The Witch’s Proposition

“How astonishing! A Magical Girl, slaying a human. What do you suppose would happen if this act were to be exposed?”

Chloe was making her way home, her spirits heavy with despondency, when a woman’s voice suddenly echoed from the gloomy alley. From the depths of the shadows, a figure cloaked entirely in a hooded robe emerged.

Chloe’s vigilance immediately sharpened. She preemptively conjured her Demon-Slaying Bow, her eyes warily tracking the figure’s every movement.

“A Witch?”

“Indeed. To recognize my identity and yet not immediately strike—you truly are different from the other Magical Girls.” Though the figure’s face remained obscured, her tone conveyed a distinct amusement. Chloe, surprisingly, detected no trace of hostility.

“What do you want?” Chloe inquired, her voice laced with coldness, even as her mind raced to formulate a countermeasure.

Witches, it seemed, were far more formidable adversaries than mere demonic creatures. Whether one could defeat them was one matter; their talent for escape was undoubtedly unparalleled. Even a Magical Girl of Tia’s caliber would struggle to detain a Witch intent on fleeing.

This Witch, it was clear, had witnessed her entire act of slaying a human. Should this information be brought to light, Chloe would find herself without any standing in the magical world. Everyone she knew—Tia, Night Moon, Nelly, Ke Lan, and others—would, in all likelihood, turn against her. After all, the act of killing a human had already occurred, and regardless of her identity, it was no different from the deeds of demons or Witches.

However, the Witch’s decision to reveal herself indicated a clear intention to use this as leverage, seeking something from Chloe. This implied there was still room for negotiation. To her surprise, Chloe found herself capable of contemplating such a selfish matter with alarming calmness, utterly devoid of guilt. Self-preservation had, for the moment, become her paramount objective. All notions of a Magical Girl’s fundamental principles and the moral imperative of ‘a life for a life’ had, in that instant, dissolved into thin air.

She acutely understood that she had plummeted to the nadir of human morality, a place where she stood utterly alone. Only by adopting the moral standards of Witches would she find herself with numerous companions.

As if perceiving Chloe’s internal struggle, the Witch let out a triumphant laugh.

“Let me be clear, then, Magical Girl Chloe,” she purred. “Join us. What do you say?”

“Impossible!” Chloe instantly retorted, her voice firm, yet a flicker of hesitation and panic betrayed her outwardly resolute demeanor.

Regardless of how dire the situation had become, Chloe still clung to the belief that she was, at heart, a human. Perhaps she no longer truly qualified as a Magical Girl, but her fundamental understanding of good and evil remained unchanged. Her act of killing merely signified that she had committed a wicked deed; her spirit had not yet twisted to the point where, like a Witch, she would consider murder a virtuous act. This, she knew, was the most essential difference.

Nevertheless, it was undeniable that if she sought a viable path forward, the way of the Witch seemed to be the only one left open. Her act of murder had irrevocably sealed off her future as a Magical Girl. Even if the truth could be buried forever, she could not deceive herself; Chloe already believed she was unworthy of the title.

“Ah, such a resolute refusal,” the Witch murmured. “Allow me to share something else with you. You must be aware that the Watchtower is currently recruiting more Magical Girls, even allowing some ‘rotten fish and shrimp’ to join their ranks. Do you know why?” The Witch’s words rang true. Sera’s case had left a profound impression on Chloe.

“It’s because, under our guidance, many young girls, and even some Magical Girls, have chosen the path of the Witch. They have embraced our ideology and become one of us, a development that has put considerable pressure on the Watchtower. You are not alone; many girls have abandoned their roles as Magical Girls to join us. Should you choose to join, you would no longer need to live in daily fear for having merely slain a common human. Indeed, such an accomplishment would be considered almost saintly among us Witches.”

Chloe was far from foolish; she quickly grasped that the Witch was relaying these facts to make her realize she wouldn’t be the sole transgressor if she joined their ranks. Regrettably, Chloe’s unwillingness to join the Witches stemmed not from such considerations, but from a profound, unwavering rejection of Witch values deep within her heart.

The ideal of a Magical Girl still represented an image she cherished. The figure who had bravely stepped forward beneath the colossal, sun-eclipsing beast, saving her at the cost of her own life, remained like an unyielding barrier. This image protected the radiant ideal that lay hidden deep within her heart. She had always yearned for Tia to truly return to normalcy, to continue embodying a Magical Girl who, like her own sister, could worthily represent love and justice. This fervent hope had led her to forgive Tia’s atrocities time and again.

However, not only Tia, but Chloe herself had drastically underestimated the black energy’s pervasive influence on the mind. This underestimation had led her to commit the irreparable crime of accidentally killing an innocent human. Under the rampant disturbance of the black energy, she felt as though she genuinely transformed into a Witch from time to time, consumed by extreme negative emotions and an infinitely magnified killing intent.

Chloe refused to surrender just yet.

“I will not join you. Give up.” Chloe declared, retracting her Demon-Slaying Bow and reverting from her transformed state. Her eyes returned to their amber gold, and her hair once again shimmered with a golden hue.

The Witch, despite her outright rejection, did not break face. She merely chuckled softly, as if everything remained well within her expectations.

“The Tea Party respects your decision, but please remember this: you have no retreat left among the Magical Girls. With us, however, your future remains boundless. The Tea Party will always welcome your arrival, Magical Girl Chloe… until we meet again…”

Having spoken, the Witch’s form dissolved into the shadows.

The sun had fully set, and night once again usurped the day. Enveloped by a world of profound darkness, Chloe suddenly felt as though everything were merely a dream, as if she were a little girl awaking from a nightmare. She felt utterly alone and helpless. The malevolent black energy had influenced her consciousness, causing her to mistakenly kill a human, yet this crushing responsibility now fell solely upon her shoulders in her lucid state.

And what price, she wondered, awaited her at some unknown point in the future?