The air was so stuffy it felt impossible to breathe.
Su Ruanruan’s limbs were forced to curl up against her chest.
Kanzaki Yoruha’s sleeping posture was restless, like a large feline guarding its food.
She had Su Ruanruan wedged tightly in her arms.
But the real killer was the cat tail the bastard had forced onto her.
With every subtle breath and shift Kanzaki Yoruha made in her sleep, those firm, slender thighs would brush against the fluffy tail trapped between them.
“Mmph…”
Su Ruanruan bit her lower lip hard, swallowing the groan that nearly escaped her throat.
A strange, indescribable tingling current shot up her spine and straight to the top of her head.
It felt like a feather charged with static electricity was sweeping back and forth across her most sensitive nerve endings.
Half her body went limp, and even her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
Yet under Kanzaki Yoruha’s absolute power, she could only stare at the dim ceiling with dull, red dead-fish eyes that had long since lost all highlight and hope.
Just endure it.
***
The next morning.
“Mmm…”
A satisfied little hum came from above her head.
Kanzaki Yoruha kept her eyes closed and stretched luxuriously, her arms tightening instinctively as if she wanted to give the wonderfully soft little thing in her embrace a face full of affection.
But when she opened her eyes and looked down, her movements paused slightly.
What met her gaze was a pair of resentful dead-fish eyes.
Su Ruanruan’s silver hair was tousled into a bird’s nest on the pillow.
She had two massive dark circles under her eyes, and the cat ears on her head drooped lifelessly.
She lay there completely still, staring at Kanzaki Yoruha.
Her expression openly screamed resentment and unwillingness.
The air was silent for two seconds.
Under normal circumstances, Kanzaki Yoruha should have felt at least a little guilty—her sleeping posture really wasn’t the best.
But instead of any apology on her cool face, she simply glared fiercely at Su Ruanruan.
How could a pet blame its owner?
She needed to be taught the rules properly!
Kanzaki Yoruha raised an eyebrow.
Her gaze landed on Su Ruanruan’s slightly puffed-up, pufferfish-like fair cheeks, puffed out from anger.
Without hesitation, she reached out, pinched Su Ruanruan’s chin, leaned in close, opened her mouth, and took a hard suck on that soft, squishy cheek.
Smack—plop!
The crisp wet sound echoed in the deathly quiet basement.
Su Ruanruan’s eyes flew wide open.
For a moment she couldn’t process what had just happened.
What the hell was this girl doing?!
The warm, soft sensation combined with the obvious suction left an overwhelming wave of humiliation crashing over her!
“Mmph! What are you—let go!”
Su Ruanruan snapped out of it, flushed with shame and fury.
She shoved at the shoulders pinning her down with both small hands.
But her soft, weak strength might as well have been pushing against a wall.
It only made Kanzaki Yoruha even more excited.
A low chuckle rumbled in Kanzaki Yoruha’s throat.
She effortlessly caught both of Su Ruanruan’s slender wrists, twisted them upward, and slammed them down with a thud.
Su Ruanruan was flipped over by an irresistible force and shoved heavily into the soft bedding.
“Ah…”
Her cat tail got pinned under her body.
The tingling jolt that shot straight to her brain made Su Ruanruan tremble all over, and physiological tears instantly welled up at the corners of her eyes.
Before she could recover, Kanzaki Yoruha was on top of her again.
Warm breath spilled across the hollow of Su Ruanruan’s neck.
Then her earlobe heated up—
Kanzaki Yoruha had tilted her head and taken the earlobe into her mouth.
She even gave it a wicked nip with her sharp fangs.
“Hiss—! You bastard! I hope you die horribly!!”
Su Ruanruan tensed up from the bite, toes curling tightly.
She tried to turn her head away, but she was held down too firmly.
The powerless feeling of being treated like a toy made even the tips of her ears flush with humiliated red.
Just as Kanzaki Yoruha seemed ready to do more—
Click. The basement door opened.
Louise walked in carrying a stack of folded clothes.
Her lovely eyes swept over the two figures on the bed.
They paused for a moment on Su Ruanruan’s pitiful state—wrists pinned, eyes rimmed red—before she covered her mouth and spoke with a smile:
“My, my, youth is wonderful. So passionate first thing in the morning~”
Louise drew out her words teasingly.
“But Yoruha, if you keep bullying your little pet and don’t let go, you’re going to be late for school.”
At the words “little pet,” Su Ruanruan’s back teeth nearly cracked from how hard she clenched them.
“Understood, Louise.”
