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Kei and Kokoa simply watch on, as Rie and Yui keep their distance from Saki.
Saki: If I am to truly gauge what your apprentices worth are, I have to put them to the test.
A shot rings out as it sails by Saki. She nimbly moves her head to avoid the shot. Alexandria looks at her. Saki looks back.
Alexandria: If you want to test our worth, then fine. I’ll show you just how strong Kei has made me.
Saki: A little girl Kei? Please tell me this is a joke.
Kei: I wouldn’t turn your nose up on her.
Saki: Hmph.
With Alexandria joining in, Saki is forced to be on the retreat. This was a 3-on-1 match now. Every time Saki had dodged, either Yui or Rie would force her to pay attention to them. Alexandria basically had to pick and choose her shots as she watched Yui and Rie’s movements. She had to keep a steady hand, knowing that she could easily accidentally hit Yui or Rie.
Alexandria: (Thinking) You can do this. You can.
Alexandria fires with precision. Despite this, only a few shots hit her, but Saki was nimble enough to move out of the way, so that the end result was simply some lost hair.
Alexandria: (Thinking) She’s fast. Its tough to get her in position...that’s it!
Alexandria waits for an opportunity, and simply lets her weapon charge.
Alexandria: (Thinking) I just have to wait...just have to be patient.
Saki jumps away from Yui and Rie and positions herself.
Alexandria: (Thinking) Now!
She pulls the trigger and a show, almost twice the size of a cannonball, soars towards Saki. The others quickly take notice.
Saki: The hell?!
Kei: (Thinking) Such power…
Yui: How in the-?
Rie: Why is it so big?!
Saki’s right arm grows bright, as the glove on her hand extends to her should immediately. Saki completely focuses on the shot.
Saki: Void Punch!
Saki throws her right hand, fist first, into the bullet, and despite a slight back and forth, it evaporates from Saki’s punch. Immediately after, Saki shakes her hand lightly.
Saki: (Thinking) What kind of power does this little girl have?
Alexandria falls to her knees.
Alexandria: (Thinking) That was my best shot…
Saki looks at Alexandria.
Saki: Well now, Alexandria, right? Your energy packs a punch, can honestly say that my right arm is all tingly from that.
Kei: (Thinking) Even though she charged her weapon, it wasn’t enough, Saki had too much power at her fingertips.
As the glove returns to only her hand, Kei takes notice that Saki’s arm had definitely taken the brunt of the attack.
Kei: (Thinking) Hold on, she might have suffered some damage after all.
Saki’s right arm had suffered some cuts and nicks. Some part of her arms showed red like they had been lightly burned. Saki looks at her arm.
Saki: I suppose I should explain my boxing gloves here.
Rie: Might as well.
Saki: My gloves names are ‘Proelium Chirotheca: Adrastea’.
Kei: How in the world did you get that weapon?
Saki: That is another story entirely. But don’t worry, its not a Nox Nyctores.
Kei breathes a sigh of relief.
Kei: (Thinking) Back before she was in the war, Saki was a well known women’s fighter. Makes sense she prefers that sort of weapon as opposed to something else, but still, having that sort of weapon means she has some ars magus proficiency. I wonder if that’s why I saw a bright flash before? The flash of the glove moving up her arm in order to use more power? If I’m to guess, her glove in the usual fighting form, is when its using the least power. Only one glove went up her arm, so its likely she can distribute that power as necessary. Still, if that was only a small bit of power, all three of them are in trouble.
Rie: So what’s with your right arm?
Saki: Think of it like a boxing match. Sure, I had to use more power in order to make sure that little Alex here didn’t cause more damage, but at a price.
Yui: So despite stopping her attack...
Saki: There’s still going to be some residual effects from doing so. No pain, no gain as they say.
Kei: (Thinking) I see, so when the glove went up her arm, it was basically using her arm as a gambit.
Yui: That’s incredibly risky don’t you think?
Saki: Eh, I like to gamble a little bit.
Kei: (Thinking) That’s like Saki. She was confident she could win the bet. However, despite Saki’s gambling tendencies, she could be confident about winning, but still lose. That’s a lot of training she’d have to endure, and being a boxer, it means she can tolerate pain.
Rie: So you just gamble away parts of your body?
Saki: Don’t make me sound so uncivilized. I’m not just gonna let any part of my body put up to be gambled. Only arms and legs as necessary.
Rie: (Thinking) But it is still uncivilized…
Saki: Either way, as for power, that was probably only about ten percent.
Kei: (Thinking) Not a lot at all…
Alexandria: (Thinking) This isn’t good…
Saki: So, if you can fathom up any more attacks like that, better figure out how, because I can promise you I won’t give little Alex there more time to prepare another attack.
Yui: (Thinking) That’s not good, because Alexandria was likely our best bet. With the three of us, we don’t have the power or skill to defeat her...but we can cause a distraction...and get Kei involved in this battle to at least equal the playing field.
Rie: So what now? What do we do?
Yui: Alexandria, Rie, cover me.
Yui makes a break for the ropes that were holding Kei and Kokoa’s cages above the ground.
Saki: (Thinking) You can’t beat me, so you’re going to try and get someone else to help? Not a bad strategy, per se.
Saki goes after Yui, only to have multiple shots ring out in front of her. Alexandria has her guns set squarely on Saki. Rie quickly moves in front of Saki.
Alexandria: You may be fast, but that doesn’t mean we can’t stop you.
Saki: Stop me? I don’t think the three of you have been able to do that as of yet.
Rie swings her fan at Saki, and Saki takes a step back to avoid.
Rie: Doesn’t mean we can’t at least try.