Huff! Kobatz, clutching his sword, suddenly felt the world spin wildly around him.
When he came to, he realized he was flying through the air. In a daze, he turned his head—and what he saw was something he could hardly believe even in a lifetime.
He crashed into the crowd but barely noticed the impact. Scrambling to his feet, he rubbed his eyes hard, shaking his head violently. Yet the sight before him didn't change.
A slender figure stood, gripping a long blue spear—Futayo Honda. She was standing once again.
With ninety-nine layers of dark "Abnormal Status" glowing above her head, Little Honda swayed unsteadily, clutching the Tonbokiri. Her blue eyes were dull and lifeless, devoid of any light. Yet even that frail, wavering stance silenced the entire scene.
Though Futayo's condition was clearly dire, she was still the hero who had slain a dragon. Even just standing there, her tiger-like aura commanded awe.
Cautiously, Kobatz tiptoed closer and waved a hand before her face. There was no response. He raised his sword and gave a light, testing stab. Futayo's HP dropped slightly—but still, no reaction.
"Hah! So she hasn't regained consciousness. Scared me for a second there," Kobatz muttered in relief.
What he didn't know was that all of Futayo's equipment had broken during her dragon battle. Otherwise, even that light stab would've triggered a reflected damage strong enough to make him suffer.
"My lord... is crying..." Within the endless darkness of her unconscious mind, Futayo vaguely sensed it—her lord was weeping.
It hurt. It hurt so much.
Kobatz circled widely around Futayo, raising his sword again—this time aiming at the still-bleeding Madoka. Her HP was already at death's door; one touch would finish her.
Whoosh! Once more, the world spun. Kobatz was sent flying again, crashing into the crowd. He scrambled up, staring in disbelief. "Did Futayo Honda... just throw me?!"
"Yes, Guild Leader! We all saw it! Just as your sword was about to stab Kimi-nee, Futayo Honda flung you away!" the Army members said in unison.
"My lord..." In the depths of darkness, a faint glimmer appeared. The light seemed golden—or perhaps rainbow-colored. Little Honda couldn't help but reach toward it.
"This is ridiculous... Everyone, go together!" Kobatz commanded. The Army surrounded Futayo cautiously, circling around her. Their eyes locked onto her unmoving form as they raised their swords and thrust toward Madoka.
Swish! The Tonbokiri suddenly swept out in a wide arc, flinging the soldiers aside. Futayo stood tall, spear in hand, her posture straight as a pillar.
The Army members hit the ground hard, sprawling awkwardly. But they ignored their humiliation, immediately dropping to their knees and begging, "Mercy! Please spare us! We didn't mean it!"
They pleaded for a long while, but Futayo gave no response. Looking up, they saw that the black "Abnormal Status ×99" still hung above her head. Her eyes were still empty and dark. Yet none of them noticed that the Tonbokiri in her hands was beginning to glow faintly.
"She's still unconscious, right?" one of them muttered. Following Kobatz's earlier example, they raised their swords and began to stab Futayo.
Shhk... One by one, the blades pierced her body. Her HP dropped sharply, yet she didn't move.
"Damn! If you're unconscious, stop scaring us like that!" one of them cursed, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. The group collectively exhaled in relief.
"I say... maybe we should just finish off Futayo first. She's creepy as hell like that." The sight of her slender form standing so still—like a delicate beauty frozen in place—sent chills down their spines.
After exchanging looks, they nodded in grim agreement. Together, they raised their swords and stabbed again and again. Futayo's HP plummeted in a straight line.
High above, Kayaba Akihiko stood with his hands tucked into his lab coat pockets, gazing at Futayo's motionless form as she was repeatedly struck. His voice was low and solemn. "What a cruel personality. Miss Honda possesses the courage to stand against ten thousand men, yet the rules of this game bind her—reducing her to prey for the weak."
Stab... stab... The swords kept striking. Futayo's HP rapidly turned red.
Futayo was on the verge of collapse—her HP nearly gone, flickering between life and death.
Futayo's body began to blur, glowing faintly blue. And then... nothing more happened. Even with an empty HP bar, her body continued to emit that ethereal blue light, standing perfectly straight and unmoving.
"Why? Why isn't Futayo Honda dead yet?" The Army members were stricken with fear. Several dropped their swords, the clatter echoing through the silence.
"Divine One, how many of the game's rules have you devoured? Miss Honda is now defying the system through sheer willpower alone." Kayaba Akihiko adjusted his glasses, his gaze turning toward the tearful, trembling Kurumi—and a smile crept across his face.
"Divine One, show me your hand. You had me bring all the red-name players here. Let's see how you plan to turn this situation around." Behind him, rows of pitch-black prison cells loomed in the darkness.
"Damn it! Forget it—attack Kimi-nee directly!" The Army members, consumed by terror, carefully edged past Futayo again, fixing Kurumi with vicious, desperate glares.
"No! Don't hurt Madoka! Someone, please—save Madoka!" Madoka cried out, retreating in panic as the swords came crashing down.
"Please, God—save Madoka!" Silica's final scream pierced the air.
Then, suddenly, a brilliant white light burst from Madoka's body. A pair of pure white wings unfurled from her back, wrapping protectively around her—blocking every sword. The Great Wings of Freedom, born from the collective faith of humanity itself.
"An angel..." the crowd whispered, stunned. For a brief, breathless moment, a single thought filled their minds.
Kimi-nee and Futayo Honda... were not from another world—they were angels sent by God to save humanity.
"What... what have we done to the angels?" Horror seized many of the faithful. Gripping their heads in despair, they wept, convinced divine punishment was upon them.
The pure white wings opened once more, revealing not only Madoka within, but also a silver-haired woman kneeling on the grass. Madoka rested peacefully upon her lap.
The silver-haired woman wore a blue-and-white songstress outfit, a delicate orchid hairpin adorning her head. She was none other than Miku Izayoi—the musical Godseed of Kurumi.
"There really is an angel protecting Madoka," Silica whispered in disbelief. She had once said those words as a passing joke—but now, they had come true.
However, under the suppression of the World's Will, Miku Izayoi possessed no personality granted by Kurumi—only the vessel of her divine form.
Her appearance was made possible only because the incomplete Great Wings of Freedom possessed the ability to ignore the world's laws, allowing Miku to manifest briefly. Now, all that remained within her was a single instinct—the instinct to sing.