The Witch’s Pursuit and Chloe’s Unveiling

At the street corner, a dark-haired girl pressed herself against a wall, seeking refuge from an unseen threat.

“That Night Moon… she’s actually a magical girl,” she murmured, a shiver running down her spine. “That was close; she nearly spotted me…”

This was none other than Xiaolan, now transformed into a witch, who had been tailing Sera for days, relentlessly seeking an opportune moment for revenge. Today, for reasons unknown, Sera and Night Moon were out and about, seemingly presenting a prime opportunity. However, a moment ago, Xiaolan had caught a whiff of danger emanating from Night Moon’s wolf-like green eyes. She instantly reined in the subtle magical aura she had inadvertently released, barely managing to evade Night Moon’s keen senses.

The power bestowed upon her by the witch calling herself Isabella was formidable, leaving Xiaolan confident she could hold her own against Night Moon. Yet, engaging in a direct confrontation would undoubtedly prevent her from targeting Sera, thereby surrendering the advantage of striking from the shadows. Such a golden opportunity might not arise again.

Xiaolan had once believed Night Moon to be a decent individual, especially after their encounter in the restroom where Night Moon had offered assistance. Now, however, it was clear that anyone associating with Sera could be nothing but trouble.

A cold snort escaped Xiaolan’s lips as her form gradually melted into the deepening shadows, resuming her silent pursuit of the pair.

“How about this, you should head home first. We can discuss the monster situation another time,” Night Moon finally proposed to Sera after a prolonged period of contemplation.

Sera’s face immediately fell. “Absolutely not! What if the monster suddenly ambushes me? My house isn’t exactly around the corner!”

“Don’t worry,” Night Moon reassured her, “seeing as it hasn’t made a move yet, perhaps today will be no different? I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave now.”

“You! Don’t you dare leave!” Sera cried, attempting to seize Night Moon’s arm, but in a mere flash, Night Moon vanished without a trace.

Sera was left utterly alone. The wind whistled through the deserted street, flanked by residential homes. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, not a single soul seemed to be present. Sera’s heart hammered against her ribs as she swiftly retraced her steps.

She had not ventured far, however, before a familiar voice echoed from behind her.

“Young miss, where are you hurrying off to?”

With a gasp of terror, Sera whirled around.

“Xiaolan? What are you doing here?!”

Returning home from school invariably brought a sense of cheer, even if her particular household was far from conventional. At long last, she had managed to shake off those two troublesome individuals!

And what was the outcome? She had caught a cat, or so it seemed. Heh heh~ Could it possibly be a Flerken? If so, that would be truly terrifying~

Chloe hummed a cheerful tune as she approached her front door. Just as her hand delved into her pocket for her keys, the voice of an unfamiliar woman suddenly echoed from directly behind her.

“You’re coming with me,” the voice commanded.

Chloe barely had time to turn her head before a hand clamped over her mouth. She was abruptly hoisted into the air, and before she could even process the shock, her vision spun wildly. She found herself soaring through the sky.

“Mmph! Mmmph-mmph!”

Chloe felt like a small rabbit snatched by an eagle, held in an unyielding grip, struggling desperately to wriggle free.

“Don’t struggle! Keep wriggling, and I’ll drop you!”

Despite the harsh warning, the woman’s voice was cloyingly sweet, like a thick, viscous syrup. Her tone, neither truly soft nor harsh, exuded an undeniable, natural allure.

Not a monster, then? Could she be another magical girl? Given the existence of perverse magical girls like Tia, Chloe reasoned, it wouldn’t be surprising to encounter ones who abducted little girls. It seemed she would need to consult an almanac before venturing out in the future; these past few days had truly brought forth an incessant stream of bizarre encounters.

Trying to kidnap me? You’ve certainly picked the wrong girl!

A glint of cunning flickered within Chloe’s golden eyes. She channeled the magical energy coursing through her body, and in her pale pink palm, a golden short blade materialized. Its curved surface shimmered, reflecting the sunlight as though wreathed in a sheath of living flame.

Sorry, not sorry! Who told you to be a villain anyway!

