“Morning, Uncle Kenji!” Seina yawned as she dragged herself into the Prime Minister’s office. A drowsy Colten rested on her shoulder with bags under his eyes. A dutiful Mr. Kiyojiro stood behind her, alert and ready for any trouble.
“Do you realize what time it is?” A grumpy Colten said.
“Yeah, sorry about this.” The Prime Minister replied, a bit chagrined. “But there’s a matter that requires our magical girl’s help.”
“Oh?” Tiredness left Seina as she stood to attention. She took her duties as a magical girl seriously.
“Sadly, it’s a human problem this time.” The Prime Minister turned towards his open window, gazing at the city as the sun rose for the day. “There’s a gang going around causing problems. The reformed police force doesn’t have the strength to deal with them.”
This drew Mr. Kiyojiro’s attention, listening with a keen ear. Seina frowned, was he worried because these troublemakers might have once been his friends? The bodyguard seemed to fit that crowd. A wave of guilt struck her for thinking this, but she couldn’t help it. The comparison fits too neatly.
“We’re bumping some heads together, got it!” Colten replied.
A pained expression showed on the Prime Minister’s face. “I shouldn’t be asking you this. You’re only a ten-year-old girl. You shouldn’t need to deal with these adult problems.”
“It’s fine, Uncle Kenji. Monster or human, I’ll be happy to deal with it. It’s my job as a magical girl to protect people.”
Colten gave an emphatic nod. “You can count on us.”
While still unhappy, the Prime Minister nodded in agreement. “They’ve been causing trouble in Kamagasaki. They’ve been exploiting and terrorizing people.”
“I don’t believe I’ve been there.” The vampires hadn’t allowed people to travel around much. Seina’s whole life had comprised only a few street blocks.
“I can show her around. I’ve been there before,” Mr. Kiyojiro said.
Uncle Kenji nodded his thanks. “Excellent, that simplifies things.”
“Hey! Seems you’ve finally shown your worth, Kiyojiro!” Colten said. A glare from the bodyguard sent him scurrying behind Seina.
Not again. In the days since Mr. Kiyojiro had joined her service, the bodyguard and the fairy hadn’t gotten along. Colten couldn’t resist making snide comments at Mr. Kiyojiro’s expense. While the bodyguard hadn’t retaliated, Seina feared her fairy friend would push him too far.
“We’ll solve this,” Seina said before Colten antagonized her bodyguard any further. Besides, she was eager to leave. People needed her help.
“I must warn you, their leader has developed quite a reputation. I’m getting many conflicting reports. Some say you’re behind it, Seina.” Uncle Kenji snorted in amusement at such a ridiculous notion then shrugged. “It’s nothing you can’t handle, but I thought you needed to know. Good luck.”
---
Seina followed her bodyguard as they made their way into the slums of Osaka. Before the darkness’s arrival, the district already had a rough reputation. Because of the vampires, it appeared almost uninhabitable. An aura of dissolution and fear permeated the place. Much to Seina’s surprise, people fled as they approached, whispering fearful and worried words.
At least Mr. Kiyojiro is good at scaring people away.
Interrupting her musings, Colten spoke up. “You know, Seina, I’ve invented some cool names for your magical girl form!”
Seina sighed. Not this again. Seina was Seina. Any other name wasn’t necessary. Her fairy friend was insistent his friend had a cool superhero name that inspired people.
“Like what?” Seina asked with little enthusiasm.
“The Magical Avenger!”
“Avenger? What do you mean? What am I avenging?” Seina asked.
“Um, the innocent? It doesn’t matter. It strikes fear into the hearts of evildoers!” Colten replied.
“Sorry, Colten, but it doesn’t fit.” If she had a superhero name, Seina wanted one that embodied her as a person, showing everyone what she stood for.
Much to her surprise, Mr. Kiyojiro was actually considering their conversation with interest. “How about one based on the lotus? In ancient mythology, the flower symbolized divinity and purity, often serving as the seat of the gods.”
“Huh,” Seina said, surprised by this tidbit from her tough-looking bodyguard.
Purity, huh?
“That’s it, Seina! You can be the Lotus Avenger!” Colten puffed out his chest in pride.
“I’m not avenger anything!” Seina shot back.
As they rounded a corner, Seina yelped in surprise asr she accidentally bumped into a group of rough-looking men. One tripped and winced in pain as his rear crashed into the hard pavement.
“Oh, sorry!” Seina blushed. She’d been so distracted by her conversion, she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was walking.
“Watch it, you little....” The thug went white after seeing Seina’s face.
“It’s her!” The other thug gulped.
“Sorry!” The fallen thug gave a respectful bow then fled at full speed away. His buddy followed close behind.
