I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

Elizabeth was feeling the beginning of a headache come her way. “Again, what is magic?” All because of that simple question. It had started all so simple, her…Grandmother had been helpful. She had told her the story about her Mother at her lowest point and how she helped her. She even had pictures where her Mother was a scrawny haunted woman who only glared at the camera.

The resemblance was uncanny, but then again she was her Mother, so it was to be expected.

“Magic is bringing an effect by the use of a magical formula-” Elizabeth knew of course that this wasn’t the answer the old crone wanted.

“WRONG!” But that was what magic was to her, she had tried to give the answer she wanted, the answer that was obviously wrong. But the [Witch] knew when she didn’t mean something.

“Next, stalker. Same question.” And after she failed, she would in turn look for the opinion of the people around her. Rossie was at the side sitting while molding mana into complex magic circles, all the while the crone was swatting them up away and making her restart from the beginning.

“It is how we bring effects upon reality by the use of [Mana],” Rossie said while her eyes remained closed and she continued to try and surpass the attempts from the crone.

Rossie was getting better, she was the only one that could keep a magic circle intact…when Elizabeth wasn’t funneling all her might using the [Heart] at least.

“...Still wrong, because that isn’t what you really think.” But the [Witch] still wouldn’t give Rossie a passing grade, “Next…the Maid that is trying to sneak the answer to my useless granddaughter. What is Magic?”

As she said those words Aura was pulled from the shadows, she did not pull herself, but some [Force] pulled her away from the [Shadow Haven] and straight into her backyard. The maid didn’t seem that surprised and fixed her posture, “I do not use [Magic] Lady Fortuna, so I wouldn’t know what [Magic] is.”

What?

“...Tch.” The crone clicked her tongue in annoyance, “Correct, I wanted to use you as an example for my useless granddaughter but you are smarter than I gave you credit, what do you say? Want to move away from being a Revenant into a Human?”

What?

“I appreciate the offer, but I will wait for my [Mistress],” Aura said as he teleported away.

Elizabeth hadn’t paid much attention to Aura lately, but…that was true. The purple-haired girl was using less and less magic nowadays, going mostly by direct [Space Manipulation], was that…no wait. Wasn’t that the same that Elizabeth did?

“Lastly…Main wife material, what is Magic?” Her grandmother said turning to…Rena?

Elizabeth had turned to look at Rossie, and her girlfriend only arched her eyebrow in annoyance and opened her eyes to look at Rena, the red-haired girl was flustered. So far her grandmother hadn’t paid any attention to Rena while she sat near them. This had been going on for almost a week now.

Daily training in the backyard followed by lunch, more training, playing around in the park, maybe the pool, and then a night of sleep in her bedroom. Her parent’s bedroom was currently being used by her Grandmother…

“I…don’t use magic either…” Rena answered in a small voice.

“Unlike the Revenant you must answer, she knew the right answer and gave it away. I expect the same from you.” Her grandmother said with narrowed eyes and a smile on her face.

“...Magic is…how we bridge our wishes upon reality?” Was the answer Rena gave, blessed be her soul. It was such an innocent answer, she did not speak about the spell nodes, nor about the construction of an array. Nor about the spell formulas nor mana manipulation.

An answer that you could get from any little girl who saw too many Magical Girl’s TV shows.

“Correct.” WHAT?!?!? “See Elizabeth, this is why we always pick the wife using our brain and not our lower mouth. This one thinks unlike your stalker over there.”

RUDE! Rossie also used her brain!

Mostly to ideate ways to harass her and tempt her into doing LOOD things! But she used her brain!

No wait, she also liked to commit perfect crimes! See! She was smart!

…………

“That is correct, what my useless student and her extra useless daughter do is not magic. But [Magic]...God I hate the aftertaste that leaves in the mouth, how can you use it as if it’s nothing? I can feel the thing trying to drain at my Authority.” Her grandmother said as she shuddered and then summoned her mana to flush something within her body away. “What you use is the child’s toy. Something made to make stupid students feel how Mana moves, it is meant to be a way to work towards true Magic. And yet you wield it as if it’s the only way…”

But…it worked?

“Of course, it can work. Just as how your Heroes wield the skills ingrained in their souls and ‘level them up’, as if this was a game.” The Witch said with a mocking smile, “Not that you do the same, do you Elizabeth?”

