As she flew, Horinouchi caught Kagami’s sword on her shield and twisted it.
She faced them both toward the ground and performed several rolls while glowing sparks flew from the area of continuing contact.
“Can’t you see this?”
Horinouchi ascended through the sky as she spoke.
“There is a reconstructed city directly below, but the rest of Tokyo around it, the rest of the Japanese Archipelago, and – most importantly – the rest of the world was mostly destroyed. Can’t you see that?”
“What is-…?”
“This was the result of our battle with the Black Witch! It happened ten years ago and has been the way of our world for long, long before that!”
She shoved Kagami away, fired, and fired some more, but Kagami caught the homing shots on her sword and swept them away.
“Battling the Black Witch is the way of this world? Is there really a battle like that!?”
“Yes, that is Hexennacht. The Black Witch is said to have created this world. But when she grew tired of it, she attempted to destroy it. Ever since the people sealed her away and she responded with a sneer, the seal is opened one night every ten years when we must confront and defeat her.”
However…
“The opening in the barrier is small, so generally only one or two individuals are chosen to confront her. And that battle has never succeeded even once in all of human history. She is always resealed.”
“Then,” said Kagami as she flew forward.
While ascending, she forcefully raised her sword and thrust it forward, so Horinouchi had to catch it on her three arrows.
Kagami quickly moved in much closer.
With the space for the blade and shield between them, she asked another question. They continued accelerating toward the heavens all the while.
“Where is this Black Witch?”
“You don’t know?” asked Horinouchi as she fired from behind her shield. Her voice rose to a shout. “The moon!!”
