"When do you plan to leave?"
"Now."
Crunch~
She took two violent bites of her apple and tossed the core into the distance. Then, her casual clothes glowed with a red light like a burning fire. When the light faded, she was wearing her "battle gear."
A red dress, though the split in the skirt made it look somewhat like a trench coat, with ruffled hems that added a slight touch of girlhood. Underneath, she wore a bodysuit and a pink miniskirt, with black stockings and red boots.
"If I'm discovered, I can fight, right?"
"As you wish."
"Heh~ Good."
With a cold laugh, she leapt down from the heights...
——————
Kyoko Sakura could be described as a very complex hybrid.
Once, like most children, she admired "Heroes of Justice" and tried to become one. But after her family's death, she seemed to become a different person, as if she had sealed all her kindness deep inside her heart.
Even so, she merely closed off her heart to become cold. She detested her own power because she felt that without it, her family wouldn't have died. Yet, she had to keep using it, because as time passed, her Soul Gem would gradually darken.
Having lost her goal in life and the people she wanted to protect, she was essentially a walking corpse. She didn't even dare to think about "resurrecting" her family. In her mind, even if she brought them back, her father would likely descend into an even crazier hysteria upon learning what she had done.
But even so, she craved the existence of "family."
Standing atop the inpatient building of Mitakihara Hospital, Kyoko looked down coldly at Lancer, who was helping Kyosuke Kamijo change his bandages.
'As long as I watch this man, I'll get the clues to save them. It's a bargain...'
Kyoko had long realized Kyubey couldn't be fully trusted, but it wouldn't violate its own oaths—like the "wish" it helped her fulfill. It would also directly refuse certain things. It was, in a way, like a devil.
However, just as she pulled out a snack to eat out of boredom, she suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if she were being watched.
'Is it that man?'
Even with magical power, she couldn't see his movements perfectly. She didn't believe he could see her at night.
At that moment, the man began packing up the medicine, clearly finished with the treatment. She instinctively stood up but made no further move, as she had no idea where Lancer was going next. She could only watch for now; she didn't have X-ray vision.
But then, she suddenly sensed a strange aura behind her.
The apple in her mouth was instantly crushed and fell to the ground. A spear appeared in her hand as she lunged backward with a violent thrust.
But to her shock————
Clang~
With a sound of clashing metal, the spear in her hand was actually knocked back. She then saw the man she had been monitoring standing before her, holding a crimson spear pointed right at her.
She was stunned.
"Aren't you supposed to be a 'Magus'? Why are you using a spear?"
"Didn't you know? 'Magi' usually put a point into 'Weapon Mastery'..."
With a sudden flick of the spear, even though he was still wearing a lab coat, a sharp, piercing aura erupted from him, just like a lance itself.
"Put a point into 'Elemental Imbuement' for spells..."
The blood-red spear was suddenly covered in frost.
"And then put the rest into 'Charge,' 'Whirlwind,' and 'Heroic Throw'."
With a burst of speed, the ground beneath Lancer feet cracked. He reached Kyoko side at incredible speed, his spear thrusting toward the side of her neck. Never expecting—or perhaps failing to realize—the suddenness of Lancer attack, she only had time to move her own spear to guard her throat.
Screeech~!
Accompanied by the ear-grating sound of metal grinding, the frost-covered blade slid along Kyoko spear shaft. But before she could breathe a sigh of relief, an even more violent flurry of attacks followed. It might have been her imagination, but she felt his attacks were aimed entirely at her weapon.
Even so, under such a relentless offensive, a flaw was inevitable.
With a heavy, powerful thrust, she felt her wrist go limp. The spear nearly flew from her hand. At that moment, she clearly saw Lancer body lean back, while the magical power on his blade seemed to surge.
'Oh no!'
Knowing no other way to defend, she closed her eyes by reflex. Then————
Crack!!
The sensation of stone fragments hitting her cheek stung, but she was also bewildered. Why didn't she feel any pain on her body?
But at that moment, she felt something cold resting against her neck.
"I'll give you one chance. Speak. Who sent you to spy on me?"
Though she didn't know why Lancer hadn't harmed her, she realized one thing: he had remained perfectly calm while subduing her. She did have trump cards she hadn't used yet, but the question was—had he used his?
Kyoko didn't dare to gamble. She could feel a terrifying murderous intent coming from that ice-covered spear, as if the blood on this blade could never truly be washed clean.
"It's Kyubey. It told me to watch you."
Kyoko sold him out with zero hesitation. If it were someone else, she might have paused, but Kyubey? The two of them were in a pure business relationship. she had no affection for it, so selling it out came naturally.
Lancer hadn't expected Kyoko to cough up Kyubey so decisively. Earlier, while treating Kyosuke, he sensed a strange magical power. Worried it was a "Familiar" or a "Witch," he used "Eagle Eye" to take a look. He was stunned to see someone who shouldn't have appeared at this point in the timeline————Kyoko Sakura.
In his memory, she shouldn't have come to this town until after Mami sacrifice. Her sudden appearance piqued his curiosity, but he hadn't expected to be attacked the moment he approached her.
The rest went as expected: Lancer defeated her without hesitation. He did so because the clash made it impossible to approach her through "slow immersion" anymore, so he decided to be forceful.
Undoubtedly, the result of that force was her immediate decision to "follow her heart" (surrender). But now that she was being so cooperative, Lancer didn't know what to do with her. He couldn't exactly take her home, or he suspected Olga Marie would look at him like a bug for a very long time...