With a grim determination, Chloe hardened her resolve and plunged the blade deep into the woman’s thigh.

“Aow! You… you wretched brat!”

As the woman recoiled in pain, Chloe seized the moment to wrench herself free, plummeting downwards like a kite whose string had snapped. As if fearing Chloe might be fatally injured, a fleeting flicker of panic crossed the woman’s eyes. Without a moment’s hesitation to inspect her wound, she dove downwards, desperately attempting to recapture Chloe.

With her unbound hair streaming behind her like a golden cape, Chloe calmly focused her magic, enveloping her entire body. In mid-air, she completed her transformation. As it unfolded, the fox hairpin adorning her hair and the small fox charm at her waist subtly dissolved into myriad specks of light, merging seamlessly into her burgeoning magical aura.

Witnessing Chloe’s transformation, the woman’s face contorted with a mixture of shock and fury. The hands she had instinctively extended to catch Chloe were now engulfed in a swirling mass of dark magic. Her once-normal fingernails elongated, sharpening into deadly talons that radiated an evil aura.

She’s a monster? Chloe thought, a chilling realization dawning.

With no time for further contemplation, she swiftly drew her Demon-Slaying Bow. As she continued her descent, she braced the bow’s grip with her foot, simultaneously drawing the string taut with both hands. A golden arrow, forged from pure magic, shot forth as the string was released, the immense recoil further accelerating her plummet.

Sensing the potent demon-slaying energy imbued within the incoming arrow, the woman’s heart jolted with alarm. She barely managed to twist her body sideways, narrowly avoiding the projectile, though a few strands of her hair were severed cleanly.

Such swift reflexes! She actually dodged my arrow even while airborne!

Chloe landed moments later on a patch of grass, the impact of her descent carving a small, circular depression into the earth. Grass clippings and soil scattered outwards, dusting her pristine white dress with specks of green, which, paradoxically, only enhanced her elegant and adorable appearance. She aimed her bow at the airborne woman, unleashing several more arrows in rapid succession.

The woman, however, already anticipating the attack, swiftly evaded each one. Finally, she brandished her sharp talons and lunged towards the momentarily stunned Chloe.

Oh no!

Chloe instinctively raised her short blade horizontally, attempting to parry the strike. Yet, in the woman’s perception, her movement was agonizingly slow, like that of a snail.

“Too slow!” the woman sneered.

At that precise moment, the woman retracted her deadly talons, opting instead to press Chloe firmly to the ground with an open palm.

“Ugh!” Chloe grunted, the air knocked from her lungs. Even cushioned by the grass, a wave of dizziness washed over her.

“They actually got here first again… those accursed magical girls…” Through a hazy blur, Chloe observed an expression of annoyance on her assailant’s face. The woman released her grip, then casually shifted her foot to press down on Chloe’s stomach.

“Hmm? What have we here?”

As the woman scrutinized the magical girl pinned beneath her foot, her gaze seemed to catch upon something intriguing. Her eyebrow arched subtly, and the deep furrows in her brow gradually smoothed away.

“Ah, I see…” she murmured.

A smirk played on the woman’s lips as she crouched down, beginning to stroke Chloe’s hair.

‘What in the world is this woman doing?’ Chloe wondered, utterly bewildered. Suddenly, a jolt like an electric current shot through her scalp, causing her eyes to widen in an instant.

“Tell me,” the woman purred, “how does a magical girl end up with fox ears~”

‘Fox ears? What fox ears?’

Chloe shot the woman a venomous glare. As soon as her assailant lifted her foot from Chloe’s stomach, Chloe, gritting her teeth against the pain, swiftly rolled to the side and settled into a half-crouch.

“And your fox tail is showing as well~”

“Eep!”

To her utter astonishment, Chloe discovered a fluffy, light-golden appendage, identical in color to her hair, seemingly attached to her tailbone.

‘This is… a tail!?’

In a state of utter shock, she clutched her head with both hands, then tentatively felt again. To her dismay, she discovered that, at some unknown point, two delicate, fuzzy ‘buds’ of pinkish hue had sprouted from within her luxuriant golden mane.

‘How did I even grow fox ears?!’