“Um, little girl.” Ce Feng, who had been silently driving for a long time, suddenly spoke. “Come to think of it, I still don’t know what to call you.”
“…Big brother, you know I’m a Magical Girl, but you don’t know my name?” Wuhua’s gaze returned to the car, somewhat surprised.
“That’s right. The Administration Bureau considers information about you and many other Magical Girls as top-secret.” Ce Feng shook his head. “A regular employee like me has no chance to access it. Unless you tell me yourself, that’s a different story.”
“Mm-hmm.” Wuhua responded casually, lost in thought. “So there’s a rule like that.”
“Of course, it’s fine if you don’t want to tell your real name, little girl.” Ce Feng said, settling for the next best thing. “At least give me a convenient code name like the other Magical Girls.”
“In that case.” Wuhua sighed softly. “Just call me Mirror.”
“Mirror… Ah, a mirror.” Ce Feng nodded with satisfaction. “It feels very fitting for you. Then I’ll report it to the system as the code name Cute Mirror.”
“Why is it Cute Mirror?” Wuhua remembered that when she heard Lianying and the others’ titles, they also uniformly added the word ‘cute’ in front.
“Well… I’m not very clear on the specifics. It seems to be a long-standing habit of the Administration Bureau.” Ce Feng explained. “As long as you’re a Magical Girl, the title gets ‘cute’ added in front.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ce Feng lightly pressed the brake to slow down and gradually pulled the car over to the side.
“Um, Mirror.” Ce Feng rested his hand on the seat and turned back with a smile. “It looks like I can only take you this far. You’ll have to do your best for the rest of the way.”
*
Ce Feng went to the back of the car and proactively opened the door for Wuhua. As he reached out to pick her up—
“—” Wuhua raised her hand to refuse. Then, he watched her hop out of the car.
“…Th-this place?” Wuhua, who couldn’t see the view outside the window, only then realized they had arrived. Their location was the part about to go up the bridge.
Then, looking not far ahead, there was a traffic jam so congested nothing could move. Cars of various brands were parked haphazardly all over the road.
They had gotten up early and even braved the downpour to leave, only to be unable to make it to the company on time. This month’s perfect attendance bonus went down the drain.
The drivers were all hiding in their cars, constantly honking their horns in protest of the situation. Or they were cursing loudly. People were controlled by invisible pressure, erupting in wave after wave of negative emotions.
And at the end of that road, the reason for the traffic jam and the inability to pass was—
“…This morning, based on reports from multiple citizens, the Administration Bureau detected a large number of Anomaly reactions. Therefore, the bridge is temporarily under lockdown. Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering. Citizens planning to go to the other side of the city are advised to take a detour or wait until the crisis is completely resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
The only road leading to the bridge was blocked by red-and-white caution tape, temporary barricades with fences, and special vehicles. Standing nearby were many staff members Wuhua had accidentally encountered at the amusement park. The loudspeakers at their feet continuously repeated the above announcement.
*
“Mirror, let me apply for a special passage for you to get in.” Understanding the situation, Ce Feng turned around and suggested to her behind him. “It might take a little time… Huh?”
When Ce Feng focused his eyes, the seven-year-old girl who was originally wearing a floral dress behind him had, at some point, tied her silver-white twin tails behind her, paired with a lolita outfit. A faint glow emanated from her body, and raindrops were blocked out without an umbrella—
She stood before him with a completely new, almost unfamiliar appearance.
“No need. Something like this won’t stop me.” In place of Wuhua’s answer, it was the resolute steps she took.
“…Who was she again?” She left Ce Feng, who stood frozen in place, far behind.
When Wuhua leaped up and flew into the air, completely disappearing from his sight, he only then belatedly slapped his head.
“We’re counting on you, Mirror… Do your best.”
*
“Ruibi, Miao Ke, how’s the situation?” Flying in the air amidst the torrential rain, Wuhua looked down at the eerie scenery below—
The usually safe bridge that stood firm over the river now had its center area, like a sewer opening, continuously spewing out mud-like sticky black sludge. It gradually spread to the surroundings, about to fall off the bridge deck.
