The midnight bell had long fallen silent, and Red Sea City was wrapped in deep slumber.
Only the faint afterglow of the City Protective Shield’s repair lingered, occasionally flickering silently along the edges of high-rise buildings.
A Magical Girl with fiery red hair floated in the cold night sky, like a burning star, carrying out her patrol duties.
The Abyssal Beast’s assault had torn through the city’s defenses. Though the breach had been hastily patched, cunning Low-level Monsters had still managed to slip inside.
“Commercial Street secure, no anomalies.”
The Magical Girl codenamed “Poppy” reported softly into her communicator, her voice tinged with a barely noticeable fatigue.
Crimson strands fluttered lightly in the night wind.
“Received, Poppy. Good work.”
Her companion’s response came through the earpiece.
Poppy manipulated her Magic Power, landing lightly on the deserted street below.
The cold stone pavement reflected the distant glow of street lamps.
She stretched her long limbs, arching her back with a languid, drawn-out moan.
“Mm…”
“So tired… Just got discharged from the hospital and already on patrol duty again…”
She muttered under her breath, rubbing her sore shoulders and neck.
“Home. Sleep.”
“Pa-tat!”
A sudden, faint noise echoed from deep within a narrow, shadowy alley nearby.
It sounded like rolling gravel—or perhaps something wet and slick scraping against a wall.
Poppy froze mid-stretch.
Her sharp gaze sliced through the darkness toward the source.
On such a dead silent night, aside from the Patrol Team, there shouldn’t be anyone else here.
What was that?
Poppy shed her laziness, Magic Power swirling around her as she moved, stepping cautiously and silently into the alley reeking of dampness and trash.
Shadows swallowed her whole.
Suddenly!
A blurred black shape darted from less than a meter away at the corner of the wall!
So fast it left only a fading afterimage!
Poppy reacted instantly!
Her arms crossed in front of her chest in a flash, Magic Power erupting in a burst of light!
“Vmm—”
Two ornate Magic Cannons, adorned with blazing magic runes, materialized in her hands!
Their barrels glowed hot, aiming without hesitation at where the shadow vanished!
“Meow～”
A disgruntled, startled cat cry sounded.
At the end of the alley, a bristling stray cat arched its back, glaring warily and furiously at the “big toys” in her hands radiating dangerous energy.
Apparently offended, it hissed a threat from its throat, then bolted up the wall and vanished into the night.
“So it was just a cat…”
Poppy’s taut nerves loosened a bit, her tense shoulders slumping.
She flicked her wrist, and the Magic Cannons dissipated into glowing particles.
She shook her head, turning to leave the cold, narrow alley and return home to catch up on sleep.
But the instant she turned her back to the depths of the alley—
Disaster struck!
A black shape, darker and faster than the night, shot toward her from behind like a venomous snake, slicing the air with a chilling screech!
Something cold and slimy nearly brushed her neck!
Poppy’s pupils shrank!
Her battle instincts kicked in, twisting her body aside in the nick of time!
“Shrrrip!”
A thick tentacle, its tip sharp and glistening with eerie darkness, slashed past her shoulder, tearing the air with a shrill cry!
The cold wind stung her cheek!
Spinning with the motion, Poppy’s gaze locked behind her like lightning!
In the alley’s deepest shadow, a figure in a pitch-black dress stood silently.
Only two crimson lights shone in the darkness, gazing at her with the cold, mocking stare of an Abyssal demon—piercing and unblinking.
“Who are you?!”
Poppy shouted, her voice echoing off the alley walls, hands summoning her Magic Cannons once more and aiming straight at the bizarre figure!
“Come play with me～”
The shadow spoke, voice dripping with childish sweetness and malice, ignoring her question completely.
Before the words finished—
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Poppy opened fire without hesitation!
Blazing beams of Magic Power tore through the darkness, striking at the shadow with deadly precision!
But the figure twisted and dodged with inhuman speed and flexibility, like a ghost without substance.
The blasts exploded against the walls and ground, sending stone and dust flying—never even grazing the enemy’s clothes!
“Hmph!”
The shadow let out a soft laugh.
Several more monstrous tentacles, identical to the first, shot out from behind, below, and above her—striking toward Poppy from every angle like lurking vipers!
With shrill, air-splitting screeches, they targeted her vital points!
“Don’t underestimate me!”
Poppy’s eyes hardened—she advanced rather than retreating!
“Bang! Bang! Bang——!”
Both cannons fired in sync, precise and wild!
Several of the attacking tentacles were blasted apart in searing explosions!
Thick black fluid and shattered limbs sprayed everywhere!
“Eat this!”
Poppy cried out, slamming her hands together!
The two Magic Cannons blazed with blinding light, merging and transforming!
A colossal Magic Cannon Fusion, its barrel pulsing with destructive magic runes, hovered before her!
The accumulated energy at the muzzle lit the dark alley like midday!
Destruction brewed in the depths of the barrel!
“BOOM——!!!”
A magic energy beam, wider and more dazzling than before—terrifying and magnificent—roared forth like a rampaging dragon, ripping through the air and annihilating everything in its path, blasting toward the shadow at the end of the alley!
Before this strike, enough to obliterate half the street—
The shadow didn’t move.
She simply raised a hand.
Sometime during the battle, a jet-black sword wreathed in ominous darkness had appeared in her grasp.
Look closely, and you’d see an eye embedded in the blade, staring unblinkingly at Poppy—making her skin crawl.
The sword flashed.
No earth-shattering clash.
The destructive Magic Cannon beam was sliced perfectly in two, as if an invisible blade had parted a sheet of cloth!
Scorching energy roared past on either side of the shadow, blasting the walls and ground behind her, leaving two massive craters as debris rained down.
Amid the swirling dust, her silhouette remained undisturbed.
She twirled her sword casually, crimson eyes meeting Poppy’s stunned face through the haze.
Within that gaze was a childlike, chilling disappointment and dissatisfaction.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
Poppy’s pupils constricted in shock!
She could feel it—the Magic Power surging from the dark figure’s body—
Viscous, cold, reeking of decay and doom!
A tangible malice pressed down on the air.
This power…
It couldn’t be!
A Witch! A pure embodiment of disaster!
Why? Red Sea City had just survived a catastrophe, the Protective Barrier barely repaired, and now a Witch of this caliber had infiltrated so silently?!
She had to call for backup!
The thought raced through her mind as her fingers instinctively reached for the Emergency Communicator at her waist!
“During battle…”
The shadow—Mu Ming—spoke, her childish, playful voice suddenly whispering right by Poppy’s ear.
So close, it was as if she was speaking directly into her eardrum!
“…Don’t think about anything else, okay?”