Location: Echohold-09 (Outside Area)

  Time of Day: Morning

  Mimiris charged at them. THUM! THUM! THUM!

  Hikari raised her voice. "Everyone, careful! Here it comes!"

  Captain acted first, dropping to one knee. "Configuration Shift, Sniper Mode!"

  CHK! His rifle extended with a snap, barrel lengthening into sniper form. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! He fired rapid shots, striking the abdomen, the hulk-like arm, the deer skull, the dragon arm, and the chest. None of them pierced through. It didn't even flinch.

  Captain lowered his weapon. "Tch. Not a single crack, or even a drop of blood."

  Hikari threw her hand forward. "Drones, assist Lumina and Slayer!" FWIP! FWIP! FWIP! Her three drones rushed in, pink aura trails streaking behind them.

  Lumina was already moving, her green aura flaring. "Fight as one with me... Twilight Twin!" FWOOOM! A second Lumina shimmered into existence, glowing green and translucent. Every detail matched her perfectly. Without hesitation, it charged forward at her side.

  Slayer charged in beside them, shield leading, sword flowing with blue aura. Mimiris reacted to their advance. It swung its left, hulk-like arm forward - heavy and wide. WHAM! The impact shook the ground. All three leaped into the air, the drones lifting with them. But Mimiris followed. RRRRAAAAGGHHH! The dragon head on its right arm twisted upward. Its jaws opened. FWOOOOSH! Purple-black flames burst toward them, roaring into the air.

  Slayer reacted, raising his shield in midair. "Momentum Guard!" FWOOM! A blue dome formed around all of them, shielding them as the flames washed over. CRRRNK! CRACK! The dome split apart and shattered just as they landed - each in a different spot.

  Lumina landed on the dragon arm, her blade scraping along its obsidian scales. Her Twin landed and struck at the hulk arm, slashing in rapid succession. CLANG! CLANG! Slayer landed on its shoulder, right beside the deer skull - sword raised - and struck at its antlers. Hikari's drones fired from every angle, targeting every visible part of its body - the abdomen, insect legs, stinger tail, but nothing broke through its armor.

  Captain continued firing, scanning for any sign of a reaction. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! They all attacked at once - blades flashing, shots firing, aura flaring. FWISH! PEW! CLANG! BOOM! FWIP!

  Mimiris finally reacted. It slammed its left hulk arm down where Lumina's Twin stood. THOOM! TZZ! The Twin lost footing, crashing to the dry ground. Before it could rise, the creature grabbed it and lifted it high into the air. Then, it dropped it. And before the Twin even hit the ground FWIP! The stinger tail snapped forward, piercing clean through it - like a bat striking a ball, launching it across the field.

  The clone flew through the air and vanished into the distant forest, until it crashed into a tree trunk. THUM! Its katana clattered to the ground and faded away...

  Lumina felt the knockback through her body but stayed focused, still clinging to the dragon arm. Slayer held his position near the deer skull, maintaining his footing. Mimiris's eyes flared bright purple, then its oversized left arm reached straight for him.

  Slayer reacted instantly. "Radiant Bastion!"

  FWOOOM! The stored charge erupted from his shield, blue aura bursting outward in a defensive wave. Mimiris flinched, but only slightly. Then, before Slayer could react, its massive left arm closed around him, gripping tight. CRACK... CRACK... It began to squeeze, slowly crushing his armor.

  Slayer gritted his teeth. "D-Dammit... I c-can't break free!" His shield and sword were still trapped between its crushing fingers, trembling under the pressure.

  Lumina saw it and leaped to help him, abandoning the dragon arm. That was a mistake. In that moment, the dragon reacted. RRRAAAGHH! The dragon arm snapped to life, its jaws clamping down on her shoulder. SNAP!

  Lumina let out a sharp yell. AGH! Her aura flared in reflex, and her katana slipped from her hand, dropping to the dry ground.

  "Lumina!" Hikari shouted. She immediately sent her drones in. HUMMM! PEW-PEW-PEW! Pink shots struck the dragon head - aiming at the eyes, scales, jaw - but the bite didn't loosen.

  Captain moved in without hesitation. "I'm going in!"

  Hikari saw him rush forward, reaching out. "Captain, wait! We must-"

  But he didn't stop. He slung his rifle onto his back and drew his knife, red aura flaring across the blade. He pushed forward - faster now - red aura building in his legs before leaping. FWOOOM! He landed on Mimiris' upper back, just behind the deer skull.

