3 3: A Broken Shield

When Nekowa finally returned from her scouting, Liam instantly inquired if there were any bandits in the surrounding vicinity.

"I spotted one camp northwest from here." Nekowa said as she pointed the direction, "It's not that far, and they are quite hidden, surrounded by numerous trees that conceal them rather well."

"Thank you, Nekowa." Liam answered, "Before I make my decision, are they the ones who were responsible for this atrocity?"

"Yes." Nekowa nodded, "I took the liberty to investigate and overhead some of them talking about their success in ambushing a carriage of a noble nearby who was protected by her soldiers."

"I see." A cold voice chilled Nekowa to the core as Liam transformed again back to Defolta.

"W-what are you going to do to them, Defolta? Are you going to kill them?" Nekowa asked with a regretful voice.

"Kill them?" Defolta spoke with venom, frightening her cat partner, "I will make them wish that they are dead in the first place. They shall pay the price for murdering them. I sense hesitation in your tone. Do you disagree with me then, Nekowa?"

"No, it's not that." Nekowa replied, feeling sad by the inevitable outcome. She then took a seat at a nearby log, offering Defolta to do the same, "Do you wish to hear my story about how I really feel regarding this matter?"

"I suppose we have the time." Defolta reverted to Liam as he agreed and heeded Nekowa's request.

"Very well. I should warn you." Nekowa said with a look of grimace, "Not everything about Magical Girls is all sunshine and rainbows."

System Notification: A Magical Tale Started: A Broken Shield.

***

Back in my world, I guided a team of Magical Girls and taught them about how they should uphold love and justice with a merciful heart. I always thought that was how a Magical Girl should conduct themselves accordingly, and thus, should show humanity to their foes and deliver justice in accordance with law.

A fierce battle between three of my Magical Girls and a heartless villain was nearing its end at a ruined city of my world. One of the girls particularly, a young lass with long blonde hair cladded in plated armor with a blue skirt, stood tall and proud as she faced the evil with unwavering resolve.

Her moniker, Magical Girl: Aegis, was the epitome of honor, courage, and protection, bolstering her defensive skills to shoulder the burden of damage away from her beloved comrades.

"None can hurt my allies as long as I stand, Azareth!! Surrender and face justice for all the suffering that you have caused among the people!!!" Aegis proudly said as she tightly gripped her signature sword and kite shield.

"Oh, Aegis, always the goodie two shoes. What a charm you always truly are." The evil incarnate, Azareth scoffed mockingly as he found the Magical Girl's declaration just all too hilarious for him. As true to his moniker of evil, the man was covered in a black mist, with a face that resembled a demon with two horns protruding from each side of his head. He wore a black suit with a bowler cap of the same color, as if picturing himself as the embodiment of a true gentleman despite what his rotten personality said otherwise.

"This fight is futile!! You are already gravely injured and can no longer fight." Aegis stated the facts, seeing the wounded state of the evil that was in front of her.

"Haha, yes. How regrettable that we cannot continue this entertaining battle of ours. I'm all out of Magical Energy and even casting a single spell is going to be a chore." Azareth coughed blood and sat down on the ground due to sheer exhaustion and damage he received from his Magical adversaries.

Aegis looked behind at one of her magical girl comrades for confirmation and one of them, the blue-haired girl, answered, "It's true. Thanks to my innate mana sense, his Mana is currently at an all-time low. I also doubt he could lift a finger, thanks to you beating him to a pulp."

"Thank you, Arcana." Aegis nodded with gratitude and turned her attention back to the villain.

Arcana smiled and casted a spell, conjuring binding ropes to wrap Azareth's whole body, "With these binds, you shall not escape from our sight."

When the battle seemed to have reached its conclusion, Azareth could only wonder in anticipation at what his fate shall be, "Well, I'm in your hands then, Aegis. What punishment shall I receive from the Hand of Justice, the Almighty Guardian herself?"

The answer that was about to come from Aegis' mouth shocked them, even from her fellow Magical Girls.

"Death."

The two girls behind gaped in sheer surprise at the dark word that never would have imagine that Aegis would even consider.

Azareth's eyes widened with astonishment at the girl's notion, "Hoohh… that was quite… unexpected. Never would I imagine hearing such a… distasteful word from you of all people."

"A-Aegis?" Arcana spoke with a hint of fear, "Did you just hear what you said?"

"Of course." Aegis spoke without an ounce of hesitation, "The man murdered thousands. It is only right that his life should be forfeited."

"But should he not be tried for trial?" The other girl asked, the one who possessed radiant blonde hair, "I mean, it is the protocol for criminals to be brought to the council and properly sentenced for their crimes."

"To damned with the council!!! His death shall serve for the good of all!!" The girls and even Azareth were surprised upon hearing sheer rage from her voice. As the Paragon of Justice and Mercy, it was uncharacteristically for her to be engulfed in anger in contrast with her usually calm demeanor, "Of all people, you should know better, Luminosa."

"But we are not like those Nightingales who disregard the law and murder who they saw unfit with their ideals in cold blood." The Magical Girl, Luminosa, argued unwaveringly.

"What part of murdered thousands do you do not understand?!!" Aegis screamed with fury, an ugly expression befalling on her beautiful face, "None of you were there when I personally witnessed him slaying innocents, all for the sake of his sickening amusement!! Even… even my parents were of no exception from his wrath."

"Aegis…" The girls eyed her with sympathy.

"All of this… from the day I turned to a Magical Girl, everything culminated to this very day." Aegis approached Azareth with her blade ready to strike him down.

