The First Briefing: Magical Girls and Unexpected Twists

Static… static…

[Commencing video playback…]

“Help! A monster! It’s here! Save us!”

“Quick! Flee this way! Hurry, hurry!”

On the screen, a colossal, lizard-like monster materialized abruptly within the city, immediately beginning its destructive rampage. The populace, gripped by overwhelming panic, scattered in every direction.

[What a cliché opening…]

[Yue Ling, we’re in a meeting. Don’t interrupt.]

[Oh~]

“You wretched Obscure Form! How dare you attack our city again!”

Shortly after the monster, dubbed the Obscure Form, made its appearance, three distinctively dressed young women suddenly materialized in mid-air. The red-haired girl, clearly the leader, began to hurl threats at the creature, though the monster showed no sign of understanding.

[Ah, there they are, the magical girls. And, of course, the reckless hothead character that’s always in a magical girl team.]

[Yue Ling, I told you not to interrupt.]

“Hmph, to dare return after being repelled so many times! Azure, Jade, let it witness the bonds we share! [Energy Explosion!

★ Crimson Impact!]”

The leading red twin-tailed magical girl brandished a black and crimson magic staff, then uttered a string of lines that sounded overtly chuunibyou (TL Note: A Japanese slang term for a person who exhibits grandiose delusions, often believing they possess hidden powers or knowledge.) as she faced the gigantic lizard monster. Immediately, a crimson magic circle manifested, unleashing a potent beam of energy that pierced the monster’s chest, causing it to collapse instantly.

[She solved the problem all by herself, yet she claimed she wanted the enemy to witness their bonds… Is there something wrong with her brain?]

[Yue Ling!]

“Bang!”

With a resounding bang on the table, everyone’s gaze shifted from the large screen to the figure beside the table: a yak-headed kaijin (TL Note: A Japanese term meaning ‘strange person’ or ‘monster’, often used for villains in tokusatsu shows.) executive clad in a white suit.

“Yue Ling, I understand you’ve just been transferred to our team from above, and I was just about to brief you on the situation here. Yet, you keep interrupting… Do you even have any respect for me?!”

The yak-headed kaijin executive bellowed in frustration, his two nostrils, as large as ping-pong balls, frequently expelling hot air. His pure black eyes were fixated on the blonde girl seated across the table, who wore a midriff-baring, tight-fitting latex suit, her hair tied in a single ponytail, and an expression of utter nonchalance.

“Well, I did make a few remarks, but there’s no need to get so worked up, is there? I was only stating facts~”

The blonde girl, known as Yue Ling, shrugged, clearly believing her actions to be entirely justified.

However, the yak-headed kaijin executive did not share her sentiment.

“These are documents I painstakingly compiled! Show some respect! Otherwise… you’ll regret it!”

“Enough, Maositog. Executive Yue Ling is new here and unfamiliar with our rules. Let’s not make an issue of it for now.”

The moment the yak-headed kaijin executive, Maositog, heard the deep male voice laced with a static-like hum, his open mouth snapped shut. Yet, his eyes remained locked on the blonde girl, Yue Ling.

The source of that voice was a humanoid figure seated at the very end of the conference table, adorned with a black fedora and composed entirely of steel, from whose seams scorching white mist occasionally billowed.

“Tch, since the Commander has spoken, I’ll continue then.”

Maositog, the yak-headed kaijin executive, shot a glare at Yue Ling, clicked his tongue, and then, as if nothing had happened, resumed explaining the video’s contents.

‘That… is the kaijin commander responsible for this area, then?’

Yue Ling tilted her head slightly, casually assessing the individual clad entirely in steel armor.

Their physique was imposing, robust, and their aura formidable… They looked quite handsome, and the helmet featured a red V-shaped visor. Such a design would not look out of place even on a tokusatsu (TL Note: A Japanese term for live-action film or television drama that makes heavy use of special effects.) set.

“Yue Ling, where are you looking?”

Maositog noticed Yue Ling’s mind had wandered again, so he paused his explanation and questioned her directly.

“Uh, nothing. You just keep talking.”

Yue Ling turned her head back, smiling and waving her hand at Maositog, attempting to bluff her way through. Maositog, however, was not one to fall for such tricks. Had it not been to save face for the Commander, he would have already charged at Yue Ling and given her a taste of classic mechanics (TL Note: A humorous way of saying ‘beaten her up’ or ‘taught her a lesson’).

“You’d best behave yourself.” Maositog grunted, then resumed his explanation.

“Now, let’s examine the three magical girls in this region. First, take a look at this one.”

Maositog paused the video, picked up a short stick from beside the table, and tapped a spot on the screen.

It was a red-haired girl with twin pigtails, wearing a short red pleated skirt on her lower half and a red school-style crop top with wide sleeves on her upper half. Her attire… made her look just like a pop idol.

“This girl is Magical Girl Akahoshi (Crimson Star). She was the first magical girl we encountered in this region. Her sense of justice is incredibly strong; whenever we dispatch a kaiju for an assault, she will invariably be the first to arrive. Her overall strength is well-balanced, with no obvious weaknesses, making her a formidable opponent. Furthermore… she possesses a special mechanism called ‘Power of Bonds.’ This mechanism activates whenever she or her companions suffer severe damage, greatly augmenting her abilities. The current best approach to dealing with her is to separate her from the other magical girls and handle her individually.”

“But isn’t ‘handling them individually’ a rather generic solution?”

