"Profiler?"
Shielding Arrietty, Sen drew a silver dinner knife and activated Profiler.
A purple curtain snapped open—then shattered within seconds, blank and empty.
Under the being's gaze the card dissolved into violet mist and returned to her hand.
[Profiling failed—energy gap too large.]
[Warning: high-energy reaction.]
[Warning: ultra-high-energy reaction.]
[Warn—]
Crushing pressure surged through the corridor.
Sen was forced to one knee; cracks spider-webbed across the floor.
Gravity… increasing!
The passage was unrecognizable, splattered with blood and rubble.
Boom—
A colossal meteor in the crimson cosmos plunged straight toward her.
"Accept power or die." "Planeswalker—choose."
The walls shattered, the ground sank; blood-mist eclipsed moon and stars.
The demon on its throne watched across Universes, awaiting her decision.
The meteor drew closer; searing heat scorched her lungs.
Sen didn't know what "cyttorak's power" meant or what accepting would cost. If she were ordinary she might have agreed at once—but she was a mad little freak.
"Your Majesty!!"
Facing death, she giggled wildly, baring white teeth. "Arrietty, this adventure ended too soon."
She stroked the Little Knight's cheek, then straightened against the crushing gravity.
Drawing a deep breath, she inhaled the purple mist that had gathered for days—Spell Power from the void.
"I acknowledge you, Arrietty.
In the next adventure, I'll bring you along again."
"No! Sen Getsusa! You lunatic!
Lunatic! No! No!!"
Arrietty finally called out her name.
Sen Getsusa smiled happily.
The girl infused all her Spell Power into her hands, lowered her shoulder, and exerted force... Amidst the little person's struggles, she used all her strength to throw her away!
"Sen Getsusa!!"
Arrietty's voice gradually faded into the distance.
Sen Getsusa panted as she turned her head; the meteorite was right before her eyes.
"How boring."
The girl was calm and composed.
She looked at the meteorite, clasped her hands behind her back, and raised her head as the heatwave blew through her long hair.
Amidst the flames, the young girl smiled indifferently.
In an instant... time stopped.
The tiny girl stood upon the earth.
She held her head high, looking at the massive crimson meteorite with a smile.
The static space was like an exquisite oil painting, set aside by an arrogant painter who had stopped mid-stroke.
Seeing this, the demon named cyttorak suddenly stood up from his throne and looked behind the girl.
In his own domain, he ignored the power of time.
Clearly, the other party was the same.
cyttorak became uncharacteristically serious.
For at this moment, a massive shadow rose before him:
An oval reflection, distorted and blurry, with countless silver-white energy strands weaving together to form a giant... middle finger.
cyttorak sensed that this thing seemed to glare at him fiercely.
After making that gesture, it spoke.
"Red Turtle, don't touch my cub!!"
cyttorak:... Sen Getsusa blinked.
In the hallway, the body of a young girl was covered with a shawl, and beside her, the one-eyed man lay there as well.
The two bodies were laid out neatly; the wall was peeling, revealing the red bricks beneath.
Blood, gravity, and earthquakes had all vanished.
The girl turned around and found Arrietty standing at the door, glaring at her furiously.
"Sen Getsusa!"
She shouted, tears streaming down her face from the corners of her eyes.
The Little Knight ran over crying, leaped up, climbed from the hem of the skirt to the girl's shoulder, and bit her earlobe fiercely.
"I survived! Well?
Arrietty, wasn't it an interesting adventure?"
Sen Getsusa had a look of being completely out of it.
Feeling the slight sting on her earlobe, the girl feigned a grimace and held Arrietty in her palm again.
"Why did you do that! Why didn't you agree?!"
The Little Knight angrily reproached her Queen: "The Queen cannot die!"
Sen Getsusa tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Look, didn't I survive?"
"Your Majesty!"
Amidst her laughter, Sen Getsusa glanced thoughtfully behind her.
Yubabas Sister's previously cryptic gaze was still fresh in her mind.
Back then, she had realized that something seemed to be following her, something that Yubabas Sister was very wary of.
And this incident had confirmed Sen Getsusa's suspicion.
Not far ahead, a crimson card floated in the air, rotating slowly.
The girl walked over with Arrietty; upon touching it, the card still emitted a faint heat.
[Spell Card:]
[cyttorak's Crimson Bands:]
[The signature spell of the Darkest Demon.]
[Once cast, it can summon Crimson Chains to control and repel enemies.]
[Due to the existence of a land card, you do not need to draw energy from the Crimson Universe when casting the spell.]
[Note: The Master of the spell seems unwilling to 'gift' this spell to you.]
[When using this spell against cyttorak, there is a chance of infuriating this ancient demon.]
Crimson Bands?
Sen Getsusa waved her hand, and the card vanished, turning into a crimson light that entered her Spell Void.
Arrietty didn't know what had happened; from the moment she was thrown by Sen Getsusa until she ran back, she only saw the remaining corpses and the dazed, willful Queen.
The meteorite and the overwhelming flood of blood had vanished, and that terrifying creature was gone as well, just like an illusion.
The midnight corridor was silent.
The keen Arrietty could even hear a woman's loud snoring coming from behind a door deep in the corridor.
Sen Getsusa didn't know the exact details either, but she could roughly guess: in that missing memory, the mysterious creature protecting her had freed her from the demon's clutches.
Thinking of that spell card, Sen Getsusa laughed in spite of herself: perhaps it had even blackmailed him.
However, something even more powerful than cyttorak had been following her?
Realizing this, Sen Getsusa looked around somewhat unnaturally, while Arrietty lay on the brim of her hat.
"What happened? Where's that bad guy?"
Sen Getsusa couldn't answer that question. She straightened her clothes and lowered her black veil again.
On the way out, Arrietty asked:
"Will you be as powerful as him, Your Majesty?"
She stopped, turned back to look at the empty space behind her, and pursed her lips: "I will be stronger than it."
The girl, wearing her wide-brimmed hat, disappeared into the night.
Atop her head, the Little Knight sat on the edge of the brim, chattering away.
In the night sky, a silver moon watched over the earth.
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