Nightmare Headquarters Prison Department.
Because she was mistaken for a Magical Girl invading headquarters, Squire was thrown into a cell by the Security Department’s Muscle Robots.
The environment of the cell was terrible, looking more like an ancient relic preserved to this day. In this space built from brick and stone, some corners of the walls even sprouted green moss and vibrant mushrooms, exuding a damp and musty stench.
“I’ve done so much for the organization! I’ve bled for the company! You can’t treat me like this! I want to see Ms. Syra, Minister!”
Squire clung to the bars of the cell, shouting with all her might, but aside from the echo, no one responded to her.
After all, she was the only prisoner in this empty Prison Department.
This was her first time coming to the Prison Department.
It was even her first time learning the company had such a department.
To think that in the underground of the city center, which boasted the highest level of technology in the world, there was still a dungeon straight out of an RPG game. Even the wall lighting was done with torches—Nightmare Headquarters’ designers really had a taste for the retro.
“This really is a dead end.”
Her Employee Card that could prove her identity, along with her Magical Girl Transformation Device, had both been confiscated. Now, Squire, who couldn’t defend herself, was truly nothing more than a “Black Magical Girl.”
“So hungry… It’s already past quitting time… I still haven’t finished today’s draft… If this keeps up, I’ll miss the publication window for submissions.”
Lying on her back on the single bed in the cell, Squire’s nose grew a little sore.
She’d run around all day without eating, turned from a middle-aged man into a Magical Girl, barely managed to make it back to the company after escaping the Heroes’ blockade, and just when she thought things were finally over, she was captured by the Security Department’s Muscle Robots…
She’d practically been sandwiched and carried in by those muscles.
To this day, she didn’t understand why those bionic robots had to be designed in the shape of bodybuilders in briefs. Did the Science Department have some kind of problem with aesthetics?
“Turned into a woman by a weird driver, and then squashed off the ground by a bunch of muscle men—I’m not clean anymore.”
Squire lay on the bed, covering her face and sobbing, but there were no tears at all.
[Combat Body cleaning available. Continue?]
The system prompt from the Nyx Driver sounded in her head once again.
“No, it’s not my body that’s dirty—it’s my Soul! A man’s Soul has been defiled by men!”
Even if they were robots, they all looked like bodybuilders.
But the Nyx Driver replied:
[According to publications released by the Magical Girl Society, Magical Girls whose Souls become tainted may fall and become Witches. You could consider applying to an Evil Organization.]
“I’m already an employee of an Evil Organization! And that’s not the point at all!”
She kicked her legs on the bed in frustration and slapped the Nyx Driver at her waist.
“In the end, isn’t all this because of you…? Why can’t I cancel the transformation?”
Even if she couldn’t undo the transformation, she could still make the driver reappear from within the Combat Body—she just couldn’t take it off, like it was Cursed Equipment.
“Cancel transformation!” Squire tried again.
[Error—Operation invalid, please try again later.]
“Screw you!”
She cursed, venting her feelings. This was not something that would recover if she just waited a while.
The reason this driver, development codename NIX-01, was labeled “faulty” was probably because once you put it on, you couldn’t take it off.
The belt and the user were already connected.
The wound at her waist was there to connect to her spine, ultimately linking up with all her nerves.
It was practically alive. Squire felt like she was being parasitized by the driver.
“Inky Staff.”
She stretched her hand toward the air, and the slender Squid Wand appeared out of nowhere.
As long as she wore the driver, she could summon weapons at any time. Breaking out of the cell wouldn’t be impossible…
“No, I can’t do that.”
But after a moment’s hesitation, she dismissed the wand.
Maybe if she used “Utian Ink Burst” one more time, she could blast open the cell door, but if she chose to escape, she would never clear her name.
Clang, clang—
As she was thinking, the bars of the cell were knocked.
The Nightmare Prison Department Minister, the fungal monster Mossima, was staring at her from outside the cell.
He was tall and thin, with chaotic, indistinguishable features. His pitch-black, unstable body surface churned constantly, radiating the oppressive presence befitting a Minister-level monster.
Two Jailers followed behind him, their heads covered in black mycelium, clearly in an abnormal state.
This startled Squire so much that she sat up abruptly.
She’d never heard of the Prison Department, so naturally she didn’t know this low-key Minister.
But Mossima stepped forward, passing through the cell bars unhindered by his amorphous body. He simply walked inside, standing at Squire’s bedside and bending down to examine her, his featureless face writhing irregularly.
His terrifying appearance made her feel fear from the bottom of her heart.
When his lanky shadow loomed over Squire, her heart jumped into her throat.
“Black Magical Girl, there’s no need to panic. I am the Nightmare Prison Department Minister. You can just call me Mossima.”
Yet, his voice was courteous and polite.
“M-M-Mossima, Minister!”
As a Nightmare employee, Squire naturally addressed a Minister-level leader with the proper title.
“You seem to be injured. We can treat you.”
His voice was that of a pleasant, youthful boy, utterly at odds with his horrifying appearance.
Seeing the surprise in Squire’s eyes, Mossima continued, “Although I am the Prison Department Minister, our abilities can handle wounds. You are about to undergo interrogation, and we believe…you should tend to your injuries beforehand.”
“N-no need.”
“We assure you, it’s purely for treatment.”
Although Mossima’s tone was genuinely sincere, Squire still refused.
No matter how friendly he acted, he was still an executive of the organization, and she was currently being treated as a Hero. Until she cleared her identity, she was at risk of being eliminated.
“…Then please come out first.”
Squire’s refusal left Mossima a bit disappointed.
He exited the cell and had the Jailers open the door.
“Boss is already waiting in the interrogation room. Please come with us.”
“Uh, Boss?”
Mossima nodded and replied:
“Yes, that esteemed one has decided to interrogate you personally. Please consider it an honor.”
“That esteemed one…the Supreme Leader?!”
Honor was the last thing Squire felt—her heart almost stopped.
Speaking of Nightmare’s Supreme Leader, that was one of the most powerful monsters in existence.
Known as the “True Nightmare.”
Over ten years ago, he annihilated more than a dozen top Heroes who tried to hunt him down. Because of this, the Evil Organization Nightmare made a name for itself and gradually developed to its current scale.
The Supreme Leader was cautious by nature. Even within Nightmare, only the executives had ever seen his true face. As a lower-ranked monster, Squire had no right to meet that esteemed one…
Now, being mistaken for a Hero invading headquarters, the Supreme Leader was actually coming to interrogate her personally?
D-does he want to execute me himself?!
Squire’s legs went weak as she swallowed hard, her hands and feet ice-cold.
“We’ve arrived at the interrogation room.”
It wasn’t far—the interrogation room was right in the Prison Department.
Mossima led Squire to the door and reminded her:
“Magical Girl, please tidy up your appearance. Do not be disrespectful before the Boss.”
Because of her childish kicking about on the bed earlier, Squire’s clothes were disheveled. With Mossima’s reminder, she felt a little embarrassed.
“Nyx, refresh Combat Body.”
A white light swept down from head to toe, and her black dress was instantly restored to neatness.
Squire was growing more and more skilled at using the Nyx Driver.
“Such convenient magic,” Mossima praised.
“…No, this isn’t magic.”
“Whether it’s technology, superpowers, magic, or any other supernatural force, the difference doesn’t matter—as long as it’s useful… Well then, please come in with me.”
Mossima pushed open the interrogation room door and led Squire inside.
But the moment she stepped through the door, Squire was struck by a powerful sense of disorientation.
This was…
The pressure coming from the Supreme Leader?
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