(2025 Edit) Technomancer: A Magical Girl's Sidekick [Post-Apocalyptic][Mecha][Magical Girls]

Celestial Sonata floated above us with her bow drawn, facing away. Her pink and blue dress swirled in the wind, and her hair flowed like a river. She was the very definition of an SS-Rank Magical Girl. Powerful, graceful, and confident.

She grinned, before disappearing in a flash of golden light, only to reappear on the opposite side of the street. She fired off a flurry of arrows, each one hitting a chaos beast and exploding with a bright flash of light.

The monsters shrieked and roared in pain, their bodies writhing and contorting. Celestial Sonata smirked, and her eyes flashed as she unleashed another salvo of arrows. More Magical Girls rejoined the fray, screaming as they chased after the dragon.

But the dragon wasn't giving up. Its roar shook the ground beneath our feet, and its wings flapped wildly as it tried to stay aloft.

"Get back!" a girl in a glass dress cried, and a wave of blue energy washed over the dragon, knocking it back and stunning it.

"That's enough of that!" another girl in a brown tunic shouted, and she slammed the butt of her spear into the ground, causing the earth to shake and the dragon to stagger.

The dragon roared, taking to the skies as the girls including Celestial Sonata pursued.

I breathed, taking in the battlefield around me. Soldiers scrambled, taking the chance to get their wounded to cover.

I felt my adrenaline dump as I caught my breath against the wall, taking in the situation.

"Rai-chan, how's the situation outside?" I asked, looking around.

"The Northern Coalition's mechanized companies are making a dent in the hordes, and they're currently holding a defensive perimeter around the shelter," Rai-chan replied. "It's not an ideal situation, but it's better than nothing. It's a mess and they're losing ground even with the Magical Girls in the area helping out. There's too many of them and one of the platoons without MG assistance was overrun. That was the group that broke through the barricades and attacked us."

"Where exactly did the mechs fall? Can we see them from here?" I asked.

"Not too far from us, no. They landed about two blocks away. There's a civilian convoy escorted by jeeps and other vehicles approaching the shelter," Rai-chan said. "The survivors have disengaged and are taking a long way around, but there's a lot of chaos beasts between them and the shelter. They're buying time for the civilians."

"And the situation inside the shelter?"

"Not good," Rai-chan said grimly. "There are dozens of wounded and the medics are overwhelmed. They're running low on supplies and they're running out of options."

"I see," I muttered.

Midori breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at me. She was worried. We both were.

Then, she glared at the soldier who'd held us up earlier. "Protocol before reason, huh?" she snapped.

The soldier flinched and nodded sheepishly.

"Sorry, ma'am," he muttered. "I was just-"

"Never mind," Midori interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Forget it."

She turned to me, and she gave me a meaningful look.

"We have to go, Ikki," she said quietly.

"Civilian convoy! Civilian convoy approaching! All soldiers, prepare to provide support!" a voice shouted over the intercom.

We looked at each other, and I knew that she was right. We couldn't stay here. The situation was getting worse, and we had to move.

I looked up and saw a long line of trucks and jeeps approaching, with humanoid figures perched prone on top and hanging off the sides firing their weapons. They were moving in a tight formation, and their vehicles were armored. I recognized the Draupnir drones that were covering the convoy, magnetized and riding on the top of the vehicles.

"Those are Coalition troops," a soldier shouted. "Let them through! Let them through! Get our wounded on board!"

The line of vehicles rumbled past, and I could see the fear and exhaustion on their faces. The soldiers on the convoy were tired, and their uniforms were dirty and stained with blood. But they were alive, and that was what mattered.

The dragon roared, and a massive shadow flew overhead.

I glanced up and saw the dragon circling around and preparing for another attack run. Its wings were spread wide, and its eyes were glowing with a sickly red light. Its scales were a deep, dark crimson, and its claws were like razors. It was a creature of pure, unadulterated destruction, and it was heading straight for the convoy.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.

"What the hell are you waiting for?! Fire!" the soldier shouted.

The gunnery teams opened fire, and the air was filled with the sound of machine gun fire and rocket launchers. But it was like throwing pebbles at a mountain. The dragon barely flinched as it flew closer and closer, its mouth opening and balefire filling its maw.