Of course….not, she liked to free-wield her shadows, and using skills was something she only did for the more complex applications of her power…Like her….oh…she didn’t use her [Skill] that way, but she used her [Magic] that way, right?

No, she only used the mana elemental types that way…No wait, but she liked to use the blueprints that Alexanders left? How many spells had she made from scratch?

She used the [Spell Nodes], but…..Did that count?

“I don’t use skills for my [Shadows], but for magic, I only use the [Spell Nodes]....” Elizabeth said while thinking back on her [Spell Nodes], most had been pre-made by Alexanders, and they were works of art. No mana was wasted.

“So, if you don’t use those stupid game-like Skills, with your Power. Why do you use them for your magic?” Her grandmother said turning to her, her presence growing as the mana within the old woman moved.

Why?

“Because…the [Spell Nodes] are well made?” Elizabeth said as she tried to think back on that, had she ever used magic without those things?

Maybe once? When she fixed the teleportation circle at the Teleportation Station? And that was it? She had barely used magic, mostly using her [Shadows] to deal with her problems as they came, since her [Shadows] were more useful and her magic was…more….rigid.

“Oh…I’m a dumbass.” Elizabeth said as the realization hit her, her magic was stiff because she was using premade blocks to construct her spells, and her magic ceiling was limited by what she had to work with. Granted she could do great things, but…all that she did.

“Yes useless granddaughter, you are indeed as smart as your appearance implies.” Her grandmother stuck with using her appearance as a bimbo. It was super effective!

“So tell me, why does it matter? Can two of your [Magical Girls] cast the same spell using the same amount of mana in the same circumstances?” Her Grandmother said as she shuddered when the [Idea] flew out of her mouth. What was her problem?

“Most of the time yes, unless one of them has an [Affinity] or how Elizabeth’s power said [Origin] related with the spell in question. In which case one will have an easier time.” Rossie answered as she opened her eyes and walked to her side, grabbing her hand and sitting on her side while placing her head atop her shoulder.

“Correct stalker. See, you can do it when you aren’t trying to stick your head under my granddaughter's panties.” The foul-mouthed witch said with a smirk, “What Elizabeth correctly identified as Origin is what we call, signature magic. What represents the call of our soul.”

The what now?

“For example, the stalker and my useless student Catherine had a signature magic similar, since both had been altered by deities. So their Signature Magic got twisted into Healing.” The crone said as she made a projection of an orb with pink light surrounding it. “This is what a Soul with a Signature Magic attuned to Heal looks. A proper mage or witch will meditate upon their soul trying to understand themselves and pull the true Magic into the real world.”

The projection then showed a miniatured Rossie appear and sit upon the sphere, the adorable little thing sat upon the sphere and slowly sank into it. As it sank deeper and deeper its appearance started changing, first her hair started shining in pink color and slowly her clothes shifted, instead of turning to the magical girl outfit she used, it turned into a robe with pink accents.

“And when she manages to descend upon the middle her true Signature Magic would manifest, usually the healers get either a Resurrection spell or a Heal spell. Catherine had a Mind Heal and Soul Soothe spell. That is why the girl managed to survive that long.” The witch smiled sadly at that, “Not that she settled for that, the stupid girl turned them into a passive spell and used her new sturdy soul to butcher it into something…Else.”

“So this also works for us? We learned to use the [Soulscape] to build our spells, and then using that as a medium we can store and use them in daily life.” Elizabeth said, as far as she was aware the method her grandmother had shown them…wasn’t how their magic worked. She got the feeling that the place she had been shown was similar to the deepest parts of her [Soulscape], the place she had visited when meeting with [Shadow Weaver], before that girl got sent towards Alice at least.

“Yes, well, the soul is somewhat the same. True Magic is the same everywhere, you grab a bunch of mana, and you pour your intent into it. And then you tell Reality to shove its opinion where the sun doesn’t shine and to give you what you want.” The crone…was really foul-mouthed, was this the reason her Mother had so many…loose screws?

“But our [Magic] is founded upon a different ruleset. We build our spells within our [Soulscape], we prepare the [Spell Nodes], and then fueling the mana we execute the [Magic Formulas] to call upon reality. The process is inherently different.” Rossie said at the side.

