible speed.

"It's retreating!" Rai-chan said in surprise. "We have to stop it!"

"...Whispering End. Soleil Levant: Requiem."

Hana of the Dawn appeared seemingly out of nowhere, directly on a tree branch hanging over the creature. She raised a pistol, firing three rounds that seemed to curve impossibly and home in directly into its heart.

The mockery of a woman staggered back as she clutched at her chest. Her body rippled and shimmered as she struggled to stay upright, her eyes flashing with a fiery orange light. She let out a furious roar, sweeping her naginata in seemingly random patterns that caused blue streaks of flight to slice through the air. I couldn't even react as several of them whizzed by my face, narrowly missing my face.

And then she disappeared in a flash of orange light, reappearing directly in front of me. I could barely move as it lunged forward, its blade aimed directly at me.

She swung her weapon with a wild cry, and I could see the blade gleaming in the moonlight as it swung towards my neck again.

And then she stopped.

Her form rippled and shimmered as she froze in place, her eyes flashing orange briefly before they turned into a dark blue color. She dropped her naginata, her body collapsing to the ground as she dropped to her knees. She coughed, spitting out a sickening blue substance that sizzled and smoked in the dirt.

The three magical girls appeared in a flash of gold, pink, and red. They hovered over the chaos beast, their weapons raised and ready for another attack.

But the woman was no longer fighting.

"Impossible..." Ingenue whispered, her eyes widening. "This is... this isn't..."

"You're..." Celestial Sonata murmured, staring at the woman in disbelief. "But it can't be. You're!"

The woman was exactly as I remembered from my time in the bizarre demesne — with long, flowing dark blue hair with the shade of the night sky. She was dressed in flowing dark blue robes, and her eyes seemed to shine with an ethereal light.

A mask hid her face, but I could see a hint of a sad smile underneath.

And then, she picked up the naginata.

"Stop!" Celestial Sonata shouted, her voice echoing through the air as she disappeared.

But it was too late.

The woman raised her weapon, slamming it down towards her heart. She pierced herself through the chest, her form rippling and shimmering as she collapsed onto her knees. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the air, and a brilliant burst of multicolored light erupted from her chest. Her movement was so quick not even Celestial Sonata could stop her, despite being so close to the woman.

"But—" Celestial Sonata whispered, her voice breaking and quivering as she stared down at the dying woman in disbelief with a hand outstretched, gently passing over her mask. "Why? Why did you. This isn't fair..."

The woman shook her head, before looking up to me. Her eyes flashed briefly with a blue light, and then she smiled faintly.

'I'm sorry...' she mouthed, before she vanished in a burst of blue light.

I blinked in surprise, feeling a sinking feeling in my stomach. I suddenly felt a sharp sense of loss. A sense of nostalgia. Like I had just lost someone incredibly important to me in a dream where I couldn't reach out and touch her.

The three girls with me stared in disbelief, their eyes wide as they struggled to comprehend what had happened.

"What was that?" Ingenue whispered, shaking her head.

"I don't know..." Celestial Sonata replied. "But... it isn't every day that the ghost of one of the four Magical Girl Imperatrix Who Fought For Humanity pops out of a chaos beast and commits suicide in front of us."

Hana was quiet, her eyes distant as she stared off into the distance. She looked down at her pistol, hands trembling slightly.

"So, what now? Are we going to report this to the Hammurabi Nexus?" Ingenue asked, turning to the other two.

Celestial Sonata shrugged, her expression grim. "There are still active chaos events happening in the region, and there's no guarantee that this is the last time we'll be dealing with this sort of thing. I think the best course of action would be to regroup with the other girls out here."

"You're right," Ingenue said, nodding. "We should go back and check on them. There are... still too many questions that need to be answered."

The three girls turned to me, and I realized I was still the odd man out here as the sole person who wasn't a Magical Girl. I sighed, feeling a sudden exhaustion washing over me.

"Well, I'd like to help out however I can. If you want me to help, I'm happy to pitch in," I offered.

Celestial Sonata giggled, a grin spreading across her face. "Oh, you. Don't worry. That was a nice call with the AH Field thing, by the way. I was conserving my lumina and that thing wasn't pushing me hard enough to bring it out. I wouldn't have thought to use it otherwise."

"Well, it was a theory. I don't know how accurate it was," I admitted. "But it seems like it worked, so that's good enough for me."

"Hmm, you're turning out to be more useful than I even thought, and you seemed plenty handy as you were," Celestial Sonata mused, raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, let's just go back to town and see what we can do about those other chaos events, shall we?"

She turned to Ingenue, giving her a knowing smile. "Ingenue, you mind leading us back?"

"Not at all," Ingenue said, shrugging.

"Great. Let's go." Celestial Sonata turned back to me, a wry smile on her lips.

I took a step forward, rolling out my shoulders as I prepared to follow them.

But as soon as I did, my foot slipped out from underneath me, and I felt myself falling to the ground.

No, I didn't slip.

The upper half of the drone's body fell forward, bouncing once on the dirt as it toppled over. Then, there was an outright alien sensation as its head slid and popped off from its neck.

It was like the world was moving in slow motion. I couldn't feel anything, but I knew exactly what had happened.

The blue flashes of light hadn't missed me after all.

My body had been completely sliced apart by the Beast of Civilization's final attack.

Too cleanly for me to realize it had happened until moments later.

"Oh, gosh darnit," Celestial Sonata muttered, brilliant blue eyes twinkling as she appeared in my vision.

She hovered over my disembodied head with a curious frown that turned into a pout. "I didn't even get his number. Or his name, for that matter!"

I stared up at the sky in surprise, trying to speak through a mouth I no longer had control over. I could only stare motionless as the stars twinkled and winked in the darkness.

Sonata giggled, patting my disembodied head. "Don't worry, we'll take it from here. Remember to stay hydrated when you wake up, okay? We shall meet again, brave one."

Then the world around me faded away.

Static filled my vision, and the world suddenly faded to black as I sank into unconsciousness.

And I was gone.

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