I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

That had been easier than Elizabeth expected, at the end of the day the troops had been send to their post, [Lunar Shade] and [Law Bringer Sentinel] stood at the middle of their little camp, both in their full magical girl regalia.

 

One petite black-haired gothic lolita and another grown-up woman well endowed.

 

“*Stare*” One that Rossie kept staring at her chest.

 

“...Eli-Eli, do you want me to grow a pair of fake boobs too?” Rossie suddenly asked making Elizabeth almost skip a step and fall to the ground.

 

“ROSSIE!” Elizabeth screamed while standing her ground and not faceplanting into the dirt, “It’s rude to assume such things of others!”

 

“Even if they are the truth, it is quite rude to point it up like that Rossie.” Rena added from the side, “Besides, even if they aren’t real on her [True] Bodie, it doesn’t mean they are fake on this mana body.”

 

Yes, that!

 

No wait, what?

 

“Explain.” Rossie said turning to Rena.

 

“Look, my body is quite…. obscene, right?” Rena sighed and removed her jacket, leaving herself only with her blouse. She then extended her hands under the back of her blouse and undid what looked to be a bandage.

 

The girl pulled and grunted, and soon enough, a bandage fell to the floor. Afterward, she crossed her arms under her chest, and with a grunt, she raised her arms to chest level, making….quite an amazing sight.

 

“See? My chest is quite big when I am not using a bandage or a sports bra.” Rena said with her face flushed red, “But if I [Shift].”

 

And with her words, Rena’s body shone in red light and after the light receded she was dressed in her samurai clothes. A ponytail and a lovely white hakama…or whatever that white shirt-like thing she used was called.

 

“...THE BOOBS ARE GONE!!” Elizabeth screamed when she tried to get another oogl—-another respectful appreciation stare.

 

“Yes Eli, thank you for noticing.” Rena smiled with her face still flushed red, “Just because I don’t have them on this [Shift] doesn’t mean my breasts on the other form are fake. Or these are fake just because they are smaller.”

 

Smaller….was an understatement, they almost were nowhere to be seen.

 

“Here, both of you, touch.” Rena took each girl's hand and placed it on her chest.

 

*grope-grope*

 

There was indeed a boob there, even while small, Elizabeth could feel the small soft feeling of [JUSTICE] there.

 

“I see.” Rossie said while nodding, “So instead of thinking of her as an unsecured show-off, I should think of that as another aspect of [Luna].”

 

“STOP SPEAKING ABOUT MY BREASTS AND FONDLING AMONG YOURSELVES AND GET TO WORK!” [Law Bringer Sentinel] screamed at them while brandishing her rifle at them.

 

Elizabeth laughed and shone in blue light as her form shifted into [Stardust Weaver], “Okay! See you later!” And took off into the sky.

 

She…didn’t think Luna would actually shoot at them, but she also didn’t want to find out how much her defense was worth against a magical girl sniper rifle.

 

After Elizabeth took off, a pink burst of light followed suit, and so Rossie was hovering at her side a second later. She was dressed in her [Sylphie Starheart] appearance. “I hadn’t seen you in that one since the tournament. Remember Eli-Eli?”

 

Elizabeth did remember, and it was quite amusing to think how far they had come from that tournament.

 

“I will go and join the front lines [Stardust Weaver]!” Rena screamed from the ground, Elizabeth didn’t understand why the girl didn’t tap into their shared skillset to fly. But she could respect her desicion, perhaps she feared that by doing so she would end with a [Shift] with more in common to Magical Girls?

 

It was a meaningless fear, really. Rena would look quite cute in tomboyish magical girl regalia. Elizabeth could see it. A pair of spats under her skirt, a red skirt longer than needed, and a killing glare at anyone who looked at her like she was some cute thing (Which she would be).

 

If nothing else, Elizabeth would gift the girl one cosplay such as that one.

 

“Oh…” Elizabeth said aloud, ”It all makes sense now…”

 

“What is it Eli-Eli?” Rossie asked at the side while she also joined Elizabeth in seeing Rena running off to the front lines where the other minions would set up the first line of defense.

