Innocence Seekers: April Light/Chapter 3/Episode 45

This is the twenty-first episode, "The Fifth Pendant Holder" (五人目のペンダント保有者), of the third chapter of Innocence Seekers: April Light.

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Episode text
Mira backed away from the pedestal and began to cast a spell. A pink magic circle appeared beneath her feet.

–Kanade: Mira, what are you...

–Mira: The item needed to fully restore the World Orb is my own Rainbow Jewel. Now, everyone, your pendants!

–Aria: Ah, right!

The pendant holders held up their respective pendants and began to cast their own spells. The World Orbs began to glow.

–Mira: Uzuki, you too!

–Uzuki: Me?

–Aria: Uzuki, focus your mana on the White Orb.

–Uzuki: Ah, right.

Uzuki began to cast a spell, and a yellow magic circle appeared beneath her feet. Mana began to gather at the pedestal, and the glow of the orbs began to brighten.

–Aria: O spirits of fire, I call upon you to lend us your power...

–Kanade: O spirits of water, imbue these orbs with your essence...

–Lyra: O spirits of earth, gather your form into one...

–Melody: O spirits of air, breathe life into these sacred orbs...

–Mira: I call upon you, all who have gathered here, to banish the impurity that lingers and to restore the brilliance of the very heart of this planet! Now, grant us your power, your essence, your form, your life, and we shall unite the forces of nature into one! O World Orb, now is the time for thee to take back thy light!

Suddenly, a massive burst of light was emitted from the pedestal. When the glow died down, the fire-elemental World Orb shone brilliantly.

–Lyra: We... we did it!

–Aria: Wow... to think we were able to do it...

–Melody: Mira...

Mira approached the pedestal and took the pendant.

–Mira: Everyone, there's something I need to tell you.

–Kanade: What is it, Mira? Is that why you came here?

–Mira: Well, it's more than that. I wanted to meet Lyra again, but I'm a bit sad that she has lost most of her memories. Anyway, are you aware of what is going on near Elrodom?

–Himawari: Elrodom? What about it?

–Uzuki: I believe that is our next destination.

–Mira: Listen carefully, everyone. In a matter of days, the White forces will launch an invasion on a nearby Netherworld.

–Uzuki: I already knew that a Netherworld was going to be invaded, but I didn't think it would be located so close to one of our planets.

–Mira: To add to that, there is a significant chance that the conflict will spill over into human territory, and you know what the Whites intend to do to humanity.

–Melody: So, is that why you came here, Mira?

–Mira: That's right. I came here to warn everyone.

–Aria: Mira, how do you know all of this?

–Mira: Alcea told me everything.

–Kanade: Alcea? Just what is she up to now?

–Aria: I'm not sure. Honestly, I don't even know what her motives are.

–Uzuki: Isn't Alcea a part of this "White" faction you speak of?

–Mira: Uzuki, she claims to be a part of the Whites, but isn't actually part of it. I'm not sure if you already know, but she wants a strong race to lead the galaxy, and had originally thought that humanity would be that race. But, of course, human nature reared its head, and now you get the situation you are in right now.

–Lyra: That's true. After all, humanity wouldn't be humanity without a severe case of shooting oneself in the foot.

Mira giggled. Himawari held back her laughter with her hand, as she knew exactly what Lyra meant.

–Himawari: If I recall, the political situation on Elrodom is dire. From what our sources tell us, the Lilypond Wars have become hot again, and this time it appears to be a war over the World Orbs.

–Aria: I see. Anyway, Himawari, did you just laugh at what Lyra said? Despite it being at your kind's expense?

–Himawari: Being a princess, I've had my share of dealing with loonies who care more about popularity than actually, you know, ensuring long term prosperity or even saving the world. And I'm well aware that the average human is stupid and would simply vote for whoever impresses them the most.

–Aria: Well, that is true, but...

–Uzuki: Mira, I wish to head to that Netherworld to defend it.

