Monsters, anomalies, evil… Those are different names for the same existence, broadly recognized as the main enemy of all magical girls.
As supernatural phenomena or creatures that have only frequently appeared in modern times, there is not much cognitive research or retained data on them from various parties.
Unknown origin. Their birth coincides roughly with the first recorded appearance of magical girls. The two seem to have a certain connection, following each other like shadows.
Unknown purpose. The majority lack reason. Like wild beasts, they cannot be communicated with or cooperated with. They are only driven by instinct to destroy cities and attack citizens.
Unknown appearance. It’s as difficult as finding cancer cells within normal cells. Before it begins to manifest, no one can guarantee that a monster won’t appear between you and me.
Unlimited frequency and range. Their activities can be seen all over the world. But they always cause local turmoil and catastrophic events.
If magical girls reflect the love and justice in people’s hearts, and are embodied in the image of adolescent girls full of beauty and hope,
Then the so-called monsters might be the greed and desire in people’s hearts. That dark side projected onto monsters that seem to exist only in fantasy.
In short, this is the existence and danger they have always had to face.
—
Wuhua sighed, recalling the content of a research report he had read.
“I wonder how Lianying and Qinglan are doing. Hopefully they can handle this sudden situation peacefully.”
It had been a few minutes since he separated from the two. Under the command of special personnel managing order and safety at the scene, Wuhua followed the evacuating crowd away from the affected commercial street.
Although many passersby were puzzled by a seven-year-old girl acting alone without an adult nearby, in this emergency, there wasn’t much room for demands.
“Beep, beep, beep.”
Suddenly, a clear signal came from the transceiver in Wuhua’s pocket.
As he picked it up and put it to his ear, a familiar electronic interference came through, along with an adult woman’s voice.
“…Wuhua, can you hear me? This is Mingji.”
After receiving Wuhua’s affirmative reply, she continued.
“I heard there’s a monster sighting on Commercial Street. The scene is chaotic. How are you over there, and where are the others?”
Wuhua told her the entire sequence of events in detail.
“I see. That figures. They don’t seem like the type to stand by and do nothing.”
The voice on the other end thought for a moment, then continued.
“Although this is a precious opportunity to collect materials, it’s too dangerous for you to act alone in your current state.”
After receiving instructions to wait on standby and a few words of concern, Mingji ended the brief call.
Without overthinking, Wuhua turned his gaze toward the distant Commercial Street, now sealed off with warning tape and occasionally erupting with noise and sounds of struggle.
“My, my child is still inside! Please, let me in!”
Suddenly, a wailing plea that drowned out the commotion reached Wuhua’s ears.
“He’s young, can’t read the signs or understand the broadcasts. At this rate, he’ll be in danger!”
Following the crowd’s gaze, he saw a middle-aged woman kneeling at the feet of well-equipped special personnel, crying out desperately.
“My child… wuwuwuwuwuwuwu…”
From the conversation, it was easy to deduce—she had been separated from her child during evacuation and intended to force her way into this dangerous area.
The passersby and staff, though sympathetic to the mother’s plight, could do nothing to help. After all, professional matters should be left to professionals. Modern weapons have little effect on monsters and anomalies.
“Sigh. If only I had a way to contact Lianying, I could ask her to keep an eye out.”
Just as Wuhua lamented his own helplessness,
“…Huh?” A strange image flashed before Wuhua’s eyes—or rather, in his mind—
Like a brief film reel playing for a few seconds, he could clearly see a child around his age running around the center of the shopping mall, his face full of panic.
“What, what is this?” Wuhua found it incredible. A blurry image without sound, yet it gave an immersive sense of reality.
Looking around, it seemed only he had received this bizarre information. Like a radio tuned to the right frequency.
As someone who had personally experienced many strange occurrences, Wuhua firmly believed this was no coincidence.
“Does it mean I’m supposed to go find him?”
…
Perhaps it was a sense of justice stirring within him, or simply the desire to investigate the origin of that image and confirm it—
In any case, unable to clearly explain that feeling, Wuhua successfully used her inconspicuous age advantage, along with her mature mind and intellect,
to sneak into the sealed-off area through a spot not covered by surveillance and cordons, after spending some time.
“Although I’ve filmed many magical girls fighting in action, this is the first time I’ve been in such a situation.”
With everyone evacuated, the usually crowded shopping mall was eerily quiet. The floor was covered in footprints, scattered merchandise, advertising signs, and stains from drinks and perfume—a complete mess.
Since the incident was chaotic, such a scene inside was not surprising.
“Where could that child be?” Wuhua scanned the surroundings several times alone. When there were people before, it wasn’t obvious, but now—
“This, this mall is this big?” Wuhua roughly estimated. Even if she didn’t go inside the stores to check, just running through each floor individually
would take at least ten minutes and extraordinary stamina. Besides, she was just a seven-year-old girl.
‘I can’t worry about that anymore. I’m already inside. I can’t just give up.’
‘Let’s start from the first floor. If I saw correctly.’
Based on her previous impression, Wuhua began searching for the figure and scene from the image.
“Hm? Again, it appears.” Before Wuhua could take a step, the previous image flashed before her eyes again.
This time, the child took the escalator, which had stopped, to a higher, more dangerous floor. No further information.
“…The problem is, which floor is he on?”
As if hearing Wuhua’s confusion, just when she was at a loss, a strange guest entered her field of vision.
“?!”
It was a doll that looked like a rabbit, floating in midair. Its drooping limbs and body, along with its upright ears, were stretched long. It had button-like eyes and a mouth formed by crossed lines. Its body emitted a faint glow, and it was facing Wuhua—
At first glance, Wuhua thought it was Lianying’s fairy companion, Miao Ke. But on closer inspection, while some features were similar, the two looked completely different.
But one thing was certain.
“This, this thing is definitely not an ordinary doll.”
In a quiet and dark place (daytime but power was out), a bizarre doll suddenly appeared, almost scaring Wuhua into a cold sweat like a scene from a horror movie.
If she hadn’t encountered a similar existence before—Miao Ke—she might have turned and run.
Just as Wuhua hesitated whether to approach,
“Follow, me, come.”
The doll spoke in an ethereal voice and began to move.
It floated along the stopped escalator, heading toward the higher floors of the mall.
“…Looks like I have to go for it.”
Without overthinking, Wuhua quickly followed.
At that time, she didn’t know this would be the second crossroads that would change her life.
As for the first, that was drinking the potion that turned her into a girl.
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