 

“Why Mother liked to dress up girls in [Magical Girl] dresses.” Elizabeth answered, “Imagine how cute Rena would look in a miniskirt with a bashful look on her face while glaring at you with a blushed face.”

 

The image….the image was enough to get Elizabeth drooling.

 

“Imagine getting her naked,” Rossie whispered in Elizabeth’s ear.

 

“....Rossie, no.” Elizabeth said while imagining just that, “....I mean, Elizabeth no. Not abusing your girlfriend by making her look embarrassed and then getting drunk in the pleasures of the flesh, not yet anyway.”

 

Elizabeth would file that particular fantasy for later, for now she snapped her fingers and said aloud. “Reginald, report.” She needed something boring to distract herself from, she wasn’t quite ready to indulge in the pleasures of [Lust].

 

The shadow dragon instead of manifesting from a nearby shadow, opened a portal in the air from where he walked out. “The troops are ready, Misstress Rena is at the front surrounded by our greatest Elite Troops, they will work in tandem with Mistress Rena to both keep her safe and to make sure we can do as much damage as possible to the enemy.” Reginald answered with a bow.

 

That had been quite quick.

 

Hadn’t they finished the plans like fifteen minutes ago?

 

“And [Shadow Pact]?” Elizabeth asked turning to the direction she felt the shadow dragon scouts coming.

 

“He is expected to arrive into our area of influence in thirty minutes at worst, he is expected to percieve our troops within fifteen minutes and to know you are here within five.” Reginald answered.

 

That was…more complex than she expected.

 

“How so?” Elizabeth asked, she understood him feeling their area of influence, she had expanded her shadows all around to ensure everything could be ready.

 

She expected him to notice her troops, how could he not, if every shadow dragon was made of both shadows and mana.

 

But to feel her? Why would he? How would he?

 

“He was tracking Mistress Alice.” Reginald answered, “So he must have a way to track her [Mana], which is now part of you. So in turn, he must have a way to lock into you Mistress.”

 

“You know what Eli-Eli, I think that we should kill him after all.” Rossie suddenly said from her side, “I think Ren-Ren will be with me on this, someone that can track you? They don’t deserve to live. How dare they…HOW DARE THEY!”

 

Rossie?

 

“HOW DARE THEY FIND A WAY TO TRACK YOU BEFORE I DID?!?!?!?” Rossie screamed her desire to the heavens.

 

“Rossie?Love?” Elizabeth sighed while grabbing the pink-haired girl's hand and kissing her in the ring that shone with Azure light. “You can always track me using this, you know? So long as the black flame remains in it, you will always be able to come to me.”

 

And wasn’t that the whole reason they made these things, well also to ask their hand in marriage…No wait, that had been a result and not the reason right? With these toxic relationships Elizabeth wasn’t quite sure why she did some things nowadays.

 

“...Oh…” Rossie said as she stared a the ring and Elizabeth felt a pulse of mana traverse the ring, it made it into the gem and with it Elizabeth felt a warmth feeling in her chest, one that mirrored straight back into Rossie’s chest. “...right, I don’t need to envy his crude means, not when I have a straight route to your heart….”

 

“Just don’t break it and we are golden.” Elizabeth smiled at her girlfriend.

 

“NEVER!” Rossie screeched back, “Never….I would never do that.”

 

“I know Rossie, I know. Now let’s focus on this okay.” Elizabeth said turning back once more to Reginald that was waiting patiently for them to finish. “Okay, then…what about….Beatrice.”

 

Elizabeth hesitated, “Lady Beatrice is at the front lines, too, in full Valkyrie Regalia. It is okay, Mistress. I left them with strict orders to make sure she doesn’t do something stupid.” Reginald said with a chuckle. The Shadow Dragons do work under her, but they only supersede your orders in very specific cases. This is not one of those. They know you wish her to live, so they will ensure she lives.”

 

Elizabeth felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders.

 

“Is she okay?” Rossie asked after her.

 

“Physically? Yes.” Reginald answered immediately, “Mentally? That only she can answer. She will recover. She is quite serious about her mission. She will not fail; she will just be ready to fulfill whatever wish she has. Many minions are quite envious at that, not because you are willing to grant her a wish, but because she has one.”

 

That was weird, didn’t everyone have something that they wished for?

