Opening the Blind Box – Father, I’m Terrified

“Eh? Senior Herrera, how are you back so soon… Don’t tell me that thing got away?!”

“No, no. It didn’t. I finished it off cleanly.”

“It hasn’t even been a full minute!?”

Luo Zining was dumbfounded. Ever since being saved, her head had felt fuzzy and she’d just been lying there, dazed. It hardly felt like any time had passed at all!

The King-tier dimensional beast that nearly wiped out all the magical girls in Huahai City—

Herrera defeated it in less than a minute?

“Senior Herrera, you’re amazing…”

A sense of awe bloomed in Luo Zining’s heart.

That overwhelming power, that invincible presence—

If every frontline magical warrior were this strong, dimensional beasts wouldn’t even be a threat.

[Not like that, Little Red Riding Hood… You’re wrong!]

On the other end of the comms, Commander Zhao Xin’s breathing was ragged. Her fingers trembled violently, old terrors rising from the depths of memory and choking off her voice.

“Little Red Riding Hood… Run…!”

“Huh? Commander Zhao?”

“Don’t stay there! Get away! She’s—she’s that woman…!”

With trembling desperation, Zhao Xin finally spat out the name:

“She’s the Aurora Witch—Herrera!!”

…Eh?

Aurora Witch… Herrera?

Luo Zining slowly looked up.

Even with Herrera’s face partially hidden by a mask, it felt like her gaze pierced directly into Luo Zining’s soul.

Herrera—was that the one who hunted magical girls?

The one who destroyed the future of countless magical girls…?!

Gasp—!

Luo Zining snapped her head toward the two magical girls who had collapsed earlier.

“You guessed it. That was me.”

Herrera clapped her hands together lightly, her tone icy.

“But don’t worry, I may have a long list of crimes, but I’ve never actually killed a magical girl before.

…Well, unless you count making them moan like they’re dying. In that case, forget I said anything.”

“Why… why would you do this…?”

The light faded from Luo Zining’s eyes.

“Ufufu~ That moment when a magical girl’s pupils widen with fear… it’s so intoxicating.”

She stroked the corner of Zining’s eye, as if admiring an exquisite piece of art.

“Little Red Riding Hood! Give her your earpiece—I’ll talk to her!”

Zhao Xin’s voice screamed through the comms.

“…”

Luo Zining, moving like a puppet with cut strings, took off the earpiece and handed it over.

Herrera didn’t even hesitate. She put it on.

Hssss…

Zhao Xin drew in a sharp breath, forcing her tone calm:

“Lady Herrera. We are deeply grateful you saved our people. Without you, we likely would’ve suffered casualties. If there’s any way we can compensate you—”

“I think you’ve misunderstood something.”

“…What?”

Herrera gently patted Zining’s head.

“I don’t know what happened on your end, but I came here of my own accord. Saving your people was just a side thing. As for compensation—I’ll take care of it myself.”

Zhao Xin’s entire body went cold.

She stammered, “Lady Herrera, please reconsider! That child—you must not touch her! If you do, it could lead to—”

Crack.

The earpiece shattered to dust in Herrera’s hand.

At the same time, Luo Zining’s eyes rolled back as she collapsed, unconscious.

“Herrera!? Lady Herrera! HER—”

Zhao Xin’s desperate calls went unanswered.

Just then, the drone reached the scene—

And captured footage of Herrera carrying Luo Zining away.

“Bastard!!”

Zhao Xin swept all the objects on her desk to the ground, slamming her fists down in fury.

“Why… why did this have to happen?!

The future of the Magical Alliance—AAARGHH!!”

Of all people, Herrera had to set her sights on Little Red Riding Hood…

And she just so happened to be carrying a sample of divinity particles granted by the Alliance!

Herrera was already terrifying thanks to her divine particle-enhanced body—

If she absorbed the ones Zining carried as well, who knew what kind of evolution she might undergo!?

Just then, a surprising voice came through the comms.

“Commander Zhao… Let me go.”

“What?! You—don’t joke around! You’re in no condition to—”

“I will bring Little Red Riding Hood back safely.”

Next City – Hotel Room

Luo Zining lay quietly on a soft, luxurious bed.

Her breathing was stable, but her clothes were rumpled.

The air was filled with the faint, sweet scent of a girl.

Herrera’s desire surged.

“Oh, right… better take a look at her real appearance first.

Can’t afford to repeat past mistakes.”

Gentle cyan light rippled through the room, dissolving all illusions.

Compared to the offensive pink and orange, the cyan glow had the power to “see through all lies.”

Though rarely useful in battle, it was Herrera’s favorite.

It could reveal the true form of magical girls—

Even expose where dimensional beasts were hiding.