Only then did Kanzaki Yoruha reluctantly release her mouth.
She sat up and looked down at the silver-haired loli beneath her—panting heavily, glaring murderously. Her mood visibly brightened.
She threw off the covers, got out of bed, and changed into her neat uniform with practiced ease.
Before leaving, Kanzaki Yoruha walked back to the bed and ruffled Su Ruanruan’s fluffy head hard, the way one might soothe a kitten that had just been scolded.
“Be good and stay put.”
Her tone was light, even carrying a hint of laughter.
“When your owner comes home, we still have plenty of fun ahead. You naughty little thing, we’ll settle yesterday’s account properly later.”
With that, the two of them turned and left the basement.
Bang.
The heavy anti-theft door on the first floor slammed shut.
The air fell into complete silence.
Five minutes later.
Su Ruanruan, who had been lying on the bed like a dead fish, suddenly perked up her ears.
They’re gone?
The thought of being mercilessly tormented by that crazy woman Kanzaki Yoruha again that afternoon made her grit her teeth.
She dragged her limp body off the bed.
If I don’t run now, that lunatic is really going to—
Su Ruanruan didn’t even bother changing into the clothes prepared beside her.
Still wearing the oversized T-shirt, dark circles under her eyes, and barefoot on her fair little feet, she dashed down the stairs with pitter-patter steps straight toward the first-floor door.
She lunged at it hopefully, gripped the cold metal handle with both hands, and twisted hard—
Buzz—
A pale blue defensive barrier rippled into existence in front of the door like water, pulsing with heart-stopping magical energy.
Thud!
A moderate force struck her chest accurately.
Su Ruanruan cried out and landed hard on her backside on the wooden floor.
She sat there stunned, expression frozen.
Refusing to believe it, she got up and rushed to the nearby window.
Buzz— The same light flared up and mercilessly blocked her again.
Damn it! How insidious!
What was this?
Using military-grade barriers even against a worthless first-tier Witch like her?
They really thought too highly of her.
Su Ruanruan shook with rage.
The cat ears on her head bristled.
She glared at the unbreakable door, bared her teeth, and kicked it with all her might!
“Go to hell, you pervert!!!”
“Hiss—ow ow ow ow ow!”
The door didn’t budge.
But Su Ruanruan’s toes felt like they had slammed into a steel plate, as if the bones were about to crack.
“Wuu… ow ow owŏ̥ㅁŏ̥.”
The pain made her instantly clutch her right foot and hop around on one leg in the entryway.
Tears swirled wildly in her eyes.
Just as she squatted down, frantically rubbing her reddened toes and blowing on them—
Buzz…
An extremely faint, strange fluctuation suddenly rippled through the empty apartment.
Su Ruanruan’s hands froze.
She sniffed, lifted her head, and a flash of surprise crossed her red-rimmed eyes.
What is that?
The cat ears on her head shot straight up.
As a Witch, one of the darlings of magic, her perception of magical power was extremely sharp.
She could clearly sense something familiar calling to her from somewhere on the second floor.
Since escape was impossible anyway, Su Ruanruan simply padded barefoot up the stairs, following the faint fluctuation.
She moved quietly, breathing lightly.
Click.
The door at the very end of the second floor was unlocked and opened with a turn.
It was a spacious master bedroom with a slightly retro shoujo-manga vibe.
The room was spotlessly clean, but the air carried a lonely, long-uninhabited stillness.
The fluctuation came from the vintage wooden vanity by the bed.
Su Ruanruan approached, pulled open the bottom drawer, and felt around inside.
Click.
A hidden compartment popped open.
Inside lay a diamond-shaped, heart-like red crystal.
Its surface was covered in fine cracks, and the edges were badly worn.
It looked like a five-cent plastic toy from a street stall.
Yet right now it was glowing faintly, giving off a strange warmth.
“What kind of junk is this? Hey, what do you want?”
Su Ruanruan muttered and, without thinking, poked the crystal’s surface with her index finger.
The instant her fingertip touched it—
Buzz—!!
An extremely dazzling yet non-blinding red light exploded from inside the crystal and swallowed her whole.
Immediately after, a strange voice thick with tears rang directly inside her head without warning:
【Magical Red!! Is that you?! How are you?! I’ve finally reached you!!】
【I knew you were still alive! Hold on, don’t be afraid—I’m opening the cross-dimensional teleport right now!!】
“Whoa—!”
Su Ruanruan was knocked onto her backside. She clutched the now-burning crystal tightly, completely stunned.
