The Price of Protection

‘Ah, why must I always rescue such irritating individuals? Damn this wretched fate…’

Night Moon, who had been patiently observing from the sidelines, let out a deep, resigned sigh. With an air of reluctance, she activated her magic, her form instantly enveloped in a yellowish-green battle skirt.

Through her luminous green eyes, the chaotic scene before her seemed to unfold in agonizing slow motion. She registered the girl with eyes tightly shut, the monstrous bear-like creature lunging forward with its cavernous, blood-stained maw agape, and the shards of gravel scattering violently beneath its iron-hard claws.

Propelling herself forward with a powerful kick, Night Moon shot through the air like a cannonball, leaving a trail of afterimages. Her diminutive figure delivered a punch, its sheer force akin to a gale, directly into the colossal brown mass. The impact point caved in, as if the very fabric of space had warped.

“ROAR!!!”

A guttural cry, a horrifying blend of bestial bellow and human shriek, erupted from the monster’s maw, the immense reverberation causing a sharp ache in one’s ears. The colossal monster was sent hurtling sideways, akin to a massive boulder flung through the air. Where it struck, the concrete ground erupted with myriad cracks. A vast plume of dust churned up by the impact momentarily shrouded the creature’s form, yet Night Moon remained vigilant, her gaze fixed intently on that spot.

‘That last attack… it felt off. It was as if I’d punched a wad of cotton. The visual impact was undeniable, but I had the disconcerting sensation that my force dissipated without truly connecting.’

“You must leave at once! This place is perilous!” Even though she had no idea how this bothersome individual had managed to provoke such a monster, Night Moon, as a magical girl, considered the protection of ordinary lives her foremost duty.

“You’re… ” The girl, clearly stunned into speechlessness, stared wide-eyed as a familiar face, now clad in peculiar attire, sent a beast of such immense size flying with a single punch. After a brief moment of bewildered silence, she finally turned and stumbled away.

As the dust gradually settled, those keen brown eyes pierced through the lingering haze, tracking the fleeing girl before silently etching her image into its memory. Subsequently, the creature gave a shudder, dislodging the irritating debris that clung to its fur. Its claws elongated further, revealing a network of blood vessels at their base.

‘This individual before me… and those who dragged me into this place… none of them are virtuous! They all deserve nothing less than death!’

The bear-shaped monster tore through the dissipating smoke. Confronted by an adversary of such astonishing scale, Night Moon felt an involuntary tremor ripple through her heart.

‘This monster’s power is undoubtedly on par with, if not superior to, my own. And given that I’m an agility-type, tackling such a thick-skinned, resilient brute will be anything but simple… How could a monster of such sheer brutality manifest within a school?’

Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, the colossal creature was already poised to unleash its indomitable claws upon her. Despite its immense bulk, it moved without a hint of clumsiness. Every single movement was imbued with an astonishing blend of power and velocity, and Night Moon knew that a single direct hit would leave her utterly incapacitated.

Mercifully, the monster’s velocity, though formidable, had yet to escalate to a degree that could outmatch her. She deftly sidestepped its charge, seizing the opportune moment to rake her magic-infused claws across the creature’s flank. Yet, this strike, beyond merely shearing off a sparse patch of its fur, appeared to inflict no discernible damage.

‘Unbelievable… this creature, its statistics are truly preposterous…’ Refusing to yield, Night Moon resolved to take a grave risk by targeting the monster’s eyes. She deftly evaded a potentially lethal swipe, then latched onto its back and scaled her way up to its massive head. With her neck tensed, her formidable claws lunged, aiming for those unprotected eyes. Yet, in the very next instant, her claws met with the unyielding resistance of what felt like solid iron.

‘This is not good.’ Just as she prepared to create distance, her claws were suddenly ensnared by its thick, massive palms. A colossal force, akin to a hydraulic press, began to crush her wrist. Realizing it could not shatter her slender wrist, the monster lashed its arm forward, flinging her high into the air.

As Night Moon was flung airborne, her gaze locked with the monster’s. Suddenly, a vivid green light flared within her eyes. Before the creature could react, its eyes were pierced repeatedly by an unseen force. A guttural, agonizing roar tore from its throat, and the ensuing sonic wave was so immense it stripped most of the leaves from the surrounding trees.

Regaining her footing, Night Moon instinctively bent forward, digging her hands into the ground. The sheer force of the monster’s counterattack still propelled her backward, her claws gouging deep furrows into the earth.

A cold sweat slicked Night Moon’s back, yet her vigilance remained unwavering. Under normal circumstances, such an injury would have been debilitating. The monster clutched its wounded left eye, which now presented as nothing more than a gaping, blood-black cavity. Its sole remaining eye was heavily bloodshot.

“AH!!! You dare to inflict this upon me!” A guttural roar erupted from the creature. It swiftly cast aside any concern for its injuries, charging relentlessly towards Night Moon like a fully unleashed tank. Just as she prepared to evade, the monster’s already accelerating form abruptly surged, its speed escalating explosively. The colossal claw, which moments before had seemed to descend in slow motion, now slammed down with an utterly impossible velocity, sending her hurtling violently sideways.

“!”

Night Moon, flung across the distance like a discarded rag doll, coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. Every bone in her body felt as though it had been pulverized, and a searing pain engulfed her brain, causing her vision to explode with golden stars. It felt as if she had been struck by a fully laden truck—immobilized, she found even the slightest sound agonizingly difficult to produce. Such injuries were not uncommon for a close-combat magical girl; with a half-day’s rest, she would typically recover completely. However, she was not currently resting in a bed. Instead, a bear-shaped monster loomed over her, eyeing her menacingly.

‘Could this truly be where it ends for me…? Perhaps… such is the fate of a magical girl. I made my peace with this long ago.’ Yet, Night Moon felt a sting of reluctance. To be defeated by a foul bear of all things… it felt utterly humiliating. Her vision blurred by the blood streaming from her forehead, the monstrous silhouette slowly advanced.

‘Is this truly how it concludes?’

The monster’s immense body eclipsed the sunlight, casting a colossal shadow over Night Moon’s delicate form. She closed her eyes. Suddenly, through her closed eyelids, her vision was once again flooded with light, as a heavy, muffled thud reverberated directly in front of her.

“If you were to die like this, your sister would be utterly heartbroken.”