The First Encounter with a Tentacle Monster

This mission involved a tentacle monster.

A tremor of unease ran through Chloe when she received this assignment.

Oh, I’m fighting a tentacle monster?

She was merely a magical girl in training, a recruit who, just a few months prior, had been nothing more than a poor, ordinary male university student, living a monotonous life between his dorm, the campus, and the rookie post station.

According to descriptions in certain literary works, tentacle monsters were the absolute bane of magical girls; encountering one could, at best, lead to torn clothing and ‘fan service’ (TL Note: A term referring to content included in media to please fans, often sexually suggestive), or, at worst, result in becoming a pregnant, premium breeding vessel.

“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about,” the voice had assured her. “It’s just a first-tier monster, no threat at all to a magical girl, perfect for you trainees to practice on.”

The person assigning the mission had made this promise to her.

Yet, life was often full of unexpected turns. Her transformation into a magical girl had been one such surprise, and if she lost to a tentacle monster and became a breeding vessel, that wouldn’t be much of a surprise either.

Chloe, clutching her demon-slaying longbow, crouched on the rooftop, her gaze fixed intently on a figure disappearing into the alley below.

According to intelligence reports, this individual had transformed into a tentacle monster weeks ago, luring numerous innocent girls into this very alley to their demise and posing a grave threat to public safety.

Though a flicker of fear stirred within her, having embraced the mantle of a magical girl of justice, she knew that confronting such evil demanded a decisive strike!

Each night, as darkness descended, the tentacle monster would cease its human guise and retreat to this alley to rest, presenting Chloe with a perfect opportunity.

End your wicked life!

“Arrow of Aurora!”

Chloe cried out the name of a move she had conjured on the spur of the moment, as a bolt of concentrated magical energy, imbued with her power, streaked through the night like a meteor toward the tentacle monster.

“Aargh!”

The unsuspecting tentacle monster was instantly pierced, and black, putrid blood erupted from the gaping wound.

“A magical girl!? Damn you! Can’t you even let me rest after work!”

The tentacle monster then revealed its true form, as slick, black tentacles burst forth from its body, coiling together before lunging at Chloe.

Chloe swiftly dodged the tentacles’ thrusts, simultaneously firing several arrows skyward, which then plummeted down, savagely pinning the tentacles to the ground.

Amidst the tentacle monster’s pained howls, Chloe’s golden eyes hardened with resolve; she drew another arrow and charged towards the now immobilized creature.

“Die!”

The magical arrow, imbued with demon-slaying power, plunged deep into what loosely served as the tentacle monster’s head, igniting with a searing blaze as if fire had met kindling.

“Aaaaargh!!!”

The tentacle monster thrashed its limbs in agony, forcibly tearing free the pinned tentacles, which then whipped through the air like lashes, spraying black blood everywhere as they struck out at Chloe.

Chloe’s slender frame twisted with agile grace, evading the lashing tentacles as effortlessly as seaweed swaying in the ocean currents.

As its blood slowly drained away, the tentacles’ thrashing grew weaker and slower, until they finally collapsed lifelessly onto the concrete ground.

“Heh heh~ Tentacle monster versus magical girl, Chloe wins!”

Chloe flicked away the splattered monster blood from her hands, then triumphantly spun around, striking a pose of victory.

A sudden realization that her pose might have been a bit ‘chuunibyou’ (TL Note: A Japanese slang term for adolescents who have delusions of grandeur, believing they possess special powers or hidden knowledge) caused her small face to flush crimson. Covering her face with her hands, she peeked through her fingers, glancing around to ensure no one had witnessed her antics, before letting out a relieved sigh.

Just as she turned and took a few steps, preparing to leave, a question suddenly surfaced in her mind.

Monsters are supposed to automatically dissipate after being defeated, aren’t they? But…

At that very moment, a slick, wet sensation coiled around her ankle, and her amber-gold pupils sharply constricted.

In a flash of urgency, a white dagger materialized in her hand, which she swiftly swung behind her.

“Too slow! Heh heh heh!”

The tentacle monster cackled in its slimy voice.

Before the blade could sever the attacking tentacle, another one coiled around Chloe’s wrist, and a surge of immense force yanked her body upward.

Chloe felt a dizzying disorientation; the sensation of her head being heavy and her feet light made her realize she was now hanging upside down, suspended by her ankle in the tentacle monster’s grasp!

Damn it!

As an archer, her delicate physique was ill-suited for close-quarters combat, and being restrained only compounded the danger.

