*
"Hey." (Sariel)
A girl a little taller than they were called out to them. Her chest was also slightly more developed than the two of them, faintly heaving under heavy strain at the corner of a street. The two obliged and turned around to face her. They had leisurely reached this far after school was dismissed, and they were heading home when they heard the girl's voice. It was mostly an ordinary day until the very end, Yggdrasil could feel a significant weight lift off her shoulders. She was no longer racing to kill Ledaine or face any enemies.
"... Do you have something you want to tell us?" (Arin)
"That... You... Lastia, you're a magical girl!" (Sariel)
"Right... I'm sure everyone dutifully saw that. Get to the point." (Lastia)
Sariel was taken aback by the crude reply, but she recovers almost instantly. Perhaps she was quite headstrong, or indifferent to anything she didn't care about. Her thoughts only lay in conveying what she wanted, dismissing the reply as soon as she heard it. As if Lastia hadn't spoken at all.
"... Transform." (Sariel)
With a solemn tone, a flash of light wrapped her body and skin for a moment before vanishing. It was faster than a camera shutter, imperceptible. In the next frame, her combat dress had already been donned. A familiar sight... From another world. No matter how accurately similar she was, this Sariel is off the simulated world's. It's not the same as the one sitting back home...
She sported her usual autumn theme, not heavy on the frills and accompanied with floating black metal plating. Akin to Eastern armour, two layered rectangular platings faintly hovered above her shoulders. Below her orangey gold dress was a pair of black eastern war boots that reach the knee, they truly give off the feeling of a magical girl with their short heels and smooth surface. A ribbon of thin straps faintly hung around her collar, drifting gently into the afternoon breeze.
A pang hits her heart, crushing it tight. Just for this moment, she regretted making this world. However, a creator should never show her feelings to her creations. Ignorance is bliss, and she takes this role to reinforce it even more seriously than ever. So she cuts off her own feelings of regret.
'... {Feed}.'
She whispered in her heart. Unbeknownst to the rest of this universe, a concealed sentiment that must never be realised in the outside world. Faster than a magical girl's transformation, she quietly crushes her own regrets until nothing is left... With magic.
I am my creator's treasured creation, just as this world is mine. At the very least I owe them the minimum decency, the blessing to never know their creator's true thoughts. If it's something awful like regret, then it's better if the creator simply isn't around them... Telling your child you regret birthing them, how would they feel? I don't know, but I don't want to imagine it or let it come to past. I'd rather... Cut that peace of my soul off.
This world was meant to dissolve when I beat the Primordial Shadow. I can't get attached to it now, just because of one look alike. Should I kill her? That's the simplest way right? My wrist twitched out of sight, and I held my breath as I transformed. Unlike the actual Arin's, my combat dress donned a black jacket. On it were dark red trimmings that interlaced into intricate webbing that traced the seam lines.
The texture itself was glossy and silky, the collar was tied loosely around my clavicles without my arms going into the sleeves. Underneath was a one piece short white sun dress that stopped above the thighs. It was quite airy underneath, and it felt like if I split my legs slightly it would crease up the dress and reveal something undesirable. Was her combat dress always this uncomfortable? It sure got the heart pumping... The dress was sleeveless, roughly held over the shoulders with two frilled straps.
A loving or an indifferent creator? Which was Lastia, which was Eterna?
Lastia stepped forward and put her hand over Arin, blocking Sariel's way. Truthfully, she was in the dark on why Arin was so distraught. No matter how much Arin tried to hide it, she still transformed. That only happens when someone feels threatened, since there aren't any monsters or inhuman enemies around, save for herself that is. She used the concept of Traces as a vessel to manifest herself in Yggdrasil's reality, she is by no means human.
"... Relaxed, what the hell are you getting so worked up over? Just explain to her what's going on like usual." (Lastia)
'Like usual?' (Sariel)
A brief question showed on her face but she kept it to herself before the two noticed.
"... Alright. As you can see, we're both experienced magical girls. Did you have a question you wanted to ask?" (Arin)
She'll reign in the situation like it's a wild animal. Hold it firmly in her palm. She hasn't manipulated reality in any way a single individual can't reproduce since its creation. This place is certainly an entirely different world now. She plans to keep it this way. Playing with fate isn't something pleasant. She feels her heart cooling down from the fervour, her gaze held steady.
"... Since when. How did you two become magical girls without my notice?" (Sariel)
" We've been magical girls for a long time. We just didn't give ourselves away. Trace attacks are scarce, roughly once per month for each zone. There wasn't much reason to be active. " (Arin)
She stopped speaking but held her gaze firmly on Sariel. In other words, they were relaxing in the back when Sariel started taking care of all the Trace occurrences. At least that was supposed to be their setting. With memories of the world forged beyond perfection, no one could ascertain that these 2 were outsiders or that the world has just been born.
Perhaps if someone here ascended into a God magical girl, they might see the truth of this world. Even Yggdrasil couldn't ascend fully, she was a false deity with a false divinity. It was easier said than done, more impossible than a miracle.
'once per month, huh. Certainly, the fabric of this world only has the strength to endure an invasion for 1 month. Without Yggdrasil here to repair it, that would be the end. Just like that...
She's worked the narrative around the world's frailty. Is that something she'd accept? ' (Lastia)
It's moronic. Yggdrasil's goal to defeat the Primordial Shadow of Existence was to get her attached to this world, have her experience the good part of humanity and turn over a new leaf. Before that, Yggdrasil would get attached first... Lastia stares silently at Arin before heaving a sigh.