Chapter 1: Murderer, Fugitive, Coward

“You’ve got me surrounded. Congratulations. If you surrender now, I’ll only kill one of you and spare the rest.”

I’m not joking.

I mean it.

There’s no need for unnecessary slaughter.

I exhaled a puff of pale cigarette smoke as I spoke.

You guys actually used your heads for once.

A girl stood there, her hair white as smoke, eyes red like fresh blood from a corpse.

She wore something more fitting of a mafia movie than a magical girl—an all-black long trench coat draped over her shoulders and a jet-black rapier raised in challenge.

She provocatively stood her ground, almost daring them to come at her.

With a grin that stretched her lips into something sinister, she flicked the burned-out cigarette aside.

“A murderer… talking nonsense!”

Standing across from her was a magical girl with flowing blue hair and an ornate, frilled dress.

“Magical girl? No—wanted criminal Sanguine Obsidia! You are under arrest for serial murder and terrorism. Drop your weapon and lie face down!”

A police commander shouted through a megaphone as dozens of officers aimed revolvers loaded with anti-magic bullets.

‘If she resists arrest, shoot to kill.’

In an era where Miranda rights had long melted away in the incinerator, the protocol for encountering the dangerous Sanguine Obsidia was simple.

“Quite the turnout for a hastily assembled unit. Impressive.”

2 a.m. at a pitch-dark intersection.

A quiet street where no one usually passed by was now encircled by three magical girls and dozens of armed police officers, all fully geared.

The police took cover behind patrol cars, guns drawn.

The magical girls summoned their magical energy.

[Are you seriously going to fight them all? This many?]

“I gave them a chance. If they insist on fighting… so be it.”

I ignored the chattering black ghost beside me and gathered magical energy into my legs.

“Fire!”

At the commander’s signal, fire erupted from all directions—dozens of gun barrels spat flame.

I hurled a spear of black magic and leapt into the sky.

The direct hit struck the buzzing source of annoyance— a broadcast helicopter, and its pilot.

So there were still journalists dedicated enough to die for their job, huh?

Well, I hope they were ready to die for it.

Soaring 30 meters into the air, I siphoned blood from the now-dead pilot, forged it into chains, and ensnared the helicopter.

Then I grabbed the other end of the chain and swung—slamming the chopper into the ground.

BOOM!!

A massive blast followed.

The helicopter exploded atop a police car, crushing several officers.

Flames spread to nearby shops and streets, sending smoke billowing.

[Obsidia. That blast already killed ten! Please… don’t kill any more today! I’m begging you…]

That annoying mosquito-like black mascot ghost buzzing in my right ear—with its cheap Halloween-sheet look—got chained up by my blood magic and silenced.

“Shut up.”

[Mmph! Mmph!]

It desperately flailed its tiny limbs and pointed behind me.

I turned my head.

SHRAAAANG—

A massive icicle zipped past, slicing through the air.

“I am Glacier Azure. I’m sure you’ve heard of me. Sanguine Obsidia, the magical girl killer—don’t think you’ll run away so easily.”

“Magical girls these days don’t even do entrance speeches?”

Early magical girls, influenced by magical girl anime, used to shout things like ‘love and justice’ before battle.

And now—ambushes?

So rude.

Even if that icicle had hit me square in the head, it wouldn’t have broken through my magic barrier.

“You’re not even worth introducing myself to!”

Yet you just did.

And now you’re mad about it?

Well, I didn’t do a proper entrance speech either, so I guess we’re even.

Now that I look more closely… her face is familiar.

Blue hair, blue eyes.

She was the one confronting me earlier, and I’m sure I’ve seen her in TV ads or a talk show.

Must be a pretty famous magical girl.

At her feet, a giant magic circle of pale blue formed, and her tightly gripped wand began to emit frost.

Charging up in front of your enemy?

“How noble.”

That mascot ghost will nag me if I kill her, so ideally, I’ll just subdue her.

Maybe slicing off an arm or leg would break her spirit.

If I pierce her chest, the association will have to airlift her to their hospital.

Then maybe this damn standoff will end.

I was still deciding when—

KRA-KOOM—

A deafening explosion.

The sound rattled my skull.

My ears were ringing like I’d been submerged in water.

My head spun.

I felt nauseous.