  Lumina gritted her teeth, still caught in the dragon's jaws, using one hand to push against its jaws in desperate effort. "C-Captain! You and Hikari must leave and rethink your strategy!"

  Slayer, still trapped in the crushing grip, forced out some words, "H-hate to admit it but... she's right. Th-this thing is too strong. E-even for us!"

  Captain looked between them, one being crushed and the other being bitten. "I'm not leaving you guys behind! That's not who I am!" Then he acted, aiming straight for the skull's purple glowing eye socket, hoping it was the weak point.

  SLASH! THRUST! THRUST! He stabbed into the eye again and again, pushing harder each time. "Damn you! Let them go!" Captain yelled. But nothing pierced through and the creature didn't even flinch. It just kept squeezing Slayer, armor cracking under the pressure. And Lumina was still trapped in the dragon's jaws, aura flaring in pain and blood spilling from her shoulder.

  Then Mimiris decided to finish it. FWOOSH! It swung its hulk arm with full force. Slayer was ripped from its grip and flung into the air, crashing hard into the dry ground. Lumina was already weak now, her green aura fading away. The dragon arm lifted her effortlessly, then swung. THOOM! She was hurled across the area, crashing and rolling beside Slayer, limp and no longer moving. Both were down. Hikari's drones reacted on their own, rushing toward them and firing pink healing shots PEW-PEW-PEW! but it wasn't enough. They were too injured.

  Hikari yelled, rushing forward. "No!"

  Captain leapt off Mimiris's back, landing just a few steps away. He turned to her. "Hikari, stay ba-" FWIP! The stinger-like claws from Mimiris hulk arm shot forward and pierced straight through his torso. CRACK!

  Captain staggered, blood trailing from his mouth. "R-Run... H-Hikari..."

  Then Mimiris hurled him across the ground. He skidded violently, rolling until finally coming to a stop.

  "CAPTAIN!" Hikari's eyes widened, voice tearing through the battlefield.

  Hikari's gaze stayed locked on her fallen teammates, her chest tightening. Lumina... Slayer... Captain... All three needed help. Now. Her voice trembled. "Th-this can't be happening..." Then she heard it.

  Click... click... click... The sound of insect legs moving across dry ground. Mimiris was walking toward her. Hikari slowly turned. Her eyes widened - glossy and unfocused, trembling not from fear of the Echo itself, but from the sight of the people she cared about lying broken because of it. Then she dropped to her knees. ("Wh-where did we go wrong...? H-how did we lose...? Why couldn't I... why couldn't I protect them...?")

  Her drones didn't stop. They rushed toward her - reacting to her thoughts - still trying to protect her. The three drones hovered in front of her, placing themselves between her and Mimiris like a fragile shield. PEW-PEW-PEW! They fired desperately, pink shots striking across Mimiris' armor, but every blast bounced off, useless now.

  Mimiris barely looked at them. WHAM! Its hulk arm swatted one drone from the air, smashing it into shards. FWOOOSH! The dragon arm breathed purple-black flame, burning the second drone into smoking fragments. SLASH! Its stinger claws shredded through the third, sending it crashing toward Hikari. It landed right in front of her - TZZ... TZZ... sparking weakly - then hummed once... and faded away.

  Hikari stared at the empty spot where it had vanished, breath trembling, yet her eyes still held a flicker of determination. She was now the last one standing.

  Mimiris raised its deer skull head, eyes burning purple, and released a sharp, distorted cry. ReReEeAaAgHhH! Its insect legs clicked and dragged closer... Until it finally stood before her. The deer skull loomed above, purple eyes glowing, staring straight down at her.

  But Hikari grit her teeth, refusing to give up. Her eyes shifted from brown to pink, her aura flaring wildly around her. She quickly pushed herself up, gathering aura into her leg - then kicked with everything she had at it hulk arm. BOOM!!!

  Mimiris didn't even flinch.

  Hikari's eyes widened. "..." Before she could react, the hulk arm swung down and caught her by the leg. CRACK... Its massive hand closed around her, trapping her in its crushing grip. AH!