“Hehehe… Let’s see what you really look like, Little Red Riding Hood…”

As the cyan light passed over her, the magical girl’s illusions began to melt away, like snow in fire.

Herrera recalled the earlier comms.

“That girl actually warned me not to touch her?

Heh—is there any magical girl in the world I can’t sleep with?”

She chuckled.

Even among the Top Ten of the Magical Alliance, more than a few had been “ruined”—no, spoiled by her.

At this point, who could tell her what she could or couldn’t do?

As the illusion faded and Red Riding Hood’s real form was nearly revealed—

Herrera’s hunger turned into a ravenous beast.

“You dare threaten me? Then I’ll sleep with her just to spite—WHAA!?”

Slap!

Reflexively, Herrera slapped herself across the face.

Who am I?

Where am I?

What did I just see?!

No, no. Something must be wrong.

Let’s take another look…

Trembling, Herrera slowly peeked through her fingers.

“Heh… haha… No way… There’s no such thing as a magical girl I can’t sle—

HOLY CRAP!!

I CAN’T SLEEP WITH HER! I REALLY CAN’T!!”

She reeled back, stumbling into the wall.

Eyes wide. Brain blank.

“Why… why is it Zining?!”

Herrera was utterly stunned.

That insatiable desire vanished—instantly frozen in Siberian-level cold.

She just opened a magical girl blind box—

And got hit with a nuclear bomb.

Thank the heavens she checked first.

If she’d gone through with it…

It would’ve been a repeat of that incident.

Her daughter.

Zining.

Was her daughter.

Her own daughter.

When did Zining become a magical girl?!

And in this… cutesy fairytale style, no less?!

“No wonder she once said… I know more about gym equipment than I do about her…”

Herrera laughed bitterly.

Now what?

She couldn’t exactly return the girl like nothing happened.

She’d already “kidnapped” her.

If she did nothing, it would raise suspicion.

But if she did anything, it’d be unforgivable.

Touch her? Can’t.

Leave her untouched? Also awkward.

…Huh?

Herrera spotted a strange necklace around Zining’s neck.

Its pendant was a glass capsule containing nine-colored particles.

“Divinity particles…? These are real divinity particles!”

As the capsule reacted to her presence—flaring with radiant light—

Herrera’s eyes softened with nostalgia.

Everything had started with this divine material.

No one knew its origin.

Some believed it related to the “artifact” that alien organizations were hunting.

“No wonder the Alliance was so protective of Zining.

They weren’t afraid for her—they were afraid of this.”

After a glance, Herrera gently placed the necklace back.

She had no desire to take it.

To others, divinity particles were priceless treasures.

To Herrera, they were just like a public bus—anyone could hop on.

She’d been trying to remove the ones in her own body for ages.

She had no interest in acquiring more.

But then—she frowned.

Wait a sec.

Why did her divinity particles suddenly become so active again?

Was it… this brat’s fault?!

She remembered the dinner Zining made her yesterday.

Could it be…?

This little devil knew the side effects of divinity particles, and deliberately slipped some into her food?!

That’s why her particles, which had long been dormant, flared up again—

Turning her body back into this overly feminine mess!

Unbelievable!

My own daughter is the real corrupter here!

She knows I treasure my muscles!

But you just had to melt them into some whipped cream cake physique?!

Shrimp-hearted swine!!

You treacherous child!!

Absolutely evil!!

Ding-dong—

The hotel room’s intercom buzzed.

“Hello, would you like room service?”

“Huh? Who the hell would—

Wait.

Yeah. Bring me some… love machines, whips, candles, restraints, clamps—everything.”

Originally, Herrera had planned to just leave.

But now?

Even if she couldn’t do anything to this brat,

She’d still make her pay.

Heh…

Once she woke up and saw all those terrifying tools,

She’d be so scared she wouldn’t eat for half a month!

Herrera still remembered one magical girl who fainted and wet herself just from seeing this setup.

Zining—how strong could she possibly be?

Five minutes later, Zining stirred.

At the same time, a knock came from the door.

“Guest, your requested items have arrived.”

“Come in.”

Click.

The door opened.

A gentle-looking young woman wheeled in a cart—

Stacked with the horrifying tools Herrera had ordered.

Herrera raised a brow.

So pretty… and just a hotel attendant?

Likely a special services worker.

After all, this was an adult hotel.

Well, if she couldn’t play with Zining now…

She might as well indulge in this one.

“To avoid misunderstanding—

You’re… special services, right?”

“Mm-hmm~ That’s right.”

The girl smiled and blinked cutely.

“Three days, two nights. How about this price?”

Herrera pulled out her wallet—

BOOM!!

The windows exploded outward from within!

A blast of magic tore through the room—

And the girl roared with fury:

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?!”