 

“You misunderstand desires with a wish. The shadow dragons desire to be useful to you, but that doesn’t mean they wish for it. They want to serve you, but that doesn’t mean that they wish for it.” Reginald answered.

 

“Isn’t that backward? How can they desire to do something but not wish to do it?” Elizabeth asked, confused. “If they don’t wish for that, doesn’t that mean that they want to do something else?”

 

“No, Mistress. They don’t wish for it because they already have. They can’t wish to serve you if they already do. They can’t wish to work under you if they are already employed by you.” Reginald answered, “Everything the average Shadow Dragon can wish for is already fulfilled.”

 

That…was sad.

 

“That is a sad existence.” Rossie said from the side, “Can’t we do something about it?”

 

“That is not something for us to decide,” Reginald answered. “That is for each individual Minion to decide, they each must come with what they want to do. And then they must choose if they will stay how they are or move forward. Just like how the one that took my place before decided to stagnate and disappear instead of remaining at your side, Mistress.”

 

….She was still angry about Sebastian moving on.

 

“What is your wish, Reginald? What do you desire?” Elizabeth asked, turning back to this Minion, the one who should have stood by her side the longest, like Beatrice.

 

“My wish has already been fulfilled,” Reginald answered, “I wished to return to you Mistress, to work under your care, to be by your side as you engulfed the world in shadows.”

 

“I have not done that,” Elizabeth said pointing back at the obvious.

 

“But you have Mistress, you just decided to not think about it.” Reginald answered with a chuckle. “But that is also part of you….”

 

….She hadn’t engulfed the world in shadows, she hadn’t engulfed any world in shadow—ah.

 

THAT DIDN’T COUNT!

 

“Mistress, we have made contact. [Shadow Pact] has arrived.” Reginald said turning quickly to stare at the distance, “I need to move, please move at your pace.”

 

And like that the Shadow Minion dissipated as if he was a mirage.

 

Elizabeth turned to stare at the distance and sure enough….She could see it….The shadow tide.

 

A tsunami-like phenomenon suddenly rose from the ground, engulfing the forest as it moved forward. She was weirded out by it since she hadn’t felt it…at all.

 

And that….shouldn’t be possible, it was actually honest to god impossible, Elizabeth was keenly aware of all the shadows around them, at all times. She was always getting feedback from them, when someone moved. When something crossed a shadow near her, when they grew, when they turned little.

 

When they rose in the morning with the first light of the sun, when they disappeared into a gulf made by the utter darkness of the night sky, Elizabeth was always aware, her minions worked day and night combing throught that sensory input to help her deal with it.

 

And at this very moment?

 

She wasn’t feeling anything from the tide of darkness that came in their direction.

 

It was utter calm, nothing was wrong. As if it was a calm lake, her senses returned nothing.

 

“Aura, what the hell is going on there?” Elizabeth asked to no one.

 

“Mistress I know you have a thing for me, but I am a little busy at the moment….GET THOSE OUT NOW WE CAN’T LET THEM ENCROACH OR IT WILL BE A PAIN IN THE ASS TO GET RID OF THEM LATER!” Aura screamed at someone, Elizabeth could feel her right at the outside of her [Soul], “Sorry about screaming into the mic, we are busy here. If you need something get a random minion to do it for you, we have things to deal with on this side. Whatever your crush did it is more dangerous than we thought.”

 

And with that, the line went dead, Aura hung on her… A minion hung on their mental connection. Elizabeth wasn’t sure what to make of this, first of all, she didn’t know they could do that, second of all. It seemed that [Shadow Pact] was doing some kind of attack on her, not only on the physical plane, but also on the esoterical.

 

And finally…She did not have a thing for Aura.

 

She was just the Minion that Elizabeth felt less guilty of ordering around, since she was the most [Human] fo her minions, even if Beatrice or Reginald could compete for the self identity award, they also obeyed all her orders. Aura had been the only one that had claimed she would not follow all her commands.

 

And yes, Nyx was included in the same type as Beatrice and Reginald.

 

“Eli-Eli? Do we continue with the plan?” Rossie asked, had she felt her doubt throught their [Link]?

 

“Yes, this just turned more troublesome than expected.” Elizabeth answered turning to stare at the [Shadow Tide].

