Starlight Dream

Chapter 50

"Ouch." Seina groaned, pushing aside a piece of rock that had toppled on top of her. Darkness surrounded her, leaving her confused about where she was.

"Seina! You still alive?" Came her partner's muffled voice, making everything that had happened return in a rush.

"Colten, are you okay?" Seina summoned her staff and created a glowing bubble. Beyond the rubble, the floating orb illuminated little.

"She's okay! Over here. Mr. Kiyojiro!" Her partner's voice was almost blocked by tons of rock.

"Mr. Kiyojiro!" She'd tried to protect her bodyguard from the explosions but lost track of him amongst the chaos.

"Thank goodness you're okay! How injured are you?" Mr. Kiyojiro asked.

"I'm okay." Her head still rang, but she'd manage. She definitely wouldn't forget the flames anytime soon. She cursed that maniac for using her own power against her.

"Oh, crap! How are Emiyo and Arisu?" Seina said, realizing they were still in dire straights. If those star-destroying explosions hadn't killed her, it seemed unlike it'd do much to a Devil Princess!

"We don't know." Mr. Kiyojiro said, voice pensive. "We have found no trace of the Poison Ivy either. But one problem at a time. Can you dig your way out?"

"Shouldn't be an issue. Step back." Her staff summoned a bubble that would disintegrate anything it touched. It floated outward, digging a path toward her friend's voices.

"Seina! I was so scared! You took the worst of that blast!" Colten threw himself into a big hug. When she'd finally gotten free of the rubble. It seemed she'd entered what remained of the original chamber.

"Me too." Seina returned the hug. She sighed in relief to find her bodyguard unharmed after all that craziness. How did he survive?

"I sent himminutes into the future before the explosion hit us," Colten said, answering her unasked question.

"Fat good it did." Mr. Kiyojiro said, voice self-deprecating. "It was a dumb idea to join you to Starlight Dream. I'm just getting in the way. Colten could have used his power to save you instead."

"You're good moral support, regardless!" Seina said, maybe too quickly. It was hard to deny he might have a point. She quickly changed the subject for her bodyguard's sake. "Where are Liam and Charity?"

"We haven't found them yet," Colten said, annoyed. "We've been kinda trapped down here."

"First things first. Find them, then to the surface!" With luck, the evil, hateful magical girl thought them dead. It provided them the perfect opportunity to regroup and plan. While Seina was still uncertain if Takako and Chō were safe, they could at least join forces with Himari. That was something, at least. Though, how they'd defeat Reiko was beyond anyone's guess.

With some effect, they found Charity and Liam unharmed. Using her remarkable prediction power, the Wicked Queen's partner had found the perfect spot to escape most of the damage.

"Charity, you're still here," Seina said, relieved. "That must mean your partner didn't die in the explosion." Remarkable considering she'd been at the epicenter.

"She's a survivor, always has been," Charity replied.

"I just hope she's okay." After still finding no sign of Emiyo or her partner, Seina feared the worst. She dreaded what they'd discover once they reached the surface. If Charity seemed concerned about their situation, she didn't show it. Instead, she directed them upwards.

"Let's go!" She was ready to fight, mostly healed from their encounter with the mad Poison Ivy.

The surface of Starlight Dream was worse than they imagined, scarred by the intensity of the explosion. Many fairy homes were in ruins, with relatives crying for their fallen kin. She winced as fairies pulled out of a wounded child from a collapsed roof. Despite their heinous corruption by the Devil Princesses, they didn't deserve this.