Amethyst’s Emergence and the Noble Warrior’s Debut

Shen Jingyi’s voice was calm, as if she had uttered these words countless times before.

Then, the delicate little box emitted a violet glow, instantly enveloping her entire form.

[‘In ages past—magnificent, winged divine beasts danced through the air, soaring across the heavens before descending with folded wings.’]

As the sacred chant resonated, a faint purple Pegasus seemed to materialize and ascend above the girl.

The white dress she wore was consumed by the light, transforming into a magnificent, dark violet gown, while feather-patterned purple gauntlets, protecting her elbows, appeared on her arms.

The skirt cascaded in layered, interwoven pleats like feathers, revealing black thigh-high stockings.

Her jet-black hair, touched by the glow, elongated once more and was dyed a splendid pale violet, shimmering softly beneath the setting sun.

A low-cut design gracefully tapered at her collarbone, elegantly showcasing the graceful curve of her swan-like neck.

Moreover, a faint violet pattern extended from her right neck up past her collarbone, emitting a gentle luminescence.

As the light receded, the girl’s eyes were likewise imbued with a brilliant violet hue.

[‘Piercing lightning, sweeping across the pole.’]

[‘Magical Girl Amethyst, transformation complete.’]

If the usual Shen Jingyi exuded a cool indifference, like an untouchable flower on a desolate peak, then ‘Magical Girl Amethyst’ now possessed less aloofness and more resolve and vitality, akin to a valiant sword poised to cleave through all obstacles.

“All things considered, a swift victory is our only option…”

Though she once felt a twinge of embarrassment over the elemental chants that accompanied the box, she had long since grown accustomed to them.

Feeling the surge of magic within her, Shen Jingyi—no, Amethyst—took a deep breath, lightly pushed off the ground with her left foot, and launched herself skyward, transforming into a streak of violet light that shot directly towards the Calamity Beast before her.

****

“Th-that… is this really okay?”

Hovering mid-air, a girl clad in a pitch-black gown spoke weakly, her gaze fixed on the rampaging Calamity Beast below.

She appeared quite young, with a voluminous cascade of golden curls reaching her waist, slender limbs, and a petite frame.

Coupled with her delicate, exquisite features, she looked utterly youthful.

She resembled a porcelain doll displayed in a shop window.

Yet, her blood-red eyes, triangular ears, and utterly pallid skin all distinctly hinted at her extraordinary nature.

“While it’s great that Professor Death was willing to lend us the newly created Synthetic Beast… what if we mess it up?”

Though no one else was present besides her, the girl tilted her head slightly, muttering softly to the empty air.

“After all, this is our first mission, and I just feel like we’ve gone a bit too far…”

Upon finishing her sentence, the girl flinched as if she had heard something, quickly covering her ears as she exclaimed anxiously:

“Uwah! I get it! Don’t scold me, I’ll try my best…!”

“But we’ve already caused such a huge commotion, why hasn’t that Magical Girl shown up yet… Eek!!”

No sooner had the words left her lips than, as if to confirm her statement, a magnificent violet light cleaved through the sky, hurtling directly towards her.

“E-eh, she really came…!”

Seeing this, the girl’s face registered a hint of panic; completely unprepared, her vision blurred for a moment before the dazzling violet light was upon her.

Confronting the attack, a flicker of light crossed the girl’s crimson pupils, and her entire body abruptly dispersed into a swarm of bats, scattering to narrowly evade the blow.

“Uwah… as expected of the legendary Magical Girl? She’s truly terrifying…”

The girl re-formed her shape, her eyes wide with lingering shock as she gazed at Amethyst, who was radiating a purple glow.

“So you’re the one manipulating the Calamity Beast?”

‘This one… looks strange too. While she might be a monster, she’s completely unlike any I’ve encountered before; aside from her ears and eyes, her appearance is no different from a normal human.’

Nevertheless, Amethyst dared not let her guard down, slowly raising her slender, dark violet staff, her eyes as cold and devoid of emotion as ice.

“I’m not just ‘you, this one’!”

Upon hearing this, the girl, who had been somewhat intimidated by Amethyst’s icy gaze, immediately retorted indignantly, “I am…”

Yet, no sooner had the words left her mouth than the momentum she had painstakingly gathered quickly dissipated.

She then timidly whispered to her side:

“D-do I really have to say lines like that? It feels so embarrassing…”

“Who are you talking to?”

Watching the golden-haired girl seemingly engage in a serious argument with thin air, Amethyst’s lips twitched slightly, finding it impossible to take the situation seriously.

“I get it… I’ll say it!”

As if having made up her mind, the girl took a deep breath, placed her hands on her hips, and declared loudly:

“I—I am a perfect life form, a noble warrior of the Arshes Empire, Heidi Teresa!”

Amethyst: “…”

‘Wh-what empire?’

‘Does she mean… there’s a huge organization behind her? So, monsters and Calamity Beasts are indeed being manipulated by someone?’

Amethyst furrowed her brow, automatically disregarding the lengthy prefix, her mind working diligently to analyze the information revealed in the girl’s fragmented words.

“Ugh, no, no, I can’t do it, those lines are still too embarrassing to say…”

A flush spread across Heidi’s pale, pretty face as she shyly covered her crimson cheeks.

Then, as if giving up on deliberation, she vigorously shook her head, attempting to conjure a hint of menace onto her youthful face, and pointed a slender finger directly at Amethyst.

“I—I’m telling you, you despicable Magical Girl, you’ve repeatedly ruined our plans!”

“Today, you’ll experience the might of our Empire’s latest Synthetic Beast!”

Initially, the Calamity Beast had been intently devouring the building—the reinforced concrete requiring no chewing on its part, simply swallowed whole.

Upon hearing Heidi’s command, the Calamity Beast immediately dropped its ‘delicacy,’ its vivid red eyes widening as it fixed an unwavering stare on Amethyst, clearly having entered a state of alert.

With a powerful beat of its colossal wings, the Calamity Beast’s massive body leaped skyward, soaring directly into the air and revealing its grotesque underside—beneath its enormous, fish-like belly, a pair of sharp, bird-like talons were unexpectedly visible.

Its unfurled wings whipped up gale-force winds, sending dust swirling.

Utility poles snapped like matchsticks, powerless against the gusts, and cars on the street were tossed about like flimsy pieces of paper.

“It’s coming!”

Amethyst had no time for further thought.

Facing the pouncing Calamity Beast, and acutely aware that a head-on confrontation was out of the question, her expression hardened as she scanned her surroundings with her peripheral vision, searching for an escape route.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in Amethyst’s line of sight, causing her eyes to widen instinctively.

—Perched on the rooftop of a nearby building, a slender girl in a black dress stood calmly, seemingly unfazed by the destructive rampage of the Calamity Beast before her.

Bai Muxue.

‘Damn it… why is she in a place like that…?’

‘Did she climb onto the rooftop just to watch the spectacle?’

‘Honestly… always causing trouble for others!’