"This turned quite an interesting revelation," Azareth spoke with amusement, "To think that the honorable Aegis, the Magical Girl adored and worshipped by all, would even succumb to the ugly side of revenge. How very... human of you."

"Shut up, Azareth." Aegis pointed the sharp tip of her blade at his face, "With your death, may the souls of the innocents finally rest in true peace."

As she was about to deliver the killing blow to a wounded villain, I appeared and stopped from her foul act.

"Aegis, stopped!!!" I quickly closed the distance and arrived just in time to intervene.

"Master Nekowa." Aegis said, bearing a cold-blooded expression, "Please do not stand in my way."

"You don't have to do this, Aegis! He can no longer fight and has surrendered." I attempted to be the voice of reason.

"He has to take responsibility, for all the crimes he has done!!" Aegis countered, refusing to yield to my reasoning.

"And he will, but not like this, not like a dishonorable vigilante. You are better than this, Aegis!"

"No!! I refuse to spare this… monster!!" Aegis' voice cracked down in sheer despair, "He murdered the innocent… my parents… killed by him."

"And killing him won't bring them back." I said with sympathy as I looked at her being on the verge of tears, "If we resort to murder, then we are no better than the villains we hunt down. This is what separates us from the line of good and evil. We must be better, Aegis, for the sake of this world and her people. The people look up to us as beacons of love and hope, serving as inspiration for our ideals to follow. I'm sure your parents do not want you to thread this dark path."

"I…" Aegis hesitated at the mention of her parents. Memories flooded in as she reminisced about her loving parents gathered with her together on the dining table during her childhood days.

All they wanted was for their child to be happy, to live in peace and prosperity away from conflict.

Perhaps her parents would frown at the prospect of their sweet girl turning into a murderer. No parent desired their child to dirty themselves with cold blood.

In the end, Aegis conceded and dropped her weapons, falling to the ground as I hugged her prone figure for emotional support.

"There, there, it's alright." I comforted her by tapping her back like she was my own child, "You did the right thing, Aegis. Your parents are definitely proud of you, no question."

Eyeing one of my protégé, I smiled brightly at her decision and was utterly relieved as well for taking her away from the darkness that was about to engulf her entire being.

It was a fleeting moment, Magical Girls triumph, villain's plan spoiled. No doubt, a happy ending was about to take place, no question.

But in this case, however, the situation turned completely into chaos when all of a sudden, a gunshot was heard.

"M-master…"

For us, it was as if time slowed down as a hole punctured her forehead. Aegis instantly crashed to the ground as we could only stare helplessly at her now lifeless body.

"AEGISSS!!!!!!" I screamed with anguish and shook her still body desperately in vain.

"Well, that was a fucking mess. A shame that I missed the little kitty's head by a margin, but oh well, can't have them all, I suppose."

I lifted my head and witnessed Azareth, with magical ropes all cut down, dusting his clothes merrily.

Before we could all act, the bastard threw a smoke bomb that blinded and hindered us all.

When everything was cleared, Azareth was seen levitating high above the air with a dark portal right behind him.

"But how!!!!???" Arcana yelled, this time in deep fury, "I bind you with my magic!!! Not to mention, you were also out of Mana!!!!"

"Dear, dear, Magical Girls, oh, and also cat." Azareth addressed us all from above, mentioning me last like I was a silly afterthought, "It was all a ploy. It seems that the art of deception is lost on you all."

"You'll pay for this, Azareth!!!!" As Arcana and Luminosa were about to cast another of their spells, they were surprised when their magic failed to materialize.

"By the way, the smoke that you were breathing, it is designed to seal your magic for a good time, well except for mine that is." Azareth chuckled with malice, "As for my ploy, well… it's simple. I just feigned weakness by concealing my Mana and strength, letting poor dear Arcana think that I was out of it."

He watched with glee at Arcana gritting her teeth in frustration before continuing mocking them, "Then I waited, waited for your now deceased friend Aegis to let her guard down before dealing the killing blow. After all, I can never hope to harm the rest of you and other Magical Girls with her and her defensive magic around. Thus, she was the priority, and my primary goal for this meeting of ours."

"You sick fuck!!! I will rip you to shreds!!!" Luminosa, the light magic user of the former trio, turned out of character and expressed a look of pure murder and disgust that was unbefitting for the Priestess Magical Girl Archetype.

"Ah your repulsed faces, such eye candies indeed." Azareth basked at their sickened expressions, "It was a gamble, you know, to stake at dear Aegis' sense of honor and justice with the hopes of her sparing my lonesome. Of course, I never would have imagined that even she would give in to the dark notion of vengeance and resolve to kill me. If she had proceeded with her plan and executed me right there, then my gamble would be all for naught. I believe I must thank you for that… kitty cat."

All eyes were dawned on me with judgmental eyes as I could do nothing and only stare helplessly at the ground, even ashamed to take a peek at Aegis' dead body that was in front of me.

"Justice, justice, justice… well, tell your justice to patch itself up since its riddled with a lot of holes, hahaha!!!" Azareth spared no expense in mocking us all, "It was because of your so-called justice that massacred your friend. You should have killed me when you had the chance!!"

"Oh, and by the way," Azareth said as he made his way to the portal for his inevitable escape that served as a final middle finger to us, "I am completely capable of killing you all right here and then, but you know what? Sparing you three to let you all feel the anguish of poor Aegis' demise is a whole lot sweeter than simply ending you all. If there is nothing else, then toodle-oo!!"

With a final wave of his hand, Azareth entered the dark portal as it disappeared from our very eyes, marking his complete get-away for us three to suffer the consequences… my consequence for allowing Azareth to live instead of simply ending him.