A Witch’s Homecoming

(Sun Yao)

The fourth water lance collided with my bubble, producing a violent impact… and the agonizing sound of shattering glass. My nearly depleted mana could no longer hold out. The crushing exhaustion left me gasping for air.

“Huff, ha… I discovered this power too late.”

The female monster had already reached the shore. Her frustration at her failed attacks was palpable. Now that the lake water had been drained, her only remaining weapons were the three lances circling her.

But it seemed I had reached my limit first.

The sight of my cracking bubble gave her hope. She grinned, revealing rows of saw-like shark teeth, and the fifth water lance shot forth.

Clatter—!

The bubble that had rejected everything for the sake of protection finally shattered. Was my resolve only worth this much? The water lance, its momentum undiminished, hurtled toward us, ready to pierce through both Miluno and me…

CLANG!

A sharp, metallic ring echoed through the park. A massive shield suddenly stood before me, sporting frightening bulges on its surface—the marks left by the kinetic force of the water lance hitting the other side.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, newbie!”

The one holding the shield was a girl with long brown hair. She wore a battle outfit styled like a high school uniform, complete with leather shoes and loose “bubble” socks. I recognized her immediately. She was Metal, the magical girl in charge of Sector C4. Her arriving only now was a serious lapse in response time.

She turned her back to me, wiped her nose, and glanced at the deformed metal shield in her hand. “Well, this is my first time fighting a monster with evolutionary abilities. Talk about exaggerated destructive power. Even my shield almost couldn’t block that. And you actually tanked four of those shots? That’s impressive.”

But I hadn’t fully blocked the fifth, and if it weren’t for her… Miluno wouldn’t have…

A soothing voice came through my earpiece—Spica (Virgo). “Don’t blame yourself, Sailuno. You did well. The containment mission is complete. Take Miluno and evacuate.”

“…Yes.”

I gently lifted Miluno from the ground and looked at the newcomer. “Please take care of the rest, Miss Metal.”

“You know me?” the girl replied energetically. “Then leave it to me! This sector was supposed to be my hunting ground anyway!”

Unexpectedly, the monster seized the opportunity. She fired her sixth water lance toward us while lunging at Metal with the final lance held in her hand, as if ready to risk everything.

“Watch out!”

Metal hurled her shield toward Miluno and me to act as cover, facing the monster’s charge barehanded.

Clang—! The water lance collided with the metal shield, producing a sound like a massive tolling bell. The shield was pierced, but the trajectory was deflected just enough.

I looked back. The two were locked in a desperate struggle. The monster’s final water lance had morphed into a pair of liquid short swords. Metal was in a passive defensive state, forced back by the monster’s ferocity.

I had to get her shield back to her, but it was too heavy for me to lift, let alone throw. Wait, there’s another weapon here.

I looked at the dark-gold short swords lying beside Miluno. I didn’t know what they were made of, but they were solid. “Miss Metal! Please, use these!”

I gathered my remaining strength and threw the pair of swords toward her.

“Oh, thanks!” Metal caught them. Miluno’s short swords were simple, without special elemental enchantments, making them perfect conduits for other types of magic.

“Ha!” With a flick of her wrists, Metal used her magic to reshape the short swords into longer, thinner rapiers. She unleashed a dual-wielding flurry—a storm of continuous thrusts that struck the monster’s silver scales. Already on her last legs, the creature had no power to counter. Metal’s physical strength was immense; after all, her magic revolved around the manipulation of metal itself. The monster, originally a long-range “mage” type, was completely outmatched in close-quarters combat once her ammunition was gone.

Hum—

The low-frequency vibration of a white wormhole opening echoed through the air.

“I’m here.”

The figure descending from the Association’s wormhole was Spica, who had come personally from headquarters. The legendary magical girl—Virgo.

Her body was wrapped in a glowing, sheer scarf that covered her so tightly it didn’t show an inch of skin, including her cheeks. She wore no other clothing, not even shoes. Her bare feet stepped onto the muddy riverbank, a sight that evoked a strange sense of pity.

Seeing Virgo, the monster let out a piercing, agonizing roar. Changing her strategy of attacking the weakest target, she shoved Metal aside and pounced on the newcomer.

But as one of the original Seven Stars, even a “strategist” possessed peerless combat skills.

“I’m sorry,” Virgo whispered. “Do you still hate me?”

She raised her hand, and two shimmering scarves shot out from her back like living things, entangling the monster’s arms. “But it’s okay. I’ll take you home.”

Home? Virgo’s words were impossible to decipher.

“Hey, are you two okay?” Metal, freed by Virgo’s intervention, hurried over to check on us.

“I’m fine… but Miluno…”

“Not a big problem,” Metal said, examining her. “It looks scary, but no bones are broken. Just flesh wounds. We close-combat types have much tougher physiques than you support types… and she’s one of the strongest there is.”

Metal used her magic to draw out the shards of chains and blade fragments embedded in Miluno’s back. “What about you? Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay… I think.” Other than the jarring impact of the water lances against my bubble, I hadn’t suffered much physical damage. I had been protected the whole time—by Yang Yan, then by Miluno… and both had fallen before my eyes.

The shark-like creature had already been pinned to the ground by Virgo. The liquid blades in her hands had dissipated. Virgo’s scarves, seemingly light as silk, possessed a terrifying combination of strength and flexibility.

But that was just a secondary function. The true magic of Virgo was Mental Overlay.

The scarves continued to coil around the creature, spreading from her arms to her entire body, mirroring the way Virgo herself was wrapped. Finally, even the tail was bound. The monster was reduced to a mummy-like state—a puppet under Virgo’s complete control. Soon, even her thoughts would be suppressed.

Among magical girls, it was a heretical power—one more suited for a villain. Yet, she was revered as a hero.

Virgo walked toward us, dragging the captured creature behind her. She reached up and pulled the scarf away from her face. She looked exceptionally pale, as if she hadn’t seen the sun in years.

“…You’ve worked hard,” she said simply.

“Miss Virgo,” I stammered, looking at the captured, abnormal “female” creature. “What… what exactly is this thing?”

“She is a Witch,” Virgo replied, looking at the creature with a pained, mournful expression. “She used to be… a magical girl.”