“Eh?” Seina blinked. What had just happened?
“Wow, Seina, you’ve developed quite the fearsome reputation!” Colten beamed with pride.
“I don’t want that kind of reputation.” Seina blushed with embarrassment. Still, their reaction bothered her. Her appearance had terrified them. Slayer of vampires or not, people shouldn’t fear her like that. She was a superhero, for goodness’ sake!
“Let’s keep searching,” Mr. Kiyojiro said, also disturbed by their reaction.
The streets were eerily silent as they walked down the slums. Besides them, Kamagasaki seemed to be devoid of people. Yet, Seina detected tension in the air. The locals feared for their lives. A sudden scream disturbed the silence, and the magical girl and her friends ran towards the sound.
“Please, I don’t know. Don’t hurt me!”
“Pathetic, none of you idiots can name her?” A rough voice said. A man howled in pain when a palm struck him across the cheek.
People whimpered in fear, herded in a corner by the men accosting them. They appeared beaten and battered, their attackers taking a great deal of pleasure in causing them pain. Seina spotted another man buried head deep in the ground. He eyed the saw sitting next to him in terror. Beneath his head was a stain of blood from previous victims.
Their attackers were giants. Seina had never seen men that large. They stood at least two meters tall. The thugs were bare-chested and muscular, wearing shoulder pads and spiked leather armor. Each wore their hair in mohawks in a variety of bright colors. Tattooed on the side of their head was a blood-red S, marking whatever gang they belonged to. Much to Seina’s surprise, not a single vampire stood among them. She’d half expected one leading the group of ruffians.
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The goon grabbed the injured man by the scruff of his shirt and shook him roughly. “I’m asking again. You better give a better answer. What is that girl’s name?”
“I told you, I don’t know!”
“Think harder!” The ruffian thrust the man’s face towards a statue sitting on a pedestal. Seina gasped in surprise, recognizing the figure. Except for the mask, it clearly depicted Seina in her magical girl outfit!
“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you!” The man gave a pathetic whimper.
“You don’t know?” The thug’s ugly grin extended into a nasty-looking smile. His victim grunted in pain when he landed face-first towards the spot next to the bloody saw. “Lucky you! You’re getting the privilege of sawing this man’s head off! If you don’t, you’re next!”
The man’s body trembled, unsure if he could proceed with this heinous act to save his skin, eyeing the saw sitting at his feet in terror. Seina refused to watch any longer, walking into the open.
Seina’s eyes blazed with fury. “That’s enough.”
A thug soon spotted her, smirking in amusement. “Seems we have company.”
“That right?” The head thug tossed his victim aside and studied the newcomer. He strolled towards her, towering over Seina. Despite this, she faced him without fear. Her fury overriding any hesitation confronting someone that much larger than her.
“You got some guts, brat.” Seina winced as the goon grabbed her by the neck. “I like your bravery. Tell me, who is that girl?” The ruffian pointed towards the masked magical girl’s statue.
“I don’t know. Who is it?” Seina asked, her voice venomous. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Mr. Kiyojiro, watching the scene from the shadows, ready to pounce into action. He showed no fear of confronting such large and dangerous men.
“You can’t answer either?” The head thug pointed towards the saw. “It’s a little larger than you, brat. But you better get sawing if you wish to live. He dropped her, pushing Seina towards the bloody tool.
“Change Change, Magical Love Dress Up!” The thugs’ eyes widened in shock when the seemingly helpless victim transformed.
Seina bent down, lifting the saw. The trapped man’s eyes widened in fear. But she gave him a reassuring smile, telling him everything would be okay.
In a single motion, she tossed the saw towards the fake Seina statue. The throw buried the blade deep into its head. “I’ll tell you this, it sure as heck isn’t me! I better get some answers, or else.” She cracked her knuckles, showing she meant business.
A moment of dead silence passed in the street. The magical girl’s arrival had taken everyone by complete surprise. However, the head thug quickly regained his senses. He bent down, getting into the magical girl’s face.
“So, you are the magical girl everyone’s been talking about.” The ruffian said, unimpressed. “The boss figured you’d show your little head if we caused some trouble.”
“And, who’s this boss of yours?” Seina said, her voice cold.
“No one you’ll live long enough to learn about.” The head thug smirked. “They say you’re unbeatable. Shall we put that to the test?”
“Very well.” The head thug howled as Seina grabbed his enormous arm and twisted it. Not enough to break it, but enough to cause a considerable amount of pain. While she thought it was somewhat excessive, it seemed appropriate considering the circumstances.
“Please, let go! Please don’t hurt me!” The goon tried everything to pull himself free of the magical girl’s grip, but it proved futile. Tears of pain dripped down his face.
