Magical Girl Blackheart.
She was, as her name implies, a magical girl who wielded dark magic.
“Black Out.”
As Blackheart raised her hand to the sky, the surroundings changed. It was as though an blackout curtain had been drawn across the entire world. Thanks to this, it became impossible to see even an inch ahead.
However, neither I nor Kkomkmu were greatly alarmed.
We had already anticipated this much.
Spreading my arms wide, tentacles began to crawl out. They were the same ones I had once used to control Lee Tae-hwa.
Small and elongated but simultaneously sensitive tentacles. They started to connect walls with walls, weaving long threads like a well-knitted spider web.
Of course, amidst all this, Blackheart continued her attacks. Simultaneously spreading darkness, she swung her sword towards me.
Violet flames imbued with curses traced arcs in the air. The cutting power of that flame must have been extraordinary.
I raised a massive tentacle for defense. Like soft pudding, it was severed, burned, and disappeared.
It was a lethal force. If I hadn’t trained Iris, Blackheart would have surely been the strongest.
Of course, I’ve already interfered with the world, and the situation has drastically changed.
But I had already planned how to deal with her.
“Haaat!!”
She kept charging relentlessly.
Swish, swish, swish. A few tentacles were cut and regenerated repeatedly.
“An opening!”
“…Guh!”
Seizing the opportunity, Blackheart slightly slashed my shoulder. Feeling a burning pain, I asked Kkomkmu,
“Kkomkmu, are we done?”
“Just a moment… Ah, we’re done!”
Testing by plucking the string beside me, a vibration resonated through my body. This was the boundary of tentacles spread over a 20M radius.
This is the method I devised to counter Black Out while fighting Blackheart.
In the game, Iris’s accuracy stats plummeted significantly, but in reality, things were different.
“Can’t really see anything.”
This dark curtain allowed Blackheart to attack unilaterally. Within this darkness, Blackheart could sense her opponent’s position using echolocation like a bat.
In short, Black Out created a kind of home ground advantage.
And me?
Zing—
“There you are.”
“Gyaa!?” “Next is on the left.”
“Eep!?” “I can see your movements now.”
I established my own home ground within hers.
When Blackheart touched a tentacle, vibrations echoed.
“Next.”
BOOM!
A massive tentacle moved toward her. As she tried to evade, it struck down, and Blackheart defended herself with the side of her sword.
But stopping her movement was a mistake.
BOOM! BOOM!
Successive strikes from the giant tentacles. The impact must have been greater than being trampled by a rampaging elephant.
Naturally, there was a limit to how much Blackheart could endure.
From the depths of the darkness came a scream: “Uaaaaah!”
“Keep going.”
Snapping my fingers caused more tentacles to initiate their assault. Blackheart was quite resilient. She was tough enough to stand alongside Iris at the front lines if necessary.
A couple of hits wouldn’t be enough.
“Ugh…!”
Although Blackheart seemed to have dodged initially, the vibrations sounded again.
Once more, tentacles ruthlessly danced toward her, striking wildly due to the inability to pinpoint her exact location.
“Kyaaa!?”
Eventually, one hit would land.
A loud sound rang out, followed by another vibration. This time it was different. Instead of coming from one place, it came from the entire front.
‘She’s attempting a frontal breakthrough.’
The kid decided to just charge forward. She likely realized that some unknown trap had been laid around her.
Impressive that she noticed the strange threads in such a short time.
Pfft!
With a slicing sound, Blackheart’s body shot forward in a rapid thrust aimed at my vital points.
If it hit properly, it would inflict a fatal wound. Yes, if it hit properly.
Boom.
The sword plunged into thick flesh, and Blackheart lifted her head. The sensation of the blade piercing cleanly through.
But soon, she let out a startled cry.
“Eh…?”
“It would have been better if several others had attacked together.”
Her instant strike imbued with curses was blocked by a massive tentacle.
“If you were with other villains, it might have been quite dangerous.”
Raising the tentacle with the embedded sword, Blackheart helplessly watched as the weapon left her hand.
I caught sight of her expression.
Her crimson pupils were trembling. Her teeth clashed together, making a sound.
A frightened child shaking in fear.
A kid who could only tremble.
Realizing her predicament, Blackheart quickly tried to create distance.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Cugh…!”
Kicking her abdomen sent her body tumbling, and she vomited acidic bile.
The scene of a newly-minted middle school girl crying and vomiting wasn’t a pleasant sight, frankly speaking.
‘What can I do? Karma.’
The tentacles wriggled and grabbed Blackheart.
The disgusting tentacles licked her face as they coiled around her.
Shuddering in disgust, Blackheart resisted.
Pulling her towards me, I made a proposal.
“Blackheart.”
“…”
“Call all your teammates here right now.”
“…”
“If you do that, I’ll set you free. How does that sound?”
Blackheart’s eyes turned towards me. Blood-red pupils that unwaveringly stared back at me.
