The witch blew Kyouko across the asphalt in one hit; the redhead's body collided with the cement, causing her skin to tear upon impact. Her teeth gritted together in annoyance whilst she struggled to rise to her feet, but it seemed that she was running out of strength quickly. At long last, she managed to resume standing, but the witch would not go easy. In fact, the beast attacked more ferociously, directing hits quicker and more efficiently at the redhaired magical girl.
Kyouko used the remainder of her energy to dodge critical hits, but still managed to get her clothes tattered and worn out by the angry creature resting atop the labyrinth's pillars. She clicked her tongue in annoyance whilst aiming her spear in the direction of her malign opponent. With what little strength she could muster, she sent the weapon flying into the air, then turned to look at Tohka, who seemed to be struggling with an important matter.
"Hey, what the hell're you doin'?" She mused at her companion with a slight hostility in her tone. "Just stay back, alright? I'll take care of this one."
Her words trailed off with hostility. Would she really be able to save Tohka and herself from this vicious beast at hand? Neither of the two girls seemed to be able to beat the adversary without first struggling; Kyouko was starting to doubt that they would make it out alive, much less unharmed. But at least, she had hope... In the past, she was lacking reason and fought with brutality with no motivation other than to keep living. But ever since she'd met Tohka, she had been filled with a new sensation of courage; the stories of heroes she had revered as a child flooded her mind as she battled the witch at hand.
Kamisama, tell me. If I die right here, have I lived for good reason? Kyouko prayed silently to herself whilst falling to her knees on the pavement. At least, if I have to go, let me save Tohka. I'm tired of watching good people die in vain, while the villains always win. Real life sucks compared to those stories I read as a kid... So please, for once in my life, let me see a really happy end.
She used her spear as a support for standing up and turned to look at Tohka with lips curled up in a smile of true sympathy. "Hey, when you find something worth protecting, protect it at all costs."
And then, using the remainder of her magic supply, she cut Tohka off from the witch with a barrier of spears. She turned on last time to direct crimson optics at her companion. "Sorry for leading you in here. I sure was a fool for letting you get involved, huh? I guess this is my punishment."
With a sigh, the redhead turned to the witch with a soft smile still lingering on her lips.
"Thank you, Kami-sama..."