Upon seeing how easily Seina had subdued their leader, the other gang members hesitated, wondering if fleeing would be wiser. Mr. Kiyojiro dispelled them of this notion, blocking their path. The bodyguard entered a fighting stance, ready to subdue anyone who tried to run.
“Take us to your leader.” Seina released some of her grip on the man, but still gave him no chance of escaping.
“Gladly, fool!” The head thug’s expression changed, becoming smug. “Yata! Paralyzing Scorpio Strike!” In one swift motion, he struck the side of Seina’s neck with his fingertips.
“Huh?” Suddenly, Seina lost control of her body, unable to move even a muscle. Even blinking proved impossible.
“What?” Colten jerked in surprise. Mr. Kiyojiro’s eyes widened in shock.
The head thug’s mouth transformed into a cruel smile, knowing he’d gotten the better of the seemingly invincible magical girl. “Pressure points. I’m a master of the Fist of the Scorpio. The boss figured you weren’t as unbeatable as they claim. Seems it’s true. Magical girl or not, ya’ll still human.”
“Won’t the boss be pleased once I turn over your carcass?” The head thug pulled his arm to free himself from Seina’s grip, but it still proved unbreakable. “Let go!”
He grunted with effort, trying to pry Seina’s fingers free. But they remained stiff and unmovable. His pressure point technique had rendered her immobile, making it impossible to even twitch her fingers.
“Let go, please!” Yet, his efforts proved in vain. Worse, her grip was leaving a nasty bruise mark, causing the ruffian a considerable amount of pain.
“Fine, whatever.” He delicately lifted the frozen Seina from the ground, trying to not injure himself any further.
“Help,” Seina said through clenched teeth, unable to move even her lips.
“You aren’t going anywhere,” Mr. Kiyojiro said, running to Seina’s aid, but the other thugs blocked him.
“Keep them busy, will ya’?” The head thug said. “I gotta get this girl off before she breaks my arm!”
“Seina!” Colten cried out in alarm as her captor lugged her away, still frozen like a statue, unable to do anything to help her friends.
“Guys.” Fear bloomed in her heart, terrified of what might happen to her friends so outnumbered and out-muscled.
The thug took a winding road, making it difficult to follow him. Even Colten would have difficulty tracking him. Eventually, they stood before an old factory building with boarded-up windows, long since fallen into disrepair. Several tough-looking men bearing the S tattoo stood outside, bored and playing cards to pass the hours.
One rose from his squatting position, eying the newcomers with interest. “Masato, you found the target? Uh, why is she attached to your arm?”
“Nevermind. Just tell the boss I’ve arrived, and I’ve got a present.” Masato said a little too quickly, trying to avoid the awkward questions and hiding the considerable amount of pain he was suffering.
“Once I get free, I’m going to kick your butt.” There would be Heck to pay once she freed herself of this paralyzing technique. Seina hadn’t enjoyed being lunged around like luggage.
This is what I deserve for getting careless. Stupid Seina, you knew people with crazy powers were around!
“I can’t say you’ll last long, sweetie,” Masato replied, his grin turning nasty. “The boss has got a vested interest in your downfall. Stuck like this, you can’t do a damn thing about it.”
He pointed to another masked statue of Seina. “Lotus Butcher’s about to show you the true meaning of terror!”
---
“So, this is the place?” Takako said, spinning her parasol. After much tedious running around and some considerable persuasion of the locals, they’d finally located this universe’s magical girl, Lotus Butcher. She liked the girl’s helmet. It was pretty cool.
“Focus. We have a mission, remember?” Nier said, annoyed, disrupting her musings.
“Yeah, yeah.” Despite her dismissive attitude, Takako was quite interested why everything was so messed up with a magical girl around. They walked into the old factory building, eager to discover that answer. Some muscle-bound thugs attempted to stop her, but they were a pitiful threat.
---
The abandoned factory was almost pitch black. Cruel grinning faces hid in the shadows. The familiar smell of death and decay hung over everything. Lotus Butcher had tortured people here, too.
“Boss, I’ve got her.” Masato placed Seina on the ground, helpless, in a den of vipers.
“Excellent, you have done well.” A raspy voice said from a second-floor platform.
A figure cloaked in shadows sat on a throne made from stone. Seina squinted, trying to pierce the darkness. The vague colors of pink and yellow were visible in the shadows. Whoever they were, their boss wore a duplicate of her magical girl dress. The only difference was the black mask with a gold grill hiding their face. Something about their voice sounded familiar, but Seina couldn’t place where.
“Get the pit ready!” A mohawked thug said.
“Pit?” grunted Seina.
Masato gave her an evil smile, lifting her towards a large hole torn in the concrete floor. “You’re invulnerable, sure. But how long will that last?”
