Chapter 66: Fated Burn (22)

"So... what do you guys think?" Yoshino asked after whispering her discovery to everyone else. Mukarramma is excluded.

"Hmm... when you put it like that, yeah, it doesn't add up," Rea raised her hand to her chin before briefly looking to her side for a reason that evaded everyone else.

Wait, if that's true, then what would our effects even be? Henry mentally questioned Rudabaugh who soon passed the question to Yoshino.

Yoshino raised a finger before lowering it. "I... haven't thought that far yet," she admitted.

"Maybe we can come up with our own effects?" Seiza suggested, soon elaborating when everyone turned their attention to him. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt to try, right? If nothing happens, we just need to think of something else."

"There's only one way to know..." Rudabaugh trailed off as he walked a couple of feet away from Yoshino and the others in Mukarramma's direction.

Don't forget about including the effect's cost... wait, do we also have to include the dramatic lines and flair too? Henry asked his friend on the other side of the mental call.

Hmm... better safe than sorry. Rudabaugh replied back before addressing Mukarramma, who curiously eyed him, wondering what they were about to pull off. "I activate my effect!"

It had only been for a split-second, but Rudabaugh caught Mukarramma as her eyes widened in surprise before turning back into a more neutral expression. That served as enough confirmation to Rudabaugh that he was on the right track. If he had to guess from Henry's smirk, the latter had also reached the same conclusion.

"Due to my past of sacrifice and death, once per turn, I can destroy one of your tarot cards at the cost of," Rudabaugh's eyes widened as the cost of the effect suddenly popped on his mind. "One of my limbs. The card I choose," Rudabaugh dramatically aimed his revolver with his right hand at the only tarot card currently on Mukarramma's side of the field. "Will be The Emperor Reversed! With the cost being my left arm!" Rudabaugh declared before taking the shot. The bullet made a hole straight into the tarot card's head. A blast of smoke soon came from the damaged card.

When the smoke cleared, Rudabaugh couldn't help but feel slightly relieved as the tarot card of the despot who claimed to be an emperor was indeed destroyed, soon letting out a sigh when he glanced behind him to see Seiza already in the process of healing Nozomi.

Rudabaugh's relief was cut short as he immediately felt overwhelmed by a sudden pain coming from his left arm. "Urrrgghh!"

Hey, hey, what's going on? Rudabaugh? Rudabaugh!? Henry mentally called out in worry for his friend.

Rudabaugh closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, falling to one knee as he tried to get his bearings. Before the pain worsened, it suddenly vanished, replaced by a calming sensation he had felt secondhand from Henry. When Rudabaugh opened his eyes to look at the source, his suspicions were proven correct. He landed his eyes on Seiza in the middle of using his healing magic on him. The green light that surrounded what was now a bright-red stump where once was his left arm indicated everything.

With a sigh, Rudabaugh addressed Henry. I'm fine... I just didn't expect the payment of the cost to be...like this...

I see, good... by the way, is it just me, or... is your arm not regenerating? Henry pointed out.

Now that you said it... Rudabaugh trailed off as he paid proper attention to his arm. Not even an inch had grown back since Seiza started healing him. Rudabaugh tried to focus dark magic through the stump, but nothing changed. I suppose it would be weird if I could cheat out of the rules so easily.

"Seiza, I'm fine now, you can stop," Rudabaugh tried to reassure Seiza.

Unfortunately, Seiza wasn't convinced enough. "B-but your arm-"

Rudabaugh cut him off. "Won't come back, or at least, I don't think it will until this game is over?" Rudabaugh said the last bit unsure before shaking his head. "Anyway, I don't feel the pain of losing my arm anymore, so thank you."

"I see..." Seiza looked down at the floor, his expression clearly showing he wanted to be more useful.

"Seriously..." Yoshino sighed. "Don't scare me like that again, I actually thought something went wrong."

Rudabaugh and Henry paused as Yoshino's line made them briefly remember how Kurai had berated Henry for what he did earlier today. Like daughter, like mother, I suppose. Henry mentally commented, and Rudabaugh couldn't bring himself to disagree. "Sorry..." he scratched the back of his neck dejectedly at his student and friend's niece.

"How's she holding by the way?" Rudabaugh nudged his head in Nozomi's direction as he asks the talking labrador.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, Taurus, I'll remove the bandage right now. Please stay still, okay?" Nozomi heard Rudabaugh's voice coming from her side.

With a deep breath, the white-haired magical girl slowly nodded in response, soon feeling the tight bandage covering her eyes loosen up.