But Elizabeth was wondering more about another thing. “What about our [Origins], if what you say is true. What kind of form would my [Signature Magic] take? My [Origin] is-”

“Aaand Silence, nope, not hearing it. I do not want to be tied to this world. I am just babysitting the house.” Elizabeth couldn’t speak, even trying to form the words with shadows somehow didn’t work. “I don’t mind hearing stalker or wife material’s Origin. But your Elizabeth? Nope. Last time I heard one of your ilk’s Origin I got stuck with a stupid disciple. Your family has this weird way of messing things around.”

First of all. Rude.

Second of all. RUDE!

Third and to make extra sure her opinion was heard, [RUDE]!

“Now now, as for what form your Signature Magic will take? I don’t know, probably something with creepy shadows or maybe a Necromancer? You seem to have a thing for making Revenants. Or if you focus on your Echoes problem then maybe a Spirit Mage?” The crone started mumbling, “If you tweak the base a little maybe a Tamer? I mean as far as I can tell your future was set either in a Necromancer or a Tamer.”

“ “ Elizabeth couldn’t speak, but she didn’t mind letting all her thoughts about it show.

“Fineeeee, but if you utter a single syllable of your Origin I am making sure your next harem member is a man.” And on that note, the crone dispelled the magic. “And yes, that would mean that you would have to deal with a man sticking his dick into your girlfriends in your little orgies.”

….She was starting to hate this woman.

“What is your [Origin] then, maybe I can use that as a way to understand this,” Elizabeth grumbled, she didn’t mind having a boyfriend…well, if the right man showed up at least. But she was not sharing Rossie or Rena with him. Rossie had admitted to being a straight-up lesbian, and Rena seemed to be more inclined to girls than boys… She would not force a man upon either girl.

“You really are a bimbo huh.” The crone said facepalming, “How did I introduce myself?”

“Stelliana Fortuna, The Witch of Lucky Encounters and Miracles?” Elizabeth said, doing some memory of the first day this old crone came into her life. “So what? Your [Origin] is in [Miracles] and [Lucky Encounters]?”

The old witch smiled at her, “Exactly, my signature magic is settled upon Luck. Both for myself and those near me. Your mother was lucky to find me when she did, I was lucky enough to see her potential. And you…” The crone eyed her, “...are lucky to have me as a grandmother. If not your talent for magic would be wasted.”

Elizabeth…did not feel particularly lucky…well, looking at her girlfriend, she was lucky enough to have Rossie in her life. If not she would probably have ended up either dead or crippled, considering the first time that she used a [Skill] she almost died.

“So if I focus on my [Origin] and synch with its theme I should be able to wield my magic better?” Elizabeth was still unsure of that, she had been using magic in a very specific way, changing now…

“Yes, but Signature Magic has its own way of confusing us. Your mother when she butchered her soul to change it into The Space Traveling Magical Girl at first thought her new Magic would allow her to pierce the walls of space to return home. When in reality what it allowed her was to see the Hyperwave tunnels that join the worlds. It made it so that she could walk between worlds. But she still needed to explore them searching her way home.” Her grandmother shook her head while recounting that, “If she had told me what she was doing I could have given her the correct mindset, but alas. Can’t fix a bimbo no matter how much you try…”

…Could a woman be a misogynist? She had the impression that her grandmother may be one.

“Either way, are you sure I can’t have those Echoes?” Her grandmother once more brought that to the discussion.

“No, they are part of me. I want to see if they have parts of Chloe on them. If possible I want to return her to this world…Her life was too sad to end like that.” Elizabeth said shaking her head. She had hopes, maybe Alice had some of it?

[Elemental Weaver] ought to have only some remaining parts of former Elizabeth, so while not particularly useful, at least she could make sure she was still the same if not, closer to the original one with that.

“Fine, but you ought to go quick after them.” The old crone said while smirking her way, she always said the same after asking her for the old [Shift]s.

“Why? You told us that the [Echoes] are reflections of other [Lifes] we had, like Alice being a reflection of the life I would had if Mother hadn’t come to this world and Papa married [Echidna].” Elizabeth found the idea of that weird, granted [Shadow Weaver] had said the same, so Elizabeth didn’t find that idea as weird as before. But then what about [Elemental Weaver]?