  Hikari struggled, pink aura flaring wildly around her, but the pressure only tightened. "AHH!" she cried out, pain surging through her body.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  It lifted her upward, bringing her face-to-face with its deer skull. Purple mist seeped from its open maw, drifting between them while its purple glowing eyes burned straight into hers. The dragon head slithered closer from the side, neck twisting, watching her too, almost like it was studying her.

  Hikari struggled, her pink eyes still holding faint determination. Her voice came weak, but still her own. "Y-you're... not winning, y-you got that...!"

  Mimiris showed no reaction. The grip tightened. Then WHAM! It hurled her with full force. She crashed against the large boulder at the edge of the clearing. THUD! The impact echoed, dust bursting around her as she hit the ground hard. She coughed, blood slipping from her lips. Then she stopped moving.

  Hikari lay weak against the rock, her vision blurred and her thoughts drifted. ("I-I cant move my body... And my Emanation is not responding either. Th-This pain... its so intense. Is this... is this how death feels like...?") Her breathing slowed. ("And when we were so close to our destination too...") Her fingers twitched. But the pain... it began to fade. The battlefield slipped away. And a memory quietly opened.

  The memory came softly...

  It was a small garden that was warm and peaceful. The kind of day perfect for planting new seeds.

  Little Hikari ran through the garden chasing a butterfly, giggling as it floated just out of reach. Then she stopped. Her father was kneeling by the soil, gently pressing a seed into the ground. Curious, she walked closer.

  She stood beside him and tilted her head, her voice soft, curious. "Hey, Dad... what kind of seed are you planting?"

  Her father smiled, brushing dirt from his fingers. "I'm not planting anything, Hikari."

  She puffed her cheeks. "Ahh~ you are! I just saw you put a seed in the ground!" She tugged on his sleeve, a little impatient. "Oh come on, come on, you always do this - tell me!"

  He chuckled softly. "Alright, alright. But listen carefully, Ms. Curious One." He patted her head gently, and a faint blush warmed her cheeks. "I always say I'm not planting anything because... if I tell you what it is, then it only becomes that."

  Little Hikari blinked. "Huh? What do you mean...?"

  He looked at her with a calm, kind smile, then turned back to the spot where the seed was planted. "Well sometimes, we decide too early what something is supposed to be. And when we name it too soon, we limit it. We stop it from becoming what it could have been." He gently patted the soil. "If this seed believes it must only be a flower... then it will never learn that it could have grown into a tree."

  She stared quietly at the ground. "But..." She pointed at the little mound of soil. "Doesn't that seed already know what it's going to become?"

  Her dad chuckled lightly. "Maybe... but that doesn't mean it should."

  Little Hikari placed a hand on her chin, humming softly.

  He placed a hand over the soil again. "Sometimes, it's better when we don't know what we're supposed to become. Because if we don't know our limits... we don't stop ourselves from growing past them." He looked at her, warm and reassuring. "People are the same, Hikari. If you decide too early what you are... you might never become what you were meant to be."

  Little Hikari looked at her hands, voice low. "Meant to become..."

  Her father brushed the soil gently from his hands. "Even a seed that looks too small, too weak... can break through stone someday."

  She looked up at him, eyes wide.

  "Do you know why?" he asked, smiling gently.

  She shook her head. "Uh-uh."

  He chuckled softly. "Because it doesn't know it's not supposed to." His hand moved gently to her small chest. "And that's why, Hikari... sometimes, the things that grow the strongest... are the ones that refuse to stay small." He smiled softly. "They just need someone to remind them sometimes."

  Her mother’s voice called gently from afar, warm and familiar. “Lunch is ready!”

  The memory slowly faded into light...

  Hikari’s eyes opened slowly, her vision still hazy. Blood touched her lips and pain clung to every breath. But something felt different now - warm and gentle… growing.

  She blinked once. (“Father… thank you… for still being here.”) The world was silent. She let her eyes close, weakly and peacefully. And in that silence… A voice spoke within her mind.

  "Hikari…"

  She reacted, just slightly. The voice felt familiar, but her mind was too weak to reach for it. Darkness filled her thoughts. There was nothing but black all around her, and she was standing in the middle of it. Then a faint light came through. Glowing softly from afar… and standing in the center of it was a silhouette. It was a girl’s shape.

  Hikari lifted a hand, squinting through the light. “Wh-who are you…?”

  The voice answered - calm, echo-like, and kind. "That is the real question, Hikari... Who are you?"

  She hesitated, confused. “What… what do you mean by that…?”