Opening her eyes wide, Nozomi couldn't stop herself closing her eyes on reflex from flinching at the sudden brightness. Only open them again even wider as the darkness instantly made her grow unnerved. She felt as if she had been plunged again into complete obscurity. It's okay, I can see again, I can see again, I can see again, I—

"-rus? Taurus?!"

The clumsy girl's thoughts stop dead in their tracks. It took a full second for her brain to think anything again.

When Nozomi turned to face Yoshino, she was met by the pink mask in the shape of a goat's face as it looked straight at her.

Right, we are still inside a barrier, we are... still fighting a darkspawn... With that realization, the magical girl in white grabbed her white mask from Rudabaugh before donning it and getting up from Yoshino's support.

"Taurus?" Her best friend spoke confused by the silence.

"I'm fine," Nozomi lied through her teeth. "We need... to focus on the enemy ahead." She said this while biting her lip and clenching her fists to remain strong in front of the people who depend on her.

The white-haired magical girl soon noticed she had cried a little, which made her cry more as she realized she was finally able to. She is internally glad that no one can see her cry while wearing her mask.

Or at least, that's what she thought, as Nozomi was unaware that even though everyone else couldn't see her face as she silently cried, they could still see the droplets of tears dripping down her mask.

Only one person didn't seem to entirely read the room as Rea placed a hand on Nozomi's shoulder. "Hey, uh, are you really—"

"I'M FINE!" Nozomi shouted at the delinquent, loud enough to make the latter's eyes grow wide in surprise, but not enough for them to move their hand from the former's shoulder.

Catching herself off-guard by her outburst too late, Nozomi took a deep breath before addressing Rea again. "I'm... fine, really. We... have more urgent matters to deal with," Nozomi said before turning her attention to Mukarramma.

Rea frowed but didn't press further as she finally let go of Nozomi's shoulders. "If you say so..." The magical girl in red trailed off before her eyes widened again. "Oh, before I forget, thank you for saving me there, really."

Nozomi paused momentarily before giving a small nod of acknowledgment, not taking her eyes off Mukarramma.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So... do I go next?" Rea's humanity asked around. Nozomi hadn't heard much of Yoshino's explanation due to the pain and distress from the complete blindness she suffered, but she had enough of an idea from what she did hear to know what Tsujin was talking about.

"Hmm, I would suggest we hold on for now. We already got what we wanted with The Emperor's destruction. She cannot attack us either on her next turn, and considering what the costs for it might be..." Outsider glanced briefly at Rudabaugh. "I believe we should only use it when necessary," he advised.

Rudabaugh nodded. "Agreed. We should probably declare the end of our turn for now."

"Wait, couldn't I... just make my effect one where I can ignore the hanged-whatever's effect and attack them anyway?" The self-proclaimed human side of the group's delinquent suggested.

"You could... but what would be the cost of that? What if it costs something irreplaceable?" Rudabaugh asked. "Also, that's not touching the fact we don't know if the costs are truly permanent or until this sick game ends," he added.

That was enough to convince Rea's humanity and she reluctantly raised the hand of the body she was controlling. "I end my turn then."

Pain in the ass... Rea cursed under her breath, and Rea's other half couldn't bring herself to disagree.

One by one, everyone ended their turns, with Nozomi as the last one to do so after some visible hesitation from her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now what do I do... or I guess the better question would be what CAN I do? Mukarramma thought as she tried to think of a plan with only two cards in her hand. Only one of her opponents is in a worse physical condition than before she summoned her barrier. And even then, it wasn't without substantial damage to my side of the board.

Mukarramma's current hand, although not bad, wasn't what she needed at the moment. Forget hoping either of these cards survives until my next turn. I will be surprised if I survive to see the end of their turn!

Mukarramma glanced at the dark flame that appeared by her side when Nozomi ended her turn. The flame beckoned her to draw a card from it. Maybe I could draw The Wheel Of Fortune? The potential card advantage it would give could help... But what would the chances of that even be? Certainly not high enough to be reliable. Damn it, if only that guy hadn't distracted me by shooting me in the head when I was about to activate The Hanged Man Reversed to protect The Magician! I don't know if I would've won, but I surely would've at least taken out that Taurus harlot!

Mukarramma frowned as she realized something when looking around at her empty field with no cards to protect her. All her opponents, each one of them, barred Seiza and maybe Outsider, were perfectly capable of harming her, and finally, the two cards in her hand that she had to defend herself with, plus the one she was about to draw. That's the thing, uh? Even under the best of circumstances, I still wouldn't be able to beat all of them and get out of here alive. There are just too many of them while I only have so many cards at my disposal. And that's not even accounting for the fact that they had caught on them being able to use effects too...