Suddenly, Celestial Sonata shot forward, flying directly into the dragon's path. It shot a ball of red hellfire from its mouth, but the SS-Rank Magical Girl nimbly flew back and snapped her fingers, sending a burst of magical energy into the sky.

The ball of balefire exploded in front of it, and the dragon roared in pain. She followed up immediately, drawing her bow and firing a dozen arrows in rapid succession. It barely flinched as the arrows struck its body, and it dove towards her, its claws extended.

She was forced to dodge, and she flew away, her golden aura flaring and her bow blazing with magic. She fired another salvo, and the dragon's tail slammed into the side of the shelter, causing the entire structure to shake and tremble.

"Haha! That's one!" Celestial Sonata shouted with a grin.. "Who wants a second serving, hm?"

I narrowed my eyes.

There was... something about the way she said it. And her flight patterns.

She looked...

"Rai-chan?"

"What's up, Ikki?"

"Zoom in. Slow things down for me."

"You want a slow-mo playback of the fight, or...?"

"No, I just want you to analyze her movements. Something feels off. She's trying too hard."

"Hmm, now that you mention it, her flight pattern is slightly erratic, and her bow draws are a little too stiff. She's also taking longer to recover between attacks than usual, which could indicate internal injuries. Let's take a look."

The battle was fast-paced and fluid, and it was like watching a ballet. Rai-chan's HUD captured the battle in real-time on a zoom-in, but as she turned into a blur, I had her slow it down and show me the footage in real-time.

It was a cat and mouse game, and Celestial Sonata was on the run. She flew up and around, and the dragon chased after her, its jaws snapping and its claws slashing.

And then, I saw it.

The soldiers cheered, none the wiser, but I could see it. I could see it all.

The bravado. The posturing.

It was all gone.

In its place, I saw a face of terror, fear, and uncertainty. There was a desperation in her eyes, and she was putting everything she had into staying alive.

I had seen this before.

It was the look of someone who was fighting for their life, and it was a look I knew all too well.

"She's panicking," I spoke absentmindedly. "She's in over her head."

"You noticed too, huh?" Midori said walking next to me. "Say. Have you been working with her at all?"

I shook my head. "No, why would I?"

"Well, I happen to know you were piloting the Draupnir during the Chaos Event a few weeks ago," Midori whispered. "Spencer wound up letting it slip that you saved her damned life and helped her out a bunch that day."

I stared in surprise.

Midori was seriously even better connected than I thought.

I shrugged. "I mean, that was one incident. And well, between you and me I was nearby when she was blowing up the Evergreen Foundation. But that was all."

She stared at me for a long moment, and then she nodded.

"Sometimes, I wonder if fate has a sense of humor," she muttered.

I had no idea what she was talking about, but before I could ask, a loud explosion shook the shelter, and the entire structure trembled and shook.

"What the hell was that?!" a soldier shouted.

"We're under attack!" a voice roared over the intercom. "Swarm of Tlanuwa and Papahuehuets! They're coming in fast!"

Midori's eyes widened, and she grabbed me by the arm.

"We have to get out of here, Ikki," she said urgently. "Now."

"Right," I said, nodding, looking at the civilian convoy. "We can join that-"

A screech tore through the air, and a winged serpent-like monster with razor-sharp talons and a mouth with lamprey teeth appeared above us.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Tlanuwa," Midori hissed. "Only a Baron-class chaos beast beast but still plenty dangerous."

It screeched again, and it swooped towards the shelter, its talons extended and its eyes glowing with a malevolent blue light. A larger flying monster appeared behind it, looking like a small blimp. It was a round, bulbous shape, and it had a beak and tentacles. Rai-chan's HUD identified it immediately as a Papahuehuet, a Viscount-class beast.

"Get down!" Midori shouted, pushing me to the ground.

The Tlanuwa shrieked and flew over us, its talons slashing the air. A tentacle whipped out from the blimp-like Papahuehuet and wrapped around a soldier's neck, dragging him into the sky. The Tlanuwa flew past, and it snatched another soldier, carrying him up into the air.

"Fire! Fire!" the soldier screamed.