“Ugh, it feels awful.” Transformed Wuhua frowned and pursed her thin lips. “My subconscious tells me there’s definitely something bad there.”
‘And, it’s like a blurry filter is cast over it. I can’t see what’s up there clearly.’
“No mistake, Wuhua meow. The source of the Anomaly is right there meow.”
“Wuhua, an enemy stronger than usual is right before you. Be extremely careful.”
“Then, let’s go check the situation first.” Wuhua stayed on guard, looking for a suitable spot. Finally, she landed in a corner far from the center.
“…Has the discomfort just now deepened?” Standing on the bridge deck devoid of people and vehicles, Wuhua experienced some symptoms like nausea and dizziness.
“Wuhua, watch out. The evil force’s reaction is approaching.” Ruibi pointed into the distance warily.
As soon as the words fell, the black sludge covering the bridge deck began to gather upward and gradually form a human shape.
“This Anomaly, I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.” Wuhua summoned a weapon in her palm and raised it to aim.
Just as Wuhua was lost in thought, the Anomaly accelerated toward her and threw a punch.
“…I remember now!” Wuhua pulled the trigger just in time, and the magical ammunition erupted with light at the muzzle.
As the bullet penetrated the Anomaly, the impact created a huge hole in its body.
Wuhua pressed the advantage and fired a few more shots. In the end, the black sludge couldn’t maintain its human form and scattered onto the ground.
“It looks about the same as the Anomaly I first encountered.” Wuhua remarked, noticing that the discomfort hadn’t disappeared.
“But I clearly defeated it.” Confirming her grip, Wuhua cautiously moved forward.
Just then. Roars erupted all around her. “—” More identical humanoid Anomalies transformed from the black sludge and attacked Wuhua.
“Damn, this number. Isn’t it too many?” Wuhua could only shoot while retreating, and in the blink of an eye, she took out a few more.
But the Anomalies kept appearing endlessly. It was like the first boss a newbie encounters later becomes a common mob everywhere in the following stages.
“This will go on forever at this rate…” Wuhua repeated the two actions of reloading and shooting, and her stamina rapidly drained until it was almost empty.
“Wuhua? It seems these evil forces cannot be completely eliminated. It’s better to conserve your stamina first.” Ruibi promptly reminded her from the side.
“The weapon in your hand, the bullets you fire, and your abilities, etc. Essentially, they consume the energy within your body, which imposes a physical and mental burden.”
“I see… So it’s like a game character’s mana bar.” Having quickly understood, Wuhua chose to maintain distance first.
“Evil forces don’t appear out of nowhere, meow. There must be something controlling or influencing them, meow.” Miao Ke observed the surroundings.
“Hmm, it seems necessary to find that source first. But—” Wuhua looked up at the gray, windy, and rainy sky.
Although raindrops didn’t hit her, wetting her clothes and hair, her vision was affected by the rain, and the visibility here wasn’t high to begin with.
“If only there was a way to light up the surroundings…” Wuhua thought.
“Wuhua, you can try.” Ruibi nodded and reminded her.
“Magical Girls can use their imagination to make their weapons exhibit new and additional functions.”
“As long as your hypothesis is logical, this Miracle Power will respond to you.”
“It’s like using the pen in your heart to create one picture after another.”
“Although I don’t really understand—” Wuhua looked at the imminent enemies but still decided to give it a try.
“There’s no other way now…!” Wuhua closed her eyes and built a picture in her mind. “A logical hypothesis, huh.”
‘Make the firearm function as a light… Add a flashlight under the barrel, or something?’
‘No, no, that would be better than nothing at best. Might as well just turn on my phone.’
‘In that case… I’ve got it!’
Wuhua ejected the magazine from her weapon and removed all the loaded bullets. Then, she condensed a red orb of light in her palm, loaded it in, and rechambered.
“Let’s try this…!” Then, she raised the handgun above her head, aimed at the sky, and pulled the trigger—
“(A sound like a firework launching)”
A burst of flames erupted from the muzzle and flew toward the sky. After reaching a suitable height, it exploded.
In just an instant, the dark clouds in an area above dispersed, and the entire bridge was illuminated by a dazzling light.