On the Matter of the Anti-Herrera Task Force

“By the way, Xingyue—there’s a rumor that you fought Herrera seven years ago. What really happened?”

“Yeah, you never told us the details!”

“Everyone’s dying to know! Come on, spill it!”

The Ten Seats suddenly turned the topic toward Xingyue.

To say no one cared would be a lie.

The world wanted to know—between Herrera and Xingyue, who was stronger?

Could the strongest magical girl break Herrera’s undefeated legend?

Under everyone’s intense gaze, Xingyue responded with practiced ease, calm and unhurried.

“It was… a draw, in most respects?”

“Why does that sound like a question?”

“Her kicks were really strong. I got kicked a lot.”

“Close combat? You actually forced Herrera into that kind of fight? Lady Xingyue, you’re incredible!”

“And her hands, they look delicate, but when she scratches you—it hurts.”

“Scr—scratches?”

Everyone present felt something was off.

Why did that sound so much like… flirtation in bed?

Xingyue paused in thought for a few seconds, then added,

“Anyway… the most unique part was this white coral that emerged from the space behind her. When I touched it, my magic stopped flowing.”

“What!?” Ji Yue shot to her feet.

“Do you mean the kind that writhes like tentacles? With tiny filaments growing on it?”

Xingyue nodded.

“Exactly. It’s really underhanded. I could counter most of her tricks, but that one—I had no answer for it. Must be her strongest form.”

Hearing this, Ji Yue felt a strange sense of relief.

So the one she had fought back then… was Herrera in her strongest form.

No wonder she’d lost so decisively. It all made sense now.

“But what is that, exactly? Doesn’t seem like something granted by Divinity Particles…”

“Well~ let’s save that for later. I’m getting to the important part now, so everyone quiet down.”

When Xingyue spoke, the room fell silent.

Even the magical girls burning for revenge held their tongues and listened.

“This much you should already know: yesterday, the Realm Sea border was breached.

Someone else is already tracking that dimensional beast—we’re only here to provide support.”

“The real problem is… someone confronted the beast at the ruins of Canglan.

That person is suspected to be Herrera.”

“She’s extremely dangerous. From now on, magical girls are forbidden from taking solo missions.

Ten Seat members, aside from myself and Manjusaka, must work in groups of at least two.”

That was the decree.

“Even we have to pair up?” Xingyu’s eyes widened.

“Xingyu-chan~ of all people here, you’re the least qualified to complain,” Butterfly teased sweetly.

“Don’t mock her, Butterfly,” Xingyue cut in.

“You should be careful too. A second magical girl has already fallen to Herrera.

No one can guarantee you won’t be next.”

At that, Xingyue turned to Zhou Xi.

Everyone followed her gaze.

“Zhou Xi, you’ve had the closest contact with Herrera. Can you describe your experience?”

“I understand. If I can help in any way, it’s an honor.”

The pressure was immense.

Fortunately, King Jin met her eyes and gave a reassuring nod.

Zhou Xi inhaled deeply.

“First… I don’t know if she always had this ability,

but she now moves with speed nearly equal to teleportation.

Honestly… I only forced her to use that much before she captured me.”

“Any defining traits?” Xingyue asked immediately.

Every one of Herrera’s abilities had a visual signature.

This was the origin of her infamous title: the Aurora Witch.

“It was pink. Really bright, blindingly pink,” Zhou Xi added.

“We also have footage from the day Herrera confronted that king-class dimensional beast.

Captured by residents from a high-rise. Please watch.”

A projection lit up at the center of the table.

The video showed exactly what had happened.

Onscreen, Little Red Riding Hood and the other magical girls were immobilized.

The humanoid dimensional beast had lost an arm and was fleeing before Herrera.

Before making her move, Herrera flirted briefly with Little Red Riding Hood.

Then she acted.

And in that instant, only one thought filled everyone’s minds—

Fast.

Too fast.

It felt like time itself bent before her.

The world bled into hues of pink as countless figures seemed to dissolve into the sea of light.

From an omniscient view, Herrera first appeared on the tallest building in Huahai City.

Upon locking onto the beast’s location, she traversed nearly six kilometers to intercept it.

All in…

5.33 seconds.

“That speed! Can anyone even match her head-on just from that alone?!”

All Ten Seat members were stunned.

With that kind of speed, how could anyone fight her?

She could come and go at will.

Even if Herrera were ever caught in danger, she could simply dash out unscathed.

“Don’t focus solely on speed…”

Xingyue leaned her face on one hand, eyes drifting to Manjusaka on her left.

Manjusaka understood. She smiled softly.

