Kimiko and Cloe were trapped.

Both were surrounded, alone, without the support of their leader or their other teammates.

The first, did the only thing her brain suggested: attack.

"[Lightning]!"

The girl aimed at the closest copies to her body, using her pseudo-lightnings, trying to take down the original.

Her abilities allowed her to destroy some clones before Cris could give the order to attack.

"Got her!" (Cris)

The teenager used [mimicry] to hide from sight. Among all her [magic], this was the one she used the least, for good reasons.

Unlike Kuro, who could keep his arrogance and anger in check to maintain a low profile, while moving like a shadow, Kimiko was not so skilled.

This [mage], loud, brash, and little inclined to prolonged silence, had a gangster-like character through and through.

This clashed badly with her power. Staying still while thinking up a complex plan to prepare a surprise attack was not her forte; long-term strategizing was a semi-unknown field for her.

She often underestimated her opponents and her [mimicry], not understanding the advantages of such a capacity, despite Fumio’s lessons.

Unfortunately for her, it would cost her her life.

"Here she is!" (Cris)

Despite being camouflaged like a chameleon, Kimiko couldn’t move silently.

The clones of the [Black Corps] immediately closed in on her. Deciding not to waste more [mana], uselessly, the girl focused solely on offense.

"[Lightning]!"

Three of her enemies vanished in fog, the others didn't give her time to launch another attack.

A kick to her back sent Kimiko crashing into a wall, her face hitting the brick and causing a crack.

"Charge!"

Without giving her time to think, three more versions of Cris attacked. The [mage] had time to turn and throw some blows, eliminating two versions of the [Black Corps], which were quickly replaced with her brass knuckles, before receiving a dozen kicks and punches from her enemies.

The offensive front was unstoppable; Kimiko could only defend her face from the blows while being beaten.

The wall behind her was damaged with each attack; eventually, two copies combined forces to strike her solar plexus with their palms.

The effect was devastating; even with her [armor] protecting her, Hajime’s teammate spat blood inside her mask as she was knocked through the wall she was leaning against.

Falling into another tunnel, the poor girl clearly felt all her broken bones’ pain after processing what had happened.

"Nothing to say, [New Dawn]? You [mages] and your pride—if you had surrendered, you would have saved yourself all this pain."

The clones surrounded her, covering the tunnel exits, as they approached. Kimiko found the strength to stand up, removing her gas mask, spitting some blood and saliva.

Adding more [mana] to her [armor], the 16-year-old prepared for the inevitable.

"To surrender to whom? To you? A third-class grunt sent here to catch a girl? I must be important if—" (Kimiko)

Provoking Cris was not a good idea, but Kimiko’s character got the better of her common sense.

"Take her!"

A clone kicked her behind the knee, making her kneel, another punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground for good.

"Third-class grunt, huh? And what about you, then, that got beaten by me?" (Cris)

The [mage] responded by raising her middle finger; a Cris clone stepped on her hand forcefully, breaking her fingers.

"Ghhh... fuck," (Kimiko)

The girl could only curl into a fetal position as she was kicked all over her body.

Eventually, she lost consciousness. One of the copies spat in her face before grabbing her by the hair and dragging her away.

*****

Kohaku was in total panic; her friends and her allies were unreachable.

Words couldn’t describe what she was feeling—knowing nothing was worse than knowing everything happening on the field.

Her distraction was such that the [esper] didn’t notice the [Black Corps] at her door until it was too late.

The door was slammed open, and enemy forces stormed in.

In those few seconds, Kohaku understood that it was over. It wasn’t Hajime or others, she didn’t have any fantastic powers that could give her a chance to escape from trained men and women.

"(Damn it! I have to erase everything!)"

The only thing she could do before being captured was to wipe all data from her electronic devices using her powers.

She couldn’t compromise [New Dawn] more than she already had.

"Take her!"

While her nose bled from the effort, an enemy grabbed her forcefully, throwing her to the ground as handcuffs were placed on her, restricting her powers.

"Get up, girl! Kugutsu-sama has questions for you!"

Kohaku was roughly dragged, as she was taken into a [Black Corps] vehicle. Her thoughts were fixated on one phrase.

"(What will happen now?)"

*****

Cloe was in the same situation as Kimiko.

But, in her case, it wasn’t just one enemy who had multiplied—the problem was a series of small, fast individuals attacking her from all sides simultaneously.

It was not an easy situation.

For some reason, her enemies’ blades could pierce her [armor], her protective gear, and even the sand walls she created.

Different cuts were bleeding, staining her clothes with red, and she had to use her [mana] to heal the small wounds that were slowly weakening her.

"[Telekinesis]!"

A burst of knives thrown at her was swept away thanks to her power.

Despite this, the 17-year-old continued fighting, searching for an opening to escape the encirclement.

"(There are too many, too fast! I can't even tell their figures while they move! I can't stay here forever!)"

Deciding that defense wouldn’t get her anywhere, Cloe launched an attack.

"[Sand]!!!!!"

A sea of sand created from beneath her feet was used to push the enemies away from the roof where they were.

Several daggers flew toward her sand, not all were stopped.

"Ahh!!!"

One of them lodged in her thigh, another in her side, and the last in her shoulder.

The one heading for her chest was deflected by metallic claws—her fingers.

"(Damn! I can't be normal weapons! I feel too much pain!)"

While whimpering from her wounds, one of her enemies managed to bypass her sand defenses, cutting behind her knee.

"Ah?! You won’t escape!!!!!!"

Even on the ground, Cloe found the strength to transform her sand into a hand, gripping the head of the small, fast enemy who had hurt her.

"Stop struggling, or I’ll kill you!"

The cold, efficient part of Kuro’s sister stepped in to prove her words, tightening her grip on her opponent’s head.

"And you all stay still, or I—!? W-what?"

For a moment, Cloe froze. What she was holding wasn’t a small magic [weapon], nor a human using some strange [magic] or [esper] power to become tiny and fast.

"Are, you, a child?"

The enemies fighting her were children—or rather, dolls, so realistic they looked like real kids.

That moment of distraction cost her dearly.

The doll’s mouth opened suddenly. From there, a sharp blade shot directly toward the lower part of her mask.

Her well-trained reflexes allowed her to avoid having the weapon in her throat.

But, she still felt drops of blood trickle down her neck.

She had been grazed. Whatever material that object was made of, it was clear as day—it was designed to bypass a [mage]’s [armor].

"What!?"

Before she could destroy the doll that almost killed her, Cloe felt her body go rigid.

Her hands and feet turned to lead, causing her to fall painfully to the ground.

"...poison...."

Her [mage] eyes began to blur as she felt her heart race.

The dolls stepped out of the shadows, revealing themselves as inanimate objects for the first time.

Some of them prepared to trap her. But someone interrupted them.

"I won’t let you do that."

Cloe was almost unconscious; the only thing she could understand, as she closed her eyes and started losing consciousness, was that a battle was beginning around her, and someone was dragging her away.

With her mind full of questions and doubts, the girl lost her senses.