–Mira: Uzuki...

–Melody: Wait, Uzuki, what are you saying?! Are you just going to head there by yourself?

–Uzuki: But it is Erelia's home. And as part of the contract, I want to help her as much as she helps me.

–Lyra: U-chan...

–Uzuki: There's a Portal Monolith close to the location of the air-elemental World Orb that leads directly to Erelia's Netherworld. We only have a week until they arrive, so...

–Himawari: Now hold on, Uzuki! We shouldn't be rushing straight into this. We don't know how strong the enemy is, and besides, I think the Netherworld can hold on its own. The most we should do is to guard our territory surrounding the Netherworld.

–Mira: I don't know if that's a suitable plan. We shouldn't underestimate the power the Whites will bring. On the other hand, Uzuki, it's too dangerous for you to come. Let us pendant holders handle everything.

–Uzuki: But...

–Lyra: U-chan, just leave it to us. Besides, we have our own ships.

–Mira: Ah, Lyra, your ship, the Vega, is here. I've checked it, and it seems to be in perfect condition.

–Lyra: Ah, thanks. Wait, how did you get hold of my ship?

–Mira: I, well, I just got it to head to where you were.

–Aria: Well, that's understandable. And it's not like Lyra would've been able to summon her ship by herself, having been cut off for so long.

–Uzuki: Still...

–Himawari: Uzuki, don't you have tests coming up? I think it's best for you to head to school for the next couple of weeks while we deal with what's going on near Elrodom.

–Uzuki: Ah, right, I almost forgot.

–Melody: Anyway, we'll be going ahead. See you later, Uzuki.

–Uzuki: Ah, we'll meet on Elrodom, right?

–Melody: That's right.

–Mira: Oh, and one more thing...

Mira walked to Uzuki and handed her three small orbs.

–Uzuki: These are...

–Mira: The weapons given to us by the World Orbs. And the last clue from here is 'for a short time, perfect attack, and perfect defence'.

–Himawari: So that means, 'overwhelming power', 'ignoring all defences', 'the focus of ruin', and 'perfect attack, perfect defence'. I think the ones we're looking for may be closer to us than you may think.

–Mira: Perhaps you're right.

Mira turned to the other pendant holders.

–Mira: You four can go ahead. There are things I still need to do here; I'll catch up with you later.

–Kanade: Mira, what else do you need to do here?

–Mira: Well, first I need to explain myself to everyone. I did arrive very suddenly, after all. And there are many things I need to explain to Uzuki.

–Uzuki: Why me?

–Mira: You'll see.

–Kanade: Anyway, we'll be heading off now.

–Uzuki: Ah, good luck, everyone!

Lyra, Melody, Kanade and Aria exited the room.

–Himawari: Uzuki, there are some things I need to do here, so could you please head back home?

–Uzuki: Ah, okay.

Uzuki and Mira exited the room.

At the Miyana residence:

–Mira: So this is your house?

–Uzuki: It is. Although for quite a while I have been living in Japan.

–Mira: I already knew that. Anyway, should we head inside?

–Uzuki: Ah, right.

The two girls entered the house.

–Uzuki: I'm back!

There was no response.

–Uzuki: Huh? Where is everyone?

–Mira: Is something the matter?

–Uzuki: Yayoi-nee and Mi-chan should be here, but...

–Mira: I don't see anyone here. Anyway, we should sit down somewhere.

The girls headed into the living room and sat down on the chairs.

–Uzuki: Mira, what is it that you wanted to tell me?

–Mira: Uzuki... you are no ordinary magical girl.

–Uzuki: Eh? What do you mean?

–Mira: Uzuki, whether you are the April Light or not is irrelevant. Also irrelevant is the spiritual relationship you have with Akari. And, of course, the fact that you are one of the girls tasked with finding the World Orbs has no bearing on what I'm about to say.

–Uzuki: Then, what is it about me?

