Bubble Witch

(Bai Ziye)

Sailuno seemed to have figured out the proper use of her magic. She trapped the tiger monster in a giant bubble cage, neutralized its physical attacks, and then filled it with water, eventually drowning the beast.

“Hmm, I feel like that was a bit cruel…” Yin Lu murmured.

Perhaps thinking she sounded too critical of the rookie, Miss Lu’er quickly changed her tune: “But these are External Invaders threatening humanity. No matter how they die, they don’t deserve sympathy!”

Honestly, I thought it was cruel too, but I didn’t say anything. In that regard, I suppose I’m quite merciful. The monsters I’ve killed always died peacefully, without much pain—especially since those types of monsters don’t even seem to have pain receptors.

“What exactly are these monsters, anyway?” I asked.

“The Association and research institutions worldwide are studying that very question. Unfortunately, those who entered the wormholes never returned. It seems humanity may never get an answer…”

I already knew what Miss Lu’er was talking about. Everyone knew—it was a humiliating defeat recorded in the history books.

Seven years ago, led by three powerful magical girls, our world organized an expedition. Thirty magical girls in total entered the wormhole to reach “the other side,” hoping to eradicate the threat once and for all. The combined combat strength of thirty magical girls could have rivaled humanity’s entire conventional military. The three leaders were among the original “Seven Stars,” granted the Names of the Planets:

• Oceanheart Swordheart: Fomalhaut

• Gold Empress: Aldebaran

• The Hunter: Betelgeuse

It was a brave raid, but also an act of arrogance from which there was no return. Humanity lost thirty magical girls and their Star Crystals, yet our understanding of the other side remained unchanged. The External Invaders only paused for a few weeks before resuming their attacks with increasing frequency. By then, everyone understood the counterattack had been a catastrophic failure.

“Speaking of which, Miss Miluno, do you have a way to counter Sailuno’s ability?” Yin Lu’s question pulled me back to reality.

“If I could touch the bubble, I could pop it and get out,” I replied simply.

“But in a weightless, frictionless environment, there’s no leverage to reach the edge, right?”

The logic was sound for most, but I explained further: “If the monster were smart enough to use its own breath or a small discharge as recoil to push itself to the edge, it could use its claws and brute strength to break the film. After all, Sailuno can’t disable the monster’s physical properties while it’s inside. It could have broken out directly if it had any sense.”

To drown the tiger monster, Sailuno couldn’t make the bubble too large. Given the monster’s ridiculous strength, there was ample opportunity to escape—even those final steel needles could have punctured the bubble with a bit more focused force. Dying so easily… the monster clearly wasn’t very clever.

“I see. So Sailuno couldn’t keep the monster centered, but the monster just didn’t realize it could move?”

“In zero gravity, even a tiny force—like a heavy breath—can push you. But the tiger monster only thrashed about wildly. The lightning bolts it spewed seemed to be just discharges, providing no real recoil.”

Miss Lu’er laughed. “It was indeed stupid. That big brute had a humanoid body but lacked the brains to match.”

Only when the tiger monster’s massive corpse was hauled away by the disposal team did I stand up. “It’s over. The alarm is lifted. I’m going back.”

“Miss Yang Yan wants to meet Sailuno at the clinic,” Lu’er said, her voice sounding hopeful. “Don’t you want to come, Miss Miluno? That girl chose the name ‘Sailuno’ out of pure admiration for you!”

Lu’er’s emotional appeal was strong, but I had no intention of dealing with Sailuno in this identity. Not only did I know A-Yao well, but that dolt also knew me. I was terrified I might slip up and reveal a familiar habit. Besides, knowing her personality, she’d probably get pathologically excited to see me in person…

“No, thanks. Too bothersome.” I handed the tablet with the bunny sticker back to the drone.

“Miss Miluno, you’re so cold.”

“That’s just who I am.”

“Not at all! You were talking quite a bit just now… Could it be you’re deliberately maintaining an Ice Queen persona?”

I pursed my lips, took off the headset, and tossed it to the drone. “I’m leaving.”

Of course, I didn’t stay to hear Miss Lu’er’s reply. Jumping off the rooftop, I quickly left the cordoned area. Once I found a familiar blind spot, I deactivated my transformation and blended into the sparse crowd returning home from the shelters.

When I got home, A-Yao naturally wasn’t there yet. Has she really gone to see Yang Yan? Is she planning to reveal her identity and apologize?

I picked up my tablet from the coffee table and began browsing the online discussions about tonight’s battle. I flipped through videos and screenshots, then idly clicked into a local chatroom.

— Speaking of which, Miluno didn’t show up tonight, did she? —

Oh? They happened to be talking about me.

— She did. I saw her on the street during the evacuation. —

— Probably giving the newbie a chance to gain experience. —

— She must have been on standby nearby. Miss Miluno looks cold but has a warm heart. —

— Too bad I didn’t see her… Hey, aren’t Sailuno-chan and Miluno’s names really similar? —

— Oh, yeah. —

— Could they be sisters? —

— Sisters sounds great! Judging by the tone, Sailuno seems more ‘girly,’ like a younger sister. Miluno’s pretty but doesn’t feel ‘moe,’ so she’s definitely the older sister! —

— “Both sisters are my wives!” —

What a cringe-worthy remark. Me, acting like sisters with A-Yao? Just thinking about it gave me a cringe-induced headache. Besides, I have no intention of ever “acting cute”!

Not wanting to see any more discussions about myself, I typed a message to shift the topic.

— Everyone, any suggestions for Sailuno’s title? —

Magical girls all have folk nicknames—a “second name” not recorded in the Association’s formal files. For example, because of my high-speed combat and nighttime activities, I’m called the “Moonlit Gale.” Miss Yang Yan, due to her wings, fire, and volatile temper, is called the “Turkey”… though that carries a bit of a derogatory tone since her magic is so destructive.

— From the nature of her magic, how about ‘Bubble’? —

— That’s cute and easy to remember. Fits her image. —

— No, since she’s from Changkong City, how about ‘Changkong Girl’? —

What was this person thinking? To prevent that from gaining traction, I quickly typed a rejection.

— Linking a city to a magical girl is too weird. —

— She was transferred here by the Association to fill Turkey’s spot. What if she gets moved again later? —

— I think ‘Bubble’ is fine, but a bit plain. —

After a bit more back-and-forth, someone finally suggested:

— How about ‘Bubble Witch’? —