Witch — Transformation!

“Zhou Xi!!”

The tide of battle flipped in an instant, so abruptly that even Yue Yuezi was momentarily stunned.

Just now… what had even happened?

“Banlan, go check on Zhou Xi’s condition!”

“U-Understood!”

“Red Riding Hood, take Zhou Xi’s position and coordinate with me! Everyone else provide support—don’t let it escape a single step!”

With Zhou Xi down, leadership of the team naturally fell to Yue Yuezi. She didn’t hesitate to assign Luo Zining as her vice-captain.

If they were to stabilize the battlefield at this point, they had no choice but to rely on Luo Zining’s sheer firepower. Nicknamed “Little Sun,” Luo Zining had been one of the Magic Alliance’s most promising new stars in the past two years. Her only shortcoming was lack of real combat experience.

“I don’t fully know your capabilities. Just sync with me as best you can.”

Yue Yuezi switched to a cautious strategy to test the beast’s full capabilities.

“Spatial inte—huh?”

The dimensional beast suddenly lunged into a nearby apartment building. Its ten-meter-long body vanished into the structure, navigating its labyrinth of hallways.

“Stay alert!”

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of shattering walls echoed from within—

Suddenly, a massive slab of concrete flew out toward Luo Zining like a surprise cannonball. She raised her wand to blast it—

But Yue Yuezi shouted in alarm:

“It’s a decoy—dodge!!”

“Woah—close one!”

Luo Zining leapt aside just in time.

Hidden behind the wall was another deadly breath attack—

The same kind that had blasted Zhou Xi across kilometers.

If she had taken that hit head-on, this battle would’ve ended then and there.

Foiled, the beast thrashed wildly inside the building, tearing down load-bearing walls like paper. The entire structure collapsed, kicking up clouds of dust that obscured all vision.

“The hell! That thing’s intelligent—really intelligent! It’s been playing dumb this whole time!”

A cold shiver ran down Yue Yuezi’s spine.

What if…

What if the beast hadn’t been forced into a corner earlier?

What if that was all an act, meant to bait Zhou Xi into a trap?

Then this creature’s scheming ran terrifyingly deep.

As Luo Zining retreated, she asked, “Didn’t Zhou Xi-senpai say dimensional beasts below King-class didn’t have intelligence…?”

She trailed off, body trembling.

Could this thing actually be King-class?

“No! Its energy field is still at peak Ghoul-class!” Zhao Xin’s voice came in through the comms. “And even a King-class doesn’t act this cleverly! There’s something off about this one!”

“A special variant? Then it’s worth capturing alive.”

Yue Yuezi ordered her teammates to cast wide-area wind spells to clear the dust.

That’s when they saw it.

The beast had camouflaged itself using the dust, lying in ambush like a chameleon in the corner.

“Red Riding Hood! Lay down suppressive fire, steady rhythm! I’ll lock it down!”

“Roger!”

Luo Zining didn’t hold back anymore.

The two antennae on her red hood wobbled as her wand transformed into a plush ball-shaped toy. She tossed it into the air—

Firepower: MAXIMUM!

BOOM!

Nine floating drones burst forth, glowing with ominous orange light like miniature suns.

These were Radiant Glow Aphids—

A nearly extinct species of magical organisms that fed off Luo Zining’s mana to fire long-range blasts.

“Zzzzt~ I’m gonna fill you so full of holes you’ll leak daylight!”

The nine aphids began orbiting the beast, firing heat lasers in staggered waves.

Missed shots left blackened craters in the walls and pavement.

The local temperature spiked by 18°C.

The beast was clearly in pain.

“This is…!”

Yue Yuezi was stunned.

This kind of firepower wasn’t just enough to sustain a long fight—

If anything, it was terrifying.

Had Zhou Xi still been in play, pairing her with Red Riding Hood might have ended this entire battle swiftly.

But Zhou Xi had taken a devastating hit.

Returning to battle was a pipe dream—

The fact that she was still alive was already a miracle.

“Hold this formation until backup arrives!” Zhao Xin urged through the comms.

Backup? Yue Yuezi blinked in surprise.

All the city’s magical girls were already on-site.

Calling reinforcements from the neighboring city would take at least thirty minutes.

Could they last that long?

Wait… could it be…

Command Center — moments earlier

Zhao Xin clenched her jaw as she submitted a request to their longtime rivals—

The Inhuman Organization.

In this world, dimensional beasts weren’t the only threats to peace.

There were also psychics and other rogues wreaking havoc, collectively known as “Chaosborn”.

The Inhuman Organization existed specifically to deal with them.