–Mira: Have you figured out what your Ultimate Skill is?

–Uzuki: No. What about it?

–Mira: A requirement to use an Ultimate Skill is to retain control while one has divine power imbued in her. Uzuki, out of your group of four, you are the one least likely to retain control.

–Uzuki: Why is that? If I recall, last time I activated my Innocence, I was possessed.

–Mira: As it stands, you will always become possessed whenever you activate your Innocence. Not many people know this, but the chance that a magical girl will be possessed when she activates her Innocence is actually related to the overall power of her Ultimate Skill.

–Uzuki: Then... are you saying that...

–Mira: That's right. Uzuki, your Ultimate Skill is by far the most powerful I have ever known.

–Uzuki: Even though I've never demonstrated it, you already know?

–Mira: From what Alcea told me, Akane was a lot like you in this regard. She had extreme difficulty retaining control whenever she activated her Innocence, whether deliberately or accidentally. But when she did retain control, the effect the resulting Ultimate Skill had on Pablo...

–Uzuki: Pablo? You mean, there's a way to slay him?

–Mira: There is. However, it is not just demonic energy that is powering him.

–Uzuki: Mira, you seem to know quite a lot about him. If you know a way to defeat him, then please tell me.

Mira got up from her seat, walked towards Uzuki, and placed her hands on Uzuki's shoulders.

–Uzuki: Mira?

–Mira: Uzuki... at this point in time, he cannot be slain.

–Uzuki: What? What do you mean?

Mira took out a sheet of paper and placed it on the coffee table. She began to draw on it.

–Uzuki: Mira, what is that?

–Mira: You'll see.

After a while, Mira finished drawing on the sheet of paper. She showed it to Uzuki.

–Uzuki: This is...

–Mira: That is a diagram of the possible power sources of a magic-using being. As you can see, most beings use mana.

–Uzuki: That I see. We magical girls can use Innocence, while demons and witches can use demonic energy. But what are these other sources?

–Mira: Those are variants of divine energy.

–Uzuki: Divine energy?

–Mira: The very energy that powers the gods. With divine energy, no mortal source of energy can kill any being with said energy, and they cannot be physically destroyed. While mana can be seen as an inherent part of the universe, divine energy is completely alien to it. Innocence is a vastly degraded form of a specific type of divine energy, lukira in my language.

–Uzuki: So that explains our natural resistance to magic. So how does all of this relate to Pablo?

Mira drew lines between several of the figures.

–Mira: Innocence is particularly limited in what it can do. It can only act in opposition to flagos, from which demonic energy is derived. Apart from a passive anti-magic effect, it does not do anything else. Similarly, demonic energy only affects lukira. However, pure lukira and pure flagos are exceptionally resistant to demonic energy and Innocence, respectively. And since Inherent Abilities are powered by Innocence, that means that a being imbued with flagos is virtually immune to them.

–Uzuki: Then, Pablo must have this flagos, right?

–Mira: That's right. And the amount he has will far overwhelm any attempt to slay him using Innocence.

–Uzuki: What about the World Orbs?

–Mira: While they have gathered quite a lot of Innocence, that is still not enough.

Mira drew a line from one of the figures to the central human-shaped figure.

–Mira: However, Ultimate Skills use pure lukira. And only a certain amount of pure lukira can eliminate enough flagos to weaken Pablo. It has already been done once before, we just need a suitable magical girl to do it again.

–Uzuki: And that magical girl is me, right?

–Mira: That's right. I should mention, though, that like before, Pablo will temporarily leave this plane of existence once he has been hit by this Ultimate Skill.

–Uzuki: I see. How many times must we use something like this before he can be slain?

–Mira: From what Alcea told me, only twice. The next time he enters the universe again, he can be killed for real, using an Ultimate Skill associated with Alcea's Inherent Ability.

–Uzuki: But Alcea is no longer a magical girl. How can we use this Inherent Ability?