  The voice continued, soft and echoing, with a calm patience. "You couldn’t protect the people around you, Hikari... Ever since you came back to your world, people only suffered within your presence. The cop... Dax... and now... even your teammates lie dying on the ground."

  Hikari lowered her head.

  The voice came again. "Your aura awakened because you wanted to protect the people around you... That was always its purpose."

  Hikari's hands curled slowly into weak fists. “You’re right…” she whispered. “As a person... and even as a Hollow… I swore to protect the people of this world. And now, I can’t even do that… because I’m just slowly rotting on the ground.”

  Silence.

  Then the voice spoke again - calm, but firmer now. "So that’s it then? You fall once… and you simply decide that you cannot rise? After coming this far with your team… You'll just let them die?"

  Hikari’s breath trembled. “N-no… I-I… won’t let that happen…”

  "Then show them, Hikari. Show them you’re not weak... Show them you have the potential to grow, too."

  Something shifted in her eyes. She lifted her head- weak, but with something faintly, quietly determined.

  The voice seemed to notice. "Now answer me this, Hikari... Will you keep going on like this… or will you finally Bloom forth? All I need… is a simple yes."

  Hikari took a breath. Not shaky this time, but steady. Then her eyes focused, her voice firm and certain. "Yes." She placed a hand over her chest. "I will protect them!”

  Then the voice replied - soft, but certain. "Very well then..."

  Everything faded and Hikari felt it. A single pulse. BADUM!

  Her eyes snapped open wide. She held a hand over her chest, as if something inside was awakening. Her aura ignited, not the usual vivid pink, but softer and lighter this time.

  A gentle pink aura now surrounded her body. She slowly stood. Her strength… returning. But then, a sharp pain struck her mind. She grasped her head with both hands, groaning, gritting her teeth, her steps unstable, and almost collapsing. Then the pain faded... and her aura dimmed, but something came right after. She took a breath and called its name.

  “...Come.” A pause. “Bloom form...”

  Her light pink aura surged, swirling softly around her body, as if consuming her. A wind stirred, soft at first, then stronger. Something within her had finally begun to change.

  Across from her, Mimiris stopped moving as it sensed Hikari’s aura from afar. ROAGHH! The dragon head on its right arm turned toward her, - its purple eyes glowing softly as it watched her aura.

  Hikari's light pink aura moved wildly around her, glowing bright as it stirred. Faint lines of light formed along her arms and legs, wrapping softly around her skin. They shaped into vines - thin and green, lined with small pink thorns. They didn’t hurt her, because they were a part of her.

  Her lab coat shifted next, swaying gently as the white color slowly faded, darkening until it turned black.

  Her aura reacted too. Small fragments of light peeled away - shaped like petals, soft, transparent, and light pink. They weren’t real petals, it was just her aura taking a new form. They floated around her slowly, healing her wounds, before drifting away and fading.

  A soft shimmer appeared beside her face. Flower-shaped earrings formed - one on each ear - six pink petals, outlined in green, with a small silver center. They glowed softly, made from her aura. Then, on the right side of her head, a single pink rose formed, quiet and faintly glowing.

  Her transformation had settled. She took a slow breath and her eyes glowed bright pink. She stepped forward, and where her foot touched the ground, a faint bloom of light formed. A soft pink shape - a petal-like glow that opened, then faded quietly. She extended her arm toward the dry ground - not to touch it, but as if calling something from beneath it.

  Her voice was calm and steady. “Bloom… and take form.” Then her fingers curled slowly into a fist. “Vitanova...”

  The ground before her hand began to glow pink softly. Thin green vines emerged slowly, curling upward from the soil. Like they were answering her call. They grew together, weaving around each other until they formed a small cradle of vines.

  Inside that cradle, petals began to gather that were soft and light pink. They didn’t fall into place. They grew there. The petals swirled softly, as if stirred by a gentle breeze that wasn’t really there. Then, they drifted away. And resting in the vine cradle, was the weapon.

  It was a sword, but it wasn’t made of metal. It looked like it was grown, made of nature itself. The handle was wrapped in blooming pink petals, with thin green vines coiling along it. The guard wasn’t forged. It was formed from layered petals, blooming outward like a flower.

