Twilight Hunt and Lingering Guilt

As twilight descended, creatures lurking within the shadows stirred to life.

“What a nuisance! Constantly chasing after these creatures every single day, I sometimes wonder if we’re capturing more of them than certain magical girls combined!” A woman’s exasperated voice echoed through the deserted, aging park that night.

“It can’t be helped. The Tea Party recently welcomed a new contingent of witches, all of whom require demon beasts for pets or training, significantly increasing the demand.”

“Alright, alright! Are you finished? We still have four or five more to apprehend after this one; I doubt we’ll even manage to complete the task tonight.”

“Almost, almost… Keep a close watch on our surroundings; the dark aura emanating from the teleportation array might draw in some magical girls.”

A bleak wind swept through the park, and beneath the brilliant moonlight, a faint metallic gleam flickered amidst the dense foliage. The witch’s enhanced vision immediately registered this anomaly.

“Who’s there?!”

Red light flared in one witch’s eyes, revealing everything in the encompassing darkness. Yet, despite her comprehensive 360-degree sweep, her gaze failed to detect any further anomalies.

The other witch, in the midst of preparing the teleportation array, prudently halted her work. She positioned herself back-to-back with her companion, wary of any potential ambush.

“Caww~ Caww~ Caww~”

The harsh cries of an ominous bird echoed from the sky, while leaves rustled and whispered in the wind, seemingly portending a hidden danger.

After several minutes of taut nerves, with nothing further transpiring, the two witches cautiously allowed themselves to relax. The fighting style of most magical girls tended to be straightforward; they would openly burst forth, radiating light, and loudly declare their techniques. While there were always exceptions, they remained a distinct minority.

“Did you perhaps misinterpret something? You’re growing paranoid. Once we’ve captured the remaining demon beasts, you should head back and get some much-needed rest.”

“Perhaps…”

The red-eyed witch rotated her stiff neck, and the crimson glow in her eyes slowly receded. Just as she turned her head, the periphery of her vision caught a chilling, blood-red flash of sword light. Her muscles instantly contracted in a reflexive spasm, her body darting sideways with incredible speed, barely evading the surprise attack.

Several severed strands of hair drifted through the air.

“Damn you! Show yourself!”

The crimson light in the witch’s eyes intensified dramatically, bathing the entire park in an eerie scarlet hue.

From the depths of the forest shadows emerged a girl clad in simple black attire, her grip firm on a longsword of pure, sanguine red. Her violet eyes, seemingly impervious to the pervasive crimson glow, remained a deep, lake-like purple, while her flowing black hair billowed around her.

The witch had not anticipated that the very crimson light radiating from her eyes would, upon striking the girl, transform into a theatrical spotlight, illuminating the grand entrance of a formidable demon. Gritting her teeth, she realized this opponent was terrifyingly powerful!

Was she a magical girl? Unlikely. Instead, she resembled one of the enigmatic Seat Witches from the Tea Party, exuding such a potent aura of danger.

No, against such an adversary, there was no opportunity for escape; only a direct confrontation remained!

The crimson glow in the witch’s eyes coalesced into a concentrated beam, a high-energy laser that lanced towards the girl. The scorching ray superheated the air in its path.

The girl made no attempt to evade, merely raising her longsword horizontally. Upon striking the blade, the beam immediately fragmented and dispersed, as though shattered into countless pieces.

The witch, stubbornly refusing to believe, continued to amplify the beam’s energy. The dark aura within her body rapidly depleted like flowing water, and at this rate, it would be entirely exhausted within minutes. She simply refused to believe that sword could possess such imperviousness!

Observing her opponent’s obstinacy, Tia’s lips curved into a slight smile. It wasn’t the sword’s inherent toughness; rather, her magic itself possessed an inherent demon-slaying attribute, naturally suppressing the dark aura. The beam, unable to even make contact, was repelled by the magic enveloping the blade.

“How much longer do you intend to wait?!” the red-eyed witch yelled at her companion.

Before the other witch, a luminous blue magic circle abruptly materialized. She charged towards it, and her entire form vanished instantly.

Had she escaped?

No…

Tia’s eyes shifted, and behind her, dark aura momentarily billowed. Unbeknownst to her, an identical magic circle had materialized. First, a silver-white blade tip pierced forth from its center, swiftly followed by the reappearance of the vanished witch herself.

“No matter who you are, prepare to die!”

Though typically a composed witch, the sight of this unfamiliar adversary stirred uncharacteristic agitation. The girl’s immense, unyielding magical power was simply impregnable; never had she encountered such a formidable opponent. She could conceive of no other recourse than to risk everything on a single, desperate attempt. She had employed teleportation arrays to ambush foes countless times before, and this instance would be no exception to her success!

Yet, just as the blade’s tip was poised to pierce Tia’s back, the witch, who had already allowed a triumphant smile to grace her lips, froze once more. The blade’s tip hovered mere inches away, yet it utterly refused to penetrate.

“Damnation! What in the world is happening?!”

Tia let out a cold snort, as several thick, powerful tentacles abruptly burst from her back. One of them, coiled with deadly precision, firmly braced itself against the blade’s tip.

“Th-this… what is this?! Ah!”

The witch’s heart lurched at the sight of the tentacles. In the next instant, one lashed out violently from the side, sending her hurtling through the air before she landed on the ground, utterly silent.

Witnessing this, the red-eyed witch, still desperately firing her laser, instantly lost all will to fight. The beam rapidly diminished, the crimson glow vanishing from her eyes, replaced instead by overwhelming despair.

Trembling, she collapsed to her knees. “Esteemed Witch… we meant no offense… we humbly beg your… Ah!”

Before she could utter another word, Tia, with a flick of her tentacles, rendered her unconscious.

“Witch? Am I truly such a foul creature?”

Her eyes blazing with fury, the longsword in her grasp suddenly began to vibrate, once more pulsating with a rhythmic, living glow. Sensing the sword’s profound craving, Tia slowly advanced towards the unconscious red-eyed witch. Without a moment’s hesitation, she gripped the hilt with both hands and plunged the blade viciously into her abdomen.

“Foul creature, perish!”

The blade tore through the witch’s abdomen, and the demon-slaying power raged uncontrollably within her. In mere moments, her witch’s body disintegrated into fine ash, every trace of the dark aura completely absorbed by the sword’s hungry blade.

“Ah~”

The surge of renewed power coursing through her body sent a wave of exhilaration through Tia. While this infusion of strength was not immense, who could ever truly object to more?

Turning her attention to the other witch, she found the spot where she had fallen utterly vacant, save for a small, crimson pool of blood.

Tsk, these teleporting rats are truly a nuisance.

The pool of blood mirrored the night sky; within its depths, the once radiant moon now appeared a sinister crimson.

“It’s getting late now; it’s time to return home.”

She had promised the little one back home that she would return for dinner. By now, the dishes were likely cold, weren’t they?

The mere thought of Chloe’s trembling back as she had left home sent a sharp pang through Tia’s heart. All the cruelties she had inflicted upon her earlier now surged back, generating wave after wave of intense, self-reproaching guilt.

She constantly felt as though her former self and her current self were two entirely different individuals. Reflecting on the past, the Tia who had mercilessly tormented Chloe in her memories now felt utterly alien to her.

How could I have committed such acts against a mere child? Could even I be susceptible to such a profound corruption by the dark aura?

A chilling dread washed over Tia.

But what, then, had allowed me to revert to my current self?