Splitting pain, disoriented balance—I couldn’t stay upright.

I don’t know how long I was out.

The ringing faded.

Now I couldn’t move my limbs.

They were pinned under debris—completely immobilized.

“Surrender now.”

“Haa… That was a decent attack.”

“…At least if you want to be judged as a human being, surrender. Sanguine Obsidia.”

Glacier Azure hovered mid-air.

My body was trapped under rubble that shifted as if alive.

Judging by her height compared to the building signs, she was floating about four stories up.

I must’ve been hit from the side and smashed into a building.

That’s right—there were two more magical girls besides her.

I let my guard down.

“No, it won’t happen. You can’t capture or kill me.”

I can’t die.

Not yet.

I refuse to die to the likes of you.

“Argente, do it!”

At her command, the air shifted.

A glowing purple orb formed around me, closing in.

I see—they’re trying to crush me with pressure after binding my limbs.

Against an average monster or magical girl, that would’ve worked.

“Rogio Atritas.”

As I chanted, the purple orb blackened, cracked, and shattered.

Once I confirmed the binding spell was broken, I jumped up.

Glacier looked up, stunned.

Police ran around frantically. Burning cars, helicopter wreckage.

And there they were—the green-haired girl in a leafy dress and the black-haired knight in armor.

So those two launched the surprise attack.

Won’t fall for it twice.

Still, I’m curious. How did they pull it off?

“H-Hiiik…!”

I slipped behind the green-haired girl and held my rapier to her throat.

This black rapier doesn’t just wound—it can steal the soul.

“I’m just curious. How did you pull off the ambush? Tell me, and I won’t kill you.”

“I-It was…”

“Let go of Materia!”

The armored magical girl—must be Argente—drew her sword.

I pressed the tip of my rapier just slightly into the girl’s neck.

A single drop of blood fell.

Argente stopped moving.

“Materia, go ahead and tell her.”

Glacier descended and spoke.

“But Obsidia—once you hear it, let her go.”

“Of course.”

Glacier’s face was burning with rage. Rightfully so.

“Um… well…”

The green-haired girl spoke timidly.

Out of fear—or maybe she was just naturally meek.

“I have nature-based powers… I grew the tree roots under the road really fast…”

“Oh?”

She might be more gifted than she looks.

“I used the roots to whip up chunks of asphalt and swing them hard…”

“I layered my magic shields, compressed them, and launched them like a cannon. While Glacier distracted you.”

Argente added.

So she stacked magical barriers and used them like an air-pressure slingshot?

Then transformed building debris with nature magic to bind my limbs…

I learned something new today.

“Shields only block magical attacks, huh? If they worked on physical stuff too, you’d have tried to block that falling helicopter.”

Argente stayed silent.

Thought so.

Mystery solved.

Slice.

I cleanly slashed the green-haired girl’s neck.

Not deep enough to kill.

“W-Why…?”

“I said I wouldn’t kill you.”

Blood gushed from her neck, barely missing her carotid artery.

“Here, knight girl. Take her. If you don’t get her to a hospital soon, she’ll die.”

My rapier is custom-made.

Even a surface wound can’t be healed by a magical girl’s natural recovery.

Now only two are left.

The cops?

They don’t count.

Let’s hope they retreat now that their morale’s shattered.

As expected, Argente carried the green-haired girl and ran off—probably with the remaining police.

“Just you left, blue-hair girl.”

“Been waiting for this!”

“Well, I’ve got no business with you people anymore. Why don’t you just go home? It’s almost dawn.”

I meant it.

I’d already killed nearly ten people.

No need to linger here.

“No—you’re not leaving.”

The air trembled.

Magical currents twisted and tore apart.

It felt like this intersection was being isolated from the universe itself.

“Aha.”

So there was a trump card.

There weren’t just three magical girls.

I sensed another—hiding behind the police.

A girl in a gray hoodie pulled tight.

“If I kill you first, it’s over.”

I spoke deliberately and hardened the blood of the burnt corpses nearby into spears.

Dozens of crimson javelins flew toward Glacier.

[Dodge it, Blue-hair!]

The black ghost was buzzing in my ear again.

Must’ve broken the chains.

Whatever it said, it didn’t matter.

Even if I don’t kill them now—

In the end, I will kill magical girls.