Images of the tragic fates of magical girls who had battled tentacle monsters in various works of fiction flashed through Chloe’s mind. An overwhelming dread welled up within her, her small face draining of color as she felt a sudden, urgent need to urinate.

“N-no… don’t…”

She struggled violently, yet her limbs were tightly bound, her entire body suspended in the air, leaving her utterly powerless.

“Hahaha! So it’s just a rookie! What a rare treat to capture a magical girl. Now, obediently bear my offspring! Heh heh heh heh!”

The tentacle monster cackled maniacally.

Tentacle after tentacle extended towards its helpless prey, eyeing her with the predatory hunger of a venomous serpent.

“W-waah… ‘No threat,’ they said… It was a lie…” Chloe’s eyes welled up, their usual sparkle fading into despair.

I’m going to be violated by tentacles… I’m going to squelch out tentacle babies, one after another… And I’ve only just… only just become a girl!

A thick tentacle snaked its way beneath her skirt, poised to explore the magical girl’s ‘secret garden’.

Suddenly, a drastic change occurred.

Before either Chloe or the tentacle monster could react, a moon-gilded blade flashed, slashing through the tentacles. In an instant, they were all severed, spewing forth foul blood and white viscous fluid.

“Aaaaargh!!! Who is it now! Show yourself!”

The tentacle monster’s eyes glowed crimson, its fury consuming what little reason it had left.

However, an overwhelming disparity in power was not something mere emotion could compensate for.

Before the wielder of the sword could even be glimpsed, the tentacle monster was cleaved in two by a single strike, falling silent and still.

The night once again descended into silence.

The uncontrolled tentacles shriveled limply, and Chloe, still suspended, dropped with a wet ‘thud’ into a puddle of white secretions on the ground, completely covered and utterly disheveled.

She struggled to her feet, gasping for breath.

“Are you alright?”

A cool, clear voice broke the silence, like a chilling breeze in the night.

Chloe looked up, her gaze falling upon a girl whose face was as cold as frost.

The girl held a longsword engraved with intricate botanical patterns, yet she wore only simple civilian clothes: a short-sleeved top and long pants. Her black hair, merging with the darkness of the night, drifted gently in the wind.

What struck Chloe most profoundly were her eyes; the savior’s purple gaze was like a frigid, piercing lake, giving no impression of having come to rescue her.

It was as if she meant to kill her instead…

“I-I’m fine… Thank you, Senior… May I ask your name?”

“Tia.”

With that, the girl, who introduced herself as Tia, walked towards the tentacle monster’s dissipating corpse and raised her longsword with both hands.

What happened next was utterly unexpected: the black substance from the monster’s corpse, which should have dissolved into the air, was instead absorbed by Tia’s sword.

“Mmm~ Ah~”

The girl suddenly let out a soft moan, as if experiencing something profoundly pleasurable.

“Uh…” Chloe stood frozen, dumbfounded.

Senior’s ability… seems a bit strange, doesn’t it?

Since it was merely a first-tier monster, Tia quickly completed the absorption. Afterwards, she licked her lips, as if savoring the experience.

Witnessing this scene, Chloe involuntarily blushed, feeling a dampness between her thighs, and she couldn’t help but clamp her legs together, rubbing them slightly.

‘It’s just sweat,’ she tried to reassure herself.

After all, Chloe had only recently transitioned from being a boy; it was perfectly normal to have some reaction to such a ‘lewd’ (TL Note: A slang term referring to something sexually suggestive or provocative) scene, wasn’t it?

Tia retracted her longsword, then approached Chloe, pinching her soft cheek with an air of familiarity. “What just happened,” she stated, “you are not to speak of it.”

It was a threat.

Chloe could distinctly sense the unspoken consequence: what would become of her if she dared to speak of it?

She dared not imagine.

Thus, Chloe could only press her lips together and nod.

Was she a magical girl? Could such a person, so cold, ruthless, and dark, truly exist among magical girls?

Chloe felt a pang of shame, yet this was undeniably her first impression of her savior: she didn’t resemble a magical girl at all, but rather a witch.

Chloe didn’t know if such a species existed in this world, but it was the most fitting title she could conjure for the girl before her.

“I know what you’re thinking, trainee magical girl Chloe. I know everything about you. Now, come with me.” With those words, Tia turned and walked away.

Chloe froze in stunned silence.

How did she know her identity? And what did she mean, ‘know everything about her’? What exactly did that mean!

Chloe had a faint premonition that this girl might be connected to the reason she had become a magical girl.

Driven by a desire for the truth, Chloe cast aside her reservations and followed.