The Witch of the Shark Princess

(Bai Ziye)

“Director SpiCa, I’ve brought them.”

“Yin Lu, please excuse us for a moment.”

“…Ah? Yes, ma’am!”

Though she wasn’t part of the Tactical Division, Yin Lu—being a standard liaison—dared not defy SpiCa’s orders. She shot a quick wink at Sailuno and me, then turned and took the elevator back downstairs.

“Follow me. Since you’ve fought a Witch, it’s time you were briefed on certain matters… Wait, who is this?” SpiCa froze, staring at the tablet in Sailuno’s hands.

“This is Yang Yan. She’s the magical girl in charge of our sector.”

“Ah, I see. I didn’t recognize her without her combat gear.” SpiCa gave a curt nod toward the screen where Yang Yan was watching, then added, “She’s your mentor now, correct? Then she must have seen the battle. Be advised: this operation is classified—no livestreams, no video uploads. You are not to discuss this encounter in public.”

“We understand,” I replied.

A magical girl turning into a monster—that was a truth the world was not yet ready to handle.

The treatment facility was vast, with each floor meticulously divided into zones. The closer we got to the center of the floor, the fewer researchers we saw, and the security clearance required became increasingly higher. As the Director of the Tactical Division, SpiCa obviously possessed the highest level of clearance.

After passing several high-sec labs housing the remains of the “Rockmelt” and “Thunder God” monsters, she stopped before a massive, reinforced door.

“Is that Witch… inside here?” I asked.

SpiCa closed her eyes and nodded.

“And is she an old acquaintance of yours?”

SpiCa fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, she whispered, “Yes. After all, I was the one who sent them there… You both know about the failed expedition seven years ago, right?”

We knew. It was impossible not to.

Seven years ago, humanity—blinded by its own arrogance—lost thirty of its top magical girls in a single night. Since that day, the Association had lacked the courage to actively probe “the other side,” settling for the passive defense we maintained today.

Sailuno thought for a moment, her eyes widening. “Is this Witch… Kawano Namie, the ‘Shark Princess’?”

“Yes. Namie’s magic was water manipulation. You’re well-informed, Sailuno.”

“My dream used to be joining the Tactical Division under you, Director SpiCa… but I knew I wasn’t good enough. Just being able to work in the Association as a liaison like Yin Lu and interacting with magical girls was enough for me.”

This silly girl, I thought. A-Yao always set the bar too low for his former self.

SpiCa glanced at her. “…So, how does it feel to actually become a magical girl yourself?”

“Exciting at first,” Sailuno admitted, “but once I calmed down, I felt like I didn’t have the qualifications to be one of you.”

“Trust the Star Crystal’s choice. Don’t doubt yourself without cause. Your magical power stems from your conviction. No one is born a warrior; everyone was an ordinary person before they transformed.”

SpiCa placed her hand on the biometric scanner, opening the final gate to the core area. Behind the door lay a long, dimly lit corridor. The walls were made of independent, movable plates that would seal off in an emergency—likely a failsafe to prevent a containment breach of the Witch held within.

As I observed the security measures, Sailuno continued the conversation. “Director, what did you do before you became a magical girl?”

“Me? I’m from Espelia. Twelve years ago, I was just an ordinary elementary school teacher.”

“Oh! What a coincidence! I lived there as a child! But you were chosen as one of the original Seven Stars… you can hardly be called ordinary.”

SpiCa gave a weary smile. “I truly was ordinary. When I first fought, I was just a burden who relied on Sirius and the others. I’m only called the ‘Master Strategist’ because my raw abilities were so weak that I was forced to rely on my brain to survive. Sailuno, my magic is just as lacking in raw attack power as yours is.”

“How can you say that? You rendered the Shark Princess completely helpless!”

“By the time I arrived, she had already exhausted her strength.”

Though SpiCa’s modesty seemed hard to believe, the records backed her up. There was a recognized hierarchy among the first seven magical girls. While the middle ranks were often debated, the first—Sirius—and the seventh—Spica—were almost universally accepted as the anchors.

Sailuno, however, just shook her head. “No way. ‘Mental Overlay’ is an incredible power.”

“A magical girl’s growth comes from battle experience and the constant refinement of her magic,” SpiCa replied.

“Even if you say I need to refine it, I… mmph!” Sailuno suddenly fell silent.

We had reached a circular room at the end of the corridor. The Shark Princess Witch, bound hand and foot, lay on a high-tech containment bed. Scanning devices hummed around her, and a remote team was likely monitoring her vitals 24/7.

The containment was far more clinical and colder than I’d imagined. “So this is… a prison.”

“Essentially. Without a source of water, her destructive power is lower than that of a standard monster. She cannot break out of here.”

The entire room was made of reinforced alloy steel, and the entrance was rigged with traps. Escape was impossible.

“But are we just keeping her here? Does she get food or anything?” Sailuno asked.

“There is no need. Witches are more alien than the External Invaders. They have no biological needs—no food, no sleep, no waste, not even breathing. They rely solely on the Star Crystal within their bodies for energy…”

SpiCa’s answer was chilling. They were no longer living beings; they were biological weapons. What did those girls experience on the other side?

Sailuno cautiously leaned in to observe, while I remained on high alert. The Witch on the bed didn’t stir.

Mental Overlay.

Virgo’s magic—the ability to overwrite an enemy’s mind with a fabricated personality. Even after SpiCa had detransformed, the effect remained active. It was terrifyingly potent magic.

“Director,” Sailuno whispered, “was she brainwashed by the enemy? Can’t you use your power to turn her back?”

“No. This isn’t brainwashing—it’s a complete physical and spiritual corruption. The Star Crystal itself has been tainted. There is no turning her back.” SpiCa’s tone was hollow, filled with a deep sense of loss.

Through the screen, Yang Yan watched the motionless Witch. “What exactly did they encounter on the other side?”

“I don’t know.”

“Have there been other Witch incursions?” Yang Yan pressed.

“Including Namie, seven Witches have appeared worldwide so far. Their combat capabilities have been suppressed, and they are confined in the high-security facilities of their respective cities.”

“Seven have appeared,” I noted, my voice cold. “That means there are likely twenty-three more out there.”

“Yes. If you encounter a Witch again, please try to capture them alive if possible. If you can’t handle it alone, call for backup immediately. Even though it seems impossible now, I will find a way to save them. I promise.”

SpiCa bowed her head deeply to us.

Her emotions ran far deeper than her professional exterior suggested. As the strategist behind the failed plan seven years ago, she had carried the weight of those thirty lives every day.

“Leave it to me!” Sailuno patted her chest, her eyes bright with determination. “If it’s just capturing them alive, my magic is perfect for the job!”