Some thug lifted bags of cement mix and dropped them near the hole. Someone got a hose ready, filling the pit with water. The villains’ plan soon became frighteningly clear.
“Getting it now? Good.” Masato said, his eyes sparkling with malice. “Can you suffocate, I wonder? If not, well, it’ll keep you trapped for a while.”
Oh no! Seina fought hard against whatever was paralyzing her body, but to no avail. Her muscles refused to cooperate, leaving her helpless against their cruel plan.
The boss howled with laughter and jumped from their throne, landing next to Seina. “Oh, how I’ve been anticipating this.”
Finally, Seina got a good look at Lotus Butcher, who was indeed wearing a facsimile of Seina’s dress. Seina blinked in utter confusion. This person’s proportions didn’t even come close to matching hers. They were muscular and tall, clearly much older than ten. She gave a strangled cry when Lotus Butcher removed their mask.
“I will make you pay for the humiliation you inflicted on me, Seina.” Dreven the Unkillable smirked, watching his men pour the cement mix into the hole. “This is sure to make your death slow and painful. Fitting, right?”
“Eh?! You?” Seina sputtered at the vampire in a dress. “What? How? Why?” That didn’t even cover the million other questions she had. Unfortunately, her paralyzed mouth made it impossible to speak them.
Dreven looked down at his fake magical girl outfit and smirked. “A stroke of genius, right? Even if I didn’t lure you here, it would still irreversibly besmirch your reputation, hero. I will enjoy making everyone in the world hate and despise your name!”
“Okay, but is the dress really necessary?” Was she suffering from a fever dream? It made a great deal more sense.
“I will do whatever is required to enact my revenge,” Dreven replied. He returned his helmet to his head, not really answering her question. “Throw her in. I’m going to enjoy watching her squirm.”
“Yes, boss!”
“Uh, what about me?” Masato pointed to himself, still stuck to Seina.
“Throw him in too.” Dreven waved a dismissive hand and returned to his throne.
“What?! You can’t do that!” Masato’s eyes widened in panic, and Seina felt pity for the poor thug. Dreven ignored his man’s pleas, a cruel smirk under his helmet.
Masato tried harder to free himself. “No, please! I don’t want to die!”
A nearby thug shrugged, unmoved. “Sorry, Masato. But you heard the boss’s orders.”
How terrible. No one deserves this.
Everyone jumped when something kicked open the front door. They winced as a spotlight illuminated the intruder, disturbing the pitch darkness.
“Sorry boys, but I would like to have a word.” A young girl said.
After getting accustomed to brightness, Seina finally got a good look at the newcomer. She was the same age as Seina. Her blond hair was long, running down almost her entire back. She wore almost all black, a short tank top with a skull emblem on the front covering her chest. Below, she had a miniskirt with fishnet stockings and a giant belt around her waist. A green scarf and a long black trench coat completed the look. Her expression was smug and confident as she addressed the crowd.
“The name’s Takako Kodama. Have to say, I appreciate the pad. Very spooky, just the kind of place that warms my pitch-black heart!”
“Yeah! Who’s the boss? We’d love to speak with them. Got some business.” Seina’s eyes widened as another person flew into view. It was a fairy, just like Colten. Only this one was black and wore a skull mask over their face. Did this mean...
“Who the heck are you?” A ruffian said, blocking the newcomer’s way.
“Your death, if you don’t move, idiot,” Takako replied, unafraid of the towering man.
“Why you!”
“Where’s Lotus Butcher?” Takako continued. “You’re a magical girl, right? What are you doing? Why aren’t the vampires ruling the planet? It is a magical girl’s job to spread despair and hopelessness. Don’t tell me this small-time operation satisfies you. Big picture, duh!”
What? Seina’s heart seized in her chest. What was this girl saying?
“Huh? Are you Lotus Butcher?” Takako squinted in Seina’s direction. “Why are you standing next to a hole of cement?”
Dreven snorted, rising from his throne. “That girl? She’s dead meat. I’m Lotus Butcher.”
“Huh?” Takako raised her eyes towards the throne and the vampire. She released a blood-curdling scream when she got a good look at the fake magical girl. “What the &#%@!”
“Change Change, Magical Love Genocide Dress Up!” The girl produced a red broach similar to Seina’s and transformed.
Unlike Seina, the new magic girl didn’t become more colorful. Instead, a dress so dark purple it was almost black formed around her. It was highlighted by splotches of colour, yellow and green. Her outfit resembled a Kamchatka lily. Seina got a strange sense of foreboding from it.
“Die!” The new magical girl summoned two guns in her hands, one black, the other white, and pointed them towards Dreven. Before the vampire could even respond, the magical girl unleashed a storm of bullets towards his hapless body.