A glowing orb of energy appeared in the Papahuehuet's mouth, and it unleashed a blast of energy that exploded against the shelter, exploding against its shields. The entire structure trembled, and the soldiers fell to their knees.

"They're attacking the convoy! Take cover!" a voice roared.

"Rai-chan, give me an analysis," I muttered.

"Papahuehuet are capable of summoning a swarm of Tlanuwa to their aid. They're also capable of projecting energy beams made of pure chaos energy from their mouths. As a Viscount-class, they're extremely powerful and dangerous, but their size makes them easier targets."

"Tlanuwas are smaller and faster, but their main attack is their talons and they're incapable of ranged attacks. Their screech is capable of paralyzing the average human in close range. Be cautious and don't let them get close. They can easily rip apart an adult human apart with their talons in one go."

The evacuation convoy had moved to block and shield the barricades in a desperate attempt to keep the monsters out, but the chaos beasts weren't deterred. The Draupnir drones were firing their weapons, and the soldiers were doing their best to defend themselves, but I could tell there were still more incoming.

Midori grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet. The sound of war planes roared overhead, and I looked up to see a massive beacon of light in the clouds.

"Woah..." I muttered.

Despite the terrifying situation, I couldn't help but be in awe.

It was the largest aircraft I'd ever seen. I couldn't tell exactly how big it was, but it dwarfed any passenger plane I'd ever seen. It looked more like a star ship straight out of a sci-fi movie than anything else.

"The NCS Dauntless," Midori muttered. "They've finally arrived."

"The Dauntless?!" I asked.

I'd heard rumors back on the other side of the portal, and basic concept drawings had made their way onto the internet. But seeing it in person was something else.

"The pride of the Northern Coalition," Midori replied. "A floating fortress with an entire fleet of fighters, bombers, and the ability to quickly deploy light mechs and Magitech Soldiers. The most elite of the elite of Northern Coalition's special operations units serve aboard the Dauntless, and it's the most powerful conventional weapon we have."

The two of us shared a silent look, before Midori grabbed me by the shirt.

"I'm getting us to that convoy. It's our only chance of survival," she said.

I swallowed, staring at the screeching chaos beasts flying above us.

"Right. Let's go."

We sprinted towards the barricade, and we were met with a sea of determined faces. Soldiers fired their weapons, and the Draupnir drones whirled and spun, their magnetic cores active and their weapons blazing.

"Lieutenant! I've got a non-combatant with me. We need a route to the civilian convoy," Midori said, approaching a man with his rifle perched over a concrete barrier.

"Miss, no civilians allowed outside the barricade. The situation is too dire," the lieutenant replied without taking his eyes off his sights.

"Oh for — I'm a combatant!" Midori insisted. "I have a freaking Heirloom Relic on me, and I'm armed."

"You're a civilian-"

"Look, I don't have time to explain, and you don't have time to argue. Take it up with the Captain. I have already invoked Protocol Nocturne Veil and have been granted authority over all personnel here," Midori interrupted.

Protocol Nocturne?

"P-Protocol Nocturne Veil?! That's- you're a..."

"You heard me," Midori snapped. "Now get us a way out of here, or so help me, I'll find one myself."

The lieutenant's jaw tightened, and he looked between the two of us. Then, he sighed and shook his head.

"Fine. Go. Get out of here. But you better not get yourself killed," he muttered. "The last thing I need is paperwork over someone of your rank."

"I'll try my best," Midori said with a smirk. "You ready, Ikki?"

"As I'll ever be."

We ducked under the barricade, and a dozen soldiers covered our backs. The chaos beasts screeched and attacked, and the sounds of battle filled the air.

We didn't stop. The trucks were parked in tactical positions, and the convoy was moving at a steady pace.

"Get those vehicles in gear and let's go!" a voice roared.

"Hold on!" Midori shouted.

But before we could reach the safety of the convoy, a massive explosion shook the ground beneath us, and a shockwave of heat and fire washed over us. The shelter behind us shimmered and trembled.

"Crap!"

"Ikki!"

My eyes burned, and I felt the heat searing my skin. I stumbled and fell to my knees, and I could see Midori struggling to stand as well.

The sky was filled with smoke and fire, and the screams of the wounded and dying echoed in the distance.