 

That…”That just turned more annoying, I was kind of hoping to go all badass and say something like ‘I command you to stop, for the shadows are mine to control’ or something.” Elizabeth said with a sigh.

 

That would have look awesome, instead she had to try to follow the actual plan.

 

“Let’s go, we need to join the main forces at the front.” Elizabeth said taking hold of Rossie’s hand, they had plenty to fly, Rena had ran all the way there, but she had more of a phsyical build. So while they could fly, Rena was faster.

 

Also, Elizabeth never had invested too much in speed, why would she? She could teleport.

 

She wouldn’t teleport right now though, she hadn’t used that much of her mastery over space either, not with Aura around. The purple-haired girl was the best at that. And right now Elizabeth was regretting that.

 

Her only option would be to use [Shadow Step], but…”We will fly Rossie, those shadows give me the icks.” The shadows that once looked familiar to Elizabeth right now weren’t that calling.

 

She still knew for sure that most of these would still work for her, hell. If it needed she could directly swap with one of her minions, but… she didn’t think it was smart to use her shadow powers right now. Not with [Shadow Pact] in front of them.

 

If he could percieve her…If he, somehow, could make it harder for her to work with the Shadows… Elizabeth didn’t want to scream her location. Not yet anyway.

 

She would teleport using the shadows if needed, she would fight at her best, but that would be when the fighting actually started, right now they were just greeting each other.

 

“Okay Eli-Eli, I am with you.” Rossie answered and so, they both started flying.

 

Elizabeth grew her mechanical wings and fired up her jet engines while Rossie grew a pair of butterfly-like wings at her back.

 

It was quite the funny comparison, one side had the most efficient-mechanical look possible, while the other had what one would expect from a family friendly Magical Girl. And neither reflected the personality of the owner.

 

“What do you think is that Rossie?” Elizabeth asked as she pointed to the [Shadow Tide].

 

They could both see small dots attacking it and throwing things at it, they couldn’t make up who and what they were doing though, too far away.

 

“I don’t know, if you are asking then I assume that isn’t [Shadows]. But [Shadow Pact] should be one of the tainted, so he should be using [Shadows].” Rossie answered.

 

As Elizabeth expected, her girlfriend was smart.

 

“Yeah, I can’t feel those things. So that makes me think they aren’t [Shadows], but then again. The reports said that [Shadow Pact] was kidnaping Shadow users. And no one said that he was using a new power. So they must be [Shadows].” Elizabeth sighed, trying to strain her senses to feel those shadows, and getting nothing in return. “But they aren’t, I can’t feel them.”

 

“...And if you can’t feel them, it means they aren’t Shadows?” Rossie asked.

 

“What? My thing are the [Shadows], so if I can’t feel them they must be something else right?” Elizabeth asked confused.

 

“I mean…. My thing is [Healing] but there are some people that can use [Healing] magic better than me.” Rossie said from the side.

 

She said something impossible.

 

“I mean it Elizabeth, there are people that have better spells and wield more advanced forms of healing magic.” Rossie said turning to Elizabeth. “Don’t let your hubris cloud your sight.”

 

….Hubris? Her? Impossible, she was Elizabeth Starbright. She was The Shadow Weaver. It was in her name, in her origin. It was in her soul.

 

“I…” Elizabeth said as she felt her heart thrum with power, she….”Right…I…don’t….have….all….the….answers….”

 

“Eli-Eli? Are you okay?” Rossie asked as Elizabeth had stopped flying forward and was currently breathing hard with a hand over her chest and shaking.

 

“Yes…that hurt. Oh god it hurt…” Elizabeth said taking a deep breath. “My hubris being broken this fast on multiple occasions, I will need vacations.”

 

Elizabeth of course was mostly joking (MOSTLY), she was…somewhat aware that there must be other people with more…[Skills] than her in some things.

 

She was proud of the fact that she was good at doing the same thing that people with high levels in advanced skills did…witouth a skill, but finding someone that was better than her with [Shadows]?

 

Someone that could hide his presence from her? Even while doing such a big thing in front of her?

 

That hurt her [Ego].

 

Elizabeth had another reason to defeat [Shadow Pact] now.