What [Echo] was she.

“Yeah, this world has plenty of them roaming around as if nothing. If it wasn’t because of Fate trying to make me help you more than was needed I may stay around.” And that was another thing, it seemed her grandmother somehow was able to prevent herself from being affected by this world [Law].

Elizabeth had tried using [Identify] on her, but the skill returned…less than nothing, it gave her a headache and mana deprivation when the thing had tried to patch the information, the blue screen that she found after waking up had….Nothing.

Stelliana Fortuna was not under the [System]’s sight. Even rocks showed into her [Identify] spell nor [Skill]. No matter how much she tried, not even waking up her [Heart] or using any of her new skills seemed to work.

“Fine, if you tell me why you want my [Echos]....” Elizabeth tried this approach next, she wanted to know what was so interesting about her former [Shift]s.

And like always the old crone just smiled and said nothing, only difference? This time she pointed with her finger behind Elizabeth.

“Mistress? I’m sorry to disturb you, but you may want to see this.” There Aura stood with a newspaper, the international section to be precise.

“What, they finally announce Akira’s death?” Elizabeth said as she started reading, “No? [The Shadow Tide] a new villain that is using his no longer tainted skills to…act like a [Tainted]? Are they dumb?”

Elizabeth read the article, it seemed that Germania was having a trouble with shadow users being kidnapped by another shadow user, they had dispatched magical girls and heroes from other countries, including some members of the [Nine Stars]. But Elizabeth didn’t find anything interesting in that. If anything, it just meant that the [Nine Stars] were working as intended.

Papa did the same things when a Villain got too much out of control, dispatching a member of the [Twelve] with some local forces so they get some experience from seeing how the big boys worked.

Everyone wins.

“No Mistress, look at the picture. Here.” Aura said as she used her…not magic, to enhance the image and project it upon the wall. There she could see some magical girls fighting against a blob of shadows, and at the back…”....is that?”

She could see an armored girl wielding a pair of daggers standing protectively near a blonde magical girl who was dressed in a light blue magical girl outfit.

“Eli-Eli? You didn’t tell me you had sent [Doppelgangers] to Germania.” Rossie said at the side looking at the picture.

“I didn’t…Beatrice! Nyx!” Elizabeth summoned her two most important minions.

“[Mistress]” The first to answer was Nyx who showed itself in its adorable form.

“Mistress. Mother…Granny.” Next Beato came, quickly hiding behind Rossie. The old crone for some reason also wanted to kidnap Beato…or well, buy her. She had even offered Rossie her blessing and a healthy firstborn. As in an actual daughter made using not mana but blood from Elizabeth. How would that work? The hell if she knew. But Rossie refused the offer thank the gods.

“Do I have a rogue Minion? Did anyone take one of my [Doppelgangers] for a joy ride? I know I offered them if any minion had developed sapience…But they should tell me first if they took the offer!” Elizabeth said pointing at the two girls in the picture.

“[No minion has taken the offer for a body. Most are quite happy with their current forms.]” Nyx answered first, then pointing at Aura “[Aura is an exception of course, but her body has transcended the limits of a Doppelganger body already.]”

“All the minions are accounted for, no one is missing nor has any been spawned outside your area of control Mistress, whoever those are. They are not [Shadow Minions].” Beatrice said after.

“...You.” Elizabeth said turning to the crone who looked like the cat who got caught, “You knew they were roaming?”

“I did tell you two weeks ago to hurry up.” The witch said nonchantally. “I mean, it is more your fault for not noticing the drain on your mana, they must have been draining it for weeks now.”

Her mana had been drained? She didn’t feel a thing!

“Having so much mana is a problem, isn’t it? As far as I can tell, you have been losing around….enough mana to power a small building…or two small buildings. But that thing in your chest not only makes your boobs bigger, but keeps the upkeep.” The crone smirked at her, “Really, you wouldn’t even notice it if I took them, why do you even want them? Chances are they will probably separate into their own selves in a month or so.”

THEY WHAT?!?

“I mean, unless-” The crone started saying and then suddenly stopped midway, a frown on her face, and before Elizabeth could react or even process, the Crone was in front of her with a hand stuck inside her chest. “-tch, stupid girl.”