Mukarramma turned again to the dark flame that awaited her to reach it. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand for the flames, soon feeling the tarot card inside. Please, be a good card... A bead of nervous sweat fell down her wooden face.

"My turn!" Mukarramma declared as she drew what could be her last card.

'Oh...' Mukarramma thought in disappointment upon seeing the drawn tarot card.

Her disappointment soon vanished when a memory of her experimenting with this tarot card resurfaced. Wait, surely that wouldn't work, right? Unless...

Mukarramma's eyes widened as the gears for a plan so stupid that it just might work spun inside her head. Mukarramma's expression soon grew determined. Let's do this!

"I call forth the power from the one who has revealed my path to victory with their light, The Sun!" Mukarramma declared. Soon, far above in the fake skies of her dark barrier, approximately 150 million kilometers away, an actual sun bathed everyone with its light and warmth. Such an absurd feat of dark magic was only conceivable due to Mukarramma's barrier giving her infinite dark magic, allowing her to use even her most energy-hungry tarot cards.

Now, to not raise any suspicions~ Mukarramma picked the last two cards in her hand. "I then prepare two cards in reverse, and since I can't attack this turn, I end my turn."

That seemed to have done the trick, or at least... Mukarramma wanted to believe it did, as she couldn't exactly hear much besides vague whispers and hushes from where she was. In hindsight, I should've probably implemented a punishment for slow play... oh, well.

Eventually, they seemed to have agreed on who would attack first, as Nozomi positioned herself and aimed her glowing finger at the magical sun above.

As the moment of truth came closer, Mukarramma readied herself.

When Nozomi's light bullet reached Mukarramma's magical sun, something unexpected to everyone besides Mukarramma happened. Instead of The Sun creating a blast of smoke with its destruction, similar to Mukarramma's other destroyed cards, The Sun shone even brighter, blinding everyone who didn't see it coming with its light.

The reason for this was simple. Whenever The Sun is destroyed inside Mukarramma's barrier, the particle effect of its destruction is the same as when it attacks. This is something the doll darkspawn had discovered by accident while experimenting inside her barrier. At the time, she concluded it was nothing much since in the end it only LOOKED like it was attacking when in reality it was just getting destroyed like all her other cards. She never thought it would be her best ticket to escape from here.

The duelist darkspawn didn't waste any time as she turned her back on her opponents to escape while they were distracted by a portal that would lead her outside. Wow, I can't believe that actually worked! Now I just need to get away from here and—

Mukarramma's thoughts were cut short as a stream of flames from behind burned through her left arm, vaporizing it in a second. Mukarramma's eyes soon grew wide as her mind went into overdrive to process what happened. WHAT?!

When Mukarramma glanced behind her, she saw Rea with a determined expression, glowing fingers aimed at the doll darkspawn. Did she see through my trick?!

Her thought process was cut short again by the indescribable pain Mukarramma soon felt, letting out a guttural scream in response.

The magical doll was more aware than she wished she were that a magical girl's magic was painful from the darkspawns she watched from afar, but she would've never guessed it to be by this much. The delinquent's magic felt to Mukarramma like it was trying to infiltrate her insides so it could boil them.

If Mukarramma was honest, she didn't know where she acquired the willpower to push on instead of rolling around on the floor while crying in pain.

Luckily for Mukarramma, she avoided further injury from Tsujin's flames before escaping through her portal.

As soon as she got out of her barrier into the alleyway, Mukarramma immediately jumped, reaching the roof of the left building in one go before jumping to the next building. Distance, I have to make a big enough distance! Mukarramma thought as she tried in vain to concentrate while in insufferable pain.

Mukarramma kept going until, while she was in the middle of a jump, she felt her vision getting hazy, the pain threatening to make her pass out. By the time she recovered, the duelist darkspawn had hit face-first into a wall and fallen into an alleyway, hitting the back of her head on the pavement.

As she lay there, facing the night sky, breathing raspily in and out as her reserves of dark magic were quickly drained away to keep Tsujin's fire magic at bay in her left arm, Mukarramma inevitably concluded that this was it. She is about to die from a lack of magic.

As her inevitable ending approached, Mukarramma couldn't help but give a dry laugh at how pathetic her end was. Huh...I guess it was true then...I never had a—

"Hey."

Mukarramma's eyes widened as she felt a small surge of dark energy enter her body. Not enough to live, but enough that she still had a few minutes to live. She instinctively turned to the owner of that voice and power, immediately finding a teenage boy wearing casual clothes, a black cap, a face mask, and black goggles. He crouched down while staring at her. The duelist darkspawn would soon come to find out his name was Judai.

"Do you want to live?" Judai asked Mukarramma.