Magical Girl Huang Xing (Part 1)

“…”

Tidal crossed her arms, watching Raging Flame’s battle from above.

Unlike the Arm Monster or the Shadow Hunter, the Mole Men were extremely weak in combat. Their only weapons were sharp claws meant for digging—useless against a magical girl’s soul weapon.

“—Hyaah!”

Raging Flame charged into the group, swinging her greatsword like a whirlwind. Within seconds, several Mole Men had dissolved into magic particles, vanishing into the air.

Realizing the threat, the surviving Mole Men squeaked in panic and scattered in all directions. In the blink of an eye, the open field was left with only Raging Flame standing.

Moonlight. Evening breeze. The damp, earthy scent of soil.

The earlier commotion seemed to have never happened. The wetland park returned to its quiet, mysterious night calm.

…That’s it?

Raging Flame scanned the battlefield, confirming all enemies had fled. She hoisted her sword over her shoulder and looked up at Tidal, eyes asking, Is it over?

Idiot. Standing right in the middle of the battlefield, looking around like that.

Tidal scolded her silently.

She noticed the ground around Raging Flame was riddled with seven or eight holes. Given they were all dug by the same group, they were likely interconnected.

Sure, the Mole Men had fled in fear—but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t strike back.

It was like a whack-a-mole game. You never knew which hole the next one would pop out of.

So…

As she thought, Tidal raised her magic wand.

She used the crystal on top as a sight, aiming at the hole nearest to Raging Flame’s feet.

If they attacked, it would be from there.

Magic gathered. The clear crystal filled with pure white light.

She didn’t warn Raging Flame. She wanted her to experience being ambushed—and saved—firsthand. Only through real danger would the lesson truly stick.

****

Several seconds passed. A soft night breeze brushed by.

Instinctively, Tidal sensed something stirring beneath the surface calm.

—Here it comes!

No warning. No sound.

Just as she predicted, a Mole Man burst from the hole nearest to Raging Flame. Its twenty-centimeter claw gleamed like metal under the moonlight, aimed straight at her neck.

In the same instant, Tidal fired her beam.

But the ray missed—burning only the ground, leaving a trail of rising smoke.

Not because Tidal miscalculated.

Because, just before impact, a light arrow had already pierced the Mole Man’s body, its momentum slamming the creature into a distant tree trunk, pinning it in place.

“…”

Following the arrow’s trajectory, Tidal turned her gaze toward the darkness.

From the shadows, a yellow figure stepped forward.

Long, bright blonde hair tied into exaggerated spiral twin tails, each tipped with star-shaped hairpins.

A fluffy, retro-European court-style short dress, paired with a cute little hat adorned with ribbons—simple, vibrant, and full of energy.

Beyond the cuteness, the multi-petaled jasmine-decorated longbow in her hand and the sleek black knee-high boots on her feet marked her as a warrior.

“How was that, Lao Sun? Pretty accurate, right?”

“…It’s Lao Lin.”

The lucky cat on her shoulder sighed in exasperation.

Having made her grand debut, Magical Girl Huangxing skipped forward excitedly toward the two seniors.

“My name is Huangxing—Huang as in brilliant, Xing as in star… hehe, that’s the intro I came up with on the way here. Cute, right?”

As she spoke, she flashed a “V” sign at Raging Flame, her smile radiant and warm.

“H-hi… I’m Raging Flame. I’m a magical girl too…”

Raging Flame—You Xi—was reserved by nature, and awkward around someone as instantly friendly as Huangxing.

“I’ve heard about you from Lao Li! You’re Captain Raging Flame, right?!”

Huangxing grabbed both of Raging Flame’s hands, making her jump like she’d been shocked.

“I’m just a regular high school girl. I just became a magical girl today, so I still have a lot to learn. Please take care of me, Senior!”

“You’re a high school student too?”

“Could it be… you’re one too?”

“Yeah…”

Seeing Raging Flame confirm it, Huangxing grew even more excited.

“Yes! Awesome! I was worried there’d be a generation gap or we wouldn’t get along. But if we’re all around the same age, perfect~”

“Y-yeah.”

Raging Flame nodded, relieved that her new teammate was her peer—a pleasant surprise.

“And who’s this little one?”

Huangxing pointed at Tidal, who had just landed.

“Is she a grade schooler? So tiny, so cute!”

She circled Tidal, eyes sparkling with admiration.

“Ah, um…”

Raging Flame winced, quickly stepping in. “This is Tidal, a [Magic Commander] from the Magic Kingdom. Right now, she’s probably the most senior magical girl in Shangjing. We all call her [Great Senior] out of respect.”

As she spoke, she nervously glanced at Tidal’s face.

Thankfully, the senior showed no sign of anger at being mistaken for a child—still calm and composed as ever.

“Just ‘Senior’ is fine.”

Tidal waved dismissively.

“Yes, sir!”

Huangxing gave a playful salute.

“Senior Tidal, Senior Raging Flame… I can’t believe I met two magical girls in one day! Awesome! I can brag to my friends at school tomorrow!”

“…What exactly did you become a magical girl for?” Lao Lin muttered from her shoulder.

“…Hey, let’s exchange contacts!”

Huangxing pulled out her phone and held it up to the two of them.

“Wait, actually… isn’t it better to de-transform first? Exchanging numbers as magical girls… feels kinda weird,” she suddenly suggested.

“Touch your soul gem with your index finger and imagine your human form,” Lao Lin reminded.

“Like this?”

Huangxing placed her right index finger on her soul gem.

Imagining her original self, a flash of white light erupted. The magic particles that formed her magical girl body scattered into the air.

Huangxing was gone.

In her place stood a lively, stylish girl with a golden ponytail, silver earrings in her ears, and a confident smirk.

“My name is Mo Li.”

With that, she spun in place, her plaid skirt fluttering in the wind, offering a teasing glimpse beneath.

“So? Which version do you think is cuter?”

Mo Li smiled sweetly at the two stunned magical girls.