Chapter 256: Power UP

'So this is how... our future child might look like.'

'...Cute. His children... would be like this.'

(A/N: It's up to y'all to guess who said who.)

Not knowing the strange thoughts that the two are having, Shiro took out a shining silver card from the [Dimensional Storage].

"Shinji-kun, catch."

"U-uh?!"

Seeing him catch it perfectly, Shiro explained to him:

"That's a time card, one that will bring your future self forward. Use it while in a safe place. You can join back to this fight after."

"...A-alright!"

Shinji disappeared off to somewhere else. Knowing that the fight would begin soon, Shiro gave out full concentration as to what is to come.

"A tit-for-tat."

*****

I saw the military uniformed girl reappear back to her previous place. Tears appeared in this fictional world as it tried to withstand the load that Altair had brought upon it.

I knew it.

She told everyone back then that she could destroy the birdcage, but she would lose the opportunity to garner the collective subconscious' acceptance. At this stage, acceptance is something far more powerful than faith energy. I saw how it allowed us, the creators, to rewrite the known reality of someone.

"Let's do this, everyone."

After sending a glance toward Touka, I used the thrusters to come closer to Altair. With my exceptional speed and upgraded specs, I am far more powerful than when I confronted Madoka's adversaries.

Bloom.

The flowers inside this garden went into full bloom; a surge of power was sent through my core in an instant. Dozens of concepts stacked up and enhanced my already overflowing power.

Click-!

Flames are set ablaze on the blade of my sword. Activating the [Unlimited Mode] once more, I then called forth to my [Armament Convergence].

[Armament Convergence]-!

[Armament Convergence]-!

I could see the other me flaring up as well. A streak of black light decorated his seemingly mundane sword. The sword that I have used to kill innumerable lives. There is also this sword that I used to save lives.

In the next second, I felt our attacks hit Altair—conceptually, that is. Countless weapon intents began corroding the gap that she imposed between her and the blade.

"Shit."

I hastily used [Lord of the Mysteries] on the two of us. Right after doing so, I could see our attacks being deflected toward ourselves. Just as they are about to come closer, they disappeared and flew to the clear blue sky.

Crack-!

A sound of cracking resounded in our place. It seems that the copy of [Avalon] itself isn't fully enough for it. Her [Movements], that is.

What she had just used was her [Fourteenth Movement of Cosmos: Vicissitudes of Fortune]. She used it against Madoka-chan before. It has the power to trace back the "cause" and "effect", thereby sending the "effect" back to the "cause". Simply put, it is the reversal of causality. If she was supposed to be hurt by an attack, her attacker would be hurt after this.

After I informed of this to everyone a few minutes ago, we decided to come up with a plan to defeat her. The surprise attack that we sent moments ago is crucial to it, for the surprise attack allows us to deal a certain "damage" to Altair while she was unaware. She has a cautious side, I admit, but her powers gave her an unmistakable amount of confidence as well.

That's why I am leaving the latter part of this attack to someone else.

Bzzzt-!

Touka swung down her great sword towards Altair. The latter acted as if she had prepared to offset it, but—

Crack-!

—the blade cut down through her defenses like a hot knife into butter. The blade reached up to her shoulder, cutting it off in one clean blow. The anti-concept field cast by Touka surrounded her, preventing her from calling forth any of her powers. Its effect is very similar to Selesia's maneuver from earlier.

Moments later, a figure rose in her shadow. She wore a full-body armor in which darkness oozed out. She held a silver lance—one that is thinner compared to Alicetaria's lance—that possessed the power over life and death conceptually. It glistened upon being hit by the sunlight from this garden.

Swooosh-!

Pssshk-!

It made another hole in Altair's chest. Again. The lance, [Black Abyss White Flower], is a special God Key that prevented the recovery of damages from its attacks. It contained enough strength to one-shot a pseudo-Herscherr in its origin world.

"..!"

Unmistakably, I felt a surge of a wave from Altair. It sent everyone flying, decomposing bits of our weapons into nothingness.

Bam-!

Crack-!

Shatter-!

I stopped myself from being swept by the impact using the built-in thrusters. They possess a conceptual boost in terms of flying, so I daresay that it is more convenient.

Looking up towards the sky, I could see the usual night view. The previous flower field was nothing to be seen.

"Madoka-chan is forced to give up."

I could understand why everyone was disoriented. That attack was simple enough, but the power behind it wasn't. It contained several powers that disabled ours as well as forcibly change the nature of our "powers". Of course, this did not affect our creator roles much since we don't have any story in this world. However...

"That hurts..."

Immediately, I helped Kuroneko to stand up. Her previous jet-black armor was broken and fragmented. Some remained intact, but all of their function was erased. The conceptual boosts that she could get if she wears it and their durability disappeared.

"Here."

I gave one of my SSR potions to her. A brief hesitation flashed in her ruby-like pupils before disappearing. She grasped the potion that I gave to her.

"Thanks."

Seeing her drink it, my worries are lessened.

"I will repla—"

Suddenly, she disappeared under the suction of her shadows. There are no signs before it happened, rendering every bit of power useless.

"Fuck."

Mysteries, Fenrir, and Magus. I tried to find her whereabouts using my everything but nothing worked out.

"Shiro."

I felt a slight touch on my shoulder. When I looked back, I saw Kal'tsit.

"I understand everything. Don't panic. We will return."

What?

Before I could even voice out my doubts, a cocoon made out of light enclosed her inside before disappearing.

What?

What?

What?

...

I don't know. What... did just happen? I blankly stared at my palm. For some unknown reason, two of my comrades disappeared without any prior signs. I'm feeling more confounded than anything else.

Pushing these worried thoughts behind me, I refocused back on the battlefield.

"She said that they would return. Who knows, they could be on a power trip while they are gone."

For now, this troublesome girl is my business.