“What happens if you don’t release me?”
“Hmm?”
“What happens if I refuse?”
I deepened my voice as much as possible before speaking.
“You might have to enjoy some quality time with my tentacles.”
Young as she was, Blackheart seemed to understand the meaning behind ‘quality time.’
“…Alright.”
Slowly, she nodded.
She pulled out her phone from her pocket.
Though the screen was cracked, it still functioned properly as she dialed someone.
“…Hey, Iris.”
“Switch it to speaker.”
“…”
Grrr.
[What is it? Why are you calling me?]
“…Uh…”
[I won’t know unless you tell me. Just gonna hang up?]
“J-Just wait!”
Holding the phone, Blackheart hesitated for a while. It wasn’t easy, betraying her comrades like this.
Blackheart’s eyes darted around.
She stared blankly at the phone and then looked at my mask.
Finally, as if having made up her mind, she spoke.
“Hey, Iris.”
[What? What do you want? You little—]
“There’s a large open space if you go straight into the alley near Genesis Shopping Mall. Absolutely don’t come this way. Kraken has set a trap and is waiting.”
[Hold on, what did you say? Kraken? Where are you—]
“I’m hanging up.”
After ending the call and tossing the phone aside, Blackheart said,
“What should I do now? They’ll probably swarm here soon.”
The tentacles wriggled and grabbed Blackheart. Despite this, she submitted willingly, seemingly resigned.
I was curious.
“Why are you doing this? I thought there was no such loyalty between you and them.”
“…Just annoying.”
“Annoying?”
“To be taking orders from a creep like you. It’s truly the worst.”
BOOM!
Blackheart slammed against the ground.
Yet her gaze remained defiant.
“So keep going. Some perverted loser who can’t even have a decent conversation with a young girl.”
I was surprised.
I expected her to drag it out and betray her comrades.
“Still, you’re a magical girl, aren’t you?”
The power that doesn’t manifest without a sense of justice.
That is the power of a magical girl.
“Just because I hate doing what you say.”
Even lying stretched out, the kid didn’t stop talking.
…Well, anyway.
“You’re not completely trash, I guess.”
I grabbed her and climbed up the building wall.
“…Where are we going?”
“Hmm… somewhere as high as possible?”
+++++
Noah’s expression grew serious.
“…Tae-hwa, sis. Did you hear that?”
“…”
“…”
Silence fell as they looked at each other.
Finally, Lee Tae-hwa broke the silence.
“So, that villain Kraken is fighting Yoo Yul?”
“Yeah. That’s what I heard from the call.”
“Suddenly? How does that guy know about this? Or is it just a coincidence?”
“I don’t know. He’s always unpredictable. Maybe he thought of some weird plan while chasing me this time too.”
Noah thought. It wasn’t the time to just exchange stories here. They had to find that guy, Kraken, immediately.
Before he caused any greater damage.
Having finished thinking, the two entered the restroom to transform. Emerging from a restroom as magical girls isn’t ideal, but it was an emergency.
Thus, the three magical girls burst out of the building.
They could see him not far away.
People’s attention was drawn there, making it even easier to locate.
Someone shouted.
“It’s Kraken! Kraken has a girl with him!”
As the person said, Kraken was heading to the rooftop of a tall building with a black-haired girl in tow.
“Let’s chase him!”
“Okay!”
Including Noah, the three took flight. Their destination was obviously the rooftop of the building.
When they arrived, they could see more clearly.
There was an unconscious Yoo Yul and the villain Kraken holding her.
Seeing Iris, Kraken greeted her warmly.
“It’s been a while.”
“…Kraken.”
“You brat. You’ve been quite the troublemaker, haven’t you? Don’t you have some good allies?”
“…”
“You refused an offer to sell out your friends in exchange for freedom. People’s hearts are truly unpredictable.”
Why Kraken mentioned this, Noah couldn’t figure out, but knowing this wouldn’t change what needed to be done.
Iris clenched her fists tightly.
Stella’s star arrows were fully loaded.
Natalia’s small magic circle enveloped the other two.
“We have the advantage, Kraken.”
“I’m not stupid, Iris.”
Most villains would surrender immediately in this situation, yet his voice remained perfectly calm.
Seeing this, Natalia spoke.
“It’s 3 vs 1! You should surrender right now!”
“That’s enough. I don’t want to listen to anyone else. Moreover…”
Kraken trailed off.
Simultaneously, a few tentacles swelled up and then shattered with a loud boom!
The sticky meat pieces fell to the ground, pulsating a few times before…
They began to grow larger, acting like autonomous monsters.
“3 vs 100, girls.”
Confused voices from Tae-hwa and worried sighs from Natalia filled the air.
Using those sounds as background music, Kraken declared,
“Well, let’s start the show, shall we? Magical girls. And…”
“…”
“My old nemesis, Iris.”