We had to move. We had to move now.

The sound of snarling and hissing reached my ears, and a shadow fell over us. I looked up and saw a hulking figure, its body wreathed in flame. Its eyes glowed with a sickly blue light, and its hands were clenched into fists.

"Juggernaut!" Midori shouted. "Get back!"

She drew her sword, and a wave of cold air blasted outward. She stood between me and the monster, her blade gleaming and her face set.

The monster was easily fifteen feet tall, and it towered over her. Its entire body was scarred and burned, and its arms were massive and muscular. The shredded remains of a soldier's uniform hung off its body, and its eyes glowed with a malevolent hunger. The worst part was its mutated flesh. Its skin was blackened and charred, and its hands were twisted and gnarled.

It roared, and it charged, its fists blazing with fire.

I gulped, scrambling back and grabbing on to some rubble. My father's men and I had the misfortune of running into one of these things once.

And it was not a memory I liked to recall.

They weren't that quick on the feet as far as Aberrations were concerned, but they could take a hell of a lot of punishment. They could also strike quickly and unpredictably, and they were extremely dangerous. Juggernauts were practically the most dangerous Marquis-class Aberrations people on the Earth side of the portal would encounter.

And it was coming right at the head of the convoy.

The Juggernaut stepped forward, and its fist slammed into the ground where Midori was standing in a lightning-fast motion. A crater formed beneath it, and the air cracked and split.

"Oh, this is going to be a pain in the ass," Midori muttered, rolling her eyes as she gracefully landed next to me. "These things always are."

The Juggernaut lunged, and its fist flew towards her. She nimbly stepped to the side and slashed, her blade cutting deep into its wrist. It roared and swung its other hand, but she was too fast. She ducked and rolled, her movements fluid and graceful.

Her sword was a blur, and it sliced and cut, its movements almost invisible to the naked eye..

She dodged its follow-up swing and slashed at its legs. It roared and stumbled, and she leapt, somersaulting and landing on its back.

Her sword blazed with power, and she stabbed down, burying her blade in its spine. It roared, and she jumped, but it somehow managed to catch her ankle in its grip.

"Dammi—"

It flung her to the ground, and she hit the concrete with a grunt a good twenty feet behind me with a flash of green energy. She groaned in pain and tried to climb to her feet, but the Juggernaut was already advancing on the convoy, its hands outstretched and its eyes glowing with hate. The Draupnir perched on top fired at it desperately, causing it to look up and tilt its head. Then, it unceremoniously backhanded him, sending him flying off the roof and into a pile of debris.

It made a motion to pick up the truck in front, and I did the only thing I could.

I picked up the chunk of concrete and threw it with all my might. It collided with the side of the monster's head with an anti-climactic thud..

...

It paused, looking down at the chunk and then at me.

For a brief moment, it looked stunned, and it blinked, like the brazen action had completely caught it off guard.

The Juggernaut paused and turned to me, its eyes narrowing.

"Ikki..." Rai-chan's voice crackled. "I swear you have the survival instincts of a suicidal lemming sometimes."

"Yeah I think... I'm gonna need that perception tuning thingie you can do. Like, right now."

"Well, since you asked so nicely..."

Rai-chan's HUD changed, and the Juggernaut seemed to move slower. Maybe by half a second, but I was glad for the edge.

The monster snarled and started towards me, its fists clenched and its eyes burning with fury. I scrambled backwards, trying to put some distance between us, but I knew it was pointless. It would catch up to me in a couple of seconds.

"Midori! Come on!"

She groaned, struggling to her feet and looking around in a daze. I swore as Rai-chan zoomed in on a compound fracture on her arm. One of her eyes had also swollen shut instantly.

"Shit."

In for a penny, in for a pound.

It roared and charged, and I was barely able to dodge its massive fist as it slammed into the ground next to me.

I needed to lead it away from the convoy.

If it got its hands on the people in there... there wouldn't even be a convoy for me to escape on.

The Juggernaut swung its other hand, and I was forced to duck and roll, its fist missing my head by inches.

"Ikki, don't!" Midori shouted, stumbling as she tried to run towards me. "That's a Marquis-class! You can't-"

I turned to run, but the Juggernaut grabbed my arm and flung me to the ground. I hit the pavement hard, and my vision went blurry for a moment.