  The blade itself was pale pink, with faint pale-blue edges that glowed softly. Thin vines coiled lightly across it, and petal-shaped plates overlapped along its sides. She reached out, calm and certain, but she didn't take it herself. The vines along her arm extended toward the weapon, moving on their own. They gently lifted it, and placed it into her hand. As if they had a will of their own.

  Hikari spoke quietly, her eyes on the weapon. “Vitanova… join me in this fight.”

  She looked toward Mimiris, still standing there... watching her. Then her pink eyes moved to her fallen teammates. She raised her hand - open and calm - toward the sky.

  Her voice was steady. “Bloom Form… Flourish Rebirth.”

  From beneath them, vines began to grow. They moved slowly and softly, wrapping gently around each fallen teammate.

  Captain was first. The wound left by the stinger-like claws began to close, as vines drifted softly across his torso. Pink petals passed over his chest, and the injury closed.

  Then Slayer. Vines and petals ran along his damaged armor, mending the cracks and dents until the surface was smooth again.

  Finally, Lumina. The wound on her shoulder where the dragon’s jaws had pierced, softened and closed as petals and vines sealed it quietly. A faint pink glow settled over all three of them that refueled them with their stamina back. Their breathing steadied.

  The vines beneath them shifted, lifting slightly, then carrying them away from Mimiris, gently bringing them closer to Hikari. Mimiris didn’t move, it only watched. The vines set them down, just a few steps from her. And one by one, they began to wake.

  Their eyes slowly opened. Captain was the first to move. Lumina and Slayer were still unconscious beside him. He pushed himself up, wincing - then instinctively placed a hand over his torso, where the wound had once been. Captain’s voice was quiet. "The wound.. it's gone.” He looked ahead and saw her. “…Is that… Hikari?”

  Lumina sat up slowly, her hand resting on her shoulder. She expected the wound to still be there, but it wasn’t. “…It healed,” she whispered. She looked around, then saw Hikari. Her ponytail drifted with the aura, soft pink fading into blue.

  Lumina didn’t move. She just stared. “…What is that form…?”

  Beside her, Slayer let out a quiet groan as he sat up, holding his head. “Ugh… are we in heaven yet?” He blinked, trying to focus. He noticed Lumina sitting beside him. “Hey… Lumina?” She didn’t respond. Her eyes were fixed on Hikari. Slayer followed her gaze. And then he stopped. “Woah… is that Hikari?”

  Hikari didn’t turn to them. She began to walk slow and calm, straight toward Mimiris. With each step she took, a faint bloom of light appeared beneath her foot, a soft pink shape, opening briefly before fading away.

  Captain watched her in silence, then glanced at Lumina. “…Do you know what happened to her?”

  Lumina didn’t answer right away. Her eyes stayed on Hikari. “That aura… the vines… her hair… and that weapon.” She spoke quietly. "It almost feels like she awakened to something."

  Slayer crossed his arms. “Awakened to what, exactly?”

  Lumina exhaled, barely. “…I’m not certain,” she said. “But there’s only one thing that comes to mind that changes someone like that.” A pause. “And that's... Neo–Emanation.”

  Captain and Slayer exchanged a glance.

  Captain turned to Lumina, his voice came low and steady. “…Neo-Emanation? Wait, is that similar to how you have your Elegant form?”

  Lumina didn’t look away from Hikari, just gave a small nod.

  Captain brows narrowed. "Didn't you say it took you years to even reach that form?"

  Lumina’s voice was soft. “Yes." She paused. "And somehow… she was able to achieve it in such a short time.”

  Slayer stared at Hikari for a long second. “…Wonder what triggered it,” he said quietly.

  Hikari stopped walking. She stood only a few steps from Mimiris now. Its deer skull head lifted, and the distorted roar tore through the air. ReReEeAaAgHhH!

  HIkari's pink eyes lifted. Her voice was calm. “Let’s try this again...”

  The wind stirred. And the battle was about to begin.

  ?─??????─?

  Life isn’t some kind of grand destiny.

  It’s just a collection of decisions shaped by the moments that happen around us.

  Of Moon and Magic follows a silver-haired girl. Her mana was weak, but that never dulled her hunger for magic.

  We follow her steps. We weigh her choices. We sit with her loneliness. In a world where magic is everything, war is constant, and morality is little more than a neglected guideline.

  Will she become just another cog in the machine?

  Or will she be the one to end it all?

  Only one way to find out.

  Point of Interest:

  Update Schedule

  ?─??????─?