Magical Red? Cross-dimensional teleport? Was this some kind of magical girl item?! How did Kanzaki Yoruha’s house have something this illegal?!
She wasn’t given any time to ask questions.
The crystal suddenly floated up from her arms.
Its brilliant light formed a massive spatial vortex.
Amid Su Ruanruan’s scream, it sucked her in violently.
***
“It hurts… Feels like I’m going to break… I’m not a magical girl, why did you suck me in…”
In the endless void turbulence, Su Ruanruan curled up in pain.
The immense pressure of tearing through space felt like it was grinding her bones inch by inch.
Fine beads of blood seeped from her fair skin, staining her thin T-shirt red.
Just as Su Ruanruan was about to reach her limit, the red crystal that had come with her seemed to notice.
It trembled lightly and transformed into a red translucent shield, firmly protecting her at the center.
Then, with a soft pop, the battered crystal reached its limit and shattered into dust inside the dimensional rift.
……
Far away on Earth.
The former “Magical Girl Orange,” Asahina Hikaru, stared at the positioning device in front of her with trembling hands.
But the next second, she watched helplessly as the faint light point representing “Red” on the screen flared one last time before completely extinguishing.
It was the sign that the transformation device had been utterly destroyed.
“Chiaki… no…”
Asahina Hikaru’s legs gave out. She collapsed onto the cold floor in front of the machine with a thud.
She covered her face with both hands and broke into desperate, heartbroken sobs in the dim room.
***
Meanwhile, in the Magical Girl universe, Starview City.
Thud!
In a small alley that reeked of mold and stagnant water, a spatial rift flashed and vanished.
A petite figure tumbled out like a discarded rag doll and crashed heavily onto a pile of abandoned cardboard boxes.
“Ugh…”
Su Ruanruan was thrown completely off balance. Before she could even cry out, her head lolled to the side and she passed out.
***
A light drizzle began to fall.
Icy, bone-chilling raindrops pattered onto her silver hair and already tattered clothes.
After who knows how long—
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.
Steady footsteps splashed through the puddles and stopped at the mouth of the alley.
A clear umbrella lifted slightly.
Beneath it stood a black-haired girl with a cool, indifferent face.
Her calm amber eyes shifted, gazing through the rain curtain toward the pile of boxes.
The black-haired girl tilted her umbrella and took two steps closer.
Under the flickering yellowish streetlights in the distance, she finally saw what had fallen from the rift in the sky.
It was a silver-haired girl of exquisite, almost bewitching beauty.
Her oversized, thoroughly soaked, ragged T-shirt clung to her skin.
She lay curled on the ground like a broken doll, completely defenseless.
The black-haired girl’s breath hitched for the briefest moment.
She stared at the faint redness at the corners of the girl’s eyes. Deep in her amber pupils, a dark impulse surged up—one that even frightened herself.
She wanted to pinch that fragile nape.
She wanted to press down hard on those scrapes.
She wanted to wake her up and watch her cry helplessly, begging for mercy with that adorable expression.
The black-haired girl’s slender fingers unconsciously tightened around the umbrella handle until her knuckles turned white.
“…”
Five full seconds passed before she suddenly snapped back to her senses.
She bit down hard on the tip of her tongue.
The sharp pain instantly cleared her mind.
No… what am I thinking?
A rare flush of embarrassment and guilt quickly colored her usually expressionless, cool face.
To hide her inner panic, the black-haired girl instinctively turned her head, glancing left and right like a cautious little animal checking for witnesses.
The dim alley was empty.
Only the sound of rain.
No one had seen her just now.
The black-haired girl let out a quiet breath of relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
She lowered her gaze again, staring at the unconscious Su Ruanruan.
Her throat bobbed visibly as she swallowed hard.
Then she tucked the umbrella against her shoulder, bent down, and gently lifted the petite body into her arms with careful tenderness.
PS:
Tachibana Chiaki, the former Magical Girl Red.
Eighteen years ago, the Black Witch (Kanzaki Yoruha’s mother)—an otherworldly being who had long been confirmed expelled—returned to the Magical Girl World and launched a surprise attack.
She stole the Magical Crimson Heart (the transformation device), knocked out Tachibana Chiaki while she was in her civilian form, and abducted her to the Witch World…
Asahina Hikaru, the former Magical Girl Orange.
She was Magical Girl Red’s childhood friend and fellow teammate from the same generation.
On the surface, she appeared to have a poor relationship with Tachibana Chiaki, but in truth she had always secretly been in love with her.
Ever since the Black Witch abducted Chiaki, she has been relentlessly searching for her whereabouts…