A Persistent Pursuit and a Feline Fiasco

Even with Chloe’s unwavering declaration, Night Moon clung to a sliver of hope.

Deliberately lowering herself, she gazed up at Chloe with a pitiful expression, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“Are you truly sure?”

“Ugh! No means no!”

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to witness Night Moon’s crestfallen expression, her small face flushed. She couldn’t tell if the blush stemmed from her own fib or from Night Moon’s close proximity.

Finding Chloe entirely unmoved, Night Moon could only sigh.

“Alright, I respect Chloe’s decision… Still, Tia-senpai is such a formidable magical girl. Hasn’t Chloe been influenced even a little? They say you become like the company you keep. With Chloe’s potential, she could easily become that kind of magical girl. All this talk about ‘magical girl qualities’ is just empty words, why take it so literally?”

Night Moon appeared to be murmuring to herself, yet she deliberately spoke loudly enough for Chloe to overhear, launching a final, subtle offensive. Chloe, however, wasn’t falling for such tactics; she simply turned her head away, feigning complete ignorance.

Witnessing her plan crumble, Night Moon’s eyes drooped in disappointment, only to suddenly brighten moments later. A wicked idea seemed to spark within her, casting half her face into shadow as if she were meticulously plotting some nefarious scheme.

Chloe suddenly shivered.

“Why do I feel a chill?”

On her way home from school, Chloe trudged along, a mixture of exasperation and resignation etched on her face, leading two individuals who had no business walking in her direction.

Midway, she abruptly halted, whirling around to face them, her cheeks puffed out in indignation like a squirrel hoarding nuts. Every strand of her golden hair seemed to bristle, standing on end as if she were a startled animal.

“Stop right there! Just how long do you two intend to follow me!” Chloe demanded, her voice laced with fury.

“Oh dear, we’ve been caught, haven’t we~”

Night Moon scratched her head sheepishly, yet the playful smile on her face betrayed not a single speck of genuine apology.

“So, what exactly is the point of you two following me?”

Night Moon replied with a beaming smile, “I’m thinking of taking Sera on a few extra rounds outside, to see if we can actively lure that monster out.”

“And what does that have to do with you following me?”

“We weren’t deliberately following you; we just happened to be walking in the same direction! It’s quite a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”

“As if I’d believe that!” Chloe retorted, her lips forming a defiant pout. “I’m going straight home to tell Tia that you’re intentionally leading monsters to me, trying to force me into becoming a magical girl!”

Hearing this, Night Moon instantly panicked. She scurried forward, wrapping her arms around Chloe’s shoulders and rubbing against her.

“No, please don’t! Don’t let Tia-senpai get that impression of me!” She frantically pressed her face against Chloe’s chest, causing Chloe to flush crimson.

“Get off me! Are you a pervert?! I don’t see any monsters tracking magical girls, only a creepy woman tailing a little girl home!”

Chloe forcefully pushed Night Moon’s head away, fixing her with a look of utter disdain.

“Oh, that look… being glared at by Chloe like this feels amazing…” Night Moon mumbled.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing at all~”

Chloe let out a long, helpless sigh. She suspected it was utterly impossible to dissuade Night Moon from her persistent, troublesome idea. This was truly problematic. If Night Moon persisted with these antics, Chloe’s true identity would inevitably be exposed one day.

And then…

‘Oh! You rotten Chloe! So you were a magical girl all along! You kept it from me for so long! Now, pay the price!’ No matter how I think about it, it’s going to be a huge hassle!

“Fine! I won’t bother with you two today. I’m almost home anyway, so you can go wherever you please.”

Having said her piece, Chloe took but a few steps before turning back, pointing at them. “And don’t you dare follow me into my house!”

“Chloe, you’re so heartless!”

“Hmph!”

Shortly thereafter, with only a dozen meters separating her from home, Chloe’s steps grew involuntarily light and springy, a joyful bounce entering her stride at the thought of finally shaking off these two.

‘Wait, what am I even happy about?’ she mused. ‘There’s an even bigger problem waiting for me at home.’

The mere thought of having “dinner” at home sent a shiver down Chloe’s spine. ‘That perverted person actually makes me eat such disgusting things every single day! How utterly depraved!’

“Wait!”

At that moment, Night Moon’s voice cut through Chloe’s thoughts.

“What is it? It couldn’t be…”

Sensing an unspoken shift, Sera, who had been trailing silently behind, suddenly tensed, her eyes darting nervously about.

“I smell it, the presence of a monster.”

Night Moon’s nose twitched, darting about, frantically gathering every faint wisp of magical aura in the air. Like a wild wolf catching the scent of blood, Night Moon’s demeanor had undergone a profound transformation. Focused and cold, she now appeared every inch an experienced monster hunter.

Only then did Chloe begin to ponder Night Moon’s fighting style. Judging by the power she had displayed in the restroom that day, she was likely a magical girl specializing in close-quarters combat. When battling monsters, she would undoubtedly be as swift and ruthless as a wolf, a fitting style given her moniker, “Wolf Fang.”

“Have you found where it is?” Chloe asked, her voice tight with tension.

‘Please, don’t let it be anything dangerous!’

“That way!”

Night Moon locked onto an alleyway, quickening her pace towards it, her eyes shimmering with a verdant glow. She moved like a wild wolf, poised to strike a fatal blow at any moment.

Chloe hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow. Should the situation turn dire, she was prepared to whip out her demon-slaying bow from beneath her skirt.

“Ha! Got you!”

Chloe’s heart leaped into her throat, her palms growing slick with sweat.

‘What could it be?’

“Meow~”

“Why is it just a cat?” Night Moon exclaimed, holding a stray feline aloft by the scruff of its neck, her eyes wide with utter confusion.

“Meow?” The cat’s gaze, too, seemed to hold a flicker of bewilderment.

Chloe, utterly speechless, stuck out her tongue. “This is the monster you were talking about? Oh, how terrifying! I’m going home now, bye-bye~”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Sera, standing beside them, cast a doubtful glance at Night Moon. “Night Moon-san?”

Night Moon, utterly baffled, remained frozen in the act of dangling the cat.

‘How could this be? I distinctly smelled the monster’s aura; there’s no way I could be mistaken! Could it have hidden itself?’

Night Moon meticulously searched the stray cat’s entire body, and upon confirming it bore no trace of a monster’s aura, she unceremoniously tossed it aside.

‘It’s gone. The monster’s scent, it vanished. How peculiar!’

Night Moon instantly plunged into a spiral of self-doubt. Her monster-sensing ability had never once failed her. While she might not detect monsters with exceptionally strong cloaking abilities, if she did catch a scent, it unequivocally meant a monster was nearby; there was no possibility of a false positive.

“Stay vigilant,” Night Moon cautioned Sera. “I haven’t encountered monsters that can conceal their aura before, so I might not be able to split my attention to protect you.”

This warning instantly drained the color from Sera’s face. “Perhaps we should just head home first! Or at least go back and call for backup…”

“…”

Night Moon offered no reply, a flicker of regret for her impulsive decision now clouding her thoughts.