The Juggernaut loomed over me, and I could see its fist rearing back, ready to crush me into a bloody pulp. I was too disoriented to move, and kicked with everything I had, trying to move into it, hoping that it would miss.

Then, a bright, pink light filled the sky, and a massive explosion rocked the ground. The Juggernaut was forward, and a wave of hot air blasted over me, knocking the wind out of my lungs.

It staggered and looked up, and I could see a flash of confusion in its eyes.

I looked up and saw a woman hovering in the sky above me bow drawn at the monster's back, her body wreathed in a golden aura.

She was still a good distance away, with multiple points of light engaging the dragon, but even I could see her from where I was. Her presence was overwhelming, and the pressure from her aura was staggering.

But with Rai-chan's enhancement, I could see her face clearly.

I didn't understand why, but her face was pale. Her body was trembling, and her bow was shaking in her hands. It was like she'd heard Midori from all the way over there.

Then, her eyes twisted in fury as they landed on Midori, and her bow crackled with power as she leveled it at the monster again. Completely oblivious to the massive chaos beast that'd just broken away from her companions and was diving straight towards her.

The dragon had circled around and was flying towards her from behind. Its jaws were wide open, and its teeth gleamed in the sunlight.

I scrambled to my feet, trying to get her attention. She had no idea it was coming. I had no idea if she could hear me from so far away, but I had to chance it.

"Above you! Look up!"

She glanced at me, and her eyes widened.

Her bow drew, and she fired an arrow straight at the dragon's chest, blasting it backwards. But it was too late.

The dragon's jaws clamped down on her arm, and her bow shattered, its magic exploding outward in a brilliant burst of light.

She screamed in agony, and she was dragged down to the ground, struggling and thrashing against the massive creature's grip.

I could only look up helplessly as the Juggernaut recovered from the surprise attack and raised its fist again, ready to smash me into a pulp.

...

The Juggernaut's fist came down.

And stopped.

It wasn't blocked. It wasn't deflected. It just froze, knuckles trembling inches above me, as if reality itself had told it no.

And then—

A chime.

Not the roar of guns. Not the shriek of Chaos Beasts. A delicate, crystalline chime, like porcelain teacups clinking together. It rang once, twice, three times, and the air seemed to thrum with a weight that was neither magic nor technology, but something older. Something absolute.

The battlefield went silent for a beat. Soldiers stared. Midori, bloodied and barely standing, looked like she'd forgotten how to breathe.

I blinked through the haze and saw her.

Descending from the smoke was a young woman unlike any I'd ever seen. She was very obviously a Magical Girl, burning with a blazing golden aura similar to Celestial Sonata's, but with an orange hue that reminded me of the sun.

Tall, radiant, her crimson hair flowing like fire through the wind. A silver satchel gleamed at her side, etched with knotwork that shimmered like it it was crafted by a goddess.

Her outfit wasn't like the others'. No ribbons or frills, no youthful flash. This was something older, heavier, steeped in a history I could put my finger to.

She wore a white and green dress cut like ceremonial armor, its skirt edged with embroidered Celtic knots that shimmered faintly with silver light. Over it hung a mantle clasped with a triskele brooch, its fabric trailing behind her like a banner. Her arms were braced with silver vambraces etched in spirals, her boots plated and lined with knotwork, and a circlet rested on her brow.

A single slip of golden light was in her hand, the source of the ringing sound.

At her hip hung a small silver bag. Its surface was etched in shifting knotwork.

She didn't look at me. She didn't look at Midori. Her eyes took in the street, the convoy, the Juggernaut's raised fist, the swarm overhead seemingly frozen in place.

Her voice cut clean through the noise.

"By sovereign rite and silver seal, I still the storm. The sky, the earth, the sea - all know my vow, and all bear witness. Beneath the light of radiance, even calamity kneels."

She lifted her free hand.

"First Proclamation: No Aberrations may move within three hundred feet."

Then, she unlatched the silver satchel by her hip, and a second mote floated next to the first.

"Second Proclamation: All Aberrations, defined by Babylon's classification system as Viscount-class or below within five hundred feet - are now reduced to ash."