"I’m glad I’m here all by myself and- OH HEY TSUBOMI! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
— Suki Oyama
While it wasn’t possible to see Oros’s face from behind, Acid Drop didn’t need to. She could tell her partner was seething. It wasn’t an emotion that she displayed often. Suki? Maybe, but not Oros. The last time she was this pissed was after she “defeated” Earthshaker for the right to make everyone dinner. But Earthshaker was absent from this scene, and Misoka didn’t look like she wanted to go to eat anywhere. She was perfectly content flying her kites in the middle of the empty field.
The wind shifted directions. She turned her body to orientate herself behind the kites. The expression on her face said she was focusing, but Acid Drop could sense otherwise. She was in anticipation, like a child waiting for dessert to arrive. The wind picked up, and Misoka let the kite fly even higher into the air. She still looked stern, but Tsubomi could feel the joy welling up in her chest. If it was difficult to feel, it was only because of Oros’s growing contempt for what was happening in front of her.
Oros brought up her hand and chopped through the air in front of her. A tendril of blood reached forth and thinned its tip down until it looked like a blade. Then, with a swift swing, sliced through all the kite strings. Misoka gasped when she saw her kites fly away from her. The dragons tumbled through the air, getting further away from Misoka despite her attempts to catch up. But the kites were not stable. They could only stay in the air for so long before diving straight into the ground. Even with the wind, it was possible to hear the carbon fiber frames break as they smashed into the earth.
At last, Oros turned to look at Tsubomi. She wore her brightest smile, not that it could mask her feelings from Acid Drop. "You were saying?” When Acid Drop repeated herself, Oros grinned. "So she is real!” She folded her arms over her chest. "I guess they confused her with Misoka when I was rumor hunting. Heh! Weird how that works. I guess Bedshaker and Violet are talking to her right now.” She looked into Acid Drop’s eyes and hesitated. "So uh, Rainbow, do you miss not having emotions?”
"You need to be careful how you phrase your demands.”
— ?????????
While it was true that magical girls were invisible to normal humans, that was only true if they didn’t use their magic. The frequent “spirit sightings” in Hibusa Town were instances where magical girls got a bit carried away in a public space. Anyone who didn’t believe in spirits was quick to dismiss such a phenomenon through various means. Nyxia’s laser was a trick of the setting sun on raindrops. The fire hydrant’s redirected water was the result of an odd viewing angle. The old lady staggered backwards. It wasn’t clear what the flower shop owner thought, only that she couldn’t understand it.
The dragon girl raised an eyebrow at her two adversaries. One had decided to shoot a fire hydrant, and the other was redirecting the water at the building. "I’m over here though.” It wasn’t long after that Nyxia commanded her to get off the roof, and Earthshaker wanted her to apologize. The corner of her mouth curled into a vicious smirk as the laser drew closer. "If you insist…”
She hopped into the air. The dragons on her shoulders raised their heads skyward. They roared with brimstone, belching giant flames into the sky. The flames left the dragon’s mouths with such speed it created thrust, and plunged the magical girl inside the flower shop.
Every open hole in the building erupted with fire. The bright white flames would cause anyone to wince if they tried to stare at it, but it was followed by rolling black smoke. The tiny building couldn’t take it anymore, and slowly caved in on itself. Even the walls showed signs of being shifted off of their foundation. Even where the walls still stood, the mortar had been broken off between some of the bricks. The fire had been so hot that it boiled the moisture out of the stone, causing many of the bricks to explode.
The metal door fell aside as the red haired girl stepped out of the smoke. She had soot on her cheeks, but seemed otherwise unharmed by the ordeal. "I got off the roof! And I apologize for burning the flower shop, I razed it to compensate. Speaking of etiquette…” She placed a hand on her chest. "I’m Ash Bringer. No need to tell me your names. I’m not interested in light girls.” She winked at the duo.