–Mira: While it is possible for former magical girls to use Ultimate Skills, it is inherently risky. And, of course, there is the possiblity that she'll die before then.

–Uzuki: And what if that happens?

–Mira: There is still a way. In some ways, you could say that the stars have aligned.

–Uzuki: What do you mean?

Mira held out the Rainbow Jewel.

–Mira: Uzuki, do you know why I'm special among the pendant holders?

–Uzuki: Is it because of the Rainbow Jewel?

–Mira: That's only part of the reason. The Rainbow Jewel is something I have possessed for as long as I can remember, but the jewel chooses its owner.

Mira began to focus on the Rainbow Jewel, which began to glow.

–Uzuki: Mira, what are you-

–Mira: I shall reveal to you the wheel of fate. Uzuki, look very closely. The Rainbow Jewel has the power to alter destiny, but it can only be used by one who already the potential to use that power.

–Uzuki: Then, it's your power... no, your Inherent Ability.

–Mira: That's right. My Inherent Ability is Record Destroyer, and it has the ability to alter the past and the future.

–Uzuki: If you have that power, then...

–Mira: "Why didn't I simply change history?" Well, changing the past will result in unintended consequences, and in the worst case destroy the universe by creating enough Paradox Blasts to cause the Big Rip. As for the future, well, we mortals are the masters of our own destiny, and I can only influence our fate indirectly.

–Uzuki: Ah, okay...

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of pink light, forcing Uzuki to cover her eyes. When she uncovered them, she noticed a pink ball attached to a blue ball.

–Uzuki: Mira... what does that mean?

–Mira: The fates of those two beings are intertwined. I can tell you that the blue one is Alcea, while you will have to figure the other one out yourself. But I will say that, even in death, their bond will not break. In fact, it will grow stronger.

–Uzuki: That's a weird way to put it...

–Mira: Well, I do need to interpret it myself. You may see something different to what I'm seeing.

–Uzuki: Ah, and what about those other balls of light?

Uzuki pointed to the cluster of balls beyond the two attached ones. Mira turned around to see.

–Mira: Ah, I didn't see those. I guess my power is to link the past, present and future, and see the best path.

–Uzuki: So, what do those balls mean?

Mira pointed to the red ball in the chain of three large balls, which was also linked to a small red and a small purple orb.

–Mira: This cluster of orbs is why I sought you, and why Alcea wants to fight you. As you see, what I'm pointing at, is the past. The large yellow orb linked to the red one is the present, and the pink one after that is the future.

–Uzuki: I see. Who do they represent?

–Mira: The orb I'm pointing at represents Akane. Now this does not show all relations, but the small orbs attached directly to it represent two of her predecessors. If you haven't noticed, there's a small orange orb linked to both the large red and yellow orb.

–Uzuki: That one must represent Akari, right?

–Mira: Indeed it does. And that large yellow orb is you, Uzuki. Go ahead, touch it.

Uzuki got up from her seat and touched the large yellow orb. Suddenly, she saw a vision, then collapsed to her knees.

–Mira: Ah... I guess that was too much for you. So, Uzuki, what did you see?

–Uzuki: Ah, well... I just figured out how to retain control of myself when I activate my Innocence. However, it will be difficult, and along this path I will need to defeat Alcea in a duel.

–Mira: Indeed that is true. My power, as I said, shows the best path to the future. If at any point you stray from this path, the vision alters accordingly depending on what choices you have made. Uzuki, the journey will be long and arduous, but I'm sure you'll pull through.

–Uzuki: Anyway, what's the large pink ball?

–Mira: That? Well, the being it represents has yet to be born, but look closely at its bonds.

Uzuki peered at the cluster and noticed that the large pink orb was linked to the pair set aside.

–Uzuki: What does that mean?

–Mira: I'm not sure exactly, but one of the things I foresaw was Alcea's death.

–Uzuki: Eh? Who will kill her?