“…………”

“Alright, alright, no more interruptions. Please continue.”

“Next up is this one,” Maositog shifted the screen’s perspective, then used two fingers to zoom in on the image.

The girl on the screen now was a beautiful young woman with emerald green short hair, adorned with a large black bow hair ornament. Unlike Magical Girl Akahoshi, this magical girl’s outfit… resembled a sleeveless maid uniform, complete with a low neckline.

The magical girl’s ‘buns’ (TL Note: A euphemism for breasts) were visibly ample, and the low-cut design further accentuated her figure. So big and white… if one could just give them a squeeze… that sensation… hehehe…

“This is Magical Girl Biyu (Jade). She specializes in healing magic and also shows good performance in defensive capabilities. Her offensive power is low, making her a very easy magical girl to defeat. However, she and Magical Girl Akahoshi mutually assist each other, making it difficult to target her alone. Now then… please look at the last one, Magical Girl Youlan (Azure).”

Maositog slid the screen again, moving the display to a black-haired girl.

Unlike the previous two magical girls, this one… exuded an aura of aloofness and pristine purity at first glance. Her icy blue eyes were filled with indifference and ruthlessness, like a blade wreathed in chilling frost. A single glance from her was enough to make one feel the threat of death.

Any other person would likely keep their distance from such a cold and murderous girl, but Yue Ling was different; she favored this aloof type. After all… watching a cold girl gradually melt and become compliant was an utterly captivating sight for her.

Her attire, too… possessed a distinct allure. First and foremost was her magical girl costume. Compared to the previous two, her outfit appeared far more exquisite: a blue, off-the-shoulder, low-cut dress with a black cinched waist, giving it the distinct feel of an evening gown. Moreover, her figure was in no way inferior to Magical Girl Biyu’s, so this ensemble on her… tsk tsk tsk… truly made it difficult to tear one’s eyes away.

“Hey, hey, Yue Ling, what’s with that look?”

As Yue Ling propped her head up, gazing at Magical Girl Youlan on the screen with a mischievous grin, Maositog noticed the peculiarity in her eyes and questioned her.

“Oh, nothing, nothing. I was just thinking about how to deal with her later.”

Having been caught exhibiting unusual behavior by Maositog, Yue Ling displayed a flicker of panic for the first time, quickly offering an explanation, fearful that her true feelings for them might be discovered.

Maositog narrowed his eyes, observing the flustered Yue Ling. He knew Yue Ling was certainly hiding something, but unwilling to waste more time, he did not press further and continued the explanation.

“Magical Girl Youlan is a recent addition to the magical girl lineup, possessing formidable individual combat power and moving with lightning speed. Even when she operates independently of the other two magical girls, we find her incredibly difficult to deal with. Typically, only by taking hostages can we pose a threat to her. However… it’s worth noting that Magical Girl Youlan doesn’t always interfere with our operations. In some previous actions, she did not appear alongside the other two magical girls, which is a point of interest. Thus… what I’ve presented constitutes a brief report on this region.”

Maositog turned, glancing at Yue Ling. After confirming that Yue Ling was indeed listening attentively, he then looked towards the Commander at the back, presumably awaiting their evaluation.

“Maositog’s presentation was quite satisfactory. While lacking in some minor details, it’s sufficient for Yue Ling to gain a general understanding of the situation here. So, Executive Yue Ling, is there anything you still don’t understand?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, there is. Commander, I wanted to ask, what exactly is our objective in attacking this planet?”

“To conquer this planet, of course. Yue Ling, your lack of basic common sense is truly astonishing.”

Maositog let out a cold snort, casting a disdainful look at Yue Ling.

“Then… why was the kaiju in that video so cautious when destroying buildings, only truly beginning its rampage after all the people had evacuated?”

“Because there’s a precedent. Should those magical girls witness human casualties, their combat power will skyrocket. There was once an invading army in another region that was utterly annihilated by magical girls for precisely this reason.”

The Commander, hands clasped on the table, explained in a calm tone.

‘Well, I’ll be… so it’s a hot-blooded manga (TL Note: A genre of manga typically featuring action, adventure, and strong emotional themes, often focusing on friendship and overcoming challenges.) setting?’

Yue Ling muttered inwardly.

“What if we eliminate the magical girls beforehand?”

“Invading armies in other regions have attempted that as well, with the result being… the remaining magical girls, upon witnessing the death of a comrade, would instantly transform into an indescribable form, attacking us with berserk fury. Ultimately, it took the self-sacrificial detonation of that region’s invading army commander to finally eliminate that madwoman.”

“Wow… so the magical girls in this world also have a ‘dark transformation’ storyline… And… transforming into an indescribable form, that just gives me a bad feeling.” At this moment, Yue Ling’s mind conjured images of a certain magical girl mascot and some Eldritch beings.

“If we can’t kill ordinary people, nor can we kill magical girls, then how about restraining them with powerful means?”

“That’s feasible for the short term, but if it lasts too long, the magical girls will receive what they call ‘light’ from ordinary humans, subsequently erupting with immense power sufficient to break free from their restraints.”

“They can even draw ‘light’ from humans? Well, this world also has a touch of a certain tokusatsu show… No, this mix is just too chaotic.

(Reference image of Yue Ling)

(A rough reference image of Magical Girl Akahoshi)

(A rough reference image of Magical Girl Jade)

(Reference image of Magical Girl Youlan)