Magical girls, on the other hand, were strictly tasked with fighting dimensional beasts.

Occasionally, magical girls might assist against Chaosborn if they happened to be nearby.

But the Inhuman Organization never helped against dimensional beasts—

Not unless offered a huge reward… or forced.

Zhao Xin had expected to be extorted.

Instead, the request was approved instantly.

And they didn’t ask for a single coin.

“Their support will arrive soon. Hold your ground!” she radioed to her team.

“Tch, what can those wannabe weirdos even do?” Yue Yuezi scoffed.

She looked down on the Inhuman Organization—

Couldn’t fly, couldn’t teleport, and their DPS was trash compared to a magical girl’s.

As long as they didn’t drag the team down, that’d be good enough.

“Let’s end this before they even show up!”

“Red Riding Hood, forget about collateral damage! Prepare to unleash everything! I’ll open a window—your job is to blow it to hell!”

“Hehe, leave it to me~ I told you I’m crazy strong when I go full throttle!”

Luo Zining had been waiting for this.

Her mana surged explosively.

“Radiant Glow Aphids—Switch to Detonation Mode!”

The drones turned from orange to deep red—

So hot they ignited scraps of paper from over 100 meters away.

Seeing this, Yue Yuezi changed her strategy on the spot.

“Qiushui!”

Qiushui, the girl who had cleared the dust earlier, immediately caught her intent.

“Children of the wind… dance like spirits on the breeze…”

In a flash, the dust was whipped into a storm again.

It spiraled inward, sealing the beast in a cocoon of swirling ash.

Yue Yuezi poured the last of her mana into blocking every escape route.

“Red Riding Hood!”

“On it!!”

The nine drones fired in unison—

Each like a mini Death Star.

BOOM!!

Huahai City shook with its loudest explosion yet.

A massive mushroom cloud of fire burst skyward—

Followed by eight consecutive thunderous roars.

The battlefield vanished in a haze of smoke and flame.

---

2 km away — atop the City Trade Tower

“Ooh, not bad. Thought they were gonna wipe.”

Luo You leaned over the railing, her feet tiptoed up and her butt sticking high in the air.

“Magical girls always put on such passionate shows. No matter how many times I watch, they’re never boring… That’s why I adore you all so much~ Now then, time for the beautiful~ oriole to make her entrance!”

She spun dramatically and shouted:

“Transform!”

Nine-colored particles burst like clouds, enveloping her completely.

When they cleared, her outfit had changed—

Her figure now curvier than before, dressed in a black-and-white sleeveless gown straight out of the old centuries.

The swell of her chest was impossible to hide.

One arm bore a sleek black glove,

And beneath her slit skirt, two long, glossy legs were wrapped in silky white thigh-highs.

Finally, she donned a V-shaped mask with cognitive interference properties, covering everything above her mouth.

No one would connect this form to her pre-transformation self.

“Whew… it’s been a while. I feel rusty… Huh? My chest feels tight. Too much weight training?”

Transforming and equipping magical attire was usually a skill exclusive to magical girls.

How she’d gained this ability herself, Luo You didn’t know—

But as long as it worked, she wasn’t complaining.

Three gemstone rings—pink, teal, and orange—gleamed on her fingers.

“This combo again? Hmph, orange without blue is annoying, but whatever, it’ll do.”

She made a circle with her fingers and peered through it like a spyglass.

“Now then~ which lucky magical girl will be blessed by the great Herrera-sama tonight? Hmm hmm… they all look delicious, but let’s go with…”

Her eyes landed on the one dressed like a storybook character—Red Riding Hood.

A fairytale-style magical girl… she’d never tasted one before.

She imagined her being innocent and soft, like a pure white flower—

The kind of girl you couldn’t help but want to corrupt.

Just thinking about it gave her a thrill.

“Hehehe… camera stones ready. Hope you give me at least a hundred new CGs today~”

Her laugh was so disturbingly perverse,

If she’d lived in medieval Europe, they’d have thrown on extra firewood and gasoline when burning her at the stake.

“Let the hunt begin! Aha—eh?”

Just as she stepped forward—

Thunk.

Her foot caught on something and she nearly face-planted into a nearby fountain.

She looked down in disbelief—

Slippers?!

Why am I still wearing my slippers?!

Her transformation was supposed to swap her into crystal heels!

Instead, she was still wearing the white thigh-highs and her daughter’s indoor slippers.

“This looks so dumb.”

She wiggled her toes and scoffed.

“Guess I really am rusty… Haven’t transformed in too long.”

BOOM!!

Before she could fix anything, another massive explosion rocked the battlefield.

“…Did that dimensional beast… just give birth?”