–Mira: I don't know, and the future is not set in stone anyway, so that fate can still be averted. However, I believe, there is a human magical girl with an Inherent Ability that grants her the ability to capture souls before they can pass on and imbue their power into another being.

–Uzuki: Then, Alcea's Inherent Ability can be transferred, right?

–Mira: That's correct. However, it can only be done after she dies, and of course other parts of the wheel of fate require you to defeat her before then. Anyway...

The balls of light disappeared.

–Uzuki: Eh? Mira...

–Mira: That'll be enough for today. Uzuki, there is one more thing I intend to do with you, but can we head outside?

–Uzuki: Ah, okay.

The two girls headed outside, where Tamaki was waiting.

–Uzuki: Ah, Tama-chan. How long have you been out here?

–Tamaki: Only a little while. Anyway...

Tamaki began to cast a spell, and a pink magic circle appeared beneath her feet. Suddenly, the three girls were sent into a pocket dimension.

–Uzuki: Tama-chan, what are you-

At that moment, Uzuki realised what was about to happen.

–Uzuki: Tama-chan, why do you have your weapon out?

Uzuki turned to Mira, who also had her sword out.

–Uzuki: Mira, you too?

–Tamaki: Let me explain, Uzuki. This is a training session. I agreed to hold this session with Mira, and we thought to include you. After all, you're the only one who can defeat Alcea.

–Uzuki: That I understand, but... at least you could've told me beforehand! Wait, you met Mira before?

–Mira: Well, we happened to meet while Tamaki was traversing the Cave of Illusions. We met again right before I came to you to repair the World Orb. Anyway, Uzuki, ready your weapon.

–Uzuki: I guess I have no choice.

Uzuki took out a yellow orb, and it transformed into a sword.

–Uzuki: But, two against one... I couldn't even keep up with just Tama-chan, but both of you?

–Mira: We'll start easy at first, but you better be prepared.

Tamaki and Mira charged towards Uzuki and swung their weapons toward her, stopping only a few centimetres from her body.

–Uzuki: E-E-Eh...

–Tamaki: If this were a real fight, you would've been cut down by now.

–Uzuki: But-

Suddenly, a green magic arrow flew right past Uzuki's ear. Uzuki turned around and saw Wakaba.

–Uzuki: Wakaba, you too?

–Wakaba: Sorry, Uzuki. But Tamaki and Mira won't be fighting together. This is a battle royale!

Wakaba sent hundreds of arrows towards the three girls, only for Benio to appear behind her and slap her to the ground.

–Uzuki: Benio? Does that mean Aocchi is here as well?

–Tamaki: Well, I invited everyone. Anyway, this will be the first time we have fought like this, so let's get some practice in.

–Uzuki: Ah, right.

Wakaba got back up. Benio tried to attack again, only for Wakaba to evade the attack. Benio fired several fireballs, only for the attack to be deflected by Aoi.

Meanwhile, Tamaki and Mira attempted to attack Uzuki again, but Uzuki was prepared and evaded the attack, causing the two to strike each other instead. Uzuki attempted to counterattack; however, Tamaki was aware of this and kicked Uzuki away.

From a distance, Akari and Yayoi were watching the battle royale.

–Akari: Yayoi, is it really okay to have everyone undertake this training?

–Yayoi: Why not? Back then Misato had us undergo this very type of training.

–Akari: I guess she did.

–Yayoi: I wanted Chiru-chan to see this, but she said that she had an assignment to do. And Hiyorin's busy with magic devices, so...

Mirai approached the two.

–Mirai: Sorry I'm late...

–Yayoi: Ah, about time, Mirai.

–Mirai: Akari, Yayoi... there's something I need to tell you, and Uzuki's group as well. It concerns Elrodom.

–Akari: What is it?

–Mirai: Well... Bernim has fallen. The air-elemental World Orb has fallen into enemy hands.

The two girls were silent for a moment.

–Akari & Yayoi: What?!

End of Episode 45

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