“It’s hard not to think of it… Twenty years ago,

that meteor that fell from beyond the stars—into the Realm Sea.”

“What meteor?”

King Jin and others were confused.

Only Butterfly seemed to recall something. She stayed silent.

“Some of you may remember, others might not.

It was like the Tunguska Event—a historical mystery.

At exactly noon, the entire sky turned pink for about ten seconds.”

“Scientists could only detect a brilliant pink trail in the atmosphere.

They concluded it was a meteor that landed in the Realm Sea.”

Xingyue stared at the video replay, her eyes gleaming.

“It’s real… It’s exactly the same.”

“Zhou Xi, please continue.”

“Mm.”

Zhou Xi went on to share her understanding of Herrera’s current state.

She also mentioned—though reluctantly—that Herrera now had a daughter.

After she said that, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

The resentment hanging in the air was turning into… killing intent?

Even Xingyue, always in control, froze for several seconds.

At that moment, the youngest member, Lark, chimed in helpfully:

“Um, earlier you said even the Ten Seats need to work in pairs…

But aren’t we technically in cooperation with the Abnormals now?

If Herrera attacks us, wouldn’t that break the truce?

She wouldn’t be that reckless, would she?”

Butterfly came back to herself.

“Lark’s right.

A few days ago, what happened to Zhou Xi—Herrera called it ‘payment’ and justified it.

But she wouldn’t dare openly hunt us again.”

“Sigh, but that also means…

We can’t touch her either. We can’t bring her to justice.”

Xingyu looked frustrated.

Yes, Herrera was strong.

But with Lady Xingyue back and so many Ten Seat elites gathered—what did Herrera amount to now?

The hall fell into silence.

The Ten Seats seemed to sit with conflicting emotions.

No one spoke.

Only Lark, who had become a Ten Seat later, seemed detached.

Unburdened.

Were the original Ten Seats regretting not being able to avenge themselves?

Or relieved that magical girls wouldn’t be harmed again?

Or… was it something else?

Then, someone broke the tension—

“Ara~ Seems like you all didn’t know.

Herrera already defected from the Abnormals seven years ago.”

“What!?”

“Xingyue, is that true?”

“She left the Abnormals? That can’t be! There were no reports!”

“They didn’t even try to hunt her down?”

Xingyue tapped her finger against the table, quieting the rising uproar.

“It’s confirmed.

The Abnormals didn’t pursue her because they didn’t want the Magical Alliance to know they’d grown weak.

Even now, they can’t afford to make it public.

After all, Herrera was their trump card to intimidate human governments.”

How could you sleep soundly with wolves beside your bed?

The Abnormals were once a villainous faction.

Now dressed in fine robes, calling themselves defenders.

But no government would ever fully trust them.

Many had tried to replace the Abnormal leadership with their own,

slowly absorbing them into a controllable force.

But Herrera’s fearsome reputation halted all progress.

Plans stagnated. Some never even got off the ground.

That had remained the case until two years ago.

Herrera’s long silence made the government increasingly suspicious of the Abnormals.

Their probing attempts skyrocketed, testing the waters.

“So… even if we go all-out and take down Herrera,

it wouldn’t spark a full-blown war with the Abnormals?”

Xingyu’s voice rose with excitement.

“In theory, yes~” Xingyue nodded.

After a long silence—

“Then what are we waiting for?! Let’s crush her!”

“If I don’t return the humiliation my sister suffered by 10 to the power of 23,

what’s the point of being a magical girl?!”

“Calm down, everyone.

Even if we want revenge, we must do it the right way…

But I agree—she must face justice, for the sake of all magical girls.”

“Ara~~ King Jin, you’re usually so aggressive.

Why so cautious now?”

“Y-You talk too much!”

The hall erupted.

Now free of their moral shackles, the magical girls unleashed their wrath.

They were already imagining Herrera groveling on the floor,

battered, snot-nosed, tear-streaked, begging for mercy.

At last, Vice Seat Manjusaka opened her eyes.

She frowned at the scene and reminded them—

“Everyone… You don’t look like magical girls at all right now.”

“……”

Silence returned. Shame followed.

Manjusaka, though less famous than Xingyue, had chaired the Ten Seat council for seven years.

Her aura was reserved, hidden, unreadable.

And all the more terrifying for it.

After a pause, Manjusaka gave her usual gentle smile.

“I agree with punishing Herrera.

But please—don’t forget the essence of what it means to be a magical girl.

That’s all.”

“Next topic: the Anti-Herrera Task Force.

I, Manjusaka, will serve as team leader.

Any objections?”