She said as the world turned gray, Rossie’s face had morphed into a vicious snarl and Rena was already unsheathing her sword. Nyx had started morphing into his big form, Aura was on the side and the whole space behind her was cracking, as the girl was pulling things from space far away and turning those things into kinetic missiles.

And beato? Her adorable Beatrice. She was shining in azure light as her Valkyrie armor was materializing.

“No, why would you. Didn’t I give that stupid butler the information about what would happen?” All the while the crone was searching for something within Elizabeth’s chest. “Ugh, this is why….FINE!”

Elizabeth was…shocked, she should summon her shadows, she should use her [Shift], she should…she should….what?

“Oh come on, what? That is no way to speak to…She will be fine, her body is not even human! “ The witch seemed to be speaking with someone, who? “Okay okay, yes I will… DON’T YOU DARE!”

Elizabeth started feeling the beginning of some [Prana] form around her, a voice speaking into her mind “[Everything will be fine Eli-Eli, Mama is here.]”

“I WILL MAKE SURE TO TIE YOUR STUPID ASS INTO A PHANTEON CATHERINE!” The crone seemed to be very angry at the moment, “FINE!”

And with one last pull the witch removed her hand from within her chest, no wound was left in her. “Ugh, stupid Catherine and her stupid Motherly instincts…why can’t she…” The crone mumbled as she snapped her fingers and the Mana that had been started forming dissipated, but somehow…Somehow Elizabeth was sure that she had seen the face of her Mother sticking her tongue out to the old crone.

“And now the stalker, the wife material, the pooch, and even the baby are glaring at me. AT ME!” The crone said as she threw her hat into the ground and started stepping on it. “ Here is my last lesson Elizabeth Starbright.”

The hat that had been stepped on disappeared in a flare of mana and reappeared atop the witch as if nothing. “First, what you think of Magic is wrong, that is mere mana manipulation, you are building programs, you are making toys that any monkey with enough patience could use. You need to start molding your mana into what you wish. Not using the stupid language made by rocks. Granted it is good to make reality bend over and all, but that is more akin to you paying a hooker for a good time.”

….did she need to be so…crass?

“No, you need to use your mana to make Reality into your BITCH. Everything you want to do to this psychopath.” Stelliana Fortuna said pointing at Rossie, even while snarling she was kinda of cute. “You need to do with Reality, you need to milk Reality for all that is worth, that is the true path to Magic. The first great spellcasters in all the multiverse weren’t humans nor elves. They were the Dragons and they didn’t ask.”

Dragons?

“Exactly, your body and soul are those of a True Dragon. So you can wield magic like one, what I could never do no matter how much luck I stole, no matter how many Lucky Encounters I took from great Heroes. You my girl, can be the next great Witch of this generation.” Hunger was reflected in the eyes of the witch. “Not the sorcerers that roam this world using premade spells and building nice castles within their souls. Not the warlocks making deals with demons and gods, angels and devils. No second-class Sages and Mages that study mana. No. You my girl, can be the next Witch.”

A Witch?

“So remember Elizabeth Starbright…Find your true magic, and go after your [Echo], absorb it. Devour it, they took in part of your mana again. They bound to you willingly, they could have gone on their own life if they wanted, but instead, they choose to bind themselves back to you, so take them in, and absorb their power. Ground their soul fragment into dust and take it all in. And when you reach the apex of power…Remember, it was all thanks to this Lucky Encounter.” And with those words, the figure of her grandmother dissipated.

The world’s color returned and she found herself sitting on the couch of her living room, to her left was the pink-haired head of Rossie resting on her shoulder as she snuggled on her arm. To the right was Rena who was doing the same with her other arm, albeit more discreetly, and unlike Rossie, her hands weren’t trying to get under her blouse.

And on the tv? There was a report of the same event that Aura had shown them, “Rossie? What happened to grandmother?” Elizabeth asked her girlfriend.

“She left? I mean, she only explained what an [Echo] is, and after a class on how magic actually works she left. Why?” Rossie answered.

A look at the clock indeed confirmed that two weeks had gone past after that, but…why could she remember the two weeks of training and the two weeks of snuggles and smochies?

….Was…was this also an [Echo].